《The New Guild Master》


 Prologue - The Kings Right Hand --> **New**

    The New Guild Master [Prologue] - The King''s Right Hand


    <hr>


    { Two Years after the Massacre at Bordna }


    "An infestation of goblins has overrun the fields in my demesne!"


    "So what?"


    "S-so your majesty, I humbly request your support during the spring harvest."


    The King opened his eyes and glanced lazily at the trembling noble bowing before him. He was a roguish youth with eyes as blue as the mid-morning sky and hair tinted gold.


    He yawned, and lifted a leg over one side of his crimson throne.


    "Hmm?"


    The noble, a scrawny figure, whose black velvet clothes hung loose, bowed more deeply, his chest now parallel to the floor. "I-I request his gracious majesty,''Fabian the Bold'' grant me aid, to cull the ranks of a growing goblin horde."


    The boy King fingered his blue cape and occasionally scratched at his stuffed buff coat. The mithril armor underneath his vestments chaffed his skin, worsening his already sour mood.


    "Why not set a bounty? Why bother the Crown?"


    "Y-you see, I fear the goblins have begun to evolve."


    The King''s eyes shone with interest.


    "Do tell. What have they evolved into?"


    "I-I have received several reports of bands of hobgoblins!"


    Fabian leaned back and sighed.


    "Corlin?"


    On a smaller throne, reserved for the ''King''s Right Hand'' sat the Alokai Kingdom''s most powerful mage. He was draped in a white robe, lined with elaborate floral patterns of gold silk.


    Corlin scratched his short, graying beard. "My Lord. Baron Flintwood..."


    The noble turned to meet his stern visage.


    "... the King has granted your request. Please make way for other petitioners."


    Baron Flintwood bowed and strode away in haste.


    "What more ''Kingly'' duties await me Corlin?"


    At least make an attempt at feigning interest my leige. The noble court is watching!


    To the King''s left were a dozen rows of padded seats populated by finely dressed noble men and women. They heard every supplication, whispering and giggling at each turn of events. Alokai''s nobility, as benefactors of the Kingdom, were thus permitted to sit in during the court''s proceedings to observe the machinations of the state.


    Corlin produced a thin scroll from his sleeve and quickly scanned its contents.


    "This final petition comes from Tristan, the former Guild Master of the now defunct, Liberty Guild."


    "A guild master? Is it some old prick?"


    "No, my Lord. He is a youthful one. Only two years your senior."


    "Interesting... bring him to me."


    Corlin waved at a knight dressed in gold plated mail, with an hawk-shaped bascinet. The Golden Knight plodded his way to the gate of the King''s court and silently instructed two other knights to usher in the last guest.


    "Your majesty!" The Golden Knight bellowed. "Former Guild Master and Famed Adventurer, ''Tristan the Terrible'' approaches."


    What an awful nickname.


    A tall, dainty man, dressed in the traditional livery lent to noble guests of the Kingdom, walked the length of the court''s red carpet and upon reaching the throne, bowed to one knee.


    Fabian raised an eyebrow, when he noticed that half of Tristan''s boyish face was shrouded by a jester''s mask.


    That is throwaway garb, lent out at the court''s behest, meant only for the poorest of nobles. Why is a renowned adventurer wearing such a thing?


    For a moment, a hushed silence settled upon the court before a torrent of whispers broke out.


    "Is that a man or woman!?"


    "He''s beautiful!"


    "Such fine nobility!"


    "From what land does he hail?!"


    "What is the meaning of that mask?!"


    "I have found my betrothed!"


    "Silence!" Corlin yelled. His lips pressed into a thin smile.


    Surely, this will amuse the young King.


    "Rise Tristan. To what do I owe this honor?"


    "You flatter me, my liege. I am but a humble servant. A mote in the eye of a mighty King. I have come to beg your majesty, to hear my request."


    Fabian glanced at Corlin, his curiosity peaked.


    "While your reputation precedes you, it does not warrant the ear of this court. What do you offer the Kingdom of Alokai that we may hear your request?"


    "As expected of your majesty, your wisdom is infallible..."


    Careful. Nothing bores his majesty more than meaningless ass kissing.


    "... but I have not come empty handed. I present to you the head of the Demon Lord, Belgool."


    The Golden Knight stepped forward, and pulled a large sack out of thin air.


    Receiving the gift with a grunt, Corlin undid the knot of rope and examined the remains of a beast whose head was shaped like a ram.


    "Indeed, these are the remains of the ''Evil Goat of the East''. You have done a great service to this Kingdom, young Tristan."


    "Hmm? Let me see."


    "It is a foul sight your majesty." The Golden Knight interjected.


    "I will not repeat myself!" Fabian growled.


    The Golden Knight retrieved the sack from Corlin and presented it to the King.


    Fabian''s cheeks pinched upwards in a wicked smile. "Oh my! This is indeed a ''foul sight''. Please put it away. If you don''t, I may very well puke." He winked at Corlin.


    Ugh. Yet another mounted head added to his hideous collection. I wish there was some way to stave off the King''s more unpleasant habits.


    "I hope this small gift pleases you my liege."


    "Hmm? Yes. I''m satisfied and all that." he waved his hand. "Corlin."


    "The King will allow your petition to be heard."


    "I am most grateful." Tristan bowed. "I-I... ask for the King''s blessing to wed my fiance, Jamilla."


    Fabian inclined his head. "It seems you have me confused with a vicar. Such blessings are the purview of the Church."


    "I ask that..." Tristan hesitated. His hand clutched at his chest as if to still a wave of unbidden emotion.


    "... that you make an exception my liege. For Jamilla is a Noble Goblin."


    A collective gasp echoed throughout the court.


    "D-did you say Noble Goblin?" The King was on the edge of his seat.


    "Y-yes." Tristan squeaked.


    "That is an impossible request-" Corlin began.


    "-You have my blessings Tristan! Now bring this creature to me- I mean bring your bride before this court. I wish to uh... examine her worthiness."


    "Such a thing cannot be allowed!" Corlin leapt to his feat.


    _How can a beast be permitted to present itself before the King''s court?! There is no greater blasphemy! _


    "Surely an exception can be made." the King retorted, unfazed.


    "I hesitate to bring her before this court my liege. I do not wish to sully your reputation among the All-Father Church." Tristan maintained a conciliatory tone.


    If the Pope learns of this, he will have a seizure!


    "Ah, yes." Fabian rolled his eyes. "There is that consideration... well then. Describe her to me."


    "She is... kind, but stern to those that would oppose her. Bold, and yet her beauty is plain to see. She is willful, but fair in her dealings. She has captured my heart and locked it away within a treasure trove of beloved memories. My only desire, is that she would throw away the key."


    Tristan bowed deeply. When he raised his head, a stream of tears had stained his dress shirt.


    "Hmm... ah, yes. Compose yourself Tristan. I am touched and all that. Corlin. Do your thing."


    "I hereby decree that Tristan and Jamilla have bestowed upon them the King''s magnanimous blessings. And so, by the will of Fabian Primum Solum Corodus, twenty-third King of Alokai, their union is sanctified by the Church of All-Father''s on this day."


    What have I done?


    "And now." Fabian wasted no time. "My patience is at an end, and I will wait no longer. Take off your mask!"


    Several moments of complete silence passed and yet Tristan did not stir.


    The Golden Knight unsheathed a bastard sword. "You will comply. To refuse the King, is death."


    "Merran!" Corlin shouted. "Restrain yourself. He is an honored guest. If he has reasons for refusing the King''s command, he must state them now, or be ejected from this court."


    Merran withdrew the glimmering sword to his side, but did not sheath it.


    "Do not worry Tristan. I will hear your reasons. But be warned. You must not bore me."


    The Adventurer shifted awkwardly in place.


    "T-this mask keeps a terrible curse at bay. For whomever looks upon my cursed eye will..." his voice grew too faint to hear.


    "Die...?" The King queried. "That sounds like a child''s fable. I may appear to possess a youthful countenance, but I am one month shy of sixteen. I have practically attained manhood. And so, such things do not amuse me. Take off your mask... right. Now!"


    Tristan stood his ground.


    The King sighed. "Merran. What the hell are you waiting for?"


    The Golden Knight suddenly swung his blade at a cross-angle, intending to behead the Adventurer with a single, powerful slice.


    This time it was the King who gasped, while the rest of the court sat in stunned silence.


    "Corlin."


    "Yes, my liege."


    "Am I in any danger?"


    "No, my King."


    "Okay. Just checking."


    Merran was rattling within his plate mail. Both his arms were clutching the bastard sword as he drove all his strength into his stopped blade. Incantations could be heard whispered through his bird-like helmet. Jets of lightning began to curl around it''s steel frame. The noble members of the court shuddered as resounding thunder echoed across the hall moments later.


    Tristan appeared perfectly calm, having parried the deadly blow with the bare tip of his index finger. And no matter how much sheer force or lightning magic Merran applied, his blade could not even faintly pierce the Adventurer''s skin.


    Hmph. I expect no less from a former Guild Master.


    "Corlin!"


    "Yes, my liege."


    "How about a wager?"


    "As you wish, my King. I wager that Merran will exhaust all his strength and mana... to no avail."


    "What?! You stole my bet Corlin! Alright, never mind. Merran! My money''s on you now. All I ask is that you bloody his finger. You can at least manage that?"


    "M-my King!" Merran''s teeth had began to chatter. "I will protect you unto my dying breath!"


    "Yeah. Whatever. Just cut him!"


    A swirl of flames appeared at Merran''s feet and slowly enveloped his imposing figure until his armor was bathed in a red glow.


    Tristan''s finger began to tremble, his forehead dampened with sweat.


    "Corlin. Are you helping Merran? Do you really intend to spoil my game?!"


    "No, my liege. He has invoked a physical enhancement spell."


    "Hmm? Is it working?"


    "Yes, my King. It appears to have some effect but-"


    "-But what? C''mon Merran! My reputation is riding on this. You''ve got to try harder!"


    "Aaaaaaah!" Merran had inched his way forward.


    At the sound of the knight''s battlecry, the nobles began to wail in despair, fearing that their own lives may be in peril.


    "My King. Please listen."


    "What?! He''s almost there. One more step Merran! I''ll give you a castle if you win. No. Make that two castles!"


    "Fabian." Corlin had lost his patience. "Merran has invoked [Last Breath]. The spell increases the user''s strength tenfold, but draws its sustenance from one''s vitality."


    "Hmm... so what?"


    "If this continues, Merran will surely die."


    Why do you pretend, my King, to not see his soul lingering on the precipice of the afterlife?


    "Can''t you revive him or something?"


    "I''m afraid, such magic is beyond me. And I do not know of any within Alokai that can cast [Resurrection]."


    "Ah, well... you know... he might still cut him. Let''s wait a bit. I think Merran is just about there."


    "No, my liege. You have given Merran an impossible task."


    Merran had eased himself slowly to one side until he faced Tristan straight on. His sword was still pressed against the Adventurer''s fingertip in a forward slash intended to strike the neck. But muscle spams had forced him to continually readjust his position.


    "Any second now! You''ll see!" Fabian chewed the nail of his pinky.


    "Merran is a much loved knight of the kingdom. His death would surely weaken your influence... and there is a possibility that without him to guard your person, the nobles may insist you restrict yourself to the confines of the Citadel."


    The King balled his hands into fists, smacking his thighs. "Alright! You win this one Corlin! Dammit all."


    In response, Corlin waved his hand. "[Fulgur Lotus]."


    A cloud of electricity descended upon Merran, coursing through his body and armor. He collapsed in a heap, drowning the hall in an unexpected silence.


    "Corlin. Did you just kill Merran?"


    "Merran is a hardy soldier. He will yet survive."


    The King crossed his arms and began to pout. "So... what now? Are you going to kill Tristan?"


    "No my King, that will not be necessary. So long as Tristan removes his mask." Corlin gave the Adventurer a steely glare.


    "I-I will comply." With a trembling hand, Tristan took off his jester''s half-mask.


    How can this be?!


    The jaunty outline of his skull lent him the air of an undead creature, but the maggots moving between cracks of rotting flesh made it clear that Tristan''s cursed half was in a perpetual state of decay.


    "Woah." Fabian stood up.


    Corlin instinctively began an incantation that would incinerate the horrifying figure before him.


    "Wait! Do not look into my-"


    The glare of a throbbing red orb began to grow. It''s warm radiance had a hypnotic effect, silencing all who gazed upon it.


    Corlin attempted various chantless spells but none were realized. The ominous eye became a fiery fissure, eclipsing Tristan''s slim figure.


    And yet it continued to grew.


    Panic seized Corlin''s thoughts as the fringes of his own vision suddenly narrowed and twisted into a kaleidoscopic tunnel that drew him towards the depths of what was now a bloody sun.


    His arms and legs soon dissolved. He screamed. But his voice was lost. And his mind along with it.


    <hr>


    "Is this a dream?" Corlin heard himself say.


    He was standing under the shade of an elm tree. Soft rays of light dotted his grey coat while the frigid carved bark of an undead ent stole the sensation of his hand.


    The [Onoci Staff]! Why am I holding this?


    "Have you gone senile already?"


    Corlin nearly leapt at the sound of his Master''s languid voice.


    "M-my King!"


    Fabian brushed away stray leaves that clung to his lace shirt and dust-brown breeches. He plopped himself down on yellowed underbrush, and rested the back of his head on a buttressed root.


    "Indeed. I was your King this morning and so I am now in the afternoon."


    "The Castle? The Noble Court? I was- you were- how did... are you really King Fabian?"


    "Who else could I be?"


    "A demon in disguise perhaps...? D-do you intend to torment me?"


    Fabian sighed. "If I was a demon, I''d consider my work almost done. Old age will take care of the rest."


    His speech. His mannerisms. All reflect the King''s nature. Could I have dreamed up the nightmare that took hold of the noble court''s proceedings?


    A rumble beneath his feet lurched Corlin away from his reverie. The sound of stamping hooves and creaking iron grew steadily louder.


    "Where are we? And who approaches us?"


    "Why do you test my patience old man?" Fabian pursed his lips. "We are in The Widow''s Snatch. What you hear now is our vanguard. They have nearly arrived... don''t tell me, you wish to abandon the Fox Hunt? Well, even with that simple ruse of yours, I will not relent. Not when we''re so close to the Monster''s lair!"


    Merran''s unmistakable suit of armor came lumbering out of a clearing to join them in the shade.


    "My liege! A perimeter has been established." The Golden Knight bent a knee. "Shall we begin the chase?"


    "Finally." Fabian climbed to his feet, stretched his legs and crinked his neck. "Merran. Is the trail still warm?"


    "Indeed, it is."


    "Excellent. Then lead the way. And Corlin. Do not tarry."


    Perhaps I was caught in the haze of a succubus. They are known to waylay travelers around these parts.


    "F-forgive me my liege, for I have wasted your time. I will not do so again."


    "Corlin."


    "Yes, my King?"


    "You bore me."


    <hr>


    The fox hunt is an annual tradition. The Alokai King is asked to choose an elusive creature to pursue. Armed with a company of one hundred elite knights, they set out to apprehend or kill the chosen fiend in order to serve a two-fold purpose. To amuse the nobility whose caravans trail the troops at a comfortable distance; and to eliminate a public threat that has begun to sow dread in the hearts of the common folk.


    For this hunt the King had chosen ''The Cyclops''.


    A rare breed of one-eyed Ogre, the Cyclops had taken it upon himself to build a peel tower at the center of The Widow''s Snatch to block the only passage between the Alokai Kingdom and the northern territories that belong to the Freemen.


    His purpose was unknown. And because the journey between the Alokai Kingdom and the northern Freemen territories was already precarious, the Cyclop''s presence had little impact.


    But Fabian had considered this creature an obvious choice for the Hunt.


    "What do you think will happen if we poke it in the eye? Will it cry? Do you think it possesses tusks or horns? Oh, and before I forget, remind me to take off it''s clothes first... but do such beasts even wear clothing? Perhaps a loin cloth? Yes, that does seem to be the fashion among creatures of the wild."


    They had begun a slow but steady march towards the Ogre''s Keep with the King''s vanguard orbiting at a distance beyond Corlin''s line of sight, so that Fabian could make a hasty retreat should an unexpected foe breach their ranks.


    "It has built itself a formidable base to impede the trade of merchants. I am sure the Beast has been able to manage the acquisition of suitable apparel... but my liege, if you would permit me to ask, why must you undress this filthy creature?"


    Fabian was taken aback. "How else will we determine whether it has one or two testicles?"


    <hr>


    They had reached the base of a gentle hillside. A stone tower imposed itself between them and the surrounding forest. The path to its wrought-iron gate was marked by impaled corpses.


    "Did we bring catapults?"


    "No, my liege."


    "Why not?"


    "The nobles had felt the din of machinery would disturb their afternoon siestas."


    Damn those nobles. They have turned this expedition into a farce!


    "Well, that seems reasonable. Do we have some other means of breaking down the gate? Or perhaps we could smoke them out instead?"


    "If we were to approach the Keep carelessly, we may suffer a barrage of arrows fired from the platform at the high-point of the donjon."


    "Hmm. That would be troublesome."


    "May I suggest we rally the company and prepare an assault upon-"


    "Merran! Your King needs you!"


    Merran raced back from his scouting position further ahead to kneel at the King''s side. "You beckoned, my liege?"


    "Yes, I''d like you to infiltrate the tower and capture the Ogre that resides within. Preferably alive and in one piece. And take care to preserve it''s sexual organs."


    A moment of confusion stymied his otherwise brisk reply. "For honor!"


    Merran bowed and left at once.


    "M-my King. I-I advise against such a brazen tactic! Please recall Merran immediately."


    "You dare give me orders?" Fabian''s cheeks were flushed.


    "N-no my liege. I merely misspoke. I believe that there is another, more prudent course of action. If we regroup the company we can stage a siege-"


    "Why? I think my way is the fastest. After all, isn''t Merran the strongest knight in the Kingdom?"


    He''s actually the weakest! If not, the most zealous. Isn''t that obvious? What sort of knight would choose to be the King''s pet over a lucrative position in a guild of chivalry?


    "Please, allow me to summon the knights to our position."


    Fabian twirled his wrist. "Very well."


    Corlin lifted a hand into the air, his palm facing the sky. "Breath of the Dragon. Wisp of the Willow. Gleam of the sunflower. May you break forth and let your [Flame Surge]."


    A spike of amber flame erupted upwards to a height of several dozen meters and at it''s crescendo, burst into a mushroom cloud of roiling smoke.


    Corlin could hear rattling armor as the members of their vanguard were drawn to their location.


    "Seems like that won''t be necessary." Fabian pointed into the distance.


    Merran had charged full speed ahead despite the weight of his heavy plate of armor, while arrows with steel shafts had begun to rain from above. But the Golden Knight could not be slowed. He ducked and dodged the onslaught until he reached the barred gate of the Ogre''s Keep.


    Merran clinked apart his gauntlets and attempted to pry open the iron hinges at it''s center with brute strength alone. The metal frame howled as a man-sized hole began to take shape.


    As the Golden Knight slowly wrenched open the crudely fashioned gate, he stood prone to felled arrows. It was not long before a few well-placed shots hit him squarely on the metallic joints of his arms and shoulder, but he broke off the arrow heads without a moment''s thought and pushed through the entrance he had carved open with just his bare hands.


    Corlin, with Fabian close behind him, followed Merran''s wake. The arrows that targeted them were incinerated by gusts of flame before they could reach their mark.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Look at him go! At this rate, we''ll be done before lunchtime!"


    Merran pushed through the only door leading to the Tower''s upper reaches. They lost sight of him as they began to climb up winding stairs.


    With Fabian now in the lead, they could hear the sound of scuffling armor ahead. Every now and then they would recognize Merran''s agonizing grunts but not the strange high-pitched wails that followed shortly.


    A few minutes into their ascent, the King stopped at a black-caped figure sprawled on the stairs above them.


    "What manner of creature is this?"


    "That is a [Prowrie]. A rare breed of purple-skinned goblin. They are intelligent and able-bodied. They specialize in close combat by utilizing their razor-edged teeth and wicked claws. Indeed, their incisors have great value. As many lords seek to adorn coronets that incorporate their distinctive sharpness."


    "Do we... have to give ''all'' that we find to the nobles?" Fabian looked up at Corlin, his eyes pleading.


    Why does that foul monster menagerie bring him so much delight?


    He sighed. "They too, shall become a part of your collection."


    In return, Fabian smiled warmly before abruptly continuing his climb upwards.


    They passed several more prowrie, some dead, some dying, as they journeyed to the Tower''s peak. The few that clung to their final moments of life were playfully stomped on by the King until they perished.


    "Corlin."


    "Yes, my liege."


    "This black ooze lining the walls... is it the blood of those prowrie?."


    "Indeed, it is."


    "And what of these red splashes here and there?"


    "Those likely belong to Merran."


    As they reached the pinnacle of the stairway, Fabian paused his advance and turned to address Corlin. His face etched with concern.


    "Should I have told him to count the testicles?"


    <hr>


    There were no windows at the head of the Ogre''s Keep. Instead, the room was decorated by a concentric pattern of embrasures at the walls, with inset arrow slits. A crystal chandelier shone above. It''s magical glare was stifling.


    Two dozen dead prowrie littered the circular hall. And at its heart lay Merran''s glinting armor. Flesh and metal were rendered in waves of breached claw marks. His legs were splayed apart, pointing in awkward directions. While his arms were mashed into a pulpy mess of yellow and red.


    Next to Merran''s dormant figure was the Ogre. It had the look of a particularly pale man with every aspect of his body exaggerated in size. His head, which now bore a look of sad defeat, was bald and egg-shaped. A row of pearly, misshapen tusks curled over and under a fierce grimace. His single eye was glazed over, as he absentmindedly nursed a grievous stomach wound with one hand while the other held a bone-white ball club.


    "We must hurry! You need to heal him before its too late!"


    Corlin rushed to Merran''s side and began to chant his most powerful healing spell.


    "Corlin! What the fuck are you doing?!"


    "M-my liege?"


    "The Ogre could die at any moment!"


    "I-I see..."


    This man threw his life away to appease your whimsy! Have you no heart my King?


    "... what of Merran''s injuries? These wounds are fatal."


    "Oh. Yeah. Heal him too. But first ensure the Ogre''s survival!"


    Corlin straightened and drew closer to the Ogre, who, noticing his approach, flinched away.


    "Calm yourself. If you wish to live, allow me to tend to your wounds."


    Between the scarred fingers on his belly were the Ogre''s lapping entrails which threatened to spill forth at any moment from the bulging tear in his gut.


    Corlin made a brief, cursory examination of his physical state which he then confirmed with [Appraisal].


    The Ogre either understood Corlin''s intentions or lost his will to resist, letting the club slip out of his hand.


    A simple incantation should suffice. I must hurry on for Merran''s sake. For this beast''s monstrous metabolism will likely facilitate a swift recovery.


    Corlin made a drawing motion with his hand. "[Heal]."


    As if woven together by an invisible string, the flesh around the gaping wound knit itself shut.


    "It is done. His strength is not entirely recovered, but the Ogre''s life is in no present danger."


    So when did I become my Master''s puppet?


    "Excellent. You may tend to Merran now..."


    Fabian turned to speak to the Ogre, who had sat up and begun to examine himself.


    "... what shall I name you? Hmm. How about something strong like Maximus...? No, you''re too ugly for that. How about Numnum then? Well, that''s what I called the baby griffin gifted to me when I was three. Dammit. I miss that bird-dog! Who would have thought that even though it had wings, it still couldn''t fly? I had only pushed it out the window because I believed it could. It''s not my fault Numnum died! They should have told me it was a giant chicken or something-"


    "-My liege!"


    "What is it? Can''t you see I''m busy?"


    "I''m afraid that..." Corlin''s voice drifted away, his head hung low in shame.


    "Out with it old man. I don''t have all day!"


    "M-Merran cannot be healed. That instrument. The Ogre''s Club. It possessed some sort of curse. The [Status Effect] called [Dreadmore] has resisted all my spells. I''m afraid that he won''t recover naturally... and he does not have long to live..."


    Fabian was dumbfounded.


    "... so we had best prepare for his imminent... departure."


    "Are you trying to say that Merran is going to die?"


    "Y-yes my King. I cannot save him."


    Fabian shrugged. "Oh, I guess it can''t be helped then. Might as well make the most of it." He knelt down at Merran''s side and gently peeled off the mangled armor.


    "M-my liege... t-they are... I-I saved them."


    "Hmm? What do you mean Merran?"


    "T-the test... the testicles are... intact!"


    "Ah. That is quite an achievement!" Fabian made a cheerful clap. "I want you to know that you have served me well thus far. But Merran, my faithful knight, I must ask you for one last thing."


    Fabian withdrew Merran''s damaged helmet. Waves of coal-black hair flowed freely.


    And then the King''s free hand dove into the recesses of his exposed gut. Merran shuddered. Beads of sweat lined his sickly face.


    What in God''s name is he doing?!


    "M-my King, w-why... do you treat me so?"


    "I am conducting an examination. The more we learn of the curse that has disrupted Corlin''s healing magic, the more prepared we will be in our next encounter. Your sacrifice may well save the lives of many others."


    That is utter nonsense!


    A hand shot up and caught Fabian by the shoulder.


    "K-king Fabian! It has... b-been an honor... s-serving you. I-I only ask one thing... m-my mother... Giselle. P-please care for her!"


    Fabian took the outstretched arm in his hand. "As the King of Alokai, I swear upon the honor of my name, that from this day hence your mother will not know any misfortune. Her life will be one of comfort and exquisite luxury. This is my gift to you."


    Merran smiled, as the light faded from his eyes.


    A few minutes later, Fabian retrieved his blood-soaked hand.


    Corlin could not hide his agitation. "For what purpose did you conduct that ''investigation''?"


    "Hmm? No, reason really. Haven''t you ever wondered what it would feel like to grope the insides of a living person? I even touched his heart! It was quite the sensation. Although not unlike that of a deer or calf."


    H-he has done this before?!


    "Oh, and Corlin. Do take care of his mother... Jessica or whatever. Invite her to live in the castle. If she refuses, give her enough money to absolve us of this duty."


    "You need not worry yourself my King, I will personally take responsibility, and care for Madame Giselle."


    "Yeah, sure. I am grateful and all that... do you hear something Corlin?"


    The sound of clanking metal preceded a stream of red-armored knights that entered the Tower''s utmost chamber.


    An unusually short knight with a lion-shaped bascinet approached the King and bent a knee.


    "My liege, please forgive our late arrival. There were some ''pests'' lingering on the outskirts of the forest. They have all been disposed of and the Ogre''s Keep has been secured... w-we also found a hidden door a small distance from the Tower... at first we thought it was a secret burrow, to hide their retreating members in the event of an indefensible attack on the Ogre''s Keep. Instead we found a dozen women lying naked within its compartment. Unfortunately, they were already dead when we arrived. Though they had suffered terrible injuries, I believe the cause was starvation."


    "Hmm. That''s really sad and all that. Nevertheless, excellent work and um... what was your name again?"


    "Your servant is named Leona."


    "Are you a woman?"


    "Yes, my liege."


    "They have female knights these days?"


    "We are a recent addition."


    It seems Bishop Culio has managed to reform many of the old traditions that plague the All-Father Church.


    "I see... well that''s convenient. Remove your helmet."


    She did as commanded. Her hair was a light ginger, in a well-trim crew cut. And beneath her round eyes was a pointed nose and puffy lips that were curved into a cordial smile.


    "Good. Now take off your armor."


    Once again, she did as commanded. Underneath her armor, she had worn high boots and an ill-fitting shirt tucked into a loose pair of pants. Noticing Fabian''s inquisitive look, she began to explain her attire.


    "I-I had burrowed the Gromber Guild''s trainers because um... my background does not afford me the luxury of personal clothing." She looked to her feet, and blushed.


    "No matter." He turned to address the Ogre. "Bobo..."


    The Ogre glanced up at Fabian.


    "... that will be your new name. Bobo. I hope you like it... and now, tell me. What emotion does this women arouse in you?"


    Bobo''s eyes grew wide, but it did not respond.


    The King looked up into the air and spoke wistfully. "Ah, if only this beast could understand your words Leona. He might be able to respond to your forbidden love."


    "Uh... yes, I am enamored by his um... strong, beefy arms. And what magnificent neck muscles! H-his eye too. I-it''s so big! And gorgeous too!" Leona threw back her hair and crooned. "I-if only Mister Ogre could understand my true feelings. We could celebrate our love together... i-in wild fits of passion!"


