《The Blue City- A Summoned 'Hero' (Slow Update)》


 Prologue & Chapter 1: A Sea of Clouds

    Author Notes:


    So... I accidentally deleted the prologue for this story. Isn''t that very smart of me... Anyway, prologue and chapter 1 will be on the same page since it''ll be too much of a pain to delete every chapter and add them back in.


    Chapter 0: Prologue


    ¡°Ugh¡­ my head really hurts right now¡±


    I slowly rubbed my forehead. My fingers found a small lump that formed above my eyebrows. Ignoring it, I kept scavenging through my hair, trying to feel for any visible wounds. Nothing. A sigh of relief escaped from my mouth.


    ¡°Well, at least I know I didn¡¯t break my head¡±


    I slowly stood up from the mossy floor. Right now, I was in a middle of a cavern. I can¡¯t tell how deep I was underground, but it couldn¡¯t be that far. I mean, I could see the small pockets of light from the cracks of the roof. That should mean that the surface is right above us. We must have fallen while we were running away¡­ but I don¡¯t really remember falling¡­ I just remembering seeing a burst of light...


    ¡°Ughh¡­¡±


    A sound broke me from my thought.


    ¡°Oh, almost forgot about Lily¡±


    I quickly walked over to the unconscious figure. A girl with short black hair could be seen. She was wearing a cloak with a red scarf that covered her mouth. She was also wearing leather armor that matched both her combat skirt and her boots. Blood dripped from her head, though it didn¡¯t look to be too serious.


    ¡°Hey Lily, wake up¡±


    I tried shaking her a bit. She tried to push me away, but failed. You could really tell she was weak.


    ¡°Nghhh¡­ five more minutes¡±


    Or, maybe she was just sleepy. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time. The Mordeaux are right behind us. Come on, wake up¡±


    I lightly slapped her in the face several times. Her eyes immediately opened exposing beautiful dark brown eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up¡±


    I stood up and grabbed her hand. She still looked sleepy, but at least she was alert now.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    I shrugged, picking up the knife that I dropped earlier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ All I know is where in some kind of cavern¡±


    ¡°Cavern?¡±


    She looked around, just noticing the room we were in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember falling into a cavern. Did the city even have one of these?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But we should move. If we stay here, they might catch up to us¡±


    She nodded in agreement. She pulled out her gun. It was a customized M2 handgun. It had a desert camouflaged with a modified sight. A bayonet was also attached at the bottom of the guns barrel. Normally she wouldn¡¯t pull out her pistol except in emergencies. Well, this probably counts as one. We ran through the tunnel expecting anything to come right at us. Strangely though, nothing. Not a single sound of life.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit quiet¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good for us? At least I don¡¯t have to waste any ammo¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t miss your shots. I¡¯m the one who has to make new ones for you¡±


    Lily gave me a ¡®no duh¡¯ look. She then began to slow down.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I feel something¡±


    I readied myself. Normally when she feels something, it¡¯s usually the Mordeaux. Shit, they must have gotten in front of us somehow. She started to walk now, her gun was at her side.


    ¡°Wait, why are you lowering your gun?¡±


    She ignored me as she kept walking forward. I had no choice but to follow her. A couple more feet of walking and, to my surprise, we finally found a door. It was a wooden door with studded silver braces. Two rings could be seen in the middle, but that wasn¡¯t what surprised me. Four men could be seen standing in front of the door. They were armed with spears and were fully clad in iron armor. Several colors of stripes could be seen from their attire and their spears carried four separate small flags. At first, they seem to be surprised as they looked at both of us. But soon, one of the knights bowed towards us.


    ¡°Welcome to world of Terra travelers. Would you please wait for your guide?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but nod as my brain tried to process everything. Terra. Just what is that? Also the strangely clothed man mentioned the world¡­ the world of Terra? I can¡¯t understand his statement. I looked over at Lily and sure enough, she also had a confused look in her face.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait¡±


    The doors opened and a girl walked out. She had blue eyes and a somewhat tomboyish face that did not match her voice. She was wearing some kind of clergy hat, but that didn¡¯t hide her blonde hair. She was wearing a robe that had a purple stripe running in the middle and a sash holding it at the waist. She walked to us calmly, but I was even more confused. The clergy was destroyed hundreds of years ago. It was taught to us that the Mordeaux were attracted to the clergy, meaning each and every church in the world was annihilated.


    ¡°Hey Bryan¡­ am I dreaming or am I actually seeing a real clergyman?¡±


    ¡°Woman¡­ I am a girl you know¡±


    The girl pouted. The men around her laughed as one of them began patting her head. She was also pretty short compared to Lily.


    ¡°Give em a break already Tricia. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re the first¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any better¡±


    She slapped the man¡¯s hand away though everyone kept on laughing. You could see the blush on her face as she tried to regain her initial composure.


    ¡°Any way¡­ welcome travelers to the world of Terra¡±


    A huge smile was now plastered on her face. That was a pretty quick recovery.


    ¡°Now, I know you two have a lot of questions so if you don¡¯t mind, will you please follow me¡±


    The girl was ushering us towards the door. I could only look in suspicion as I readied my knife. Lily also seems to be wary as her fingers flicked the safety from her gun.


    ¡°And why should we?¡±


    Lily took a step back. So did I. It really isn¡¯t a good thing to trust people, especially people who you¡¯ve just met. I¡¯ve learned this the hard way. Many times, I¡¯ve lost someone important to me. Unknowingly, I released some of my blood lust. The four guards felt it and instantly blocked our view of Tricia. Each man looked at us as if we were dangerous animals. You can¡¯t blame them¡­ we probably are.


    ¡°STAND DOWN¡±


    The four men looked back in surprise.


    ¡°Madame Wellington¡­¡±


    Another girl walked in. Like Tricia, she wore a robe of the clergy though hers was different. Her hat was shortened and had a military feeling into it. Her robe was actually a cloak that only went to cover her hands. She was wearing a pure white skirt and a pure white long-sleeved shirt. Her socks were black but her boots were also pure white. Black lines could be seen all over her attire, giving her clothes militaristic feel. Her clothes weren¡¯t the only clue that she was in the army. Her very presence seems to radiate power. Even the soldiers trembled as they stood in attention. She must be a natural born leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for these men. They can be overprotective when it comes to Tricia¡±


    The girl blushed. So did the four men. So there was something happening in between the group¡­ wait a minute. Isn¡¯t she part of the clergy? I thought relationships were a taboo in the clergy. I shook my head of these thoughts.


    ¡°Who are you? Better yet, where are we? What is happening?¡±


    The girl smiled as she parted the men to either side.


    ¡°Well, if you want questions you¡¯re going to have to trust me even for a tiny bit. Now come, the longer we wait, the more you¡¯re wasting your own time¡±


    She then walked back to the door behind her. It opened showing a beautiful hallway with torches hanging from the pillars. She stopped for a bit and turned around to look at us.


    ¡°As for introductions, my name is Marlana Wellington. I¡¯m the current head mage of the kingdom of Wessex. Though I say this, I¡¯m actually still just an apprentice under her majesty¡¯s rule. Aside from that, I hope to be of some service to the both of you¡±


    She took a curtsy as she gave a graceful smile. I could only stand still as she continued to make her way through the hallway. Tricia and the four guards followed after forming a defensive perimeter around the self-proclaimed mage.


    ¡°Well¡­ I might regret this but let¡¯s just see what she has in store. This all seems rather fascinating¡±


    I saw a dangerous glint in Lily¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ve seen that look before. Why are you so willing to trust a stranger when¡­¡±


    I noticed that I was talking to the air. I looked at the entrance only to see the back side of my companion.


    ¡°I really hate it when she does this¡±


    With no other choice, I followed after them and walked through the gate¡­ the gate to the world of Terra.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Chapter 1:


    ¡°This place is huge!¡±


    I looked up at the high ceiling. Chandeliers with intricate gold designs were hanging from the roof. Dark purple banners hung from the side of the balconies. You could see the guards walking back and forth on the level above us, their bows were nocked with jet black arrows.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°This place is big, but the paintings are more impressive to look at.¡±


    I turned my attention from the guards and looked at Lily. She looked excited as her spun in every direction. The hallway was surrounded with all sorts of paintings.


    They were bright, filled with vibrant colors. Royalty, castles and festivals filled these portraits with stories of adventure, love and festivities.


    I couldn¡¯t help but share Lily¡¯s excitement, but it also reminded me of our situation. Where is this place? I¡¯ve never seen anything like these. Even the paintings. They look too real to be true.


    ¡°Just, where are we?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but whisper at myself. Lily stared at me, her eyes also filled with questions. Marlana looked back. I guess she must have heard me. She seemed to be thinking about something since she was biting her lower lip.


    ¡°Tricia.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The clergy girl looked at Marlana. ¡°I want you to go ahead and tell the Queen about our guest. We¡¯ll catch up shortly¡±


    At first, she looked between us and at Marlana. She then bowed and started walking away.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Tricia stopped as she looked back at us. Marlana gave a mischievous look as she pointed at each of the guards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to bring them along. They are your guards remember.¡±


    ¡°But Madame! We can¡¯t just leave you alone!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what if these two tried to attack you when we¡¯re not here. You saw how they¡­¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡±


    The two talkative guards instantly quieted down. Marlana gave them a strong glare. Even the other two who didn¡¯t complain shuddered, though they must have had the same feeling about us too.


    ¡°pff...pfff¡­ hahahahahha!¡±


    I took a step back surprised by the laughing magician. Even the guards looked perplexed.


    ¡°M¡­Madame?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t help but misunderstood that you two think you can beat these two in a fair fight¡±


    Damn¡­ shots fired. Didn¡¯t expect her to say that. Even the guards had a dumbstruck look on their face. Oh, one of them looks like there about to speak. Marlana placed her hand in front of her silencing the guy before he even said anything.


    ¡°Just go with Tricia. At most, if you do what I say, I¡¯ll forgive you for your incompetence in thinking that I can be beaten so easily.¡±


    She smiled, though you could easily tell she¡¯s mad from her voice. The two guards shook as they bowed. The other two followed suit and just like that, the entourage disappeared around the corner. Marlana sighed.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Sometimes my subordinates can be a little¡­ slow sometimes. Come on, follow me. Before we head to the queen I have something to show you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what type of person Marlana is. One moment ago, she looked ready to throw down and mop the floor with the blood of those men. Now she had a cheerful aura around her. Even Lily was giving her a confused look as if she was trying to determine her real personality.


    ¡°Come on Lily. Might as well she what she has in mind.¡±


    We quickly followed after her. I swear this place turned from amazing to scary. Not because we were following a slightly quirky magician, but because this place had become a maze. If it wasn¡¯t for Lily¡¯s tracking abilities, we would never have been able to catch up with Marlana.


    ¡°Good, you caught up. Come on. This is the best time to see this.¡±


    Marlana smiled as she opened a pair of doors. We all exited on a balcony and what I saw outside was nothing I would have ever imagined. We were floating on an island. Floating. As in flying in the sky. How do I know? Well, there were clouds passing us from below. Not water. CLOUDS.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­ Duy¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stutter as I took in the scenery. Around us, other islands could be seen floating in the sky. Crystal Stalactites could be seen underneath these islands and several waterfalls disappeared to the ground below. I saw several bridges connecting one island from another.


    There was even a bridge that was connected to some kind of floating metal building. On the island below us, a city could be seen. None of it was modern, but were instead a mix of gears and medieval type houses. Some of the buildings were pretty tall while others were simple two or single story buildings. Lanterns could be seen hanging above the road and horse drawn carriages littered the streets. The people themselves were strange as many wore vibrant colors of green, purple or blue.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡±


    My mind continued to process the scenery and I realized something. This¡­ isn¡¯t Earth. Where exactly¡­


    ¡°IS THAT A DRAGON!?¡±


    Lily leaned over the balcony. Her eyes were opened in shock as finger she pointed with shook with excitement. I followed the direction of her finger and saw the archaic monster.


    It was huge since I was able to see it from so far away. It had red skin and shadowy black horns. You couldn¡¯t see the eyes, but you could see a carriage attached to the back.


    ¡°No actually. That¡¯s a wind drake, a degraded form of the Aerivian species. What exactly is a dragon?¡±


    I looked at the girl in surprise.


    ¡°You know, big sharp teeth. Big strong arms and legs with scales capable of blocking projectiles. Big strong wings that can create a hailstorms. Dragon.¡±


    ¡°Oh so a Wyvern.¡±


    This is not making any sense. Hell, even the world no longer made sense. Just earlier, I was sure that we were running. Darkness was everywhere, the ground was deathly gray. The mountains, pitch black with sulfur. I looked at the girl in front of me.


    ¡°Really, who are you people? Why¡­ how did we get here?¡±


    She smiled. She then began walking back through the place we came. I followed after her as well as Lily. I then felt a small tug. I looked back and noticed that Lily was pointing everywhere. I looked around and nodded towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer any questions as we make our way to the throne room. What do you want to know first?¡±


    I looked back at the magician. I have¡­ a ton of question. I¡¯m not even sure she¡¯ll be able to answer any of them. Let¡¯s go for a defensive route.


    ¡°Do you know the saying ¡®the sun can only set if we are to believe it can¡¯?¡±


    She gave me a perplexed looked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I believe I do not know that phrase.¡±


    As I thought. This really is a different world.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, you don¡¯t really have to answer that correctly. How did we get here?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re not going to ask if this is a different world.¡±


    ¡°I already know based on the first question.¡±


    She began thinking about the first question. Realization seemed to hit her as she whispered ¡®I¡­ see¡­¡¯


    ¡°Ahem¡­ currently you were brought here through a special summoning ritual. The ritual of the hero.¡±


    ¡°Ritual of the hero¡­¡±


    I let that sink in for a bit.


    ¡°Ok, that is pretty clich¨¦.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    I shrugged my arms.


    ¡°A world is in danger of being overturned by demons. A human continent, in desperation, decides to summon a mighty hero that will be given cheat like powers and will someday, through training and pure will, defeat the demon king that rules of the demon continent.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ well¡­ I mean¡­ ummmm¡­¡±


    By the looks she¡¯s giving out, I must have hit a bullseye. Really such a clich¨¦ setting. But at this point I¡¯ve realize something, something that seemed to bring out the excitement within me. I was free. No longer was I bound to my previous world. I could even feel it. My mind was clearer than before, devoid of control. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°You sure seem to be enjoying my anxiety.¡±


    Marlana looked at me with a pouting face. Oi, if you keep that up, my previous look of you as a badass magician with a cold attitude will disappear. Meh, like I would care about it now.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m smiling because I¡¯ve realized that I¡¯m actually free.¡±


    Marlana looked at me with a questioning look. Lily on the other hand was shocked in a good way. Her eyes were wide open as tears poured down and her mouth was curving into an ecstatic smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Carl Sama.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but pat Lily in the head. In times like this, I¡¯m really glad she was here. I started walking forward. Marlana seemed to be very confused at the spectacle. Well, anyone would if they don¡¯t know about my world.


    ¡°Come on Ms. Magician. Let¡¯s go meet this queen you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________________


    Authors note:


    Here is another chapter that was green lighted to go along with chapter 2 so I hope you enjoy.

 Chapter 2: Meeting the Queen

    ¡°How big is this castle¡­ like really?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed as we finally made it to a pair of huge doors. It was a lot of pain trying getting here and being chased by griffins did not help me from calming down.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that. I can¡¯t believe I mistook the stairs to the throne room with the Aviary.¡±


    I gave her a dull stare. Really, I was honestly filled with excitement at the beginning. Now I was really annoyed. Lily didn¡¯t seem to care about the situation and just smiled as she has been doing.


    ¡°Well, this is it. Pass through these doors is the Queen of Wessex.¡±


    And my excitement returned. Don¡¯t judge me¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve ever met a princess, Queen¡­ whatever they call the ruler. I felt a tug on my cheek as I was forcefully introduced to a pair of frowning brown eyes.


    ¡°No cheating ok.¡±


    ¡°Cheating?¡±


    I was kind of confused. Before I could think about it, she pushed me towards the doors and I grandly fell into the throne room.


    ¡°Dammit Lily. Even I can feel pain you know.¡±


    She stuck her tongue out as she entered the room. Patting the dust from my clothes, I looked around the throne room. It was a humongous chamber with banners hanging from the ceiling.


    At the back of the throne, a beautiful glass painting with lights coming out of it could be seen. Honestly, it was a very beautiful room.


    ¡°Excuse us your majesty but I have brought the heroes.¡±


    Without even helping me up, Marlana passed me and kneeled in front of the throne room. A girl was sitting on the throne. She had light blue eyes and long flowing blonde hair.


    As for her clothes, she was wearing some type of one piece with metal plating on her chest, and on her thigh. She kind of reminds me of the Valkyries. Beautiful with the aura that says ¡®I¡¯ll beat you up if you look at me wrong¡¯.


    ¡°So these are the heroes.¡±


    I could feel her gaze studying each part of me. I couldn¡¯t help but shudder. She then sighed and began looking at me as if I was some kind of pest.


    ¡°How¡­ underwhelming¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but shout at her. First time we¡¯ve met and she¡¯s already insulting me. What gives her grounds for that?


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just, the previous heroes were a bit more¡­ entertaining.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but get angry. She was seriously a bratty kind. Ugh¡­ it¡¯s these people that I really hate associating with. Away from that though, something from her words really caught my attention.


    ¡°What do you mean by, previous?¡±


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t Marlana not tell you. Well, to be blunt. You two are the fifth and sixth hero we¡¯ve summoned.¡±


    I blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Fifth and sixth?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The first one is a girl who has high aptitude in magic. The second and the third are twins though ones a girl and ones a boy. Their strength as well as magic are insane. The fourth is a boy who was really confused the first time he came here. Now, he¡¯s leading my army as a strategist since he¡¯s knowledge is beyond this world. Truly that war training program called ¡®Total War¡¯ has made him a great strategist.¡±


    She thrust out her chest as if she¡¯d personally trained the heroes. This attitude is really¡­


    ¡°Oh, and yes. I did train them, hence I¡¯m very proud of the heroes who have grown as such.¡±


    That¡­ just made it worse. I really can¡¯t imagine this Ojou Sama training those heroes to this degree.


    ¡°Ok¡­ so if you already have heroes, then why did you summon us?¡±


    The queen shrugged.


    ¡°Well¡­ I was actually just curious. We had an extra summoning crystal left so I thought, why not summon another hero? I mean, the more powerful we are, and the quicker we can win this war right?¡±


    I looked at her with a blank face. I¡­ could not believe what I¡¯m hearing, though I¡¯m actually kind of thankful. Because of her wishful thinking, we managed to leave that destructive world. I gave out a sigh as I finally pieced the pieces together.


    ¡°So then, what are we supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Simple. Leave.¡±


    ¡°ehh¡­¡±


    I looked at the queen, my ears kind of breaking down on me.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ say what again?¡±


    ¡°Leave. I want you two to leave the castle. Based on my Identify spell, both of you don¡¯t really have anything special that we need. More like, everything is pretty low level. Hence we don¡¯t need either one of you. Also don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll give you the necessary funds in living in the city. Off course from there, it¡¯s up to you on how to live your life¡±.


    She gave out a smile as if our life was not even worth for her to think about. This bitch was starting to get on my nerves¡­ wait a minute. If we leave, then we won¡¯t have to intermingle in their politics. Which means¡­ We¡¯ll be free to do what we want. This is our chance!


    ¡°Ok then, since you¡¯re the queen, we will follow your orders and leave. It was really good to¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait your majesty if I may¡±


    I looked at Marlana who suddenly spoke up. I tried to get her attention, but she was staring intensely at the queen.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!!!!!!!!!!?


    ¡°If I may interject, I believe that this couple is actually capable of doing much more than you think they can.¡±


    ¡°Ho¡­ you think my Identify spell is wrong.¡±


    Marlana shuddered. You could see the sweat fall from her head.


    ¡°No your majesty, but I believe that your spell may not have gotten it all. When I first saw them, him especially, they were capable of showing a huge amount of bloodlust and¡­¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s enough for me to change my mind. Even toddlers can inhibit a strong sense of¡­¡±


    ¡°No your majesty. It¡¯s just, their bloodlust was¡­ on a different level¡­¡±


    I saw a glint on the queen¡¯s eyes. Uh oh.


    ¡°Different you say. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s bloodlust held¡­ restraint. As if he was capable of extinguishing it. The girl on the other hand barely showed anything¡­¡±


    Silence filled the room. With just that one explanation, Marlana may have included us into something that I really won¡¯t like to be a part of.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The queen stood from her chair. She was looking down, though I could see a smile on her face.


    ¡°Kill them.¡±


    I barely heard her whisper but my surroundings spoke for me. I instantly summoned my knives as I stabbed in two different directions. I felt flesh on both blades and I instantly slashed to the side letting my blade free.


    ¡°geh¡­¡­Im¡­poss¡­ible.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.Ho¡­how?¡±


    The two men fell to the floor, their blood gushing to the floor. The surrounding people grew restless as some stood from their seat.


    ¡°Nuh, uh, uh. You shouldn¡¯t be doing that Mr. Knight.¡±


    I looked behind me to see the knight I had felt creeping up behind me. Lily was already at his side, pointing her gun to his head.


    ¡°Can I shoot him?¡±


    ¡°No, I think he¡¯s lost the will to fight.¡±


    The man looked scared. He had already dropped his weapon seeing that his companions were killed in a flash. Lily released him begrudgingly, though she gave a quick kick to the jewels. God, why is she so violent towards other guys. A clapped slowly reverberated around the chamber.


    ¡°I see¡­ I see¡­ Truly with this¡­ there¡¯s no possible way I can keep you out of this mess.¡±


    She sighed as she walked from her throne. She then opened a door and was beckoning us to come over.


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s too late for me to back out now. You two come over here. We have a meeting to do.¡±


    ¡°You really think we¡¯ll go in there considering you just tried to kill us.¡±


    She gave out another sigh.


    ¡°Just follow me. I¡¯m already risking my pride and livelihood by just inviting you two into my office. Marlana, can you make us a cup of tea.¡±


    The magician girl bowed as she left the premise. Is she seriously thinking that we would be peaceful after that? Before I could reply, she raised her hand in front of her. I quickly readied my blades expecting her to attack.


    ¡°Oh Goddess of light, protect those who are thou¡¯s servant [Heal].¡±


    A green light emanates from the two wounded men. I could sense their wounds closing up at an alarming speed. That was a really powerful spell.


    ¡°Now then hero. Would you please accompany me in this meeting?¡±


    ¡°Again, I would like to bring up the¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re still alive right. Do you honestly think I was going to kill you both?¡±


    ¡°¡±Yes¡±¡±¡±


    Both me and Lily replied. The queen could only give out a stare of defeat.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    She faced both of us and bowed.


    ¡°Please, I ask for your sincere forgiveness. In the name of my kingdom and the title ¡®Sword Princess¡¯ I, Artura Wessex, vow not to attack either of from this moment forward. So please, forgive me.¡±


    I stood there perplexed. At one point, she tried to kill me. At another, she¡¯s apologizing. Really, this girl is really sporadic.


    ¡°I think we can trust her.¡±


    I looked at Lily. I know that she has excellent foreknowing of peoples intentions and emotions, but even that has its limits. Then again, at this rate, I really will know nothing. UGH¡­ WHY DOES THIS FEEL LIKE SOME KIND OF VIDEO GAME?


    ¡°Fine¡­ but just know that I really don¡¯t like this.¡±


    She laughed.


    ¡°Acknowledged, but trust me. This will meeting will be worth it.¡±


    She walked through the doors and was instantly followed by Lily.


    Figures¡­


    I could only say in my mind, why am I doing this? Before following after the two girls.


    ____________________________________________________________________________________________


    Authors note:


    Here is chapter two. Chapter 3 may be up by this weekend, who knows. Depends on schedules and how fast I can write and how fast my editor can edit. For now though, I really don''t want you guys to expect a chapter so quickly, so I suggest waiting for the chapters to come. Aside from that enjoy.

 Chapter 3: Am I the Bad Guy?

    Chapter 3: Am I the Bad Guy?


    ¡°So¡­ aren¡¯t you going to put those away?¡±


    The queen was looking both at my knives and Lily¡¯s gun. I gave a shrug as I sat down on a couch. Lily sat beside me as she set her gun on the table beside her. I also placed my knives on a table beside me where I can easily reach it.


    ¡°You two really are on your guards aren¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t I say I won¡¯t attack you two anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did. But I still don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known people from my world that can falsify there intent even when I said I could trust them. That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping it safe.¡±


    Lily gave the best answer out from both of us. The queen sighed as she leaned back on her chair. Her clothes then began to change in front of our eyes. No she wasn¡¯t stripping in front of us. Instead her clothes were molding into weird shapes and sizes.


    Before I knew it, she was now wearing a less formal attire. She still had a metal chest plate with her metal skirt, but now it was complementing a vest like jacket with a knee length skirt. She was also wearing combat boots that matched her leather gloves. Honestly, instead of looking like a princess, she looks like a mercenary now.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ this feels so much better.¡±


    You could see her completely relaxing on the couch. Marlana then entered the room with a tea set. At first, she froze as she looked at the unrefined queen. She then took a breath of annoyance before she began serving the tea.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you two have a lot of questions but first, let¡¯s get introductions out of the way.¡±


    She stood up and gave a slight bow.


    ¡°My name is Artura Wessex, queen of the Wessex. Ruler of the castle of Camelot. I have the highest proficiency in magic in the kingdom and am currently single. If you can excuse me of my behavior earlier, I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    I could hear the sincere words in her mouth. I slightly relaxed. Slightly. I still don¡¯t really trust her. And what was that ¡®singles¡¯ line all about?


    ¡°I¡¯m called u¡­¡±


    I stopped myself for a bit. I was about to call myself my original unit name, but I was free. There¡¯s no longer any reasons to bear that name. I took a deep breath.


    ¡°My name is Bryan. Bryan Carleton. I was born in a place called the Usoan province. That¡¯s really all I could say.¡±


    I then looked over at Lily who seemed to be staring at a fly on her nose. I gave her a quick nudge.


    ¡°OH¡­ uh, my name is Lily.¡±


    A couple of seconds passed as Artura kept staring at Lily.


    ¡°Is¡­ that it?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Artura tilted her head. She then sat back down as she gave a sigh.


    ¡°Honestly, you two are really weird. Even the other heroes would tell me more than you two.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to break the Meta, but were different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell Sherlock.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Sherlock?¡±


    Lily looked at the queen in confusion. Hmm¡­ actually who is Sherlock? Why did she say Sherlock? I looked at the queen expecting an answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡±


    She immediately shoved it aside. Honestly, I¡¯m really curious about this girl now.


    ¡°Well, seeing as you two still probably have questions, let¡¯s go ahead and start this meeting. First things first.¡±


    She then looks at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s your relationship to this girl?¡±


    Eh¡­ why ask this. What does this have to do with anything?


    ¡°He¡¯s my master.¡±


    Lily spoke for me, though I really don¡¯t think you should speak about this Lily.


    ¡°Master huh. Are you a slave?¡±


    ¡°No. You can say I¡¯m a contracted spirit.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The queen gave us a blank stare. Sigh¡­ I really didn¡¯t want them to know about this.


    ¡°As she said, she is a spirit but rather to say, she¡¯s a summoned being.¡±


    ¡°A contracted spirit?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s a summoned being. Unlike contracts, a summon means that the being I summon will stay with me for the rest of my life. Of course, it¡¯s their choice whether to be summoned or not, but once summoned they can never leave the owners side.¡±


    Artura let the information process in her brain.


    ¡°Can a summoned being die?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it can. But I can just bring it back to life.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s overpowered. No wonder I couldn¡¯t identify her stats. She¡¯s too high leveled, she¡¯s a cheat.¡±


    ¡°Cheat? I wouldn¡¯t exactly say that. She is overpowered but her magical abilities are quite low though she does boast high physical strength.¡±


    Basically, summoned beings are powerful in that they can learn to wield weapons and fight in a physical manifestation. The more they hold the weapon, the stronger they get with it¡­ but let¡¯s not let that little info slip.


    ¡°This leads me to question then¡­ your world. Does it have magic?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Yes and no. It does have magic, but if I were to guess this worlds setting then it¡¯s probably not the same.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    She raised her hand in front of her. I could feel the mana gathering around her palm.


    ¡°O goddess, illuminate my path [fire].¡±


    A small will o wisp appeared on her hand. She then began to play with it as the small flame danced around her.


    ¡°This world¡¯s magic is run through a series of chants or scripts. Of course voiceless incantations are possible but they do take more mana so most magic is done by chants. Is this how your magic works?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. At this point, I really can¡¯t tell you how my world¡¯s magic works.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? I showed you our magic, so you should show yours.¡±


    That explanation was really give and take, but it¡¯s your fault for disclosing it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to tell me, but instead you showed me. Did you really expect me to just show you magic that you probably won¡¯t understand?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, won¡¯t understand. I am the highest ranking magician in this kingdom. There is no magic that I can ever¡­¡±


    ¡°[Command 3: Silence]¡±


    In an instant, Artura¡¯s mouth shut closed. She looked surprised as she tried to talk but couldn¡¯t. The look of panic was written all over her face.


    ¡°YOU SCUM!¡±


    Marlana took out a stick and began waving it around. Oh, that must be wand.


    *Bang!*


    Marlana stared in shock as her wand was no longer in her hand.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like bitches who don¡¯t understand their place¡±


    I could sense the coldness in Lily¡¯s voice as she forced Marlana to kneel in front of her, her gun aimed at her head.


    ¡°Lily its ok. I was in no way in danger. Plus it¡¯s my fault anyway so put the gun back on the table.¡±


    Lily gave me a concerned look which I returned with a hard stare. With a humph, she dispelled the spell she placed on Marlana and walked back to her couch. I also cancelled the spell on Artura and took my seat.


    ¡°You two¡­ are really powerful. Honestly, I¡¯m shocked. Truly just who are you Bryan? I can¡¯t even say my identify spell would help against you.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t even understand how powerful you really are Carl Sama.¡±


    ¡°Quiet for a bit Lily, you¡¯re really starting to make things bad.¡±


    I pinched my forehead as I tried to think about the current situation. Speaking of which.


    ¡°The guards aren¡¯t coming in. Did you place a spell on them?¡±


    I looked towards Lily who had a smile on her face.


    ¡°No, rather I delinked this reality from the outside world, so nothing would be able to reach us.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!? YOU DID WHAT NOW!?¡±


    ¡°WHAT! ... HOW! ... WHEN!?????¡±


    I ignore the two girls who were screaming in shock. Well, since we were in this room, I guess I can probably tell them about me. I mean, I need more info on this world and just because I¡¯m strong does not mean I can¡¯t die. Well, guess it¡¯s time to gamble.


    I snapped at the two girls whose mouths was hanging wide open. The two looked at me and I stared deeply into their eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cut you guys a deal. If you let me place a secrecy spell on the both of you, then I will gladly tell you my story. As for helping you, well. I have my own agendas but I can give a helping hand or two. I still don¡¯t like your attitude from earlier nor that surprise attack. Now how about it, do you want to make the contract or no¡±


    The two girls looked at me in fear. Whoops, I let out my bloodthirst. Honestly, I can control it during a battle but not when I¡¯m excited. Sigh¡­ I need more training, but for now time to get this done. I quickly lowered my bloodthirst and before I knew it, both Marlana and the queen fell to the ground. Whoa, I really hope their ok.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Huh. Artura was trying to say something. I got closer to her and sure enough, I could see her face was white.


    ¡°I¡­ ac¡­cept the contract¡±


    She barely whispered those words as I could see her shaking, tears falling from her eyes. Wait, doesn¡¯t this make me look like I¡¯m forcing them? Well, oh well. At least now, I can possibly have a good start and good connection in this world.


    ______________________________________________________________________________________________


    So this chapter was quickly edited. Who knew lol


    As for the next few chapters... There probably going to be released early too depending on schedule. Again, each chap is 1500 words (approximately) and the past few chapters will be just info and getting into the groove. Worry not though, soon I will start writing action parts too. :D


    PRAISE OP POWERS >.<


    P.S. My collaborator and editor are planning something... hmmmmmmm I wonder what it is

 Chapter 4: The Master and his Servant

    Chapter 4: The Master and his Servant


    In an isolated room, a ritual is being performed. A circle could be seen with intricately drawn designs, the circles emitting a soft blue glow. Two girls could be seen hugging one another. Their faces were pale white, their bodies shaking from the fear they felt. Who can blame them for a person stood above them, one who whose immense power can rule over all. The one they call, THE DEMON LORD!


    ¡°Lily, Please. Can you shut up for just a bit¡­ also, what the hell is up with the narration? You¡¯re making me sound like the villain over here!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on. You have to admit, it¡¯s a good narration based on my point of view.¡±


    Somehow, I feel really irritated seeing her smile like that. I really wish I can hit her in the head, but I really need both my hands for this. Slowly, I infused the mana within me into the circuits as a soft blue light emanated from the structure.


    When I felt that the appropriate amount of mana was reached, I sent a small activation charge into the mana. A flash covered the entire room and before I know it, the light faded. The two girls sat there covering their eyes as Lily once again sat on the couch.


    ¡°And, we¡¯re done.¡±


    I quickly took my place besides Lily. Now what should I do? I should probably only tell them a bit about myself and leave the deep stuff for later. Even though their under the spell, I know for a fact that it can still be broken.


    ¡°Umm¡­ is that it?¡±


    I looked at Artura who seemed to be confused about something.


    ¡°What else are you expecting to happen?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t even tell if you placed the contract spell on me.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ that¡¯s because it won¡¯t activate unless you break our contracts term and agreements.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, how do we know that we¡¯re under the contract?¡±


    I smiled. I sent a small condensed activation charge straight at Artura. Marlana quickly sensed this and stood in front of her.


    *Poink*


    It grandly hit her in the forehead.


    ¡°Well, this is going to be fun to watch.¡±


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?¡±


    ¡°Just watch.¡±


    Lily gave out a small snicker as Marlana quickly fell to the floor. She was slowly groaning and her breath was becoming ragged.


    ¡°Ma¡­Marlana?¡±


    ¡°P¡­p¡­pwse¡­. Don¡¯t¡­ kyaaa¡­¡±


    I walked over to her and lightly tapped her leg. She gave out a very seductive moan.


    ¡°As you can see, this spell will instantly stop you from telling my secrets by enhancing every sensual areas of the body. Just imagine a very strong aphrodisiac affecting you in about one millisecond every three seconds.¡±


    I gave out a small smile as I watched the magician squirm in ecstasy.


    ¡°Wait isn¡¯t this too cruel! You fiend, why would you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, the best way to keep someone silent is to submit the mind to their body. For guys, by having their sense of pleasure taken away, they will fold instantly and become obedient. For girls, increasing their pleasure will make them obedient, the opposite of guys.¡±


    Artura gave a look of defeat as she tried to pick up Marlana.


    ¡°Ahhnn.¡±


    ¡°You might want to leave her there for about five more minutes. I swear, master is really cruel sometimes.¡±


    I looked at Lily whose eyes seemed to be sympathizing with Marlana. I may, or may not have done that to her too in the past¡­


    ____________________________________________________________


    (10 minutes later)


    ¡°Now that everything¡¯s cleared, I can tell you guys more about me so ask away.¡±


    I could see both fear and discomfort in her eyes, but sure enough Artura managed to eventually give out a poker face. She then looked at me for a bit before looking at Lily.


    ¡°I forgot to ask but what kind of spiritual being is Lily?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mention that right. Well¡­ how should I say this? Eh¡­ I¡¯ll be frank, she¡¯s a Valkyrie.¡±


    ¡°Say what now?¡±


    Artura gave a blank stare along with the fully healed Marlana.


    ¡°Well, basically Lily is known as a Valkyrie, the maidens who lead the dead from the battlefield.¡±


    She let the information process in her head. I know for a fact that this world entertained the ideas of the gods and their myths. By just looking at some of the paintings, you can clearly tell that the Greek, Egyptian and Norse mythology were present in this world. Even one of the painting had a glorious image of a Valkyrie in full armor lead a dead soldier from the battlefield.


    ¡°SHES BASICALLY A DIVINE BEING THEN!¡±


    Oh, now they can see her full potential. Well, in truth she is a divine being but¡­


    ¡°Well, she is a divine being but after being summoned, she no longer followed the concept of the heavens. When I first summoned her, she still had the same appearance of a Valkyrie. We soon found though that her armor and weapons were obsolete and her magic ineffective.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? She¡¯s a divine being from legends. How can she be use¡­¡±


    ¡°I rather you don¡¯t say the word useless.¡±


    Lily was right up to Marlana¡¯s neck as her blade was mere inches from cutting her. Man, Marlana is not having a great day today.


    ¡°Lily, give her a break. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s lying.¡±


    ¡°Wahhh¡­ not you too.¡±


    She gave a dejected look as she slumped back into the couch.


    ¡°Anyway, the reason why they were obsolete is because my world followed¡­ a stigma. That is, the physical manifestation of the Divine are initially downgrade to a human counterpart though they still hold their initial strength as a divine.¡±


    Artura is really thinking through this now as she closed her eyes to meditate. I¡¯m kind of feeling impatient now though since I haven¡¯t really asked any questions yet, but I should probably build up her trust first.


    ¡°Now, I know you guys have more questions to ask so let¡¯s go to another topic.¡±


    I could tell that broke her attention as she once again looked at me.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Who are you Bryan? Like truly, who are you?¡±


    I knew she was going to ask this.


    ¡°As you can tell, I¡¯m no ordinary human being. I¡¯m actually a clone.¡±


    ¡°Clone¡­ I¡¯m sorry, how is that possible? The clones I know of are mere images, illusion spells that allows fighters to outsmart and outmaneuver their opponents.¡±


    I laughed.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not far from the truth, but in my world clones are different. We are genetically modified humans capable of wielding power as well as having higher intellect than your average humans. Trust me though, we still make mistakes since were not perfect. But what really made us deadly was our Order.¡±


    I felt the back of my head that held the small chip. I could feel it, a gem like structure at the back of my head that can kill me at any given moment.


    ¡°You see, the Order was installed in the back of the head of each clone. This Order was capable of killing us if we failed to neglect orders or if we were insufficient in battle. That¡¯s why we were always under a constant fear¡­ a fear of dying at any given moment, enemy or ally¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why master and his companions would always fight for their lives and every time they win, they would grow more powerful and stronger than before.¡±


    Lily finished my thought for me. Now that I think about it, my past life has been killing and fighting the Mordeaux¡­ But not only that, I still remember killing other humans who tried to kill us. It was a really dark history, one filled with tragedies and sadness. But most of all, I still remembered the times beyond that.


    ¡°Well, that pretty much summed up my life. Now I believe it¡¯s my turn to ask. Why did you attack us in the throne room?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but have an annoyed tone which Artura quickly caught my tone as she took a deep sigh. She then took a sip of her tea before settling in her couch.


    ¡°Well, that was actually to test you both.¡±


    She placed her tea on the table and went over to a desk and began gathering some papers.


    ¡°You see, I have a very sporadic personality. Earlier, I genuinely wanted you two to leave for two reasons. One, I thought you guys were initially weak and would only die in the battlefield. That¡¯s why I tried to send you guys as far away from the politics and wars of this world. Second, if you were to leave, I won¡¯t have any distractions to deal with. I currently have too much in my hands right now, and I really can¡¯t afford to have any more distractions.¡±


    She then placed the papers in front of us. I looked at some of the headings, but to my surprise I didn¡¯t know the language. I guess I can talk the language and not read it.


    ¡°As soon as Marlana told me you were different though, well I had to check in some way didn¡¯t I. In no way do I regret ever attacking you both.¡±


    She once again puffed out her chest with pride. In annoyance, I gave her a karate chop in the head. She held her head with both her hands as she crouched down on the sofa.


    ¡°Attacking us is one thing, but feeling proud about it is another. Really, are you truly the queen of this realm?¡±


    Rubbing her head, she then began to unfold one of the papers. Those were probably some of her plans for her kingdoms or something. Oh, that reminds me.


    ¡°What about the other heroes, how are they doing in this world?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you actually concerned about them?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I¡¯m just really curious about them and their world.¡±


    Artura nodded before looking through her papers again.


    ¡°Well, you can say the heroes are doing fine but were having a bit of trouble.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    She took one of the pens on the table and began writing. I wonder what it¡¯s about.


    ¡°Well, the demons are really powerful to begin with, so they¡¯re really having a tough time breaking through the demon armies defenses.¡±


    Of course, here comes the clich¨¦ powerful demon army trope.


    ¡°At the moment, because of the heroes, we¡¯re able to get into a standstill. But now, it can all change.¡±


    She then finished writing and slid the paper to me. I looked at it and to my surprise, I could read it.


    ¡°With both of your powers, we can finally defeat the demon army that his plaguing the human continents for ages. No longer will we suffer and instead enjoy everlasting peace. So what do you two say? Will you help us defeat the demon lord?¡±


    She had a confident smile on her face as she presented me a pen. I looked at the contract she gave us.


    Pact of the Hero


    I Artura Wessex bestow upon you the title of hero.


    You will be given access to the kingdoms resources in order to the defeat the Demon Lord.


    You will be given allies to help you in your quest.


    You will receive a huge reward in accomplishing your goal.


    This contract is only valid if signed.


    Signature: __________________


    I looked towards Lily who seemed to be nodding towards me. It seems that we were in agreement. We both took in a deep breath and at the same time. A single word then escaped from our lungs and echoed throughout the entire room. A word that will forever change this world.


    ¡°¡±no!¡±¡±


    __________________________________________________________


    Author notes:


    God my title naming sense is bad lol, well anyway this is chapter 4. I would have released this earlier but my editor told me to send it with chapter five so it doesn''t end in an abrupt cliff hanger, so thank him for that lol.


    (whispers: that doesn''t mean I cant end the next chapters in a cliff hanger. Hue hue hue hue...)


    Just kidding lol, hope yall enjoy the chapters.

 Chapter 5: A New Life, A Dark Past

    Chapter 5: A New Life, A Dark Past


    ¡°Was this really a good idea?¡±


    I looked over at Lily who was staring at the stars. It was already night when we finished meeting with the queen. Currently we were walking towards the outskirts of the city since we were given a plot of land that we could use to build a house and live in.


    The night sky was beautiful. It was filled with colors of red blue and yellow that I had to blink twice to make sure it was real. The crazy part was I could the moon and not just one but two. One had a yellowish color while the other had a bluish color.


    ¡°Well, this is better than staying in the castle. You noticed didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the other nobles sure looked like they hate us.¡±


    We kept silent as we continued walking to the outer district. As for me, the scenes from earlier were still fresh in my mind.


    _____________________________________________________________________


    (Earlier)


    I took a sip of my tea as I looked at the dumbfounded the queen. She seems to be having a hard time thinking about our response.


    ¡°Can you please explain your refusal?¡±


    I looked over at Marlana who seemed to be clenching her knuckles.