    Neck muscles?


    The Ogre had begun to drool. He stared longingly at Leona''s well-endowed bosom.


    "Alas!" Fabian touched his brow with his wrist. "For their love can never be! How sad it is for such a beautiful woman to be spurned by a stupid beast!"


    "W-wait!" Bobo bellowed. "I want her. Yes." He licked his lips. "I must have her!"


    "Ah. So, you can talk." Fabian laughed lightly. "Corlin. Interrogate him."


    Corlin stretched out his hand, palm up. Jets of electricity danced between his fingers. "You will tell us of your purpose. Any deceit will be met with a swift end."


    The Ogre fell to his knees. "F-forgive me! I wanted to please Master. He gave me [Cursed Oak Club]. I grab this land. To win favor. I surrender. Boy. You my master now- oomph!"


    Bobo keeled over in pain. The blow that Leona had dealt him was not that devastating, but it rekindled the memory of Merran''s wild slash to his gut.


    "You will address his majesty as ''my liege'' or ''my King''; to each of the Knights of Gromber, ''Sir'', and to the Chief Magus, you will use ''My Lord''. Is that clear? Or do you need me to help you understand?" She curled a hand into a stern fist and waved it in the Ogre''s face.


    "W-what about our love?"


    "I love none other, than my King and Country!"


    Fabian glanced at Corlin. "I like her. She''s feisty."


    "And who is your master?" Corlin had not forgotten about the interrogation.


    "The Demon King, Luscius Morti Wardo Feldhart, Grand Ruler of the Kingdom of Canaan."


    Corlin''s jaw fell open.


    Fabian noticed his reaction, and was not pleased. "Corlin."


    "Yes, my liege."


    "Has the Demon King encroached upon my territory?"


    "No, my King."


    "Does he plan on attacking the Alokai Kingdom in the future?"


    "There is no evidence to suggest that he has such plans."


    "Is this Ogre''s Keep not evidence of such an intention?"


    That cannot be denied!


    "I do not believe that to be the case. His power is but a trifling compared to the immense military might of the Alokai Kingdom. This creature likely acted alone in an attempt to curry his King''s favor."


    "Hmm. Even if that''s true, when we return to the Citadel, I will have you summon the War Council before me."


    If we anger the Demon King, he will surely destroy us all!


    "I do not believe such a course of action to be necessary, my King. But I will remember to do so upon our return."


    "Alright... Leona."


    "Yes, my liege!"


    "Is the Noble Entourage close by?"


    "Indeed. It is."


    "Go out to the carriages, and kindly ask for some volunteers. Women only. Attractive, if possible."


    "M-my King!" Corlin interposed. "May I ask for what purpose do you require volunteers?" A sinister foreboding clutched at his heart.


    "Hmm? Don''t you like surprises?"


    <hr>


    "Dianne? Ursula? What are you two doing here?!"


    "Hello Father!" Dianne said sweetly. Her frilly, champagne-colored hair wafted about as she shook her head.


    "Are you not glad to see us Father?" Ursula''s voice was a haughty treble. "We have volunteered ourselves so that we may be of use to the King."


    Ursula stood head and shoulders above not only her diminutive sister, but also above the crimson knights that guarded the Tower''s high chamber. Both sisters were dressed in colorful frock typical among noblewoman, as they looked upon their father with loving admiration.


    "O-of course I am pleased to see the both of you!"


    But what dreadful thing could the King be planning?


    Fabian whistled. "Good job Leona. Since your part is done, you can put your armor back on."


    "It is my pleasure to serve you." Leona donned her helmet and mail.


    "Oh, and I almost forgot. We need furniture."


    Four knights stepped forward, drew padded chairs from their [Storage] and arraigned them in a neat circle.


    "I don''t think we''ll need that many chairs. But we will need a bed of some sort."


    Leona, her face now hidden beneath her lioness helmet, made the provision by withdrawing a thick roll of straw from her [Storage]. The soldier''s pallet was placed unceremoniously before the King and Corlin, both of whom had taken seats while Dianne and Ursula stood at their side.


    God. I have rarely called upon your name. But in this moment I beseech your mercy. Please! Let this not become what I have envisioned.


    Fabian''s hand reached out into empty air, disappeared for a moment into his [Storage] and returned clutching a brown lunch bag.


    What is this strange meal? I have never seen garlic cloves like that. And does he intend to eat it raw? Skin and all!


    The King was munching happily on his snack, when he noticed the shocked expressions on the faces of Corlin and his comely daughters.


    "Mmh. Nyum. Nyum." He stopped momentarily, to quietly burp. "Mmh. Yeah. This is good stuff. It''s this thing called ''Popcorn''. It''s actually just a special corn, super-heated until its innards pop open."


    "My King, how did you acquire such a rare treat?"


    "Nyum. Nyum. Nyum. Mmh. Ah. What? Oh, right. Keirima gifted it to me. I offered him a position in our vangaurd. He declined. I almost had him hanged, but for this delicious popcorn. When topped with caramel, it has this strange blend of salty sweetness and... hmm... maybe I should have asked for more?"


    The hero from another world! If only I knew of a means to traverse our realms. With my family in tow, I would have fled long ago.


    Fabian licked his fingers and let the paper bag slip carelessly from his hands onto the floor. "Alright! Let the entertainment begin!"


    The King leaned back and waited as silence dwarfed the Tower.


    The Ogre scratched it''s head. Corlin rubbed his staff. Leona coughed loudly. And the noble sisters began to hum in anticipation of the upcoming entertainment.


    The King, noting the lack of activity, but still oblivious to the discomfort of those around him, brought his hands together in a steeple. "Now, I''m not entirely sure how this works. But I imagine it''s something similar to the ''Pillow Sport'' that cousin Cecilia and I practice on occasion..."


    Pillow Sport? The royal concubines will only visit his private chambers when he has attained manhood. And that''s still a month away. Could Lady Cecilia have...?


    "Bobo. Take off your clothes and lie down on the pallet, with your chest facing up. Brianne and Stella. You two will take turns riding him. And make sure you impregnate yourselves properly. I want a litter or pack or whatever you call a bunch of them. The first batch you deliver should have at least one female among them. Brianne, you don''t have much of a physique, so I suppose you may choose to carry no more than two. But Stella, you are the tallest woman I have ever seen. So, I have great expectations from you. Give me at least five runts and I will reward you handsomely!"


    "M-my liege!"


    "What is it Corlin? Can''t it wait? The show is just about to begin."


    "Y-you can''t be serious?! Those are my daughters!"


    "Oh. Right. It might be strange of you to watch then. I don''t suppose you''re into that? Then I shall allow you to avert your eyes."


    "M-my liege. Please permit me to speak."


    Finally! A voice of reason.


    "You too Leona? What''s wrong now? Or is it that you also wish to participate?"


    "I-I am not experienced in such matters. But I believe that women cannot ordinarily control the process of gestation."


    "Is that so? Cecilia assured me that she wouldn''t get pregnant unless she wanted to. Are these two women somehow deficient?" He pointed a finger at the sisters, who lay huddled in a corner, sobbing quietly.


    The King has fornicated with his own blood relation! News of this must never reach the All-Father Church!


    "S-she may be a special case..." Leona explained. "... and forgive me your majesty but I must also inform you that is it not possible to control the number or alter the sex of children when they are incubated in the womb because um... the process of bearing children is usually a gamble."


    "A gamble? Why would anyone gamble with their own progeny?!" He smacked his face. "Ugh. Why is this baby making stuff so hard? Bobo."


    "Yes. Master."


    "Do you have any knowledge of the reproductive process of your kind?"


    "Forgive me, Master. This one has only had humans. And you already found those humans I had... finished using. None of them bore children."


    How can you let that foul creature touch my innocent little girls!


    "M-my King." Corlin pleaded. "Let us put aside this matter for now. When we return to the Citadel, I will organize a special council to research the medical intricacies of pregnancy among humans and between different races. As this endeavor will likely prove fruitless, I suggest we postpone such experimentation until later, when we have sufficient knowledge."


    The All-Father Church would never allow such plans to ripen. But that does not concern me. Because when this Fox Hunt is over, I will seek out Keirima and acquire the knowledge of the [World Traveler] - no matter the cost!


    "You may have a point Corlin. But I''m bored. And besides I think there is a lot I can learn from watching. I might even try some tricks on Cecilia!"


    Bobo grunted with satisfaction. "Yes, Master. There is much I can show you."


    "Very well then. You may begin the warm up exercises."


    What should I do?! I can''t allow Dianne and Ursula to suffer such humiliation. I must find an escape!


    "Warm up?" Bobo furrowed his brow. "I am not sure what Master has in mind. But please permit me to do things my way." He slapped his chest with a meaty hand.


    "Hmm. I suspect Cecilia''s methods may be unique to nobles. Whatever. Just make sure they live through the experience."


    Bobo, in his excitement, lunged at the noble sisters. They screamed in protest, but he caught them each by the hair, tearing at their scalps. He dragged them to the pallet, and kept one hand pinned on Dianne, while he tore Ursula''s dress to pieces.


    "I''ll start with the big one Master."


    "Good. And before I forget. Leona. Send a messenger to Keirima with the following request: I am in dire need of the confectionery you call ''Popcorn''. I require at least ten barrels of these special corn kernels. Your reward will be quite generous."


    "Enough!" Corlin roared. "Unhand my daughter you wretched beast!"


    Bobo looked up in confusion. "You prefer I use the small one instead?"


    A torrent of electricity shot out of Corlin''s hand.


    "Corlin! What have you done? Dammit..."


    Fabian had left his seat in an instant and placed himself between the lightning bolt''s path and the frightened Ogre.


    "... you ruined my shirt! You know Cecilia knitted it herself."


    The center of Fabian''s shirt was singed away. A fist-sized hole exposed his bare chest.


    How can he move so fast? And why is he unharmed?! Does he possess a natural resistance to the base elements?


    Before Corlin could engage in further contemplation, Leona had appeared at his side and swung her flame-wreathed sword at his neck. He blocked the blow with his staff. And as he jumped back to assume a comfortable distance, jetties of flame were absorbed into the gnarled piece of wood in his hand, until the blaze that consumed Leona''s blade was entirely extinguished.


    With the [Onoci Staff] I might yet survive this ordeal.


    "[Efreet] protect my daughters. And [Efreet] waylay the knights so that I may prepare an escape."


    Acting as a catalyst, a ring of flames appeared at the head of his staff, from which a pair of giant Efreet were born. Each a towering inferno of elemental power.


    The first Efreet struck at the cowering Ogre, but the King intervened, swatting away it''s flaming claw with a flick of his wrist. Its forearm disintegrated, but a new one steadily grew in its place.


    "I will not allow you to spoil my fun!"


    The rumors must be true. With just those occasional ''dalliances'', he was able to attain the strength of an ''A'' rank adventurer!


    The second Efreet spewed flames from it''s mouth, bathing Leona in a mist of flames. When the haze finally dissipated, Leona''s suit of armor appeared unscathed, but her feet were trapped in the molten rock of the floor.


    The Gromber Guild is known for their flame wielding knights. While the blaze will not likely harm them, their own attacks will also prove ineffective.


    A squad of knights had assembled, with their hallmark griffin-shaped bascinets. They struck at the Efreet and deftly dodged its broad swings. But for each successful strike the Efreet simply regenerated and continued its unceasing assault.


    In just a few minutes several knights had been defeated. For when they were caught in the Efreet''s sweeping grasp, their bodies would be flung about, flailing for a moment before crashing down into blood-soaked piles of crunched metal.


    The knights had already begun to sound their retreat. Leona, now free of her plated mail, had gone to aid the King, by pinning Corlin''s daughters to the floor while Fabian played with the other Efreet.


    "Leona."


    "Yes, my liege."


    "Where is Bobo?"


    "I-it seems that in the ruckus that ensued, he had made his escape."


    "What?! Then go after him!"


    "Yes, my King. But what of the Efreet?"


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of them." Leona let go of Corlin''s daughters and dashed to the stairs, exiting the fray.


    Now is my chance.


    "Come to me!"


    Corlin''s daughters got up and raced towards their distraught father, tears drifting in their wake.


    "Hmm. How did it go again? Water, something, something. Um. Seeping, roiling. Uh... whatever. [Flood Water]."


    The moisture in the air thickened, while droplets of water formed on the stone surface of the floor. An unnatural dew appeared, and slowly turned into an omnipresent leak.


    A lake had begun to form in the high chamber of the Ogre''s Keep. The Efreet were swallowed in it''s wake. Their feet dissolving in a frothy mist.


    The Knights had lost their footing, and struggled to remain afloat in their heavy suits of armor.


    "Make for the exit my dears." Corlin fired off reams of lightning bolts at the disarrayed soldiers while his daughters waded towards the stairway. The pair were soon swept away, down the Tower stairs, by the growing current of water.


    Thank goodness!


    "Corlin."


    "M-my liege!"


    Fabian struck Corlin''s chest with a clenched fist.


    The air blew out of his lungs as his bent frame was launched into the air. His back splattered against the water, several meters away.


    With his vision blurred, Corlin barely dodged a punch aimed at his face by paddling to the side.


    Fabian clutched the back of his neck. "You will pay for your mistake. With your life." He shoved Corlin''s head into the pool of water.


    I can rest in peace, knowing that my daughters are safe.


    "My liege!"


    "What is it Leona? Did you capture Bobo?"


    "Yes, my King. The Ogre is in our custody... but the noblewomen... were caught in the flow of rushing water. They are impaled upon the iron gates that protect this Keep."


    What?!


    Corlin struggled feebly under Fabian''s firm grasp. His lungs were already filled with blood and water.


    "How inconvenient."


    "Shall I call for more volunteers among the nobles?"


    "No need. We will continue this experiment in the confines of the Citadel and... hmm... does Corlin not have a wife?"


    "I believe they are separated."


    "Ah. Yes. I had heard of something like a religious dispute. Katrina was it?"


    Kimberly!


    "I will have a squad restrain her in the prison that lies beneath Norquid Castle."


    "Splendid. Judging by the looks of Cornelia-


    "-Could you perhaps mean ''Ursula'', my King?"


    "Mmh. Yes. Given her child''s stature, there''s a good chance Katrina can produce a healthy stock of..."


    Corlin felt his mind drawn into a kaleidoscopic tunnel. He cried out in despair but heard nothing as the cold embrace of eternal silence engulfed his soul.


    <hr>


    "I-I tried to tell you!" Tristan dropped to his knees and placed his palms on the floor. "I did not intend for this to happen! Please forgive me."


    Corlin, his head whirling in confusion, took several moments to acclimatize his new surroundings.


    He first noticed that the Nobles had become a ghastly sight to behold.


    Most were crying. Some had fainted. Others tore at their own hair and clothing, muttering incoherently. A few sat stunned, as speckles of drool crawl down their lips while they stared ahead, their faces blank.


    And strangest of all, there was one noblewoman that stood among her peers. Her face was fraught with terror while her arms were arched back as if she were about to fall over.


    One by one the nobles began to take notice of the pristine statue in their midst. And when the sad realization that one of their members had turned to stone finally dawned on them, they screamed.


    What happened?


    Corlin turned to his King.


    Fabian sat on his throne. Perfectly still. His eyes constricted in a faraway look, his lips quivering.


    "This reverie." Corlin whispered. "Could it be a spell of some sort?"


    Tristan was in tears, his face planted on the floor. "It wasn''t supposed to happen this way! What should I do? What will happen to Jamilla?!"


    "Hmm? Isn''t this the Noble Court? Wasn''t I just-"


    "-Fabian! M-my liege! You have returned to us."


    "Did I fall asleep...? You know Corlin, I think I''ve just had my first nightmare."


    Tristan looked up at the King, the eye of his cursed half appeared to shrink, it''s feverish glow, now slightly diminished.


    "What''s going on? Why are the nobles in a panic? And why is there such a life-like statue over there? I don''t remember ordering one... and do you smell that?"


    The stink of shit and piss had begun to suffocate the court. The knights in attendance stood stock still, but the source was unmistakable.


    "Did everyone just have a nightmare?"


    "So it seems, my King."


    "P-please forgive me!"


    "For what? Did you do this?"


    Tristan lowered his head and groaned. "Indeed, I am to blame. Though I had hoped to keep it concealed, the effect of this cursed eye was known to me before I entered this court. I will accept any punishment. But please spare Jamilla''s life! She has had no part in this... disaster."


    Fabian began to cackle loudly. He twisted and turned in the seat of the throne, his merry laughter drowning out the wailing nobles. "T-that is amazing! I must have you over for dinner one of these days! What an awesome party trick that eye would make! And the mask too! What wonderful theatrics!"


    Has he gone made?


    The King''s bubbling joy soon subsided. He sat in relaxed poise as Corlin and a few knights attempted to calm the nobles. Most felt it necessary to recuse themselves, while some who remained in a disheveled state, along with Merran, had to be lifted out of the room, unable or unwilling to move themselves. A few were even dragged out forcefully, as their mad ravings dampened the spirits of those around them.


    "This power of yours..." Fabian began. "Is it something you can control? Can it be wielded?"


    "No, your majesty. I have not discovered a means of controlling its effects, beyond concealment."


    "And... what of the statue? Corlin has informed me that that woman was once very much alive. Now she is no more than a block of stone. Is this your doing also? And can it be reversed?"


    "Forgive me your majesty, but I must carry the burden of taking her life. For though it seldom occurs, there are a few, that when first met by the evil glare of my cursed eye, turn to stone... and the condition is permanent, for reasons unknown to me."


    "I see... worry not Tristan as I will not punish you for this mistake. For I bear some responsibility in this matter. I had disregarded your warning and unleashed this curse upon the wards of my state. Some, nay, all will ask for reparations. But I will cater to those demands. In return, I ask that you tell me the source of your power- I mean the cause of this curse."


    "I... cannot."


    "Hmm? Even with the threat of death?"


    "Even so."


    Fabian smiled. "Oh, my. Such obstinate courage. Perhaps in time, I can persuade you to share your secret with me." He clapped his hands together. "This court is adjourned!"


    <hr>


    Corlin held his hand inches from the door.


    Am I really doing this?


    He made to knock, but hesitated.


    Can I trust a man that would willingly marry a creature as repulsive as a Goblin?


    "Do you plan on eavesdropping all day?" the husky voice had emanated from the other side of the door.


    "Erm. It is I, Corlin. Chief Magus of the Kingdom of Alokai. I bid you open this door at once."


    The door swung open. A woman hefting a battleaxe blocked his entry. Her face was obscured by a priest''s shade, a black mask depicting a crescent moon.


    To bear arms before the King''s Chief Advisor. How foolish.


    "What business do you have with my Master?"


    "It is quite likely that Tristan has been expecting me."


    "Do you presume to know my Master''s thoughts?"


    "Easy now. Let him through Jamilla. I had expected him to pay us a visit after yesterday''s debacle. But perhaps not so soon."


    She stepped aside, letting Corlin enter their guest room.


    "Please have a seat." Tristan offered him the only chair available, drawn from the side of the nightstand. He was sitting on an unused bed, wearing his half-mask, while Jamilla stood aloft, her double-sided axe held askance, with obvious unease.


    Corlin glanced at Jamilla''s attire. Every inch of her skin was concealed by a thick gambeson, the color of midnight. And what would have been exposed neck was shielded by an aventail. Even her hands were protected by silver gauntlets.


    "Is she truly so hideous that you will allow no aspect of her person to be seen?"


    Tristan laughed heartily. "On the contrary. If it wasn''t for such precautions I''d have no time for anything but beating back a horde of suitors!"


    "I suppose that is true. There are many among our noble ilk with such... fetishes."


    Jamilla stiffened.


    "So. My Lord-"


    "Please. Between gentlemen and..." he batted an eye in Jamilla''s direction. "And beast. Let us address one other as equals."


    "I take it you do not begrudge our unfortunate encounter at the Noble Court?"


    Images of yesterday''s nightmare flashed before his eyes.


    "I... am willing to let the past remain so."


    "And what of King Fabian? His unusual mirth was entirely unexpected. Could it be that his mind was... unsettled by the experience? I can''t even begin to imagine what horrors he may have seen!"


    I am certain that, to Fabian, there is no greater horror than being locked in his bedroom with nothing to play with.


    "There is no need to be concerned, for The King does not know fear."


    "How can that be? Is he not human?"


    Corlin chuckled. "I have my doubts."


    "And how can I repay this sudden generosity?"


    "With information."


    "Of that I have plenty. Except for one subject that has eluded me for some time."


    "Your cursed eye?"


    "Yes. Can you appraise it?"


    "With [Appraisal] at only [Lvl. 4], I am afraid that I won''t be of much use. But you are in luck. I have heard tell of such a curse. Although only in passing. And unfortunately, I had not taken the details to heart for I thought the tale to be a fiction when I first heard it."


    "Then tell us what you do know." Jamilla''s patience had come to a swift end.


    "I shall." Corlin intoned. "But first, tell me what you know of an adventurer named Keirima."


    "A two-faced scoundrel!" Jamilla spat.


    "Enough."


    "F-forgive me master."


    Tristan sighed, and made to speak but fell silent instead, lost in thought.


    What is this atmosphere...? Are they not lovers? While this ruse may have staved off any questions her presence in the castle may have incurred, the King''s blessing has made such covert behavior unnecessary. So. Why do they continue to pretend to be Master and Servant?


    "I have encountered him... on more than one occasion... i-is there something he has that you want?"


    "A means of traversing between worlds."


    "I see... well, I can confirm that Keirima is not originally of this world. He was born of Earth. And that is where he met an untimely end. But the God of this world saw it fit to give him a second chance at life, and so he was reborn as a human child close to twenty years ago."


    "Reincarnation?! Impossible. All men who die are lifted to heaven or damned to hell. And those that straddle the line of good and evil are purified of their sins in purgatory."


    "You don''t need to recant the All-Father''s doctrine to me. I know it all too well."


    "Then you know your own words to be nonsense!"


    Tristan folded his legs and tilted his head back.


    "I''m surprised Corlin. I had heard much about you. But none spoke of such dogma."


    "I told you Master-"


    "-Please call me Tristan. If only to appease me."


    "Y-yes Tristan. My point is that this man is nothing more than a religious nutjob. Kimberly had said as much."


    "I will not allow such vermin to speak her name!" Corlin raised a flaming fist.


    Jamilla gripped the shaft of her axe with both hands and let out a low hiss.


    "Watch your tongue Jamilla. This is a negotiation not a war of words."


    "F-forgive me Master."


    "Please. Just call me Tristan. We''re going to be married soon. So you need to get used to it."


    And here it is again. This strange tenderness.


    "I-I will. In time."


    "To properly answer your question Corlin, I must inform you that while Keirima was born to this world by the will of your God, it was done with his consent. I don''t know the details of their actual conversation, but it seemed to have left a positive impression on him."


    That is preposterous!


    Corlin''s knees buckled. "H-he spoke... t-to God?!"


    "Yes. He did... I assure you, that in this matter, Keirima spoke the truth. Or at the very least, he believed his own words. And I for one acknowledge that his telling of it is more than plausible."


    "H-he speaks directly with God?! How can this be?" Corlin''s face had gone deathly pale.


    "They haven''t spoken since his rebirth. But I believe he has a hidden purpose that he would not disclose... a mission that he must carry out at God''s behest."


    "Keirima is a prophet!"


    Tristan gave Jamilla a worried look.


    "I-I think you''re taking this the wrong way."


    "I must do all I can to protect God''s emissary!"


    "You are mistaken." Jamilla interposed. "He is not a man of God. That bastard-"


    Corlin slapped her. The mask fell to the floor.


    Unbelievable.


    Her dimpled cheeks were flush with rage, the nostrils of her round nose flared in anger, and her soft chin jutted outwards as she gritted her teeth.


    "You son of a-"


    "-You''re beautiful!"


    Her anger evaporated. "T-thank you."


    "I-I thought that you would be more like... a goblin actually. Your skin is green. But it''s so pale. Under a certain light you could almost pass for-"


    "-A human being. A person. Just like you and me." Tristan had a wry smile. "I''m sorry Corlin, but she''s already taken."


    "A-and please, stop looking at me that way." Jamilla hid her face in her hands.


    Corlin was surprised that he had to exercise his will just to avert his own gaze.


    "I will tell you what I know about [Medusa''s Eye]."


    "Wait. Let me check my [Status]." Tristan paused for a moment, before nodding in Jamilla''s direction. "He''s telling the truth, the string of question marks have now been filled in. Please continue Corlin."


    "I heard this story from an old Guild Master. Tiberius. God rest his soul... so, there was once an Elven Queen, known as Solei, that ruled a small tribe somewhere within the vicinity of what we now call the Freemen Territories. She had reigned in peace for a long time when her territory was attacked without provocation, by a human ruler. King Herron. He led a war-like state that fought against the tribe of elves in order to enslave their race. And though the elves staged a fierce resistance, their numbers soon dwindled. The war ended with King Herron claiming himself the victor and the Elven Queen and her kin, the spoils."


    "Solei." Tristan whispered.


    "The Queen became his personal slave. And for a time, she was no more valuable than any one of his many concubines. But as the King approached old age, she still retained her ethereal beauty. None could fault him for falling in love with her. And in accordance with her desires, he freed the elves from their slavery, including Solei herself. But rather than return to the enclave of the forests, she stayed by his side and became his Queen in all but name. His demise arrived just when she had begun to bear his child. And so, King Herron was assassinated by his own son. Which one? I do not know. For he sired many children and had yet to name an heir. Solei, whose beauty was still matchless, became a concubine once again."


    "That''s it?"


    "Oh-ho! The story does not end there. To the surprise of all, Herron returned. No longer a man, but a demon instead. Evil incarnate. He may well have been the first Demon King, but for the fact that he did not desire a throne."


    "He just wanted Solei back?" Tristan concluded.


    "Indeed. He sought their reunion and was willing to kill his own son that had claimed his old throne. But with a knife at Solei''s throat, he agreed to die once more, so that his beloved and the child she still carried could live... and die he almost did. The young King cast a banishment spell that would have sent Herron to the depths of hell had Solei not intervened. His life was spared, but she was caught in the darkness of a terrible mist. A curse settled on her body. Killing the child in her womb and imbuing evil into her very soul. Such that where her hair had once been, was now a head of snakes. And whomever met her gaze was instantly turned to stone."


    "But why is the curse known as ''Medusa''s Eye''?"


    "There is a rare serpent whose cursed bite petrifies the soul, turning the body to stone."


    "And you''re saying that weird [Medusa] snake grew out of her head like it was hair?"


    "Yes. That is how the story is told."


    Tristan was visibly shaken.


    "It seems that you have acquired a less potent version of this same curse. But what I find curious is why so few of your victims turn to stone."


    "Please don''t say it that way. You make me out to be a villain..."


    Tristan removed the jester''s mask that covered one side of his face.


    Corlin flinched, diverting his eyes.


    "... it only works the first time you see it... and Jamilla has a theory about why most people awake from a dream while others turn to stone."


    "Is that so? Then if you will, Jamilla. Please elaborate."


    Such a fine maiden. Perhaps there is some way to purify her Goblin blood? I''m sure that if there is, the Pope would know of such means.


    "I-I believe that one can only escape the dream by dying. It matters not how. The dreamer could even die by their own hands... I-I have already confirmed this much."


    "What would happen if the so-called dreamer were to somehow avoid death?"


    "This is only conjecture." Jamilla confided. "But it makes sense that the dream would repeat itself. Perhaps as a variation of the dreamer''s ''worst nightmare''."


    "And for how long would this go on for?"


    Tristan swallowed hard. "Some people have reported dreams lasting only minutes. Others, days. Some weeks. And for those unable to recover from the trauma, we suspect it had been years."


    "C-could it mean that..."


    Corlin felt faint. And Tristan''s grave demeanor did little to ease his anxiousness.


    "... the woman that became a statue?"


    "S-she may still be in a dream a-and..." Jamilla had begun to shed tears.


    "And she will likely stay in that nightmare... forever." Tristan bit his lip hard, his face plastered by harrowing guilt.


    "This... this truth, must not be made public. It would cause a panic. And you Tristan." Corlin pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You will be labelled a demon. It is only a matter of time before the Church puts a bounty on your head."


    Tristan seemed relieved. "This is most unexpected. I had thought we would make an enemy of you once you learned of the true nature of this curse... but it seems you have some greater purpose in mind than to please the fat saints of the All-Father church?"


    "I desire only one thing. An escape from this world. I will do whatever it takes to rid my person and my family from the King''s grasp... and so ''Tristan the Terrible'', will you help me?"


    "I swear to protect your family and not rest until I find a means of transporting you and your kin out of this world... in exchange I ask that you help me lift this wretched curse and... that you aid me in my quest to kill the world''s most foul demon!"


    Corlin''s heart began to pound furiously.


    "Y-you want me to help you kill the Demon King?!"


    "No. Our opponent has not yet attained such power. He is a demon lord called Nejima."


    Corlin laughed. "Then it would be my pleasure!"


    <hr>

 Chapter 0 - My Knight in Shining Armor

    The New Guild Master [Chapter 0] - My Knight in Shining Armor


    <hr>


    { The Present }


    "You''re doing great!" a perfect smile nudged her confidence.


    "W-we are part of the Moribus guild. I-I am Solei, your local guild receptionist." She bowed, her silver hair tumbling forward.


    A dozen raunchy whistles made her blush.


    "Psst! Huck!"


    The tall, cheery man at her side, with cropped, sandy-brown hair, careened his neck to listen to her whisper despite the bustling din of the dirty tavern.


    "Huh? What''s wrong Solei? Weren''t you about to begin your speech?"


    "I w-was but... do I have to stand on a table? This feels so embarrassing!"


    "How else will you get their attention?"


    "But I feel like they''re all trying to look up my skirt!"


    "It''s not my fault you dress this way. But I like the corset, it makes you seem so womanly. And I''m sure they like it too."


    "You know its my uniform!"


    "Just keep smiling. When hunting crabs you have to put on a brave face."


    "What does that nonsense have to do with this situation?!"


    "Most of these ruffians have had to live without the humanizing presence of a woman. Is it any wonder then, that they''ve turned into a bunch of old crabs?"


    I-is that supposed to be helpful? Ugh. Whatever. Let''s just get this over with.


    "So!" she suddenly yelled. "Is a-anyone interested in becoming an adventurer?"


    A sea of hard faces stared at her for a moment before lapsing back into boisterous chatter.


    "Go ahead and make your pitch. The mood won''t improve by itself."


    Why don''t ''you'' try talking for once!? Hmph. It''s always like this. All you ever do is stand next to me and act like a bodyguard.


    "W-we at the Moribus guild offer n-numerous services for those looking to earn a f-fast fortune!"


    "You''ve got their attention now. Keep going. Maintain a confident air."


    "You w-will receive training at arms! And superb healing that will get you right back on your feet when the going gets tough!"


    It''s just normal [Heal] though. So please don''t come to me with severed limbs!


    A skinny hand shot in the air. "What of the pay? Is it any good?"


    "O-our compensation is always fair! And you can take comfort in the fact that your work will have a direct, positive impact on the people of Bordna!"


    "I''d rather take comfort in what lies between your thighs!" One man snickered.


    A low chuckle ruffled through the crowd.


    S-such sleaze!


    "Solei." Huck squeezed her shoulder. "Stay calm. They''re just teasing you."


    Even though she was standing on a round table, their height was equal. And she could tell that underneath his placid smile, Huck was grinding his teeth.


    "You will have access to maps, journals and a vast library of useful material that will help you defeat any foe!"


    A buff man with a thick mustache slammed a fist on his table. "Anything to help me defeat the bouncer at the Seven Bells?!"


    This time the laughter was so great, some fell off their chairs.


    "Don''t play into their words. Stick to your script." Huck''s calm demeanor did much to reassure her.


    "Though we are an adventurer''s guild, our members often hold dual membership in other guilds aimed at Craftsmen and Merchants! A good word from us can open many doors for you!"


    An older gentlemen with a pointed beard and a halberd resting on his shoulder, raised an inquisitive hand. "Do you offer any meditation classes? And perhaps massage services too?"


    "Yes we do." Huck answered. "I''m happy to inform you that for all that choose to join the Moribus Guild, I will be serving as your resident masseur."


    The tavern was drowned by a contagious tide of disappointed groans.


    Solei resumed her speech. "N-new members will benefit from visiting teachers! The best, most talented adventurers all belong to the Moribus Guild! With their tutoring, you can unlock your limitless potential!"


    A lazy man, with his languid figure curled atop a table spoke between hiccups, his fingers gripping a half-empty wooden pitcher. "And what of us without any talent? Huh!? Will we become your lackeys?"


    At these soft words, some were roused to anger, and stamped their feet in protest.


    "T-there are many career paths open to members of the Moribus Guild - you may even become guild employees! We are always looking for diverse talent! In math and statistics, language and elocution, coordination and strategy... even interpersonal skills are of value to us!"


    Although from the looks of it, none of you have anything that even resembles interpersonal skills.


    A grimy hand wafted into the air. "Do you ensure loans? Can you take on existing debts?"


    "W-with a Moribus Guild membership, your line of credit will be extended by most Merchant Guilds! And while we don''t cover personal debts, we can bankroll your expeditions and help you earn vast fortunes!"


    A hooded figure in the corner rustled his cloak. As if sensing his intention to speak, those that sat around him were hushed into silent anticipation.


    "There are many who possess a bleak past." His voice was low. Even those who sat close to him, struggled to hear what he said next. "What will become of the criminal history that plagues us? Can you give the anxious ones a fresh start?"


    "I-if there is currently a bounty on your head, whether the source is Freemen, Alokian or Gondorian, we can stand as intercessors on your behalf! But... you may have to serve as a ward until your debt is paid!"


    "So..." he growled. "You mean for me to become a slave!?" The man stood up, his flowing form casting unease on the members of the tavern that encircled him. "I will never return to captivity!"


    Huck''s hand flashed in front of Solei''s face. He held a short dagger, it''s tip pointing at her throat.


    "W-what are you doing?!" Solei gasped.


    He slowly withdrew the blade and hid it under his padded jacket. "That was a gift from the friend you just made."


    A clamor of confused whispers began to rise.


    "Huh!? What''s he doing?"


    "Is he trying to stab her?"


    "Some bodyguard he is, attacking his own client."


    "You fool! Didn''t you see what just happened? That guy threw a dagger at her."


    "Nonsense! No one can move that fast."


    "What?! I couldn''t see a thing. And I was watching him the whole time."


    "Did anyone see his hands move?"


    "I saw something. A blur in the air."


    "And that guy caught it like it was nothing!"


    "Hogwash. She must have said something he didn''t like. It''s those pretty boys that are always itching for a fight."


    "He''s with the Moribus Guild huh? What kinda training did he get?"


    "I''m telling ya'' these guys are dangerous! It would be best not to get involved."


    Uwah! Thank you so much Huck. I''ll never leave home without you!


    The hooded man rose and slowly made his way to where Huck and Solei stood, his hands hidden beneath the folds of his robe.


    "This could be trouble Solei. So don''t move unless I tell you too."


    _Why do men settle every argument with violence!?"


    Huck readied himself with one dagger concealed in the small of his back, and two more in the lining of his shirt sleeve.


    But the solitary figure passed them by without incident. They had caught only snippets of his strange grumblings. "Damn this world... wish I had been reborn... a third time."


    Solei breathed a sigh of relief and hopped off her make-shift dais. "I think I''m done for today."


    "Be sure to speak to Lord Jackson before you head home. He''s expecting you."


    "Thanks Huck! You know I couldn''t have done this without you!"


    "You could have. But not without some risk. You need to learn how to defend yourself. You know I won''t always be there to guard your back. At least find a weapon you can call your own. It could be a sword. It could be a staff imbued with offensive magic. Whatever you choose, let it be something scary enough to make guys like that think twice about messing with you."


    "I-I understand!" Solei took his words to heart. "B-but Why the sudden lecture? Was it that creepy guy just now?"


    "H-he''s only the half of it. Without Morgan..." his voice trailed off.


    "What is it? What''s gonna happen without Morgan?"


    "I think Lord Jackson will do a better job of explaining things. So head over to his cottage right away. You know how he hates waiting."


    "O-kay! I''ll see you tomorrow." She turned to leave, but Huck held her arm back.


    "No. You won''t. I''m leaving for a few weeks. An escort mission for some fat merchant. It''s not risky, but we''ll be travelling through the South Agva Forest. So it might take awhile."


    "Why? Of late all you do are escort missions... can''t you accept missions that we can safely do together? Don''t you enjoy my company?"


    "I do enjoy being with you Solei. And I''d like nothing more than to have the two of us go gallivanting into the unknown. But escort missions are the surest way of earning decent pay."


    "And what do you need all that money for?"


    "I need the money Solei."


    "That''s not an answer."


    "Because... I just do. Okay?"


    "Fine." She turned away, so he couldn''t see her pouting face. "When should I expect your return?"


    "Two weeks at the most. I might jump into another mission when I get back. So you''ll have to come up with your own training regimen. And Solei-"


    "-Yes!"


    "Erm... never mind. It''s nothing. Just stay safe."


    "I will!"


    <hr>


    "Lord Jackson."


    "Jack will do. There really is no need for such honorifics outside of a formal setting."


    He raised a monocle to his eye and examined Solei, as if seeing her for the first time.


    "So, you''ve begun to embrace your heritage?"


    As if I could deny it. I wake to my own reflection every morning... could even the most vehement denials change reality?


    "I''m just tired of hiding my hair when I''m in town."


    "And is the typical reaction to silver hair more or less what you expected?"


    She gave him a coy smile. "More or less."


    "Come." He patted a stool next to his own. "Sit. For we have much to discuss."


    Solei jumped on the proffered seat and greedily scanned a mess of fine paper. Most had sketches of rarely seen animals and strange monsters. While some drawings were of people whose features were distinctly inhuman.


    Oh! There''s a lot more to see. Jack sure has been busy.


    "Man. Beast. Or-"


    "-Nary a difference between!" Solei finished.


    Jack looked at her. His thick brow and sturdy mustache brimming with joy.


    "Well said."


    "And what makes a creature a ''Monster''?" Solei began. "Is it their eyes? Is it their claws? Is it their teeth-."


    "-Is it their roar!" Jack finished the riff with his hands drawn up to pounce on her.


    They shared a moment of light laughter.


    "I''m surprised you still remember."


    "Of course I do! Your stories always kept me up long into the night."


    "Ah. So that''s why you''ve always kept the lamp burning? You were waiting for an evening visit to hear yet another eerie tale?"


    "I couldn''t live without them!" She brightened. "Giant Monsters! The mayhem they caused! Dashing Princes! Knights with swinging swords! Fair Damsels with hair flowing to their knees! It made me think of adventuring. And for a time, it was all I could dream of..." For a moment, she lost some of her vigor. "... but now I don''t have time for such childish conceits. I need to grow up. Fast."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Jack drew a pair of tumblers from a cupboard and poured a lilac-colored, viscous liquid from a leather gourd.


    Heady sweetness, or dry fire? I wonder... which could it be?


    "I was able to talk a dwarf into sharing some of his [Tarsem]. I told him it would bring a smile to a little elven girl who''d lost her home and family. His heart broke there and then. And I couldn''t have imagined that he would weep as loud as thunder!"


    "Surely, you jest." She smiled sheepishly.


    They clinked their glasses.


    "Do you doubt me?"


    Solei twirled her hair and batted her eyes at him. "This maiden would never doubt her savior!"


    She downed her drink. The hot concoction burned her throat, but she reveled in the sweet aftertaste.


    S-so it was both hot and sweet!


    "Now is it a life of tedium I saved you from? Or a life of hard labor? Hmm... perhaps we have Morgan to thank for that."


    A worried crease dimpled her brow. "Where is Morgan? You speak of him as if he were dead."


    "Unfortunately for you, he is very much alive. And with it, the debt you owe him."


    "I''ll pay him back in no time. You''ll see! There have been a lot of commissions lately. Bordna is growing. Slow but sure. And in a few years I''ll be free."


    "You know what the difference is between slavery and servitude?"


    She rolled her eyes. "One is law and the other is a state of mind."


    "Good. It seems my lessons were not in vain."


    "I am grateful Jack. Truly I am. For everything you''ve done. But there has to come a time when you will confide in me as an equal."


    "I see. It is true that your womanhood is an eventuality I had hoped would never arrive..." He downed his glass. "So. How old are you now?"


    "T-twelve."


    "Then might I enjoy the only daughter I''ve ever had for a little while longer?"


    She looked away, blushing faintly. "I-I wonder why you called for me."


    "Yes. I suppose it''s time we discussed the matter at hand." He took off his monocle and clipped it to his tanned vest. "With Morgan and I out of town, you must represent the interests of the Moribus Guild at the Town Council."


    "By myself!?" Solei''s mouth hung open.


    "Come now. Aren''t we equals?"


    She pursed her lips. "I don''t think I''m ready for it."


    "You won''t know until you try. And besides. There are none among the men of Bordna that can match your wit."


    She covered her face. "T-that''s too much! How can say such words?"


    "I don''t mean to embarrass you Solei. I merely stated a fact. You know as well as I do that few in Bordna can read and write. It is often said that books are an anomaly best left to the frail and to the noble."


    "You''re not frail." she teased.


    He sighed. "Unfortunately, I am what passes for nobility in this backwater village. And my duties, nay the duties of a manager of the Moribus Guild, cannot be passed on to any other. There is only you."


    "There is only you!" She mimed, her tone exaggerated. "Why do you always take things so seriously?"


    He leaned back and smiled. "It''s my job isn''t it? Or would you rather I spend my days hacking away at Goblins?"


    She tilted her head to one side.


    Now that''s one eerie tale I could never imagine!


    "But what about Morgan? When is he coming back?"


    "Who can say? Morgan isn''t the type to turn away from a sweet deal. Even if it means accepting the company of unsavory characters."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I believe he intended to return a few days ago, but was waylaid by an imperial messenger. It seems that King Fabian has acquired yet another strange interest. And Morgan is to obtain it for him."


    "But he''s only a ''B'' rank adventurer. Couldn''t the King hire someone more qualified?"


    "That may be true, but his tracking skills are ''A'' rank. And most experienced adventurers have learned to stay away from a King whose whims are so unpredictable. Morgan on the other hand was never one to employ caution."


    "Is he in any danger?"


    "Would it please you if he came to harm?"


    "N-no! Of course not!"


    "Then why ask? Just pray that he makes a safe return... and so." He said with a tone of finality. "Let us discuss the Town Council."


    "I won''t go."


    "But you must. And you will, if you intend to repay your debt..."


    She glowered at him for a moment, before nodding imperceptibly.


    "... you have the files on hand, given to you by the Guild associates. My research. All these documents. Sketches included. All are available for your use."


    "Will I have help? Can''t Huck come with me?"


    "I dare say, that that is the worst idea you have ever had."


    "What?! Why!?"


    "Do you know why Huck travels alone? Why almost every mission he undertakes is a solo escort?"


    She lapsed into a forlorn silence.


    "He is a thief."


    "It''s not like that!" She yelled, tugging at her own hair. A painful habit that somehow calmed her. "H-he was born that way! He can''t help it."


    Jack shook his head. "It is more than just his nature. He is conniving. That is plain to see."


    "No! You yourself said that those born with innate [Job Classes] were not beholden to them. He could still undergo a [Job Change]. A powerful enough guild could do it!"


    "The Moribus Guild is one such guild. Outside of Bordna, a single Guild Manager can perform a [Job Change] with ease. It is indeed rare for a Guild Manager to be as inept at magic as Morgan, and even rarer still for someone lower than ''A'' rank to manage a guild branch by themselves."


    "Morgan said he''d find someone! He has friends from many different branches-"


    "-And even more enemies! You know him well. Morgan is the odd case where a man of the underworld operates entirely above board. And a job change is a costly thing at that. Would Morgan who keeps a child as a servant really be so generous? And I''d wager that Huck would have to pay a pretty penny for it, if it were not for his other priority..."


    "What is it? What could be more important than getting rid of [Kleptomania]?"


    "If I were him, that would be my first and only priority. But his circumstances have changed him... had he not met you, he would never have been able to register as an adventurer. So, I can say this great certainty. He would still be a street urchin, even now, spending his days begging for scraps. Shunned by all." He touched his temple lightly. "But I digress. I''ve already said too much. We must conclude the subject of the Town Council meetings."


    What is Huck doing? Where does all his money go?


    "Hmph. I''ll be sure to avail myself. Only because I have no choice. But not often!"


    "Just promise me you will attend whenever summoned."


    "I-I promise."


    "Good... and I must give you one piece of advice, even though it shames me to say it."


    "What do you mean?"


    "There are..." he stole his eyes away from her innocent expression. "... many who find themselves drawn to the impression of an Elf. Perhaps it is a [Charm Effect] unique to your race. And if used sparingly, your beauty can prove to be an effective tool to bind men to your will."


    "B-but I''m only twelve!"


    "Even so. In a room full of men you will shine like a star. Make it your advantage. But be sure to retain your dignity no matter the situation."


    "I-I will try." she said, blushing deeply.


    "I will be away for a few weeks. For after receiving a strange patent from a local farmer, I feel inspired to research new farming techniques. If we can improve our means of cultivation, Bordna may be blessed with even more prosperity."


    "I wish your journey success. My Lord Jackson."


    He smiled gently.


    "Oh, and one last thing. Where''s Gavin?"


    "G-Gavin?"


    "Yes. I had set a bounty on a particularly strange creature..." He held up a drawing of a short, rotund man with a crooked nose.


    "... this hideous thing has not been appraised. But it seems to be a ''Fat Goblin'', though I doubt there is such a thing. It has been said to possess a peculiar intelligence and strange habits. Often travelling alone and pilfering wherever it may. I had even heard a rumor that it raped a young woman a few months back, in another town in Rimor. Not too far from here." He grimaced. "I''m sorry to trouble you with this Solei, just before my departure. But the lad had approached me with such tenacity that I had given him the quest of locating this dreadful creature. I had only meant for him to observe the perimeter of Bordna and it''s surrounding farmland, as the fiend is known to rustle livestock in the dead of night. But I haven''t heard from Gavin in two days. I fear he may have over committed himself. In all likelihood, the beast may have moved on. So if you do find Gavin, tell him the quest is withdrawn but that I will still reward him for his efforts."


    <hr>


    "Well, now isn''t this a treat?" The old man whistled. "The Guild Manager herself has come to pay me a visit!" He dusted off his ill-fitting coveralls that were stained with patches of dried blood. Hooking his thumbs on his suspenders, he smiled cheerfully.


    I don''t have time to dawdle with this old fool. I must hurry on.


    "I-I am really just the receptionist Mister Sylvanus, so if you could-"


    "-Please. Call me Silvy. My friends call me that. Won''t you be my friend?"


    He''s treating me like an ordinary child!


    Sylvanus smiled, revealing a set of uneven teeth: some chipped away, and others filed to a point.


    "I-I r-really can''t. I need-"


    "Oh but ya'' must come in for a cup of tea. Solei was it? Such a pretty lass. Or should I say ''Your Highness''?"


    She stiffened, as a flush of heat traveled up her face.


    "Now did I go and say something I shouldn''t have?" her reaction seemed to fan the flames of his curiosity. "Heh... You see I''m one of the few that knows about yer'' past. Heard it from Morgan himself ye'' know. He went light on the details, so I''d still like to hear yer'' version of it."


    Having read her guarded expression, he understood that she was in no mood to discuss her past.


    He stroked his grey beard for a moment, and stepped aside. "Hmm... won''t ya'' come inside then? I''ll set the kettle to boil. Don''t fret. I won''t be keeping ya'' for long, my dear."


    "I can''t..." She said forcefully. "... but I''m afraid I must request your aid. Sir."


    "Oh...?" his attention had suddenly turned to her figure. His keen eyes looked her over from head to toe.


    She fought back a grimace, hiding her discomfort.


    I never thought this old farmer would be so... lecherous!


    "This ain''t your usual garb eh? It looks like..." he mused.


    She wore a red coif and tunic, with a pair of black boots tied just below her knees.


    "... yer'' gearing up for some messy business eh? Are ya'' considering a career change then? Wanna be ma'' farmhand? Pay ain''t so good. Not as much as adventuring would get ya''. But there''s little risk involved."


    She sighed, glad to be mistaken.


    "Have you seen Gavin? He set out for a Goblin hunt two days ago."


    "A tall lad with a fistful of auburn hair?"


    She perked up. "That''s the one."


    "You''ll probably find the body a little ways ahead. He was here yesterday morning."


    "Y-you saw h-his...?"


    "Oh, I ain''t seen nothing. That''s just ma'' educated guess. You see I''ve been here long miss. When an adventurer goes out to hunt goblins, in a place like this- where goblins are as plentiful as rabbits- and he don''t come back the next day, then he ain''t ever coming back. Not on his own anyways. I hope ya'' at least had the sense to bring a shovel with ya''?"


    No! It''s too soon.


    She was on the verge of tears. "I-I''m sure he''s alright. He might have just ventured out too far and l-lost himself in the forest."


    "Believe what you will. I wouldn''t give ya'' false hope. And what are you getting so worked up fer''? Hmm..." it took a few moments for him to puzzle out the details for himself.


    "... so, he probably didn''t have the gall for adventuring, but ya'' put him up to it? Didn''t ya?"


    "I-I w-was... y-you see... and s-so..." her voice faded, along with her resolve. She couldn''t hold back the tears any longer, and cried freely.


    This is all my fault!


    "Oh, I know the type." Sylvanus looked away into the distance. "He was dazzled by the tale of a beautiful Elven princess, stolen away from her own village and sold into slavery, only to be rescued by a dashing adventurer. The ''Merry Morgan''... ah, but he''s a mean spirited one! Having ya'' work off the cost of yer'' freedom. Mayhaps'' the young lad saw himself as yer'' savior? ''A knight in shining armor''. Ha! And you was sure to lead him on I bet. Well it''s more than likely he''d gone and paid the ultimate price for his foolishness. But... he might still be alive..." he scratched his chin, thoughtfully.


    "T-tell me he''s okay! H-he is well, i-isn''t he?" she brushed off the tears, and looked up at him with doe-like eyes.


    "I ain''t gonna lie to ya''. He''s probably dead-"


    "-No! H-he''s alive! I know he is-"


    "-Now quit yer yammering. Lemme'' grab ma'' shovel and we''ll look for his remains." Sylvanus went inside to retrieve his shovel, but by the time he returned to the porch of his little cottage, Solei had already left.


    "Ah... this won''t end well."


    <hr>


    She ran. Until each breath became a painful gasp. Her chest ached, her thighs sore. Still, she ran.


    She soon reached the perimeter of the North Agva forest and came to an abrupt halt.


    What am I doing!? I can''t go into the forest alone. There''s a lot worse than goblins waiting for me there. But where could Gavin have gone? He wouldn''t dare venture into the forest by himself. Not willingly...


    Out of breath, she waited until her wheezing turned to soft panting.


    She drew closer to the edge of the forest. The afternoon glow seeped through the thick groves.


    Solei hesitated.


    I can''t go in by myself. And Gavin might be...


    She refused to finish that thought and willed herself forward.


    A gleaming light in the corner of her eye caught her attention.


    She raced towards it.


    She had found Gavin. His right leg was nearly severed, and his entire body was soaked in a pool of blood. His face was a barely recognizable mound of mush, as if it were repeatedly bashed in by a blunt object. The holes in his chest were too numerous to count. And there were light stab wounds spread out evenly as if to prolong his suffering.


    A short sword, coated in dry blood, lay a few meters away.


    "G-Gavin? Gavin?! W-what happened to you? GAVIN! GAVIN-N! Awn. G-g-Gavin..." she knelt at his side, clutching his arm. "Wake up Gavin. I need you. Y-you can''t die. G-gavin... Gavin-n..."


    "That Gavin?"


    Solei screamed, and fell over backwards.


    A goblin stood before her, his skin a sickly green, and their height about equal. Which was normal for a goblin. They were usually child-sized. The image of a scrawny goblin wearing nothing but a loin cloth had been engraved on the soul of every adventurer. A peon among monsters. But he wasn''t like any Goblin she had ever seen. He had worn-out shoes, toes jutting out at the ends, and baggy pants that were poorly stitched together. Strangest of all, he was morbidly obese.


    "A fat Goblin?" incredulous, she spoke without thinking.


    Goblins were the ubiquitous symbol of ravenous filth. So, what stood before her was more than unusual. It simply didn''t make sense.


    "Me. No. Fat." Above a crooked nose flecked with sore boils, was a furrowed brow.


    I-it spoke? How is that possible...? Goblins can''t speak!


    "That. Gavin?" The Fat Goblin held a short sword in one hand, and pointed at what remained of Gavin. He leaned over the corpse and snorted. "Gavin?"


    Solei froze. She knew that a Goblin that could speak, could not be ordinary.


    A Noble Goblin? Or perhaps a variant?


    He knelt on one knee, and held up a lifeless hand.


    What is he doing?"


    He sliced off a finger with the tip of the sword.


    "Don''t touch him!" she covered her mouth.


    Ignoring her, the Goblin bent over and picked up the finger delicately. He sniffed at it. "Still. Fresh." And tossed the appendage into his mouth.


    She heard a soft crunching sound fade into the distance... as a wave of rage enveloped her, and before she realized what had happened, she had charged at the Goblin, tackling him with her shoulders.


    He didn''t resist her, instead he wrapped his free arm around her waist, the short sword still in his grasp.


    "Me. Like. You." he croaked.


    When she came to her senses, the stench of rotten meat overwhelmed her. The source, his breath, was so rancid, that she nearly fainted.


    He twisted his waist and rolled over, pulling Solei down until he rested on top of her. She clawed at his back, digging her nails into his flesh. He smiled, oblivious to the pain.


    I-I''m going to die here!


    The Goblin raised himself up, and placed his knees on her chest. She struggled with all her strength, but couldn''t dislodge him. He grabbed her left wrist and jammed the sword through the palm of her hand, nearly severing it in two.


    Solei briefly lost consciousness. When she awoke, the feeling in her left hand was gone, and the sword that had pierced her was embedded halfway into the earth, such that if she were to tear herself free, she would lose that hand entirely. Her right arm was held down by his foot, which had half his monstrous weight applied to it.


    "You. Here. Now." He licked his lips, and carefully untied her coif, yanking it off her face. He paused, a look of wonder in his eyes.


    "Hair. Grey?" he knelt closer, his heady breath warming her face. And then he began to sniff her, enamored by her scent. He ran his fingers through her silvery hair, and as he did this, he would occasionally lick her nose, ears and neck. At his touch, she squirmed, adding to his titillation.


    The Goblin suddenly gripped her tunic with loose fingers and tore a seam large enough to expose her bare chest and navel. Thick drool dribbled down her torso.


    "I-in the g-great depths of the earth." she began to chant. "W-where the wind bellows-" a bloated fist smashed into her mouth.


    "Magic. Broke." he explained, releasing his weight momentarily so she could roll to her side to cough up blood and teeth. When she had spit out all she could he resumed his position.


    Solei wept.


    Her garbled cries touched his ears, but he paid them no heed. Instead he tore away the rest of her tunic to expose soft, white flesh. It was not long before his greedy fingers finally found her moist knickers.


    His sniffing of her undergarments was prolonged. She realized that she had soiled herself, and hoped that it would allay his sexual urges.


    Instead, he squealed with delight.


    Her hope dashed, she lapsed into a fit of hysteria, and feverishly begged for his forgiveness.


    "Anathang but dhat! P-pleasss d-don''t."


    The Goblin paused again, meeting her eyes with his own, and waited until despair settled in.


    As her pleading gasps waned, his excitement grew.


    "K-kill me! Pleasss. Agh... k-kill me."


    He tenderly wiped away snot and tears with the back of a callused hand. He had no intention of taking her life. She was after all, his beloved plaything.


    Her head swam, and she groaned. The Goblin lowered his knees, easing the pressure on her chest so she could more easily breathe.


    A blurred apparition appeared before her.


    "M-mom... d-dad." She couldn''t make out their faces.


    I don''t even remember what my parents look like. How long has it been?


    "M-my ugh... knight in s-shining a-amour. P-please [Save Me]." He slapped her preemptively. One side of her face began to swell. Her vision narrowed.


    "What. That?" The Goblin was looking up, his neck craned all the way back.


    A swirling mist, as deep and dark as midnight, enveloped the twilight sky above.


    He turned to look at Solei. "You. Do. This?" She shuddered, anticipating a fierce retaliation.


    Instead the Goblin looked away again, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before his very eyes.