    ¡°Well, to put it simply. I really don¡¯t want to get involved in this kingdoms politics.¡±


    ¡°But as a hero¡­¡±


    ¡°As a hero, I am immediately included in politics. Don¡¯t think you can fool me Marlana. I heard Artura clearly when she explained how she wanted to bring us away from the politics of this kingdom.¡±


    I could see her biting her lower lip as she realized that I couldn¡¯t be fooled.


    ¡°But, we even placed ourselves beneath you? Don¡¯t you think you should at least help us since you made that secret contract or whatever it was on us?¡±


    I looked at Artura who was now glaring at us.


    ¡°That and this are different. That contract was to keep you quiet about my true identity. This on the other hand pertains to the heroes and their mission and frankly, I¡¯m not having that.¡±


    I then released some of my bloodlust as I gave them the most bloodcurdling stare I could give.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve been fighting since the day I was born. Fires, blood, metals. Those were most of the things I¡¯ve experienced my past life. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ve managed to find small paces of peace and enjoyment but my creators¡¯ selfdom gave it to their creations.¡±


    I walked up to Artura and forced her to stare into my eyes. I could see fear in her pupils¡­ but there I can also see understanding and hope. I could also feel a slight spike in mana. Really, this girl¡­ I sighed. I released my bloodlust and sat back down on my chair.


    ¡°Really Artura, all I want is peace. I can help you, but can you at least give me the peace I¡¯ve yearned for my entire life.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She stared at the floor, silent like a corpse.


    *Slap*


    Out of nowhere she slapped herself which really surprised me. She then looked up and I could see renewed energy inside her.


    ¡°Alright, I understand now.¡±


    She crumpled up the paper from before and began writing on a new sheet of paper. As she wrote, a smooth golden light followed the tip of her pen. In seconds, she finished and presented me the new contract.


    I Artura Wessex grant Bryan Carleton the resources he needs to help this kingdom defend itself against the Demon Lord.


    He shall be given a position as an instructor to teach soldiers combat abilities.


    He will also be given a small squad to lead, though it is up to him to decide the actions of this group.


    He will also be the sub commander of the Legionnaires Crux Militia and will be entrusted the defenses of the city.


    Valid once signed


    Signature: __________


    I smiled. I can¡¯t believe she understood me. But then again, that magic was pretty cheap.


    ¡°Che¡­ you sure got me. What type of spell was that?¡±


    She gave me a playful wink.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just reveal all my tricks now can I. Especially from a cheat like character like you.¡±


    I laughed. Lily was giving a look that said ¡®not bad¡¯ while Marlana just looked at the three of us confused. I took the pen and signed my name. Without warning, it began burning and to my surprise it didn¡¯t turn into ashes. Instead another paper appeared.


    ¡°Thank you Bryan, and sorry. I didn¡¯t expect your past to be¡­ dark.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I like keeping quiet. But I guess it feels good to let people into their lives right.¡±


    She smiled. She then picked up a key from one of her cabinets and gave it to me.


    ¡°This is a plot of land at the outskirt of the kingdom. It¡¯s a very isolated location so no one would be able to see you. Of course with your type of magic, you should be able to build something suitable to both of your needs.¡±


    I grabbed the key as I continued to gaze at her in amazement.


    ¡°Really, you better not tell anyone about my abilities. Remember the contract.¡±


    She shrugged as if she didn¡¯t give a care in the world.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Hey, if I was going to say it, the contract would have activated right.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    I looked towards Lily. She understood my intentions and instantly dropped the barrier from the room.


    *Thud!*


    ¡°MY LADY!!¡±


    Two knights broke down the door. They all held spears right on us as more guards flooded into the room.


    ¡°Are you ok my Lady?¡±


    ¡°STAND DOWN. WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡±


    They lowered their arms confused at why they were being shouted at. A big knight then waded through the group.


    ¡°Well, after you entered the room, our magicians detected a spike in mana directed in this room. Of course we instantly mobilized and barged right in to save you Madame.¡±


    Artura gave them a confused stare.


    ¡°Wait, how long did this take you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean my lady?¡±


    ¡°How long did it take you to mobilize?¡±


    ¡°Five minutes at most, my queen.¡±


    Something seemed to dawn towards Artura but then she remembered about Lily. She sighed as she sat down.


    ¡°Everything is ok, rather I want you guys to get back to your positions.¡±


    They all shifted as they stared at us.


    ¡°What about them my lady?¡±


    ¡°Leave them. They are very important benefactors to the kingdom. Actually, He will be training the militia now and will take over the defenses of this city so please treat him with respect.¡±


    They all looked at me with confusion. I flashed them a smile and formed a peace sign with my hand.


    ¡°QUEEN ARTURA!!¡±


    A noble suddenly came in. He was kind of fat for his size and he had a very beautiful mustache. His dress clothes were filled with medallions and sashes of many kinds. Must be rewards.


    ¡°Why are you giving them such important positions? They don¡¯t even look like they¡¯re capable of fighting anyone aside from thieves and low leveled soldiers like before.¡±


    Artura glared at the man.


    ¡°I would watch your tongue commander. You really have no idea what they¡¯re capable of.¡±


    ¡°But Madame. You haven¡¯t even talked to them for that long. How is it that now you¡­¡±


    ¡°Our time spent here was actually longer than you think it was. I will not tell you the full details, but these two will be important to our cause. That¡¯s why I ask you to back down right now, Commander Rizel!¡±


    Rizel looked at us, anger and jealousy across his face. He then did an about turn and left the room.


    ¡°As for you two. Go. You need time to get everything ready.¡±


    I bowed as well as Lily. We both exited the room and came into full view of the throne room. The nobles eyes were all focused on us and not one of their vibes were good. It only took a few seconds and the commander must have tipped them off in our easy ascension to power. I sighed. This is going to be a long road.


    ¡°Come on Lily, let¡¯s go.¡±


    She grabbed my arm as we quickly waded through the nobles. From both sides I could hear gossips and rumors sprouting. I really don¡¯t care about you guys but I do want to live a peaceful life. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to do my best and live my life to the fullest in this world. With this in my mind, we exited the castle towards our new home.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________


    (Artura POV)


    ¡°Artura, you ok?¡±


    I looked at Marlana who was giving me a new cup of tea. I took a sip of it though I really didn¡¯t have the appetite.


    ¡°His world¡­ Bryans world¡­ did he ever tell you anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ he did ask me a strange question that seemed to be about his world.¡±


    I looked at her, my interest was piqued.


    ¡°What did he ask?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ he asked me if I knew the phrase ¡®the sun can only set if we are to believe it can,¡¯ truly a weird question no?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ha¡­ yeah. It is a strange question for us.¡±


    Marlana looked at me once again, worry in her face. I must look horrible right now. Even I understand that I¡¯m a sporadic person whose emotion can easily be seen. Right now¡­ I know I¡¯m a mess. Ugh I need some sleep.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough fun for one day. Good night Marlana. I expect many things to happen starting from now on.¡±


    She bowed as she took her leave. I also made my way to my chambers. I looked outside and looked at the two moons and brightly colored stars that littered the sky.


    ¡°A world filled with darkness¡­ a world that has never seen the sun¡­¡±


    I felt my heart race as I remembered the visions I saw. That world was nothing compared to this world nor the previous heroes world. That world, Bryan¡¯s world, can only be described as the devils den.


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy that I saved you Bryan¡­¡±


    __________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    HERE IT IS. I''m finally done with the introductions, (though I kinda cheated a bit with magic hue hue hue)


    Anyway, now I can start getting into describing the kingdom of Camelot... so be excited for that. As always thanks to my editor for helping me and enjoy.


    P.S. Now I''m on the same number of chapters as before but I''m still in the same place. Hallelujah for no time skips XD

 Chapter 6: Who is this Kid?

    Chapter 6: Who is this Kid?


    ¡°Hey Lily, make sure to chop the garlic into small tiny pieces.¡±


    ¡°Haiiiiii¡­!¡±


    I could hear the rapid chop from the cutting board as Lily began cutting up the garlic. I, on the other hand, began to mix the ingredients with the ground beef. I slowly mashed the beef paste, molding them into small friable patties.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Lily powdered the patties with garlic as I continued to make the other patties. Just like the other three days, we¡¯ve been living a very peaceful life. The lot Artura gave us was surrounded by the forest. A river was running right behind us and a lake could be seen past it. Our house was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a simple two roomed house with a single bathroom.


    The walls were made of intertwining wood and polished stone. I used hard oak for the walls and scripted a barrier type circuit that should protect it from fire and other natural hazards. The floor was made out of polished white cherry blossom bark. It gave the house a very light atmosphere. As for the furniture, they were simply made out of metal, plastic and feathers. They were really comfy to sit on.


    ¡°How long, how long?!¡±


    ¡°Just wait a couple more sec. It¡¯s almost done.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but pat Lily on the head. Though we looked to be the same age, it honestly feels as if she was younger than I am. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°There, done.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    I placed the burgers on a plate and began adding the mushrooms and the gravy. With that, the hamburger steak was done.


    ¡°¡°Thank you for the food.¡±¡±


    ____________________________________________________________________


    After finishing our breakfast, we began heading towards the city. Today was our official debut as instructors, though Lily is more like a helper really. Artura had sent us a letter that contained some kind of pass I was supposed to show. I couldn¡¯t really read it, but the golden letters gave me instructions on what to do as well as an address. I really need to learn how to read the language.


    ¡°Come on Bryan, you¡¯re really slow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not slow, you¡¯re just too energetic. I swear, for an old person, you¡¯re pretty childish.¡±


    I instinctively moved back as a foot suddenly dug its way to the ground in front of me. I couldn¡¯t help but whistle as I looked at the six inch hole she made into the ground.


    ¡°WHO YOU CALLING OLD!¡±


    I began to laugh as I easily swiped the punches she threw at me. Really, her temper makes her so adorably cute. After promising to make ice cream, she finally calmed down and we continued to make our way into the city. We finally made it to the gates and saw a long line wagons. They were probably being inspected for criminals or something similar.


    ¡°Hey Ralph, what¡¯s with the line.¡±


    I called out to one of the guards. His name was Rale Sphence. Everyone calls him Ralph though. He was a strong man around the age of thirty. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes, a common trait of the commoner population. He waved back at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s up Bryan, Lily. Ehh¡­ nothing much really. Just making sure there isn¡¯t any spies or thieves. You know how it is around the city. Any way, you two going into the city?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do I still need to show you my pass?¡±


    He shook his head and laughed.


    ¡°Nah, I know you of all people wouldn¡¯t do anything bad right.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ true, but you sure do put a lot of trust in someone you just met.¡±


    ¡°Meh¡­ you can say I have a gift for seeing people.¡±


    He leaned close to my ear as he stared between me and Lily.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask. What¡¯s your relationship with that girl?¡±


    Off course he would ask that. I could even see him eyeing Lily from top to bottom. Lily is a very attractive girl, but it¡¯s going to take a while for you win her heart. I couldn¡¯t help myself and laughed as I pat him in the back and walked away.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to figure it out yourselves my good man.¡±


    I heard a shout from behind me but I didn¡¯t bother looking back.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    I looked at Lily who managed to catch up.


    ¡°Nothing really, just guy talk.¡±


    We quickly made our way through the busy streets. It was just as busy as before. Stalls were opening, people were moving back and forth. The air was filled with the sound hammers and shouts, the typical sounds of the busy city. We slowly made our way through the maze of houses.


    ¡°Hey Bryan, is that the place?¡±


    I looked over where Lily was pointing. There was a big wooden sign that had the address in the front. Like the letter, it was written in golden letters. Beside it was two really big words I couldn¡¯t read. Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t have hurt to have also written them with the translation ink couldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Well¡­ we might as well look inside.¡±


    We finally passed through the two doors and to our surprised, it was bigger inside than outside. At the very back, you could see an office area of some sort. Girls could be seen handing out papers and taking papers one after another from the line of mercenaries. I could tell they were mercenaries because the clothes they wore didn¡¯t have the symbols of the militia or the iron guard. On the side of the building, there was a small resting area with a restaurant. You could smell the food from the place as they were being taken to different tables by maids. On the other, some type of bank could be seen. There was a barred up window with a small slot that the mercenaries were placing money through. Honestly, this building must be some kind of information area.


    ¡°Welcome Adventurers!¡±


    I looked behind me to see a girl. She was wearing the exact clothes from the ones on the counter. A one piece dress that reached to her knees which also includes a Jacket and some long stockings. She seemed to be a normal girl who had green ears and long neon green hair, but then I saw her ears. They were long.


    ¡°Are you by any chance an elf?¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    She looked at me with a smile.


    ¡°Why yes I am. Is this the first time you¡¯ve ever seen one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was actually surprised, but I have to admit. Elves really are beautiful people¡±


    She gave a small giggle as I felt a cold presence behind me.


    ¡°So, how may I help you both today?¡±


    I took out my contract as well as the letter I received from Artura. I then gave it to her.


    ¡°Well, we were sent here to show you this.¡±


    She took the letter along with the contract and began to read them. The more she read, the more you could see her sweating. I wonder what¡¯s written in that letter. She then looked at me and pointed.


    ¡°D¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ He¡­ro¡­ Sama?¡±


    Why does she look afraid? Oye, you better not have written anything bad about me Artura.


    ¡°Yeah I guess you can say I¡¯m a hero, but please don¡¯t call me that. I¡¯m not really up for defeating the demon lord in a Deathmatch and all that.¡±


    Before I could even finish, she was taking a huge bow towards me. I swear, I thought her back broke just from bending in that impossible ninety degrees angle.


    ¡°PLEASE EXCUSE ME OF MY FAMILIARITY EARLIER. I will get the guild manager instantly so please wait.¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­ ok?¡±


    Before I could even properly reply, she ran off towards the back of the guild. In a matter of seconds, she reached one of the doors and entered it. Dang she¡¯s quick!


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    Lily placed her hand over her head as if she was trying to block the light from her eyes. I could only face palm as I tried to imagine what was possibly written in that letter.


    ¡°I swear Artura, you better not have written anything weird in that letter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she didn¡¯t write anything weird, so you¡¯re safe.¡±


    What the¡­? I looked below me. There was a really small girl that was half my height standing in front of me. She had auburn red hair and black eyes. Her attire was a type of combat dress. A metal chest plate with a leather vest. Her skirt was a mesh of metal and interlocking plating. She honestly looked like a little soldier. Her legs were spread apart as she crisscrossed her arms together. She then began to give off an aura that said ¡®bow before¡¯ which kind of annoyed me.


    ¡°Ummm¡­¡±


    ¡°WELCOME TO THE ADVENTURERS GUILD CARLETON DONO, LILY DONO. My name is Nina V¡¯espelza. I¡¯m the adventurer guild¡¯s current headmaster as well as the commander of the Legionnaires. I¡¯m glad to finally be receiving some good instructors to teach those brats how to fight, so I¡¯m counting on ya both to beat em senseless.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. This little pipsqueaks the commander of the militia? Isn¡¯t she a little too young to be leading an army? I looked at the worker girl from before who suddenly appeared back here.


    ¡°Hey, umm¡­ what was your name again?¡±


    The green haired girl was confused, but I nodded when she pointed at herself. She then gave a curtsy.


    ¡°Silvana Greenwood at your service!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ ok, so Sil. Who¡¯s this kid?¡±


    I then pointed at the small girl. All of a sudden the entire guild hall became quiet. No one spoke, not even the crickets. This was kind of eerie.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­ hahahah¡±


    I looked at the little girl who was suddenly laughing.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been called that in a while. It sure brings back memories of the day I beat those people to a pulp.¡±


    I suddenly began seeing the mana from around us form around the girl.


    ¡°Shit, everyone evacuate the building. NOW!¡±


    What in the world is going on? I could see everyone racing as they ran towards the exit. Even the staff were desperate in trying to escape.


    ¡°You, stay right there. You¡¯re going to have to take the hit for pissing her off.¡±


    ¡°ehh, what?¡±


    Before I knew it, everyone left the entire building even Lily.


    ¡°So, how do you want to be cooked? Medium or Well done?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ if I can, I rather not be cooked thank you very much.¡±


    I gave her a smile. She returned it, though you could see her eyes weren¡¯t smiling. She then instantly disappeared from where she was.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡±


    I raised up both my hands as I turned around and began coating them with mana. I was amazed at what I saw. She had retracted her leg which seemingly held a huge amount of mana at one focal point. If that were to hit, that would give you some serious damage. She then kicked at the speed of light which I easily grabbed. Using that momentum, I then redirected it towards the floor. A huge crater formed as the brat smashed headfirst into the ground. Whoops, I might have gone too far with that hit.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    I could hear a seething whisper coming from the smoke. The smoke then cleared revealing a girl in full combat mode. Her attire was the same, but now she was wearing two full gauntlets with spikes coming out of them.


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    I leaned to the side and dodged one of her fist.


    ¡°HOLD STILL!!¡±


    ¡°Nah, I rather not get hit.¡±


    She kept on trying to hit me as she continued to either punch the air or the walls. Little by little, holes began forming around the building.


    ¡°You know the buildings getting destroyed right?¡±


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE. I¡¯M LANDING A HIT ON YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!¡±


    I instantly dodged to the side as she came crashing down into me. Another huge crater formed and to add effect, small bolts of electricity surged out. Ugh¡­ she¡¯s becoming a pest to my peaceful day. But, I guess this is the perfect time to test this worlds soldiers. Judging from her appearance, she probably wasn¡¯t lying about being the commander so I might as well have fun and play along with her for a bit.


    _______________________________________________________________________


    Author notes:


    Well... did not expect to come out with chapter six today lol


    Any way you guys, enjoy the content while I still have time XD

 Chapter 7: When Lolis Attack!

    Chapter 7: When Loli¡¯s Attack!


    ¡°GET BACK OVER HERE!¡±


    I looked back at the ¡®loli¡¯ commander as she continued to chase after me, she started to imbue wind magic


    into her feet, to try to catch up. As she was doing that I pondered to myself.


    ¡°Now then¡­ what circuit should I use first?¡±


    I looked around the hallway, looking for anything to use. I spot the series of columns that were placed at


    the middle of the room.


    ¡°Perfect!¡±


    I quickly rushed over as I began to gather mana into my body, and I started to hear a chant from behind me.


    ¡°Oh Goddess of light, destroy those who defy my will [Fireball]!¡±


    Oh, now she¡¯s using fire magic. This is getting interesting. I quickly turned my body and imbued my hands with


    mana.


    ¡°[Defense Protocol: Aegis].¡±


    A dark transparent orange emanated from my hand. Small hexagonal shape glasses began to form around me


    forming a barrier. As soon as the fireballs made contact, they immediately


    dissipated.


    ¡°What the?!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but overhear the shocked tone from the ¡®Loli¡¯ commander''s voice. Hmm¡­ I only used a fraction of


    a tenth of my power for that. Why is her magic weak? Maybe a little provocation


    would do the trick.


    ¡°Hey kid! That the best you got?¡±


    I felt her bloodlust go up even more. ¡®This is perfect.¡¯ I quickly went through the group of columns. As I


    passed each one, I immediately formed a contact link with all of them.


    ¡°[Action Protocol: Phantasm].¡±


    I heard a small shrill that told me the spell was ready. I really hope she¡¯s at her strongest right now. I


    managed to safely land on the ground just in time to see the girl jump through


    my spell. I heard the activation sequence and the columns were instantly bathed


    in blue light. Without the ¡®loli¡¯ commander knowing, a barrier was suddenly


    erected around her. She instantly hit the walls and was forced to a complete


    stop.


    ¡°What the?!¡±


    She tried pushing through the walls but to no avail.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to play¡­¡±


    Her arms began to burn with flames, wind magic began to circulate around the coiling flames which instantly


    turned them blue.


    ¡°... THEN I¡¯M GETTING OUT THE HARD WAY!¡±


    She punched right into the floor of the barrier. A gut wrenching sound filled the room but to her


    surprise, the barrier held.


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry to tell you this but, that¡¯s one of my strongest barriers. If you want to destroy it, then there¡¯s


    certain specifications that you need to meet.¡±


    The girl looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°Specifications, Like what?¡±


    I walked up to her. I could tell that I had a sinister smile on my face since the girl looked kind of


    scared.


    ¡°Well... let''s just say that. You need to die.¡±


    I brought my hand up to my face.


    ¡°[Command 1: Torch].¡±


    A jet blue flame emerged from my hands. As I pointed it to the ground, the tip began to melt off part of the


    floor.


    ¡°Honestly, I had so much hope for you but it seems your last attack didn¡¯t even penetrate to the barrier. At


    this rate, I have no choice but to kill you.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°DON¡¯T SCREW AROUND WITH ME! [EARTH PILLAR]!¡±


    She once again punched at the barrier below her. I could see some type of rock based attack around her glove,


    but the shield quickly devoured it.


    ¡°[OCEANIC DRILL]!¡±


    Yep¡­ the barrier still holds. I slowly walk up to her as it slowly dawned on her that her death was nearing.


    ¡°Wait, please¡­ Wait, Wait¡­ I SAID WAIT!¡±


    She kept on punching the barrier as I got closer and closer. When I finally neared the barrier, she


    finally stopped hitting. Oh, she seemed to be tired.


    ¡°Sniff¡­ sniff.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    She sat there, staring at me with teary eyes.


    ¡®Is this what I think it is? It¡¯s like from that one story I read. Yes, I know this. This is the dreaded MOE


    ATTACK!¡¯


    ¡°Will you knock it off already?¡±


    I felt something hit me in the head. I looked back and noticed that Lily was standing there with a rolled up


    paper. She then walked up to the barrier and placed her hand over it.


    ¡°[Activation Protocol: Release].¡±


    The barrier slowly began to dissolve and the girl instantly landed on the ground with the help of Lily¡¯s


    wind magic.


    ¡°sniff¡­ sniff¡­ o¡­ o¡­¡±


    Both of us looked at the small helpless creature that was now before us.


    ¡°ONEE CHAN!!!¡±


    She quickly ran towards Lily.


    ¡°Whaaa, I¡­ Was¡­ So¡­ Scared.¡±


    Lily stared at me with cold expressionless face and eyes.


    ¡®What? So I¡¯m the bad guy now? She did attack me first. Then again, maybe I was too hard on her¡¯


    I sighed.


    ¡°Well, I guessed it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    I quickly accessed the storage unit and managed to pull out a cup of ice cream, and chocolate.


    ¡°Here, this is my apology for scaring you.¡±


    I gave her the best smile I could give. But she just shivered in response.


    ¡°What did you do to this poor creature?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I just wanted to test if she¡¯s really the best like she said she was.¡±


    ¡°By bullying her and threatening her!?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I mean¡­well¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.yes¡­..¡±


    *SLAP*


    I felt the sting from my cheeks as she stole the cup of ice cream and chocolate from me.


    ¡®Why am I always the bad guy?¡¯


    _______________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    SURPRISE, CHAPTER 7 IS HERE... well, now that I think about it this is more like chapter 6 part 2... hmmmm.... maybe I should rename them... Meh, too lazy. Any way, this chapter was actually done quickly. How, its because my editor found a way to use google so that we can both work on the story at the same time. That then equals 907 words filled with action pack comedy XD So I hope y''all enjoy this.


    To those who read earlier, sorry. The font was wonky so I fixed it now. It should be good now... I think... I hope lol

 Chapter 8: Magic!

    Chapter 8: Magic!


    ¡°That was such a mess.¡±


    ¡°And whose fault do you think that was.¡±


    I sighed as I raised my hands in defeat. After the fight with the ¡®loli¡¯ commander, Lily has been giving me the guilt trip punishment. I couldn¡¯t even defend myself since she¡¯ll instantly talk about how I rendered the poor girl helplessly.


    What¡¯s worse is that the said girl is now on leave for psychological reasons which only fueled Lily¡¯s contempt on me. Honestly, proclaiming herself guild master. Now I¡¯m doubtful if she really was one of the strongest people in the kingdom. She did look pretty young, and her mentality was weak. But I can¡¯t ignore the fact that she was activating really high spells. I heard Lily sigh.


    ¡°That girl, Nina. She¡¯s not weak. You¡¯re simply just a powerhouse¡­ a monster who enjoys scaring little girls.¡±


    I felt an arrow hit me in the heart.


    ¡°Oh come on! I did apologize to her¡­¡±


    ¡°Which only made her cry even more.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I felt multiple arrows hit me in the heart. Ugh, why is my familiar so ruthless to me? We continued to walk in silence and after a few quiet but agonizing moments, we finally reached a door. We were told by Silvana that her manager would take care of us, so she gave us the location which brings us to where we are.


    I was quite surprised to know that the manager didn¡¯t leave the building. This figure must be a hell of a person to not have vacated the building with the ¡®loli¡¯ commander on the loose. Well, in all honesty though, the building really wasn¡¯t in danger of falling. Not when Lily erected a barrier which both had defensive and illusion base effects. I knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    We walked into the room and found a short silver haired beauty. She was filing through some papers and was surrounded by some type of calming aura. She was wearing a cleric¡¯s outfit, though the chest plate. Maybe she¡¯s part of the clergy. But then again, the chest plate she was wearing showed she was a mercenary, or adventurer. She must be a combat medic then.


    ¡°Ahh, welcome. Please, take a seat.¡±


    We quickly took our seats and I noticed something weird about the room. The walls were filled with nothing but weapons. There were scimitars, flails, broadswords and¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but blink as I looked at the oversized crossbow that took half the wall. Is that a ballista?


    ¡°Hello, and welcome once again to the adventurer¡¯s guild. My name is Cecilia Avenzi, but you can call me Celia. Everyone does.¡±


    She gave us a smile. Oh, it was pure. A pure innocent smile. Yet why do I feel anxious around her. Is it because I feel that she might be special because of the weapon filled walls. I shake the thought away. I still need to introduce myself.


    ¡°Hey Celia. My name is¡­¡±


    ¡°Bryan Carleton and Lily. The queen told me about you two. She especially told me about your¡­ skills.¡±


    Hmm¡­ I guess Artura told her about my strength. I really hope that¡¯s all she told them. I could feel that Celia was closely inspecting both Lily and me as her eyes began to move from one point to another.


    ¡°Well, I was planning on testing you two to see if you¡¯re capable, but at this point¡­ I¡¯ve pretty much seen it all.¡±


    Oh, so she must have seen the fight. Wait, how did she see it? As far as I know, I sensed no one but me, Lily and Nina. This room is especially far from the main hall, so how did she see us.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, since you two are ready, can I ask you a favor Bryan?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She looked as if she was having a hard time saying. She then steeled herself as I saw hope in her eyes.


    ¡°Can you teach a class in how to properly use magic?¡±


    She then handed me a small pamphlet. I skimped through it and to my surprised, everything was written in gold. Basically, this was a guide to this world¡¯s magic. Why is it so small?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, but this world¡¯s magic is beginning to lag. Although we have a basic understanding of it, we really can¡¯t see how we can improve it. Of course, high tiered magicians are able to call strong magic. I myself is known for my molten fire spell, but I myself do not know the full concept of it. I¡¯ve tried to research it many times, but my understanding of it fully entails basic knowledge in the pamphlet¡±


    Oh¡­ so basing her with the rest of this world¡¯s magician, it¡¯s safe to say that they all can summon powerful spell without fully knowing about it. That actually makes me curious. I look into the small pamphlet.


    [Magic is the universal ability to gather mana and to use it to manipulate the elements around us. By looking at the available elements, a magician is able to control it to their will. Depending on the situation, they can control the element to a certain degree, but their mana is depleted over extended use. Also, the elements cannot be changed in the way that their properties can defy the law of physics, therefore.


    -Water beats fire.


    -Fire beats nature.


    -Nature beats earth.


    -Earth beats water]


    Ok, that¡¯s pretty basic¡­ but there¡¯s still more.


    [There are four main elements to be controlled. Water, Fire, Nature and Earth. Each element can be manipulated to make sub elements. Example: Earth and fire can make lava. The only type of element that cannot be controlled is air. For reasons unknown, mana cannot be channeled into the air meaning, they cannot be utilized.]


    Now that is interesting. I kept looking through the rest of the pamphlet. Meh. Everything else is pretty much basic knowledge, but this. This is giving me an idea. Of course I¡¯m utilizing my world¡¯s knowledge, but it¡¯s only our basic magic property. As for the circuits¡­ yeah, I¡¯m not teaching that.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can teach it. I mean, I specialized more in combat but I guess I can do a class with both combat and magic.¡±


    ¡°THANK YOU VERY MUCH!¡±


    She came over to hug me. I was so surprised that I couldn¡¯t even react in time. Before I knew it, I was instantly blocked by two mountains. Where did these come from?


    ¡°Having fun?¡±


    I looked at the looming shadow above me. All my warning bells began ringing and I moved my head to the side. The floor beside me crack as a foot fell through.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Oye, oye are you trying to kill me? I looked at Lily who somehow had a scary look on her face. With an ¡®Hmph¡¯, she instantly headed for the door. What is going on?


    _________________________________________________________________


    (Moments later.)


    ¡°Hya!¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    ¡°EAT THIS!¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    We made our way to some kind of training facility behind the guild. It was a huge stadium type arena that had a single overhanging balcony. In the stadium, several people were currently practicing against dummies or were sparring with one another. These were the trainees in practice.


    ¡°Mr. H, our main instructor is here now so you can switch back to the regular schedule.¡±


    A big bulky man approached us. He had very huge build with bulging muscles. He had short black hair and fierce black eyes. He looked pretty young, but with his huge build, I couldn¡¯t really tell. He laughed.


    ¡°Ahh, finally you found replacements. You know how long I¡¯ve been itching to go back to my forge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we know. That¡¯s why we were lucky that the queen gave us a hero to teach in your stead.¡±


    ¡°EHH, A HERO!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me hero. I¡¯m simply an instructor now.¡±


    The man stared at me with surprise.


    ¡°You seem pretty wise for a brat. Well, at least with this I can leave these people to you. Good luck training them brat, you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Before I can even reply, the man was already gone.


    ¡°Are all the workers in the guild free spirited?¡±


    ¡°Guess you noticed too. Anyway, good luck. I have some things to attend, but I really wish you can help me later too.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No problem, just come by later when you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    Celia gave me a quick bow and quickly left the place.


    ¡°You must really like her¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you please stop, oh ah¡­ ahem¡­? Hello everyone. My name is Bryan Carleton. Just call me Bryan or instructor. Now, I¡¯m pretty inexperienced when it comes to teaching so I hope to learn from you guys too, so please take care of me.¡±


    I bowed. I think I nailed the introduction pretty good. I looked back up only to see the surprised faces of the students. Eh, did I do something wrong.


    ¡°He bowed? The hero just bowed towards us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is pretty weird?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s mocking us.¡±


    What is this? I really don¡¯t like how their impressed with just the word hero. Ugh¡­ I need to change the topic.


    ¡°Ok, Ok¡­ enough with this hero title nonsense. Anyway, I¡¯m here to teach combat abilities and magic so I would like each person to line up in front of me. I will check each of you to see what needs improvements.¡±


    They all began shuffling around. Oh, their following my instructions. That¡¯s surprising, I thought they would question my authority for a bit since they were all nobles. Wait a minute. I looked at the girl in front of me. She was shaking with fear. I looked at the next one¡­ their all shaking in fear except for a couple of dudes. What the fuck is going on, why is everyone getting scared of me?


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re a perverted old man who enjoys boobs and making little girls cry.¡±


    I hit her in the head. I knew she was going for the guilt trip again, but that boob and the age comment really annoyed me. Back to the students though, each one began to show me their levels of combat abilities and magic. So far, everyone was doing well except for one girl who was really having some trouble. Alright, since she¡¯s the last I guess it¡¯s time I start the lesson.


    ¡°Ok, I want you all to gather here since I¡¯m going to explain some things. First I need a volunteer. You girl with the blue scarf, come over here.¡±


    The girl who was having trouble approached. She was a shy girl with dark blue hair and light blue eyes. She was wearing an adventurer¡¯s basic clothing which consisted primarily of leather armor. She had two knives which were currently in their sheaths right now.


    ¡°Alright, I want you to conjure up a fireball spell on that dummy over there.¡±


    I pointed over at a straw dummy which I¡¯ve enhanced with nullifying magic.


    ¡°Hai!¡±


    She looked at it and began to chant.


    ¡°Goddess of light, kindle my flame and annihilate those who harm me [fireball]!¡±


    Fire quickly flew from her hand but before it reached the target it quickly disappeared. She looked down at the ground in disappointment.


    ¡°Let me ask all of you? Why do you think her magic dissipated?¡±


    They all began talking at once.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because the other elements interrupted.¡± ¡°She has low affinity to fire magic.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a commoner.¡± ¡°Her mana wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    There were a couple of good answers and couple of weird ones too. But, I think they had the basics down.


    ¡°So I heard several answers. Some correct, some wrong. I¡¯ll only focus on the correct choices. For one, other elements are interrupting her. The air for example seems to be humid right now meaning there are water particles in the air.¡±


    ¡°This can of course hinder a fire spell to a degree. Now for affinity, well let¡¯s just say there really isn¡¯t such a thing right now so I¡¯ll ignore it. Now, to mana. She did place the correct amount of mana, but there was something special about it. Did anyone see it?¡±


    They all looked at one another, confused.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because there was a fluctuation in the spells mana input?¡±


    A boy appeared. He was around the age of 18 or 19 like his fellow peers. He had that bad boy vibe with his sleek hair and piercing dark eyes.


    ¡°Correct. There was a fluctuation in her mana which hindered the spells manifestation. Now, I want to ask you why that is?¡±


    The boy smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. It shows that you¡¯re simply not meant to use magic. Mana fluctuations tend to happen to those who were not readily born with the gift¡±


    He looked at the girl who only looked at the ground in shame. So even discrimination was in this world. I could tell that this girl has been bullied because of her commoner status. Sigh such a world¡­ Now I really want to change it.


    ¡°So¡­ is that it?¡±


    The boy looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean, is that it? Of course that¡¯s it. There¡¯s no other way to explain the fluctuations except as simple failures. To add to that, she¡¯s a commoner. Worthless garbage that can never do anything.¡±


    Everyone behind him began to snicker. Really, this boy. I can¡¯t wait to see him cry.


    ¡°Really pitiful. To think that this world¡¯s magic is this bad.¡±


    They all instantly stopped as they stared at me.


    ¡°Oye, what do you think your saying hero. You think you can do magic better than us? You haven¡¯t even heard of magic before until now right?¡±


    I could see the condescending look in his eyes. Well at least this is better than the high noble comments earlier. Ugh, I really don¡¯t want to be linked to these worthless nobles. Now how should I go about this? Well, let¡¯s go the fancy way. I placed my hand to the ground. This is my favorite elemental magic back in the other world. You can say, it takes a lot of imagination to create it.


    ¡°Archaic Terra Elementa.¡±


    A huge circle appeared around me. Perfect. I began imagining the form that I wanted to make. Yeah, a wolf would do. I pictured it in my mind, the soft bristle like fur and the powerful legs. The bushy tail and the sharp face, I imagined them all clearly in my mind. I felt the mana grow around me as the earth began to gather.


    In minutes a wolf began to form. Oh, almost forgot. I quickly imagined the control module and implanted it inside the head. As soon as I did that, the wolf began to growl. The students instantly backed up, some falling on their butts. Another few seconds and the spell was complete. The wolf began walking around me, growling at the students. One of them began pointing at me.


    ¡°How¡­ just¡­ How did you¡­?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°This is an example of my world¡¯s basic magic principle. We use a different form of elemental magic, though ours fully understands the elements as a whole.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Your world does¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t come from the same world as the other heroes. If you pair me up with them, you¡¯re going to get the short end of the stick.¡±


    I glared at the boy which instantly elicited a gulp. Surprisingly, the only one who wasn¡¯t afraid was the girl before. Before I knew it, she was already to the wolf patting it on the head. What in the world? I couldn¡¯t help but be flabbergasted as I instantly lost control over the wolf. It changed masters? Impossible. This is someone worth to train. I smiled.


    ¡°Looks like he chose you as its owner.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The girl looked at me then at the wolf. The wolf was no longer growling but was instead whining as it placed its head on her head. She giggled as she continued to pat the creature. Well, I guess there is some worth and interest in teaching this class.


    __________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    BADUM, Chapter 8 is here HOORAH. This was long TT.TT, my editor must be dying from brain malfunction lol


    -Speaking of which, if y''all have questions about the story (especially the usage of magic and stuff that isn''t defined) ask away, and I''ll try to use the later chapters to explain them.


    Aside from that, enjoy.

 Chapter 9: Unexpected development

    Chapter 9: Unexpected Devlopment


    ¡°Well. Since I¡¯m kind of in a bad mood right now, let¡¯s go ahead and move on to combat practice shall we¡±


    I went over to the practice dummies. They were your average straw punching bag. If a knife or a sword was used on this, they would have been instantly cut in half. The thing is, I¡¯m going to be teaching a different kind of combat style. One that mixes offense and defense without the use of weapons. Of course, if they master this, weapons can also be incorporated with different styles. Well, time to create the practice dummies.


    ¡°Archaic Pyro Elementa¡±


    I imagined several spears flying above each target. Soon mana filled the place and several spears made of flames were flying above us. I could feel the tense mood from the students, but I couldn¡¯t care less. In an instant, the fires engulfed each dummy, turning them to ash. Just as they appeared, the flames quickly died out, and the dummies ashes were riding the wind. I then placed my hand on the ground. Just like the wolf, I immediately conjured the earth spell and soon the place was replaced by different looking dummies. These were different though. Each area of the dummies body was fitted with different targets. Every target you hit, it will send a repulsion action. This means that the dummies will attack you with poles using your own energy, but it won¡¯t just come out from the same place. The dummy will adapt and will strike at other places instead. This was truly a masterpiece designed to increase your reaction speed as well as your stamina since your technically fighting yourself. I walked back to the students.


    ¡°Now then, I want you guys to pick a target and practice¡±


    ¡°Practice what?¡±


    ¡°Fighting of course. Oh, and no weapons. You¡¯re only supposed to punch and kick the targets¡±


    I gave them a smile. They all looked at one another and then looked at the dummies.


    ¡°umm¡­ what are those?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re training dummies meant to increase your stamina and reflexes. Well, I could explain it to you but its better experiencing it yourself¡±


    ¡°Um, aren¡¯t you going to teach us magic?¡±


    It was the blue haired girl who spoke. She was currently petting the wolf I made which stared at the other students with and antagonistic glare. Wow, it sure doesn¡¯t like them.


    ¡°Well¡­ I would have taught you guys more magic, but right now¡­ It¡¯s better if I calm down for a bit. I¡¯m afraid I might hurt someone¡±


    This clearly made the students conscious of their actions as many looked to the ground. The delinquent boy was still looking at me in confusion, shock and anger. He then stood up and began to exit the training grounds. Punk.


    ¡°Anyway, I was primarily going to teach combat abilities so if you guys actually want to learn, then take your places¡±


    Once again, the nobles looked at one another and began picking their training dummies. They looked at one another, confused at what they were supposed to do.


    ¡°HA¡±


    One guy punched torso and was instantly punched back. Ouch. His reflexes must be bad since that was a pretty slow blow.


    ¡°What the fuck is this thing?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Ahh¡­ good times.


    ¡°That, my dear students, is the power of these testing dummies. Basically your job is to continuously attack the targets while dodging your own attacks. Of course, the location is random so you¡¯ll need to react fast. By doing this, you all will be able bring your body up to par with your reflexes, a very effective way of training¡±


    They all began to look at the dummies with doubt. Who would blame them? They¡¯re all noble kids who probably didn¡¯t suffer that much to join. Ugh¡­ if only I realized that I was training nobles. That commoner is still a gem though, but this is really not worth it.


    ¡°This is impossible¡±


    One of the girls was beginning to back out.


    ¡°Yeah, do you think anyone can do this¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to do¡± ¡°This looks painful¡±


    I sighed. They really are weak.


    ¡°Hey Lily¡±


    Lily instantly perked up.


    ¡°Mind showing the kids how it¡¯s done?¡±


    She nodded. Every student then stepped away from their own training dummies and sat near Lily¡¯s presentation. She took a deep breath and placed her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Level 1, 2 or 3¡±


    Oh forgot, about that.


    ¡°Start at level 1. They need to see how it works¡±


    ¡°Roger¡±


    Then it began. She began with a slow kick to the leg. The mechanism quickly activated and sent a pole to her face. She quickly blocked this by sliding through it with the back of her hand. She then launched two consecutive punches to the neck and one kick to the side. Of course the dummy retaliated by attacking her in the stomach and her legs. She flexed her body, sliding in between two poles while kicking the other one away. She continued her ballet as she exchanged attacks with the dummy. Alright, time to amp it up a bit.


    ¡°Lily, stage 2¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer. Instead her punches became more fluid and her battle style became quicker.


    ¡°Whoa she¡¯s fending off one attack after another. Just who is she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe this is possible¡±


    ¡°She looks cute. You think she¡¯d mind if I ask her out?¡±


    ¡°No chance man¡­ Why do I feel as if the instructor is looking at us¡±


    I ignored the talk and studied Lily¡¯s combat prowess. She still has it. Her style pretty much mixes a bit of martial arts, breakdancing and boxing. I can clearly see how she boxes for her attacks, defends with her feet using martial arts and dodges by breakdancing around the attacks. Truly a scary and very calculative opponent.


    ¡°Stage 3¡±


    I saw her smile. Out of nowhere she instantly coated her arms with fire. The students looked surprised as Lily was instantly bathed in flames. She continued attacking the dummies with increased speed. To the student¡¯s surprise, the dummy also began attack with fire.


    ¡°Oye, oye. Just what kind of training dummies are those?¡±


    Everyone was shocked to see magic being used by the dummies, but they¡¯re even more dumbfounded with Lily. It was rather simple. By using magic, your just charging the dummies with your own spell¡­ but it won¡¯t be fun to tell them that yet. Well with this, I think we have them in our grasp.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Alright Lily, that¡¯s enough¡±


    Lily instantly grasped the last pole coming at her. She then squeezed it, breaking it into small and tiny pieces. As usual, such overkill.


    ¡°Now then. As you can see, the dummies adapt to your level of combat experience. The more you train, the better you get. The better you get, the harder it becomes. That¡¯s what these dummies are made for. That¡¯s why if you don¡¯t have the stomach for this, leave now. But, if you really want to improve¡­ stay and hone your skills. Understand¡±


    Many of the students looked at me. Then, some began walking away. Spineless wimps¡­ the lot of them. By the end of it, only twenty students remain. I look into each of their eyes. They had fear¡­ but they also look as if they made up their resolution. I smiled.


    ¡°Alright, now then. I want you guys to start slowly. Get a feel of the dummies. If you tap it lightly, it will send out the pole lightly so you can do this slowly ok. Just know, I will be testing you guys every week to see were you are so try not to lag behind alright¡±


    ¡°YES SENSEI¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself and grinned. These kids¡­ they may not actually be so bad.