    A slim figure in a white shirt, and navy blue trousers emerged from a black whirlpool in the sky. The darkness dissipated, and for a moment the boy lay suspended in mid-air.


    "Woah." The Goblin was in awe. He had never seen a human fly and he knew of no creature that possessed the ability to levitate. Without warning, the boy slid away, as if invisible strings were cut, and began to descend with increasing speed, careening downwards, face first.


    "Ooof." His body pounded the uneven surface of the ground.


    The Goblin hoisted himself up. He glanced at Solei and grunted with satisfaction. He was certain that she would not attempt an escape.


    The mysterious boy groaned.


    The Goblin approached cautiously, winding his way across the grassy field, away from the shadowy gloom of the forest. He knelt, and sniffed the sprawled creature. He proceeded to poke its ribs repeatedly. There was no response. The boy simply lay there, quietly moaning.


    "This. Man?" He tugged at the creature''s clothing, marveling at the quality of his apparel.


    The Goblin stamped his feet on the boy''s back.


    "You. Weak." he declared. He stomped harder, but jumped back when the boy cried out in agony.


    "I. Eat. You." he decided, but before he could determine what part to eat first, he was surprised by a tingling sensation seeping through his body. He noticed the edge of a sword protruding from his chest. "This. Not. Good."


    "D-die... f-foul beast." Solei whispered. She pulled the sword out of the Goblin''s chest. He turned to stare at her, his face filled with surprise. "D-die!" she repeated, plunging the sword into his chest yet again.


    "Oogh." The Goblin keeled over.


    Unrelenting, she stabbed him again. And again. She screamed. Lost in her rage.


    Solei''s right arm was numb. Her left hand a mangled mess, roughly cleaved in two during her brief escape. Blood trailed her as she walked towards the quiet shape.


    "W-what h-have I done..." Her knees buckled, and she fell over him.


    "... m-my ''knight in shining amour'' y-you can''t... w-wake up!" she rolled him over. His nose was broken, and his jaw was fixed at a crooked angle.


    "Y-you can''t die!" She clutched his chest with her good arm. "Don''t do this to me! Fuck! FUCK!"


    He moaned.


    "Y-you''re alive?! O-of course! My champion. My hero. I knew you''d be fine."


    His eyes fluttered open. His mouth foamed. He trembled for a few moments. The brief seizure ended in perfect stillness.


    "N-no..." she gasped. A cold, dark weight pressed against her heart.


    Despair had returned.


    "... I-I won''t let you die." she muttered. "Mend the bone. Tie the flesh. Save the soul. As all wounds will one day [Heal]."


    His shattered jaw mended itself, but his eyes remained listless. She repeated her chant. Again and again. Her mana finally exhausted, she noticed his legs were still mangled, and pointing at ridiculous angles. She continued her chant, drawing from her own life force.


    Her knees began to wobble. Lying down next to him, to ease her dizziness, she repeated her chant one last time.


    "M-mend the bone. T-tie the flesh. S-save the s-soul... all wounds w-will one day [Heal]."


    Her strength left her.


    <hr>

 Chapter 1 - The Fall

    The New Guild Master [Chapter 1] - The Fall


    <hr>


    A warm cloth dampened his fevered forehead. He let out a low moan.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re finally awake?¡±


    He fought against the delirium that had captured his mind. His eyelids slowly, yet steadily tore open the darkness.


    Wafts of silvery hair brushed against his face. And a pair of round, earnest eyes, dipped in summer green, inched away from his own.


    ¡°W-where am I?¡±


    ¡°Rest. You¡¯re injured.¡±


    He lifted his back, but long, soft fingers pressed against his shoulders and he resigned himself once again to sleep.


    <hr>


    He woke with a start. Fingering the fresh cloth that clung to his chest and his legs, a quiet shame slowly took form. Save for a thin sheet, soaked through with his own sweat, he was otherwise naked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a hospital.¡± A hoarse whisper made him shiver.


    His own voice sounded unusual, almost alien. Looking about, he took note of a bowl of fresh water on a cupboard adjacent to his bed.


    ¡°Fuck. I need water.¡±


    I know that¡¯s for the linen. But damn it I don¡¯t care.


    He reached out, and felt a shock of pain knife it¡¯s way up his abdomen. He trembled in agony but nonetheless clutched the bowl with his left hand.


    It slid under his leaden fingers and crashed to the floor.


    What the hell happened to me?! Am I crippled!?


    Light footsteps echoed up unseen stairs. He craned his neck to one side just in time to see a door fly open.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Don¡¯t get up. You haven¡¯t yet healed!¡±


    A blue, bulbous dress swam above a pair of small, bare feet. A corset was clasped tightly against her already slim waist, pushing up her chest, and exposing the little bumps that distinguished her sex.


    ¡°Who a-are you?¡± he choked.


    The silver-haired girl rushed to his side. She felt his brow; concern etched across her face. He just barely clung to consciousness and so couldn¡¯t feel the soft tremors of a child¡¯s dainty hand.


    ¡°Why are you-¡±


    ¡°Be still. You¡¯re still feverish.¡±


    ¡°I need to know-¡±


    She lifted her arm, inches from his face and made a circular motion with her wrist, painting a wide spiral into the air.


    ¡°Slow the sands of time. Bathe in the glow of the crescent moon-¡±


    ¡°-W-wait¡­¡± he felt his strength evaporate and his vision faded.


    <hr>


    ¡°Arise¡±.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ uh¡­ what?¡±


    That¡¯s a weird way to say ¡®good morning¡¯


    Squinting painfully, he opened his eyes. The silver-haired girl was staring at him patiently. She seemed calm and unperturbed.


    He glanced beneath his sheets. He was wearing a white, ill-fitting bathrobe.


    D-did she clothe me?


    He felt a knot tighten in his stomach.


    Why would she go so far to help me? I can¡¯t express enough of my gratitude in words to someone that would care for a perfect stranger¡­ wait¡­ am I a ¡®stranger¡¯ to her?


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± his voice was still hoarse. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sorry. Actually I¡¯m thankful. I don¡¯t know what happened. But you¡¯ve helped me. I don¡¯t know what I did to earn such kindness. I¡¯m clearly indebted to you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ well¡­ it¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡± She blushed, and shook her head vigorously.


    The ¡®least¡¯ you could do? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    ¡°What happened?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his unbidden suspicion.


    ¡°I-I t-tried to¡­ um¡­¡± her voice trailed off. She bowed her head. Straight hair fell forwards, obscuring her face. In a few moments she regained her composure but did not meet his eyes.


    ¡°I found you lying on a dirt road. You were injured, so I brought you here¡­ to the guild.¡±


    Her words are so obscure that they amount to little more than an obvious lie. But I¡¯m in no rush to gain the truth.


    ¡°How was I injured.¡± He asked, tentatively.


    ¡°You fell.¡±


    That much seems true.


    ¡°From what height?¡±


    ¡°About five floors.¡±


    ¡°Where did I fall?¡±


    ¡°On the northern trail between Bordna and the Agva Forest.¡±


    ¡°How did I fall?¡±


    ¡°Y-you umm¡­ i-it was¡­¡± her voice had stuttered to a stop.


    He sighed, and kept a curt tone to hide his frustration.


    ¡°Did you push me?¡±


    ¡°W-what!? N-no! I would never.¡± She clutched at her own hair in desperation.


    ¡°So if you didn¡¯t push me how did I fall?¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­ you fell from a portal.¡±


    ¡°Portal?¡± his mouth hung open.


    ¡°Y-yes. A portal from your world to this one.¡± she stated, as a matter of fact.


    ¡°What do you mean a portal? Is this some kind of joke? You know I almost died! Why do I have to wake up to this nonsense!?¡± his calm demeanor was shattered. ¡°I-I am grateful. But this is not the time to mess around. You¡¯re clearly a child. I want to speak to an adult. Right this moment.¡±


    Her face lost all emotion, her dimpled cheeks turned pale.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She stared at him helplessly.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± he urged.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    What the hell!?


    He let a few moments drift in silence before quietly asking ¡°why not?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not supposed to be here. I broke the rules¡­ to help you. If you were to leave now I would be in trouble.¡±


    Oi. Cuteness has its limits.


    ¡°Are you saying that you won¡¯t let me leave?¡±


    ¡°I-I guess so.¡±


    He let out a shrill laugh.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll humor you. I¡¯m a nice guy. And I¡¯m exhausted and don¡¯t intend to leave right away¡­¡±


    Why am I so chatty all of a sudden? Am I nervous?


    ¡°¡­ so tell me, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I am called Solei.¡±


    ¡°And your family name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t have a last name? She must be an orphan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sad to hear that.¡±


    Solei gave him a puzzled look in response. ¡°W-what is your name?¡±


    ¡°My name?¡± his mind went blank.


    I-I can¡¯t remember! I must have lost my memory in the fall.


    ¡°I have¡­ no name.¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Nonemu?¡±


    He laughed in a self-deprecating way. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. But I¡¯ll go with that for now.¡±


    ¡°Nonemu. Forgive me for keeping you here. Please allow me some time to prepare for your departure.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m fine with things as they are now. I won¡¯t trouble you any further¡­¡±


    Who could stay mad at such a cute face? And her words are clearly beyond her age. She must have been through quite a lot.


    ¡°¡­ but I do have a lot of questions.¡±


    She twirled her shoulder length hair and smiled warmly.


    ¡°Firstly¡­¡± he continued. ¡°I like your style. The silver hair and green eyes. But why are you cosplaying?¡±


    ¡°Kozu-plei?¡±


    Strange. Her English seemed more than adequate up until this point. First ¡®Nonemu¡¯ and now ¡®Kozu-plei¡¯!? Maybe it¡¯s her second language.


    ¡°I mean your appearance is unusual.¡±


    Her eyes darted away as a faint blush overtook her visage.


    ¡°I-I am an elf. I was born in a small tribe in the South Agva forest, which is south of Bordna.¡±


    Wow. She really is in character. Like a method actor. I hope this is just a performance and not a mental illness.


    ¡°But don¡¯t Elves have pointed ears?¡±


    ¡°T-they do.¡± Her right hand brushed her side, revealing a pointed ear.


    ¡°Amazing! You must have a professional makeup artist! It¡¯s so realistic.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡± She was equally surprised. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have have Elves in your world?¡±


    ¡°Only in Comicon. Hehe.¡±


    She seemed genuinely happy at this response. ¡°I-I would like to visit this place, Comicon at least once.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Her acting is a little too good.


    ¡°Where am I exactly?¡±


    ¡°Bordna. A small town in Rimor.¡±


    Bordna? Rimor? Am I in Eastern Europe?"


    ¡°What country is this?¡±


    ¡°All the land south of the North Agva Forest is Frontier territory. We are freemen.¡± Her last few words were tinged with pride.


    I¡¯m getting tired of this.


    ¡°Seriously, where am I?¡±


    Her face darkened. He sensed her fear and anxiousness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want trouble. I just want to go back home.¡±


    ¡°Your home?¡±


    He rubbed his temples with his thumbs and let out a long, withering sigh.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t remember where ¡®home¡¯ is. I must have amnesia. No doubt from a concussion. I guess that¡¯s normal considering the circumstances. I¡¯m sure my memories will eventually return.¡±


    This was said more to assuage his own concerns than to dispel Solei¡¯s fears.


    ¡°W-what is the name of the land you hail from? Are you able to return freely?¡± She was curious, but evidently hesitant about further probing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure of that either¡­¡±


    What is with this girl and her formal speech?


    As he searched within himself, he was seized by a wave of despair. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything. Friends, family; locations, dates. I don¡¯t even know my own name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mind will heal in time.¡± She gave him a reassuring smile.


    When you¡¯re older, I¡¯m sure that smile will be able slay the hearts of even the greatest of men.


    ¡°Actually, I think I need to see a doctor. I might need my head examined. Haha.¡±


    ¡°I have applied several Rank C potions and Level 2 ¡®Heal¡¯¡±.


    This was said with such confidence that Nonemu was taken aback.


    ¡°I have no words for you. Just call a doctor, or a nurse or anyone really, that can help.¡±


    She nodded gravely. ¡°I will call upon a healer. Although I¡¯m confident in my own magic.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ whatever, could I have a glass of water? I¡¯m parched.¡±


    Solei stretched out her left hand and pulled a glass of water out of thin air.


    ¡°Aaah! What¡¯s happening.¡±


    Perplexed, she asked ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I-is that some kind of illusion? A magic trick- right?¡±


    ¡°It is magic. Level 2 ¡®Storage¡¯. I learned it by myself.¡± as she spoke, her face lit up with pride.


    I really do need to get my head checked.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, there¡¯s no such thing as magic. Where did you learn that trick?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°In this world magic is commonplace. Level 2 ¡®Storage¡¯ is nothing for a guild employee.¡± she admitted. ¡°But it was hard learning it by myself since there are no resident mages in Bordna.¡±


    No respectable business would employ a child! I should alert the authorities immediately.


    ¡°How old are you by the way?¡±


    ¡°Roughly twelve years old.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t know her exact age? She¡¯s definitely an orphan!


    ¡°Can I use your cell phone? I¡¯d like to call the police- not to complain or anything. I just want to see if I¡¯ve been reported missing. Maybe my family is looking for me.¡±


    Solei hung her head in shame.


    ¡°What is a ¡®Cello-thone¡¯?¡±


    I¡¯ve had enough of this bullshit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just borrow the neighbor¡¯s cell.¡± he gave Solei a strained smile and slid to the side of his bed.


    ¡°Slow the sands of time.¡± she chanted. ¡°Bathe in the glow of the crescent moon. For all who live must [Slumber].¡±


    Nonemu felt his knees weaken. He grabbed the bed frame to steady himself.


    ¡°Rest for now. When you wake again, you will be fully restored. Then you can leave¡­ but I do hope you choose to stay.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°SOLEI! SOLEI!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ what¡¯s that noise?¡± Nonemu rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°Where are you LITTLE GIRL!? How long will you keep me waiting? SOLEI! SOLEI!¡±


    He heard a loud, rhythmic ¡®thumping¡¯ sound.


    Such a rowdy visitor. Is he banging a counter? Solei did mention something about a ¡®guild¡¯. This room must be one of their sleeping quarters. I guess Solei must not be around to serve the customers.


    He got up and stretched.


    ¡°Oh ho! Looks like I¡¯m fully recovered.¡± The soreness in his throat was gone. He was full of vim and vigor.


    ¡°SOLEI! I have errands to run. YOU HEAR ME! I can¡¯t wait FOREVER!¡±


    Fufufu¡­ I hope you wait until the end of time you stupid bastard.


    He glanced around the room. It was nothing fancy. Like an old, Celtic cottage. He was on the top floor, where the thatched roof smelt like dried hay.


    There was another bed in one corner, next to the bolted door. A thin carpet led into the room, while a large chest lay opposite the bed he was nursed in.


    ¡°Could this be a war chest?¡± Roughly equal to his height in length, it was composed of some kind of hard wood, laced with leather straps that were wrung with copper rings. He couldn¡¯t make out the meaning of the strange, painted glyphs that adorned the chest.


    When he tried to observe the glyphs closely, they swam before his eyes.


    An optical illusion? Well that¡¯s to be expected from a performer¡¯s guild.


    He was overcome with curiosity. It was unlatched, but even with all his strength applied, he couldn¡¯t pry it open.


    ¡°SOLEI! I¡¯m so bored Solei. Can you PLEASE HURRY UP! SOLEI! SOLEI!¡±


    Arg! He¡¯s ruining my concentration. I guess I¡¯ll sort this guy out first.


    He straightened and headed to the door. As his hands were about to touch the doorknob they were repulsed by an invisible force.


    ¡°Aye? Have I gone crazy?¡±


    He reached out again, with some gusto but his hands slid apart as if a reverse magnet was in effect.


    Oi. I¡¯m crazy. That¡¯s the simple answer. I lost my mind and tried to jump off the roof of my school. I was nursed by a cute girl with long ears. Eventually when I recovered they realized I was a madman that thought the nurse was an elf. I¡¯m probably locked in a padded cell right now. I wonder how long I¡¯ve been pounding my head against the wall¡­?


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I guess I¡¯ll just sleep off the stress.¡± He shrugged his shoulders and started walking back to bed.


    ¡°SOLEI! SOLEI! Why are you being so MEAN Solei? All I want is some service OKAY! Don¡¯t be shy. SOLEI! SOLEI! SOLEI!¡±


    Nonemu braced himself, and ran towards the door, slamming his shoulder against it. The lock snapped, flinging the door open.


    He dusted himself off the floor and walked down the corridor. There were two rooms at the end, and a stairway to his left, leading down to what he assumed was the Guild¡¯s lobby.


    ¡°SOLEI! SOLE-¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m coming hold on.¡±


    I¡¯m still wearing the bathrobe huh¡­ but crazy people don¡¯t care about their looks. Since I¡¯ve recently joined their ranks, that¡¯s one less thing to worry about."


    He descended the stairs and stood behind a hardwood counter. Facing him was a lanky man, wearing plated mail on his arms and legs, and a vest of boiled leather.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Oooh and who might you be?¡± He had a singsong voice, a mischievous smile, and a mess of tousled, dirty-blond hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ new here. I¡¯m called Nonemu. I¡¯ll be helping out Solei for awhile. I¡¯m also new in town, so please don¡¯t expect too much of me.¡±


    ¡°Finally some service. But before that. I am Hakobo Mar. Everyone calls me Huck. So, are you single?¡± Would you like to grab a drink some time?"


    Aye! Straight to the point. This sort of person would hunt fish with a grenade.


    ¡°Not interested. I don¡¯t swing that way.¡±


    ¡°You prefer the feminine wiles of your own sex?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes¡­ I mean no. I prefer the opposite sex. Women. With slim waists and big boobs¡­¡±


    I just said something really embarrassing to a customer! Solei might be mad if she gets wind of this.


    ¡°¡­I mean um, can we keep that last part a secret?¡±


    ¡°H-how is it that¡­?¡± Huck was at a loss for words.


    Is rejection such a hard thing? Ugh, what am I saying? I can¡¯t recall my own past but somehow I get the feeling that I¡¯d rather commit seppuku than receive a similarly cold response.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes. I¡¯m here to receive a bounty.¡±


    Oh, thank goodness Huck rebounds so fast. In a way it¡¯s still upsetting. Am I not good enough for the chase?


    Huck untied a bulging sack from his waist and placed it atop the counter.


    ¡°Fourteen pairs of goblin ears.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡± Nonemu deposited the sack behind the counter.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to inspect the appendages?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes of course¡­¡± Nonemu hefted the sack back onto the counter. His fingers trembled as he unwound the knotted rope.


    ¡°¡­ugh. W-what the f-fu¡­¡± The stench of crusted flesh assaulted his sense of smell. Nonemu spread open the sack, and nearly heaved at the sight of fourteen pairs of crudely cleaved, pale green ears. Bits of flesh and bone clung to most of the appendages, while the bag itself was weighed down by stale blood and gooey brain matter.


    What¡¯s with that smell?! It¡¯s so real! He probably mixed in some animal blood. What an obvious ploy. This much can¡¯t fool me¡­ but the texture is so realistic! Ah but it¡¯s such a weird color. Of course you can¡¯t trick me with such a lame thing. It¡¯s not real. But there¡¯s hair and cartilage in there too! Ah but they could have thrown in a wig made of human hair. It¡¯s expensive but not impossible. It¡¯s definitely not real. Honestly what does he take me for?


    ¡°It was quite the battle you see.¡± Huck boasted. ¡°I only had ¡®Wind Rive¡¯ in hand.¡± With a flourish he produced a dirk. ¡°It was pre-dawn. The creatures lay in their sloven filth, having had their fill of a stolen calf. I used Level 2 [Sneak] and excised three goblins before the others awoke. I raced into the South Agva forest with the pack hot on my heels.¡± Huck leapt nimbly onto the counter. ¡°From the cover of the thicket I slew them one at a time with Level 3 ¡®Rive¡¯.¡± His hand cut into the air with several short, swift thrusts. ¡°Ah, you should have seen it¡­¡±.


    The dirk Huck held vanished. He lowered himself down to sit atop the counter. ¡°I was hoping to tell Solei all about it. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s away at the moment¡­¡±


    Could all this be real?


    ¡°Can I see your weapon?¡±


    The dirk reappeared. Huck handed it over hilt first. Nonemu received it with a grunt and proceeded to trace a weightless line across the span of his left hand. He applied virtually no pressure, and yet the blade cut him cleanly.


    Owaah! It¡¯s razor sharp! That¡¯s way too serious for a prop.


    Nonemu nervously handed it back. ¡°T-thanks¡­¡±


    Huck smiled innocently.


    Is he just looking for idle chit-chat?


    ¡°¡­s-so what¡¯s it like working with the Guild?¡±


    ¡°Like a dream. I¡¯ve always wanted to be an adventurer. As soon as I came of age I leapt at the chance to join the Moribus guild. I¡¯m eighteen now. So I guess it¡¯s been two years already huh. Well, it¡¯s not like there were any other options. The only Guild represented in Bordna is the Moribus guild after all. Occasionally Alchemists and Mages pass through here, but despite the Council¡¯s best efforts, there are no specialists in residency.¡±


    So Huck isn¡¯t a magician. I wonder what kind of performer he is? He must be good, since I¡¯m already getting sucked into his world. I get the feeling that this might be my new reality haha.


    Nonemu shivered, unable to shake off a sense of encroaching despair. Before he could collect his thoughts he heard a door creak open.


    ¡°Oh! You made it back already.¡± Huck was beaming.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I forgot to lock the front door-¡± Solei wore a tan hoodie, above a mostly hidden red corset with white frills that settled slightly above her knees. She pushed back the hood, revealing a long braid of silver hair nestled across her shoulders.


    Damn her cosplay is cute. Ugh, what am I saying? She¡¯s still just a kid¡­ Looks like she hasn¡¯t opened shop today. She doesn¡¯t seem like the type to skimp on work though. Huck must have come in pretty early.


    ¡°Actually, you did lock the door. I picked the lock. Uh¡­ sorry about that. Force of habit!¡± he said unabashedly. ¡°You should have used [Weak Lock] or higher, ya¡¯ know. A young lady like yourself needs to be cautious.¡±


    What kind of person can call ¡®breaking and entering¡¯ a habit?"


    ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Solei gave a slight bow. ¡°I¡¯ll be more cautious from now on¡­ a-and I¡¯m sorry for being late-¡± she bowed even lower this time.


    She¡¯s so sweet. I think this scene will melt my heart.


    ¡°I had to wait for quite awhile, but I guess it¡¯s not a problem since you apologized.¡± Huck¡¯s smile was endearing.


    These two must be close.


    ¡°So who¡¯s this guy?¡± He jerked a thumb towards Nonemu. ¡°Could this be your new boyfriend? I didn¡¯t know you were into the Fem types?¡±


    Bloody bastard. Just because God gifted you with the face of an idol doesn¡¯t give you the right to look down on others! I¡¯ll admit I have a somewhat androgynous appearance. But that just means I¡¯m appealing both ways!


    ¡°A-ah t-that¡¯s¡­ h-he is¡­ we just¡­ you know¡­¡± she stuttered her way into silence without answering his question.


    Oi what¡¯s with that response? Now we both look guilty. I¡¯d rather not be accused of being a lolicon. And why is she so flustered anyway? Could this have something to do with the ¡®rules¡¯ she mentioned?


    ¡°We¡¯re merely friends- acquaintances actually. I recently suffered a serious injury. And she nursed me back to health¡­ so I¡¯m indebted to her.¡± Nonemu smiled wanly.


    Hopefully that will score her a few points. It¡¯s also the truth.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry. I promised never to lie to you! I should have said something sooner¡­¡± Solei was on the verge of tears.


    Is this what they call an own goal?


    ¡°¡­ y-you see¡­¡± her voice was shrill and faint. ¡°¡­ h-he¡¯s my betrothed.¡±


    No. I don¡¯t see it.


    ¡°¡­a binding spell?¡± Huck quietly asked.


    He¡¯s so calm. I guess that¡¯s an idol for you.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± Solei fell on her knees and broke into tears.


    I¡¯m not very good with improv. So I¡¯ll just stand right here and pretend to be invisible.


    Huck stared into the distance as if his mind just left the room. His fists were clamped so tight his knuckles turned a glistening white. He bit his lower lip. Hard. A spool of blood rolled down his cheek and dripped off his chin. He was clearly shaken.


    What a performance! I¡¯ll definitely attend at least one of your shows! The Moribus guild has some real pros. I¡¯m already a fan actually. I might even consider joining your troupe. You know I can play both male and female roles.


    Huck suddenly eased his shoulders, his posture now relaxed.


    ¡°I guess that makes things simple-¡±


    ¡°WAIT!¡± Solei screamed.


    What¡¯s going on? The show suddenly went off-kilter.


    Nonemu froze. The dagger at his throat had just barely nicked him, but a thin stream of blood flowed freely, staining his white bathrobe.


    ¡°If he dies. So will I¡­¡± Solei balled her hands together, silently pleading for Nonemu¡¯s life.


    Oi! Huck needs to learn how to read the mood. This particular audience member does not want to get involved. And he cut me! You know this is what they call ¡®reckless endangerment¡¯. It doesn¡¯t really hurt, but I¡¯ll be demanding suitable reparations from the guild. Hmm¡­ you guys are probably loaded. I¡¯ll definitely sue¡­ ah, so it seems like a long life of comfort awaits!


    ¡°¡­ please don¡¯t kill him Mister Mar. I¡¯ll show you my ¡®Status¡¯ so you can see the details for yourself. You too Nonemu. You deserve to know.¡±


    A transparent screen appeared, floating before them. Huck gently eased the dagger¡¯s edge away from Nonemu¡¯s throat.


    <hr>


    <h2 style="text-align: center">STATUS</h2>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">------</h4>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Ariana Solei</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Race</td>


    <td>Elf</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Age</td>


    <td>12 Years Old</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Title</td>


    <td>Lost Princess</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Job</td>


    <td>Guild Receptionist</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Class</td>


    <td>Holy Princess</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rank</td>


    <td>G -> ( Moribus Guild )</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>XP</td>


    <td>32 / 58</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP</td>


    <td>12 / 12</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MP</td>


    <td>80 / 80</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SP</td>


    <td>20 / 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Intelligence</td>


    <td>19</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Strength</td>


    <td>4</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Dexterity</td>


    <td>6</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Speed</td>


    <td>8</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h3 style="text-align: center">


    STATUS EFFECTS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Binding [Princess Bride Lvl. MAX]</h4>


    -> The user must maintain their chastity until consummation with their betrothed. Fornication will result in the immediate death of the user. Adultery after consummation will not have any effect. The user¡¯s lifespan is also tied to their betrothed. If the betrothed perishes, the user will experience immediate death. While the user is alive, the betrothed may use any of her ¡®Active Skills¡¯, including ¡®Job Skills¡¯, ¡®Race Skills¡¯ and ¡®Unique Skills¡¯.


    <h3 style="text-align: center">PASSIVE SKILLS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    ¨C None ¨C


    <h3 style="text-align: center">ACTIVE SKILLS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Heal Lvl. 2</h4>


    -> Heals serious wounds, including internal injury. Cannot regrow or reattach limbs. (MP COST: 20)


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Storage Lvl. 2 (120 KG)</h4>


    -> Allows the user to store and retrieve items from a pocket universe. The amount of items that can be stored is determined by weight. Gases and liquids must be stored in an airtight container. Base value (12 KG). For each additional level attained, base value is multiplied by (10x). (MP COST: 5).


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Appraisal Lvl. 2</h4>


    -> Allows the user to view the status of an object (animate or inanimate). If the user attempts to appraise an object of a higher level than oneself, appraisal is then more likely to fail in proportion to the difference in levels between the user and the appraised object. (MP COST: 50).


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Princess Bride Lvl. MAX [Single Cast: USED]</h4>


    -> Allows the user to bind themselves to an individual. ¡®Princess Bride¡¯ was inherited as a result of the user¡¯s royal bloodline. ¡®Princess Bride¡¯ was used to summon an otherworldly being to be the user¡¯s ¡°knight in shining armor¡±.


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Eye of Sauron Lvl. MAX</h4>


    -> Allows the user to scry any member of their party. ¡®Eye of Sauron¡¯ was inherited as a result of the user¡¯s royal bloodline. (MP COST: 40).


    <hr>


    I-I really am in a new world!? I was summoned by Solei. To be her ¡®knight in shining armor¡¯? And she¡¯s a princess. She¡¯s also jail-bait. And I¡¯m crazy. How did I manage to break the door to my padded cell?