    ¡°Good, I love the strong willed response. For now, we will end here. Dismiss¡±


    Every student began to leave. I alongside Lily began to walk back to the office.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ this was actually a fruitful day. I wish nothing bad happens later on¡±


    ¡°With your luck, something bad might happen¡­ speaking of which. Did you notice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed¡±


    We walked a couple more feet and made a right into an empty area. I looked back expecting to see something. No one was there though, but I can¡¯t be fooled. I could feel something in front of me.


    ¡°So, mind if you come out already¡±


    Silence. But then, a girl came out.


    ¡°Oh, blue haired girl. Why are you following us?¡±


    She looked around, her hand still petting the wolf.


    ¡°Um¡­ can you please teach me advanced magic?¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason you followed us? You do know I¡¯m going to teach you guys magic right?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Yes, I know you were going to teach us magic¡­ but I also know you¡¯re only teaching us the basics¡±


    ¡°So then, what exactly are you asking for?¡±


    She looked very nervous as she held her arms to her heart.


    ¡°I¡­ I want to learn your worlds advance magic!¡±


    I gave her a blank stare.


    ¡°There is no way I can do that¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Why not?


    ¡°Simply because your body won¡¯t be able to handle it correctly¡±


    She looked down in distraught, but as if she had a sudden boost of confidence, she looked at me once more.


    ¡°Then please, teach me of a good way to acquire it. I will do anything so please teach me¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be amaze. I honestly didn¡¯t want to teach this world magical circuitry for two reasons. One, this world isn¡¯t prepared for this scale of magical usage. Two, it¡¯s a double edge sword that can kill its user. That¡¯s why it takes a very strong person to wield it since its properties uses the wielders strength as a basis. Even knowing this, why. Why do I feel like I want to teach her? Is it because it¡¯s interesting? Fun? What is becoming of me¡­?


    ____________________________________________________________________________________


    (Miselle Reille)


    I looked deep into the hero¡¯s eyes. I could tell that he was hiding his true power. What I saw from before¡­ something told me he can do more. That¡¯s why I want to learn. I want to learn more about his world¡¯s magic. If I do, then someday¡­ I can repay the promise I took. He sighed.


    ¡°Alright¡­ fine, I¡¯ll teach you¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I feel really happy now. My anxiety, my fears. It all disappeared with his voice.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s just one rule you have to abide by¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He gave me a serious expression. Earlier, he seemed to be a rather passive person. Now, I could feel a small amount of his bloodlust leaving him. My body began shaking, but I did my best to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°Never tell anyone about this¡±


    I tried to reply but I couldn¡¯t really speak. Instead I nod my head in agreement. He instantly lifted the pressure, and I could once again move. My heart began racing. Wow, I didn¡¯t even noticed that I stopped breathing.


    ¡°Well, I guess that settles it. But first, I have to ask. Are you really up for this?¡±


    I looked at him, my eyes filled with resolution. If this was the quickest way I can get stronger, then I¡¯ll do anything for that strength. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no backing out now.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m prepared for anything that you can throw at me¡±


    ¡°Alright. Just know that at the end of this, you might change how you view the world. Is that fine¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    He smiled. Then suddenly, his aura vanished. It was as if he wasn¡¯t even there. I had to keep my eyes on him just to make sure he was there.


    ¡°Well, I do hope you don¡¯t regret your decision¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Eh. Why is everything upside down? The sky was below me and the ground was above. What is going on? I could feel my consciousness slowly disappearing. I saw the look on the girls face. She was smiling. I wonder why? Mr. Bryan¡¯s face then came into view. He was also smiling. Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t help it anymore. I felt myself slowly going to sleep, but not until I saw my body which kneeled on the ground without a head.


    ¡®Let¡¯s begin¡¯


    ______________________________________________


    Authors note:


    SURPRISE, bet you guys didn''t expect another chapter... and that ending >:)


    Hope you enjoyed


    P.S. This is unedited since I also want to surprise my editor >.<

 Arc 1 Chapter 1: It Begins

    Chapter 1: It Begins


    Chapter 10:


    *Chop* *Chop* *Chop*


    I rapidly cut the mushrooms, the knife hitting into the board in a rhythmic beat. This was the sort of ambience I¡¯ve been seeking my entire life. The fire crackling, the crickets playing along to the beat of my knife and the soft drizzle from the rain. It really sounds peaceful right about now. It really makes me want to sleep. Speaking of sleep.


    ¡°Hey Lily.¡±


    ¡°Sup?¡±


    She turned to look at me as she continued making the sauce.


    ¡°Can you check up on Miselle?¡±


    She gave me a questioning look.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Miselle.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around and check up on her already.¡±


    She pouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun today¡­ give me a sec.¡±


    She then quickly finished mixing the sauce and quickly placed it on the stove. She then disappeared into the nearest room as I quickly placed the mushroom atop the steak we were going to cook.


    ¡°Well, she seems fine. A week of sleep must have finally paid off. Plus, it looks like she¡¯s having a good dream. Smiling too. I wonder what she¡¯s dreaming about.¡±


    ¡°Beats me, but at least she¡¯s better now. Hey, can you help me cut the onions?¡±


    She quickly went to work as I placed the sauce she made over the steak. I even added a bit of honey. Ah, the smell. It hasn¡¯t even started to be cooked and you can already smell the sweet fragrance. What¡¯s even better was that the ingredients were bought with my own hard earned cash. I know I could have just used the money Artura gave me, but what¡¯s the fun in that. Plus, I got to see much of the kingdom seeing as some of them included escort mission to the other islands. Who knew monsters were also in here, but they were pretty weak.


    ¡°Ne, Bryan?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    I barely looked up as I placed the steak on the oven.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering¡­ why are you helping that girl?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird question to ask. Why ask that now?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders as she passed me the onions. I quickly placed them over the steak. I then activated the circuit and sure enough, I could feel the heat coming from the oven.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, I was actually thinking about something. I know that I¡¯ve declined being a hero and all, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to help.¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you already helping by teaching their militia how to fight?¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ the things you found. It¡¯s really concerning.¡±


    I remember the reports she gave to me a while back. As we were being guided in the castle, Lily wasted no time setting up small video camera bugs. They¡¯ve scoured the entire castle and in a matter of days, managed to uncover many things. I was surprised at the level of corruption. Tax evasion, illegal slavery, assassinations, threats. There were all sorts of files hidden deeply inside the castle. Of course, none of them were from Artura. Instead, they were from the small noble factions that were fighting for control in the background.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ll be living here starting from now on, don¡¯t you think we should at least improve the city?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess you have a point, but how are we supposed to do that?¡±


    *Ting*


    Oh, the steaks ready. I instantly turned the oven off and took out the steak inside. Ah, the smell. It was so endearing that I immediately forgot about our conversation.


    ¡°She should be good by now so go ahead and wake Miselle up. She¡¯s going to enjoy this.¡±


    I placed the tray on the table and began preparing the table. Meanwhile, Lily had gone into one of the rooms. As I set the last plates, Miselle walked into the dining room.


    ¡°Evening princess. Sorry to bother you in your rest, but you should probably eat¡±


    I gave her a smile.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    Huh. I looked towards her. She looks pissed. Then again, she probably still remembers what happened. Plus, I did keep her here for a whole week.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go ahead and explain everything¡­ right after we eat, so might as well sit down.¡±


    I sat on my chair as well as Lily. We then began eating the steak. Oh¡­ the flavor. How amazing it is. The honey really complemented the sauce, and the juicy steak. Ah¡­ its tenderness is out of this world. I then noticed Miselle walking to an empty sit and immediately took a huge bite of the steak.


    ¡°Oishi!¡±


    I could see her stare wide eyed at the food. In no time, she too began clawing through it like a hungry animal. Well, what can I say? I¡¯m a pretty good cook.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Now then. Mind explaining to me what you did?¡±


    She stared at me in anger.


    ¡°You know, I really don¡¯t like tension so if you don¡¯t mind, can you stop looking at me with an angry expression.¡±


    ¡°You want me to stay calm. If I last remember, you sliced off my head, remember. Just what the hell was that for?¡±


    She smashed her hand on the table. Luckily, Lily had already picked up the majority of the dishes so nothing broke. Well, except for my patience. Like Lily once said, I really get irritated easily and loud noises doesn¡¯t help. I instantly released a bit of my bloodlust.


    ¡°Look, either you calm down or I¡¯ll get rough with you. I¡¯m usually a very peaceful man, but even I can get my hands dirty.¡±


    I looked straight into her eyes. She immediately looked away as she shook lightly.


    ¡°I thought you were a good person.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ you¡¯ve only met me for a while, girlie. You honestly believe I¡¯m a good guy.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a¡­¡±


    I instantly raised my hand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to lump me with those people. I¡¯m no hero you understand. I¡¯ve done things¡­ many things just so I could survive. That¡¯s why I have power. Power that I earned through years of suffering. Powers that I never wanted. So you tell me this...¡±


    I left my seat and pinned her down to her chair. I could see sweat pouring from her forehead as her face was paling.


    ¡°¡­ You think you¡¯re strong enough to handle my training. If you can¡¯t even keep calm after what I did to you, then you have nothing for me to teach. So let me ask you again, do you actually think your body can keep up with my teaching?¡±


    I could see her visibly gulp. Her eyes were darting everywhere.


    ¡°N...n¡­¡±


    I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No?¡±


    She instantly bit her lip. She bit herself so hard that she was actually bleeding. She then looked me in the eyes. What I saw was not a girls eyes, but eyes of that of a tiger.


    ¡°Yes, I can do it. That¡¯s why please, do anything to help me learn.¡±


    She instantly bowed. I¡¯m¡­ actually impressed. Right now she had courage. Enough courage to actually talk and last through my bloodlust. I even increased the level, but she¡¯s hardly shaking anymore. Well, I guess she passed the first test. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°There we go, now that¡¯s the spirit. Alright, I¡¯ll teach you¡­ but first a bit of info.¡±


    She now looked at me with a serious face. Perfect, a face of a true warrior.


    ¡°Before I can truly teach you my magic, there is one thing you must learn first.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°The fear of death. You must learn not to fear it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that?¡±


    I crossed my arms in front of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Learn how to not fear death.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ kind of impossible?¡±


    I laughed even more.


    ¡°Nonsense, by the time I¡¯m done, you should no longer fear death, so don¡¯t worry about it. Oh, but try not flinch. It makes it harder for me to cut you.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    Before she could react, I instantly summoned my katana. In a wide arc, it immediately sliced through her neck. In seconds she was down on the floor.


    ¡°Well¡­ that went rather well¡±


    Lily quickly made her way to the girl and studied her pulse.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s only asleep. At least she didn¡¯t go into shock like last time¡±


    ¡°Meh, she¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not like this sword can actually cut her¡±


    I looked at the sword in my hand. It was an elegant sword made of pure jet black adamantine. It was a cursed blade whose effects allows it to cut not the body, but the spirit of the body. Of course the soul is safe since for some strange reason, it can only cut the spirit of the targeted object. In that sense, I targeted Miselle¡¯s body so it only cut the soul¡¯s body. Of course the soul regenerates soner and later, and strangely enough, even though your bodies not cut, your mind hallucinates and shows you the parts that was cut. All in all, a very crude weapon.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.Lily quickly carried the poor girl into one of the rooms. As for me, I went outside and stared at rain. It was really peaceful.


    ¡°So, you mind telling me why exactly are you helping her?¡±


    I felt a small tang of anger in her voice. I sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just say you want to help. You¡¯re already helping the kingdoms forces, so why go the extra length for this girl¡±


    I bit my lips as she immediately cut me off. Do I really need to tell her¡­ ugh, I really don¡¯t want to tell her. She¡¯ll probably get mad. But then again, there is no stopping this world. Ever since we¡¯ve arrived I¡¯ve realized, no matter how much we try to get away, we¡¯ve become pieces in the chessboard, the end-move very far away. Suddenly, I detected movements. Hmm¡­ guess I¡¯m not the first to move.


    ¡°Bryan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lily quickly noticed what was happening and had summoned her gun.


    ¡°Guess there¡¯s no use hiding it. I did a bit more research on Miselle, even read her memories. She¡¯s¡­ a very important person to say the least.¡±


    ¡°What, is she an experiment or an assassin that has valuable information?¡±


    ¡°Nope, she¡¯s higher.¡±


    She thought for a moment as she aimed her gun around her. Then as if dawning on her, her mouth became wide open.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­ she¡¯s the queen of a recently fallen kingdom. Miselle Reille, the Gaulic queen of the north.¡±


    ¡°AND YOU KEPT THIS FROM ME WHY?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, focus on finding their leader first.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so going to kill you after this.¡±


    She instantly disappeared.


    ¡°[Command Central Activated. Mode ¡®1¡¯. Initiate combat sequence. Level 1]¡±


    An interface appeared in front of me. I saw my health bar as well as Lily¡¯s. A small map on the bottom right corner showed me where everything is. A green dot was moving quickly through the map approaching every red dot it came across. As soon as it touches one, the red dot immediately disappears. I could also hear small burst of gunfire from here accompanied by a myriad of screams.


    ¡°Well, I probably shouldn¡¯t lag behind¡±


    I quickly summoned by two knives and dashed towards the stream. There were a lot of enemies to say the least. I couldn¡¯t see them clearly out in the open, but thanks to the map, I knew where they were hiding. I quickly flash stepped to an unsuspecting person.


    ¡°Found you.¡±


    He barely turned around before two knives appeared on the back of his head. I quickly pulled out as an arrows hissed pass me. I looked into the shadows and noticed four¡­ no five assassins. Two had some type of crossbow while the other two carried swords.


    ¡°Enemy sighted, engage in full combat.¡±


    I hear all three of them screaming as they dashed towards me. The other two began running for the house.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, ¡®Fireball¡¯¡±


    Two orbs instantly flew from my hand. One of them immediately turns around.


    ¡°Goddess be my light and¡­¡±


    ¡°[Amplify].¡±


    My fireballs accelerated. The man¡¯s eyes were wide in shock as the fireball cleanly tore threw him. Blood spilled from his mouth and his insides began burning. The other man also dropped to forest floor. Dead. His lifeless body lay as fire could be seen where the head used to be. The three people became wary as they eyed me very closely. One of them instantly went for jab. Using the hilt of my knife, I let his sword slide past me. At the last possible second, I then slashed upwards as I felt flesh being torn apart. I then kicked the man flying and used that force to somersault behind another person. The poor guy tried to turn around, but instead he fell to the floor as two knives could be seen poking out of his chest.


    ¡°Monster.¡±


    Oh, is that a girl¡¯s voice? I studied the last assassin. Yep it¡¯s a girl. She had brown eyes and short hair. She looked pretty poor, but then again, it might just be a uniform to not draw attention. But¡­ actually she seems familiar.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s a girl like you doing in a job like this?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    She prepared her sword and swung it sideways aiming for my chest. I prepared to defend myself by pulling out my own sword. I quickly sent it to the side hoping to block it. Before the blade reached me, she instantly changed the direction of the blade.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I immediately dodged. That was a perfectly executed strike. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that that was my technique, then I would have been hit by now.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re one of my students.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She remained silent.


    ¡°Why are doing this? Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Ugh¡­ she¡¯s a pain in the ass. Wait, now that I think about it. There was this one noblewoman in my class who¡¯s pretty quiet. The problem is that she looks nothing like the assassin in front of me. Long silver hair and silver eyes, there¡¯s no comparison¡­ wait a minute. I instantly dodged to the side as I continued to study her face. Then I noticed that she was wearing some kind of collar. Is that what I think it is?


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing a concealment charm aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She continued giving me a blank look but you could see small sweat forming from the base of her brow. Well, at least I got that right. Time to see who it is.


    ¡°[Command Type 2: Dispel]¡±


    The collar instantly vaporized. The girl, surprised, dropped her guard and I wasted no time. I instantly ran behind her and, before she could fight back, hit her at the back of her neck. She instantly lost consciousness as I caught her in my arms. Her face also began to vaporize and the familiar silver haired girl could be seen. So it was her. The question is though, what is she doing here?


    ¡°Hey Bryan.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ perfect timing. Here, take her to the house¡±


    I quickly passed her over to Lily. With a ¡®why am I always carrying them¡¯ complaint, she quickly headed back to the house. As for me, I continued looking through the corpses. I couldn¡¯t tell who they were, but I was really glad that none of them were students. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen when I try to explain this to Artura. Then I noticed something. These people, their cloaks. They had the same insignia. There was a lion in the middle with two swords going through it. Wings could be seen to envelop the insignia with words that I couldn¡¯t really read.


    ¡°Well, at least this can work as evidence¡­¡±


    I quickly gathered the corpses into one big pile.


    ¡°Fireball.¡±


    The bodies quickly caught fire. I stayed there to watch as their bodies became ashes. I¡¯ve been so used to this, yet watching this¡­ I still can¡¯t get over the sadness that I feel. Every fight, every day. I continued to do this. Is this respect, honor, and mourning. Even I don¡¯t know anymore. I then looked at one of the men. A picture fell out from his burning coat. It was an image of a family. The man was hugging what appeared to be his daughter as his wife hugged him from behind. This man also had a family. As I thought this, the picture slowly caught fire. Just like the bodies, it quickly turned into ash and was carried by the rainy breeze.


    ___________________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Hey guys, sorry it took a while. I was studying a lot for my midterms lol


    But now that I''m pretty free, I decided to finally finish this one, have it edited, and then posted. Thank you for your patience and enjoy.


    P.S. This is a time skip, but in the right context. Unlike my previous ones lol


    P.S.S. For those who wanted action, well it begins here. Also, I''ve been excited about starting the first arc >.<


    P.S.S.S. Is the POV good, or should I try writing in 3rd Person (This question is for you to editor XD)

 Arc 1 Chapter 2: The Fallen Kingdom

    Still alive... enjoy


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Arc 1 Chapter 2: The Fallen Kingdom


    When was the last time I¡¯ve fought someone? Three weeks¡­ no four. I honestly couldn¡¯t remember, but I do remember that this fight was nothing compared to the fights in my world. Honestly, in a world filled with monsters, you would think that humanity would unite. Instead, we were fighting each other for the last remaining resources possible.


    How stupid really. Even in this world, apparently people are still fighting each other even though the demons were attacking. Why? I don¡¯t know. Land, Resources, Money, Power. None of this I care for, yet everyone aside from me seems to seek these four things. Why? Protection, family, peace¡­ An Irony really. An Irony that I just can¡¯t understand. Just what am I missing? I couldn¡¯t help but think as I made my way back to the house.


    ¡°You¡¯re late!¡±


    I look over to Lily who was glaring at me like a tiger hunting for its prey. Before I knew it, she dashed towards me and lifted me off the ground forcing me to look at her.


    ¡°Spill it. Who were those people and what¡¯s going on?¡±


    I could feel her hands clench my shirt tighter. Well, I guess she has reasons to be mad. I practically had her in the dark for the past week. I sighed.


    ¡°Put me down first and I¡¯ll get some drinks to go with our talk, ok.¡±


    She bit her lower lip, thinking. After a few seconds she then placed me down and sat on one of the chair.


    ¡°No more straying from the topic and you better not Lie.¡±


    I could sense a slight bloodthirst coming from her. Yeah she¡¯s mad. I quickly went over to the fridge and took out the soda I had prepared earlier. I then gave her a cup as I sat beside her. She quickly drank the cola, a refreshing smile on her face. When it comes to food and drinks, Lily always calms down without even knowing it herself. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I see her face loosened.


    ¡°Now, talk. I want to know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Well, how much do you know so far?¡±


    She gave me an exasperated look as if to say ¡®really?¡¯


    ¡°All I know is that, WE WERE ATTACKED BY PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR YOUR SO CALLED FALLEN QUEEN. Aside from that, NOTHING!¡±


    She shoved her face towards me as she grabbed my collar. I raised up my hands in surrender.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Jeez, you don¡¯t have to yell. Also, your face is too close¡­ sigh.¡±


    I quickly began explaining what I found over the week. Apparently, a neighboring kingdom managed to find a relic that bestowed its troop¡¯s powers as long as they¡¯re within its radius. With this, they managed to succumb three of the surrounding kingdoms, including the kingdom of Gaul. The queen managed to escape, but her subjects were forced to cover her retreat. Now, the kingdom is under strict rule by what is now known as the Holy Asvarian Empire.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that really doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Lily now looks at me, eyes filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Why are they fighting now? Aren¡¯t they fighting against the demons?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that there fighting against the demons, but humans are humans. Don¡¯t you remember that in our world, its survival of the fittest? Either you were strong or you lose everything. Everyone was a part of this, humans or monsters. That¡¯s why I¡¯m honestly not surprised this happened in this world too.¡±


    She still doesn¡¯t seemed convince as she went into a deep thought.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess that¡¯s a fair answer, but as far as I can see, the humans in this world don¡¯t seem to be like that. Their more¡­ understanding, patriots really in the fact that their specie is united against the demons.¡±


    I sighed as I pat her in the head. Though she¡¯s an all divine being, sometimes she can¡¯t understand most of human logic. She aimed a pouty face towards me.


    ¡°What is this condescending feeling¡­? I feel as if your eyes are pitying me! Hey¡­ listen to me¡­ mou¡­¡±


    I kept patting her in the head as she continued to pout. Ahh¡­ this really feels nice.


    ¡°I know being a divine and all, you still can¡¯t really understand us, but just take my word. When push comes to shove, humans will always stab you in the back¡­ though I have to admit, there are special cases.¡±


    I smiled which seems to have gotten a reaction from her. She instantly quieted down as I continued to pat her.


    ¡°Well, at least I know part of what¡¯s happening, but I¡¯m still wondering. Why did they decide to attack the neighboring kingdoms now?¡±


    ¡°Actually, they did this six year ago.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡±


    She gave me a blank look.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°I can tell why you¡¯re surprised. Actually, I was surprised too, until I went out myself.¡±


    ¡°YOU WENT OUT FROM THE ISLANDS! HOW?¡±


    She could barely hide her shock as she stood up from the couch.


    ¡°I simply floated down to the continents and sped through the entire area. Speaking of which, there were some good fruits grow¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the fruits right now! Ugh¡­ really, if I don¡¯t watch over you twenty-four seven, I always lose track of you.¡±


    She did a face palm as she shook her head in a disapproving tone. I shrugged.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it, I was really curious, especially after I looked into the queen¡¯s memories.¡±


    She looked at me in an even more reproachful way.


    ¡°First you leave me from an adventure, then you go and peep into another girls dreams¡­ honestly, do you have no decency.¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re making it sound as if I do nothing but bad things?¡±


    I could see her trying to contain herself as she clenched her teeth and took short quick breaths.


    ¡°Just tell me what you found.¡±


    ¡°Nah¡­ I¡¯ll just show you instead.¡±


    I laughed to myself as she quickly changed from furious to mildly irritated. Honestly, her emotions flow out too easily. She was already familiar with the process I was going to do as she relaxed herself on the chair and closed her eyes. I then went behind her and began to gather the mana in my hand.


    ¡°[Animus Inplico].¡±


    I felt images surround me. Like a holographic command center, screens popped all around us. Of course, this was all in our minds so people from the outside would only see me holding on to both Lily¡¯s temple. I began sifting through the images until I made it to a select few.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    I could feel Lily¡¯s surprise as we are shown a view of the Gaulic kingdom. It was a castle made of pure diamond. Of course the houses were fashioned in a medieval style with wood and stone, but the castle walls and the fortresses that guards the houses were made of pure diamond. To top it off, the surrounding area was filled with trees of varying sizes as well as a river that acted as a moat. Truly a marvelous spectacle.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The image instantly moved to show a tall man. He looked pretty slim, but his clothes showed that he was a person of high authority. Not only that, he seemed to emit an aura that can even be felt by me. Judging from Lily¡¯s slight shudder, she could also feel his aura.


    ¡°Someday, you will be ruling over this beautiful city. That¡¯s why, grow into a beautiful and strong queen who will be worthy to rule over it, alright.¡±


    The man smiled as he reached over our head and began to pat us. I could tell that the owner was happy as a quick ¡°uhm¡± could be heard. Then the image shifted. Fires were raging everywhere, houses laid collapsed. The once green scenery was nothing more than a barren wasteland. The image then began moving and finally a door could be seen. Two knights were there and soon opened the two huge doors. Inside, laid the person, but now he harbored a wound on his chest.


    ¡°FATHER!¡±


    We quickly approached the wounded man. The surrounding was very serious. The people around us gave sad and angry faces, yet the one smiling out of all of them was the wounded man.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Miselle, I thought I told you not go here.¡±


    He patted our heads again but quickly stopped when he started coughing out blood.


    ¡°f¡­fat¡­ther.¡±


    I once again felt the pain in my heart as the memories supplied its dose on us.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok Miselle¡­ rather, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re still ok. That¡¯s why remember our promise ok.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    The man looked at us. I felt small drops from my eyes as they fell to floor beneath us.


    ¡°Why do you sound as if you¡¯re dying?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ honey don¡¯t say that¡­ everything is going to be alright¡­ that¡¯s why just let me rest a bit ok.¡±


    The man once again gave a smile. Everyone around us also had tears in their eyes. This man must have been respectable in his time.


    ¡°MY LORD THEY ARE COMING!!¡±


    A knight quickly enters. You could hear blades whistling and metals clashing. Screams also echoed through the chambers. We turned back towards the man and suddenly I saw a fire kindle in his eye. He then took out his sword and used it as a walking stick.


    ¡°Miselle¡­ urgh¡­ come with¡­. With me.¡±


    He began to lead me towards the throne. I looked back to see that everyone was now facing the door.


    ¡°Na tous skot¨®soume ¨®lous¡± (Kill them all)


    A wide cheer could be heard as the door suddenly exploded. I saw several figures pouring through as blades clashed once again.


    ¡°Hurry¡­ cough, cough.¡±


    My gaze was torn from the battlefield as we quickly arrived on the throne. The man then inserted his sword into a slot. The chair swiveled to side, instantly opening a tunnel. You can even say it was a slide of some sort.


    ¡°Sir. Drake, come.¡±


    One of the knights quickly approached. The man looked into the knights eyes with authority.


    ¡°Take care of her ok.¡±


    He then smiled.


    ¡°Wait, father wh¡­¡±


    Then darkness. I skimmed past this and quickly went to the next memory. The memory of her waking up. We were now in a forest. We were alone. The knight wasn¡¯t even here. It was only until we made it to the river that we found the remains of the knight. I could feel the girls fear as she saw several dogs eat away at the corpse. His death must have been pretty quick considering the arrows on his head and his body. I skimmed forward again. This time, we were in a different area. It was a much darker forest than the last. It has been six weeks for the girl. She¡¯s been walking nonstop, eating whatever she can find and drinking water from any available places. She had a very monotone look on her face as the life seemed to have been sucked from her.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    We stopped. Our view slowly turned around until an old lady could be seen.


    ¡°My, what happened to you? Are you ok?¡±


    I ended the memories there. I then switch to my memories and showed her everything I saw. Corruption. Everywhere I looked was corruption. The women were treated like things, and many of the men were forced into labor camps. The kids were also forced to do jobs just to make a measly coin. What was worse was that none of them seemed to have control over their lives. They were just like¡­ me.


    ¡°STOP!¡±


    I quickly blanked as I fell on my back. All of a sudden I felt someone in front of me. It was Lily, and she somehow clung to me without even knowing it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry I made you remember¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    I placed my hands on her face. I wiped the tears that were falling from her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t really pay attention to it when I was there, but I guess I did now.¡±


    I gave her a wry smile as she continued sobbing on my chest. She was really sensitive to me, though I have to say, this really those feel nice. She quickly recovered herself as I gave her another cup. I once again smiled as she gave off a relaxed sigh.


    ¡°Well, I guess that answers most of my questions. I have to say though; the people were being treated bad huh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I really didn¡¯t enjoy my stay there. Though I did manage to make a couple of good contacts.¡±


    ¡°Good? Yeah, those are good contacts. That was the rebel army right? Honestly, one week and you¡¯ve already managed to ingrain yourself into this worlds conflict¡­ what happened to staying quiet?¡±


    ¡°I did say that¡­ but I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t intervene with the human side.¡±


    I gave her a wink as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Any way, my final question. Why are you teaching her our world¡¯s magic?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would ask. It¡¯s actually quite simple¡­ she¡¯s going to be my test subject.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Oh, now she seemed curious.


    ¡°Well¡­ see for yourself.¡±


    I gave out a grin as I extended my hand in front of me. I then projected a simple circuit in front of her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ wait, what is this? I¡¯ve never seen this before!¡±


    And caught. Yep, now she looks even more interested.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­ you like it? I¡¯ve been researching this ever since that girl decided to become my disciple. Of course it took a while and actually required a spirit, but after getting the necessary items, I managed to make it.¡±


    She gave off another sigh.


    ¡°Really¡­ ever since you¡¯ve come to this world, nothing seems quiet. You¡­ you didn¡¯t really mean everything that you said during the meeting didn¡¯t you¡±


    I winked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to hide some of your goals you know. It¡¯s more fun that way.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I surrender. Well at least you managed to tell me everything¡­ oh speaking of which, what do we do with her?¡±


    She pointed at a girl lying on the corner.


    ¡°Oh¡­ forgot about her. Hmm¡­¡±


    I quickly went over and did a quick scan. Hmm¡­ interesting. There was a second soul inside her body¡­ actually, one of the soul was fully engulfing the other one which means¡­ this girl is being controlled. I sent a small amount of mana to her soul. I then felt as the mana travelled from the soul towards a certain location. I see. So it¡¯s forced manipulation.


    ¡°Hey Lily. I think you¡¯re going to have fun with this so make it quick. I want you to torture her¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I haven¡¯t done this in a while. Ok, what info do you want from her?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡­ oh but there¡¯s a catch.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow towards me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t torture the body. Torture the soul and try to bring it here¡±


    She fully understood what I was trying to say and gave a very sadistic smile as she licked her lips, staring at the sleeping girl.


    ¡°I see¡­ forced manipulation huh. Well, whoever it is, they¡¯re going to have a big surprise.¡±


    She then took the girl¡¯s body and used a gravity spell on her. The girl was now on the wall as Lily began taking out one tool after another. I could see hooks, swords and small daggers. If you identify them, they had many curses on them. The most important curse was the soul reaper. Basically, these didn¡¯t go for the body. No, it harmed the soul.


    ¡°Make sure not to harm the true soul. I don¡¯t want her dying on us in the process.¡±


    She smiled. She then took the sickle and instantly aimed it at the girl¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m pretty good with my aim.¡±


    With that, the torture session begins.


    _________________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Welp... I imploded making this chapter. So many rewrites... any way, this was a major info dump really, so its kind of boring in the sense, but not really... don''t really know, I guess its up to y''all to decide that XD


    Any way, aside from this, chapters should be coming in soon... again, I really hope I didn''t make this too complicated since I know that tends to backfire. If y''all have questions, ask in comments so I can somehow answer them in the coming chapters.


    Aside from that ONWARDS

 Arc 1 Chapter 2.5: A House of Monsters

    FYI: A secondary title to this was Prologue to Torture


    Read authors note since I have a question for y''all lol


    P.S. This contains some form of torture. Only light, but I''ll still warn y''all.


    ____________________________________________________________


    Arc 1 Chapter 2.5: A House of Monsters


    (Assassins POV)


    How¡­ how¡­ our plan was perfect, yet almost every one of my comrades died. Ugh¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I was controlling the girl, I would have died too. Strangely though, I don¡¯t feel that our connection was severed. That means the girl still lives. They were probably going to interrogate her¡­ ugh, I have to make sure she doesn¡¯t spill anything. Although I managed to catch her at a very convenient time, she¡¯s seen our plans and our base of operations. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to make her kill herself once she wakes up. Honestly it¡¯s quite a waste. She had some really good skills and her swordsmanship was amazing¡­ But a jobs a job. She needs to die. Anyway, let¡¯s see if she¡¯s finally awake.


    I took over the girls conscious. Yep, still not awake. But you know what, I can just force her awake. Without any problems, my eyes quickly opened and I began to look at the girls surroundings. They were still in the house and I could see the man and the girl standing in front of me.


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel dread as the girl looked at me with a seductive grin. She was holding a sickle which really looked eerily dangerous.


    ¡°Make sure not to harm the true soul. I don¡¯t want her dying on us in the process.¡±


    The girl smiled. At that moment, I knew something wasn¡¯t right. Was the girl already awake and I just didn¡¯t notice, did they already kill her and I just took over a lifeless body. These thoughts raced through my mind as the girl aimed the sickle at my legs. Looking at the weapon, I¡¯m really glad I¡¯m not there to experience it. Suddenly, I felt excruciating pain as the sickle went through my legs.


    ¡®WHAT THE FUCK!¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t even scream as the pain was immeasurable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m pretty good with my aim.¡±


    The girl pulled the weapon back as I collapsed to the floor. Looking at my host, it looks like she suffered nothing¡­ yet why? WHY DO I FEEL PAIN? Extreme pain once again went through my mind as the sickle went through my other leg.


    I felt my mind blank out momentarily, but I quickly recovered for some strange reason.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can blank out on us.¡±


    The man pointed a hand towards me as if he can see me. Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¡°You¡­ you can see me.¡±


    ¡°Ha, see you. We can hear, see and feel you now.¡±


    He gave a sinister smile as he gave a quick signal to the girl. She then went over to me and punched me. I couldn¡¯t help but collapse as I felt the wind knocked out of me. It¡¯s as if I was there.


    ¡°Actually. It¡¯s because you are here.¡±


    He could read my mind, but that¡¯s not what I was worried about.


    ¡°W¡­ at¡­¡±


    I looked around. How? When? I couldn¡¯t help but stay still in shock as I was no longer at the base. I was in enemy territory. The girl quickly went over to me and attached a choker. I tried to fight back but her strength was insane.


    ¡°Oh, dearie. Don¡¯t worry. This will only hurt a lot.¡±


    My neck suddenly started to sear with pain. I screamed. Never have I felt pain as deep as this. It felt like a thousand needles were scraping its way into my neck.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only a feeling. Your neck is actually still fine.¡±


    I could tell she was enjoying this. Her face was filled with ecstasy.


    ¡°¡­monster¡­¡±


    I once again said the same thing over again¡­ this time though, it held my fear in the flesh. The girl continued to smile as she began patting me in the head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is only an appetizer. Wait till we get to the main course Ms. Assassin.¡±


    I felt myself being picked up. The choker was removed, but soon after I felt two weapons dig itself into my stomach. I immediately coughed out blood as my mind was filled with agonizing pain.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yep, you can take it. Sweet. Hey Bryan, can I do level 2 torture?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure Lily. Level 3 is good enough¡­ but I guess if she doesn¡¯t cooperate then go for it¡±


    The girl smiled. I shuddered as I listened on their nonchalant conversation. These two weren¡¯t even taking this seriously. My body shuddered as fear now took hold of me. I shouldn¡¯t have done this. I should have gathered more information. This wasn¡¯t a simple assassination¡­ this was an attempt at attacking a house of monsters.


    ¡°Oh Ms. Assassin. I swear, you¡¯re going to regret attacking us.¡±


    I felt the bloodlust coming from the girl. Without warning she kissed me. I tried to break away but before I knew it, I felt hot liquid pouring through my throat. She then released me as I went into a coughing fit.


    ¡°With this the fun begins, oh and don¡¯t faint now.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ what did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the serum. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only a drink that makes you tell lies for an hour¡±


    I looked at her dumbfounded. Why would she do that? Isn¡¯t that only going to help me?


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re probably wondering why I did that. Well it¡¯s simple¡­ so I can enjoy torturing you even more.¡±


    She gave out another sadistic laugh as she pulled out the two swords from my stomach. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the man called Bryan healed me, I would have lost conscious.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ you¡¯re face. I could already see it begging to die. But with the lie serum, well I¡¯ll have to be rough with you won¡¯t I.¡±


    It was at this moment that I realized, that serum wasn¡¯t to help me. It was to keep her satisfied. The girl herself knew that her methods were harsh and would instantly break a person¡­ I see. That means that for an hour, I¡¯ll be spouting bullshit lies¡­ an hour that will be filled with the girls smile¡­ an hour of agonizing and hearth wrenching pain¡­ an hour of a never-ending nightmare.


    ________________________________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    So yeah, this was a slight torture scene. Not really, but its a start. Now here is the question... Do you guys want a full chapter on how she was tortured. I''ll make a poll, but its the first time I''m doing it so... if its not up, just say so in the comments.

 Arc 1 Chapter 3: Raid (1)

    Chapter 3: Raid (1)


    Sorry forgot to add. Mature content. Be advised... crap I shouldn''t have forgotten this.


    (Stranger POV)


    The forest was real quiet this time of year. Then again, why wouldn¡¯t it be? The islands rarely had any monsters in it, and even if they did, adventurers would be sent out immediately. That¡¯s why the Medelwr organization¡¯s base is so well hidden is because its place in the most outermost area of the eastern island on the base of one of the mountains. You can say, this was a very impregnable castle which can only be attacked from the front.


    ¡°Hey, Riley. Look over there.¡±


    My friend Frasce pointed at one of the bush. How I didn¡¯t notice before surprised me because there was a battered woman lying near the bush. She was wearing peasant clothes which compromised of shirt and a skirt that fell to her knees. Actually, if you look closer, you can tell she was some kind of maid. The reason is she was wearing a headdress and a small apron that symbolizes the maid industry. Away from that though, what is she doing here? I looked around, trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. Hmm¡­ well, we should take a look.


    ¡°Suspicious activity. Bring out three guards as reserves.¡±


    I yelled into the tunnel behind me. I heard a small bell followed by footsteps. In no time, three men appeared with leather armor, bucklers and swords. I nodded towards them and pointed at my feet. They understood as they clasp their swords and observed the surroundings. I then headed out to the girl with Frasce.


    *whistles* ¡°She¡¯s a looker.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t refute him as we neared the girl. She had long auburn hair and a face that screamed beauty. I honestly thought she was a noble, but her attire screamed otherwise. Then it hit me, maybe she¡¯s a disguised soldier.


    ¡°Careful, she may be an agent.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    I began to approach her, observing the background. So far nothing. I then began going through her clothes, looking for any sign of weapons. Nothing. Hmm¡­ this is odd. I honestly couldn¡¯t believe it. If she was a disguised soldier, she should have had a weapon. Not even the strongest fighter could fight without a weapon, so that means she must be one of the common folks. I couldn¡¯t help myself as I stared at her face then at the beautiful mounds on her chest. I then groped one of her breast. It molded perfectly to my hands as she gave out a seductive moan.


    ¡°Well¡­ I think we might have a bit of fun tonight.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I began picking up the girl. Frasce, also smiling, picked up her legs and we began dragging the girl into our base.


    ¡°Oye, watcha get Riley?¡±


    ¡°She a prize?¡±


    The other guys looked at the girl, their face showing they were in heat.


    ¡°Calm down¡­ we found her first.¡±


    ¡°Hmpf, well you better share. Last time I tried touching one of the girls here, she almost broke my entire arm.¡±


    I punched him lightly in the arm.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were hitting on the commander stupid. Honestly, you can¡¯t see strength if it was punching you in the arm.¡±


    He laughed as he continued to eye our spoil. Ignoring him, we went deeper into the mountain and managed to find an opening. In here was a huge cavern that had many rooms in different elevations. It was just like a city, though this one mainly had the organization in it. Frasce and I quickly went to headquarters. Many of the guys were looking at us¡­ actually at the girl. Like the guards from the gate, they also had perverted gleam in their eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    One of the female guards came to us. She was a knight type, her leather armor mixed in with her metal plated chest plate. She also wore combat pants that were connected to her combat boots and some metal protectors on her waist line. She had a broadsword which was currently sheathed on her waste while a small buckler was hanging on her shoulder. I shrugged.


    ¡°Were bringing her to headquarters. She seemed to have feinted near the base so we thought to bring her to the commander.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She had a look of disbelief in her eyes. Well, I only told her partially of what we were planning. I mean, after taking her to headquarters, the rules state that we can keep spoils if we were the ones that found it. It must have shown in my face too as the girl quickly hastened back to her group with an exasperated look. Other guys tried to talk to us, but we simply ignored them as we finally made it to the main building. I quickly opened the door and the familiar room came into view. It was another huge cavern though it was only the size of small house. There were cabinets everywhere and the tables were being swarmed by different people.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    A woman approached us. She had sharp green eyes that seemed to pierce ones soul, and her small red hair seemed to be on fire. She was wearing a cloak that covered her body, but you can see the high grade combat attire she was wearing.


    ¡°Commander, we spotted this girl near our camp.¡±


    We let the girl fall with a thud as she gave out a small groan. Everyone in the room instantly stopped what they were doing to look at us.


    ¡°I see¡­ and why didn¡¯t you kill her?¡±


    ¡°I was planning to¡­ but when I inspected her, she didn¡¯t seem to be concealing any weapon. Plus, she doesn¡¯t seem to be a soldier or adventurer, so¡­¡±


    She raised her hand up.


    ¡°Basically, you wanted to take her in and have some fun with her right?¡±


    I could see the annoyance in her eyes. I could also feel an aura around her, and let me just say, it wasn¡¯t welcoming.


    ¡°You would risk having our base discovered just so you can have your way with this girl¡­ honestly I didn¡¯t expect this, especially from you Riley.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ well I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start with me¡­ just to think, first my elite assassin core was wiped out and now my men are becoming simpletons.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Whoa, did I just here something amazing from her.


    ¡°Umm¡­ wiped out?¡±


    She shook her head as she turned her back to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ have your fun with the girl. Just be prepared for anything understood.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but salute alongside with Frasce. Clearly, he was sweating as his eyes were unfocused. He was that nervous¡­ then again, I was also the same thing. The commander really is that type of person.


    ¡°Come on man, at least we got permission.¡±


    I quickly picked up the girl, but since we have permission, I was picking her up as I placed my hands underneath her clothes and massaged her breast. This softness was amazing, even her nipples were erect. In no time, we finally made it to our room. I placed the girl on the bed eyeing her. Of course, we¡¯ve stripped her of all her clothes and let me just say, she truly is a beauty.


    ¡°Hey, we should wait for her to wake up¡­ I want to see her face when we fuck her.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t she wake up either way¡­ come on, I just want to feel it.¡±


    I quickly undressed myself. This is going to be a great¡­ huh. I looked at the bed only to see an empty mattress. Just where did she go?


    ¡°Hey Frasce, what are you trying to pull here? Where is¡­¡±


    I looked around only to notice that Frasce was missing. Suddenly I felt a cold aura behind me that sent my hair standing.


    ¡°F¡­f¡­frasce?¡±


    I turned around, but I saw nothing. Instead I saw wall stained in blood as Frasce laid on the corner, his head cut in two and his body chopped into five separate parts.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ looking for something¡±


    I heard an angelic voice as I turned around. There the girl stood. No longer was she naked, but was clothed with a combat dress. Her gauntlets seemed to have a golden glow, her black chest plate seemed to drain the golden light. What¡¯s strange though is that the armor seemed to be spreading a golden aura around her. Her skirt was just above the knees, but metal plates continued to descend to her leg, hovering a couple inches from the ground. In her hands was a small sword. It was a mixture of design as the tip followed a simple broadsword, the middle had a serrated edge that went into the sword, and the base had a guard that were made for a longsword. What caught my eye though were her hair and her eyes. They seemed to glow like embers in a fire. It¡¯s not like the commanders hair which only looked to be on fire, this girl¡¯s hair seemed to be made out of fire. Truly a bewitching sight to behold.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    She smiled as she approached me.


    ¡°Shh¡­ everything will be fine.¡±


    Then darkness¡­ total darkness. I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. It was just¡­ empty.


    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    (Bryan POV)


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    I wiped the blood off the blade as I looked at the two bodies on the floor. These two men were feeling me up from different places. If it wasn¡¯t for Lily¡¯s mental connection and constant cheering that I probably would have snapped there and then and ruined the whole plan. I could still feel the man¡¯s touch as he fondled my breast.


    ¡°[Incinerate].¡±


    The bodies instantly turned to ashes. I then took out a jar and began collecting the ashes into them.


    ¡®Are you going to spread them again?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah¡­ even when they did all of that, no human being deserves to be left like this.¡¯


    ¡®Sigh¡­ leave it to you to give the enemy a proper burial¡­ alright, just make sure you stick with the plan. After this is all done, you can come back for everyone else alright.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, yeah, I got it¡¯


    I capped both jars and placed them back in my inventory.


    ¡°[Genus Transformation].¡±


    I felt my entire body begin to change. My view became higher as my arms and legs began to grow bigger. In no time I was back into my original form.


    ¡®Aww¡­ you know I like you better as a girl.¡¯


    ¡®Shut it, you know how I hate staying in that form.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re too obvious, everyone¡¯s staring¡­ isn¡¯t that just a narcissistic view of the world.¡¯


    I sent a small spike of mana through the link. I felt a small shudder from the other side.


    ¡®KORA! You know that really hurts.¡¯


    ¡®Just tell me the name of their commander already.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re no fun.¡¯


    I felt a vein pop in my head. I sent another spark through the channel.


    ¡®AGHH¡­ OK, OK, Jeez¡­ Hey May, quickly. Tell me your ex-boss¡¯s name.¡¯


    ¡®Brynhilder the lightning queen.¡¯


    ¡®Well, they¡¯re you have it. You happy now?¡¯


    I ignored her snarky comment as I looked around the room. Luckily for me, there were clothes in here that had the organizations insignia. Since those two guys showed me were their headquarters was at, it¡¯s time I retake their steps and head out to their headquarters again. I quickly put the clothes on. I then took some of the ash from one of the pots.


    ¡°[Imitate].¡±


    I felt my whole body change, though not by much. I do know that my face was being restructured into that of the dead man¡¯s face. It took no more than five minutes until my body had fully transformed. With this, my disguise was perfect. Well, it¡¯s time to infiltrate and destroy this place.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Author''s Note:


    AND DONE. Ugh... these were really hard to make and post... either way, sorry if I left it at a bad place, but I honestly wanted these to be posted as soon as possible. Also, sorry for not posting in a while. Test, spring break, and a classic case of writers block really kept hammering at me.


    Either way, hope y''all enjoy.


    P.S. Should I add a genderbender tag... but den again, this is like a one time thing.... hmmmmm

 Arc 1 Chapter 4: Raid (2)

    Arc 1 Chapter 4: Raid (2)


    Subtitle: What it means to be human...


    1. Gather information on secret organization. Check.


    2. Locate base and somehow enter enemy base. Check.


    3. Get one of the guards and use him as a disguise. Checkamundo.


    I thought over my checklist again, looking if I missed anything. Nope¡­ everything seems to have been correct. Yeah, everything is flawless¡­


    *swing* *clash*


    ¡°GET OVER HERE!!¡±


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    *Crash* *Clang*


    ¡°Argh¡­ YOU BITCH!¡±


    ¡­ If everything was so flawless¡­ why... WHY AM I GETTING ATTACKED ALREADY!? I quickly dodged to my side as a sword swung past me. I then pivoted my entire body, a spear passing under my arm. I quickly used my elbow and broke the shaft in two. I then followed with a quick kick to his shoulder followed by a kick to his stomach. He couldn¡¯t even react as the wind was knocked out of him.


    ¡°Surround him! Make sure he doesn¡¯t have anywhere to go!¡±


    The men formed a loose ring around me. The front lines of the encirclement were swordsmen. Behind them were spearmen. This was a really good formation for pinning people, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve never actually experienced true combat. They were sloppy, and most of their strikes lost power instantly. Of course I took advantage of this and quickly got under them. The first man I met tried to stab me. I instantly swatted the blow by redirecting the flow of his strike. I then kneed him in the gut and karate chopped the back of his neck. He was already unconscious by the time he reached the floor.


    ¡°Idiots!¡±


    I heard footsteps running from the group. That must be there leader. I really can¡¯t let him get away. I backed away from another guard as I took one of the broken spears on the floor. Without even looking, I threw the spear towards the fleeing man.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡±


    I heard a scream, followed by gurgling noises.


    *Thud*


    Yep, he was dead. I sighed.


    ¡°You guys, I know you want to live¡­ so mind if you just surrender? Otherwise, you might end up like him.¡±


    I pointed towards the corpse that was the leader. Every man looked first at their dead comrade and then to me. They then began discarding their weapon at my feet.


    ¡°Good choice.¡±


    Without wasting any time, I activated one of my circuits.


    ¡°[Boost].¡±


    I felt my body become lighter as I began tagging every man around me. In seconds, everyone was knocked unconscious. I then took out several ropes as I began the painstaking task of tying them up.


    ¡®You know; you should have killed them.¡¯


    ¡®No.¡¯


    ¡®Alright¡­ just saying though, you might regret this later.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Unable to refute her, I kept working in silence.


    ¡®Fifteen coming your way.¡¯


    ¡®Ugh¡­ I swear your turning me into a babysitter¡­ how the hell do you expect me to take care of seventy eight people if they wake up?¡¯


    ¡®You can always seduce them.¡¯


    ¡®¡­ not funny¡¯


    The line instantly went dead. I gathered the unconscious guards, and raising my hand to them, activated another circuit.


    ¡°[Teleport].¡±


    I imagined the jailhouse I recently made for the occasion and instantly, the guards disappeared.


    ¡®Hey, I know you¡¯re still there. How far am I from their headquarters?¡¯


    ¡®¡­ Don¡¯t you have the map?¡¯


    ¡®I do, but for some strange reason, their headquarters isn¡¯t showing up.¡¯


    ¡®What do you mean? The map was supposed to be perfect.¡¯


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not. I don¡¯t see any rooms that was the same size as the one I was brought to. Look can¡¯t you ask May where it is?¡¯


    I heard small exchange of words from the connection.


    ¡®She said she doesn¡¯t know¡­¡¯


    Figures. I groaned in irritation.


    ¡®¡­But she says that the mercenary group should know.¡¯


    I felt my ears perk up.


    ¡®Mercenary group?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. Apparently, they hired a mercenary band to help. As far as she knows, their one of the few that have the highest access to the command center.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel admiration for the mercenaries. Normally, one wouldn¡¯t put trust in a mercenary group. Their strangers whose ulterior motives could never be learned of. Yet, this group had a high access to the command center, meeting they were highly trusted. I wonder why?


    ¡®Alright. Can you sense where they might be located?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah I can, rather I already did. They should be showing up on your map.¡¯


    I looked at the map and sure enough, I saw the group. What was strange though was that they were colored in green¡­


    ¡®Um¡­ Lily?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t ask me. For some strange reason their green.¡¯


    I could only stay quiet as I looked at the group. There were about twenty of them¡­ honestly, they seem like a small group and there was no other groups to be noted. That means that all members were in the same area. That green though¡­ allies? How, and why? Why is the system considering them as allies? Hmm¡­ wait a minute. Purple, there are purple dots on the screen. I looked at one of the far out places. There were different rooms with a certain number of purple dots in each of them. They must have been captured from before. Well, it¡¯s no use thinking about this now. I quickly made my way to the open cavern. Speaking of which.


    ¡°[Origin].¡±


    I felt my entire body change once more. The disguise was pretty much useless now. I¡¯m still kind of annoyed that they caught on quickly. Ugh¡­ trying to act out a different person really is hard. My transformation finally finished just as I arrived on a pair of huge doors. I pushed them open and what awaited me was a cavern filled with murderous intent.


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    *twang*


    Arrows were loosed, the room seemingly darkened from the amount of arrows.


    ¡°[Aegis].¡±


    I was instantly surrounded by an orange force field just as the first arrows arrived. The sound of metal clashing with metals sounded throughout the chamber. It was deafening, like an infinite amount of kitchen utensils falling from a cabinet.


    ¡°STOP!¡±


    A clear voice broke through the hailstorm and the arrows began to die down. I also stopped my circuit as the field dissipated into the air.


    ¡°Well¡­ at least I didn¡¯t have to kill them just to have them stop.¡±


    I gave a smile as I casually walked up to a girl in the center. She seemed to be the leader of the mercenary group who surrounded her, intent in protecting her. The bandits held their bow ready, pointed at me.


    ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re rather unique aren¡¯t ya?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Well, I try not to. Anyway, what¡¯s a mercenary group doing here anyway?¡±


    ¡°None of your concern.¡±


    I study the girl in front of me. She had sharp red eyes. It was¡­ very radiant, as if her eyes had a will of their own. Her orange hair seemed to flow around her. Her equipment was also rather, amazing. She was wearing a paladin style armor, with a combat skirt that had three metal plating extending from three different sides.


    ¡°Well, it kind of is. I mean, I am in charge of this kingdoms defense you know.¡±


    The girl had a puzzled look on her face. She then studied my face and upon realizing who I was, began turning pale.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes I am. Furthermore, I would like to inquire why half the elite guards are here.¡±


    She instantly looked away, her men also looking down on the floor. They were silent, but at least I know why they showed as green. Honestly, I actually thought they may be the mercenary group that I was suppose watch over, but instead¡­ the elite guards. THE ELITE GUARDS. Just how can you bribe the best soldiers in the entire kingdom who have known for their loyalty? I then remembered about the purple dots from before. Don¡¯t tell me.


    ¡°Let me guess¡­ they took your families as hostages.¡±


    Each and every soldier looked at me with their eyes open.


    ¡°How¡­¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve had my fair share of this. Now, I want to know? Who is¡­¡±


    I leaned back as an arrow passed in front of me. I look at the man who shot it. At first he flinched, but then he took another arrow and notched it.


    ¡°DON¡¯T FALTER. KILL THEM ALL!¡±


    Shit, I guess even the knights are going to be targeted.


    ¡°[Aegis].¡±


    I extended the shield to the group and in no time, arrows were falling everywhere.


    ¡°I need to know, who is leading them?¡±


    She looked at me with fear.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If I do, they¡¯ll¡­ they¡¯ll¡­¡±


    She stopped talking, her hands shaking. She then began raising her sword towards me.


    ¡°Please, you have to understand. There¡¯s no way we can win. If¡­ if we succeed, then at least¡­¡±


    I slapped her across the face.


    ¡°Listen, I know what¡¯s going on. The empire, the attack, the kingdom. Everything. But right now, I don¡¯t know anything about the person who¡¯s actually leading the entire operation. Also, I know it¡¯s not the King. He isn¡¯t foolish enough to invade Artura¡¯s kingdom. That¡¯s why, for your sake, I would suggest you telling me¡±


    ¡°But¡­ my daughter. They¡­¡±


    ¡°Jesus¡­¡±


    I let out a small irritation as I began activating several circuits at once.


    ¡®OYE, OYE, BRIAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!¡¯


    ¡®I have a job for you. You know the purple dots we saw? Well, they¡¯re prisoners. I want you to get them for me and bring them somewhere safe.¡¯


    ¡®What? Why? Can¡¯t you just¡­¡¯


    ¡®NO I CAN¡¯T. I only have so much mana. You know my restrictions, that¡¯s why I need you to do this. If you finish this quickly, I swear I¡¯ll make your favorite dish tonight!¡¯


    ¡®¡­ hurry up and teleport me.¡¯


    I smiled as I finished the circuit.


    ¡°[Astral Plane].¡±


    I felt a surge of energy around me as the circuit activated. It then died down, but my mind was instantly filled with screams of death.


    ¡°Ok, the prisoners are being saved. Now, can you tell me what I want?¡±


    She gave me a startled look. I could only face palm as my patience is beginning to run out. The clanging noises were especially not helping. Looking at the irritating flies, I raised my hand at my shield.


    ¡°[Shield Mask].¡±


    The colors of my shield instantly turned black, preventing us from seeing outside. With this, the knights won¡¯t have to see anything.


    ¡°[Tendrils].¡±


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡°ARGH¡­¡±


    ¡°NO, NO¡­ AHHH¡±


    Screams began filling the room outside of the shield as sounds of bodies being torn could be heard. The knights flinched and soon, the shield could no longer hide the blood that was splattering all over. The sound soon died down, and I deactivated the shield.


    ________________________________________________________________________


    (Sara POV)


    ¡°He¡­ is the hero¡­ right?¡±


    I could barely answer as I look at the scene in front of me. Bodies were lying everywhere. Each corpse had a huge hole where there heart used to be, and the surrounding wall was covered in nothing but blood. As an Elite guard, I have always thought about defending the honor of our kingdom, fighting till the bitter end for honor. This¡­ could not be considered a fight. This was a massacre. I look at the man who was the hero. He seemed sad as he stared at the bodies he has killed. That really intrigued me since I¡¯ve never seen someone show pity to their enemies like that.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ this completely ruined the mood. I would ask you again on whose leading, but just tell me later on¡±


    He then looked at us, thinking for a few seconds.


    ¡°You lot, follow me. It¡¯s probably better if I show you instead of saying airless words¡±


    I stood there with my men as he started walking down one of the hallways. I signaled for them to follow and we all quietly walked behind him. I stared at the hero. He was an interesting fellow. I couldn¡¯t really tell anything about him, and he didn¡¯t seem to radiate any power. As if he could mask his presence. Then, he stopped. I also ordered my men to stop.


    *tap* *tap* *tap*


    Footsteps could be heard from the distance. I then saw a group of people walking. They were my men¡¯s families. They all look pretty bruised, but no one looked too bad, which made me feel relieved. I then felt an aura beside me. It was the hero. Unlike before, he was covered in a dark aura. This¡­ power¡­ it¡¯s nothing like the others¡­ it¡¯s almost¡­ demonic. Before I knew it, two girls began approaching us. They had a solemn look in their face, as if they were the bearers of bad news.


    ¡°We¡­ we managed to save the prisoners.¡±


    She seemed to be talking to me. I wonder why, but I somehow felt afraid.


    ¡°I¡­ I see. It¡¯s my gratitude for saving them.¡±


    I bowed. My men also bowed towards them. But my daughter¡­ where is she. I then looked at the group and it was now that it clicked. They didn¡¯t look bad from far away, but now that they were closer¡­ it was horrible. The two girls bandaged them all up, but the wounds could still be seen. Some were bleeding, some had broken limbs. One was even being carried by another as his legs were cut off. The knights only looked in shock but slowly began moving through the group. Tears were spilt, and soon the entire hall was soaked with sadness.


    ¡°You had a daughter right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have a daughter. Why do you ask?¡±


    I felt my heart tighten. Had? No, that can¡¯t be. One of the girls took my arm and led me to the back. With each step, my legs began shaking as I saw a girl laying on a stretcher. Her eyes no longer held any light. Her arm was missing, and her two legs were broken beyond measure. There were also lines etched on her delicate pale skin. I quickly ran over to her, my tears falling to the ground.


    ¡°Emily¡­ Emily¡­¡±


    ¡°M¡­m¡­mum¡­¡±


    A glimpse of her smiling face surfaced on my memories. She used to have the brightest smile, her red eyes gleaming with happiness. Now it was gone. No longer did I see that once bright full smile.


    ¡°hic¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ________________________________________________________________________


    (Lily POV)


    I watched over the mom as she hugged her daughter tightly. In my mind, I was really glad that the girl survived, but I was shocked¡­ and angry. She only looked to be sixteen yet they dared do this to her. I felt a dark aura surround us. I quickly went over to Bryan.


    ¡°Bryan¡­ I need you to calm down for now. Anger won¡¯t help us and will only get in the way¡­ CAN YOU HEAR ME!¡±


    I look into his eyes and saw pure hatred. This was the exact same thing that happened during our old world. His friends suffered for him, and because of that, he has always carried this burden. Seeing as something similar happened to him, it¡¯s not strange that the darkness he harbored is appearing.


    ¡°I beseech the spirits to purge thee of thy darkness. Heal¡±


    I felt the mana respond to me as they began gathering around Bryan. A light green color surrounded the entire room as everyone was bathed in its healing rays. I even saw most people heal instantly, thought the mind could never be healed properly with this. Well, not theirs anyway. The spell soon ended and I was once again staring at sorrowful eyes of the one I truly serve.


    ¡°Better?¡±


    He nodded slowly, though he now hugged me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡±


    I patted his back.


    ¡°I know, I know. That¡¯s why it¡¯s alright. Just please¡­ try not to lose yourself ok?¡±


    He nodded as I felt his grip tighten. As his summon, we have a link that most people don¡¯t have. It¡¯s through this link that I can feel the emotion inside him. Shock, anger, sadness. Bryan¡¯s experienced this all in his life, yet he¡¯s never gotten used to it. That¡¯s why I picked him. No one else held a great value of human life than he did. That¡¯s why I never regret being chosen as his partner. To this day, I¡¯m glad that he hasn¡¯t changed¡­ and I¡¯m glad I¡¯m here to comfort him when the need arises.


    ________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Hey guys I''m back. So... it''s taking me a while to write these, plus my editor takes time to edit because of real life reason. I mean, I have a lot of chaps coming, but considering what life throws at us, we might be slow on updates. DON''T WORRY THOUGH, WE WILL PERSEVERE AND CONTINUE TO WRITE (for my editor, edit). Why? It''s because its a hobby now and is the only way I can keep my sanity through a hard day''s work. Probably the same for my editor... not really sure lol


    So long story short, not dead, not hiatus, slow updates. I hope you still enjoy... oh and chap 5 will come out with this chap..


    P.S. Can anyone think of a better sub title for this, or is it good enough?

 Arc 1 Chapter 5: Raid (3)

    Arc 1 Chapter 5:


    Subtitle: The Good and the Bad


    This was horrible. The boys were pretty beat up, but the girls were in a worse condition. Some of them looked to have been tortured heavily while others must have been sexually assaulted. Just what kind of scum were these people.


    Not even the people from my world was this bad. I could feel my anger rising but I quickly calmed down. If I didn¡¯t control it, I know that the darkness within me would take over. I¡¯m really glad Lily is here to help me.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    After calming down and parting from Lily, I quickly walked over to the leader. I believe her name was Sara. I patted her back as she continued to hug her daughter. The girl on the stretcher was the worse of the group. Her foot was cleanly cut and burned. Bruise marks and wounds could be seen all over her body.


    What was worse was the smell that she emitted. You could see that she¡¯s gone through hell as her eyes almost seemed to contain no life. I placed my hand over her head. Sara immediately reacted by pushing me away, her shield ready to clobber anyone that gets close, her sword raised above her shield.


    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH HER!¡±


    I could see a mad glint in her eyes as well as pain and distraught. Lily began chanting a spell but I quickly stopped her. This was no time to fight against one another.


    ¡°Sara¡­ I want you to calm down for a second and let me help her.¡±


    I used a very soothing tone to calm her down. She didn¡¯t move as her weapons were still raised against me but you can tell that she was relaxing a bit. This was a really critical moment. The way I see it, it was simply a mother trying to protect her child. But I know that if I don¡¯t do something, she¡¯s most likely going to die very soon.


    ¡°Sara, come on now. Let me help her. I¡¯m the best chance you have of her recovering and you know it. If you leave her alone for any longer¡­¡±


    I pointed towards one of the dead soldier lying on the ground.


    ¡°¡­ she¡¯s as good as dead.¡±


    Once again, I could see her body shaking, her eyes darting everywhere. I could tell she was a mess, but I really need to help out the girl.


    ¡°Lily, begin healing the rest.¡±


    Lily gave me a nod as she began healing the closest person to her.


    ¡°May, I want you to scout ahead. Eliminate any scouts and find out the location of the main base.¡±


    She bowed and instantly disappeared from sight. I then focused back on Sara. Her weapons were lowered now, her eyes were now eyed on me. Then as if her resolution broke, she fell to the floor on her knees and began to cry.


    ¡°Pwease¡­ p*hic*ase help my dawter.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but give her a pitying gaze as I nodded. I then went over to the girl and placed my hand on her forehead.


    ¡°[Recover].¡±


    Green light enveloped both of us as my mana began pouring to the girl. Her once pale face was now regaining its color. Her wounds began closing as foreign liquids began pouring out of her. Her eyes seem to grow calmer as she slowly closed her eyes and the bruises completely disappeared. As soon as it finished, I instantly stopped the channel and felt a backlash.


    ¡°urgh¡­¡±


    I wobbled backwards as pain went through my mind. My hands instantly pulled out a sword and I stabbed it into the ground to keep myself balanced.


    ¡°BRYAN!¡±


    I felt an arm wrap around me and soon I began to feel better. Apparently, Lily invoked one of her rare magic. Contact heal. No matter who or what if she activates the skill and merely touches the object, it will heal the object and rid it of its abnormalities. In my case, it took away the backlash I took from using a circuit spell that my body couldn¡¯t really keep up with. Yes I admit it, I¡¯m not allowed to do a lot of healing spells. It¡¯s a really irritating flaw that really limits my role seeing as I¡¯m normally a support type.


    ¡°Thanks Lily.¡±


    I quickly regained myself as I looked around the room. Everyone¡¯s eyes was on me. I couldn¡¯t really tell why they were looking at me though. Maybe I was bleeding somewhere and I just didn¡¯t know about it. I quickly ran through my head looking for any visible wound. Nope, nothing.


    ¡°Hey Sara, you¡¯re the leader right.¡±


    I looked over to the girl who was apparently prostrating herself to the ground before me. I instantly stepped back in surprise. What is she doing? Upon hearing my voice though, she looked up with shining eyes.


    ¡°Yes, this group is mainly led by me.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ good¡­ um, yeah. So here¡¯s the plan. I¡¯m going to destroy this entire place if May doesn¡¯t find the room. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll teleport you guys over to my place. You all have done enough.¡±


    I looked at each person present. There were a mix of male and female guards in the group. Seeing as they¡¯ve reunited with their families, I have a feeling that they won¡¯t be working for this organization anymore.


    ¡°I have a request¡­¡±


    I heard a silent whisper behind me. I looked back at Sara who was patting the head of her daughter.


    ¡°Please. Let me fight with you.¡±


    ¡°Denied.¡±


    I instantly denied her. Of course, I¡¯m glad for the help but. This is a more personal matter now. In other words, I won¡¯t feel satisfied until I beat up the leader.


    ¡°W¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You¡¯ll only get in the way.¡±


    She chewed her lower lip.


    ¡°But without me, you won¡¯t be able to get in there.¡±


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    A new voice interjected. It was May. It seems she has finished her job as she walked back through the group with a smile.


    ¡°I have located their base master. It¡¯s actually at the very top of this mountain.¡±


    ¡°Very top? You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hmm¡­ that¡¯s odd. I remember when those two guys carried me, we only went through a couple of hallways and chambers.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention that the base was equipped with teleportation devices.¡±


    ¡°Wait, there are teleportation devices here!¡±


    I suddenly screamed up in alarm. Shit, that means that any nearby scouts who heard the commotion would have instantly taken those to their leader. I didn¡¯t even know teleportation devices existed in this world. I mean, come on. They didn¡¯t seem to have the magical capability of creating them, plus I only seem to have that capability. Crap I was too lax and really underestimated this world¡¯s capability.


    ¡°Lily, where going now.¡±


    She nodded as I began connecting the circuits in my mind. I imagined every single face I saw in this cavern as a bluish light surrounded them all.


    ¡°PLEASE HERO SAMA. LET ME JOIN YOU!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sara was still asking me... actually, from her tone, she was begging.


    ¡°Why do you want to go so badly? Revenge, is that it?¡±


    Before I know it, I was instantly lecturing her. Sheesh¡­ me and my bad habits. I guess I¡¯m probably just annoyed and angry at the current situation. I could see a slight hesitation from the girl commander.


    ¡°¡­it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my duty as a guard¡­¡±


    ¡°Your duty as a guard is to protect the queen is it not?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you have no reason to be here. Rather, it¡¯s better if you stay away from here.¡±


    She gave me a questioning look, but before she could speak, I kept going.


    ¡°Revenge¡­ why do humans desire revenge? Even I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯ve practically reveled in it. Killing those who took your family, your friends¡­ your lover¡­¡±


    Everyone now had a dark gaze as many looked to the floor. Sara also gazed at me with wide shocked eyes.


    ¡°Listen here¡­ if you take revenge, what will that get you? Another enemy who wants revenge? Then another and another and another. Do you truly want that? Is that what you want to show to your kids? That this world is simply a world of constant revenge¡­ I have lived that life, and let me tell you¡­ it leads to a bad ending. That¡¯s why, instead of revenge. Protect those who are important to you. Considering you¡¯re one of the Elite Guards, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem, no?¡±


    I gave her a smile. I couldn¡¯t really what kind of emotion she had on her face as I finally completed the circuit.


    ¡°See you around, Sara of the Elite Guards. [Teleport].¡±


    They instantly disappeared. I then felt a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°You really like giving short speeches don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lily gave me an annoying smirk. I grabbed her nose and pulled.


    ¡°ARGH¡­ BWAN STUF! (Bryan stop!)¡±


    I felt myself relaxing once more.


    ¡°Master¡­ that stuff you said earlier. Where they true?¡±


    I looked at May who looked at me with upturned eyes. A beauty giving you puppy eyes¡­ you don¡¯t see that every day. I patted her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright its nothing for you to be concerned with.¡±


    ¡°Your lover? What was she like?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I stopped rubbing her head as she managed to peek at me with eyes filled with curiosity.


    ¡°She¡­ was an amazing person.¡±


    She nodded, but it seems she wasn¡¯t done asking.


    ¡°¡­ I thought master didn¡¯t have emotions back in his world?¡±


    I laughed. Her question was interesting, rather it¡¯s pretty spot on.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ well, we do have emotions¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We all decided to kill it.¡±


    She grew silent as began to comprehend the meaning of my words.


    ¡°But then you had a lover?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ it was because of her that I managed to regain some of my emotions back¡­ anyway, away from this. Shouldn¡¯t you be leading us?¡±


    I flicked her forehead lightly. The tense mood from earlier instantly disappeared as she began giggling.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ yes, right this way master.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    We began our slow ascend through the mountain base. There was clearly a difference in defense as traps were all over the place. Because of my acute perception though, we managed to bypass every single trap. It was actually kind of funny that the enemy soldiers were the ones getting killed by the traps. Oh¡­ and currently I¡¯m resting. Apparently, Lily thought this would be a good time for May to train so that¡¯s what they were doing. Training.


    ¡°May! HOW CO¡­ ARGH¡±


    A lifeless body fell to the floor. It was a female soldier. I looked through the group and apparently, half the soldiers were male and half were females. Well, not like I can do anything about it. I¡¯m not the one fighting at the moment. Screams continued to emanate throughout the cavern.


    ¡°Goddess, burn thy enemies to ashes. Firewall¡±


    A wall of fire appeared in front of Lily and May. Apparently the enemy decided to use magic. They must have been desperate, seeing as how the smoke from the fire began clouding the entire area.


    ¡°[Dispel].¡±


    Like a demon, Lily gave out a smile that sent chills towards her opponent. Actually¡­ they probably just shook from the fear of seeing their own spells being destroyed.


    ¡°Go get em May.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mistress.¡±


    She instantly disappeared. In a blink of an eye she appeared behind the soldiers.


    ¡°She¡¯s behind us!¡±


    One soldier immediately ran to her, his sword raised high. He swung it down, but May was standing still. The man was surprised, but even more surprised when his sword clattered to the ground. Everyone was shocked as the man suddenly began to fall into pieces.


    ¡°How?¡±


    Suddenly each person began to collapse as they died the same brutal death.


    ¡°Congratulations May. That¡¯s ten points.¡±


    ¡°Yay, does that mean I get a reward.¡±


    Lily looked towards me.


    ¡°Alright¡­ aside from Lily, I¡¯ll also make your favorite food so ask whatever you want.¡±


    May instantly jumped in celebration.


    ¡°Hamburger, hamburger, ha-um-bur-ur-ger!¡±


    She began singing a tune as we continued slashing towards their base. I suddenly felt my entire body alter. This was a teleportation device. We¡¯ve encountered these throughout the base, and without them it would have taken ages. This must have been the last one.


    ¡°Alright you two. I want you both to stay back. After this, this is my fight.¡±


    They both nodded as they stayed behind me. I then felt our surroundings changed and sure enough, we were back on the same room that I was taken to earlier. Only now, it was different. The tables were all lined up into a line that reached from wall to wall. Behind them, a glistening row of pikes and spears could be seen. Archers were also on the wall, their waste were tied to a rope. That looks very inconvenient.


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    They let loose a volley. To my surprise, there were more arrows than archers. It then clicked that there were probably more behind the lines of soldiers.


    ¡°[Aegis].¡±


    Just like before, the arrows harmlessly fell to the floor.


    ¡°Do all they do is rely on arrows?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think so. If you think about it, magic can be countered easily. But arrows, theirs anyway, seems to be very silent and very powerful.¡±


    This intrigued me. I should probably grab a couple of arrows and bows and test them out. Suddenly, the explosions began surrounding us.


    ¡°Huh¡­ fireballs. Now they¡¯re getting pretty serious.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    To my surprise, these were really powerful spells. They incorporated different systems as seen by the shape of the fireballs. Some were weapon shaped. Others were small dot that flew in extreme speed. Still, a fireballs a fireball. I know for a fact that they won¡¯t get through my shield.


    ¡°Alright you two. Stay here. I¡¯m going to have some fun.¡±


    I took out a baton from my inventory. This was a bit special since it can channel mana from my body. Since I added an electricity based circuit to it, the mana being channeled activates the circuit turning it into a blunt stunning weapon. I stepped outside of the shield and was immediately met with arrows and various other magic.


    ¡°Water, earth, fire, nature¡­ wow their going all out now.¡±


    I smiled as I raised my left hand. I channeled mana into my bracelet and a curved rectangular plasma shield appeared. I placed it in front of me, the baton hidden behind it. I felt the force as different types of magic hit the shield in the front. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I was used to louder battles, I would probably have gone deaf by now. One step at a time, I slowly waded forward.


    ¡°Stop firing. Infantry, go forward.¡±


    I guess there changing tactics. I looked in the front as the entire formation suddenly shifted. Spearmen began jumping from the make shift wall and made a triangular path for me. Three swordsmen went to the front, their shields raised. The other swordsmen moved to the sides, probably supporting the spearmen. This group¡­ they were the professionals. Something tells me they were different from the ones we were fighting earlier.


    ¡°You guys¡­ you¡¯re from the empire aren¡¯t you.¡±


    They looked around to each other.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    A man stepped out followed by a girl. The man had grey hair that were spiked at the top. He looked young with soft brown eyes, yet his aura said otherwise. He was wearing what looked like Templar clothes. Dark grey armor with draping clothes that went to his knees. A big cross was placed in the front of his attire as well as his shoulder armor. His sword also seemed to have a cross and his shield basically showed a cross in its full glory.


    ¡°Well, judging from your attire, you must be from the Holy Asvarian Empire.¡±


    ¡°But it seems you knew of us beforehand¡­ so before we fight, I want to know. How did you know?¡±


    Well¡­ Since he asked, I might as well comply right. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll come out of this unscathed, so I should give him a bit of motivation. I pointed behind me. He looked past me right at the two girls. Suddenly his eyes went wide open.


    ¡°May? What... why?¡±


    May stared at the man before me.


    ¡°Oh, hey Richard.¡±


    She gave a smile which only seemed to anger the man called Richard.


    ¡°You¡­ what have you done to her!¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Actually, I helped her.¡±


    He looked at me, confused.


    ¡°Helped?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I helped her recover from being tortured. After that, I promised her many great things in exchange for loyalty. Of course I thought about releasing her, but in the end, she begged me to become my slave¡­ I was really shocked you know.¡±


    I gave him my honest view of what happened with May. I honestly never thought of making her a slave, but for some strange reason she persisted. Even so far as to call me master and even sneaking into my room. I really don¡¯t know what goes on in her head anymore. Just to think that she used to be a ruthless assassin¡­ though she didn¡¯t really go into the field. Still, she seemed to have killed a lot of people.


    ¡°¡­ you will pay.¡±


    I barely heard a whisper as Richard suddenly jumped forward. I quickly placed my shield in front of me as a sword landed square on the pummel of the shield.


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MAY!!¡±


    Sparks flew from my shield as he quickly reversed his grip. He then pushed forward, his sword sliding to my left, ready to stab me from the side. Wow, such amazing control. I quickly brought my shield to the left as his stab slid on my shield. He was sliding past me, but to my surprise he had another sword in his other hand. This one was poised to strike while I was distracted from his earlier strike. This¡­ is really getting fun. I disable the circuit from my baton as I used it to defend myself. This will be a good time to learn the fighting style of this world.


    ¡°HYAHH!!¡±


    A new voice joined in. It was the girl they called commander. She must have been a sub commander though as this guy was the real leader of this group. I quickly blocked her sword with my shield as they both took a step back.


    ¡°Riesse, stay out of this.¡±


    ¡°Like I will! Didn¡¯t you notice he¡¯s going easy on you?¡±


    Oh, she noticed. I then saw in her eyes¡­ fear. She must have understood what I was capable of.


    ¡°You have to get out of here my lord!¡±


    ¡°I WILL NOT!¡±


    He blinked right in front of me, his sword midway in its strike. I jumped backwards, though I felt a small sting in my leg. Oh man. He got me. Noticing my wound, he went in with a flourish of strikes. The girl joined him and they both began coordinating their strikes. It was really hard you know¡­ I really tried my best to hold back. I kept blocking each strike, the lighter ones with my baton and the heavy ones with my shield. In minutes I felt our surroundings change as each strike seemed to carve themselves into the caverns walls.


    ¡°You two are really good.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP. Winding Dragon.¡±


    The girl came up to my side as her sword began to glow. Whoa, what¡¯s this? I used my shield to block it but to my surprise it didn¡¯t. Rather her sword seemed to smoothly swing around my shield aiming at my exposed areas. This¡­ this must be a sword skill. I¡¯ve been so focused in magic that I forgot about this. Ugh¡­ what¡¯s the use of gathering information when I forget about it¡­ then again, the concept of sword skills is strange for me.


    ¡°Nice job Riesse! Death Stroke.¡±


    I felt a dark aura around me. Suddenly I felt a sword enter through my stomach. I immediately began coughing out blood as I stared at the sword sticking from my stomach.


    ¡°With this, we win.¡±


    He immediately took the sword out confident in his strike as my blood spilled to the floor. I smiled. No one knew that this wasn¡¯t enough. Even May seemed to understand that this curse type skill won¡¯t affect me that much as she remained as calm as before. I immediately cancelled out my shield as I switched from my baton and into my rifle. It had a bayonet at the end of the muzzle which was now embedded deep into the knight¡¯s armor. He grunted as he instantly coughed out blood.


    ¡°W¡­what?¡±


    ¡°I win.¡±


    I pulled the trigger and the room was filled with gunfire. The girl was surprised, but she quickly recovered as she took a slice at me. Her blade broke as it hit the shield I¡¯ve activated on my back. She was surprised, but soon recovered and went to the knight. She peeled him away from my rifle as I too took a small step back. Really, I took some damage from this. Not only physically, but mentally. To think I¡¯ve underestimated these people¡­ I need to change how I plan and act in this world. I quickly activated one of my circuits and soon my body began to heal. This was a special circuit that healed my entire body. It¡¯s called,


    ¡°[Metabolism].¡±


    Basically it increased my body¡¯s ability to heal and regenerate naturally. Of course it¡¯s a once a day used considering the backlash that it¡¯ll give me when I use another spell, but I noticed that everyone in the room has lost the will to fight so I won¡¯t need to use another spell to fight. I looked at the pair on the floor. The man was bloodied since I placed around eight rounds into his stomach and one into his lung.


    ¡°What¡­ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!¡±


    The girl had the man on his lap as tears fell from her eyes.


    ¡°My lord¡­ please hang on¡­ please.¡±


    This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be simple loyalty. Interesting.


    ¡°Girl, let me ask you some questions.¡±


    ¡°Why would I answer, you monster!¡±


    I felt irritated.


    ¡°It¡¯s because your answer can potentially save that man over there, now answer this. What is your purpose?¡±


    She looked at me with wide open eyes. She then looked at me, then at the man on her lap.


    ¡°We were sent as the first wave¡­ our¡­ our job is¡­¡±


    The man reached over her mouth.


    ¡°No¡­ tell¡­¡±


    He coughed up a huge amount of blood which mixed into the pool he¡¯s already made. I sighed.


    ¡°Lily, heal him enough to where he doesn¡¯t die¡­ also make him go to sleep.¡±


    She nodded as she walked up to them.


    ¡°[Minor Heal].¡±


    A soft green glow surrounded the man. She only kept it for a few second, enough to keep the man alive. He looked at us in shock but before he could do anything,


    ¡°[Sleep].¡±


    Lily instantly made him go to sleep.


    ¡°You see, we are capable of healing him. Now, tell me. What is your purpose?¡±


    She bit her lips.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Nuh, uh, uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry to tell you missy, but if I hear any words that sounds like no, well. He dies, you die, that man over there dies, the woman dies¡­ actually she¡¯ll probably become Lily¡¯s toy¡­¡±


    I pointed at each individual person in the group as I continued to describe their potential conclusion. They were all sweating now, their eyes focused on us.


    ¡°Now you don¡¯t want the last thing your men say, we were betrayed right. I mean, it seems as if everyone in this entire place were bandits for hire¡­ but here. No. These are actual knights of the Empire, right?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself and smiled as she began to look at me in fear.


    ¡°I¡­ I understand¡­ I will tell you everything¡­ that¡¯s why please spare us, and¡­¡±


    She looked at the man. He was unconscious but you can tell he was not having a good time.


    ¡°Alright¡­ May, tie up everyone in this room. After that, I want you to send a message to Artura, can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    (Author note: Strong way of saying yes. Like a salute in a way)


    ¡°You guys. If you don¡¯t want to be considered an enemy and get killed, lay down your weapons.¡±


    One by one, each person began laying down their weapons. Except for two. One was a guy, the other a girl. Actually, to be more exact they both seemed to be twins.


    ¡°We refuse.¡±


    With a scream, the two soldiers came charging at us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them.¡±


    I instantly gave out a warning to May. Understandingly, she put her weapons away and stood there waiting. Seeing this, the two people thought they could win¡­ yeah, only in thought. In reality, they were on the floor unconscious as May flipped them both at the same time. Truly, a great disciple.


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess were going to have a fun talk aren¡¯t we?¡±


    I looked at the clueless girl who kept hugging the silver haired man. I guess with this, our first mission is over. Now, to actually talk things out with Artura. I wonder how this is going to go. I just hope she forgives me for also keeping her in the dark this past month. I mean, just arriving and already causing trouble¡­ then again, I didn¡¯t ask for it. It just happened and since I¡¯m part of the kingdom¡¯s defense, well¡­ come on, even I¡¯m justified¡­ right? Right?


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    (In a small room in Camelot)


    *Achoo¡­


    The stacked papers Artura was reading through were instantly blown away. With an outstretched hand, she depressingly watch two hundred papers slowly fall to the ground.


    ¡°Are you sick Artura?¡±


    As if timing it, Marlana came in with a cart filled with a tea set.


    ¡°No¡­ ugh¡­ someone¡¯s talking behind my back again.¡±


    Marlana gave a snicker.


    ¡°I wonder who it could be.¡±


    ¡°YOU KNOW FULL WELL WHO IT IS! Ugh¡­ I swear if he spreads another rumor about me, I don¡¯t care how strong he is. I¡¯m going to give him a good beating¡­ ugh Tsun Queen of the West, The Spoiled Princess, The Kingdom¡¯s Angel of Light¡­ What happened to my previous titles, my grand achievements¡­ AHHHHH?!¡±


    Artura began clawing at her hair. Not only has her work increased, but Bryan hasn¡¯t even talked to her as soon as he¡¯s settled down. She gets letters, but seldom did they have anything useful in them. Furthermore¡­ the only person she can find a decent conversation¡­ the only one, dares to not visit her.


    ¡°AHHHH¡­ I¡¯m going to go crazy because of him¡­ Marlana, prepare my sword. I¡¯m going to practice with the knights.¡±


    Marlana bowed with a stoic face. In her thoughts though, she was laughing freely. Why, it¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t really seen this side of the queen. It was only when Bryan came in that the queen became this free spirited.


    ¡°As you command.¡±


    That day, twenty knights were sacrificed to appease the wrath of a demon queen.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Had trouble uploading this chap for some strange reason. Been crying as I found ways to fix it. Well, I hope you enjoyed.


    P.S. I know it''s a bad subtitle... I suck at making titles TT.TT

 Arc 1 Chapter 6: Careful What You Ask For

    Arc 1 Chapter 6: Careful What you Ask for


    ¡°So¡­ do you have anything to say for yourself?¡±


    I look at the girl who was giving me a deathly gaze. I stuck my chest high and with a proud voice I replied,


    ¡°I regret nothing.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T FEEL PROUD ABOUT IT!¡±


    Artura instantly chopped me in the head. She then clutched her hand as a pink area began to form on it. She gave me an accusative stare as she slowly massaged her hand.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bother to contact me for a full month¡­ A MONTH. What happens? You kidnap a fallen queen, got yourself involve with the Holy Asvarian Empire and destroyed one of the most influential organization in the kingdom. I mean, I can forgive you for destroying the organization, but getting involved with the Empire¡­ ARE YOU NUTS?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ In my defense, the queen wanted to come with me.¡±


    ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT THE POINT!!¡±


    I quietly sat on a seiza as she continued on ranting about treating girls delicately. What happened to being yelled for the empire or destroying the organization? Well, I guess this isn¡¯t too bad. I mean, it could be worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but can I have some of your time my liege?¡±


    Artura looked over to a girl. It was Sara. Like me, she was forced to come meet with the queen. Why? It¡¯s because she had left her post. Apparently she was supposed to be punished for it, but Artura convinced the higher nobles that her daughter was taken. As a result, she was here mainly as another source of information to back up my claims.