    ¡°Y-your name is Ariana?¡± Huck was dumbfounded.


    Uwah! Is this your first time hearing this Huck? You know that look is really unbecoming of an idol.


    ¡°Solei is the name of the village I was born in. I adopted Solei as my first name to serve as a constant reminder of where I came from¡­ and who I am.¡±


    ¡°A-and this creature is from another world?¡± Huck gawked at Nonemu.


    ¡°Ah you know this ¡®creature¡¯ has feelings too.¡± He sprinkled light laughter between his words to lighten the mood. But instead it just made him sound hysterical.


    ¡°I-is there no way to negate the effects of the spell?¡±


    Maybe there¡¯s an ¡®UNDO¡¯ feature on the menu?


    ¡°The [Princess Bride] spell is ranked as ¡®7th Tier¡¯ magic. An appropriate spell of equivalent power could undo it. But such a thing is¡­ unheard of.¡± she hung her head in defeat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not give up just yet, I¡¯d like to find my way home¡­ wherever that might be.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure I come from Earth. I don¡¯t know where or when, but I have knowledge of the modern era¡­ so hold on¡­ could I be a ¡®summoned being¡¯ in the traditional sense? Having no background or history is awfully suspicious. Could the moment I fell out of the portal be the moment I was born? Eh!? Does that mean the portal is my mommy? Does that make Ariana my-


    ¡°-Daddy?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Huck & Solei cried in unison.


    ¡°Um¡­ never mind. Is there some way for me to return to my world?¡±


    ¡°A reverse summons? It would have to be at a fairly high level in order to counteract the summoning. But it should be possible¡­¡± Solei was lost in thought.


    ¡°Perhaps a [Banishment] spell?¡± Huck suggested.


    I think that might actually send me to hell¡­ I¡¯ll pass.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t seem upset Nonemu. Does t-that mean you would be comfortable staying here¡­?¡±


    How should I respond? It¡¯s hard to miss something or someone you can¡¯t remember. Would a homeless person feel homesick? Not unless there was a particular alleyway or street corner they favored. Maybe a warm vent could provide some comfort at night or during winter-"


    ¡°¡­will you stay with me? I-I mean us. Stay with us. Wait no, um¡­ stay here in town!¡±


    That last part ended up sounding like a command. It¡¯s not like I have anywhere else to go¡­ and I¡¯d rather not be homeless¡­ not until I find a warm vent.


    ¡°Yeah it looks like I¡¯ll be staying in Bordna for awhile.¡±


    Solei seemed pleased.


    ¡°The Guild Master is away on an adventure¡­ Solei serves as the guild receptionist. There are no other staff. She lives here alone.¡± Huck had emphasized the last word ¡®alone¡¯.


    What a chilled guy. To run off on an adventure and leave his business in the hands of a child. She does seem capable though.


    ¡°Ah Huck. Mister Mar I mean. You know my preferences right?¡±


    Relief spread across Huck¡¯s face. ¡°Y-yes. I guess there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    This short exchange left Solei confused. ¡°So you don¡¯t have a problem with Nonemu staying here Mister Mar?¡±


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no problem. If he tries anything, I¡¯ll just cut off a few of his toes.¡±


    Uwah! To speak of such violence so casually is scary. I¡¯ll tread carefully. Pun intended. I really like my toes. But I hear the average person can do without the pinkies and still move about normally. It¡¯s a special characteristic of humans thanks to evolution. Hmm¡­ if something happens I¡¯ll definitely sacrifice the pinkies. They¡¯re useless anyway. Absolutely useless, haha. If only I had a vestigial tail. I¡¯d sacrifice that too. But nothing will happen to my toes because I¡¯m not going to do anything to Solei. She¡¯s a loli after all. Not my type. The corset helps. But there¡¯s no chest-.


    ¡°How will you earn a living? Surely you don¡¯t intend to scrounge off Solei¡¯s kindness?¡± Huck spoke without anger.


    He¡¯s trying to figure out what kind of person I am. Ooh! My toes are tingling.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll definitely contribute. If it¡¯s not too much I can also pay rent. I don¡¯t remember my past. I believe I have amnesia. I don¡¯t know what my skills are, so please don¡¯t expect too much from me.¡±


    ¡°[Amnesia]¡­¡± Huck mused. ¡°That¡¯s quite a rare curse.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®Curse¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a way of labeling ¡®Status Effects¡¯.¡± Solei explained. ¡°If an ¡®Effect¡¯ produces only positive results, it¡¯s considered a ¡®Blessing¡¯. But if an effect produces only negative effects it¡¯s considered a ¡®Curse¡¯.¡±


    Well aren¡¯t ¡®Curses¡¯ and ¡®Blessings¡¯ subject to interpretation? In my case Amnesia has the positive results of being [Immune to Homesickness], [Immune to Past Regret], [Uninhibited due to a lack of Past Rejection], [Good at finding Warm Vents]. In fact there are numerous positives and no negatives, so it¡¯s certainly a blessing-


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try [Appraisal] on Nonemu?¡±


    Solei glanced at Nonemu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Haha.¡±


    There are so many reasons why! I can¡¯t reveal my hidden hand. What if my Job Class is something unsavory? Like [Demon King] or [Perverted Hero]?


    ¡°Go ahead and start your chant Solei-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a chant for this spell. Normally¡­¡± She spoke while addressing Nonemu, so that he would know her explanation was for his benefit. ¡°¡­ spells cost around ten times more mana when invoking without a chant, but certain very low level or very high level spells don¡¯t have such a penalty. ¡®Storage¡¯ and ¡®Appraisal¡¯ are examples of low level spells that don¡¯t have a chantless penalties.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Nonemu nodded vigorously.


    You lost me at ¡®Spell¡¯.


    ¡°But Appraisal doesn¡¯t work on Nonemu. I received an alert that simply says [Appraisal Failed].¡± Solei pouted.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Huck shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You must be at a fairly high level to cause Solei¡¯s [Appraisal] to fail like that. And you can also take advantage of all the skills she¡¯s learned. You know that¡¯s a great starting point for an adventurer. You¡¯ll do well for yourself in Bordna. Ah, but I wish I had [Storage]. That would surely have come in handy when hunting goblins¡­ so, why couldn¡¯t I be your betrothed, Solei?¡± in those last few words, his voice had taken on an air of disappointment.


    Grenade! Take cover!


    ¡°I-I um¡­ you see¡­ it was like¡­ and so¡­¡± She stuttered her way into an awkward silence.


    ¡°Do I have to register to become an Adventurer?¡±


    ¡°A-ah yes! I¡¯ll register you now Nonemu. The fee will be two silver.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any money. Can I pay you in installments?¡±


    The first installment will be ¡®Zero¡¯ though. I hope she¡¯s okay with that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover your costs. But it¡¯s a loan, so you have to pay me back, okay?¡± Huck sighed. He dug into the inner pockets of his vestment and produced a leather pouch. He took out two silver coins. His hand quivered for a moment, before he set the pair down on the counter.


    He makes it seem so painful. Is two silver a lot?


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay me back right?¡± In the seconds it took to pay Nonemu¡¯s adventurer fee, Huck had aged considerably.


    ¡°Of course! I will definitely repay my senior¡¯s kindness!¡±


    I¡¯ll definitely repay my debt. If I can. It will probably work itself out anyway¡­ yosh! I¡¯ll do my best. But I won¡¯t try too hard. My life is worth more than two silver after all.


    <hr>

 Chapter 2 - Dirty Work

    The New Guild Master [Chapter 2] - Dirty Work


    <hr>


    The guild registry was a roll of thick parchment. Solei laid it out on the counter, scribbled a few sentences with an inked feather before turning it over to Nonemu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to sign here, here and here.¡± She marked out the ¡®rules¡¯, ¡®guidelines¡¯ and ¡®principles¡¯ sections with her finger before turning to the end of the roll to add his ¡®name¡¯ and ¡®pledge of allegiance¡¯.


    I can¡¯t read a single word, let alone the fine print. And what¡¯s with the length of this contract? Am I selling my soul?!


    ¡°A-are you sure this is alright?¡± Nonemu ventured. ¡°I can¡¯t read this language. What sort of obligations am I signing up for?¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s mostly about disavowing you from the Moribus Guild in the unlikely event of any unseemly acts or criminal behavior that might tarnish the guild¡¯s reputation.¡±


    With such a verbose contract, I might run afoul of the Guild¡¯s rules eventually. But what a heartwarming smile! How can I say no to that?


    ¡°T-then I¡¯ll be in your care Solei¡­ would you sign it for me? I¡¯d be grateful if you could autograph the name ¡®T-r-i-s-t-a-n¡¯ where necessary.¡±


    ¡°¡®Tristan¡¯? An alias? Does it have some hidden meaning?¡± Huck peered over Nonemu¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s the name of a famous ¡®Character¡¯ I like. After some struggle, he marries the princess in the end.¡±


    Solei¡¯s face turned a deep crimson.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a ¡®Character¡¯. Perhaps his story only exists in fables told in your world?¡± Huck mused.


    ¡°Probably, I think so anyway.¡± Nonemu agreed.


    How much of this world resembles my own? Other than the ¡®medieval fantasy¡¯ setting, there may be many more parallels to fictional worlds found in novels and games. The preternatural knowledge I have might come in handy, sort of like having a set of cheat codes¡­ or it could lead to foolhardy mistakes. So I¡¯ll be careful not to make any careless assumptions.


    ¡°All that¡¯s left is the [Blood Seal].¡± Solei handed him a ring-shaped lancet.


    Nonemu set the ring on his left thumb and pressed in the outer ribs until he felt his skin pricked. He dabbed at the roll where Solei had previously indicated. When the blood dried, he noticed the parchment was glowing faintly.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Tristan. You are now a G-ranked adventurer of the Moribus Guild!¡±


    Solei and Huck both had a look of eager impatience.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A-are you going to open [Status] now?¡± Solei was ecstatic.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°W-what? Hey don¡¯t hold out on us Tristan. Solei is like a sister to me. So that makes me your brother-in-law in a way. You can trust me! We¡¯re practically family!¡± Huck wrapped his arm over Tristan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re invading my personal space. And the answer is still ¡®No¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ah, how can you be so cold to your own brother?¡± Huck had a prurient smile.


    ¡°I already told you I don¡¯t swing that w-.¡±


    ¡°-T-there¡¯s still a lot to discuss. Tristan¡­ we should have a¡­ um¡­ briefing. Yes, a briefing!¡±


    She¡¯s so persistent. And what¡¯s with that adorable look? I almost fell for you. But I¡¯m not a lolicon. So it can¡¯t happen.


    ¡°I¡¯d like some fresh air. I¡¯ve been cooped up here for¡­ say Solei how long have I been here?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ um¡­ you see¡­ it was¡­ two weeks.¡± she said ruefully.


    ¡°Ah¡­ don¡¯t worry Solei. If you¡¯re still thinking about the injury from the fall, I forgive you. Besides, you¡¯ve more than made up for it. You patched me up, good as new!¡± he gave her a winning smile.


    Looks like she¡¯ll be burdened with guilt for some time. Maybe I could take advantage of th-¡­ thank goodness I¡¯m such a nice person! Someone less scrupulous would surely have tried to take advantage of her.


    ¡°Solei, could you hand over the receipt for the fourteen goblins I slew?¡±


    ¡°Goblins? Let me see¡­ ah, you mean this?¡± she held up the sack Tristan had placed behind the counter. She inspected the contents by probing the bruised appendages of around a dozen goblins with her bare fingers, like an adolescent girl casually perusing a tabloid magazine.


    Solei suddenly pulled out a handkerchief from thin air and wiped her finger tips before having the piece of cloth return to void space. She opened a drawer behind the counter and withdrew a card that had strange symbols engraved on the front. The words appeared to swirl before Tristan¡¯s eyes to form the words: ¡®Moribus Guild¡¯. She flipped the card over to the back, where it was blank, and wrote some words that Tristan couldn¡¯t read. She pricked her forefinger with the lancet ring, and left an imprint on the back of the card. The guild receipt glowed brightly for a moment before waning steadily.


    Huck received the card with a grunt. He met Tristan¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, shall we be on our way?¡±


    ¡°I-I need to change Huck. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m still in bathrobes? Solei do you think you could spare some clothing?¡±


    Does she have anything gender-neutral? Will I be known as the ¡®Bold Cross-dresser¡¯? Well, I could pass for a woman if I tried. Haha.


    ¡°I might have something.¡± She guessed his size at a glance, and drew out a leather vestment and slim-fitting breeches from her ¡®Storage¡¯.


    ¡°Thanks. Could you¡­ um¡­ turn around Solei?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    He loosened the robe. Huck had a strange look in his eyes, as he earnestly scanned his body.


    Note to self. Never let yourself be in a room alone with Huck. Ever.


    It took only a few moments for him to change. He held up the bathrobe.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Solei shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s yours. So put it in [Storage].¡±


    ¡°A-and how would I go about doing that?¡±


    ¡°Remember, you have access to all of my skills. Just imagine an empty box-like shape in front of you. You might feel a little light-headed, as mana is drawn out of your body to cast the spell.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± he pictured a large, lidless cardboard box floating in mid-air. He kept it at arm¡¯s length. Once the image was solid, he changed its texture, so that the frame was now made of a transparent material.


    ¡°¡­ yeah, I can do this.¡±


    Huck raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Now deposit the robe. Take your time.¡±


    What would happen if I accidentally left my hand inside that strange dimensional space thing?


    Tristan gulped nervously.


    He gripped the robe tightly in one hand, and inched slowly upwards. A minute passed with his arm gradually climbing upwards. A portion of the robe was now sucked into empty space.


    ¡°Can you hurry up dammit!?¡±


    ¡°Huck!?¡± Solei fumed at him.


    ¡°What? Why are you angry at me? It¡¯s just [Storage]. And he¡¯s acting like he¡¯s never even seen magic before! Fucking drama queen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair Huck. New adventurers are often bewildered by magic. Besides. ¡®You¡¯ can¡¯t even cast a single spell!¡±


    ¡°Sure I can. If I wanted to. And not everyone is born with an affinity to magic like ¡®You¡¯. It¡¯s not like you ever bothered to teach me anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now it¡¯s my fault you don¡¯t know any spells?¡±


    ¡°I have ¡®Martial Skills¡¯ anyway, so I don¡¯t need to cast spells that drain my stamina.¡±


    ¡°Magic is vital to your surv-¡±


    ¡°-Guys, I did it.¡±


    Tristan was rubbing his hand, thankful that it was still a part of him.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Solei clapped. ¡°Now we can move on to the-¡±


    ¡°-Let¡¯s go.¡± Huck pulled Tristan towards the door. ¡°I ain¡¯t got all day.¡±


    ¡°W-what? Why? Where are we going anyway? Where are you taking me!?¡±


    ¡°To collect the bounty. And what¡¯s with that tone?¡±


    They left Solei, with her arms crossed, still fuming.


    <hr>


    ¡°Show me your [Status].¡±


    They had walked ahead of the Guild - a two-storied hut in Tristan¡¯s eyes - for about ten minutes when Huck suddenly asked Tristan to show him his [Status].


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Solei¡¯s life is at stake. And I need to know that you can handle yourself in a fight.¡±


    Huck¡¯s desperation was almost audible.


    ¡°F-fine¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ the thing is¡­ I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to open ¡®Status¡¯. Wait, lemme try calling it out. [Status]. Nothing huh? Well it was worth trying anyway.¡±


    Huck smacked his own face in frustration.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game Tristan. Open your damn [Status] right now!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you ¡®Can¡¯t¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you speak English? I just said I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®English¡¯?¡±


    Now he¡¯s fucking with me.


    ¡°Seriously, what language are you speaking right now?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Common Tongue¡¯. All Freemen speak the ¡®Common Tongue¡¯.¡±


    H-he¡¯s¡­ serious!?


    ¡°W-well, it sounds a lot like ¡®English¡¯ to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I ¡®only¡¯ speak the Common Tongue. N-nothing else.¡± Huck seemed genuinely embarrassed at that.


    Oho! What a rare moment. Where did all that confidence disappear to ¡®Mister¡¯ Huck?


    ¡°Everyone can summon their [Status]. It¡¯s an ability we are all born with. Even babies can do it.¡± Huck looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Yes. You. Can.¡± Huck sighed deeply, and decided to change his approach. ¡°Try envisioning a ledger in front of you. Each entry is a quantification of each of your abilities. Starting with your name, imagine an invisible hand writing a summary of who and what you are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Tristan sang. ¡°You¡¯re actually good at teaching when you try! I feel like I can really do it now. Thanks to Huck¡¯s encouragement. You should try being nicer to me more often you know. I promise better results that way.¡±


    Tristan gave him a coy smile.


    ¡°Fine. Thanks. Whatever. Just do it.¡±


    He had no trouble imagining [Status] having seen Solei¡¯s status a little while ago. And unlike when he used [Storage] he didn¡¯t feel a sense of tiredness, when his status simply appeared, floating before him.


    Huck drew closer to analyse the display.


    <h2 style="text-align: center">STATUS</h2>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">------</h4>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Tristan</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Race</td>


    <td>Summoned Human</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Age</td>


    <td>15 Years Old</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Title</td>


    <td>None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Job</td>


    <td>None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Class</td>


    <td>None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rank</td>


    <td>G -> ( Moribus Guild )</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>XP</td>


    <td>0 / 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP</td>


    <td>10 / 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MP</td>


    <td>5 / 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SP</td>


    <td>8 / 8</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Intelligence</td>


    <td>25</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Strength</td>


    <td>2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Dexterity</td>


    <td>4</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Speed</td>


    <td>5</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <h3 style="text-align: center">STATUS EFFECTS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Binding [Princess Bride Lvl. MAX]</h4>


    -> The user was summoned by the bride to be her ¡°knight in shining armor¡±. If the user perishes, the bride will experience immediate death. If the bride fornicates with an individual other than the user, before consummation with the user, the bride will experience immediate death. While the bride is alive, the user will obtain any of her ¡®Active Skills¡¯, including ¡®Job Skills¡¯, ¡®Race Skills¡¯ and ¡®Unique Skills¡¯. Should the bride perish, the user will still retain obtained skills.


    <h3 style="text-align: center">PASSIVE SKILLS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Auto-Translate Lvl. 2</h4>


    -> The user can understand (all) spoken words and (a few) written words of human languages. The user can also understand (some) spoken words and (no) written words of non-human languages. Words encrypted by cipher or by magic may also be understood by the user depending on their derived language and level of difficulty.


    <h3 style="text-align: center">ACTIVE SKILLS


    <h4 style="text-align: center">---</h4>


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Heal Lvl. 2</h4>


    -> [Obtained] Heals serious wounds, including internal injury. Cannot regrow or reattach limbs. (MP COST: 20).


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Storage Lvl. 2 (120 KG)</h4>


    -> [Obtained] Allows the user to store and retrieve items from a pocket universe. The amount of items that can be stored is determined by weight. Gases and liquids must be stored in an airtight container. Base value (12 KG). For each additional level attained, base value is multiplied by (10x). (MP COST: 5).


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Appraisal Lvl. 2</h4>


    -> [Obtained] Allows the user to view the status of an object (animate or inanimate). If the user attempts to appraise an object of a higher level than oneself, appraisal is then more likely to fail in proportion to the difference in levels between the user and the appraised object. (MP COST: 50).


    <h4 style="text-align: center">Eye of Sauron Lvl. MAX</h4>


    -> [Obtained] Allows the user to scry any member of their party. ¡®Eye of Sauron¡¯ was inherited as a result of the user¡¯s royal bloodline. (MP COST: 40).


    <hr>


    This is definitely not right. Other than my intelligence, all my base stats are lower than Solei¡¯s! Ah, but the scaling is probably off. There¡¯s no way a little girl with a strength value of ¡®4¡¯ could be twice as strong as me, with a value of ¡®2¡¯. But she is an elf though, so she could be tough but compact¡­ maybe there¡¯s a six pack under that corset? And¡­ I¡¯m fifteen years old huh? Seems about right. Does that make me a child in this world?The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°T-this i-isn¡¯t right. I t-think I r-read it wrong.¡± Huck stammered.


    Huck reread Tristan¡¯s stats over and over again. Ten more minutes had passed before he finally managed to peal his eyes away from the floating display, only to gape at Tristan with his mouth hung open.


    ¡°W-what? You¡¯re freaking me out Huck. Just tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re weak¡­¡±


    I could gather that much on my own.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re weaker than a child.¡±


    ¡°Huck. I have news for you. I ¡®am¡¯ a child.¡±


    He shook his head lightly. ¡°No¡­¡± his voice slowly returned. ¡°This just doesn¡¯t make any sense. You¡¯re weaker than an eight year old¡­ what happened to you?¡± Huck slumped his shoulders, his face darkening.


    Tristan felt a pang of fear.


    This doesn¡¯t look good!


    ¡°W-well, you s-see I was injured¡± Tristan began hastily. ¡°When Solei summoned me, I fell from a portal. Plunging from quite a height¡­¡±


    _That sounds plausible right? But she did heal me!"


    ¡°¡­ a-and despite Solei¡¯s attentiveness, it seems I haven¡¯t fully recovered.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Huck whispered. ¡°That might be the case. I¡¯ve heard that severe injuries may cause a permanent decline in one¡¯s vitality and strength¡­¡±


    He¡¯s so studious when it comes to being an adventurer! I don¡¯t think I can fool him with just that.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ w-well perhaps the summoning¡­ c-could-¡±


    ¡°Yes. The summoning itself could be the cause. Solei is only [Level 3]. There¡¯s no way she could properly cast a 7th tier spell.¡±


    Yes! He bought it!


    ¡°Is seventh tier high?¡± Tristan had already fully recovered.


    ¡°The highest.¡± he extolled. ¡°God-like even.¡±


    ¡°God-like?¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t hide his skepticism.


    ¡°Inherited magic tends to be powerful, there¡¯s no doubt her Elven lineage goes back centuries¡­ but the effects of innate magic may be dulled by a weak wielder¡­ could it be¡­ that you were much more powerful in your world?¡±


    ¡°P-probably.¡±


    Definitely not!


    ¡°Then it¡¯s practically a certainty. The summoning had stripped you of most, if not all of your powers.¡±


    ¡°S-sure. That makes a lot of sense I guess¡­¡±


    Bullshit!


    ¡°¡­ I-I do have something else that¡¯s unexpected. What do you think of [Auto-Translate]?¡±


    It¡¯s definitely a cheat skill. Thank the Gods!


    ¡°Among merchants, it¡¯s fairly common. However, you¡¯re unlikely to run into someone with that skill in Bordna. As all Freemen speak the Common Tongue.¡±


    Screw the Gods!


    ¡°Right.¡± the tense atmosphere around Huck had dissipated. His demeanor was now business-like. ¡°I want to know what sorts of skills you possessed before you came into this world.¡±


    Is ¡®Puberty¡¯ a skill?


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. The concussion I developed from the fall had probably caused my amnesia.¡±


    ¡°But [Amnesia] isn¡¯t listed as a status effect?¡± Huck pondered. ¡°If you could remember the skills and techniques you had learned in your previous life, you would indeed be a force to be reckoned with in this one. Perhaps your memory was stripped along with your abilities in order to prevent your overwhelming power from returning...¡±


    Oi Huck, don¡¯t go believing in your own lies! I¡¯m not a fallen hero!


    ¡°... so,what do you remember?¡±


    Nothing! Absolutely nothing!


    ¡°U-um¡­ stuff¡­ you know¡­ general knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Of this world?¡± Huck inquired.


    ¡°No¡­ I only have knowledge of Earth. The previous- I mean other world.¡±


    It says ¡®Summoned Human¡¯ on my status. Not ¡®Human from Earth¡¯. There¡¯s no evidence I actually lived there! But my age is ¡®15 years old¡¯. But then again that could just be my physical age, not time spent in a another world¡­ and where the fuck is my shining armor?!


    ¡°At least you have some of your intelligence. At your current level you could probably¡­¡±


    My intelligence ¡®25¡¯ is quite high compared to my other stats¡­ I must be super smart!


    ¡°¡­ be a cobbler or maybe even a farmer.¡±


    This game world is totally broken!


    ¡°S-so what should I do Huck?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, fighting is certainly out of the question. As you are now, you¡¯d lose to a goblin infant.¡±


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to be so mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being frank. This world is cruel, and the life of a Freemen isn¡¯t easy. But I¡¯ll do what I can to help you survive. For Solei¡¯s sake you must strive to live on. Don¡¯t you think you owe her that much?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll work hard to pay back the debt I owe her.¡±


    Even though she¡¯s the ¡®Reason¡¯ I¡¯m in this predicament.


    <hr>


    They had walked at a brisk pace for well over two hours. Tristan could feel his thighs burning as he jogged forward, to make up for Huck¡¯s long strides that occasionally left him dawdling behind.


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± he puffed.


    ¡°Almost there¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you? You seem winded.¡± Huck gave him a pitying look. ¡°That fall must have really done a number on you.¡±


    Any normal person would feel tired after such a long trek. Why couldn¡¯t I be born into a world with flying cars?!


    The afternoon sun greeted them with a steamy glare as they approached a small cottage that lay at the tip of a large valley of cultivated land. A third of the farm was covered in tall stalks of wheat. Another third had a diverse mix of lentils in various stages of growth, while the remaining portion was left fallow.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Huck announced.


    ¡°Great. I was just about to collapse. So, let¡¯s go-¡±


    ¡°-Hold on. We¡¯re about to meet with Sylvanus. He¡¯s an old farmer that¡¯s well-known in these parts. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s suffered some misfortune of late, and has been asking around for a new hire. A farmhand. Do you think you¡¯re up to?¡±


    Farming? Hmm¡­ sounds better than hunting Goblins. But how am I supposed to get stronger that way?


    ¡°I-I guess so-¡±


    ¡°Great! This way you¡¯ll pay me back in no time.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s what was on his mind. He really is a short-term thinker.


    Upon closer inspection, the cottage seemed to be in poor condition. The walls were for the most part, plastered with dry earth. A few wooden beams, some leaning outwards at odd angles, provided additional support.


    Huck savagely rapped the doors with his knuckles.


    That¡¯s so rude!


    A sound could be heard behind the door: a beam of wood being slid away from it¡¯s bolted position. The door opened inwards to reveal a scraggly beard and crooked teeth that belonged to a wiry, old man. He seemed to be in a jovial mood.


    ¡°Huck ma¡¯ boy! It¡¯s been too long! What yer waiting fer¡¯? Come on in. Oh, who¡¯s this young lady?¡± A low whistle escaped his pursed lips.


    ¡°This is Tristan. A new adventurer that just moved into town. ¡®He¡¯ is looking for work. And I want my bounty.¡± With the flick of his wrist, the guild card appeared in hand.


    Bounty? What!? Y-you weren¡¯t thinking about me at all Huck!


    Sylvanus accepted the card with a grunt, his eyes still fixed on Tristan.


    ¡°You a noble¡¯s son or something? What¡¯ya doing ¡®round these parts eh? Got tired of kissing yer¡¯ old man¡¯s boot?¡±


    ¡°W-well, I-I want¡­¡±


    What the hell do I want anyway?


    ¡°¡­ t-to start a new life. On my terms. I¡¯m not looking for adventure, or fame. I don¡¯t want any trouble. A peaceful and ¡®safe¡¯ life is all I look forward to.¡±


    Sylvanus furrowed his brow, deep in thought.


    ¡°The life of a noble seems like a sweet one to me. But I guess there¡¯s there, and here¡¯s here.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s talk more inside.¡±


    The farmer¡¯s cottage could only be described as minimal in its interior. A single room, with a ¡®kitchen¡¯, which was an old, black stove wrought of iron in one corner, a straw mat that made up the entirety of the ¡®bedroom¡¯, and a ¡®lounge¡¯ consisting of two gnarled sofa chairs and a rocking chair huddled around a misshapen slab of dark wood.


    Sylvanus ushered them in happily, taking his place on the rocking chair. Huck sank lazily into a sofa chair, slipped off his boots, and dropped his feet on the low table. Tristan stood awkwardly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mind nothing here. We ain¡¯t got none of that fancy etiquette.¡±


    Tristan decided on the remaining sofa chair, which absorbed his weight like a sponge. He was overcome by a flood of relief. The heat in his thighs slowly dissipated.