    ¡°What is it Sara?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    She looked over at me, her face was kind of flushed¡­ Wait¡­ Please don¡¯t tell me. Before I can interject, she laid out a bombshell.


    ¡°I want to recede my position as commander of the Elite Guard¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The room became quiet. I could tell the atmosphere was becoming awkward as the other officials present were also looking at Sara with a shocked expression. Shaking her head and slapping herself several times, Artura regained her composure and looked towards Sara, though you could see that a vein must have popped.


    ¡°W¡­why do you want to give up your position?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve betrayed your majesties trust.¡±


    ¡°No you haven¡¯t and you know it. Plus, I would have done the same as you.¡±


    ¡°But, the duty of a guard is to protect the queen, regardless of ones feelings. That¡¯s why I believe that I¡¯m not worthy of the position.¡±


    ¡°¡­ just come out of it¡­ The reason why you want to quit is because you want to follow him right?¡±


    She gave out a tired look of annoyance as she pointed at me. Sara opened her mouth but no words came out. She then seemed to look smaller as the officials began looking at her in confusion. I could also feel Artura¡¯s gaze. It was kind of painful. I really shouldn¡¯t jinx myself like this. I sighed.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s true that she did kind of betray the position so it would be wise for her to quit.¡±


    ¡°But without her, the queen will be defenseless. As the kingdom¡¯s Idol, she must be protected by the best of the best.¡±


    ¡°Who you calling an idol!¡±


    Artura stared furiously at the official who sat back down on his chair. I sighed.


    ¡°Then, how about I give you another guard.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A summon.¡±


    I smiled at her. She looked at me with wide eyes. Eyes that had disbelief, but at the same time hope.


    ¡°You do know that I¡¯m a mage, not a summoner?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but do you honestly think I would be giving you this worlds summon. No, I¡¯ll give you another one of my summons¡­ though you¡¯re going to have to earn her respect if you want her to fight for you.¡±


    Her eyes piqued up in curiosity.


    ¡°Her? Are you talking about Lily?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I have another one, though I decided not to summon her right off the bat. She honestly doesn¡¯t like being summoned too frequently.¡±


    She thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She stared at Sara.


    ¡°I release you from your duties. Go forth and enjoy a new life.¡±


    Wow, she¡¯s quick. She instantly fired her subordinate as soon as it¡¯s beneficial to her. Truly a greedy little princess. Sara bowed.


    ¡°Thank you milady and Master¡­¡±


    She pointed her look towards me. Everyone in the room sucked in their breath as they heard an unfamiliar word from Sara. As for me, I calmly looked at her.


    ¡°¡­ I hope to be of good service to you.¡±


    I laughed.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have any choice. I hope you¡¯re prepared for a new life.¡±


    She bowed. Now then, I looked back at Artura who was gazing at me with acknowledgement.


    ¡°You sure are a lady killer aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I instantly chopped her head. The other officials were surprised at this and began drawing their swords. To their surprise, Sara blocked the way.


    ¡°Master does this as a sign of friendship, so please sit back down and put away your swords.¡±


    A strange aura could be felt as the officials began sweating. One by one, they began to sit back down. As for me and Artura, we were impervious to the situation as we continued talking.


    ¡°So¡­ this summon. Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Well, to describe her¡­ she¡¯s just like you, but more mature.¡±


    She gave out an approving sound as her eyes sparkled in excitement.


    ¡°Can we do it now?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ aren¡¯t you¡­ you know? Still talking about the organization, the empire and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Meh¡­ We¡¯ll talk about it later. I want to meet my new guard first seeing as you stole the heart of my guard.¡±


    I sighed. I could chop her head again, but¡­ she really is stubborn.


    ¡°Alright, but you¡¯re going to have to give me a sec. I need to change first before we can do the summon.¡±


    She quickly nodded and told me to change in the changing room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting at the plaza. You better hurry.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright I will."


    I was guided towards the guest room by a maid. It was a really fancy place. Yeah, my house really does me justice. A plain modern home is better than this over architected monstrosity. I told the maid to leave and that I will be guiding myself later on. She quickly left the premise as I checked the surrounding areas. Cost clear. Alright, this makes it easier for me to do.


    ¡°[Genus Transformation].¡±


    I felt my body change as my view became smaller. My shoulders were also closer as I saw my entire frame become slender. In a matter of seconds, I managed to change into my female persona. The only downside to this spell is that I need to be a female to use it. Because of this, those scientist bastard decided to tamper with my genes and forcedly installed a circuit into my body. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m complaining. In this form, I can actually do amazing healing magic with no restraint. The problem is, any other type of magic would give me a backlash. In other words, depending on my gender, I¡¯m either good or bad with certain type of magic. I sighed as I found the summoning circuit and quickly made my way to the plaza. There, Artura was sitting on the fountain. She really is like a little girl, but her previous title as the sword princess tells me she¡¯s probably capable of more.


    ¡°Hey Artura.¡±


    She glanced over to me and was instantly on guard.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    She pulled out her sword as she slowly came out to me. I continued to smile as I approached her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer. What¡¯s your objective?¡±


    ¡°Why to help you summon of course.¡±


    She looked at me with a blank expression.


    ¡°Bryan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I must be hallucinating.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes and looked at me again.


    ¡°Hey Bryan, do you have any spells that can get rid of hallucinations.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I have a couple, but I don¡¯t think your hallucinating.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ that¡¯s funny. No. Really? I must be hallucinating. I mean, you¡¯re a tall big breasted woman with flowing red hair and piercing red eyes. Of course this is a hallucination, right?¡±


    I laughed, though as a girl my laugh was more reserved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s me. I had to change to this form since most of my summoning magic will only work as a female.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ I¡­ didn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because I never told you. Anyway, just believe that it¡¯s me.¡±


    Suddenly to my side, May appeared.


    ¡°Master, our guest are finally resting up. As for the prisoners, we are slowly working our way through them. What do you want to do with their commanders?¡±


    ¡°Have them come over here and make sure to bring guards.¡±


    She gave a bow and instantly disappeared.


    ¡°That was?¡±


    ¡°A former assassin¡­ no need to be concerned. Anyway, lets proceed with the summon.¡±


    She instantly perked up, her excitement was showing. I began drawing symbols on the ground. First I had to make a circle that the familiar can fit in. After that, I had to make three sets of interlocking circles that had the corresponding letters ¦¡, ¦¸, ¦¨. These letters symbolized the beginning, the end, and the present. This allows familiars to materialize permanently in the world of men if their masters choose. The only thing is, their magic would be downgraded to that of mankind like Lily¡¯s was. Once that was finished, I quickly set to work in inscribing the small details of circuits that will guide the mana from one activation set to another.


    ¡°Hey Bryan¡­ you know, I was wondering.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t going to fight the Demon king right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You also said that you wanted to live a peaceful life right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then why is it that you¡¯ve been working so hard lately¡­ if you wanted a peaceful life, why go out and fight?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I stayed silent as I continued working on the circle.


    ¡°Judging from your story, there¡¯s a lot more here that I¡¯m probably missing. As far as I know, we could probably be invaded at any moment. But you¡­ you can probably just defend your one part of the island. So why is it your trying so hard to protect the entire kingdom?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe because I¡¯m able?¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t make sense with your ¡®peaceful life¡¯ statement.¡±


    ¡°¡­ well, I guess¡­ It¡¯s because it¡¯s fun¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She gave me a surprised look.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been this excited since the day I was born. Being part of a grand change, being part of an accepting society. For the first month I¡¯ve stayed in this kingdom, I¡¯ve learned. Not every human being is capable pain, fear and hatred. Love, happiness, sadness, friendship¡­ this world is capable of so much more. My world didn¡¯t really have those, though there were an occasional exception¡­ I mean even Rose was¡­¡±


    I stopped. Before I could remember, I instantly shook myself as I continued writing the inscriptions.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s been really fun. Sure there¡¯s probably going to be pain and suffering, but this kingdom¡­ I think it deserves to stand against the forces of others. Whether demons or other human kingdoms, I don¡¯t care anymore. I¡¯ll gladly fight to protect it¡­ though I¡¯ll probably save myself first when push comes to shove.¡±


    I finally finished the inscription I was working on. I then looked back at Artura whose eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°I never knew you felt that way. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re happier¡­ I forgive you for not visiting me the past month.¡±


    She sniffled and I couldn¡¯t help but give her an endearing smile.


    ¡°A doting mother on her child, how sweet.¡±


    Another annoyance came into view as Lily whispered into my ears.


    ¡°Hey Catalea, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Summoning. I decided to give her me summon as a gift for taking her guard away.¡±


    ¡°Catalea?¡±


    Artura looked at the both of us confused.


    ¡°Catalea¡¯s my female name. We usually use it for the sake of public appearance.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Now, back on the topic though. You took away her guard? Who?¡±


    ¡°Sara.¡±


    Did I just see a vein popped?


    ¡°Are you making a Harem?¡±


    ¡°HUHHHH!!!! Whoa, what do you mean by that! I would nev¡­¡±


    ¡°Me, May, the queen, the fallen queen, your female students and now Sara. I mean, come on. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    She placed a hand on her waist as she gave me a look of annoyance. I thought about it for a moment. O shit she¡¯s right. Why didn¡¯t I see it before? Ugh¡­ I need some male companions and quick. Ugh¡­ no need to think about this right now.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t just change the subject!¡±


    I ignored her as I began chanting.


    ¡°Somehow, I think I heard something troubling.¡±


    Artura gave out a small statement as she stared at both of us. I glared at her, trying to say she¡¯s not helping. I went back to the circle and began to intensify the mana consumption.


    ¡°From the heavens I call forth, the one who strikes fear into her opponents, the one they deemed worthy of the sword of power. May she answer this call and serve with utmost power. I SUMMON THEE, WIELDER OF EXCALIBUR!¡±


    The circle began to light as the surroundings became brighter.


    ¡°I hear your call.¡±


    A very powerful voice could be heard. It seems the summoning was a success¡­ but something doesn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Oye, oye, oye. That¡¯s not Hilde your calling.¡±


    I looked at Lily who seemed to look pale.


    ¡°Eh, what do you mean it¡¯s not Hilde?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I meant you moron. YOU DIDN¡¯T SUMMON HILDE, YOU SUMMONED¡­¡±


    I felt the mana explode as something landed at the middle of the circle. It was another Valkyrie. She had golden hair that reached to her shoulders and stunning blue eyes. She was wearing Valkyrian armor, but her appearance was much grander than Lily¡¯s. A shield was on her side, but unlike lily¡¯s, it seemed to be almost like mine. The only difference was her shield emitted mana. Her spear was the same. It was probably a plasma spear which was constantly surrounded by mana. As I studied her, I became more and more frightened at the fact of who I just summoned.


    ¡°Bryan¡­ what have you done.¡±


    I looked over at Artura who also had a pale look on her face.


    ¡°Mortals¡­ why arth thou afraid? Eh¡­ Lily, thou arth here too.¡±


    The being in question only tilted her head to the side and smiled as she saw Lily. I couldn¡¯t help but freak out as I remembered the paintings in the castle. Why? Well, that¡¯s because Freyja, the patron goddess of this world¡¯s religion, has arrived.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    Hey guys. So a couple of decisions. First of all, I will add the genderbender tag. Why? it''s because of the facts from above. I was thinking on several restrictions that I can place on him so he''s not too op while still being op, and I was like. Why not make spells have requirements. One being gender, so theres that.


    FYI: This chapter was suppose to be an info dump, but I had no idea how to start it without being too boring. Then I was like, why not just span it into different chapter and start it with a funny event right. So hence, this chapter was born. I hope you guys enjoyed this. I sure did... then again, that''s probably a bias thing to say XD

 A little message/story from the author and co

    [Mikaila]: Ah, hello. Testing, can anyone hear me? Oye, Sis. You did fix the power right?


    [Sofia]: I was sure I did. Rather look, there¡¯s a glowing red button over there


    [Mikaila]: NO WAIT!


    *explosions* slight scuffling could be heard.


    [Mikaila]: Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re not supposed to press red buttons. Ugh¡­ I swear, you people from fantasy worlds don¡¯t know anything about technology.


    [Sofia]: Can you blame me? Actually, what the hell even is technology? Is it something you eat?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [Mikaila]: Anyway¡­ HELLO READERS. My name is Mikaila, titled the sword princess. As you all know, my story is currently on Hiatus and sadly will continued to be on hiatus. I swear the author is such a lazy idiot forgetting my story like that.


    Fear not, I¡¯m trying to get myself back into the land of stories. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m trying everything. Hypnosis, trying to act nice. I¡¯m even trying s¡­s¡­ sed¡­ AHH MOU. STUPID AUTHOR. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME SAY?


    You could hear papers flying.


    [Author]: You¡¯re the one that wanted to tell our audience you¡¯re alive¡­ rather, do they even still know you?


    [Mikaila]: Of course they do! Even one guy commented on my story hoping for it to continue


    [Author]: ¡­¡­¡­ One?


    [Mikaila]: ¡­ Well¡­ you know, some¡­ probably haven¡¯t commented yet¡­ right? Sofia?


    [Sofia]: Huh¡­ oh yes¡­ Um. Yeah, they probably hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask for you yet¡­


    You could hear a door being slammed open.


    [Lily]: WHO THE FUCK PRESSED THE BUTTON FOR MY PROTOTYPE CANNON!!!!


    [Mikaila]: It was Sofia


    [Sofia]: EHHH. SIS?


    [Lily]: You, you¡¯re coming with me


    [Sofia]: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


    Her voice gradually vanishes.


    [Bryan]: Hey, what are you guys doing?


    [Author]: Nothing much. Mikaila just wanted to let people know that she and her story are still alive


    [Bryan]: Ehhh¡­ you mean that story that everyone should have forgotten about


    [Mikaila]: Hey, don¡¯t get cocky just because you¡¯re getting more screen time than I am right now buddy


    [Bryan]: Hah. You really think people will return to that shitty story?


    [Author]: Shitty?


    [Bryan]: ahhhh¡­ I mean, you know. Just the character


    [Author]: ¡­ even I made that character you know


    [Bryan]: ¡­ Well either way, the story you¡¯re making now is better so just finish it


    [Mikaila]: Ehh¡­ What about me then?


    [Bryan]: Just find a corner and cry. No one can stop my story now¡­ MUWAHAHAHA


    [Mikaila]: Muuuuu¡­ just because you¡¯re a guy. I WAS A GUY TOO YOU KNOW¡­ UGH¡­ fight me


    [Bryan]: With what? Comparing breast sizes


    [Mikaila]: That¡¯s a great idea. Seeing as you¡¯re a guy, I would win instantly


    You could feel the happiness from the other side of this recording


    [Bryan/Catalea]: Genus Transformation


    ¡­


    [Mikaila]: I lost¡­


    [Catalea]: Hah¡­ that¡¯s what you get. Don¡¯t think you can win over me that easily


    Maniac like laughter could be heard


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    [Author]: Anyway, so there you have it. Mikaila is still alive, though Bryan/Catalea is keeping her in a good leash. Who knows, something surprising may happen soon. Maybe¡­ still don¡¯t know. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy reading this, and like always com¡­


    [Mikaila| Bryan/Catalea]: AUTHOR


    [Author]: DYAH, What the hell are you two doing??????? Why are you both in swimsuits?


    [Mikaila| Bryan/Catalea]: Which one of us is looks better?


    You could hear the author sweating


    [Author]: ¡­ I will not partake in this farce


    [Mikaila]: ¡­ Farce¡­ you think this is a joke


    You could hear a fire crackling in the radio


    [Bryan/Catalea]: I guess that¡¯s your way of saying we don¡¯t look good right.


    A sword was drawn out of its sheath


    [Author]: Duh, wait. Girls¡­ wait a minute, you two used to be guys? Why do you care?


    [Mikaila| Bryan/Catalea]: EAT THIS/DIE!


    [Author]: GYAHHHHH


    *Explosions and metal clashing could be heard, followed by more destructions.


    [Editor]: Rest in peace Author. You will not be forgotten. Anyway, allow me to finish everything that the author wanted to say. Apparently he''s slowly thinking about what''s going to happen with the other story. RIght now, he''s told me nothing yet so I can only wait. As for this... We will continue to work on it, but real life stuff happens so we still can''t guarantee a fluent time frame for the chapter releases. So just expect 1 every sunday at least. Some people were asking, why are you sending this message out. Well, the author gave me one answer. The next chap is still not done, but he wants to do something for April fools day, so here we are. Well, I hope you enjoyed this short break from the series, and We will see you later.


    Update (I forgot to put my collaborators input):  [Collaborators office]: Hello. This is co or your friendly neighborhood friend SPIDER***. Jk This is the collaborator here and I make most of the ideas concerning the layout of the land, culture and technology of Bryan¡¯s wor¡­


    ¡°OI DON¡¯T TOUCH THAT!¡±


    Ahem¡­ anyway back to the point. Due to some new creative ideas and some inspiration (P.S. I¡¯m a nerd) We have carefully planned the construction of the city in the later chapters.


    I also have a lot of other things up in my sleeve since the author (I think it¡¯s a she), me and my gf have many ideas that are still coming your way.


    Now, I know what you¡¯re thinking. When¡¯s the next chapter? When will Brian be turned into a girl permanently.


    Jk.


    Well this is only the tip of a very large iceberg.


    Now as to what is to come (Not telling¡­ much), while me and the author were writing so many feels recently (Courtesy of the author herself(STILL THINK SHE¡¯S A GIRL)) Expect a feel coaster coming your way sometime in the near future. Probably soon¡­ maybe¡­ the author is kind of lazy. Maybe I should lock her in a room with only a laptop/pc to write for all eternity. >:)


    P.s/hint: This story is canon

 Arc 1 Chapter 7: The Queens Guard

    Arc 1 Chapter 7: The Queen¡¯s ¡®Guard¡¯


    (Marlana POV)


    ¡°Nghhh¡­¡±


    I stretched out my arms as I exited my office. One of the ministers from the kingdom of Danes had come over to Camelot to discuss certain matters about trade rights and whatnot. Honestly, the man was filled with questions and questions and I had to answer all of it. Not only that, I feel as if he did that intentionally just so he could keep me there in the room. Ugh¡­ his stares was really annoying. I know he was looking at my breasts and if he kept me there a tad longer, well. I would have had to ¡®convince¡¯ him to leave.


    ¡°Hey you two. Stop slacking and get back to your position.¡±


    I caught two guards talking with one another. It¡¯s not bad that they¡¯re talking and all, but¡­ the fact that they¡¯re not aware of my presence show they¡¯re too distracted. I mean, I had to walk up to them just for them to finally notice me. When they did, you could see them shaking slightly.


    ¡°Sorry mam, won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Look¡­ I¡¯m not mad at you two for talking with each other, but if an enemy gets this close, then it¡¯s you two who¡¯ll lose your life. That¡¯s why this conversation is good and all to keep boredom away¡­ just make sure you¡¯re alert.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    They brought their hands to their chest in a salute. I nodded in approval and kept going my way. It¡¯s a really nice day today. Outside the window, I could see that the sky was clear and the wind must breezy as the trees leaves swayed back and forth. It would be good if I could bring Artura outside today. I mean, she¡¯s pretty bogged down from a lot of things and is getting pretty stressed about her position. Well at least Bryan finally visited us. It¡¯s been, what. A month since we last saw him. I mean, he was sending us letters and all, but even that stopped a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, the nerve of him. Well¡­ at least I know Artura is happy. Honestly, the smile she had when she heard Bryan was visiting was something else¡­ though it did turn a bit darker when she read through the letter. Hmm¡­ I wonder what they¡¯re talking about.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Marlana.¡±


    A girl walked up to me. It was the commander of the Elite guards, Sara.


    ¡°Oh, hey Sara. What are you doing here?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m just watching over the officials so that they don¡¯t bother master.¡±


    I blinked. I¡¯m¡­ not sure if I heard that right.


    ¡°Um¡­ who?¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°You mean Artura?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m talking about master.¡±


    She gave me an innocent smile as I continued to stare at her blankly. This girl was the commander of our elite guards. She was by far the only person capable of going against me and even Artura. Although Bryan could do the same, he¡¯s a bit¡­ special. But still, just hearing her say master¡­ Just who could it be?


    ¡°Ok¡­ I honestly have questions about you, but first, where¡¯s Artura?¡±


    ¡°She went somewhere with master.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I feel as if I know who this master is¡­ the thing is. I really don¡¯t want to be right.


    ¡°Hey Sara. When you say master, do you mean Bryan?¡±


    ¡°Hai!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Hmm¡­ I guess that¡¯s understandable¡­


    ¡°WHAT?!!!!¡±


    I grabbed her by the shoulder.


    ¡°Tell me. What did that idiot do to you?¡±


    ¡°Master didn¡¯t do anything to me. He saved me and my daughter, that¡¯s why I decided to follow him.¡±


    ¡°But what about your title as the Elite Guard commander?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. I threw it away.¡±


    She gave a proud smile. I couldn¡¯t help but maniacally laugh as I processed everything she said. Her, leave the guards. Master¡­ she called Bryan master¡­ hahahaha¡­ this is really funny. Hahahaha.


    ¡°Marlana?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ok, I¡¯m ok. Rather, this is probably a dream. Please pinch me to wake me up.¡±


    She smiled. Before I knew it I felt an intense pain on my arm.


    ¡°OW, OW, OW, OW, OW. OK, I GET IT, I¡¯M NOT DREAMING!!¡±


    She let go as I rubbed the now pink skin.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t believe this. Just how much did we miss when Bryan stopped contacting us?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see. An attempted assassination of the Gaulic queen, the destruction of the Medelwr Organization, the futile attempt of the Holy Empire to make a beachhead in Camelot and Masters new small army.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep up as Sara nonchalantly listed several concerning things to me.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bryan!¡±


    ¡°Master went with Artura right over there.¡±


    She kept her smile as she pointed towards the courtyard. Just as she pointed, an explosion rocked the entire castle.


    ¡°Oh God, what have they done?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim that as I made a full rush for the courtyard. Sara was with me as we quickly made our way to the courtyard. In no time, the cherry blossoms could be seen. In the middle, four people could be seen. The first one was Artura who had a pale look on her face. The other was Lily who also had the same pale look on her face. That actually surprised me knowing that Lily was not one to be surprised. The other two girls, I couldn¡¯t really tell who they were. One was a beautiful woman who had piercing red eyes and red hair. She didn¡¯t have the same look as Lily or Artura, but her eyes were shifting as if she was nervous about something. On the other hand, the last girl was like a goddess that descended down from heaven as she stood on some kind of spell structure on the ground. She had wings that were beautiful to look at with the white plumes floating around her. Her spear and her shield were intricately design and had a bluish color. Her blonde hair and beautiful eyes complemented her slim figure that were covered in very intrinsically designed armor.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys doing?¡±


    I ran up to them as they all looked at me.


    ¡°Art thou friends of these mortals?¡±


    That is¡­ a very old way of speaking. I hardly understood her as I kept staring at her stupidly. And I know I was staring at her stupidly since she looked at the red haired girl. As if understanding, the girl went up to her and placed her hand on the girl¡¯s throat. In no time, a light appeared.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­ testing, 1, 2, 3. Perfect. Thanks master. I should be able to talk now.¡±


    The red haired girl nodded, though she still looked anxious.


    ¡°As I was saying, are you friends of these people?¡±


    She pointed at everyone present.


    ¡°Um¡­ Yes. And you are?¡±


    ¡°Me¡­ right, I haven¡¯t introduced myself properly.¡±


    She gave a slight smile towards Lily and the red haired girl as her weapons disappeared and her wings tucked themselves behind her. She then took a graceful curtsy as she raised the sides of her battle skirt slightly.


    ¡°My name is Freyja, Goddess of War. Leader of the Valkyrian order. Today I have come here to answer the call of my new master.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    (Bryan POV) (1 hour later)


    ¡°So¡­ why am I sitting on a seiza?¡±


    ¡°Because, you¡¯re common sense needs to be hammered by the nails of common logic.¡±


    Currently, two people were standing above me. One gave me a glare filled with accusation while the other gave me a look as if I committed the highest known taboo known to mankind.


    ¡°I thought you were going to summon Hilde? Actually, what I want to know is, how the hell did you managed to get the spell for summoning Freyja dono?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? Even I was surprised that she appeared.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re playing dumb or if you¡¯re trying to act cute. I mean, come on. You can¡¯t fool me. We both know you have the highest amount of knowledge when it comes to summoning spells!¡±


    She gave me a look that told me she doesn¡¯t believe me. The thing is though, I¡¯m actually telling the truth. I have no idea why I summoned Freyja instead of Hilde. Honestly, I would never confuse the tomboyish fighter with the weird out of this world goddess.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ this is bad. What am I supposed to tell my kingdom? Oh guys, by the way. I have Freyja as my personal bodyguard¡­ THEY¡¯LL RIOT TO SET HER FREE!¡±


    I looked over at Artura only to see a crazed look on her face as she looked back and forth from me to Freyja. Right now, the goddess merely shrugged as she drank the tea Marlana gave her.


    ¡°Can I please have some more?¡±


    ¡°Yes milady.¡±


    Marlana gave the goddess more tea. She seemed to have calmed down after initially fainting at the beginning. Though it was actually harder to tell her I was currently the girl, but somehow she believed it. The same thing had happened to Sara¡­ though now she was just silently leaning on the wall. I looked back at the two girls on the couch who seemingly had a calm look on their face. Ugh¡­ how envious. I want something to drink too.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°HEY, CATALEA FOCUS!!¡±


    I instantly looked in front of me.


    ¡°Listen. Can¡¯t you just bring her back and summon Hilde? At least with her, I don¡¯t care what I have to do. Fight, bark, tell her a story. Just summon Hilde and send our goddess back to the heavens. I can¡¯t have Freyja guarding me. It¡¯ll overturn my entire kingdom and you know what I mean by this.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Well¡­ in all honesty, that is what I¡¯m planning to do. Actually, more like I¡¯m trying to do just that at this very moment. But there is one thing that¡¯s currently stopping me from doing just that.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    I looked towards Freyja. She smiled before taking another sip of her tea. Lily walked up to the goddess.


    ¡°Um¡­ Freyja dono.¡±


    ¡°Yes Lily.¡±


    ¡°By any chance¡­ are you stopping Catalea from sending you back.¡±


    ¡°Why I do not know what you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­ yep, this is a problem.¡±


    Lily did a face palm as Artura looked at the two spirits in confusion.


    ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s more to this than Catalea accidently summoning Freyja.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and how do you know that?¡±


    Lily looked at Freyja who was giving an innocent smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s because, milady normally says her sentences fully when she lies.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ but I am a goddess. Of course I would not lie.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Freyja dono. I¡¯ve served under you for millenniums. Of course I would know the what¡¯s and what nots with you. Also, you tend to blink when you lie.¡±


    She instantly clicked her tongue.


    ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t hurt to have a little fun now is it.¡±


    She pouted as she leaned back on her chair, gone was her divine aura. She even started talking in her usual heavy English accent.


    ¡°So¡­ why did you come here instead of Hilde?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°Cuz¡­ you know how it is in Valhalla. It¡¯s the same old thing. Honestly, it¡¯s been really boring so I thought coming to the mortal world would be a great experience. Who would have thought that Bryan would be sent to a different world. Honestly, I¡¯m amazed by the amount of luck he has. Speaking of which, is your magic back to full strength after coming here?¡±


    ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t returned fully, but I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem here. Rather, your real personality is showing now.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ woops.¡±


    She coughed as she straightened her form to look like a dignified woman.


    ¡°Anyway master, what is thy bidding?¡±


    Do you really think speaking properly now would make them forget about your earlier bouts? Of course I didn¡¯t say that, but I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the familiar face before me. In my world, she was known as the goddess of death, but the first time I met her¡­ I honestly felt really disappointed. Even Lily felt the same considering she¡¯s served her for hundreds and hundreds of years. As for Artura and Marlana¡­


    ¡°Are you really our goddess deity?¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of years of culture¡­ this¡­ this can¡¯t be right.¡±


    ¡­ Needless to say, they were also disappointed. The goddess shrugged.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s you mortals that forced your beliefs on us. Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll change just because you think we act in a certain way. Speaking of which, nice job of portraying me in your pictures.¡±


    A completely nonchalant rebuttal. I sighed.


    ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed¡­ Well¡­ as you can see, I have no way of returning her. Rather, I feel as if everything was planned.¡±


    I emphasized the everything part as I gave her an accusative look. She smiled, mischief in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh come on now ¡®Bryan¡¯ it¡¯s not good to turn away a former lover now isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Silence. The entire room became silent. I then began hearing creaking noises as each person in the room turned their heads towards me.


    ¡°¡°¡±¡±¡­what?¡±¡±¡±¡±


    I looked towards Freyja in shock. WHY DID SHE BRING THAT UP! Turning back to everyone in the room I placed my hands in front of me in a denying fashion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think!¡±


    I heard a thud as the goddess fell to the floor.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ your refusal really hurts. Just to think we¡¯ve even shared the same bed before¡­ how could you?¡±


    ¡°Oye you¡¯re not making this any better, and what¡¯s with the fake te¡­¡±


    ¡°Bryan!¡±


    ¡°¡­Hai?¡±


    I looked at Lily whose eyes were no longer smiling. At this rate, I felt that my life could actually be in danger. Why? Is because four women were looking at me with bloodlust. Heck, one of them had been quite the entire time, and now¡­ yeah. This might be bad. I looked over at Freyja asking for her help. She sighed.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Break it up. Now back to our previous discussion, you said you wanted a guard for her right?¡±


    She pointed at Artura cleverly diverting the topic from me to her.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    She raised her hands in front of her.


    [Jeg innkalle deg, Einherjar i nord. Gj?r din mestere budgivning]


    A crystal blue light began emitting from the ground. Soon, a man began to appear. His skin was pure blue¡­ almost like a diamond. His eyes were also blue and his hair was¡­ really slick. He was oddly wearing a butler¡¯s uniform and his appearance and stature would put any noble to shame.


    ¡°Since I want to go with Bryan, I will give you my personal servant. His name is Isfjell. He is my most trusted butler and would do anything to accomplish his goals. Isfjell!¡±


    ¡°Madame?¡±


    ¡°I want you to become this girl¡¯s bodyguard. You are to follow everything she tells you too and you must protect her, even at the cost of your own life.¡±


    The butler bowed. All of a sudden, a small ring formed around Artura¡¯s hand. She was surprised as she looked at the beautiful blue ring. What was even more surprising was the fact that the butler changed. His skin turned light brown and his eyes were dark blue. His hair was now grey, giving him that sharp look.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    He bowed before Artura who looked really excited. As for me, I felt relief. I managed to dodge two bullets. My relationship with Freyja and Artura¡¯s bodyguard. At least with this, two problems are gone¡­ but.


    ¡°When we get home¡­ you¡¯re explaining everything to me. AGAIN!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ alright I will. Just know, my relationship with Freyja isn¡¯t what you think it is.1¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. Actually, how did you even keep that memory from me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Neh Bryan, can we go now? I want to see this world.¡±


    We were suddenly interrupted by the goddess herself. Lily gave her a piercing look though she instantly gave up with a sigh. As for me¡­


    ¡°We can¡¯t go yet. Disguise yourself and make sure not to make eye contact. Me and Artura still need to talk with the two commanders we caught.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you want me to torture them?¡±


    ¡°No Freyja¡­ just stand in the sidelines for now. I don¡¯t want anyone to see you.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    She pouted for a second. Marlana once again looked disappointedly at Freyja and sighed in dejection.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve brought the two commanders.¡±


    May instantly appeared beside me.


    ¡°Good, where are they now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re currently waiting with the officials in the conference room.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Artura!¡±


    She looked over to me.


    ¡°Come on. You still have a meeting to finish.¡±


    With a nod, we both prepared ourselves for the coming meeting.


    ____________________________________________________________________________________


    Author''s Note:


    I wonder how many people expected this story to turn out like this XD


    Anyway, already working on the next chappy, and that one is the info dump. Raises fist in the air.


    BEAT THAT WRITERS BLOCK. I''VE OVERCOME YOU BY WRITING FUNNY CHAPTERS FIRST. HAHAHAHAHAH...


    Ahem... anyway, just expect for more. Also, the relationship between Bryan and Freyja. I know you guys want to know badly... but for the sake of tortu... i mean, the story, I won''t tell you till... around arc 3 or 4 or 5... so yeah... don''t ask for it yet lol.


    If you guys have questions, feel free to ask. Also, to the guy who commented about the butler. As you can see, I actually liked the idea, so I implemented it. I was gona go for another valkyrie, but... too many females lol


    Have to give the guys a chance. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.


    P.S. Arc 1 is... partially done. We have 5 or 7 chapters to go, depending on how much I write in each chap O:


    Update: A section of the story was in black... weird. Either way, I had it fixed just about now.

 Arc 1 Chapter 8: Questions, Answers and a Show of Power

    Arc 1 Chapter 8: Questions, Answers and a show of power


    (Richard POV)


    How could this have happened? I was currently at the mercy of my enemy. That was evident with the rope that restraint my hands. I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered to lead the first wave into the kingdom of Wessex. That¡¯s why I mentally prepared myself to die. Even as a prisoner, I prepared myself for the worse¡­ yet this feeling in me. This feeling of utter confusion¡­ why? Why¡­?


    ¡°Can we get more tea over here?¡±


    ¡°I want more sweets Caty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that¡­ anyway, I¡¯m making something so just wait.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that smells so good¡­ Catalea¡¯s sweet sure are heavenly. Especially this cake¡­ Mhmm¡­ Delicious¡±


    ¡­ WHY IS THERE A TEA PARTY HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. We were currently in a big chamber. The officials have left earlier, and now, only the queen and her companions were here. Artura herself was sitting down as a butler catered to her every need. The butler himself seemed formidable as an aura of pure energy surrounded him. At the back of the party, two girls were making something. The girl called Catalea somehow brought a cooking device into the room where she and the black haired girl, Lily, began making food for the group. May was also there. She was happily munching on some bread looking things alongside the Elite Guard Commander, Sara. Lastly, the blonde hair girl. She just sat there, her legs crossed as she continued taking small sips of her tea. I swear, she looks very familiar somehow.


    ¡°You know; you should be a bit less conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Meh¡­ you know how it is. As long as you don¡¯t show them anything divine, there¡¯s no way in hell the humans would be able to tell I¡¯m a goddess.¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ That was a bit loud you know. The only ones who fully know who you are the ones in our group.¡±


    ¡°Meh¡­ who cares. Speaking of which, this tea is getting too boring to drink. HEY CATY, do you have any alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that, and no. I don¡¯t. Regardless, you shouldn¡¯t be drinking period. The last time you got drunk, you killed over forty people in one go.¡±


    The girl began pouting.


    ¡°At least they were the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the ones I actually wanted to keep alive.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ah mou¡­ hey you, pretty boy.¡±


    ¡°Pretty boy?¡±


    I looked at the girl slightly dazed.


    ¡°You want some alcohol right¡­ so that means Caty should bring us alcohol. Right?¡±


    ¡°Duhh¡­ ahhh¡­¡±


    I did not know how to reply. I¡¯m oddly confused with their dialogue though I didn¡¯t hear some of them. Catalea looked towards the blonde girl.


    ¡°Oye, Frey. No fraternizing with the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ come on. Be less of a stuck up and have some fun. It¡¯s your uptight personality that kept you from graduating if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    The girl instantly grabbed at the air. She was holding a fork that was aimed towards her. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at awe.


    ¡°Oye Caty, you shouldn¡¯t throw things at your lover now should you.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! If you don¡¯t stop talking, I won¡¯t make anything for you.¡±


    ¡°EHHHH??! please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Madame Frey, your personality is showing again.¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    Lily reprimanded Frey as she carried back a tray filled with treats. Just what is going on? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a meeting to decide our fate? Yet, they¡¯re just calmly going about their way as if we didn¡¯t exist. Ugh¡­ if they won¡¯t take us seriously, then we should use this time to escape. I looked over at Riesse. To my surprise, she was already a step ahead as she tried to cut through the rope with her nails. It was slow, but you could see progress. I guess it¡¯s my job to keep them distracted.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I know you guys are having fun and all¡­ but, why exactly are we here?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, yes. Give me a sec, I¡¯m supposed to be questioning you guys.¡±


    It was Catalea who replied to me. She was walking back now. She was also carrying a tray, though this one was filled with circular looking things.


    ¡°COOKIES. YAY!¡±


    ¡°Cookies you say? Catalea, why aren¡¯t you my wife?¡±


    ¡°Shut it!¡±


    She instantly kicked the blonde girl who gracefully dodged it. As for May, she managed to catch the tray that Catalea threw in the air.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I swear you¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ come on sweetie, I¡¯m just playing around with you.¡±


    You could see the look of irritation Catalea had. She began to breathe slowly before sitting in front of me and Riesse.


    ¡°Sorry about that. As you can see, their bit of a¡­ handful. Anyway, moving on to why you both are here. I have some questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it polite for you to speak your name first?¡±


    ¡°My name? Oh¡­ right. Forgive me for that.¡±


    She stood up and took a curtsy.


    ¡°My name is Catalea, advisor to the sub commander of the defense ministry.¡±


    Out of respect, I also gave a small nod to her.


    ¡°Now then, to the questions. I would like to know several things. First up, your leader. Who is leading you right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You think I would tell you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ true. Moving on. Did you lead the bandit group?¡±


    ¡°This I can answer, no. We were only on a joint cooperation.¡±


    ¡°So basically, they had their own command structure.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If that is true, then why is it that the bandits took commands from her?¡±


    She pointed towards Riesse who immediately stopped what she was doing.


    ¡°Well¡­ they do take orders from us, but their main task was to defend the organization. Of course, any loot they gain from the field can be kept, but aside from that, we normally do not have that much interactions.¡±


    ¡°So, if they find let¡¯s say, an unconscious girl, they first bring it to her to see if they can take her out for a test run?¡±


    Something is weird with this question. I looked at Riesse only to see her shaking.


    ¡°Riesse. What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ well, the guys found a girl. They¡¯ve been saying things about their libido becoming out of control for the past weeks so I allowed them to take in a girl.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Did¡­ what¡­ you do know our policy is to keep the people safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but the bandits work on a different set of ethics. It was a sacrifice for the better good.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so you didn¡¯t know anything. How about the prisoners. Did you know about their conditions too?¡±


    Riesse looked at the girl.


    ¡°No¡­ what happened?¡±


    I felt bloodlust from two directions. One was from Catalea, the other was from the Elite Guards.


    ¡°Basically, the men were beaten. The girls raped. Really, you ought to think about who you¡¯re working with.¡±


    I stared at her silently. I could feel the anger from her eyes and something tells me she wants to vent it out.


    ¡°Well¡­ anyway, at least you weren¡¯t aware of it. Sorry Sara, I guess revenge will have to wait on the second batch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem mistress.¡±


    ¡°Now then, follow up question. Do you know the leader of the bandit group?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Even though he¡¯s a bandit, I have no reason to¡­¡±


    I started chocking as my feet was dangling in the air. I looked at the face that was now in front of me. Her piercing red eyes stared into me as her hair seemed to be on fire.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like hearing the word no¡­ I¡¯ll let the other one slip, but the bandits name¡­ I won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡±


    Her grip suddenly tightened even more before she let me go. I coughed, trying to grasp at the air.


    ¡°Now then, tell me the name.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Vas¡­ Vas the purge¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Vas huh. That¡¯s perfect. Hey Artura, inform your men that my guys are coming in.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and tell them that my guys are¡­ a tad special.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    Artura quickly got one of her guards and told him to pass the message. The guard saluted and exited the chamber.


    ¡°Now then, while we wait for that. I want to know when is the Empire going to invade?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ you really think I¡¯ll tell you?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but you did just confirm that they¡¯re invading. Based on the amount of preparations you¡¯re doing; it¡¯ll probably be around six months.¡±


    I stared at her in shock.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I visited the empire for a bit, and let me say. I did not like what I saw. Anyway, at least we have a timeframe to work with. That honestly is a good amount of time.¡±


    She began walking back to her chair. I looked at Riesse frantically who had continued to cut her way through her bonds. Just a bit more. I mouthed towards her,


    ¡®Warn them.¡¯


    She quickly nodded as she started on the last strands of the rope.


    ¡°By the way, it would be best if you try not to escape.¡±


    Catalea stared right at Riesse.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°¡­ Ho¡­how long?¡±


    ¡°Since the beginning. I have a guy that¡¯s been watching you the entire time¡­ and let me tell you, he¡¯s been itching to pull the trigger.¡±


    Trigger? What does she mean by that? Well, either way. We have to inform the Empire. Riesse looked at me for conformation. I nodded. She cut the last strand and instantly made a dash for the door. I was sure she got away¡­ to my horror, she didn¡¯t. None of us noticed it, but her leg was cut cleanly from the knee. It took a while for the pain to register to her, but a few moments later she began screaming.


    ¡°Stupid girl¡­ you don¡¯t just wave off a warning.¡±


    Catalea began walking towards the girl.


    ¡°WAIT. PLEASE. Let her go. It was by my co¡­¡±


    She slapped me in the back.


    ¡°Calm down prince charming, I¡¯m not going to kill her.¡±


    She once again walked to the girl and raised her hands.


    ¡°[Heal]¡±


    A green light enveloped Riesse and to my shock, her leg regrew. It didn¡¯t even take a second. One moment it was missing and the next, boom. It was back. Just what kind of magic is that?


    ¡°With this, at least you learned your lesson¡±


    She instantly brought another rope and tied it to Riesse¡¯s hands. She then dragged the poor girl back to where we are.


    ¡°Well that was exciting. Now then, I have one last question for you prince.¡±


    I winced. Why did it feel as if he was chastising me with that one word?


    ¡°How do you treat the people you¡¯ve conquered?¡±


    That¡¯s a very odd question¡­ very specific really.


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because, I want to know what kind of person you are. So tell me, how do you treat the kingdom you¡¯ve conquered.¡±


    ¡°¡­ we treat them like the Empire¡¯s citizen. Under our jurisdiction, they become part of our system and receive the benefits given to the empire¡¯s citizen. This has been our doctrine ever since we¡¯ve started conquering others.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She stood quiet as she stared deeply into my eyes. Suddenly, I heard a commotion. You could hear metals clashing and loud thumps on the floor. It then suddenly died down and a knight entered the chamber.


    ¡°My queen¡­ the umm¡­ group you mentioned appeared. Our guards were kind of freaked out so they attacked them¡­ but the misunderstanding was quickly solved.¡±


    Artura sighed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell them not to attack anyone?¡±


    ¡°¡­ well¡­ I mean¡­ yes you did¡­ but although you want to punish them, they probably won¡¯t be getting up till they heal.¡±


    The look of surprise was plastered all over Artura¡¯s face. She then fully understood what he meant and regained her stoic look.


    ¡°Let them in.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    He quickly stepped aside and had two other guards open the door. Some kind of bear was standing in front of us. Not only that, it was big and was wearing bulky armor that had intricate designs on it. It was carrying a huge tower shield on its left hand and on its right hand, a huge battle axe with a gem in the middle could be seen. Behind him, four people stood. Armor covered their entire body, though you could tell the two in the front were male and two on the back were female. They had the downscale version of the bear¡¯s armor. The four were carrying shields and banners that had one insignia etched into it. Behind this group, four other people could be seen. They seemed to be paladins and they were carrying strange weapons. It was a stick which jutted out on the bottom and had a spear point underneath instead of in front of the shaft. Truly a weird weapon.


    ¡°I believe there was no problem bringing him here Rester?¡±


    ¡°No my liege. He was very passive so punishment was not in order. Also, forgive me. I may have roughed the castle¡¯s guards a bit.¡±


    Catalea shrugged.


    ¡°Better than dead in my opinion. Anyway, bring him in.¡±


    The bear instantly threw a person in front of him.


    ¡°Vas?¡±


    He looked at me, anger in his eyes.


    ¡°You did this to us didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I wanted to reply, but instead Catalea replied for me.


    ¡°Blaming others already huh. Blame yourself for picking this life, scum. Anyway, you¡¯ll make a great example for the others.¡±


    The man struggled, but the bear called Rester prevented him from moving.


    ¡°Throw him.¡±


    ¡°Yes mistress.¡±


    Vas cursed and screamed as he was thrown in the air.


    ¡°[Decompression]¡±


    Instantly, the cruelest thing happened before my eyes. The man began to implode into himself. You could see he was in pain as he tried to yell. Bones began cracking and his skin began to tear. Blood began spilling but Catalea was somehow disintegrating them before they hit the ground. She then took a box out of nowhere and placed the lump of flesh into it.


    ¡°Now then, now that I¡¯ve taken revenge for those who¡¯ve suffered, I believe this meeting is finished. As for you two, you will remain as prisoners until the end of this war. You will be provided enough comfort, but just know that escape is impossible. I have already set two guards to follow you and trust me. You cannot beat them.¡±


    With this, she exited the room followed by her entourage. Scary¡­ I think the empire has picked a fight with the wrong kingdom. I looked at Artura and surprisingly, she also seemed to be frightened though the butler is trying to calm her down. As for us, we were currently being taken by two guards. They were the paladins from earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad I¡¯m not fighting her¡­¡±


    That was the last thing I heard from Artura before we were sent to our prisons.


    _________________________________________________________________________


    (Bryan POV)


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh as I was staring at the moon. It was already nighttime. That meeting sure did take a while, though it didn¡¯t really give me much answers. I mean, I could have taken Richard¡¯s memories and learn from it¡­ but the questions I¡¯ve asked him seemed to show that he was in the shadows.


    ¡°Protect the people¡­ treat them like the empire¡¯s citizen¡­ the only thing I saw was enslavement.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but whisper to myself. There really is too many questions left unanswered.  At least I managed to take revenge for the Elite Guards¡­ but now, where facing an unknown enemy. I know for a fact that the Asvarian Empire are just a pawn in this game¡­ so who. Who is pulling the strings in this game of chess?


    ¡°You ok?¡±


    I looked back to see Marlana. She wasn¡¯t in the meeting since I had her search up information concerning the empire and the Gaulic nation.


    ¡°Yeah, I am¡­ did you find any information?¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m sorry. The only thing we know is that they¡¯ve been occupied for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­ well you¡¯re not wrong, but that¡¯s what I know so it really doesn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Speaking of which, why are you still on your female form.¡±


    ¡°Too tired to change. Ugh¡­ why is this so hard to figure out?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have time. You have six months right?¡±


    ¡°Normally¡­ but once news reaches the empire, they¡¯re bound to start earlier.¡±


    She stood quiet.


    ¡°Well¡­ just take it slow. Who knows, you might be able to figure out something by then.¡±


    She gave a quick smile before bowing and leaving the area. As for me, I continued looking at the moon. Well¡­ thinking about this won¡¯t help. I just need to look at my resources and look at all the options I have. Like the old saying¡­ slow and steady wins the race. Yeah. I just need to do exactly that. I silently thanked Marlana as I jumped out of the castle window. The day is ending¡­ but soon, another day will come. Another day to prepare and another day to live. Watch out world, I won¡¯t let you conquer me so easily. I smiled as I felt the wind caress my face. I have never felt so free in my entire life. To pick what I want to do and what I don¡¯t want to do. I guess this is what true freedom is. A life of ups and downs. A single choice that leads to an unknown future.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    Surprise a new chapter. Although I''ve been saying, ''IT''S AN INFO DUMP'' in the end, it became not an info dump chapter. I don''t know, it feels better to keep everyone guessing what''s going to happen... or maybe its just so obvious that I don''t really need to explain it... well either way, this does answer some questions... but it raises more questions. Lol... even I''m annoyed at myself, but it does move the story forward. So until then ONWARDS.


    P.S. I had no idea how to end the story, so I just ended it like this XD


    P.S.S. I just now realized after watching some footage from the newest final fantasy sequel that I had unknowingly thought of the same concept for the soldiers later on in the story. Them imperial soldiers looked amazing XD

 Arc 1 Chapter 8.5: The Bear and the Soldiers

    Arc 1 Chapter 8.5: The Bear and the Soldiers


    [FLASHBACK: The day before the attack of the organization]


    (Rester POV)


    I felt my entire existence tingle as mana began to form around me. This is it. My master is once again calling me. With excitement, I poured my own mana with the coinciding mana, accepting the call. As I felt the senses of the physical world I let out a roar of triumphant return.


    ¡°Master, I have heeded your call.¡±


    I looked in front of me and saw my master. Right now, he was in his female form. I should probably refer to him as mistress for now. Her eyes stared right into me, a smile on her face.


    ¡°Good to see you Rester.¡±


    ¡°And you mistress.¡±


    Without warning He came over to me and hugged me. I returned the hug as I looked at my surroundings. This wasn¡¯t the same world as before. How I know, it¡¯s because the mana was¡­ pure, not contaminated. Even the trees that surrounded us were vibrant with life. It was¡­ beautiful and peaceful.


    ¡°How have you been my old friend?¡±


    He released me and stepped back a bit. I started to exercise my muscle, extending and contracting them to my will.


    ¡°I have been well mistress. I have to say though, you took a while to call me.¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Well, it took a while. I had to change the spell to incorporate a new body for you.¡±


    ¡°A new body?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Yes. From now on, you won¡¯t have to go back to that void of a world. Instead you have your own physical body. The mana in this world is so pure that I¡¯m able to create a much more refined version of the spell.¡±


    I stood there shocked as she brought out her chest with pride. Before I knew it, tears where falling from my face. My master. He truly cares with how his familiars feel.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ever fail you master.¡±


    ¡°Hehehehee¡­ I knew seeing you smile was better.¡±


    I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes. I then noticed that it seems I have claws.


    ¡°Speaking of which master. What kind of body did you give me?¡±


    I looked at my hand and feet. Oddly enough, they were covered in dark and light brown fur. My body also seemed to be big, not in a fat way, but in a powerful way.


    ¡°Well¡­ you always like the bear class from the other world, so I incorporated that into your new body. So, how do you like it?¡±


    Oh. I approached one of the trees. Without activating any nature spells, I punched cleanly right through the wood. This feels incredible.


    ¡°Earthern Wall!¡±


    I kicked my feet to the ground and sure enough a wall made of earth rose from the ground. It was as high as the trees. I punched it and sure enough it managed to hold itself. I quickly deactivated the spell and the wall began to crumble back into the ground.


    ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hehehee. I know right. Anyway, I know I just summoned you¡­ but I actually have a mission for you.¡±


    ¡°What is your bidding mistress?¡±


    He smiled devilishly. He then began summoning a familiar armor which was instantly fitted to suit my new body. I looked at the armor and smiled, knowing that I was headed for war.


    ¡°I want you to lead an attack on an organization.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    [The day of the attack]


    ¡°Rester Sama. Alpha Company and Bravo Company are in position.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Remember the plan. Capture as many as you can and kill any dangerous personnel. Got it?¡±


    The two automatons gave a salute before relaying the message. Master really has outdone himself this time. In the previous world, he can only make golems that were only good for their brute force. Now, his abilities surpassed that and is now able to create the automaton race. The race is categorized under the golems. The only difference though is their appearance. Unlike golems, automatons look exactly like the humans. It was nearly impossible to tell the difference. The only way you can tell is by looking at their habit. Because they are machines, they have no need for food nor do they have any need of the bathroom. What¡¯s even more unique with the automatons master created was their consciousness. Master granted them reason. That¡¯s why they even act like humans now. I swear, I even saw some of them breaking down in tears as they pledged their allegiance to my master. Where did they even get those tears?


    ¡°Rester Sama.¡±


    I broke from my thoughts and saw Ashir walking up to me. He was currently my second in command. Out of all the automatons, he was the most capable of the bunch fielding a high capability in leading men into the field.


    ¡°Hey Ashir. Like I said earlier, you can just call me Rester. Now, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°C company and D company are in position. Were ready to attack at your order.¡±


    ¡°Alright. When I say ¡®go¡¯ activate the flare and have our radioman contact the other group to begin operations at zone Charlie. Got it.¡±


    He nodded and relayed the message to everyone in the group. He also took out his flare gun and got ready. I scanned the horizon making sure no traps were present. After a few minutes, I decided to begin.


    ¡°GO!¡±


    I didn¡¯t even wait for the flare to go as I lumbered towards the enemy base.


    ¡°ENEMY ATTACK!!!¡±


    Orders were instantly shouted throughout the complex. It was a hidden base at the mouth of a valley. How master found this is amazing. There were currently two guards at the front who were shouting into the cave behind them.


    ¡°Should I kill them?¡±


    ¡°Negative Aisha. Your job is to kill anyone that leaves the complex.¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­ that¡¯s no fun.¡±


    ¡°Just follow my orders.¡±


    ¡°Haiiiiiiii!¡±


    I heard a bored moan from the other side the radio link. The only bad thing that came with their consciousness was the fact that each automaton had different personalities. It was really amazing¡­ they really were like real people. I finally made it to the entrance which now had several people forming a shield wall.


    ¡°WHAT IS THAT?!¡±


    ¡°Who cares kill it.¡±


    Archers came from behind the shield and began shooting towards me. I immediately summoned my tower shield, blocking the arrows that came. On my other hand, my war axe appeared. I began spinning it sideways, its momentum increasing with every spin. Once I reached the wall, I quickly used the blunt side of the axe and pushed the entire formation to the side. Groans and moans could be heard as bodies and shields were pushed to the side, but I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t kill anyone.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Support team, restrain them and place them in a safe place we can acquire later. Everyone else, follow me and make sure to set your guns to stun. Also, close combat is a possibility so fix bayonets.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    They all took their rifles and flipped the switch on the side. They also took out their bayonets and began attaching them to the barrel of their guns. With this, their shots will only stun their targets and close combat would be a breeze. We quickly pushed through as the enemy began fighting back. It was rather pathetic though. Many of their weapons barely pierced our armor. Not only that, our marines would quickly stun a person before they could even get close enough to hit us. Of course the bandits realized this as they began using magic and arrows to hurt us. A couple of the automatons were hit, but most of it glanced of their armor. In no time we made it to a huge room which was filled with tables and papers. An entire map of the continent could be seen alongside a banner. A group of soldiers have formed their last stand here. To my utter shock, they were carrying shields¡­ human shields.


    ¡°Tch¡­ they have prisoners with them.¡±


    ¡°What should we do Rester?¡±


    I looked at the surprised look on their faces. Being just made yesterday, these automatons never saw this type of behavior before. I mean, Master must have shown it to them as he gave them his memories of fighting, but to actually see them in person¡­ Yeah, they must be surprised.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me try to convince them first. Otherwise, switch to kill. Make sure you don¡¯t hit the prisoners.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    They all flipped the switch and began aiming at individual soldiers.


    ¡°Oye, don¡¯t you see we have innocent people here. Don¡¯t think we won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    One of the men stood forward. He held a girl by throat as his sword was ready to plunge it into her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the leader. Let me make you a proposal¡­ either you let them go and live, or die. Easy enough right?¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­ you think we¡¯ll fall for that. I don¡¯t think so. Instead of us, you should lower your weapons. I promise you that if you do, we won¡¯t kill the prisoners.¡±


    ¡°¡­ will you really do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He gave off a sinister smile. Really so stupid. Pretending to surrender, I lowered both my shield and my axe and raised my hands in the air. The man smiled as I saw bloodlust in his eyes. Gotcha. I pointed my finger down and instantly, the room was filled with gunfire. Screams filled the cave as each soldier was shot dead several times. I could tell that the automatons were mad at this scene¡­ then again, this was the first time they saw such an unethical way of fighting. Giving them human emotions¡­ really Bryan Sama. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a gift¡­ or a curse.


    ¡°Support team, get the prisoners some care. They¡¯ll need it.¡±


    They nodded as they began helping the prisoners.


    ¡°You¡¯ll¡­ never get¡­ away for this.¡±


    Oh, he was still alive. I looked at the man who was holding the girl earlier.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I feel as if you¡¯re special. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ my name is Vas¡­ trust me, you¡¯ve made an enemy of my group¡­ you fucking monster.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Well¡­ I may have made an enemy of your group¡­ but trust me. There¡¯ll be no one left to avenge you. But for now, since you¡¯re no longer able to fight, we¡¯ll put you in the group we¡¯ve caught. Aren¡¯t you so lucky?¡±


    I gave him a sarcastic sneer as I quickly made my way to the prisoners. At first they seem to have eyes filled with fear, but soon some of the kids went to me. They started patting my fur and I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I messed around with them a bit.


    ¡°Thank you mister for saving us.¡±


    ¡°Hee¡­ no prob kid. At least all of you are safe¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    [After the meeting]


    We finally made it back to house. Master was still at the castle¡­ probably has a couple more meetings to attend. As for me¡­ I feel tired. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen that side of master. She was nice and compassionate to her friends, merciful to her enemies. But those who she deem unworthy were always punished in some gruesome way. Honestly, I could still feel chills as I remember the man being grounded up into a small ball. Brrrrrrrrr¡­


    ¡°Is that how master acts when she¡¯s mad.¡±


    ¡°I swear, if I could, I would have probably peed myself right now.¡±


    I look at the two automatons that were with me. It was Ashir and Del. They were both sitting on the floor as if their legs could no longer carry them.


    ¡°Hey Rester, is this how fear feels like.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and trust me, master is usually more horrific than that.¡±


    They both shivered.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad Master is our master.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Another automaton entered the room. It was Aisha. She looked really pale, almost like she was going to throw up¡­ but she probably can¡¯t even do that.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you remember, I was supposed to keep over watch over the entire meeting. Because of that, I didn¡¯t miss a single detail as the guy was turned into a pulp. Ugh¡­ I swear, this is making me regret being a sniper.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Hahahahaa¡­ don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure that you all would have a great time, especially since Master is a very interesting person.¡±


    With that I continued to laugh as the trio joined in with an awkward laugh. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to have a great adventure with master in this world.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Hey guys. So, I''ve had a lot of time to write... like really. This is insane. Anyway, here is a chapter that helps introduce some of the new people... I know people were wondering how the hell did the bear and the soldiers behind him appear, so I was like... IMA INTRODUCE THEM IN THIS ONE AND BACKSTORY (well for Rester) LATER. So yeah... I hope you enjoy.


    P.S. If you''ve noticed, Bryans circuit magic is in "[]"


    Nature magic/chants are italicized "goddess guide my flame. Inferno"


    and regular magic is well "Fireball" normal.

 Arc 1 Chapter 9: With Great Power Comes Great Limitations

    Arc 1 Chapter 9: With Great Power Comes Great ''Limitations''


    Just in case you guys don''t know who''s talking


    (Bryan POV)


    I gave a pained moan as I continued staring at the roof of my room. My entire body felt like a wreck. It¡¯s like I was forced to swim for days without using any magic to sustain me. What¡¯s worse was the fact that my left leg is still broken. Ugh¡­ really, jumping off the castle walls and trying to use magic for a safe landing only to have a backlash hit me in midair. It was horrible timing. Then again, it¡¯s probably my fault. Really, this is what I get for using high tier spells one after another. I¡¯m just glad that Sara managed to find me before anyone else. Who knows what would have happened a week ago if she didn¡¯t.


    *Knock, knock, knock*


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door slowly opened revealing a black haired girl.


    ¡°Hey Lily.¡±


    ¡°Hey. How¡¯s the leg?¡±


    I wiggled one of my toes.


    ¡°Well, my bodies beginning to regenerate. It should take about another week before my body fully heals.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. You know, you should take it down a notch with the spells. Honestly, to not even transform back into a man¡­ just how much mana did you overuse?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I just kept using one magic after another. Even I don¡¯t know the limits to my own magic.¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°Really, how reckless can you get? Well, anyway. I came here to tell you that Miselle woke up.¡±


    Oh, the queen finally woke up. After a total of four pseudo beheadings, she should be ready by now¡­ the thing is, I¡¯m still in this condition. Well, might as well tell the news now rather than later.


    ¡°Well, might as well bring her here.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ you want to talk to her in that form.¡±


    I shrugged again.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like she¡¯ll be kept from it later on. Remember, we might invade the occupied Gaulic kingdom and we¡¯ll need her cooperation if we want to succeed.¡±


    Lily gave me a look that said ¡®This is not a good idea.¡¯ She then sighed giving me a ¡®you reap what you sow¡¯ look and headed for the door.


    ¡°¡­ Right¡­ well, give me a sec. I¡¯ll bring her here.¡±


    She left the room as I continued to ponder about the future. Although I¡¯ve been stuck here for a few weeks, Artura had been periodically coming here to talk about her plans. She gave me a document that showed me a four month doctrine. It was a defensive doctrine that enforced the kingdom¡¯s borders with the empire. Forts, trenches, traps¡­ those were the main focus of this doctrine. Basically, she¡¯s planning on making a wall of fortification that is impenetrable. The only problem is, it¡¯s too grand. Resources, supplies, manpower¡­ it¡¯s too taxing. Of course this doctrine could be done in maybe a year, but four months is too much with the current technology.


    ¡°BRYAN!!¡±


    The door was instantly slammed open.


    ¡°WILL YOU STOP CUTTING MY HEAD OFF ALREADY! YOU KNOW HOW PAIN¡­ wait. Who are you?¡±


    The loud noise instantly gave way to a confused tone. I looked towards the girl who gave me a huge headache right now. She had blue eyes and flowing blue hair. You can say she was a beauty, though in a more childlike way.


    ¡°Hey there Miselle. How¡¯s your week been?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before, yet you know my name. Who are you?¡±


    I gave a small laugh.


    ¡°Well, I understand your confusion but try not to freak out ok.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Bryan.¡±


    She looked at me with a blank stare.


    ¡°Seriously, who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Bryan.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    There was a small silence between us.


    ¡°Ha¡­ if you¡¯re Bryan, I must be hallucinating. That must be it¡­ or¡­ or, you must be using some kind of magic. Neh, tell me. Are you using magic?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then am I hallucinating?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She paused again. She then bit her lip as she continued looking at me.


    ¡°What was my nickname when I was four?¡±


    ¡°Min¡­¡±


    I instantly shut my mouth closed. Her eyes started to puff with small tears. Oops, a slip of tongue.


    ¡°You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t look into my memories.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, you know¡­ things happened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse to look at a maidens past.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ and who exactly is the maiden here?¡±


    ¡°Mou¡­ I don¡¯t care anymore. Just get run over by a horse and die!¡±


    She instantly started walking out the room. When she reached the door way, she instantly paused. She then ran back to me and landed right on top of me in full force. As a man, I probably wouldn¡¯t have felt the impact. As a girl though, my body was weaker. Plus, the backlash took a lot of my strength away and of course my body was sore. Needless to say, this really hurts.


    ¡°UFF¡­ Heavy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to distract me.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t trying too¡­ more like, you distracted yourself. Now can you get off of me?¡±


    She continued to analyze my face.


    ¡°¡­ You know, I honestly can¡¯t believe your a girl right now¡­ well who cares. At least with this, I can complain with ease¡­ ahem.¡±


    She instantly grabbed the collar of my shirt and too my horror¡­ she started to shake me vigorously.


    ¡°WHY DO YOU KEEP CUTTING OFF MY HEAD? You know its painful right? RIGHT? It really hurts and to make it worse, I can remember the feeling of my head rolling off my body. You know how that feels? IT FEELS HORRIBLE! BRUTE! MEANIE! SADIST!¡±


    I was powerless to stop her.


    ¡°Stop¡­ hurts¡­ ugh¡­ sorry¡­ let¡­ go.¡±


    A few minutes passed as I was continuously thrashed in my bed which really started to hurt even more than before.


    ¡°Oye, wench.¡±


    Miselle instantly froze. She released me and I gave out a tired sigh. Behind her, May was standing with a blade held up to Miselle¡¯s neck. Surprisingly though, Miselle didn¡¯t look scared.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Her tone was filled with a calm yet dangerous tone. Well, this is an improvement.


    ¡°What are you doing to master?¡±


    Miselle gave her a cutesy smile.


    ¡°I was giving her wake up call, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s midday.¡±


    ¡°¡­ well, I was also kind of complaining to him for his past actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t care. Just get off of master already.¡±


    Miselle gave out a sigh. She then got off of me but to my surprise she made a dash for May. May, being trained in the arts of fighting by yours truly, quickly fended off the attack and immediately subdued the poor girl. In seconds, she was calmly holding Miselle¡¯s hand behind her back, while at the same time sitting on her.


    ¡°Stop struggling. It¡¯ll only make it worse on yourself.¡±


    ¡°YOU WISH. GET OFF OF ME AND FIGHT ME FAIR AND SQUARE!!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I did. And I won. Master, what should I do with her?¡±


    ¡°Just bring her back downstairs to Lily. Tell her to begin her training.¡±


    ¡°Hai.¡±


    ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T. YOU ARE NOT CUTTING OFF MY HEAD A¡­¡±


    She never finished as May closed the door behind them. Really, that was kind of annoying. I began to snuggle back into my bed¡­ Oh wait. I forgot to do something. I quickly opened up my inventory. Let¡¯s see. Where did I put him¡­? Here? Nope¡­ here¡­ nope that¡¯s the snake. No, that¡¯s a grenade¡­ tank¡­ ah, there he is. I quickly took him out of the inventory. As he appeared, the earthen wolf was casually licking himself clean. It then looked at me, its eyes were filled with strength.


    ¡°Your master is ready, so go to her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be both surprised and happy to see you.¡±


    I gave a small giggle as the wolf wagged its tail excitedly and quickly disappeared by¡­ jumping out the window! I heard a small crash followed by startled voices.


    ¡°MASTER! THEIRS A WOLF HERE THAT JUMPED FROM THE WINDOW!!¡±


    A voice screamed from the window. It was probably one of the guards. Without getting up from the bed, I shouted back,


    ¡°AH, yeah, It¡¯s friendly so don¡¯t kill it.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    With that, the sounds immediately vanished and my room was once again peaceful. My body was screaming at me to rest as my joints began feeling even more sore. Once I recover, I¡¯m so going to pay Miselle back fully for this. I slowly closed my eyes. Time for some more needed sl¡­


    *BOOM*


    An explosion occurred outside rocking the entire house. My eyes quickly opened as the sound caused me to have another headache. I¡¯m really getting irritated right now. What¡¯s a girl got to do to get some sleep around here?


    ¡°HAHAHAHA¡­ I¡¯ve come to see this fellow hero that I¡¯ve been hearing a lot of.¡±


    ¡°INTRUDER, NEUTRALIZE AND SECURE!!¡±


    ¡°HAH¡­ YOU ALL THINK YOU CAN¡­ wait, are those guns?¡±


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    ¡°GYAHHHHH!!¡±


    Small pops could be heard from the outside. Instead of the loud gunfire, small pops could be heard. Well, at least they used stun instead of kill. In a matter of minutes, the sounds quickly disappeared. I then began hearing several footsteps climbing the stairs and a knock came in.


    ¡°Come¡­in¡±


    You could tell I¡¯m really irritated right now by how irritated my voice sounded. I mean can you blame me? First Miselle and her thrashing, now this. Yeah¡­ I¡¯m really annoyed. The door opened. Kryst and Xavi could be seen. Kryst was a female automaton with green hair and blue eyes while Xavi was a male automaton with dark black hair and brown eyes. They are respectively the captains of A and B Company which fields the best offensive power in my army. Yet right now, they seemed nervous as they stared at me.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°S-s-s-sorry for the d-d-d-d-disturbance mistress, but we managed to r-r-r-r-restrain this guy who suddenly attacked the compound.¡±


    Ignoring her stutters, I looked at the boy they were holding. He had blonde hair and light blue eyes. He had sharp features and well-toned body. He was currently wearing what appears to be the kingdoms elite guard armor, but the designs on the armor showed he was not an Elite guard. Then that must mean¡­


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m here to meet the hero Bryan.¡±


    He instantly awoke and looked around the entire room, his eyes finally resting on me. His eyes then opened wide in shock.


    ¡°Fair beauty. Who dares giveth those wounds to such a beautiful creature as thyself?¡±


    He instantly escaped the two guards as he was now beside me holding my hand. How in the fu¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ truly, such a beauty deserves none of the injuries I see. That¡¯s why, confess to me. Who was thy transgressor? Why hast he done such shameful deeds to thee.¡±


    His head¡­ was definitely broken.


    ¡°GET AWAY FROM OUR MISTRESS!¡±


    The two guards instantly dashed towards the hero, their bayonets pointed at him. They didn¡¯t shoot¡­ probably because I was here. The hero capitalized on this fact and quickly intercepted the two bayonets. Both Kryst and Xavi had a surprised look on their face as they were forced back into the hallway.


    ¡°Thy guards are rude. Anyway, please. Tell me who is thy transgressor? After I beat him, I ask thee for thy hand in marriage for thou is a true beauty among beauty. And even if thou won¡¯t grant me that, at least grant me a night to change thy decision with my passionate love.¡±


    I felt my body shiver as his eyes began going up and down my body. What is this feeling of unsecurity? Never have I felt so¡­ scared and disgusted at the same time.


    ¡°I believe that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°And who now blocks my time with my prin¡­¡±


    He never finished as the flat end of an axe came crashing on his head. He instantly collapsed, his legs twitching.


    ¡°Thank you Rester. You really saved me.¡±


    I smiled at the familiar figure of the bear I summoned. He was currently wearing adventurers armor, his axe hanging by his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Plus, this guys is a creeper. But, I have a feeling he has something important to say, so I¡¯ll remain here as your guard.¡±


    I gave him a bow.


    ¡°Thanks Rester.¡±


    He smiled as he rubbed the top of my head. Really, Aside from Lily, Rester is also such a good companion.


    __________________________________________________________________________________________


    (Few minutes later)


    ¡°ZzzzZZzZzzz¡­ HOMEWORK!!¡±


    The hero stood up as he finally awaken. This time he was currently tied up like a sushi roll. Yeah, I¡¯m not taking any chances with him. He was looking around the room, his eyes landing on both himself then towards Rester.


    ¡°Did you do this to me?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I can¡¯t have you bothering my master now would I.¡±


    ¡°UNTIE ME AT ONCE. WHAT ARE YOU ANYWAY?!!¡±


    ¡°He is my familiar. I would prefer it if you don¡¯t shout.¡±


    He looked right at me.


    ¡°Madame, if you would be so kind as to untie me, I promise that I¡¯ll make our first night¡­ enjoyable.¡±


    ¡­ He¡¯s an idiot. This man was probably a playboy of unimaginable proportion. I would even bet that he¡¯s probably forced down some girls on his own. Yeah¡­ truly a scum¡­


    ¡°You¡­ tell me who you are, and why you are here?¡±


    I pinched my head, trying to massage my irritation away.


    ¡°My lady, I am hurt that you do not know me, for I am the hero Yuusuke. I am the defender of the kingdom of Wessex, protecting all against the dread¡­¡±


    ¡°[Silence].¡±


    His mouth suddenly closed.


    ¡°Listen¡­ so that you won¡¯t be confused anymore and to make sure I keep my calm, I¡¯ll make a couple of things clear. My name is Bryan, but right now I¡¯m Catalea. Now that that¡¯s out of the way, I¡¯m really having a bad day and my body is hurting¡­ really bad. Hell, I¡¯m probably going to get another backlash for using this spell, but it¡¯s the smallest one I can currently use and I needed to prove a point. That¡¯s why, no more annoying flowery words ok, otherwise I may have to be a bit more¡­ forceful with you, k.¡±


    I smiled at him as I opened up an unimaginable amount of bloodlust. I could see him sweating now as he quickly nodded. I released my bloodlust and deactivated my spell. I felt a small pain in my head. Yep¡­ that¡¯s a fast backlash.


    ¡°Are you ok.¡±


    Rester instantly began wiping the sweat on my forehead.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m alright¡­ I think¡­ I might pass out soon. Anyway, hero Yuusuke. What¡¯s your purpose here?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ right¡­ I came over to tell you that the heroes are coming to visit you.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Well, we all wanted to meet you. You see, we kept hearing stories about you from Artura. It kind of made us interested since you¡¯ve managed to do so much in only a month¡­ for us, it¡¯s been five years. Honestly, our pride is hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­ and?¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s about it. We were just¡­ interested.¡±


    His tone suddenly changed. Yeah, there¡¯s more to this that he¡¯s not saying.


    ¡°Something tells me there¡¯s more to this than you¡¯re letting on?¡±


    He stood silent as he tried his best to gaze away from me. So now he decides to act like himself. Honestly, what was that persona earlier?


    ¡°What else are you not telling me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, even a dog can tell you¡¯re hiding something from me, so what is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll wait for everyone to come.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I rather just hear it now.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯d rather wait.¡±


    ¡°¡­ if you don¡¯t tell me now, I won¡¯t hear it later on.¡±


    ¡°EH?!¡±


    He looked at me in panic.


    ¡°See it is important, now tell me. What-is-it?¡±


    He bit his lower lip.


    ¡°We¡­ we actually came here for something else¡­ that¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s to ask for your help.¡±


    He now had a serious tone in his voice.


    ¡°And, what help do you need?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We¡­ we want to end both of the wars¡­ and after that¡­af¡­ after that¡­¡±


    He began quieting down, his words becoming a whisper. He didn¡¯t finish his request, but he didn¡¯t need to finish it. Judging from his words, there¡¯s only one request that I could think of that makes sense with finishing the war. With understanding eyes, I looked at the shrinking figure of the boy in front of me.


    ¡°You¡­ you want to return to your previous world, don¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ________________________________________________________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    So, I managed to get this chapter out. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t going to do a chapter this week since I¡¯m busy studying for test, completing essays and whatnot. But, soon I started writing this chap since it actually helped me keep sane. I actually feel happy right now and not totally crazy from the amount of schoolwork I¡¯ve finished the past few days. That¡¯s why this will be the last chapter until I finished all my stuff¡­ unless you know, everything dies down again which it will after a while or if I need an outlet to vent out my stress. So until then, enjoy this wonderful cliffhanger that has finished the first arc of my story. I did say, it¡¯ll be finished in five or eight, but I thought¡­ nah, I¡¯ll finish it now where it makes sense to end an arc. So yeah¡­ there you go. I hope you enjoyed this and keep waiting for the next one.


    P.S. second reason I decided to write this in a cliffhanger is because I¡¯m imagining everyone¡¯s faces at reading a cliffhanger. With this, I should have enough juice to get through my test and essays, so thank you all for being an outlet of my stress. Politely bows to readers.


    P.S.S. I wonder if this is even a cliffhanger¡­ hmm¡­


    P.S.S.S. To a certain reader who commented ¡°Five chapters later rework again.¡±. LOOK AT ME NOW. OH. LOOK AT ME NOW YEAH¡­ lol, I love you reader :D


    Editor Notes:


    P.S The Author Has a disorder where she Requires vast amounts of attention so keep feeding her ego.


    P.P.S MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA


    So the Author is boring and her most powerful sin is sloth¡­ jk due to reasons *Accused Real life* she will be busy until next week but don¡¯t be down for me and the collaborator will still be preparing for chapters, to tell you the truth the collaborator has me by a leash so I¡¯ll be editing and writing new chapters like no tomorrow, why? Because I want to make this book better.


    But there is a catch, these chapters that we will be working on won¡¯t be available to you until the author decides. So there¡¯s that¡­


    Seriously Real life sucks wouldn¡¯t it be better if we have a VR pod. Also I think it¡¯s about time you guys give us a review I and the author need some feedback or just comment on how you feel about the story so far and what can we improve on this is what the site if for right? Bye and see you later.

 Arc 1 Chapter 9.5: Epilogue

    So¡­ I was not satisfied with the previous ending lol. I read it and I was like, ugh. No. So I decided to end it in another... cough cough... special way.


    Warning: Small Yuri/lesbian scene on the end. Not that graphic¡­ I think. Just in case though (+18)


    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Arc 1 Chapter 9.5: Epilogue


    (Marlana POV)


    ¡°They''re late¡­¡±


    I looked at the gate. I was currently waiting to receive the four heroes. As to why they were coming, they¡¯ve managed to beat the demons back to the continent and placed a barrier between the human and demon continent. It should take a year for the demons to break through so Artura immediately called them back to face the empire. Of course they were confused about the whole situation and were asking many questions through the letter. I then decided that they should be brought back to the kingdom. Artura immediately sent a message and here we are today.


    I was currently waiting on a carriage. It had two sections, the driver seat and the cargo area. It was separated by a wall, but there was a small window in the wall for passengers to look through. The back was also open, though it could be closed by a tapestry. The back was also pretty armored, though the back would be its weak point. As for the driver seat, it was an armored cab with a small opening in the front for the horse¡¯s reigns to pass through. There were two doors in either side with a glass window.


    ¡°What do you thinks holding them up?¡±


    I looked over at Tricia. She was currently my driver as well as my assistant. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I would have been stuck at my office looking over documents. I shrugged.


    ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s pretty far from here to Carda Woods. But even then, I¡¯m sure they should have been here by now.¡±


    I then looked back at the gate. It was currently drizzling at the moment. The ship port, otherwise known as the gate, was currently empty at the moment. It was usually bustling with activity, but as soon as we found out the Empire was invading, we had it closed off from the public. We couldn¡¯t risk any more spies entering the kingdom.


    *Knock* Knock*


    I looked to the side. It was one of our guards. There are four guards with us today. They are part of the Iron guard and were decently skilled. I opened the door slightly.


    ¡°There is currently a ship approaching mam.¡±


    He pointed at the distance. I followed his view and sure enough a ship could be seen. It was a small transport airship. It had the queen¡¯s insignia, so it was probably the heroes¡¯ ship. I took out my umbrella and made my way to their docking area. Two guards followed after me. Getting close to the ship, I could finally see it fully. It was an ironclad type with scorpions mounted on either side. On the back, some kind of device could be seen. If I remember it correctly, the hero Kayden called it a flamethrower. Apparently, it was capable of spitting out liquid fire called Greek fire.


    ¡°MARLANA!¡±


    I looked into the deck and saw a girl waving towards me. She looked to be about nineteen years old. She was wearing a Miko outfit that had red plating hanging from her waist. She also wore a self-made sword called a Katana. I quickly boarded the ship where a friendly hug awaited me.


    ¡°Hey Horie. How are you doing?¡±


    She quickly stepped back. Her face has matured over the year. Back then she looked young and inexperienced. Now she looked like a beautiful warrior with a graceful atmosphere. She stared at me with her soft brown eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright. We kind of ran into some trouble and had to save some survivors from a burning village. I hope we didn¡¯t make you wait.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ no wonder you were all late. How are the survivors?¡±


    She gave me a grim look.


    ¡°We only managed to save ten people. Everyone else was killed by the bandit group¡­¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I could see the sadness in her eyes. I sighed. The time I¡¯ve spent with the heroes have taught me one thing. They hate seeing people in misery. That¡¯s why I could understand the pain she must be feeling right now, especially after seeing her comrades die against the demons.


    ¡°Where are they right now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re in the ship. Can you have Artura accommodate them somehow?¡±


    I nodded as I took out a scroll. It was a summoning scroll Bryan made. It was capable of summoning a messenger bird. Apparently it would record a message and then seek out the recipient person. For some strange reason, no matter where they are, it always finds the person it would seek out. That¡¯s why it¡¯s become a major part of our intelligence system. Also, it would instantly burst into flames once caught and could still be reused numerous times.


    ¡°Target: Artura. Message: Hey Artura, the heroes managed to save some villagers from a bandit group. I¡¯ll have the guards bring them to the castle so please accommodate them.¡±


    I then pressed the crystal on its head and it instantly spread its wings. It flew towards the sky in a matter of seconds and quickly disappeared.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Horie looked at me with surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s a messenger bird. Artura should be able to receive the message.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know it was a messenger, but you talked to it. Was it recording?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... oh, your world had things that could record voices too right?¡±


    She nodded enthusiastically. Figures. I mean, Bryan was technically from the same kind of world, so of course they would have the same kind of technology.


    ¡°Was that made by the new hero?¡±


    ¡°Yeah it is. Honestly, that guy has made so many things yet he would only share some of it.¡±


    Horie thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°Well¡­ I think he has a good reason to hide it. I mean, we couldn¡¯t even make that summon bird thing and it looks as if it revolutionized communication here.¡±


    Hmm¡­ What she said does make a lot of sense. Just to think, his summon was only introduced by Bryan three weeks ago and its already being used by our military command. Intelligence has been pretty quick and information exchange has been running smoothly. I mean, the day Bryan invaded the Medelwr organization, we received the message just shortly after he finished destroying the organization. With that huge amount of information, we had a hard time compiling everything, but now we¡¯re completely organized. That means we can respond to almost anything more quickly by using the messengers though for now, it¡¯s only still being used inside Camelot and nowhere else. We couldn¡¯t risk them falling into enemy hands yet.


    ¡°I guess there is reason to why he¡¯s holding things from us¡­ anyway, go ahead and gather up the survivors. We¡¯ll leave them to the guards since we still need to visit Bryan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thanks Marlana.¡±


    She quickly disappeared into the ship. I also stepped away and went back to the guards. I told them to get another carriage and they quickly got one. The heroes then arrived with the few survivors. They were all shivering, but I managed to calm them down and told them that we will be helping them out in the castle. They all followed my directions and quickly got on the carriage. I then watched them as the guards led the carriage back to the castle.


    ¡°Thanks Marlana.¡±


    A familiar soft accent could be heard. I looked back to see the hero Cynthia. She was a very beautiful person. She had light brown skin with long black hair. She had red eyes, courtesy of being a berserker class. She was wearing light armor that exposed her stomach and she was wearing tight pants that had the occasional paddings on her knees and thighs.


    ¡°No problem¡­ rather it should be me thanking you all.¡±


    I bowed towards them.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that¡­ aren¡¯t we friends.¡±


    I looked back up and this time, it was Kayden who talked. He had short red hair and freckles. He looked really young but he was actually twenty-one years old which didn¡¯t match his short appearance. I smiled.


    ¡°Even though were friends, it¡¯s only right of me as the kingdoms head mage to thank you for our kingdoms people.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Alright¡­ I guess it¡¯s only proper¡­ but please don¡¯t treat us like were important or something. I know were heroes, but were your friends¡¯ right?¡±


    Horie gave me a puppy dog eyed look. For her age, and her appearance, those puppy dog eyes sure are effective.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ anyway, we should get going. Bryan should be waiting by now.¡±


    They all nodded. I led the way to my ship¡­ wait. I looked back at the group. One, two, three¡­ four? Where¡¯s Yuusuke?


    ¡°Ah¡­ I just realized. Yuusuke¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean brother. Yeah, he already left. Something about wanting to meet the hero himself.¡±


    ¡°What? Does he even know how to get there?¡±


    They all looked at each other.


    ¡°Apparently, right after we subjugated the bandits, a messenger rode in with a letter to him. I don¡¯t know what it was but after reading it he said something about important matters and a chance and then quickly left us. I¡¯m actually kind of angry at him for leaving us.¡±


    Horie began pouting. I couldn¡¯t help but grin. At the same time though, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. I wonder what Artura sent to Yuusuke.


    ¡°Well, at least I know he didn¡¯t die or anything. Come on, the carriage should be comfy.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    After two hours, we were still in the road. It was still drizzling, but the rain actually made the surrounding forest even more beautiful. It would reflect the light everywhere so our path was filled with yellow, green and other multitudes of colors. Artura sure did give Bryan a great piece of land, but after visiting his compound several times, he sure used it to full effect.


    ¡°Hey Marlana? Why aren¡¯t we going to the city?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because were supposed to join a meeting at Bryans place today. We were supposed to hold it at the castle, but Bryan¡¯s unable to move right now¡±


    ¡°What? Did he get injured?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ he did, but it¡¯s a special case. Anyway, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    With a nod, Cynthia went back to her seat. I heard them talking a bit, their experience with the demons and stories about their previous world. Their world sounded so peaceful, but I also heard some very troubling things about their world. It wasn¡¯t as bad as Bryan¡¯s story, but it was still disturbing coming from a peaceful society. We continued our way till we finally made it to the front of the compound. A wall could be seen that had two towers on either side. There, I could see two people in each tower.


    ¡°Madame Wellington?¡±


    I opened the door and looked up.


    ¡°Yes it¡¯s me. I¡¯m here to meet with Bryan.¡±


    The man quickly nodded before shouting behind him. The door in front of us began to open with a strange sound. I could never figure out what it was. The door opened widely and our carriage began moving through. I then heard small gasps from the back.


    ¡°MARLANA! WHERE ARE WE?!!¡±


    I was shocked by the sudden shouts from the back.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with you Horie?¡±


    I looked through the window to see Horie¡¯s face stuck to it.


    ¡°Gya¡­¡±


    ¡°THOSE WERE SOLDIERS! SOLDIERS FROM OUR WORLD! HOW DID THEY GET HERE?¡±


    I sat in my chair confused. Tricia was also glancing at them as she slowly led our carriage to the compound.


    ¡°Soldiers from your world? I¡¯m sure that that¡¯s not possible?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°How do you explain their appearance then? Those were American marines from my country in Earth!¡±


    It was Cynthia now who spoke up. She was normally the calmest of the group, but right now her once calm face was nowhere to be seen. I tried to find a reasonable explanation¡­ but I think the only who can explain this is Bryan himself.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t answer any of your questions right now. I don¡¯t really know where the men come from, but I do know that it¡¯s impossible to summon this many people from your world at the same time. That¡¯s why they¡¯re all probably locals hired by Bryan¡±


    ¡°¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ as much as I want to answer you guys, I don¡¯t have any answers. Just wait until we meet with Bryan ok?¡±


    ¡°¡­ alright, we¡¯ll wait. I just hope he has answers.¡±


    ¡°Trust me¡­ he always has answers.¡±


    They finally settled down as Tricia led the carriage to one of the buildings. Honestly, it¡¯s understandable why he received this so called mana backlash. Apparently, Bryan had the ability to create things out of dirt with a bit of mana. He made some pretty strange things which sooner or later made up the core materials for this compound. As I heard from him, it only took him one day to create the entire place with the help of his men. Honestly, it¡¯s quite a feat. To think this area used to be a heavily forested area, now it was bustling with activity. For one, soldiers could be seen training on one area. In another, houses could be seen, but they were different from those of the kingdom. They were boxed shaped and rose to about two floors. The roof was also kind of slanted to the side, giving it a weird appearance.