    Sylvanus took out a hook-shaped pipe, fed some dark power to it from a small pouch, which he dutifully tied around his waist. He whispered a few words that Tristan couldn¡¯t make out. A tiny flame swallowed his finger tip, which he used to light the contents of his pipe.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ haven¡¯t seen magic like this eh? Well you¡¯ll be seeing lots more round these parts. There be a great need for it ya¡¯ see. Goblins everywhere. Those greedy fuckers love the taste of meat. They gone an¡¯ ate all ma'' livestock. Now don¡¯t be judging me. I can handle a whole pack of them on ma'' own¡­¡± he paused to let out a few whiffs of his pipe. ¡°But there was this one odd goblin. A fat one.¡±


    ¡°A fat one?¡± Huck¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°He started stalking ¡®round the edges of ma'' field a month back. I had a horse, a pair of prissy cows and a young calf cooped up in the barn. Wouldn¡¯t call that a business. And I¡¯d never let them roam by themselves on account of that strange goblin. But ma¡¯ main work is in the field, the rest was just fer¡¯ a glass o¡¯ milk er¡¯ry morning¡­¡± he sighed for a moment, before grinding his jaws in agitation.


    ¡°That fat fuckin¡¯ monstrosity ate dem¡¯ all! By himself. He figured out how to unlock the doors!¡±


    Huck was flabbergasted. Tristan was perplexed.


    What¡¯s the big deal?


    Sylvanus caught Tristan¡¯s eye and nodded sagely. ¡°Goblins are as stupid as they come. A locked door with it¡¯s key hanging loose is a great mystery to them.¡± he drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Aye¡­ but this one was different. I woke up one morning to find nothing but bones licked clean. I damn nearly fainted, thinking a dragon had run loose. I found a single pair o¡¯ tracks leading out the barn and outta the field¡­¡± he paused for dramatic effect. ¡°¡­ he also took a pair of ol¡¯ shoes and pants I¡¯d left in there ''coz they was torn up.¡±


    At this, Huck shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°I swear it. On ma'' mother¡¯s grave. He took ma¡¯ clothes with him!¡±


    ¡°I-is that unusual?¡± Tristan asked attentively.


    ¡°Sure is.¡± Huck replied. ¡°Can you imagine a dog breaking into your house and stealing your clothes? Well, Goblins are no smarter than them. His story is unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Believe what you will.¡± Sylvanus spat. ¡°I put out the bounty three weeks back. He disappeared a week thereafter. No doubt the adventurers roaming about scared him off. A wily one that Fat Goblin is.¡± he rambled on for a few moments, spitting and cursing at the name of the Fat Goblin.


    ¡°So.¡± Huck interrupted. ¡°About the bounty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I got it right here. Lemme get it for ya¡¯.¡± Sylvanus rose, and walked over to the old stove. It looked heavy, but he grabbed both handles at his waist, and swung it gently aside.


    Huck turned in his seat to curiously watch the old man unlock a hidden compartment, drawing out a large sack and a small leather pouch. Sylvanus unwound the pouch, and handed Huck a single, shiny silver coin, and forty stained copper coins. He tied the purse to his waist, and dragged the sack towards Tristan.


    ¡°W-wait. I-it¡¯s really not necessary.¡±


    I don¡¯t think I want to find out what¡¯s in that bag!


    ¡°Huh? Whad¡¯ya mean? Open it.¡±


    Tristan hesistated.


    I¡¯ve had enough surprises for one day.


    He nervously loosed the thick knots on the sack and tentatively examined it¡¯s contents.


    ¡°Potatoes?¡±


    ¡°Is this some kinda joke old man?¡± Huck seemed annoyed.


    ¡°Can¡¯t ya¡¯ see? Those ain¡¯t no ordinary potatoes. They¡¯re red potatoes.¡±


    What¡¯s with this old geezer? Red potatoes are just as ordinary as regular potatoes. Is he off his rocker?


    ¡°They taste pretty much the same.¡± He continued. ¡°Bet ya¡¯ wondering how I got them?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± Huck said flatly. He got up, as if to leave. ¡°You know, I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Sit yer¡¯ arse back down. I¡¯ll make it quick. I planted some potatoes awhile back on a small patch of fallow ground, on a whim ya¡¯ see. To see if the land was ripe for it. When a pair o¡¯ goblins decided to jump me. But I made short work of them. I knew the smell of there dearly departed cousins was more than likely to attract the lot of them. So, with ma'' shovel already in hand, I decided to bury them right there and then- with the seedlings of that patch of potatoes yer¡¯ got in ya¡¯ hands.¡±


    Huck¡¯s visage had turned deathly pale. Sylvanus went on, unperturbed.


    ¡°I visited the patch a week later, expecting sprouts. But lo¡¯ and behold, they was fully grown! I couldn¡¯t believe ma'' luck-¡±


    ¡°P-poison! Those potatoes are poisonous! You need to get rid of them. Now-¡±


    ¡°-I thought as much at first. But I¡¯ve been eating them now and again going on two weeks. And they is still fresh and wholesome. And I¡¯m not sick. As far as I can tell.¡±


    Huck sat in stunned silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making this ma¡¯ new business.¡±


    ¡°Potatoes?¡± Tristan inquired.


    ¡°Manure.¡± Sylvanus announced. ¡°I got an ol¡¯ gristmill at the other end of the field. Next to ma¡¯ barn. If ya¡¯ harvest and dry the wheat still in the field, it could make fer¡¯ some good mulch. Ya¡¯ll need to cut up the goblins into smaller pieces before feeding them into the mill. Once the bones are ground to a paste, throw in the mulch and then ya¡¯ll get some [Uncommon Fertilizer]. Hmm, might be a higher grade then that. I¡¯ll get Solei to appraise it later. So whad¡¯ya say lad? Ya¡¯ up for it?¡±


    ¡°This is madness-¡± Huck began.


    ¡°-I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡­ can¡¯t be serious?¡± Huck was at a loss for words.


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty work ya¡¯ know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Tristan repeated, more firmly this time. ¡°B-but I¡¯m not good at hunting goblins. I-I don¡¯t have the physique¡­ as you can see.¡±


    I¡¯ve never killed anything in my life! Well¡­ I¡¯ve only been alive for two weeks, so my true potential might be hidden.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that. Adventurers, like Huck will do the killing. Your work will be to cut, grind and dry out the manure.¡±


    ¡°What about the color of the potatoes?¡± Huck interjected. ¡°What if everyone¡¯s crops get a red tint?¡±


    ¡°What of it? So long as it tastes the same it won¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just say the manure is of an [Uncommon] quality.¡±


    ¡°The truth will find it¡¯s way to them eventually. So, please don¡¯t do this.¡± Huck implored.


    ¡°By then it won¡¯t matter. Ma'' special manure will be in circulation, and the produce already in the market. If no one gets sick, they¡¯ll settle down right away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®if¡¯ no one gets sick. We still don¡¯t understand the effects of Goblin blood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many tales of adventurers trying at Goblin meat. It¡¯s taste is horrid by all accounts, but quite nourishing. And here I am. Living proof. Having eaten Golbin infused potatoes.¡± he flexed a wrinkled arm and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m fit as a horse!¡±


    <hr>


    Huck led the way, past the the edge of the farmlands of Bordna, onto yellowed grass plains. Tristan could just make out the outline of the North Agva forest.


    Sylvanus had supplied them tools to excavate the fourteen buried goblins that Huck had killed. But he was in a bitter mood, the shovel bobbing uneasily, on one shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± He said, breaking the silence.


    Tristan did not reply immediately, as all his focus was drawn towards their steady march forward. He had seven burlap sacks on his back, strung together with thick rope. They weren¡¯t heavy, but his legs were stiff, like a pair of anchors that he had to drag on land.


    ¡°H-how long until we get there?¡± He groaned.


    The edge of the forest began to loom over them. A cold wind ruffled through the trees, carrying with it faint whispers that left Tristan with an unsettling feeling. As if someone were watching.


    "W-what¡¯s that sound? he shivered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Tristan. It could be anything. The wind or wild animals.¡± his voice was lined with venom.


    Huck suddenly dropped his shovel. Tristan jumped in surprise.


    ¡°Right there.¡± He pointed to a soft mound of dirt that stood out amidst the discolored grass. ¡°Get to work. I¡¯ll hull the load back.¡± Huck walked a few meters away, lied down and closed his eyes.


    Why is he so pissed?! Hasn¡¯t he ever heard the saying: nothing ventured, nothing gained?The old man is right to take risks, if he means to start a new business.


    Tristan began to dig out the corpses. It was not long before the tip of the shovel encountered resistance. He starting digging out the edges in a wide, circular path. He stopped for a moment, as a gnarled, pale hand jutting out of the ground made his heart skip a beat.


    He kept on digging until the bodies were unveiled, covered by only a thin layer of dirt.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± He turned to look at Huck, who had alreadt fallen asleep.


    What a carefree bastard!


    He dragged out one of the bodies. The stink of fecal matter wafted up his nose.


    R-right. When someone dies, their bodily fluids are released¡­ so, I just need to bleed them out and then dismember them.


    He took out a hunting knife from one of the sacks and slit the dead Goblin¡¯s throat. Repeating this pattern, he lined up the corpses in a row, watching the blood pool into a small lake.


    T-there¡¯s so much blood! This is ridiculous.


    Tristan held the knife inches from a deceased goblins chest and mentally prepared to butcher him. His arms wouldn¡¯t stop shaking, so he paused, took a few breathes and stabbed it in the gut. A viscous fluid came out. Along with blood and fecal matter. He turned away and retched. With his throat sore and his stomach clenched, he returned to the task at hand, gutting the rest, one at a time.


    His most gruesome work was beheading them. A goblins neck was thick and taut. Halfway through each incision, blood would spray, forcing him to pause and wipe his face. Their arms and legs were well-muscled, albeit child-sized and thin at the joints. He had tried to cut their limbs off with a single, strong-armed swing, but the bone proved too hard, so he had ended up slowly sawing them into pieces instead.


    Hours passed, as he filled each sack with two portions of dismembered goblin. The sweat that was dripping off his brow had began to dry. He looked up to find the sun was close to setting.


    ¡°Huck. I¡¯m done. We need to get going.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah. Ugh¡­ how long have I slept?¡± he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll grab those. We¡¯ll part ways at Sylvanus¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I just put them in storage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. What¡¯s your mana count?¡±


    ¡°[5/10]. I can still use [Storage] one more time.¡±


    ¡°If you put the sacks in [Storage] you won¡¯t be able to retrieve them until tomorrow. And Sylvanus might want to inspect the catch when we return. You should know that mana recovers only when you rest, and even then, it still takes awhile to build up.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ I understand.¡± Tristan nodded, absorbing this new information with intense interest.


    ¡°Well then. let¡¯s get going.¡±


    <hr>


    When they returned, Sylvanus did not greet them with much fanfare.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡± he drew his face close to Tristan¡¯s. ¡°Boy. Am only gonna tell ya¡¯ this once. The forest is dangerous. Don¡¯t go wandering off at night. You wouldn¡¯t believe the kinda things that come crawling out when the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ okay. Sure.¡±


    ¡°And you!¡± He wagged a crooked finger at Huck. ¡°You know better than to take such risks.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. I have an escort mission tomorrow. A bunch of traders, passing through the northern trail.¡± He punched Tristan in the shoulder, lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving this fool in your care. I¡¯ll be away a week at most.¡±


    ¡°Bah. Good riddance.¡± Even as he said this, Sylvanus smiled broadly and opened the door for Huck, waving him off.


    Tristan was shaking. He could feel the lactic acid beginning to congeal inside his muscles. He knew he would wake up the next day sore all over.


    ¡°So let¡¯s see what ya¡¯ got for me.¡± His fingers greedily unwound the rope that bound the sacks together. He untied one of them and peered at the contents. His head flung back in dismay.


    ¡°Ooowwweee!¡± Sylvanus howled. ¡°Now that¡¯s fresh!¡± He broke into a unexpectedly contagious fit of riotous laughter. Unable to resist, Tristan joined in.


    Having had a good laugh, they had soon settled into the sofa chairs. Tristan, finding the atmosphere homely, had his feet up on the low table. Sylvanus had been lost in contemplation for some time before he suddenly broke the silence.


    ¡°Two to one.¡± he chortled. ¡°That¡¯s ma'' margin. I¡¯ll renew the ten copper bounty per goblin head, with a new requirement: that the whole body be provided to me. In one piece or several. It don¡¯t matter¡­ each bag will be composed of five goblins - fifty coppers¡¯ worth of manure. And I¡¯ll be selling it for a pretty silver!¡± he licked his lips.


    ¡°A-and what about mywages?¡± Tristan ventured.


    ¡°Oh, right. Your wages will be twenty copper a day. Twice the usual, ¡®coz I¡¯m feeling generous. I¡¯ll also be providing ya¡¯ with food and shelter and what not.¡±


    ¡°Will I be staying here?¡± Tristan looked around. There was a straw bed in the far corner of the cottage, opposite the kitchenette area. It did not look like it could fit two people.


    ¡°''Course not. Ain¡¯t got no room in here for anyone but ma'' lonesome self.¡± he snickered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a wife? Or kids?¡±


    Sylvanus gave him a dark look.


    ¡°That was a long time ago¡­ too long.¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°O-okay¡­ then where will I stay?¡±


    "The barn. It¡¯s as good as any place. You can make something outta the hay for yer¡¯ self.


    <hr>


    Tristan was lying in a bed of straw that he had made for himself in the low-roofed barn. Soft moonlight shone from a glass window in the rafters. The hay itself was soft but itchy. He felt that in time, his body would grow accustomed to it. And the wooden structure of the barn insulated his ¡®bedroom¡¯ fairly well, so he couldn¡¯t feel the stinging cold outside. Still, he tossed and turned for awhile before his exhaustion finally settled in, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ka. Ka. Ka. Kakaka.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Kakaka. Kakaka. Kakaka.¡±


    ¡°W-what.¡± Tristan bolted awake.


    ¡°Kakaka.¡±


    His heart froze.


    ¡°Kakaka.¡±


    Something was furiously scratching on the barn door.


    ¡°Kakaka. Kakaka. Kakaka.¡±


    He tiptoed forward, and checked to see that the wooden beam was still bolted in place. Satisfied, he stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Kakaka.¡±


    Is it some sort of wild animal?


    ¡°Kakakakaka.¡±


    The scratching sounds had grown more profuse.


    There¡¯s more than one! Maybe there¡¯s a whole bunch of critters scraping the door!?


    ¡°Kakakakaka. Kakakakaka. Kakakakaka. Kakakakaka. Kakakakaka.¡±


    I have to do something. They¡¯re not stopping. Is this where my adventure ends?


    ¡°Kakakakaka¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Maybe they went away?


    ¡°Gyoh. Geeh. Gaeh. Gyoh.¡±


    At first Tristan thought the words were muddled because of the door¡¯s thickness, but as he realized what those sounds truly meant, he briefly lost himself in panic.


    ¡°Goblins! Help! Someone pleeease heeelp me! Goooblins! They¡¯re trying to eaaat meeee!¡±


    <hr>

 Chapter 3 - Dont Judge Me by My Looks!

    The New Guild Master [Chapter 3] - Don''t Judge Me by My Looks


    <hr>


    ¡°Gyah! Gooh! Gaah! Gyoh!¡±


    The Goblins scratched the barn door with renewed intensity.


    ¡°Sylvanuuuus! Saaaave meeeee!¡±


    A crack splintered open where a small hole had once been. A moment later, a claw burst through, grabbing at empty air in a flurry of twist and turns.


    ¡°Uwaaah! I¡¯m gonna dieee!¡± Tristan squealed in panic.


    Desperate, he ruffled through stacks of hay.


    There¡¯s gotta be something here that can help me defend myself.


    ¡°Kakakaka. Kakakaka. Kakakaka.¡±


    He found a half-broken pitchfork buried in a mound of hay. Arming himself, he turned to face the flailing goblin hand, attacking it with a shout.


    ¡°Aaaah!¡±


    He pierced the hand, feeling only a slight resistance as he dragged himself downwards, cleaving it with his momentum. Tristan imagined the owner of the hand would not be happy about his current predicament. A yelp of agony coming from the other side of the barn door confirmed his hypothesis.


    Despite his desperate hope, another hand did not emerge to take it¡¯s place.


    ¡°Kakaka. Kakaka. Kakaka.¡±


    It¡¯s no good. I have to find a way to get rid of them all.


    ¡°Kakaka. Kakaka. Kakaka.¡±


    Tristan didn¡¯t think of himself as religious, but he called out to unnamed Gods. He vowed to devote himself to any deity - good or evil - that would arrange his rescue or grant him a means of escape.


    A sudden silence emerged.


    ¡°Damn fiends. Ya¡¯ trespass on ma¡¯ property and thinks ya¡¯ can go about yer¡¯ business of eating my one an¡¯ only employee?¡±


    The boss is here!


    ¡°Gyeeh? Gaah? Giih? Gyon?¡± the startled goblin cries quickly turned to agonizing screams.


    Oi!? What is that old man doing to them?


    ¡°Ya¡¯ ain¡¯t running from me! [Flame Tornado].¡±


    Beams of light shot through the cracks of the barn door, followed by a thunderclap that shook Tristan to the core. Moments later the faint glow that filled the barn, slowly began to fade.


    ¡°S-Sylvanus!¡± No reply.


    Tristan could hear his own manic heartbeat. His mind was racing.


    Did he make it? That blast must have taken care of the goblins- but what if he¡¯s in trouble? I¡¯ve got to help him- but what use could I be? I¡¯d only get in the way- I can¡¯t just sit here! The old man could be at death¡¯s door.


    With trembling hands, he unlatched the barn¡¯s door and heaved the large wooden beam onto the floor. Strengthening his resolve, Tristan thrust himself into the night.


    <hr>


    The moon was out in full bloom. It¡¯s eerie glare painted the the barnyard in shades of gray.


    The goblins were dead. Three of them were lying in front of the barn house, charred to the bone.


    Sylvanus was unconscious, his hair gone and his body covered in blotchy red and black sores.


    Tristan knelt at his side, two fingers felt his neck for a pulse.


    It¡¯s faint. But he¡¯s still alive. These look like third degree burns. He can still recover if he receives immediate medical attention.


    Tristan looked at his surroundings, his hope slipping away.


    There¡¯s no way I can get to the guild house and back in time to have Solei heal him. And I don¡¯t have the strength to lug him all the way there by myself.


    He cursed his own weakness.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the [Heal] skill. So, I¡¯m going to heal you myself.¡± he intoned.


    Sylvanus did not stir.


    Tristan wasn¡¯t wearing any sleeves, but he pretended to roll them up anyway, as a form of psychological preparation.


    Do I need to chant something? I have it on my skill sheet so it¡¯s probably not necessary¡­ so all I need is a mental image right?


    He pictured Sylvanus as he was the day before. Loud and boisterous. A pang of guilt shot through him.


    ¡°H-heal.¡± Nothing. ¡°I cast heal upon you¡­¡± he said, frantically waving his hands in the air.


    Nothing¡¯s happening!?


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t accept this you dirty old man! C¡¯mon dammit! I told you to fucking [Heal]!¡±


    This time he noticed a change. Grilled flesh seemed to stretch upon itself, melding into a single smooth, sickish pallor. Like the sound of a thousand marching ants, he could hear the folds of skin being regrown and sown back together.


    Slowly, Sylvanus¡¯ skin began to return to it¡¯s usual pallet. He breathed a sigh of relief.


    W-wait? W-what¡¯s going on¡­?


    Tristan began to sway. He felt as if his strength had been drawn out and sucked into an invisible vacuum. Though he struggled to remain cognizant, his consciousness soon faded.


    <hr>


    ¡°Now that was a foolish thing ya¡¯ did.¡±


    There was a warm tone to this voice.


    S-Sylvanus?


    Tristan blinked, the stark rays of the sun briefly eclipsing his vision.


    ¡°Still. I¡¯m glad to be alive. So, should I thank the Gods that ya¡¯ don¡¯t got a lick of sense?¡±


    He sat up. And immediately regretted it.


    ¡°Easy boy. Take off yer¡¯ shirt¡­¡±


    Tristan complied.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ you got somethang¡¯ on yer¡¯ backside. They¡¯s look like bedsores to me. And those scabs be a heck of sight!¡±


    Tristan made a brief self-examination. Except for his hands and face, there were black scabs littered across his whole body. His knees and elbows were glazed in a light purplish hue. His skin hurt with each touch, and the slightest movement sent jets of pain coursing through him.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± he stared at Sylvanus, lost in bewilderement.


    ¡°Hmph! I thought you was smarter than that?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ h-healed you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Ya¡¯ did.¡± he grinned. ¡°And almost died in the process!¡±


    Thank goodness! The old fart still lives!


    ¡°Now settle down there.¡± Sylvanus caught the gleam of joy in his eyes. "I¡¯m sure ya¡¯ heard this before. But if ya¡¯ cast a spell you don¡¯t got the mana fer¡¯ it will leech the rest from your [Stamina Points]. And when that¡¯s done, it will tap into your life force, lowering your [Hit Points]. "


    He stretched out a bony hand. Tristan received it, and lurched to his feet.


    ¡°Now I might have been a lil¡¯ overzealous with ma¡¯ magic. Ever since I saw that Fat Goblin I been itchin¡¯ for a fight. I was careless¡­ I let ma¡¯ mana drop to zilch with a spell that came back to bite me in da¡¯ ass¡­¡± he wrung his head in his hands. ¡°¡­ but what ya¡¯ did last night was a boatload of stupid! Now, I¡¯ll forgive ya¡¯ on account of us both standing here with our dangly bits where they ought to be.¡±


    Tristan did some mental arithmetic.


    [Heal] costs [20 MP] while I only have [10 MP] on a full charge¡­ my stamina maxes out at [8 SP]¡­ and my [Status] says my health is [8/10 HP] right now¡­ so all of the stamina I had last night was taken along with 20% of my life force to compensate for the shortfall in mana¡­ yikes!


    ¡°W-will I recover?¡±


    Sylvanus laughed without restraint. ¡°Ya¡¯ sure will! But I don¡¯t know about that head of yers¡¯, it could be permanently damaged. Haha!¡±


    Even those insensitive remarks couldn¡¯t dampen Tristan¡¯s good mood.


    I got into a battle with fate and came out swinging! I feel like a string of easy victories are waiting for me!


    ¡°But I must say, where¡¯d ya¡¯ learn magic like that? Are all nobles tutored in the mystic arts?¡± Sylvanus tilted his head to one side, as if he were trying to peer into Tristan¡¯s distant past.


    Solei must be something special. Her stats are buffed out even though she¡¯s only twelve. And this old man¡­ is dangerous!


    ¡°W-well, you could say that¡­¡±


    Who knows what my former self was capable of? But I¡¯m almost certain there was nothing ¡®noble¡¯ about me.


    ¡°¡­ haha.¡± Tristan laughed sheepishly. ¡°That ¡®was¡¯ risky. You know I don¡¯t even have enough mana to properly cast it- not even once!¡±


    Sylvanus¡¯ eyebrows flew upwards.


    ¡°Ya¡¯ don¡¯t say¡­? It usually ain¡¯t possible to even ¡®learn¡¯ a spell that ya¡¯ can¡¯t afford to cast.¡± He shook his head wistfully. ¡°But yer¡¯ full of surprises, ain¡¯t ya?¡±


    His face suddenly fell into a shroud of darkness.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tristan ventured.


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s nothing really. It¡¯s just I been lookin¡¯ at yer¡¯ physique and yer¡¯ lack of talent fer¡¯ magic. Ya¡¯ might not say much boy, but those things say a lot¡­¡± he paused, choosing his next words carefully.


    ¡°¡­ ya¡¯ might not have been appreciated much where ya¡¯ came from. But I always recognize hard work. And I¡¯ll always reward that kinda loyalty.¡± he whipped out a silver coin from a loose pocket in his coveralls.


    A whole silver! I¡¯ll be able to pay back Huck in no time!


    Tristan had a boyish grin on his face. He was unable to contain his sense of relief at surviving last night¡¯s ordeal. And Sylvanus¡¯ sudden generosity compounded his joy.


    ¡°T-thanks. I¡¯ll definitely earn my pay!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will! And ¡®so¡¯.¡± he said with some finality. ¡°Do ya¡¯ have some energy leftover for work today?¡±


    Tristan checked his [Status] again.


    My stamina is [4/8 SP]. I haven¡¯t recovered from yesterday¡¯s exertions.


    Tristan steeled himself.


    I have to get stronger to survive in this harsh world. I never want to feel so helpless ever again.


    ¡°I-I have plenty to spare.¡±


    <hr>


    Sylvanus set Tristan to work on converting the goblin corpses into fertilizer while he recovered on his rocking chair.


    Last night¡¯s ¡®catch¡¯ was little more than blackened bone, but Tristan felt like he couldn¡¯t let the results of the old man¡¯s struggle go to waste, so he added them to the batch by splitting them evenly between the seven hefty sacks of goblin remains.


    The gristmill was the only structure in Sylvanus¡¯ farm that was made entirely of rocks, resembling a giant cairn. It was still much smaller than Tristan thought it would be, with room for just one horse to drive the shaft - which was a long oaken pole - in circles, to thresh the contents of a wide basin. He noticed that the grinding mechanism was a makeshift spindle with dozens of iron spokes embedded in it.


    It¡¯s just like a horrifying, human blender from an old b-movie. I guess that makes me one of the evil henchmen.


    Tristan emptied the first sack into the basin, grimacing at the putrid stench that suddenly filled the roundhouse. He added the contents of a bag of crushed leaves that the old man had handed him earlier. It then took him a few moments to find a half-empty sack of dried wheat which he added to the batch by liberally sprinkling in a dozen handfuls. The basin was more than halfway full already, so he decided to begin grinding it down.


    There was no horse or oxen to pull the drive shaft. The fat goblin had long since made a meal of Sylvanus¡¯ livestock. And when he had inquired about a possible replacement, he had received an odd response.


    ¡®What fer¡¯? Ain¡¯t a human more powerful than a horse?¡¯


    Tristan couldn¡¯t imagine a world where human labor was more effective than traditional ¡®beasts of burden¡¯ and yet he felt a slither of excitement at the thought of leveling up until he was as strong as a bull.


    He sighed. The work that lay before him was so grotesque, that it dulled his enthusiasm.


    I don¡¯t have time for self pity. This is the surest way I know to get stronger and pay back Huck without incurring any risk.


    He spat on both his hands and pressed his weight against the drive shaft. It had creaked forward only a few centimeters before he felt his strength fail.


    ¡°T-this is impossible!¡±


    After a brief reassessment, he decided to shovel some of the compost out of the grinder back into it¡¯s original sack until the basin was only a quarter way full. With the quantity lessened, he dug in his feet and drove forward, his hands loosley gripping the oaken beam.


    He heard the sound of bones splintering and grunted in satisfaction.


    About ten minutes had past before the shaft¡¯s resistance had completely faded. It could now be rowed forward at the slightest touch. He examined the basin. It was half-way filled with a reddish-brown gunk.


    Sylvanus had lent him a large metal pan and a wooden ladle for the drying stage. As he scooped up the gunk and laid it out on the deep pan, his eyes began to water. He repeated this process until the pan was almost brimming.


    Tristan placed the gunk-filled pan just outside the roundhouse.


    It¡¯s kinda like baking a cake. Hehe¡­ a foul smelling cake that looks like a pile of shit warmed over.


    After refilling the grinding basin to it¡¯s previous level, he returned to the exercise of pushing the drive shaft. When the basin¡¯s contents had once again curdled into gunk, he went outside to retrieve the pan.


    Expecting a shit-cake, what he found instead seemed more like red ocher. It had the smell of wet earth, and could easily be mistaken for something you would find in a bag labelled ¡®manure¡¯.


    S-so fast! In this world, the fermentation process has been kicked into overdrive!


    He took the pan back to the roundhouse and emptied it¡¯s contents into a spare, unused sack.


    It took an hour to convert a single sack full of goblin remains into [Red Fertilizer] or as Sylvanus called it: [Sylvy¡¯s Red Manure].


    Tristan had filled four sacks by the time Sylvanus found him sprawled out in front of the gristmill.


    ¡°Taking a break?¡±


    ¡°S-something like that.¡± His body was sore to the point of numbness.


    And the skin around his scabs had turned a soft pink, already well-into the process of healing.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Those scabs will be gone in a couple days. So consider yer¡¯self lucky.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. Let¡¯s hope so¡­ did you need me for something?¡±


    ¡°I need ya¡¯ to head to the guild and talk to a young lady called ¡®Solei¡¯. She¡¯s the manager these days, filling in for dat¡¯ good fer¡¯ nothing fool, Morgan. I want a condition added to the bounty. That the goblin bodies be wholly provided to me, preferably intact so as to make it easier to count ¡®em. So, if ya¡¯ head straight-¡±


    ¡°-I know where the guild is, I¡¯ve been there already.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That little minx.¡± Sylvanus muttered.


    ¡°S-should I head out now?¡±


    Sylvanus shrugged. ¡°Ya¡¯ can rest if needed, but if ya¡¯ wanna make it back before nightfall, ya¡¯ gotta go now.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going. Right now. I just need a moment to collect myself.¡±


    Sylvanus chuckled, and left him alone.


    Tristan checked his [Status].


    Nothing had changed except his health and stamina which were: [9/10 HP] and [2/8 SP] respectively.


    He slowly rose, and began a gentle walk towards the Guild. The noon air was soft and crisp, revitalizing him. Feeling no need to rush, he kept an even pace that allowed him to recover from his morning labor.


    There were only a few farmers that he could spot in the distance as he passed by. They were too far off the beaten trail for him to consider greeting them.


    Fences occasionally demarcated splits in territory. He estimated that the average farm was well over ten acres.


    All the farmers have such huge swathes of land! How has Sylvanus survived all this time with so little?


    He had reached the guild house, feeling only slightly winded but quite sunburned. After checking his [Status], he calculated the time he had taken on his journey here.


    Three hours. Still plenty of time before sun down. The usefulness of [Status] cannot be overemphasized.


    He rapped his fingers against the door, and waited in nervous anticipation.


    It was not long before Solei appeared with a sweet smile. She wore a tanned, leather corset, beneath which was a black silk blouse tapered with white frills. Her dainty feet wore heeled slippers.


    I married a slice of heaven.


    Tristan smacked his cheeks.


    Oi! What are you thinking?!


    ¡°I-is something w-wrong?¡±


    ¡°Uh. I mean, nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m just feeling a little light-headed. I had a busy morning.¡±


    And a busy night too.


    ¡°Ah. W-well, why d-don¡¯t you come in then?¡±


    <hr>


    Tristan had explained Sylvanus¡¯ request. Solei had responded by drawing up a poster of the new requirements. When she was done writing, only a few of the foreign words began to contort and swirl into their English counterparts.


    I need to somehow level up [Auto-Translate].


    ¡°S-so¡­ um¡­ Huck t-told me you will be staying at Sylvanus¡¯ from n-now on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I got a job as a farmhand. It pays twenty copper a day¡­ are those good wages?¡±


    She nodded briskly. ¡°I-it¡¯s twice the usual for laborers¡­¡±


    An awkward silence ensued. Solei seemed to be working up the courage to ask him something, so he waited patiently.


    ¡°¡­ s-so why d-don¡¯t you make this place your home¡­? S-spend your nights here. With me. I-I mean in your own room. By yourself!¡±


    I¡¯d rather not waste half my day trekking to and fro. When I save up enough, the Guild might make a good place to crash.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more convenient for my work if I stay with Sylvanus. I¡¯ll be scouting for better opportunities in the mean time. If I save enough money, maybe I¡¯d be able to hire a magician or mage, whatever you call¡¯em to cast a spell that will send me home¡­¡±


    Solei seemed distraught.


    ¡°¡­ but as soon as I find other work and have a steady income I¡¯ll make this place my home. And don¡¯t worry, by then I¡¯ll be able to afford the rent!¡±


    Upon hearing those words, she returned to her usual cheeryself.


    ¡°You will always be welcome here!¡± She seemed to be thinking of a way to capitalize on the moment. ¡°And um¡­ would you like to v-visit Bordna with me today?¡±


    ¡°What? Uh¡­ yeah, sure. Why not?¡±


    I better make this quick. I do ¡®not¡¯ want to travel through the farm fields at night.


    ¡°I think we should leave now. I have to return to Sylvanus¡¯ before sunset.¡±


    ¡°A-ah. Yes! But I need to ch-change my shoes! I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She darted up the stairs.


    When she returned, she was wearing black knee-high boots lined with white buckles.


    She has such a flashy style! But why does she always wear a corset? Doesn¡¯t that thing hurt?


    Solei caught him staring at her figure and blushed deeply. ¡°D-do you like what you s-see?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? Did you say something Solei? You know I was wondering about you always wearing a corset. Is it really necessary?¡±


    She had an air of disappointment.


    ¡°Y-you see¡­ i-it¡¯s my uniform¡­ d-do you not l-like it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I think it¡¯s lovely. I was just wondering if you¡¯d feel comfortable in that on your way to town.¡±


    ¡°W-well, I h-have to wear it when I go out.¡±


    ¡°I guess that means you¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s get going then.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    <hr>


    Tristan was surprised to find Solei leading him on towards the outer limits of the town of Bordna, at such a brisk pace.


    As they journeyed, there was the occasional moment where she would turn to speak with him, stutter something unintelligible and then lapse back into a silence.


    She must have a lot on her mind.


    After what felt like a slow hour of walking, despite the hurried pace, they reached the city walls. Tristan was surprised, expecting to see extensive fortifications. Instead they found slim, yet sturdy palisades, around three meters in height, curving inwards to reveal a pair of watch towers. Nested between the watch towers - which were more like wood outcroppings forming a platform from which archers could take aim at intruders - was the gate itself. Composed of a dark red wood, the portcullis was more along the lines of what he expected.


    ¡°Cursed willow tree.¡± Solei had supplied. ¡°That¡¯s what the gates are made of.¡±


    So it seems that the townsfolk are quite receptive to the use of monster remains as crafting ingredients¡­ so maybe it won¡¯t be such a bad thing when Sylvanus¡¯ special ¡®manure¡¯ is finally exposed.


    ¡°Good to know.¡± Tristan whispered as they approached a pair of alert guards, dressed in hauberks. They each carried a shield on their back and a long sword sheathed at the belt.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡± A slim, sprightly man had stepped forward. The other stood placidly, his broad shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°I-I am Solei, the-¡±


    ¡°I said who goes there!¡± he shouted, drawing his sword.


    Tristan instinctively looked behind him. He couldn¡¯t imagine himself as a threat.


    The big soldier broke into laughter.


    Solei was confused, her head swiveling to and fro as she switched her gaze from soldier to Tristan to soldier in rapid succession.


    ¡°What business do you have here?¡± the smaller soldier asked, his words tainted with anger. He was addressing Tristan exclusively. As if Solei didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Have you lost your mommy?¡±


    ¡°W-what!?¡±


    Tristan swallowed.


    I-is this a prank?


    The big guard bowled over, his bellowing laughter calming their hearts.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that enough Pliebus? Let them through. He¡¯s with Solei.¡±


    Pliebus seemed satisfied. He gave a mocking bow and stood aside.


    Tristan passed him gingerly. When his back was turned away, he could hear faint words of disdain.


    ¡°Damn nobles. Always traipsing about, like they own the place.¡±


    Solei rushed to his side. ¡°W-we have business in Bordna!¡±


    ¡°Aye. No doubt you do, Solei. Is this gentleman a visiting noble? Should I call for a reception?¡± He glanced at Tristan, eyeing his clothes with a peculiar expression. ¡°My name is Kenan. Deputy Guard Head of Bordna. Could I have your name please?¡±


    This one is so much more polite. I like him.


    ¡°I am called Tristan. And thank you, but a reception won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    I might end up footing the bill for it!


    ¡°And your family name please.¡± Using [Storage], Kenan retrieved a quill and a small booklet. His big hands made those items appear minuscule. Leafing through the book, he spun through a few pages, and paused. He looked up expectantly.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have a family name.¡±


    Pliebus whistled. ¡°Is that so? Are you denouncing your lineage?¡±


    Tristan turned around, and faced him. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a ¡®lineage¡¯. So call me Tristan.¡±


    Pliebus seemed pleased at this response. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to remember that.¡± He said, and nodded respectfully.


    When Tristan turned again to face Kenan, he was met with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Now then! We won¡¯t be keeping ya¡¯, so be on your way.¡±


    <hr>


    Tristan soaked in his surroundings with awe.


    Thatched roof cottages framed with wattle and daub appeared to be the norm. The streets were mostly unpaved, but cobbled stones lined the porches of most homes. The majority of both men and women wore cloth tunics, while some strutted about in leather jerkins. He assumed those were the more wealthy individuals. Children wore the exact same style of clothing, only in miniature.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Tristan, we¡¯ve got to get going.¡±


    He sped up to join Solei who had walked a few paces ahead of him. She led the way to a paved clearing. There were shop stalls lined all around, and poster stands made of polished stone stood in the center. A few well dressed individuals were milling about, reading each posting carefully before flitting to the next one.


    ¡°This is the city square. And those are merchants¡­ farmers and craftsman often post special deals on those boards.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What kind of deals?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes unruly weather forces an early harvest, or disease breaks out among their livestock, leaving them no choice but to sell off their healthy stock lest they also become infected¡­ and so having no way to find interested parties, those postings serve as their primary means of communication.¡±


    Solei noticed Tristan¡¯s cheeky smile.


    ¡°W-why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be such an awesome receptionist!¡±


    She twirled around, hiding her blushing face.


    ¡°L-let¡¯s go, we need to put up the post right away to attract adventurers.¡±


    <hr>


    Solei had removed the old poster, and pinned the new Goblin Bounty up in its place. The merchants filed in quickly to read the new posting but dispersed just as fast when they read the details.


    ¡°How long should we wait?¡±


    Solei smiled sheepishly. ¡°I-it could take awhile b-before an adventurer comes around.¡±


    They had been standing in quiet boredom when a shirtless, hulking figure approached them. He was bald with one ear half-chewed out. His body was covered in rippling muscles, obscured only by countless scars, some of them still achingly fresh.


    Tristan assumed he had been in an innumerable number of fights. And won them all.


    ¡°Such lovely young ladies.¡± His voice was a rich baritone. ¡°Rather than work here, why don¡¯t ya¡¯ meet with Madame Arnette? She runs the Seven Bells down on Chaste Lane. I can escort ya¡¯ll there.¡±


    Solei was too confused to respond.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something we¡¯d be interested in doing.¡± Tristan gulped nervously.


    ¡°Ya¡¯ sure about that? The pay is a hundred coppers a night. We also got some fine healers in case ya¡¯ run into trouble with our clientele¡­¡± He said, soothingly. ¡°¡­they can get rowdy sometimes. But I provide protection. So there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± He suddenly smiled, revealing a surprisingly full set of teeth.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand.¡± Solei had found her wits. ¡°But I work for the Moribus Guild, and I¡¯m not interested in a career change.¡± She turned to Tristan. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but the pay is amazing!¡±


    Arg! You seriously haven¡¯t caught on yet!?


    ¡°So, whad¡¯ya say?¡± he eyed Tristan keenly.


    ¡°Uh. Um. You see¡­ I-I¡¯m actually a man.¡±


    The bouncer blinked repeatedly. A low grumble escaped his lips. ¡°There¡¯s folks who like that. I ain¡¯t keen on the half-n-half myself. But Madame says I was to offer two hundred copper if I met a fella like that. And you seems to be it.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred copper! Wow!¡± Solei was ecstatic.


    I only have one ¡®set¡¯. So I couldn¡¯t accept your offer even I wanted to.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not so sure¡­ m-maybe you could g-give me some time to think about it?¡±


    ¡°Why Tristan? This sounds like an awesome opportunity! You¡¯d be making way more money than I do!¡±


    Why are yo so fixated on the money, Solei? Did you grow up poor?


    ¡°Hmm. Ya¡¯ll can take your time. The offer still stands. If ya¡¯ ever on Chaste Lane, ask around for Torlog.¡±


    He smiled gently, and lumbered away.


    Tristan sighed in relief, but Solei¡¯s lips were puffed out.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the job? He seemed like such a nice guy.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ never mind. I¡¯ll explain later.¡±


    An hour sped by as they scanned the shifting crowd for would-be quest takers, but none made their way to them.


    Solei had grown increasingly agitated.


    ¡°Um¡­ I s-should¡­ T-Tristan¡­ c-could you¡­ um¡­¡± she stuttered into a forlorn silence.


    It¡¯s like there¡¯s two people inside her. A guild manager, and a shy little girl. I wonder what her ultimate form will be?


    ¡°Hmm? Do you have something you need to take care of?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! I need to meet the town council and run some errands. I won¡¯t be long!¡±


    She ran off.


    ¡°W-wait! Solei!?¡±


    Uwah! She didn¡¯t tell me what to do if an adventurer ¡®does¡¯ show up.


    Not long thereafter, an adventurer did indeed ¡®show up¡¯.


    She wore a wool vestment and breeches, while her torso was protected by a lamellar cuirass. Her straight, ash brown hair was tied back in a bun.


    She strutted forward with an air of confidence, and glanced at the Moribus Guild posting, briefly, before turning to address Tristan.


    Puffy cheeks. A soft chin. A slim waist¡­ s-she¡¯s gorgeous! Ah, well¡­ she¡¯s lacking in the chest department though¡­ and her eyes are so gentle, yet they still have a mysterious aura of strength¡­


    For a moment he lost himself in the fierce glare of her amber eyes. Realizing he was staring, Tristan swiftly averted his gaze.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± She made an exaggerated cough.


    ¡°Y-yes can I help you?¡±


    ¡°This is the seal of the Moribus Guild. Is it not?¡± She was pointing at the marking left by Solei¡¯s signet ring. The small outline of a shield bearing the image of an orc with large tusks was clearly visible and glowing with magic.


    ¡°Y-yes it is.¡±


    ¡°You are a guild associate right? So, read it for me.¡±


    Tristan stifled a bitter laugh, before his own mistake dawned on him. He stood bemused by his own shortsightedness.


    Of course she can¡¯t read it! Only nobles can read and write. And those whose careers demanded it. Like merchants and guild employees.


    ¡°So? Are you going to read it or what?¡± she had already lost her patience.


    ¡°Y-yes, of course¡­¡± Tristan leaned in close. As he studied the text, some of the words spun and twisted before his eyes, reshaping themselves into a language he could understand.


    But there was no need for him to comprehend all of it.


    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s a bounty offering ten copper per goblin, so long as its carcass is wholly presented to the issuer, in one piece or several. An assistant will be provided to help you collect the goblin remains. As of yet, there is no set limit to the number of goblin captures you will be compensated for.¡±


    I just made the whole thing up on the spot! But I think that about covers the details.


    Her brow furrowed. ¡°What do you need the goblin bodies for?¡±


    ¡°T-that information is not part of the deal.¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Fair enough¡­ I accept¡­¡±


    Yes! That went a lot better than I thought it would!


    ¡°¡­ and who will be my assistant? The person to retrieve the ¡®bodies¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That would be me.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°S-someone like you¡­ would be w-willing to do that kind of work?¡±


    Tch. Everyone seems to think I¡¯m the feeble son of some snooty noble. I really need to start working out, otherwise this image will stick.


    ¡°Yes. I have experience in dealing with the corpses- I mean carcasses. I also have [Level 2 - Storage].¡±


    She nodded grimly. ¡°That would certainly come in handy. And where do I submit the goblin catch?¡±


    ¡°The farmer who issued the bounty has a cottage close to the edge of the North Agva forest. It¡¯s about a three hour walk from here. Goblins are plentiful in that area. So, it¡¯s a convenient hunting ground. And I can guide you there.¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­ my name is Kirsten. I¡¯m an adventurer, and a member of the Moribus Guild. Rank E. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­?¡±


    They shook hands.


    ¡°Tristan. I¡¯m also a member of the Moribus Guild. Rank G. I registered just this week, so please be patient with me.¡±


    She¡¯s two ranks higher than Solei and I¡­ well, that¡¯s not a good basis for comparison but she¡¯s definitely not a newbie like me.


    ¡°I see¡­ we should make our way to the farm before nightfall. I¡¯ll need to make some preparations before we leave.¡± she held up a finger and pointed past him. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying at a tavern a few blocks from here. Once I¡¯ve packed my gear, we can set out immediately.¡±


    <hr>


    The moment he walked into the Tavern, Tristan instantly felt out of place. Whereas Kirsten seemed right home, elbowing her way past a bunch of gruff men gambling over a small mound of copper coins. Each time the die fell, one of them would yell happily while the others would swear in frustration.


    He passed a pretty, young receptionist that gave him an eager smile at first, but gawked when she noticed Kirsten at his side.


    ¡°Wait for me at the bar.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    He sat on a high stool, soaking in the smell of hot sweat and stale beer.


    ¡°You gonna order something?¡± A burly bartender gave him a sulky look.


    ¡°Y-yeah. Ale. If you have any.¡±


    ¡°''course we do.¡± He held out a mug, and twisted the tap on a keg that sat on the counter. A warm, frothy mix spilled forth. He slid the pint towards Tristan. ¡°That will be five copper.¡±


    Tristan plopped down a silver coin. ¡°Got change?¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ nobles.¡± he muttered.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hold on. I¡¯ll get ya¡¯ damn change.¡±


    Tristan waited until he had received the difference before he tried sipping the ale, thinking that it might taste better when it cooled.


    He was wrong.


    It was light and bubbly, with a squalid taste made bitter by some herbs he couldn¡¯t identify.


    Not wanting to offend the establishment, Tristan forced himself to drink. He was halfway done with his ale and busy agonizing over the fact that good beer would be hard to find, when a fat local sat next to him.


    He wore a tight shirt and suspenders.


    ¡°A-anotha¡¯ one bartender!¡± The mug he had in hand wasn¡¯t finished yet, but he downed it quickly, spilling gobs of it on the floor and the counter, while his grizzly beard soaked up the remainder.


    ¡°Oh! Who¡¯s dis¡¯ pwetty, yang¡¯ thang¡¯?¡±


    Tristan froze, wishing he could disappear into the background.


    ¡°Naw¡¯ I haven¡¯t seen ya¡¯ round dese¡¯ parts.¡±


    Tristan could feel a trail of spit oozing down one side of his face.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± he said, staring directly ahead.


    ¡°And what¡¯s dat supposed to mean? Yer¡¯ trying to git¡¯ rid of me eh?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ it¡¯s just that I¡¯m ''with'' someone. She¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°She?!¡± the fat drunk yelled. ¡°What sort a gal¡¯ are ya? Oh, but I knows¡¯ yer¡¯ type. Don¡¯t ya¡¯ work at the Seven Bells?¡± He slammed his fist on the counter.


    The bartender raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing.


    ¡°I got fity¡¯ copper that says you¡¯s and I are gonna have some fun tonight.¡± he laughed, his belly jiggling in excitement.


    How am I going to get away from this fat bastard?


    As if in answer to his prayer, a stern hand clasped the fat man¡¯s shoulder and spun him around. His ale fell from his grasp, rolling across the floor.


    Instead of lashing out, the bartender groaned, and pulled the keg and a bunch of wooden mugs off the counter. He was expecting a fight.


    ¡°A-a barbarian.¡± The drunk squealed.


    Tristan shuddered.


    The so-called ¡®barbarian¡¯ was a dark-skinned woman that stood well over two meters tall. She wore leather vambraces on her arms, and a matching pair of greaves on her legs. The leather strap that held her massive breasts in place left her midriff exposed.


    She had one foot on the counter. Her leather shorts were hiked up, and rode her skin, revealing thighs as large as Tristan¡¯s waist.


    T-those breasts should be on the Richter scale!


    ¡°I-I ain¡¯t done nothing to ya¡¯! S-so won¡¯t ya¡¯ leave me be?!¡±


    She grabbed his mug of ale, which was newly filled, and drained it without spilling a drop.


    ¡°Are you bothering my friend over there?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I wasn¡¯t!¡± he shook his head, his thick lips wagging.


    ¡°Then won¡¯t you be so kind, as to lend me your seat?¡±


    In his sudden rush to leave, the drunk fell off his stool, but quickly regained his balance as he launched himself out the door.


    Tristan laughed.


    ¡°I-I owe you one. M-maybe I can buy you a drink?¡±


    I¡¯ve got to see more of those colossal tits!


    ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    When his eyes finally edged their way past the line of her chest, he noticed a soft smile, and a crazy, jet-black Afro that reminded him of a funky 70¡¯s hairdo.


    ¡°They call me Serena.¡±


    ¡°Tristan¡­¡± he handed the bartender fifteen copper, thinking she¡¯d be willing to have at least a few drinks with him.


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t thank you enough for stepping in.¡± he continued. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry he insulted you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She had already drained her second beer. ¡°He was polite enough¡­ or did you mean the ¡®barbarian¡¯ remark?¡±


    He felt shy about the fact that he was still cradling his first beer, so he took a few hurried sips between each sentence.


    ¡°Yeah. I have a feeling you¡¯re used to those kind of things. But I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that on my account.¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s my [Job Class]. I¡¯m a [Barbarian Warrior]. I was lucky enough to be born with it. It¡¯s a feature among people from my tribe.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not from Bordna?¡±


    That¡¯s pretty damn obvious.


    ¡°Haha. No, of course not. I¡¯m a long way from home¡­¡±


    Tristan had tried to chug his second beer, but gave up halfway when he started choking. Serena pretended not to notice.


    She¡¯s so nice.


    ¡°So what¡¯s a lady like you doing in a place like this?¡±


    That sounded suspiciously like a cheesy pickup line!


    ¡°Y-yeah, you know it¡¯s funny but a lot of people seem to think I¡¯m a woman when they first meet me.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re not?¡±


    I have no intention of being in a gender-bending story.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m a guy!¡±


    Some of her confidence seemed to melt away.


    ¡°S-so, you¡¯re a noble right? You c-certainly carry yourself that way.¡±


    She was slowly sipping her third pint of ale, to match his pace.


    ¡°Ah? Not really. But thanks¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to explain it, but you could say I was brought up in a household of nobility¡­¡±


    A modern middle class household in a developed nation has living standards so high, they could put medieval royalty to shame.


    ¡°I see¡­ at first I thought you were a lady-in-waiting, and then I thought you were the son of a rich merchant¡­ but it seems I was wrong on both counts.¡± she paused, measuring her words. ¡°¡­ would it be too much to ask for your family name?¡±


    ¡°No can do!¡±


    It seems I¡¯m a little tipsy. I¡¯m going to cradle this beer until Kirsten returns.


    ¡°I-I understand.¡± She failed to mask her disappointment. ¡°Trust takes time.¡±


    It really has nothing to do with trust. But whatever, I¡¯ll roll with it.


    ¡°Who I once was¡­ is something I¡¯m trying to forget. I want to let go of the past, and forge a new path forward.¡±


    ¡°How poetic.¡± she teased.


    ¡°Ooh! I have a way with words you know. Maybe I should become a [Bard].¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll toast to that!¡±


    They bumped their mugs together and laughed.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Tristan and Serena kept laughing, lost in merriment.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Serena shot Kirsten an angry glare.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s Kirsten. She¡¯s an adventurer. She¡¯s got way more experience than me you know. She¡¯s Rank E. I¡¯m Rank G by the way. Moribus Guild and all that- say what rank did you say you were?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a rank. I¡¯m not an adventurer.¡±


    ¡°Really?! You seemed to be the type. You look hella¡¯ strong!¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks! I¡¯m a bounty hunter actually.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like an adventurer, but not affiliated with a guild. We do the same work, but get little credit for it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds rough.¡±


    ¡°It is. But the pay is good-¡±


    ¡°-Ahem.¡± Kirsten fake-coughed into her hand. ¡°Tristan, we should get going.¡±


    ¡°W-wait you two are together?¡± Serena seemed flustered.


    ¡°Actually-¡± Tristan began.


    ¡°-We are! And we¡¯re in a hurry. So say goodbye to your friend.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll see you around Serena.¡±


    How do adventurers keep in touch? Do we exchange guild cards?


    Tristan was still waving his goodbye to Serena when Kirsten dragged him out the door, onto the busy streets.


    <hr>

 Chapter 4 - Born to Kill

    The New Guild Master [Chapter 4] - Born to Kill


    <hr>


    How long has it been? Ten years? A hundred? No¡­ looking back, it¡¯s been a thousand years.


    Before him lay the remains of a once mighty King, sitting back against a golden throne. His majestic visage now turned to bone.


    Have I grown old? Could it be that the sands of time have finally begun to weigh upon my restless soul?


    ¡°May every step I make, may every breath I take, and may each utterance of my soul, bring honor to your name¡­ my Lord Herron.¡± he prayed. ¡°I, your eternal servant Aevon, will carry out your will. Even in death, do I continue to serve you.¡±


    He bowed deeply.


    Ha¡­ I can¡¯t even remember what it¡¯s like to breath.


    ¡°Krik. Krik. Krik.¡±


    He was stroking his chin. An array of phalanges scraping his mandible. It was a strange sound, even to Aevon himself, yet oddly satisfying.


    What I would give for a few words of encouragement from Lord Herron.


    ¡°Massster. It isss time.¡± A snake hissed, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°Indeed. Lopaz, lead the way.¡±


    Lopaz, a common pit viper, that had grown to a terrifying length over the course of a thousand years, led the way. It¡¯s zigzag movements made a path through serried ranks of skeleton soldiers.


    The undead moved with slow deliberation, hefting their bows, swords and spears with great care, lest a careless swipe injure a snake whose tail end they could not see.


    His red cape swirling behind him, Aevon climbed a set of worn out stairs. He imagined the feeling of cold stone rubbing against the soles of his feet.


    After all this time, I still yearn to be human again. There must be someway to restore my body to flesh and blood¡­ no, such base emotion only serves to distract me from my true purpose.


    Lopaz had halted in the middle of their passage. It¡¯s head, large enough to swallow a man whole, reared back and slammed into a wall, breaking through the entryway to a hidden chamber.


    As splintered rocks flew forwards, magic torches flickered to life. At Aevon¡¯s approach, their blue flames seemed to sputter with excitement. He circled a low lying slab of stone, only a few meters in width and height.


    Aevon wiped a film of dust away with the metacarpals of one hand. After a few moments of cleaning he let out an unnecessary sigh.


    ¡°Lopaz.¡±


    ¡°Y-yesss.¡±


    ¡°Leave me.¡±


    The snake slithered away, it¡¯s head hung low in disappointment.


    He retrieved an amulet hidden beneath his robes and placed it on the polished surface of the altar.


    ¡°To restore his glory to what it once was.¡± His voice welled up in pride. ¡°To bring wrath upon those who dared mock his name. And to still this heart of longing¡­¡±


    He clutched at his chest, and felt a long dead heart beat with passion.


    ¡°¡­ in exchange I offer up my life once more¡­ at least what is left of it¡­ to be a faithful servant. I promise to do your bidding until these bones turn to dust. All I ask of the Lords of Hell, the Benefactors of Hades: grant me this one wish. [Summon a Demon].¡±


    A blinding white light tore through the azure frame of the amulet. A thousand years of pent up mana spilled forth. And with it, a thick mist of blue flames that quickly enveloped the summoning chamber. Aevon cowered under it¡¯s pressure, fearing that his time had come to an end.


    And then the light began to fade. The flames soon followed, slowly dissipating. In their wake lay the glowing figure of a man. Flecks of mana coiled around his naked body.


    ¡°W-what a powerful aura.¡± Aevon heard himself gasp.


    He stared at a pair of horns that curved out of the creature¡¯s forehead.


    What type of demon is this?


    It stirred.


    Aevon leapt back.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    He chided himself, for not having superseded the reflexes he once had as an adventurer in his former life.


    Indeed. Old habits. Die hard.


    He strode forward, drawing courage into his hollow chest.


    ¡°Arise my Lord. It is time for you to rule this land, and all who reside within in it.¡±


    The figure lying before him began to tremble. Soft lips parted.


    Aevon lowered his head.


    ¡°Keh. Keh. Keh.¡±


    ¡°W-what is it my Lord?¡±


    ¡°Keh. Keh. Keh.¡±


    Could the summoning have failed?


    A wave of fear washed over Aevon. His bones began to chatter uncontrollably.


    ¡°H-have I failed y-you my Lord?!¡± he heard himself say. His voice a distant howl.


    ¡°Keh. Keh. Kei¡­¡±


    Aevon knelt to his knees and inclined an ossicle to the Demon¡¯s lips, hoping to catch every word of his dying breath.