    ¡°¡­ Did we go back to our world?¡±


    It was Kayden this time who spoke out. The carriage had an opening on the back, so they were able to see everything as we pass by it. We finally made it to a huge building. It was being the carriage were placed. Though there were also other things placed in other compartments. As the carriage stopped, I quickly got down. Tricia followed along. It¡¯s been a week since we¡¯ve visited this place. When we first visited Bryan after the whole incident, I was really shocked. Never would I expect that Bryan would be able to build such a huge place in a short amount of time. Really, I just can¡¯t tell how powerful he is anymore.


    ¡°Hey Cynthia¡­¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡±


    ¡°You were a fan of sci-fi films right?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me¡­ are those mechanized tanks from our world?¡±


    ¡°Nope¡­¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ just wondering.¡±


    I looked back at the group whose eyes seemed to no longer contain any signs of life.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡±


    ¡°Marlana.¡±


    Cynthia came over to me, grabbing both my shoulder.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Do you understand anything that¡¯s happening around you?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ no? Am I missing anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­ We need to talk to Bryan NOW!¡±


    They all agreed as they took my hand.


    ¡°Marlana lead on. We can¡¯t waste any more time.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ ok?¡±


    Their actions were too erratic. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on anymore. But, I guess they really want to meet with Bryan. I quickly led them to the back where a girl was waiting. She was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, green and brown clothing with a black vest. Honestly, if they get attacked they would be easily killed without armor. Then again, its Bryan so maybe those are magically enhanced.


    ¡°Madame Wellington. The car is waiting.¡±


    There¡¯s also a new thing I found. Cars. They were this horseless things that can move around. It was very convenient and I really wanted one. I even begged Bryan to give me one for the kingdom to use but he flatly refused. He said something about the kingdom isn¡¯t ready. I was really upset at him for that, but I let it go. I mean, it¡¯s not like I can force him to give me one anyway. We quickly followed the girl to a car. It was boxed shape and had a canopy on the back. It was brown and had four rugged wheels. The heroes continued to look, but without hesitation opened the doors and quickly got on. Oh, so this was a technology from the other world. They seem so familiarized that they even took the straps on the seats. Even I still have trouble remembering the straps.


    ¡°So you are the heroes.¡±


    The girl smiled as she climbed into the driver area. There, a stick and wheel could be seen. As far as I could see, the wheel was used to turn the car while the stick made it move. There were also some kind of mechanism on the bottom were she would use her foot to push. Honestly, it was mesmerizing.


    ¡°Um¡­ how long will it be before we reach the hero¡¯s place?¡±


    It was Horie who asked. She looked really impatient which made the girl giggle.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long. Just a five-minute drive. So please just make yourself comfortable.¡±


    I then heard the soft hum from the car as we began to vibrate. In no time, we were already on the road which went upwards to Bryan¡¯s mansion. When they first got this land, I believe his letters said something about making a simple two story house. We couldn¡¯t really visit him at that time, but we imagined him having a simple house. When we visited him though, well¡­ you get the idea. As the trees slowly parted, in front of us a huge mansion could be seen. A beautiful garden was at the front which complemented the graceful designs of the mansion. I can¡¯t describe how beautifully made the mansion is, but it was gorgeous to look at. The car finally stopped as we arrived at the entrance. I exited the car and was followed by the heroes. They were¡­ shock to say the least. It¡¯s funny really. They¡¯ve been showing the same kind of face throughout the entire journey. As we neared the entrance, four maids immediately appeared.


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°Welcome to our humble master¡¯s adobe good guest.¡±¡±¡±¡±


    They all bowed in unison.


    ¡°Please follow us to your rooms.¡±


    One of the maids quickly pointed towards the door and began walking. We followed after her. The inside of the mansion itself was both grand and beautiful. Paintings lined the wall and chandeliers lit up the room. There was also exquisite furniture that had designs never before seen in the kingdom. Yeah, Bryan went all out building this place. We quickly followed the maids and were soon accommodated in separate rooms. The rooms were nice and had all necessities needed. There was even something called a fridge which freezes things like food. The bed was comfy as you sink in and the windows looked over at the courtyard in the middle of the mansion. There a lone Sakura tree could be seen.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I called out to the maid.


    ¡°Yes mistress?¡±


    ¡°The heroes want to meet with Bryan. Can you lead us to him?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ he had an appointment earlier today, but I think he should be free right now. If you would please gather up your comrades, I would be delighted to let you meet him.¡±


    She smiled as she bowed towards me. This maid was really graceful. We have maids in the castle too, but their aura was nothing compared to this girl. Maybe it¡¯s just her¡­ then again, the maids from earlier had the same aura as her. There were some young ones too. I quickly went to the other heroes. Oddly enough, I found all doing the same thing. Sitting on the bed and looking out into the courtyard. Their eyes had no life in them which was weird¡­ maybe it was too shocking for them. Either way, I guess I know how they feel. I was probably just like that when I first came here. It even took Artura to pull me away since I apparently fainted from the culture shock between us and Bryan. Back to the heroes though, I managed to bring them with me. The maid was waiting for us and began leading us to Bryan. We then made it to a door. She told us to wait a bit and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Master, your guest is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡­ There was no response. Maybe he wasn¡¯t here. The maid then opened the door slightly. I heard a soft moan from inside. The other heroes heard it too as they broke from there trance.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡®I looked at Horie. You really don¡¯t remember where we are?¡¯


    The maid immediately closed the door and looked at the ground.


    ¡°M-m-m-a-ast-e-e-r-r- is cu-curently busy¡­ please come back later.¡±


    She then made a run for it and disappeared down the hallway. Huh?


    ¡°What do you think happened to her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ she looked kind of red don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t comprehend the maid¡¯s actions. But right now, I have the heroes with me. Plus, they really deserve some questions so it¡¯s good if we speak with him quickly. I opened the door and barged right into the room.


    ¡°HEY BRYAN, WE¡¯VE ARRIVED AN!!...¡±


    I froze. There were currently two girls in the room. One was a half-naked raid haired girl. She was in a very defenseless posture, tears on her eyes and her hands bounded to her bed. The other girl was right below her. She looked over to me as her hands were in a place they shouldn¡¯t be in.


    ¡°Oh hey Marlana. It¡¯s good to see you and all, but were currently busy at the moment. So if you can just leave for a bit, I would be very grateful.¡±


    She gave out a smile as she slowly caressed the red haired girl¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Frey¡­ please, let me¡­ ahn¡­ rest¡­ I can¡¯t turn back ye¡­ ahn¡­ at least wait till I¡¯m¡­. ahn¡­ a ma¡­ kya¡­ help, Marlana¡­.¡±


    I instantly closed the door. I saw a brief look of anguish from the red haired girl, but this is something I shouldn¡¯t meddle with. I felt my cheeks burning up as I looked back towards the heroes. They all looked at me in confusion. Giving them a big smile, I raised my fist in the air.


    ¡°So¡­ who wants a tour of the mansion?¡±


    ________________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    So yeah. There you have it. I ended it this way since on the next chapters, I want the heroes were I want them to be. So this is basically introducing them so I won¡¯t be in pain trying to introduce them later on. Plus, I couldn¡¯t think of a good transition so this would do lol


    As for the Yuri scene. Well, it shows several things¡­ it¡¯s up to you to figure it out. It¡¯s not that hard, plus it seems funny¡­ maybe. Probably just me¡­ who knows. But at least, with the way I set it up, the next chapter should be easy to transition to. Also, NOT DEAD.


    P.S. He should be back to being a man next chapter.


    Editors Notes: This was an info dump if you look at the collaborator and the author are NERDS! You heard me NERDS! So¡­


    *Punch*


    Collaborator: I can be whoever I want to be hater haters gonna hate, muhahahahaha guys realize that being a nerd is fun and it take creativeness and inovat¡­.


    *Punch*


    Editor: Oi I wasn¡¯t finished, you ass.


    *Punch*


    Collaborator: Neither was I, ah you want to fight let¡¯s go bich school boy bish.


    *Inaudible background noises*


    Collaborator & Editor: Well I hope you enjoy this ending better than the other one we sure did, and at the same time we got to show you all the cool stuff Bryan has been doing, like having a military team on the go, a hummer for a car and many other cool things coming your way.


    Collaborator: P.s Editor is a Tsundere and a nerd.


    Editor: The collaborator is a NERD, Geek and everything in-between.


    Author (continued): Slowly eating the collaborators and editors comments for breakfast. Points a spoon towards you.


    "You want some too?"

 Arc 2 Chapter 1: Meeting with the Heroes (1)

    To start it off. Not dead. Enjoy.


    Arc 2 Chapter 1: Meeting with the Heroes (1)


    Subtitle: Are you a cheat?


    I laid on the bed tiredly. My body felt really sore from Freyja messing with me. I couldn¡¯t help but shudder as I remembered her fingers as they slid throughout my body. I instantly shook my head. Nope, nope. Can¡¯t get distracted now. I finally have enough rest to at least meet with the other heroes.


    *knock* Knock*


    The door opened slightly as a girl with orange hair peeked through.


    ¡°Master, the heroes are here.¡±


    ¡°Please let them in.¡±


    As she opened the door, Sara walked up to me and took a knee. It was¡­ really embarrassing since I¡¯m still not used to people doing this. Even the villagers that became our maids did this.


    ¡°Ah¡­ please stand up. I¡¯m really not used to people kneeling to me.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry master. I know how nice you are, but this is the only way a knight can show there loyalty towards their master. That¡¯s why please allow me this freedom.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m ordering you anyway, plus I really just want you to do what you want. So I guess its fine.¡±


    She smiled as she stood up behind me. I then looked towards the door and saw three people enter. One was a girl dressed in a miko and samurai armor hybrid attire. She had black hair and brown eyes. She looked a bit childish, but you could see that she was a person with experience in the battlefield. The other one was a beautiful tanned girl. She had red eyes, though it was lighter than mine and had flowing black hair. She wore what seemed to be an assassin clothes, though the plated armor on several areas showed she wasn¡¯t an assassin. Maybe a close range specialist. Lastly, a boy could be seen. He had red curly hair and blue eyes. He looked young, but something told me he was older. Maybe around his early twenties.


    ¡°Hello heroes. My name is Catalea also known as Bryan. Right now, I¡¯m currently stuck in this form so please bear with it for a bit. Aside from that, I¡¯m pleased to finally meet you all.¡±


    I gave them a smile. They all seemed to stare at me, their faces red. That¡¯s a weird reaction.


    ¡°Um¡­ Hello, it¡¯s nice to meet you Catalea san. My name is Horie.¡±


    The miko girl bowed awkwardly and looked like she was about to trip. I gave a light giggle before turning to the rest.


    ¡°My name is Cynthia. Pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Cynthia walked up to me and presented her hand. I took it and shook hands with her. I could feel she was sweating, probably because she¡¯s nervous. I wonder why? I¡¯m sure my bloodlust is currently turned off right now. I then looked towards the last hero. He just stared at me¡­ more like he was looking at my chest. I snapped my hands in front of him. He seemed to understand what just happened and began bowing towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude¡­ It¡¯s just. You¡¯re really pretty.¡±


    Ugh¡­ I really want to transform back. Can¡¯t I transform already? Don¡¯t I have enough mana already? It¡¯s already been two weeks, so why can¡¯t I changed back yet? Plus, what the heck do you mean pretty? My chest? Hello, I have face you know? I¡¯m not just some object to be stared at¡­ I silently cried on the inside as I kept smiling towards them.


    ¡°Thank you for the complement, may I know your name?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s Kayden. Just Kayden. I don¡¯t really like saying my last name since it¡¯s too long.¡±


    I also shook his hand. He was even more nervous than the other girl. He then stood back to where his companions stood.


    ¡°I understand. Now that introductions out of the way, let¡¯s get down to business¡­ actually, is your brother Yuusuke not coming?¡±


    They all then looked at each other before looking back.


    ¡°Weird, I was sure he was right behind us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    ¡°I wonder where he went.¡±


    They all looked at the door behind us. I would use my perception skill if I could, but¡­ it¡¯ll only make my condition worse. Ugh¡­ I swear Freyja. Once I get better, I¡¯m making sure you won¡¯t be able to stand for a week.


    ¡°Well, I guess we can just start without him. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve already answered all his question.¡±


    ¡°Questions? So he¡¯s already met with you¡­ wait a minute¡­ now that I think about it, aren¡¯t we supposed to be meeting with Bryan?¡±


    They all looked at each other and then to me. I wonder if they didn¡¯t hear me explain it earlier. Well, I guess I should repeat.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me earlier? My name right now is Catalea, but I¡¯m actually Bryan. Because of the recent events, I¡¯m suffering from what¡¯s known as a mana overcharged or simply called a backlash. Normally I would use Mana to turn back into a guy, but¡­ yeah, I can¡¯t do that right now.¡±


    They all looked at me with dumbfounded looks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s understandable that you won¡¯t believe me. Even your brother wouldn¡¯t believe me. That¡¯s why if you wait a couple of days, I¡¯ll show you what I mean. Aside from that, just think that you¡¯re currently talking with Bryan.¡±


    They all looked at one another again and nodded at my idea. I also sighed. People really do believe things only if they see it with their own eyes. I was then about to start the meeting, but I realized that they were still standing. Oh yeah, this was my bedroom. I forgot about the chairs.


    ¡®Hey Lily. Can you ask some of the maids to carry chairs to my room?¡¯


    ¡®Give them a sec. I already sent them over there.¡¯


    Just as she said that through our link, three maids appeared. Each carried a chair over and placed it in front of my bed. They then beckoned the heroes to sit. I¡¯m surprised Lily only brought in three. Did she know that Yuusuke wasn¡¯t going to be here? They made themselves comfortable as the maids bowed towards me and left.


    ¡°Um¡­ before we start, can I just clarify something?¡±


    I looked towards Horie who broke me from my thought.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, considering if you really are Bryan, is it really not possible for you to bring us back to our original world?¡±


    I looked into her eyes. She looked, hopeful as her eyes were really trained on me. I guess Yuusuke must have talked to them about it. I sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s just not possible. As I told Yuusuke, in theory, I might be able to create a spell that can send you back, but I can¡¯t guarantee that you¡¯ll be sent back to the same world.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    It was Cynthia this time who spoke up. Rather than being dejected, she looked interested.


    ¡°Well, you guys know that I¡¯m a recent summonee right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but what does that have to do wi¡­ wait. You mean.¡±


    Kayden began looking at me in surprise as he realized what I just meant. This guy¡¯s pretty sharp.


    ¡°What is it Kayden?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a person from Earth. She¡¯s from another world.¡±


    Both Cynthia and Horie first looked at Kayden in surprise then at me. Then as if a lightbulb clicked open, Cynthia gave out an acknowledging sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s why there were those mechanized tanks in that compound. No wonder everything from this place looked familiar but at the same time not.¡±


    Kayden nodded while Horie sat there confused. But there is one thing they¡¯re missing.


    ¡°You are correct but at the same time no. I do come from a different world, but the world I come from is also Earth.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ Wait, so those that mean you came from a parallel Earth.¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, yes. From the stories Marlana and Artura told me, your Earth was supposed to be peaceful and filled with many huge cities and many flourishing countries. My world, not so much. Only a couple of nations exist and a handful of cities stand. Also, your Earth does not contain mana, but in my Earth mana exists.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ if your world has mana, then how come the army seems so¡­ advance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why does it seem so advance? Normally, a technology focused civilization focuses on tech hence technology, but a magic focused civilization would be more focused with power and not technology.¡±


    Both Cynthia and Kayden were really curious about the things I made huh. But I wonder why they made those inferences.


    ¡°Oh¡­ and how did you come up with that conclusion?¡±


    Cynthia began explaining it to me.


    ¡°Well, the demons are heavy on magic development. We¡¯ve noticed their weapons, and they seem primitive. Yet it¡¯s not their technology but their magic that makes them so hard to beat. Humanity as far as I could tell focused on technology rather than magic, so although were weak on magic, we¡¯ve created weapons that can equal the demons in terms of power. Even the Beastkin¡¯s, who are one with nature, tended to focus on only technology as their aptitude for magic was low, hence they¡¯ve also managed to equal the humans in terms of power.¡±


    ¡°Beastkin? Oh¡­ I forgot that they were here too.¡±


    The Beastkin¡¯s were a group that had mix genes from humans and animals. Apparently, they appeared after some kind of calamity from the past, but so far, I haven¡¯t really had a chance to meet them. Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to meet them under bad conditions later on, so for now focusing on the empire would be good.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re a really peaceful race, but that¡¯s not my point. What I want to know is, how is it that your world seems to be advance in both magic and technology.¡±


    I then thought about it. Honestly, there¡¯s only one good answer for it. One that reminded me of my past losses.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    They all looked at me in surprise. I then realized that I leaked out a bit of my bloodthirst. Control yourself. Breath in¡­ out¡­ in¡­ out¡­ good. I then refocused myself.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    I looked back at the heroes. They were already on their feet fully armed to the teeth. Horie was holding her katana to side preparing for a slash. Cynthia has a spear with some kind of mana crystal reverberating with power. Kayden has a crossbow pulled out pointing at the ceiling. Just where did they get those from? I was sure they came in barehanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that was frightening.¡±


    Horie nodded along with a pale look. Oops. I guess it¡¯s better not to tell them it came from me.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I never thought I¡¯d see the day you¡¯d pull out your spear.¡±


    Kayden whistled as he stared at the spear in Cynthia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. It felt that I would die if I didn¡¯t pull it out.¡±


    They all calmly stashed their weapons away as they looked back at me.


    ¡°Sorry about that, its just we felt something really¡­ dangerous.¡±


    I kept my smile.


    ¡°Thank you for being so perceptive. In my current state, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to fight alongside you all.¡±


    I tried to keep a poker face. Behind me, I could tell that Sara was trying to contain her laugh. Please don¡¯t sell me out. As they all sat on their chair again, Lily came in with a tea set. Yuusuke was also following behind her. Another chair was placed near my bed as he took his seat. The other heroes then looked at the tea set as if they were excited.


    ¡°Did brother help make this?¡±


    Brother? I looked between Horie and Yuusuke¡­ I see. They¡¯re siblings. Somehow, their appearance don¡¯t match. But I guess you can¡¯t always match.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I had to help. I mean, it was the least I can do after causing trouble yesterday.¡±


    With that, I was curious on why the heroes were so excited about the tea. After Lily finished pouring mine, I took a quick whiff. It smelled nice and relaxing. I then took a sip. It was fresh to the taste and felt really herbal. It really helped calmed me down.


    ¡°This is really good.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ now going back to our meeting, did you tell them yet?¡±


    ¡°The fact that I can¡¯t do anything to send you back? Yeah, I already told them.¡±


    I could see the pained expression on his face. Then suddenly, he shook it off and his old persona was back.


    ¡°Well, now that I had a day to think it over, I feel a bit better. Anyway, what are we supposed to be meeting about?¡±


    ¡°Wait before that, can I just ask one question?¡±


    Cynthia quickly interrupted Yuusuke and began to glare at me with a serious expression. It must mean there¡¯s something important she wants to know.


    ¡°Black or white. What¡¯s your favorite color?¡±


    Huh¡­ that¡¯s a rather strange question to ask.


    ¡°Umm¡­ black?¡±


    She nodded several times as if she has reached enlightenment.


    ¡°I see. That means Catalea san must be wearing black underwear that¡¯s filled with lacings.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I began to turn red as I tried to cover myself up.


    ¡°Hah, I guess I was right.¡±


    No you¡¯re not, but I really don¡¯t like how you¡¯re trying to guess what underwear I¡¯m wearing. She began giving off a sleazy laugh as she slowly got closer to me. I tried to move away as I move my hands to my chest, remembering the previous day¡¯s session with Freyja.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mess with my master anymore.¡±


    A knight in shining armor appeared. It was Sara whose valiant back could be seen¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s not wearing black underwear. It¡¯s actually light blue with greyish blue frills.¡±


    ¡­ My knight. Where has she gone? Rather, how did you know what I was wearing? I then heard a small thud.


    ¡°Ow¡­ that really hurt Horie.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, you¡¯re only going to keep harassing Caty.¡±


    She then smiled towards me.


    ¡°YOU GUYS STOP. We¡¯re not getting anywhere. Plus, I need to know about something much more important than her underwear.¡±


    As much as I appreciate Kayden speaking up, just knowing the fact that he now knows the color of my underwear is making me uncomfortable. Especially with the sleazy hero Yuusuke beside him who was turning red.


    ¡°Sorry about my friends¡­ you can get stuck in their pace really quickly. Aside from that, I want to know how you managed to bring those soldiers here.¡±


    ¡°You mean the marines?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so they¡¯re even called marines. Are they you¡¯re men from the other world? Did they come with you? Or did you summon them from our world? Who are they exactly, that¡¯s all I want to know.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah. Actually, they¡¯re from this world. You can say I made them and they are what you call an automaton.¡±


    ¡°You made them?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t tell me everything in this entire area was made by you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I made all of the materials. It was up to them to use my memories to build a compound. Though the mansion was created by me from scratch.¡±


    They all looked at me with a dumbfound expression.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re a cheat aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Cheat? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a cheat character. Overpowered, can do anything. That¡¯s what we meant by cheat.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I get it, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m this so called cheat character.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    They continued staring at me in silence.


    ¡°Yep¡­ definitely a cheat. Only cheat characters say that.¡±


    They all nodded with one another. I¡¯m really starting to get confused. I wonder if this cheat character is supposed to be a category from their old world. I don¡¯t even think I could be a cheat character. Why? It¡¯s because of the fact that each of my spell could become my own curse if I overuse them. That means that I can¡¯t just do everything I want. Also overpowered? I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m sure there are spells that can counter me. I just haven¡¯t seen them yet¡­ well anyway. I should probably move the conversation.


    ¡°Well, aside from that. Do you have any other questions to ask?¡±


    They all thought about it for a moment. Yep, I knew it. They were the type to be easily distracted and swayed in conversations. At least they won¡¯t ponder about a topic for too long¡­ maybe they¡¯re the emotional type? Then again, I¡¯m the emotional type. I should hang around them for a bit and see if I can understand them more.


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask if I could see your stats.¡±


    Another new word popped out.


    ¡°Stats? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ you don¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t Artura or Marlana tell you how to open your stats?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ no. All I remember was forcing them to make sure I stay out of the demon conflict.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You forced them to do what?¡±


    Horie, Cynthia and Kayden gave me a blank look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Anyway, I¡¯ll teach you how to open the stats menu.¡±


    Yuusuke then stood up as he raised his hands in front of him.


    ¡°OPEN STATS!¡±


    A bright blue screen appeared in front of him. He then went over to me and showed me the screen.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Name:</td><td>Yuusuke Akiyama</td><td>Age:</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>Level:</td><td>116</td><td>Race:</td><td>Human</td></tr><tr><td>Gender:</td><td>Male</td><td>Sub Race:</td><td>Japanese</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Titles:</td><td>Hero, Royal Guard, Demon Slayer, Dragon Slayer, Purifier, The Kingdom''s Saint, Riajuu, Harem Protagonist</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Occupation:</td><td>Swordsman</td><td>Sub-Occupation:</td><td>Guard Palladin</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>                                                                                                    Stats</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Categories</td><td>Numerical Value</td><td>Status</td></tr></tbody></table>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Strength</td><td>962/1000</td><td>Regenerate strength 40% an hour


    May go over limit if in combat


    -ONce said combat is over, fatigue will take over the body</td></tr><tr><td>Intelligence</td><td>10000/10000</td><td>Mana regeneration is 1 point per 30 seconds


    Mana consumption is lessened in combat


    -50% decrease in consumption


    Chantless magic is as strong as chanted magic</td></tr><tr><td>Stamina</td><td>894/1000</td><td>Stamina usage decreases over time if in combat


    50% decrease in consumption


    Healing potions also regenerate Stamina</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Vitality</td><td>100000/100000</td><td>Health constantly regenerates by 1 point per 10 seconds


    Curses are instantly healed


    Has a 100% of surviving lethal blows


    Can only be killed by a cursed sword-said sword must have a health factor negation</td></tr><tr><td>Luck</td><td>100</td><td>50% of setting an ideal flag50% chance of being in a random good luck event


    10% chance of being in a random bad luck event</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>Cannot be determined</td><td>Blessing in effect-Men under your command are given 55% increase in their stats


    -Charms casted on allies are 50% stronger


    -Loyalty increases to 100%


    -Men


    that are killed are instead wounded and teleportedto the nearest allied


    base (consequence, they will not beable to fight for four days)</td></tr></tbody></table>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Interesting. It had several things placed with some kind of numerical value and a short description. That means he can see how much mana he used and all the other things. Then, since I¡¯m a hero. This must mean that I¡¯m the same thing. I placed my hands in front of me.


    ¡°Open stats.¡±


    ¡­ Nothing. Nothing was showing up. Is it possible that because my mana is so low it won¡¯t work? Or maybe it¡¯s from my Backlash¡­ so many questions.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. It¡¯s supposed to work. Not like it uses any mana which you seem to be lacking¡­ want me to look up your stats for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes please.¡±


    He then raised his hands in front of me. For some strange reason, I felt like backing away, but I somehow steeled myself to stay. All of a sudden, a new screen appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see now¡­¡±


    He froze. That¡¯s weird? Horie went over to him.


    ¡°Neh, brother. What are you¡­¡±


    She also froze as she looked at the blue screen.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you gu¡­¡±


    Kayden and Cynthia also approached and froze. I wonder why? What¡¯s written on the blue screen? One by one, they all began looking at me with a mechanical look.


    ¡°Cheat.¡±


    I could only smile at them awkwardly. Again with the cheat. I really don¡¯t think I¡¯m a cheat¡­ am I?


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Name:</td><td>Bryan/Catalea Carleton</td><td>Age:</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>Level:</td><td>Cannot Be Determined</td><td>Race:</td><td>Human</td></tr><tr><td>Gender:</td><td>Male/Female</td><td>Sub Race:</td><td>Clone</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Titles:</td><td>Hero, One Who Lost Everything, Controller of Destiny, Defender of the weak, Puppet (not in effect), Summoner of the Divine, Killer of the Divine, Unshakeable Will, Powerful Bystander, One who shook the world, Godlike Chef, The Angelic Nurse, One who is loved, A groom and a wife</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Occupation:</td><td>Spellcast Marine</td><td>Sub-Occupation:</td><td>Medic</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>                                                                                                                                                                                                          Stats


    </td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Categories</td><td>Numerical Value</td><td>Status</td></tr></tbody></table>_____________________________________________________________________________________


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Strength</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr><tr><td>Intelligence</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr><tr><td>Stamina</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr></tbody></table>_____________________________________________________________________________________


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Vitality</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be identified</td></tr><tr><td>Luck</td><td>Unknown</td><td>Unknown</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>Cannot be determined</td><td>Unknown</td></tr></tbody></table>_____________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes (this is long lol):


    HELLO EVERYONE. So¡­ I was going to upload a *ahem* side story. But, it¡¯s not reaching me. In other words, writer block. So instead, I decided to start the second arc. Yes, Bryan is still a girl. Why? I¡¯m not just going to do a stupid time skip just so I can make him talk to the heroes as a man. That¡¯s going to be my grave and it will take too much time from them preparing against the empire. Also, I¡¯m not just going to say Oh hey, plot convenience made me heal him and he can use his mana again¡­ no. Not doing that lol. So until I can get the ball rolling, he stays a girl until his time limit is done. I mean I did promise that he would be a guy next chapter... but that was the side story chap... and yeah... so aside from that, I hoped you enjoy.


    P.S: To those who think this is gender bender. Maybe it is, maybe it isn¡¯t. People tell me it is, people tell me it isn¡¯t. So if you ask me if this is gender bender, I have no clue anymore lol He just turns into a girl since its convenient and he actually knows how to use it to his advantage. Same as being a guy. He uses it to his full advantage, though he is a guy originally so of course he knows what he¡¯s doing. I mean, it doesn''t define him as an mc, but he uses it for its convenience, so honestly, I don''t know.


    P.S.S: I read all the comments. If people ask for something, I usually enjoy doing it, but doing it in the mindset of ¡°Careful what you wish for.¡± I mean, I even did a chapter on it XD


    P.S.S.S: I suck with tables. What other stats should I place in there since I¡¯m a newbie with stats and all that?


    Editor Notes: Hi all, editor speaking. First of all pay, attention to details. There is a lot of hints here and mini Easter eggs. The devil is in the details so i will pass this off to the collaborator.


    Collaborator: Just so you guys know, I won the match last time and the editor is now the school boy B****. Muhahaha curtsy of hat films but anyway in this arc, expect some info dumps here and there and just Nerd stuff in general so enjoy.


    P.s i like how he is the bride and the groom hehehe


    UPDATE:


    HAHAHAHAHAHA. I FINALLY DID IT! The table is fixed.

 Arc 2 Chapter 2: Meeting with the Heroes (2)

    Arc 2 Chapter 2: Meeting with the Heroes (2)


    Subtitle: Me or Them? Who do you pick?


    ¡°Well, setting aside the fact that you¡¯re a cheat, I guess you really are Bryan huh.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So you believe that screen more than me?¡±


    ¡°Duh, this is a stats screen. It never lies¡­ mostly. Look for yourself.¡±


    He showed me the screen.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Name:</td><td>Bryan/Catalea Carleton</td><td>Age:</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>Level:</td><td>Cannot Be Determined</td><td>Race:</td><td>Human</td></tr><tr><td>Gender:</td><td>Male/Female</td><td>Sub Race:</td><td>Clone</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Titles:</td><td>Hero, One Who Lost Everything, Controller of Destiny, Defender of the weak, Puppet (not in effect), Summoner of the Divine, Killer of the Divine, Unshakeable Will, Powerful Bystander, One who shook the world, Godlike Chef, The Angelic Nurse, One who is loved, A groom and a wife</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Occupation:</td><td>Spellcast Marine</td><td>Sub-Occupation:</td><td>Medic</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>                                                                                                                                                                                                          Stats


    </td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Categories</td><td>Numerical Value</td><td>Status</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Strength</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr><tr><td>Intelligence</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr><tr><td>Stamina</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be determined</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Vitality</td><td>10/9999999</td><td>Backlash in effect


    -Cannot be identified</td></tr><tr><td>Luck</td><td>Unknown</td><td>Unknown</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>Cannot be determined</td><td>Unknown</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°¡­ This can¡¯t be real.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but say that. I mean, based on the information, I supposedly have 99999 of practically everything. If I go back to the stories I¡¯ve read, numbers like these are impossible to have. Even for a cheat character¡­ maybe that¡¯s why they were calling me cheat. I sighed. Yeah, there is no way this chart is right.


    ¡°This has to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying my appraisal spell is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am. I mean think about it. If I have 999999 strength, every single step I would take would practically destroy this world. Plus, if I had a huge surplus magic around 9999999, how is it that I ran out of it so quick. Think about it for a moment.¡±


    They began talking with one another. Kayden then became the spokesperson of the group. As if to lecture, he raised his finger towards me.


    ¡°It is true that having 99999 strength would mean that everything you touch would break. But you could probably control your own strength to a degree. I remember watching something from my old world about a guy who can kill anything with one punch, yet oddly enough, he can still do normal things without breaking anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Watching? Were you documenting this man¡¯s daily life?¡±


    Yuusuke shook his head.


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t. I think it was a popular show in our world¡­ what was it called again¡­ hmm¡­ It¡¯s really been a while.¡±


    He started to enter into a deep thought. Kayden shook him a bit before finally continuing.


    ¡°Well, aside from that, you can still live a normal life even if you have 999999 strength. You¡¯re other stats too. Even if they¡¯re all 999999, you can still control it to where you can live a normal life. That¡¯s why you¡¯re such a cheat existence. You didn¡¯t even notice how strong you are, yet these numbers show that you¡¯re as strong as an entire nation.¡±


    Eh! That strong?! Really? And the way he¡¯s saying it, it seems I don¡¯t even need to have a conscious awareness of it. Truly a cheat character, but still¡­ I¡¯m really not convinced that this is my actual stats. Why? It¡¯s because I know that a prerequisite for being a cheat character is first being teleported to another world¡­ wait¡­ ok, maybe I fall under this. They then become a hero. Technically, I am a hero, but I refuse to fight the demons, so I guess I¡¯m not really part of that. Next, a divine being must have contacted you¡­ I did summon Freyja, but that¡¯s different. Right? Hmm¡­ maybe I am a cheat character. Still, the stats chart doesn¡¯t make sense. Ugh¡­ this is a major headache. I¡¯ll just have to come back to this later once I recover. By then, I should be able to summon the stats window and if it is true, I¡¯ll find a way to hide or limit my power. For now, we have more important matters to discuss.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ well, let¡¯s just go ahead and put this cheat nonsense aside. I want to talk with you guys about the impending war with the empire.¡±


    They now had a serious expression in their eyes. Before I could continue though, I need a map. I looked towards Lily. She understood my gaze and instantly disappeared. She then reappeared with a table that had a small circle in the middle. All of a sudden, a hologram appeared. It was a map that my subordinates have been feverishly making for the last couple of days.


    The heroes looked at the map in amazement.


    ¡°Did you make this?¡±


    ¡°Nope, my subordinates did. They¡¯ve been doing some reconnaissance on the surrounding area and have found some really valuable information.¡±


    ¡°You think they can have the demon continent mapped out soon?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Not at the moment. For one, the demon continent is highly defended on the ground. My men only managed to gather that much before finally retreating.¡±


    ¡°Retreat? You¡¯re men actually had to retreat? I was sure modern firearms would have helped them push on.¡±


    I shook my head again. They really don¡¯t know how proper war works.


    ¡°Listen, just because we have modern technology doesn¡¯t mean were invincible. For one, we need supply, something that my reconnaissance group did not receive. Imagine having to send a constant stream of bullets, weapons and other commodities. It¡¯s too much hassle. That¡¯s why they had to retreat. There were too many for them to handle. They soon ran out of supplies and managed to escape without a single casualty, so I¡¯m actually proud for their hard work.¡±


    The heroes began to nod in understanding.


    ¡°So, even you care about your men. Wait, didn¡¯t you say that they¡¯re automatons? Isn¡¯t it fine to lose one or two for¡­?¡±


    Cynthia began quieting down. Why? Probably because I was drenching the entire room with bloodlust.


    ¡°Please do not refer to them as things to be used. They are beings that think, talk and act just like you. That¡¯s why, it is only right to treat them as such, understand?¡±


    She began nodding her head vigorously. The other heroes also followed suit as they all joined in. They kind of look like wobble heads. I began to cancel out my bloodthirst. They all took a deep breath as if they couldn¡¯t breathe before.


    ¡°So¡­ that was you from earlier huh.¡±


    ¡°To think you had that much bloodlust¡­ you¡¯re a pretty scary person.¡±


    I shrugged. I then thought about it. Maybe I should apologize for my earlier leak of bloodlust. I bowed my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier. My bloodlust just came out after remembering some¡­ things.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ it¡¯s ok. Rather, were sorry for thinking that your men are just tools.¡±


    They all bowed back towards me. These heroes¡­ they really aren¡¯t like some upstart heroes from that one story I read.


    ¡°Now then, back to the meeting. If you look at the map. This is our current situation.¡±


    Lily immediately gave me a laser pointer. I then used it to point at the blue line around the western part of the kingdom.


    ¡°Currently, we¡¯re trying to increase the defenses of our borders. To match the empire, we¡¯ve begun constructing forts that ran parallel to theirs. We¡¯ve also began setting patrols at several key points around these forts.¡±


    I then pointed it at the yellow line.


    ¡°The other kingdom is also holding out. They¡¯ve already established a defensive line against the empire, but right now, they¡¯re fighting two wars. One against the empire, and one against the demons.¡±


    ¡°Wait? I thought the demons were only attack Wessex? What happened to the barrier around Malzur¡¯r?¡±


    ¡°Based on their letter, the crystal that was supposed to be protecting them was destroyed. They don¡¯t know who did it, but suspicion is going towards the empire.¡±


    ¡°Would the empire really do that?¡±


    It was Yuusuke who spoke up. I wonder why, he looked calm but his fist were clenched tightly together.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know if it was the empire, but it would make sense. Force a country to fight two directions, that¡¯s the fastest way to deplete their manpower and resources.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡±


    ¡°In war, there is no such thing as right and wrong. It¡¯s just a matter of who survives¡±


    He stayed silent as he found no ways to refute me. For this long, they¡¯ve been fighting the demons with this mentality. How idealistic can you be?


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Now then, going by the rate they¡¯re defending, Malzur¡¯r will fall soon. That¡¯s why, it¡¯s the perfect time to strike them.¡±


    ¡°You want to attack the Empire?¡±


    ¡°Well, not me¡­ like I told Yuusuke, I will not be participating directly in this war.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!¡±


    The three heroes stood up. Only Yuusuke, who understood my position, kept sitting.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you joining? With you powers, we can¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Yuusuke immediately quieted the group. With a shocked expression, they all began sitting down.


    ¡°But, Yuusuke¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but try to understand. Bryan will not be joining us in the field. Instead, he¡¯ll be giving us support.¡±


    ¡°Support? How? With his army?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I actually don¡¯t know. I believe your explaining that right?¡±


    I smiled. He really knows how to keep his group level headed.


    ¡°Well, this is what the meeting is for right?¡±


    He then nodded, asking me to continue. I pointed at the circle with the number 20 besides it.


    ¡°Before I can actually support you guys, I want you all to take your men and capture this area.¡±


    They stared at me with a blank face.


    ¡°You want us to attack them headlong?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no. For one, you are not attacking them headlong. I¡¯ll provide you with transports for this part. Your only job is to take this area and secure it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ok, so far I¡¯m following. But why do you want us to take this specific part in the first place?¡±


    It was Horie who spoke up. All four of them seemed to be getting interested rather than distraught at the fact that I won¡¯t join them in battle or the fact that they have to capture this area with minimal help.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. For one, it¡¯s a strategic place that we can set up a headquarters.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. With a high place, you could probably see everything around you. I believe you have some kind of surveillance system that can help scan the surrounding areas.¡±


    I smiled at Kayden who once again showed great intelligence. They¡¯re starting to catch on to my workings.


    ¡°Yes. For now though, the said device will remain a secret. Now as for my second reason¡­ well, it¡¯s better to show you. Lily, if you may.¡±


    She smiled as she walked up to one of the tables. She pulled one of the drawers and reached inside. My room began to move as the walls began changing. The heroes were surprised as they held on to their chairs and their eyes began to open wide with shock. My once peaceful room was now inside our command center. People could be seen walking back and forth the area. In the middle, a huge screen could be seen.


    ¡°Master, preparations are ready.¡±


    ¡°Good. Commence drill in ten seconds.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Lily passed me some noise cancelling headphones just as alarms began blaring off. This headphone was designed by her to block out any unwanted noises. On the other hand, I could still hear conversations perfectly. In this way, no headaches.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Catalea?¡±


    ¡°Look at the screen.¡±


    They all focused their attention to the screen. It was an isolated mountain area that looked very peaceful. Nothing seemed to stir¡­ though that was due to both Freyja¡¯s and Lily¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°Loading procedures done. Each crew is ready to unload.¡±


    ¡°Start countdown.¡±


    ¡°10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ FIRE FOR EFFECT!!¡±


    Muffled explosions could be heard from the distance. I began counting in my head. 5, the heroes looked at one another confused. 4, Lily began to giggle as she looked at the heroes. 3, Sara was also looking at the screen intently. 2, everyone in the room immediately sucked in their breath¡­ wait, I understand the human operators, but also the automatons? 1¡­ explosions began covering the landscape. Smoke covered the entire area as the heroes watched in astonishment. Even Sara looked be surprised. It took a few minutes and finally, the smoke cleared. The forest was on fire and the mountain had many charred craters into it.


    ¡°Target hit. Testing is complete. Master, we¡¯ve successfully developed the 12 inch howitzers. Effective minimum range is at 78 miles. Longest range is 150 miles.¡±


    I turned my head towards the heroes. They also turned their heads towards me.


    ¡°Well, as you can see. My men have recently built several artillery pieces. Now, they¡¯re ready for use. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about the after effects. The rounds we used are imbedded with a special type of mana stone.¡±


    I pointed back at the screen. The once charred mountain was back to normal. The forest was also back to normal, as if nothing ever happened to it.


    ¡°As you can see, the environment is fine¡­ its main target is living tissue. In other words, anything that has flesh is susceptible to being eradicated.¡±


    They continued to stare at the screen, though now it was mixed with a horrified look.


    ¡°Bryan. You do know what it means when we introduce these to the battlefield right?¡±


    From Cynthia¡¯s voice, you could hear complete panic. With a calm voice I replied to her,


    ¡°It means were completely changing the phase that battles are carried out. Technological warfare will reach new heights and battles will no longer be fought the same way. Yes, I know. But this way, we¡¯ll actually have a chance in winning, especially once we produced enough of the mechanized land rovers.¡±


    They all gave me a questioning look. Yuusuke then spoke out.


    ¡°You make it sound as if we¡¯ll lose.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I stayed silent as I continued to look at the screen. I could feel that they were confused by my silence.


    ¡°Wait? What? You mean to tell me that we¡¯ll probably lose this war?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ we would probably lose this war. That is unless we take the chances that are in front of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re hiding something from us.¡±


    Cynthia gave me a suspicious look. Guess she¡¯s on to me already. Well, it¡¯s not like I have the ability to lie. Everyone seems to see through them one way or another. That¡¯s why I¡¯m usually honest¡­ usually. I sighed.


    ¡°Max, can you pull up one of the files into the main screen?¡±


    One of my operators immediately stood at attention.


    ¡°Pull up file 021, section 30-4.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha boss.¡±


    He immediately began going through the mana database. I still can¡¯t believe they managed to make a computerized database. Even I didn¡¯t think that I could pull it off, yet these guys managed to create one in a matter of days. Well, it is my fault for giving them the knowledge of it.


    ¡°Pulling it out to the main screen now boss.¡±


    In front of us, several images could be seen. This was caught by one of our surveyors. This fully showed how the Empire was able to rise, how it was able to conquer other nations.