    ¡°K-Kei¡­ Keiriiiiimaaaaa!!! I¡¯ll kill youuuuu!!!¡± He roared to life.


    A muscled hand reached forward, very nearly grabbing his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget what you did! Keirima!¡±


    Aevon instinctively held his breath, before realizing he had no need to breath.


    W-what is wrong with him?


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear the flesh off your bones and boil you in your own blood!¡± the Demon thrashed about, swearing furiously.


    He is possessed by madness!


    ¡°[Mold].¡±


    The sides of the stone slab melted, forging themselves into broad fingers that held the flailing figure down by its arms and legs.


    ¡°Keirima! You think you can keep me like this!? When I break free, you will meet your dooooom!¡±


    Aevon fled the summoning chamber, his mind reeling in confusion.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm¡­ who dares wake me?¡± a solemn voice bellowed. ¡°Do you wish to challenge me¡­?¡±


    Thick claws raked the stone surface of the dark dungeon.


    ¡°¡­ know this then, your death is fated!¡±


    Obsidian scales sparkled ominously against the light of a hand held torch.


    ¡°I have lived a hundred years-¡±


    ¡°-Shut up.¡±


    ¡°W-who dares speak to me in this manner?¡±


    ¡°Its me, you fool.¡±


    The torch flew towards his face, stopping short to reveal the gnarled, glistening white teeth of a black dragon.


    ¡°I do not wish to argue. I only seek the comforting words of a friend.¡±


    The Dragon let out a viscous snort. ¡°What has become of you Heffield? Has the passing of the ages finally rid you of the will to go on?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± he rasped. ¡°My folly has indeed weakened my resolve. But perhaps there is something I can still do to redeem myself¡­ and don¡¯t call me that.¡± he whined. ¡°I¡¯m not Heffield anymore¡­ I am Aevon, an Elder Liche.¡±


    ¡°Such pride, for a servant without a master.¡± He sneered.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t test me!¡± a fleshless hand shot forward, sheathed in blue flames.


    A baleful silence settled between them.


    ¡°Had I been alive back then, your master would still live.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that.¡± Aevon replied, his tone one of honest remorse. ¡°You are but the shadow of Temro who lived for eons before me. In this dungeon, from his dying breath, you were born. An embodiment of hate¡­ I do wonder then, why you do not carry on the passion of your fore bearer?¡±


    The Dragon hesitated briefly, before his reply. ¡°I cannot long for what I do not recall. These damp walls; this dirty dungeon¡­ are all I¡¯ve ever known.¡± He curled his serpentine body into a ball of quiet shame.


    ¡°F-forgive me¡­ I know this, yet I spoke without tact.¡± Aevon petted the scales of his head.


    ¡°Why now? Why this unexpected visit? Have you come to rave about your intended summoning?¡± The Dragon¡¯s voice was lined with anger and frustration. ¡°I have long since grown tired of your overlong speeches. How you wax and wane of a new master you yourself will summon. How long-¡±


    ¡°-A thousand years¡­ that¡¯s how long I waited.¡±


    The Dragon paused, a wreath of black flames puffed out of his nostrils.


    ¡°¡®Waited¡¯? H-have you done it old man?¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ I have.¡±


    ¡°T-then why not say so earlier?! I must hurry on and submit myself to my new master.¡±


    The Dragon craned backwards, observing its own figure.


    ¡°W-will this please him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? Indeed, yours is a splendid sight to behold. I believe he will be- would be pleased if he were himself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®if he were himself¡¯? Why d-do you taunt me old man? Does wiling away my time with false hope bring you pleasure?¡±


    ¡°I would never be so cruel to someone I consider a dear friend. Come now. See for yourself, what has become of our new Lord.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Keirimaaaaa! I¡¯ll get you soon enough. You¡¯ll see. Your death will be without mercy!¡±


    He tore at his chains, yelling and cursing the name of his sworn enemy.


    The Dragon¡¯s mouth was gaping, a human expression that looked uncharacteristically out of place on his fierce visage.


    ¡°W-what happened to him?¡±


    Aevon stroked his chin absentmindedly before willfully stopping himself.


    Another one of those old habits.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I believe that he is not actually hell spawn-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a demon?! Then what sort of creature have you have summoned?¡±


    ¡°He is a demon. Of that there is no doubt. Look upon those horns.¡±


    With admiration, the Dragon studied the long pair of horns jutting out the sides of the Demon¡¯s head.


    ¡°Are all demons horned?¡±


    ¡°Some. Indeed, most possess markings that set them apart from normal humans.¡±


    ¡°Then explain what you meant Aevon.¡±


    The Dragon backpedaled as the Demon lapsed into another fit of rage, tearing away some of the chains that kept him at bay. A dozen skeleton warriors sprang to action. Holding him down by his limbs, and tying new chains in their place. Occassionaly, loose chains would fly through the air, shattering a dozen undead upon impact. But dozens more would rush in to take their place.


    ¡°Keiriiiimaaaa! I¡¯m gonna rip out your guts and strangle you with them!¡±


    Aevon ignored the piercing wails. ¡°I have heard rumors that humans from other worlds whose nature is despicable, are often punished for their crimes in hell. Upon death, they are sentenced to an eternity of torture at the hands of the cruelest of demons¡­ and so their feeble minds often turn to madness, unable to endure the harshness of their new reality.¡±


    ¡°W-what kind of person would be judged worthy of hell?¡±


    ¡°The kind of person that would be reincarnated as a demon.¡±


    ¡°Keiriiiimaaaa! I¡¯ll pull out your teeth. One at a time! I swear I¡¯ll pierce that black heart of yours!¡±


    ¡°A-and what of this person, ¡®Keirima¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a bitter foe from his own world? An ally whose betrayal cost him his life, or it could be a demon that tortured him in hell. Whomever it may be, they have certainly earned his wrath.¡±


    ¡°Keiriiiimaaaa! I¡¯ll drown you in a vat of acid! Your bones will crumble beneath my feet! I¡¯m going to kill you a thousand times over Keiriiiimaaaa!¡±


    ¡°H-how long has he been this way?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? He¡¯s been at it for two weeks. He rambles on and on. Night and day. I thought he would tire eventually, being a creature of flesh and blood, but it seems nothing can wake him from the endless nightmare that has consumed his mind.¡±


    The Demon¡¯s wild ravings went on for another hour as they watched in silence.


    ¡°Very well then.¡± The Dragon bowed his head. ¡°I see now why you have brought me here. You need only ask, and I will do your bidding.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Aevon sighed. ¡°It seems you have divined my purpose. I must admit that I have grown tired. And this most recent folly is yet another blight upon my soul. In a thousand years I will attempt another summoning. I therefore, beseech you, my serpentine friend. Put an end to this.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The obsidian dragon nodded, and began to draw in gushes of air from his snout. His chest ballooned, already filled to capacity. Still he waited, until it ached from the pressure, and then finally he released a parade of black flames that whirled across the summoning chamber.


    The skeleton soldiers melted. The chains that held the Demon melted. The stone tablet that had survived a millennia, also melted. Plumes of smoke wafted towards them from a small heap of charred remains. And atop that heap stood the Demon. His jagged crimson hair aloft, his hands clenched at his sides, his blood eyes drenched in fury.


    ¡°Where is he?!¡± he roared.


    The Dragon dipped his underbelly low to the ground and raised his wings to shield his face.


    ¡°M-my L-lord-¡± Aevon stuttered.


    ¡°-Where is Keiriiiimaaaa!¡± his head fell back in a howl of rage.


    And just when they expected him to launch into a frenzy, he abruptly smacked the sides of his face and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Ugh. My head hurts. Where am I? And what¡¯s with the fuckin¡¯ freak show huh? A skeleton man wearing cheap magician¡¯s clothes and a black chibi dragon. Is this a circus?¡±


    Aevon was stupefied.


    ¡°Y-you have awakened my Lord! This one greets you. It would be my honor to serve at your side.¡±


    "Oh? Nice words little dragon. I promise not to eat you then. And this sickly thing next to you, is it a decoration or can it talk as well?


    His madness has subsided!


    ¡°Ah. Yes.¡± Aevon¡¯s mouth had fluttered open. ¡°I am Aevon, an Elder Liche.¡± With one arm across his chest, he bowed majestically. ¡°It is ¡®I¡¯ who summoned you. But I am merely a humble servant, eager to do your bidding my Lord.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like weak followers. Can you fight?¡± the Demon leered at him.


    ¡°Er¡­ um¡­ yes, of course my Lord.¡±


    What ferocious bloodlust!


    ¡°Good. Fight me.¡± He spread his legs apart evenly and raised his fists.


    ¡°I-I beg your pardon my Lord?¡±


    ¡°What? Ya¡¯ scared? Fight me. If you don¡¯t come, I will.¡±


    Aevon hesitated, unsure of the test he was about to endure.


    Does he wish to engage in a mock battle? Or some game of fisticuffs?


    ¡°Can I use magic?¡±


    ¡°If you have something like that why wouldn¡¯t you fucking use it huh!? Are you underestimating me Kakku?!¡±


    ¡°V-very well. Allow me a moment to prepare.¡±


    What does he mean by ¡®Kakku¡¯?


    A staff appeared in Aevon¡¯s hand. He stamped the ground with it. ¡°[White Wolf].¡±


    A pack of albino wolves drew forth from an unseen wind, rushing towards the Demon. He easily avoided their swiping claws, and clobbered them with his bare fists. They let out whelps of pain and vanished into thin air.


    His speed is commendable.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± the Demon sneered. His arms were folded in displeasure.


    ¡°Hardly.¡±


    So it seems he intends to fight barehanded. Then let¡¯s test the limits of his strength.


    ¡°[Rock Golem].¡± The earth beneath their feet erupted upwards into the silhouette of a giant.


    The Demon did not wait for its form to fully take shape, launching a direct assault. He drove a flurry of punches into the creatures rock-hard belly.


    ¡°Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!¡±


    In moments the Rock Golem had disintegrated into harmless earth.


    ¡°W-what an odd battlecry.¡± the Dragon croaked.


    Aevon noticed an almost imperceptible change in his friend¡¯s demeanor. Had their friendship not lasted a century, he would not have noticed his quivering scales.


    Do not be afraid young one. Our Lord is still a [Level 1 - Demon]. And like you, he has much to learn.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m starting to get bored.¡± He twisted a finger in his ear, popping out the pressure caused by the loudness of his own reckless shouts.


    ¡°But we have only just begun my Lord.¡± Aevonwaved his free hand in the air. A blue mirage of mana trailed his fingers. ¡°[Black Vines]. [Hollow Knight]. [Red Phoenix].¡±


    Black tentacles sprouted from the depths of the earth, and darted towards the Demon¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Tch. What an irritation.¡± He stomped his feet, crushing the vines with each movement. But where a vine was severed, it¡¯s limb would regrow twice as long, and wrap itself around his legs.


    With his eyes fixed firmly downwards, he failed to notice a dark mist swirling above him. A skeleton knight bestride an enormous black steed, slowly emerged, descending lightly. It¡¯s silver plated armor glittered prettily as it¡¯s skeletal horse reared back. ¡°For honor!¡± it yelled, charging forward midair, a drawn greatsword in hand and a large shield emblazoned with a black skull on its side.


    ¡°What the fuck is that!? Wasn¡¯t this a one on one fight?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me my Lord. For I am a summoner. Rarely do I engage in battle myself.¡±


    His speed lessened by the entrapping vines, the Demon was unable to completely dodge the viscous charge in time. It slashed his face, tearing off a whole ear.


    Thick goblets of warm blood greeted the earth.


    Enraged, the Demon began to chew the vines with his teeth. It¡¯s thorny stem bled his mouth, but he continued, unrelenting. Wherever he gnawed, the vine would not grow. He tore through half the vines this way.


    Cursed blood eh? Well, that¡¯s to be expected from a demon¡­ but was this a part of his strategy or merely a wild stroke of luck?


    The gash where his ear once was had already congealed, and a new ear began to form in it¡¯s place.


    ¡°H-his regenerative ability is truly monstrous!¡± the Dragon was in awe. He could regrow his own tail in minutes, and fatal woulds would heal within hours so long as his life force was intact. But a human could never regrow it¡¯s limbs. This was surprising even for a demon, as it is common knowledge that they possessed not just the shape of a man, but the actual physical properties of a human being.


    The black steed spun on its heels, the Knight¡¯s second charge already well under way. While the din of clopping hooves and bobbing mail from a fully armed knight would normally produce quite a racket, the Hollow Knight moved silently, gathering momentum in midair as if it rode on another plane of existence.


    The Demon¡¯s legs were still entangled, but it¡¯s upper body was now flexible. He was able to catch a glancing blow with his bare hands. The sword cut into the seams of his palms, but rather than let go, he twisted his arms in opposing directions, shattering the length of the sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m just warming up!¡± he yelled.


    Unperturbed, the Knight continued to stab at his face and chest with the broken tip of his sword. His focus split between the tenacious Skeleton Knight, and the Black Vines that threatened to envelope him, the Demon failed to notice a flaming Red Phoenix soaring towards him. By the time he realized he was facing three opponents, his left eye had been plucked.


    ¡°This is nothing.¡± he said, grinding his teeth. ¡°You know it will still end the same way¡­ with your death Kakku!¡±


    A flailing hand caught the Knight by his shoulder, flinging him off his steed. The Demon scrambled forward to retrieve the broken sword. He jammed it in his own throat without hesitation. His eyes watered at the stinging pain of metal shards flowing down his gullet. He pulled the sword out of his mouth and used its blood-coated edge to hack away the remaining vines.


    He may not be aware of the extent of his own power, but his battle prowess is keen. And he will do whatever it takes to gain the upper hand in a fight.


    The unseated Knight stalked the edges of his vision, trying to blindside him. He fingered the empty socket where his eye had been and grimaced when he realized that it was not healing. The Demon¡¯s movements had become erratic. His sidesteps were unpredictable, and he kept swiveling at the waist, struggling to keep both his opponents within his line of sight.


    It was not long before his frustration reached a tipping point. He lunged forward trying to grasp the Knight by his helmet. But the soldier dodged him deftly. The Phoenix had taken the opportunity to dive towards his face, aiming for his remaining eye. But the Demon¡¯s hand suddenly reached out into his own blind spot and clasped the flaming bird by it¡¯s shanks. He gutted it with the broken sword and knelt to pick up his fallen eye ball.


    ¡°He saw it?¡± the Dragon¡¯s head was swinging to and fro. His eyes peeled open to watch the action unfold, so as not to miss even a fraction of a second.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that is doubtful. It was more likely a clever calculation, or perhaps a result of his finely tuned instincts.¡±


    But more importantly, did he guess that the Phoenix would resurrect itself if he were to kill it with his bare hands?


    The Demon held his own severed eye up to his face, and with a dissatisfied smirk, squished it in his palm. White goo slipped through the cracks of his fingers.


    ¡°W-will it grow back?¡±


    ¡°That eye would not have regenerated so long as it was intact. Even when separated from its owner. Realizing this, he may have set out to destroy it immediately.¡±


    ¡°T-that does sound reasonable¡­¡± The Dragon whispered. ¡°¡­ but could it be that he deemed it useless, and so disposed of it without further thought?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ may also be true.¡±


    Aevon felt a knot of fear where his stomach should have been.


    What sort of life did you live, that you would so easily discard what was once a precious part of yourself?


    The Knight had given up on tactics and instead taken up a boxing stance. He let out several swift jabs, hoping to create a larger opening. The Demon attempted to counter with his own wide, reckless swings but was met with disappointment each time.


    In terms of speed, the Demon was faster, but the Knight had the upper hand in technique, and was thus able to parry heavy blows and even throw in the occasional counter punch.


    But the Demon was ferocious, taking advantage of the remains of the Rock Golem by tossing large rocks at the Knight. Eventually, a single aptly thrown shot dislodged the Knight¡¯s footing, causing it to slip forward momentarily. The Demon punched him straight in the chest. The plated armor folded like paper, and the Knight crumbled to his feet, before vanishing in a ball of flames. The Demon turned to see the Phoenix and the remains of the Black Vines also dissipate from blue flames into nothingness.


    ¡°Clack. Clack. Clack.¡± Aevon was clapping. He had little by the way of facial expressions, but he hoped the Demon could sense his gleeful aura. ¡°Well done my Lord! You have bested me. Now, would you take this humble servant under your wing?¡±


    ¡°Oi. Did you really think it would be that simple? Huh!?¡±


    ¡°I-I beg your pardon my Lord?¡±


    ¡°You deaf or just plain stupid? Did you not hear what I said before? This fight will only end when you¡¯re dead!¡± He pounded a fist into the palm of his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make it quick!¡±


    Hmph. It seems his stubbornness is second only to his rage.


    ¡°I see.¡± Aevon said quietly. ¡°Let us settle this matter then, once and for all.¡± He disrobed, letting his hood and cape fall, but they were eaten away by flames before they could touch the ground. His staff too had melted away into oblivion.


    Aevon¡¯s human form was once that of a lanky mage, which served only to accentuate the emaciated look of his skeletal figure.


    The Demon laughed mockingly. ¡°What are you doing? Surrendering?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it my Lord. I shall now engage you in hand to hand combat.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for huh?! You just keep running your mouth!¡± He dashed towards Aevon, stopped suddenly, and turning on the axis of his right foot, executed a spinning back kick with surprising swiftness.


    Aevon was prepared. He leaned back and grasped his foot just before impact, utilizing the momentum to toss the Demon into the air.


    He landed on his stomach, winded.


    ¡°D-damn you!¡±


    The Demon lurched to his feet, and showered him with punches, hitting nothing but a blurred afterimage. Aevon broke his rhythm with a roundhouse kick to the face that sent him flying.


    The Demon spat out wads of blood and sprang nimbly to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill youuu!¡± he roared.


    I must end this quickly, lest I become an object of his hatred.


    ¡°W-when will this end?¡± the Dragon pleaded.


    ¡°When either of us can no longer fight.¡± He sidestepped an axe kick, delivering an elbow to the gut instead. Aevon pressed on while the Demon was still reeling from the blow to his abdomen, and hand-chopped the back of his neck.


    He fell to one knee. ¡°Ugh¡­ I-I¡¯m not done yet.¡± The demon gnashed his teeth, blood seeping through his gums.


    Aevon clapped his palms on the sides of his face, rupturing the Demon¡¯s ear drums. He followed that with a kick to his standing foot, bringing him to his knees. He ended his combo by letting loose a downward punch that sent him crashing to the floor.


    ¡°N-not yet!¡± the Demon scrambled to right himself, but Aevon kicked his side, flipping him onto his back.


    ¡°It ends here.¡±


    Aevon stomped his face with the back of his heel, crushing his head on the hard stone floor.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ooh. W-what happened?¡±


    A black lizard loomed above, muzzling him with it¡¯s snout.


    ¡°M-my Lord! You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Get off me.¡± He shoved away the dragon and made to stand. He wobbled feebly for a few moments before he fell back on his ass.


    ¡°Our match ended fairly. Did it not?¡± Aevon strode forward, his palm laid out. He was dressed in his usual attire. A flowing red cape and a cane of gnarled wood.


    The demon clasped his hand with a grunt and pulled himself to his feet.


    ¡°You really can fight Kakku! I¡¯ll acknowledge your strength.¡± he nodded vigorously, as if agreeing with himself.


    ¡°You show great promise my Lord. I believe you will be a great ruler one day. Now-¡±


    ¡°-We find Keirima. And kill him!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Before that, might you oblige us with an introduction.¡±


    His mood has certainly improved since our last encounter. I¡¯ve never seen someone recover so fast from such a glaring defeat.


    ¡°Huh!? What¡¯s that over there?¡± he pointed past the Dragon into a dark corner of the summoning chamber."


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Lopaz. Why are you hiding? Do come and introduce yourself to your new Lord.¡±


    A viper wound its way across the room, its tail end somewhere past the door, curled up in another floor.


    ¡°Forgive me massster. I had lossst my mannersss. I am Lopasss. I will ssserve you, all the daysss of my life.¡±


    ¡°Uwah! It¡¯s even large enough to ride!¡± he turned to Aevon. ¡°Can I keep it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ yes, he is your servant. As am I. As are all who dwell within the depths of this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Yosh! A baby dragon and a huge snake! I feel so lucky. You know Ka-san never let me have any pets.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not a baby¡­¡± the Dragon muttered under his breath.


    ¡°And what¡¯s your name Dragon-kun?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ I have never received a name.¡±


    ¡°Then how about ¡®Kaida¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! Thank you my Lord!¡± he roared in pleasure.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I¡¯ll try riding Kaida-kun first but we¡¯ll need a saddle¡­ why don¡¯t we take some skin off Lopaz-kun and use it as materials? It will grow back right?¡±


    To treat an Obsidian Dragon as a mere beast of burden, and a Great Serpent as ¡®material¡¯ - there is no greater insult! I must quickly find a way to absolve them of such shameful words.


    ¡°Nothing would pleassse me more than to provide my ssskin for your purposssesss.¡±


    ¡°And I will be your trusted steed. We will fly over our enemies and obliterate them with flames from above!¡±


    Ah. It seems that I had projected my own pride onto them. Or perhaps being trapped in an empty dungeon since birth has stunted their growth. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that they have settled into perpetual childhood. Yes. That does seem likely. But all that will soon change.


    ¡°Oh? You can fly too Kaida-kun! Even with those tiny wings? You really are amazing.¡± He petted the scales on Kaida¡¯s head.


    ¡°I may be of a small stature, but in time I will grow. I may one day tower over mountains!¡±


    ¡°I-I alssso grow with the passsage of time. I have not ssseen my tail in over a hundred yearsss!¡±


    The Demon whistled. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we play a game? Let¡¯s see who can find Lopaz-kun¡¯s tail first!¡±


    C-could it be that¡­ he¡¯s also a child!? Even if it¡¯s a matter of age, how can such a monstrous being still cling to the innocence of childhood?


    ¡°Ahem. My Lord. We still have important matters to discuss.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Lopaz-kun. Kaida-kun. Let¡¯s hear what Aevon-san has to say.¡±


    His tone has completely changed! I shouldn¡¯t have been so rough in our last fight. He may have suffered from brain damage.


    ¡°W-well then. First off, what name and title do you prefer my Lord?¡±


    ¡°My name is Nejima Mozuko. My close friends call me Neji. So, you can all call me Nejima.¡±


    ¡°Lord Nejima.¡± The three said in unison.


    ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­ just Nejima is fine. You¡¯re making this awkward.¡±


    His name is similar to that of his nemesis. Perhaps they were siblings?


    ¡°Lord Nejima. What do you last remember before waking in this world?¡±


    His face hardened. ¡°Keirima!¡± he yelled. For a moment, he looked as if he were about to lapse into a fit of rage, but he restrained himself. ¡°I had just moved into a new school. So, I thought I¡¯d stir things up by challenging the school boss. One on one. Mano a Mano. I spread the word, hoping he¡¯d stake me out. But that filthy low-life Keirima showed up with two other guys carrying bokken. They jumped me behind the school theater just when I was most relaxed. I was sitting under the rafters, smoking a few puffs of tabako when they ran at me. Damn those crazy motha¡¯fuckers. They were weak as fuck! I beat their asses down and claimed my throne as the new Banchou.¡±


    He paused, his face solemn for a moment.


    ¡°I thought my position was secure. But I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. A week later, I noticed Keirima and his crew had been ducking me. You see I didn¡¯t know anyone, so I thought they might be planning something behind my back and there was no other way to be sure than to put them to the test. So, I confronted him and his crew in the gymnasium after school. Turns out they weren¡¯t ready to accept my rule. So I showed ¡®em whose boss. There were six guys total. No big deal. I wiped the floor with them and put the matter out of ma¡¯ mind.¡±


    He looked away suddenly, and bit his lip in anger.


    ¡°Three days later, I was walking home when a car hit me by the side. It broke something. I don¡¯t know what. But it hurt like hell. And it didn¡¯t end there. Keirima and three of his thugs came outta nowhere and started kicking me while I was down. Somehow, I summoned the strength to stand up and face them. I overcame those fools with sheer strength of will!¡±


    He placed a hand on his bicep and flexed.


    ¡°And then you wouldn¡¯t believe it. A Yakuza with a cue ball for a head stepped out of the car. He took off his shirt and flaunted his cheesy dragon tattoo. I got tired of hearing him yammering on and on about ¡®respecting your elders¡¯ and some crap about the ¡®proper order of things¡¯. So, I smacked him right in the face. He was mad. Real, fucking mad! Uwah! I thought I¡¯d gone and dug my own grave.¡±


    He made an unexpected smile.


    ¡°I won! Against a Yakuza no less! I was going through a real high right then. Having beat down a bald Gorira. But Keirima. Keiriiiimaaaa!¡±


    Aevon moved to restrain him, fearing a return to madness.


    ¡°Keirima stabbed me! Right in the back. He even twisted the knife in for good measure! I could feel it! How could my freshman year end when I¡¯d just met so many pretty girls! I was even going to join the baseball team! It¡¯s all that rotten Keirima¡¯s fault! That rotten piece of shit. When I find him I¡¯m going to rip him to pieces. I¡¯ll kill him!¡±


    He continued to ramble on about the evils of Keirima and the hope he had for a prosperous high school life that had died along with him on that fateful day.


    Hmm¡­ so it seems Keirima and Nejima were rivals at some sort of military training academy. He had fought them for the right to rule as ¡®Banchou¡¯ which is a position similar to that of a captain, that allows a cadet to rule over his peers. He had beaten them at their best, on more than one occasion, even when he was under the calming effects of a drug called ¡®Tabako¡¯. But they eventually cornered him outside the academy and attacked him with a wild beast known as a ¡®Car¡¯. That was followed by an ambush that very nearly succeeded. They even summoned a ¡®Yakuza¡¯, a fearsome creature that appears to be a strange hybrid of an ape and a dragon. Somehow he was able to banish the monster with the last vestiges of his strength. But Keirima, unable to accept defeat, stabbed him with a poisoned blade.


    As Aevon pondered the implications of Nejima¡¯s unusual story, his Lord turned to him for advice.


    ¡°Where do you think Keirima is now?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. I had once heard a human [Hero] speak of [Eternal Damnation]. Rather than return to the circle of transmigration, the most evil humans are banished to Hell, where demonic creatures spawned from the inner depths of Hell, what we know to be [Hades], go on to torture these humans without end.¡±


    Aevon paused for dramatic effect.


    ¡°So what does that have to do with me? Is this story somehow related to Keirima?¡±


    ¡°B-but my Lord¡­ y-you were sent to hell!¡±


    ¡°W-whaaat!?¡± Nejima threw up his hands in dismay. ¡°T-that bastard! He sent me to hell?!¡±


    ¡°I-I am not entirely certain of it my Lord, but to the best of my knowledge demons are summoned from hell. So I believe you were sent there before being reborn in this world.¡±


    Nejima felt faint from shock. He laid down on Lopaz¡¯s hide, contemplating his next course of action. Aevon was lost in his own musings while Kaida licked his claws. A few minutes later Nejima broke the silence as he spoke with a deep sense of incredulity. ¡°In other words¡­ it¡¯s possible that Nejima went to hell and has been reborn in this world as a demon.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed a possibility.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± He stood up. ¡°Kill me.¡±


    ¡°I-I beg your pardon my Lord? Surely I misheard you.¡±


    ¡°Kill me Aevon-san. I¡¯ll go back to hell and find that bastard. If Keirima is still there, I can take comfort in the fact that I¡¯ll be torturing him for all eternity. If he¡¯s in this world, then I¡¯ll kindly ask you to summon me again so I can kill him properly.¡±


    Has he lost his mind? No, there is method to his madness¡­ but I must stop this foolhardy quest!


    ¡°Keirima may have already been born to this world hundreds of years ago, lived a full life and died in peace. In fact, his soul may have already made it¡¯s pilgrimage to the circle of transmigration. If that is the case, Keirima may indeed be in this world, but he would not be the man you once knew.¡±


    Nejima bowed his head in thought. His stern resolve seemed to weaken, only to return once more.


    ¡°That bastard is only suited for two things. Living in hell and living under my boot. Until I confirm that he is in his rightful place, I will not rest. Even if I have to turn over every goddamn rock in this world, I¡¯ll find that slimy son of a bitch! And then I¡¯ll kill him. And then I¡¯ll follow him to hell and kill him again and again until I¡¯m satisfied! Keiriiimaaa! When I find you, I¡¯ll drag your soul to hell! Keiriiiiimaaaaa!¡±


    <hr>