    ¡°Wait? Aren¡¯t those?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ so far, the empire has managed to build about two to three hundred of these. When I first visited the Empire, I didn¡¯t really see any hints or information that these things were being used let alone made. But now, all bets are off. They¡¯re going all out, and if we don¡¯t fight back¡­ well. You get the picture.¡±


    They all stayed silent as they looked at lines after lines of what seemed to be mechanized golems. They all seem to have a pilot which means that all of these were manned. They carried a shield and sword and seemed to had other types of weapons on them. A blue field also surrounded them meaning these mechs were capable of using magic. With these, the empire had an overwhelming advantage probably even against the demons. I then looked at the heroes.


    ¡°I may not be fighting in the frontlines, but I will support this kingdom to defend it. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to do this.¡±


    They all stared at me silently.


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s not right Bryan. We do not have the authority to¡­¡±


    ¡°The empire doesn¡¯t have the authority to create and use those mechs. Yet they did. I only retaliated by making my own arsenal. As I told you, ¡®hero¡¯ Yuusuke¡­¡±


    He flinched as I sarcastically said the word hero.


    ¡°¡­ in war, nothing is fair. It¡¯s about survival, and right now, the kingdom¡¯s survival is at stake. So you tell me, should I change the face of war or them?¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    Hey guys. So, I finally managed to make this chap with edit/colab. Hope you enjoy this major info dump and major plotline push¡­ I think. Now, the reason I pushed to finish this today is because, I¡¯m not going to be writing for¡­ two weeks¡­ maybe a month. That¡¯s because, I¡¯ll be taking a short break and¡­ I have to start studying again. So yeah, there¡¯s that. Until then, I hope you guys have a great time.


    P.S: Screw RR tables. But I have no choice since word wont work TT.TT


    P.S.S: This is only one part of the map. Once it¡¯s convenient for me to use, I¡¯ll use the full map :D


    P.S.S.S: I might resume earlier depending on schedule, so I might even come back after a week. Who knows.


    Editor: Surprise! Everyone hope you enjoy this chapter also the author likes to put Easter eggs in things like little treats for all you to find.


    Collaborator: So true but to those how have paid attention you should of known by now something big is going to happen soon also if you want to know what the world looks like ask the author *beware of spoils*

 Arc 2 Chapter 2.5: The Darkness Within

    Arc 2 Chapter 2.5: The Darkness Within


    (Cynthia POV)


    ¡°So you tell me, should I change the face of war or them?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but take a step back as Catalea stared at us in anger. In my mind, alarms were already blaring. This girl¡­ she¡¯s dangerous. She¡¯s created something that should never have been introduced to this world. This world, that we¡¯ve work so hard to protect¡­ she¡¯s its downfall. As I thought this, she looked back at the screen. I couldn¡¯t really see her face, but I somehow knew that she must be planning for the future. What kind of future is that? One filled with flames? Deaths? She may be helping the kingdom, but at what cost? Hundreds dead? Sure, they¡¯re our enemy. Sure, they¡¯ve created weapons that can potentially change the course of war¡­ but, it¡¯s just wrong.


    ¡®So, then just kill her.¡¯


    I looked around surprised.


    ¡®You fool. I cannot be seen for I am your mind.¡¯


    ¡®My¡­ mind?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ and I know you¡¯re having a dilemma right now.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at Catalea as I heard my conscious say dilemma.


    ¡®Yes¡­ that girl is dangerous, and you know it.¡¯


    ¡®But¡­ how is she dangerous? She¡¯s trying to protect the kingdom and¡­¡¯


    ¡®And what? You really think she¡¯s planning on helping? You¡¯ve seen the machines she possess. It¡¯s capable of destroying the empire, and once she¡¯s done with that, she will turn on Wessex.¡¯


    ¡®What? How¡­ how do you know?¡¯


    ¡®My dear, I am your conscious. Everything were talking about is your knowledge. If I think this, then you must sure also think the same thing.¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡®Really? Are you sure? I could sense it inside of you¡­ doubt. You doubt whether this girl will truly defend the kingdom. Her sense of human value is low, and you even saw it. She¡¯s not even a real human. She¡¯s a clone.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but agree, but I soon threw that sentiment out the window.


    ¡®No¡­ she¡¯s a human being. She¡¯s even helped save some¡­¡¯


    ¡®Oh, the villagers. Didn¡¯t you notice, their all working for her now. Even the queen¡¯s elite guard commander is working for her now. How long do you think it¡¯ll be before she finally has Wessex under her rule?¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ no¡­ I know what¡­ I am¡­¡¯


    ¡®Truly child, you can¡¯t be that blind. That¡¯s why it¡¯s the perfect chance to strike. She only has 10 hp left. Just one stab would do it.¡¯


    ¡®But¡­ this... it¡¯s not right.¡¯


    ¡®And you think what she¡¯s doing now is not right. Na?ve child. This is the right thing to do. Before she endangers this world, it¡¯s best to get rid of her now.¡¯


    ¡®But¡­ but what will that accomplish.¡¯


    ¡®It will help save the world. The demons are nothing compared to her and you know it. Even the empire is nothing. By killing her, you are saving this world.¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ no stop. This is not me.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, but it is.¡¯


    I then saw myself holding a dagger. Everyone else kept focusing their attention towards the screen as another barrage of explosions could be seen. Like the previous, the environment began reforming itself, but because she said so, I knew that any people inside the blast would have died.


    ¡®You see? That will be the future of this world if you do not kill her now. This is the right choice, one that is honorable. You will be thanked and you will rise to fame and glory.¡¯


    I took a step as if my body wasn¡¯t listening to me. Why¡­ why am I finding myself walking towards Catalea? It felt¡­ right. For some reason, I¡­ I have to kill her. It¡¯s as if instincts were driving me towards her. Closer, closer¡­ I walked even closer to her. I began raising my dagger to the side, but I then felt a tug behind me. I finally snapped out of my trance as I look at the person behind me. It was Lily. She noticed me. This is it, I¡¯m doom. She knows I was going to try and kill Catalea and I¡¯m probably going to be imprisoned. To my surprise though she just placed a finger to her lips.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Shhhh.¡±


    She then slowly led me to the back from the group who were to focused on the screen to notice. When we were away from everyone she then faced me.


    ¡°Are you ok now?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She smiled as she breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ if I hadn¡¯t stopped you, the darkness may have finally taken over your will.¡±


    I stood there in confusion.


    ¡°D¡­ Darkness?¡±


    ¡°Hey, listen kid.¡±


    She now gave me a serious look.


    ¡°I know that Bryan seems to be unreasonable right now, but it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not what I think? He clearly is disregarding human life? Explosions that only kill humans, does he not have a conscious for human empathy?¡±


    I almost screamed, but seeing as she¡¯s hiding me from everyone, I decided to drop it to a low whisper. Lily sighed.


    ¡°Honestly¡­ this world does not deserve Bryan.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you this¡­ do you really think Bryan wants to do this?¡±


    ¡°Wants? He said he was willing and¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ willing. But does he want to?¡±


    I stopped myself as I finally realized what she was asking. Eh¡­ does Bryan want to do this. She said she was willing¡­ but those she mean¡­


    ¡°I want you to do me a favor. Look at him directly in the eyes and ask him again on why he is using those weapons. There, you will find your answer.¡±


    With that she left me alone as she once again stood by Bryan. I couldn¡¯t help but think over what Lily just said. Is there something I¡¯m missing here? Is Bryan not what he seems? With these questions, I slowly made my way to Bryan. I then whispered to her ears.


    ¡°Bryan¡­ Are you¡­ are you really going to use these weapons.¡±


    He looked at me in the eyes, but unlike earlier¡­ there was no hint of anger. Only, sadness.


    ¡°Yes¡­ this is the only way.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why? Why go this far?¡±


    He then gave me a lighthearted smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s so that the people of this kingdom won¡¯t have to suffer the same way we do.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but I felt my heart break. I took a small step back as she turned her head towards the screen. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m wrong. She doesn¡¯t want to do it, but she has to. For the sake of the people, she¡¯s willing to bloody her hands even though she himself isn¡¯t joining the fray. Such mentality¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t believe I doubted her. I was going to make a mistake¡­ a mistake that could have destroyed me in more ways than one. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tear drop from my eyes.


    ¡®We do this so that our friends back home won¡¯t have to suffer. That¡¯s why, stay strong and fight for those you want to protect.¡¯


    I remembered her smile. Her smile that guided me through this world. Her smile that kept me going. Her smile that relieved me of her loss. I smiled as I made my way back to my room. Catalea sure takes after her¡­ with this thought, I let my tears fall to the floor to honor my most precious memory in this world.


    __________________________________________________________________________________


    Sub-Author Notes:


    So... funny story about this. First of all, I wasn''t really expecting any chapters to be done this week. Why, it''s because I''m currently busy. But, a friend of mine was really curious about this whole write a story thing. So, I let her read my story up to now. She decided to help me do a follow up chapter. I was really surprised, it only took us an hour to do this. I''m really jealous that she could thought up a follow up plot in like seconds.


    Crying on the inside since I take a while to make a good plot...


    Well, anyway. Here we are, a one hour chapter. It''s short, but my editor told me to post it since it helps develop the characters so I did. Anyway, enjoy.


    P.S: My previous statement about not able to write still stands. This is a special exception lol

 Arc 2 Chapter 3: Meeting with the heroes (3)

    Arc 2 Chapter 3: Meeting with the heroes (3)


    Sub-Title: Luck and Divine Intervention


    (??? POV)


    Hmm¡­ it should be around here somewhere. Where is it?


    I kept looking at the surrounding area. I was currently in the western island of Camelot. It was a very beautiful place that was filled with exotic life. Right now though, I couldn¡¯t really focus on nature since I had a mission to complete.


    ¡°There.¡±


    I finally found it. It was a cave that was carved into the mountain. Actually, it¡¯s better to say, it¡¯s the door that lead to our main branch. This area was under Prince Richard¡¯s supervision, but after losing contact with him a couple of weeks ago, I was sent to confirm the situation. I guess they were really done in. I walked into the cave and to my surprise, the entire place was¡­ clean. It¡¯s as if it was only vacated. Hmm¡­ that¡¯s strange. I kept walking into the cave. Slowly, a story began to unfold. I looked at each room. One, room had two crosses placed on the ground. I then patted the ground and noticed some tracks. They were old, but still visible.


    Hmm¡­ three sets of footsteps came in, one came out. I looked at the haystack that made a makeshift bed. I see¡­ it was a girl who infiltrated. The fools must have tried to rape her, and instead got done in¡­ really, men are so weak.


    I followed the girl¡¯s tracks into the base. No crosses, but it does seem as if several bodies laid here. I see, so the crosses means death. I kept walking through until I reached a huge cavern. Several crosses could be seen everywhere, even in the ceiling. For some strange reason, I felt a chill as I noticed several areas of the ground were uneven. I shook the feeling away and kept going. This time, the tracks increased by a huge amount.


    It seems the girl gained companions¡­ but, the tracks seemed to be allies. Traitor¡¯s maybe?


    Their tracks seemed to lead away into a lower level of the place. I followed it until I came to a hallway. I could smell¡­ a foul odor. I kept going and noticed a cell room. The smell was worse in here and I saw an assortment of crosses, though these were color blue while a couple of original crosses could be seen outside the cells.


    I see¡­ the group must have had families here. Based on the tracks, the girl must have set them free¡­ wait.


    I look around and noticed that the girl¡¯s tracks could not be seen. I analyzed further, and noticed that two tracks appeared. What the fuck? Normally, I don¡¯t curse¡­ but I do when I¡¯m really surprised. I tried to think of a possible explanation, but I need to focus.


    I¡¯ll think about this later.


    I quickly made my back to confirm the tracks. Yep... no one moved. So how in the world did two tracks appear? This is getting complicated. I shook my head of these thoughts and followed the girl¡¯s path. This time, it seems she was accompanied by other people. Unlike before, they seemed to have killed a lot as crosses lined up the entire hallway. They were all placed in formations¡­ that part really scares me. That means, even when they were surrounded, they just killed anyone they saw. What¡¯s more scary is the fact that the two people who suddenly appeared were the ones responsible. They must be strong. I kept following and soon, I saw the familiar testudo formation of the empire. I guess the previous ones were bandits or mercenaries. Then, I noticed that two sets of tracks walked from the empires side while the girl was the one who approached them. I noticed that they were the footprints of the prince and his aide. I also noticed that one part showed that the prince was kneeling, a sign of defeat. I see¡­ so they lost. But no crosses¡­ that means, he¡¯s alive. I then followed the proceedings of what happened and sure enough, as I exited the tunnel, the tracks led back to Camelot.


    This is not good¡­ they have the prince in custody¡­ but, I wonder. How did he lose? He¡¯s one of the best fighters in the empire, surely the kingdom does not have anyone as powerful as him.


    I kept pondering about this. Then I heard loud explosions on the distance. I looked to the sky and saw fire of unimaginable proportion lighting the sky in radiant blue flames. I couldn¡¯t help but shiver¡­ yet, now I was curious. Something told me that I had to see and inform this to the Empire. I quickly made my way towards the blue sky. It took me a couple of hours before I finally made it to some kind of compound. At first, you could hardly tell it was there. Being a Beastkin though, I had the rare ability of tearing through any illusions that¡¯s set in place. It was a highly militaristic compound. Knights with strange outfits and weapons could be seen everywhere. Towers also lined the walls, and small thin wires were placed in between each tower. Truly formidable. I¡¯m an assassin mage though. There¡¯s no way I could be done in by these.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. [Cloak].¡±


    I should be invisible now. Next.


    ¡°[Whisper].¡±


    I tried punching one of the tress. Perfect, no noise. With this, preparations are complete. I have to find what caused those blue fire. I also need to know, who these people are. I know for a fact that they can¡¯t be the kingdoms. I began to slowly creep through the shrubs. Looking at the wall, as I got closer, it looked¡­ really strong. I wonder what it¡¯s¡­


    ¡°WHO¡¯S THERE?!¡±


    I almost made a noise as I instantly stopped. Two of the knights appeared, thought their armor, unlike the others who had brown and grey armor, were instead wearing green and brown leather armor. There was a couple of leaves attached to them too, making them even more camouflaged with the environment.


    ¡°What is it Takeshi?¡±


    A female voice could be heard. Good, if push comes to shove, I can take her as a hostage. One of the knights looked to where I was. I instantly sucked in my breath.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought I heard someone. Maybe it¡¯s my imagination.¡±


    ¡°Mou¡­ you shouldn¡¯t scare me like that you know.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah. My bad Claire.¡±


    Without another word the two went back into the jungle and immediately disappeared. They¡¯re¡­ good¡­ too good. I didn¡¯t even sense them? Just what are these knights capable of doing? I couldn¡¯t help but panic a bit. Maybe I should go back¡­ no. I¡¯m already here. I have to see this through. But, what if I get caught. Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You¡¯ve had the best record in the empire. Are you going to tarnish your name? True¡­ but. But. Those were the only questions that filled my mind. But, if I could just find enough information. I could probably bring back some useful information to the empire. I would then be highly praised. Yeah, let¡¯s do this. I took a deep breath.


    ¡°I swear someone¡¯s here.¡±


    I shivered a bit as one of the knights returned. This time, he was pointing his weapon in front of him. I wonder what it is. It looked strange and clunky as a spear.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that?¡±


    The girl looked around. She then sighed and grabbed the man¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Listen, you¡¯re being too paranoid. Look, there¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    Without warning her spear began bursting with flames. I felt several things fly past me as loud sounds came from her weapon.


    ¡°See. Nothing. Now come on. We don¡¯t want to be late on reporting our patrol.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    They soon left as I stood there, sweat pouring from my head. Ha¡­ ha¡­ ahahhaha¡­ I quietly laughed to myself. I think¡­ I almost died. Just what luck do I have? I plopped to the ground as if my legs lost their will to move. Just what are they?


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    A couple of minutes passed before I finally had the strength (The will) to move again. I¡¯ve come this far. I might as well see it through. I did my best to make no sounds at all. The knights were very perceptive to a dangerous degree. I used magic to fly across the wall.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    As soon as I landed, I jumped into a nearby crate. All of a sudden a mouse ran past.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ just another rat. We really need to clean this place more.¡±


    I didn¡¯t stick to listen to their conversation. I slowly moved through the base. It was nothing I¡¯ve seen before. Elegant looking houses could be seen and seemed to emit mana. That is something that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Also, I noticed that this wasn¡¯t just a military compound. It¡¯s also like a town. Houses, some shop looking places with weird signs. I wonder what language that is. Aside from the military looking buildings, it was really like a small town. The only difference is, everyone seems to be soldiers. Even the ones who weren¡¯t wearing armor, they still carried some sort of weapon on their side. This means that they were all likely to be professional soldiers. This¡­ this doesn¡¯t look good for the empire.


    ¡°Everyone, please plug your ears. Testing is commencing again.¡±


    Everyone began plugging their ears. I also followed suit and followed their gaze. Soon, distant explosions could be heard followed by blue fire on the sky above us. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s where I need to go. I slowly snaked my way through, using every shadow and crates I could find. I almost got caught¡­ like, at every corner. Through some sheer luck though, I managed to get away. Soon, I was on a path that led to a mountain. I climbed it and as soon as I made the peak, I saw something incredible. Long metallic tubes could be seen. They looked beautiful¡­ but at the same time, I felt¡­ danger from them. I wonder why. A somewhat musky odor could be smelled. It¡¯s almost like¡­ burnt wood. I then noticed that there was a platform. A group of people could be seen. But a person among them seemed to have the most presence. It was a girl with red hair. For some strange reason, my gaze was stuck on her. I could also tell that she had red eyes. Eyes that were filled with a sharp gaze¡­ she¡¯s looking at me. I blinked. She was definitely looking where I am. But, I¡¯m invisible right now. Plus, I did my best to make no sound. There¡¯s no way¡­ She began waving at me to go down. SHE DOES SEE ME! I began panicking. I need to get out of here, I turned around¡­


    ¡°Hello, dear guest.¡±


    ¡­ And stood face to face with a maid. Wait? How the hell does she see me? She kept smiling, but for some strange reason, I could feel some type of soft bloodlust.


    ¡°I do hope that dear guest simply wants to meet with master. If he was doing something else, then it could be a problem.¡±


    Her cute sounding voice and smiling appearance did not match her persona who was now wielding two knives in her hands. If it came to this!


    ¡°[Summon: Set 1].¡±


    Four dolls appeared in front of me. They were wooden dolls dressed in armor. They carried a sword and shield and were actually good in fighting. Well, their fighting can only be compared to their owners.


    ¡°Ara¡­ is Mr. Guest sama going to fight. Well, I hope you don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    I felt a chill. Hundreds of missions I¡¯ve been sent to, it is only now that I feel like this. Why do I feel as if I¡¯ve strayed into a den of vipers? No matter. I will get out of this.


    ¡°[Fireball].¡±


    I instantly sent out several fireballs towards her. Following that, my four puppets made a dash for her. Then, the chills hit me once more. The fireballs were cut into pieces and my dolls were instantly incapacitated. I stood there in shock as the girl didn¡¯t even move from her spot.


    ¡°Comparing to Lily Sama¡¯s interdimensional training, this is pretty much nothing. I see what she meant by, my common sense would never be the same. Oh well. This is all for the sake of serving Bryan sama¡±


    I blinked as I watch what appeared to be a maiden in love. Just who are these people? She instantly shook herself and began to walk over to me. I¡­ I¡¯m not done yet.


    ¡°[Mist].¡±


    A heavy fog appeared around us. I then grasped her location. I GOT YOU!


    ¡°[Ice Pike].¡±


    I felt several ice shards emerge from the ground. I then heard it hit flesh.


    I GOT HER!


    I dispelled the mist and looked towards the spikes. There¡¯s¡­ no body? No¡­ its, a sack of flour? Then where¡­


    ¡°Surrender yourself, otherwise you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    I felt fear as I looked at my neck. A knife was already being held there as I felt the presence of the cold blade. I¡­ lost.


    _________________________________________________________________________________


    (Bryan POV)


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yuusuke looked towards me.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that, a new guest has arrived and a maid has gone to get him.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Anyway, back to our conversation. Bryan, we cannot use those things. I know that the empire is probably using something dangerous, but we shouldn¡¯t delegate ourselves to their level.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Oh, and you think you can win this war without my cannons, Heroes?¡±


    I looked at every one of their faces. They all looked at the ground. Really, saying something but contributing nothing. That¡¯s the type of attitude that I hate. Then again, they were just kids. Fighting for a while in this world¡­ well, even that tends to make you confuse. Speaking of which, the hero Cynthia isn¡¯t here anymore. She must have went back to rest.


    ¡°Ok, say that I agree. What then? I know that you all are obligated to fight against the demons, but what about humans. Have you had experience in killing your fellow humans?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we¡¯ve killed bandits before¡±


    ¡°Oh. Bandits. You think you can do the same thing to soldiers?¡±


    ¡°W¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    I looked at them all. They really don¡¯t know what true war is. The war between humans.


    ¡°Are you prepared to kill a soldier, one who is only doing their job, just so they can protect their own family?¡±


    I let that line stay in the air for a while. I could see Sara shifting where she was standing. She knows fully well what I was trying to say.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Yuusuke looked like he was about to say something, but soon quieted down. Jayden and Horie also wanted to say something, but couldn¡¯t bring themselves to talk. I guess, they were now just realizing the concept of the word war. What it truly means to kill another person. Not a demon which we really don¡¯t know about, but a human being. One that we can fully understand as we live in their shoes.


    ¡°In my time¡­ I¡¯ve killed many people. In my world, resources are limited. Plus, we were always under attack by monsters. Monsters that could potentially kill many people before it itself is killed. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ve learned. Always make sure to go all out. That¡¯s because, as soon as you finish killing those monsters, other people would come to finish what the monsters started. All just to preserve their own lives.¡±


    ¡°BUT STILL. This is a different world Bryan, with its own rules. Your world¡­ You¡¯re Earth. It¡¯s different from ours, but I can say that your ideals are just too¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Even so. How else am I supposed to react then? This is the only response I can think off that works.¡±


    I¡­ I know that I might be a little emotional right now, but I honestly don¡¯t know how else to act. Is my way of thinking really wrong? Should I not use these cannons? Then how are we supposed to fight back? Isn¡¯t power needed to check power? All these thoughts kept flashing through my mind.


    ¡°Think of another way Bryan. As far as I know, this could really bring the destruction of this world. Personally, even the gods may not like it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think its fine.¡±


    A new voice arrived. It was Frey. She was wearing a plain shirt with dark blue jeans. On her hip, a sword could be seen.


    ¡°Hey Frey.¡±


    She then came up behind me and hugged me.


    ¡°No wonder, so you were here. I tried going to your room but it was lock. They then told me that you all went to the artillery site, so I made my way here.¡±


    ¡°So, is there anything you want?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll forgive you for what you did.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ I wonder what you mean.¡±


    She gave an innocent look which only served to irritate me. I then looked towards the heroes.


    ¡°F-F-F-F-F-REYA S-A-A-A-AM-A!!!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Oh¡­ I forgot that the heroes usually get to meet with Freyja since she¡¯s the guardian deity.


    ¡°Nice to see you again heroes.¡±


    ¡°Bbubuububututut¡­. What¡­ what are you doing here?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°I was summoned. Now, I¡¯m currently helping out my new master.¡±


    She then stared at me. The heroes followed suit. I could only shrugged.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t help it. I tried to summon someone else, but instead she appeared.¡±


    ¡°Hidoi¡­ even I have feelings you know.¡±


    She began doing fake tears as she slumped to the floor like a mistress in distress. The heroes began looking at her the same way Artura and Marlana did.


    ¡°Is she really the one we met a long time ago?¡±


    ¡°I remember her as graceful? Was that all an act?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. I really don¡¯t care about appearances, but you heroes were really interesting. To think you were all chun¡­¡±


    [To those who don¡¯t know that she¡¯s going to say. The word is Chunnibyou]


    ¡°AHHHH!!¡±


    The three heroes began screaming at the top of their lungs.


    ¡°Anyway, I think its fine using these cannons. It would honestly end the war faster.¡±


    ¡°But Freya Sama. Isn¡¯t a war suppose honorable? Isn¡¯t that your principle? Using these guns can only make this war¡­ brutal. Honor would no longer be a part of it. Plus, it would make killing humans easy and¡­¡±


    ¡°Yuusuke. War is never meant to be honorable. Haven¡¯t you learned that in the fight against the demons?¡±


    ¡°But, they were demons. They¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°So. What if they are demons? They fight just like you right?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    They froze for a second, but Freyja kept going.


    ¡°Plus, you misidentify me hero. For one, although I believe in honor, that is only in duels. Duels, are meant to be honorable. Wars, on the other hand, is all about perseverance and preservation. Those who live are the winners. Those who die are the losers. In war, there is no such thing as victory or defeat. There is only survival.¡±


    ¡°A half ass explanation like that. Come on Freya, you could do better than that¡±


    Everyone blinked as a new voice appeared. In front of them, a man with an eye patch could be seen. He had a face that seemed to scream trouble maker, yet his aura was rather¡­ calming.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    We all looked at the man. Brother? Wait? Then that means¡­


    ¡°Loki?¡±


    I found myself saying his name. He smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again Bryan.¡±


    Before he even finishes, the three heroes immediately took combat positions.


    ¡°What are you doing here, God of the Demons?¡±


    They began showing unimaginable amount of bloodthirst. Loki laughed.


    ¡°How cute. Anyway, as for me being here. Freya¡­ what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Frey was already sneaking towards the door. She then turned around stiffly.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ well, um¡­ you know. Just¡­ looking at how this world became?¡±


    Loki raised his hands to his face.


    ¡°You came to this world to have fun, isn¡¯t that right. You who was entrusted the job of guarding the fountain of youth, you instead ran away and came to this world.¡±


    Freya began to shrink.


    ¡°I know that guarding the fountain is tough, and it¡¯s always boring, but as a warrior of Valhalla, don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±


    ¡°But brother¡­ you know I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I know you also don¡¯t like guarding duty, but that¡¯s no excuse. You¡¯re supposed to be a goddess, so act like one.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ but.¡±


    ¡°Also, you failed to categorize the warriors again. Furthermore¡­¡±


    This conversation kept going on and on. Soon, Loki had Freya in a corner weeping and crying about not wanting to go back to the heavens.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ honestly, how did she turn out like this? Actually, I don¡¯t even have to answer that one. It¡¯s all because of Thor, always doting on her and giving her leeway. The bro-con.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    The hero party was no longer emitting any bloodlust. Instead, they gave a pitying gaze towards Freya and a somewhat¡­ respectable gaze towards Loki.


    ¡°Um¡­ Loki Sama. We¡­ ah¡­ are you really Loki, the god of tricks?¡±


    ¡°God of tricks? Well, I am sort of a trickster, but there¡¯s a time and place for that.¡±


    He then looked towards me.


    ¡°And right now sure isn¡¯t that time. Oye, Bryan. What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wait, what did I do? He then pointed at the cannons.


    ¡°You¡¯re not actually planning on engulfing the world in fire are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Although everything Freya said was correct, there is one thing that must always happen in the wars in ¡®this¡¯ world. That is, equality. You think the Empire could even withstand the power you¡¯re currently holding?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­ oye, you¡¯re not bringing you world¡¯s logic with you right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before I could respond, he placed a finger on my mouth.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I know that you¡¯ve always used your brute strength to survive. But, it¡¯s different now. First of all, you¡¯re army is practically enough to win this entire war by itself. You should realize at least that much. Second of all, you don¡¯t even know you¡¯re being chained to your own ideals.¡±


    He began giving me a warm smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the world of Terra now. A place you¡¯ve never even thought existed. Look at the sky. Do you see the how clear it is?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°How about the world¡¯s geography, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s beautiful?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°The city. Don¡¯t you want to see how others look like?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but nod again in agreement.


    ¡°So instead of journeying around the world, to see new things. Why-are-you-still-here?¡±


    Huh. I¡¯ve¡­ never thought about that.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Yes you do¡­ You do know. Deep down, you know what¡¯s keeping you here. Just think about it. Why are you still here?¡±


    I¡­ I know why. I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to accept it. But¡­


    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because I want to protect the people.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I know it¡¯s a good cause, but that is the logic you¡¯ve brought from your old world. Use brute strength to protect the people. Any means possible to achieve your goal. You¡¯re a soldier, I know that. But to the gods, you¡¯re someone important who deserves a break. That¡¯s why, live the way you want. Of course, now that you¡¯ve entered this war, you¡¯ll have to finish it¡­ but promise me that after this, you¡¯ll live more for yourself¡­ alright.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but take in his words. I¡¯ve been¡­ living for the people. He¡¯s right, I haven¡¯t been living for myself. Why did I start all of this? Because it¡¯s fun? No¡­ I realized it now. It¡¯s because I was programmed to save the people. I mean, it¡¯s good to save the people, but what about me. What have I done for myself? Really¡­ it took Loki just to show me my own contradiction. I sighed. For some strange reason, I feel¡­ calm now.


    ¡°Alright¡­ thanks Loki. You¡¯ve made me realize something important.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°Now about those cannons?¡±


    Yuusuke decided to barge in.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ well, I won¡¯t take away what Bryan already built. But, I will restrict it.¡±


    He snapped his finger.


    ¡°You only have ten of those shells to use. Everything else has been turned into a fragmented rock shell. And don¡¯t worry, your enemy is not what it seems. True, they found something quite annoying¡­ but¡±


    He looked at the soldiers gathering around them.


    ¡°I think you have it covered.¡±


    And just as he appeared, he was gone.


    ¡°FOOD¡¯S READY, IT¡¯S TIME TO¡­ eh, what¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡±


    Lily walked into the room which was filled with silence, while a constant whimper on the corner could be heard. As for me, I kept thinking to myself. I¡­ need to change. I also need to learn¡­ to learn about this world. That¡¯s why, after this war, I¡¯m going to learn about the world and live my life the fullest.


    ____________________________________________________________________


    Author Notes:


    So... Finally had the time to make a chapter. Sorry it''s taking a while, but schools been getting me. I did this chapter sort of as a celebration for my recent success in my test. Ya, you can tell I''m very happy.


    Now, about this chapter. Since I was out of the loop for a while, I had to reread everything to familiarize myself. I then found out that I was leading my story away from my original objective. That''s why, I''m hoping this chapter will bring me back to original outline. This one is over 4000 words. I know a lot. I was like, why couldn''t i do this for my essay lol... anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the content.


    P.S. The meeting section is done. Now I can do a time skip and get he ball rolling, HUUZZAH


    P.S.S. To those who would complain about me nerfing the artillery. I mean, come on. It''s not that bad. He still has an overpowered army, so nerfing those guns would be fine.


    P.S.S.S. For now, I''m done with character developments. You can tell I did so much better on the action sequence of this story than the character development lol, I was actually having headaches on the last parts of this chap.


    Last P.S. My finals are wednesday and thursday. After that, I should be free. So start expecting faster chapters... if schedule is correct.

 Update: NOT HIATUS

    So, I know I''ve been gone... for like a while. It was worth it though since I managed to make it on my grades and all that. Now, I''m just... trying to write. Now, main reason why I haven''t posted anything is because after studies, testing and stressfull stuff ended... my brain just went into a writers block. Of course, even then, I never stopped working on the next chapter (which is almost done but took me 3 weeks to work on D: ), just know that I''ll try to get the next few chapters as soon as I can. Can''t promise though since I''m still in my writers block and am trying to get out of it lol.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    P.S. Second reason is because I have too many ideas in my mind. As a result, I had to make another story lol


    P.S.S. Virtual reality will continue being hiatus. I want to focus on Spirit Warrior (probably rename it to a spirit''s journey) and blue city.


    Really, sorry everyone for taking a while

 Arc 2 Chapter 4: Normal Passing Days

    Arc 2 Chapter 4: Normal Passing Days


    Three boring weeks had passed since I met with Loki. I felt my strength return to me as I woke up. I also noticed that my body had returned to being a male, all by itself. Lucky! At least now, I¡¯m least likely to be targeted by Freyja.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you well, master.¡±


    I look at the maid in front of me. It was Emily, Sara¡¯s daughter. I believe it¡¯s been a month since we saved her. Honestly, you expected her to still be traumatized, but Lily managed to help her out. I also did my best, making sure that she got the proper care she needed. Because of that, she was able to overcome her hardship and soon became the head maid of the house. I¡¯m truly glad that she recovered well with the help of everyone.


    ¡°You too Emily. Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yes master. The people around me are really nice, so I¡¯ve been able to work well.¡±


    She gave the brightest smile I¡¯ve ever seen on her. I couldn¡¯t help but pat her in the head. Yeah, I still like patting people in the head.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t overwork yourself ok. If you need to rest, just tell one of the other maids.¡±


    ¡°Hai!¡±


    With a clear response, she quickly left the room. I swear though, she looked kind of feverish. Maybe it¡¯s just me. Getting some clothes on, I departed from my room and went into the kitchen. There, other maids could be seen.


    ¡°Eh, Carleton Sama! Are you sure you should be up right now?¡±


    The head chef Sam quickly dropped what he was doing and went over to me. I quickly calmed him down.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok now. As you can see, I¡¯m back to my old form.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can see that. But are you sure you should be walking around?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if I start walking now. I don¡¯t want to always lie around and lose my strength now would I?¡±


    The head chef began laughing.


    ¡°Of course master. Since you¡¯re here master, would you mind tasting my dishes for today?¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡±


    After about thirty minutes of testing out different types of dishes, I finally parted with him. Just to think, he was one of the few prisoners that was kept by the bandits. Then again, most of the workers in this mansion were previous prisoners. Even my guards were past soldiers of the Royal Guard. I still can¡¯t believe they quit their job just to join me. If you look at it from the kingdoms perspective, isn¡¯t this¡­ bad? I mean, it¡¯s starting to look as if I¡¯m gathering soldiers and people for a rebellion. I quickly shook that thought away. Anyway, I need to see how everyone¡¯s doing.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Bryan, what are you doing out of your bed!¡±


    I turned back to see Lily. I shrugged and gave her a cheerful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Plus, I need to start training my muscles again. At the rate I¡¯m going, I might start getting rusty you know.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ but still, were not sure if you¡¯re good enough to move yet.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine¡­ rather, where are the heroes? They can probably look at my stats and tell me if I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, them. They¡¯re currently training with the soldiers.¡±


    That instantly piqued my interest.


    ¡°Did you make sure they¡¯re fine?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them Bryan. I¡¯m sure the heroes can¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not the heroes. I¡¯m talking about the soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    She looked at me strangely. Then as if she got the idea, she began smiling.


    ¡°Ah, I see. You don¡¯t know. Well, considering you were bed ridden for a while, you wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Huh, know what?¡±


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    I was quickly led to a training area. There, a surprising scene could be seen. The heroes were in a pitiful state. Their armor was shredded and their bodies seemed battered. Above them, two automatons loomed over them.


    ¡°Is that all you got? I thought you were heroes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what happened to your earlier bravado? Where those just words or were you just trying to bluff your strength to us?¡±


    Ouch, those were really painful words to hear. Rather, seeing the soldier¡¯s lecture the heroes¡­ are they being taught?


    ¡°As you can see, the soldiers are fine. Rather, it¡¯s the heroes you should worry about.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stay shocked. I mean, doesn¡¯t this show that my soldiers were stronger than the heroes. Does that mean they were training themselves this hard as I was stuck in my bed? One of them made eye contact with me. She immediately smiled. For some strange reason, just by looking at her. I knew who she was.


    ¡°Nana, how¡¯s¡­ training?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but say it awkwardly as she ran over to me, ignoring the heroes.


    ¡°It¡¯s going rather well master. The heroes are becoming more adept at fighting us, though I should say¡­ I was surprised they lacked form and technique.¡±


    I again gave a wry smile. I mean, it¡¯s understandable seeing as they took my forms and techniques from my memory. But still, being in a war with the demons. Just how have they been able to survive for this long? I began patting her in the head.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ just make sure you don¡¯t overwork them. I don¡¯t want to have an angry princess at my door.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry master, were currently using a teaching form we saw from your memories. There¡¯s no way it can go wrong.¡±


    From her words, I was immediately worried. But, if they do go too far, I¡¯ll be there to stop them.


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll leave it to you two. Tell them dinner will be ready at around 1800 hours¡±


    ¡°Hai¡±


    ¡°HEY FRANZ, MAKE SURE TO TAKE IT EASY ON THEM ALRIGHT!¡±


    The other guy gave a quick salute as Nana rejoined them. As I walked away from the scene, the verbal abuse once again began. Well, at least this makes for good experience for the heroes.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    [1 week later]


    ¡°Ok, try it now.¡±


    I nodded as I began chanting out the inscription Yuusuke handed me.


    ¡°Abde stectum, lacti a¡¯revo skolari aptevium¡±


    I felt the mana around me begin to condense.


    ¡°Alright, now link the spell to a key word¡±


    The word ¡®Status¡¯ came to mind. As if accepting the word, a bright blue light surrounded me. A screen then appeared.


    [table]<tr><td colspan=''3''>Stat Conversion (Nox¡¯Te Rae)</td></tr><tr><td>Name:</td><td>Bryan/Catalea Carleton</td><td>Age: 22</td></tr><tr><td>Level:</td><td>486</td><td>Race: Human</td></tr><tr><td>Gender:</td><td>Male/Female</td><td>Sub Race: Clone</td></tr><tr><td>Titles:</td><td colspan=''2''>Hero, One Who Lost Everything, Controller of Destiny, Defender of the weak,


    (Hidden title), Summoner of the Divine, Killer of the Divine, Unshakeable Will,


    Powerful Bystander, One who shook the world, Godlike Chef, The Angelic Nurse, One who is loved,


    A groom and a wife</td></tr><tr><td>Occupation:</td><td>Marine</td><td>Sub-Occupation: Medic</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Stats</td></tr><tr><td>Categories</td><td>Numerical Value</td><td>Status</td></tr><tr><td>Strength</td><td>498+100%</td><td>Passive:


    Fast-learner


    Combat proficiency


    Weapon Integration</td></tr><tr><td>Intelligence</td><td>100000/100000+100%</td><td>Passive:


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Parallel Conjure


    Chantless Magic


    Mana Fusion


    Circuit Manifestation


    Limitless Mind


    Curse:


    Limiter


    Exhaustive Spells


    Backlash (activates upon 22 major spells)</td></tr><tr><td>Stamina</td><td>100/100</td><td>Passive:


    Enduring Strength


    Limit Break</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality</td><td>5000/5000</td><td>Passive:


    Armor Integration


    Mana Shield: +(health value)% based on armor


    -Helmet: +50%


    -Kevlar: +76%


    -Gloves: +10%


    -Paddings: +30%


    -Boots: +20%</td></tr><tr><td>Luck</td><td>100</td><td>Passive: None</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership</td><td>100</td><td>Passive:


    10% combat abilities to soldiers


    78% survival rate of commanded soldiers


    Effective number to be commanded


    -10000</td></tr>[tr]<td>Agility</td><td>100</td><td>Passive:


    Boots: +23%


    3D Maneuvering


    Flash Step</td>¡°Oh, it actually worked!¡±


    I looked at Yuusuke and noticed he was hiding behind a big rock. What in the world is he doing?


    ¡°Why are you hiding behind a rock?¡±


    ¡°No reason, now. How does it look?¡±


    ¡°Check it out.¡±


    He looked at the screen. He seemed dumbfounded for some strange reason.


    ¡°Oye, what is this? I thought your stats were¡­ I don¡¯t know, better.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I told you that was wrong. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m actually that strong. I mean, come on. I¡¯m just a normal person¡±


    ¡°I really want to say something about that, but since we finally managed to get your stats menu working, it¡¯s time for my end of the bargain.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m still not letting you lay a finger to any of the girls.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Honestly, do I look that perverted to you¡­ actually, don¡¯t answer that. No, I want something else.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you want?¡±


    He smiled as he pulled out a book. He then showed me a picture with detailed descriptions on the image. It was a mana crystal. Not just any normal one, it was a catalyst.


    ¡°I heard from Lily that all your machines are powered with this. Is there any way you can make one for me?¡±


    I gave him a dubious look. A catalyst is extremely hard to find in this world. The reason is, the material is made from legendary materials. One being, pure mana core. The other, legendary or epic monster dust. Of course, with my creation magic, I can just simply summon these, but it cost a lot of mana from making it.


    ¡°What exactly do you need it for?¡±


    He smiled as he took out his sword.


    ¡°For this.¡±


    He then gave it to me to look at. At first, it seemed to be a normal sword. But in the middle, there seems to be a socket. I see, so you can place crystals on these. Wait, but wouldn¡¯t an element crystal be more appropriate?


    ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking what use is a catalyst on the sword right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean. Wouldn¡¯t a fire crystal or any other type of crystal fit this sword better?¡±


    ¡°It would, but let me show you a little secret.¡±


    He took the blade back. He then walked up to a nearby tree. Without any form of incantation, the blade was coated in flames. Then, the flames quickly disappeared and was surrounded by blue fluids that seemed to move around the blade¡¯s edges. I was honestly surprised. Without any form of elemental crystals, he was able to activate two different types of magic on his sword.


    ¡°Surprised? I was too when I first did this.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my new skills, Elemental formation. It allows me to use magic on any magic based weapon without using any crystals¡±


    I slowly clapped my hands in admiration.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ pretty op¡±


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, mister I can create whatever the fuck I want.¡±


    I gave a wry smile.


    ¡°Anyway, if you can already do that, why do you need the catal¡­ oh, I see¡±


    At first, I honestly didn¡¯t understand his use for the catalyst. But then it occurred to me¡­


    ¡°Basically, you need the catalyst so you won¡¯t have to consume any useless amount of mana¡±


    ¡°Precisely! With the catalyst, I would be able to use the magical property of the sword without using any mana. It would become the strongest weapon I would have in my inventory.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ but this basically destroys your restriction. If I give you this, you would have enough power to destroy an entire battalion.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Pretty please. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to use it for evil. Plus, you¡¯re here. If I do go out of control, I want you to keep me in line alright. I¡¯ve been long enough with you for you to know that even I have a sense of pride and honor.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ fine, alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    I looked through my inventory and took one of the spare catalyst I have.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Eh? That quick?¡±


    ¡°I had some spares with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ how many do you have exactly?¡±


    ¡°83 no¡­ probably 100¡±


    ¡°¡­ Cheat.¡±


    ¡°Aye, you want me to take the catalyst back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m joking, come on, take a joke.¡±


    He gave a laugh as he jokingly punched my shoulder. I sighed. Really, this guy.


    ¡°Speaking of which, are you joining us in the meeting next week?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I have to help my knights prepare. With the empire amassing on the borders, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the war starts.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ anyway, let¡¯s get back. Everyone¡¯s probably getting worried.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I then turned around and began heading for the compound.


    _________________________________________________________________________________


    They really should be worried. I guess lady luck was with us today


    With a sigh, Yuusuke also followed after Bryan, relieved that the highly unstable spell was safely accomplished.


    __________________________________________________________________________________


    Authors Note:


    First of all, again. Sorry for the late update. From this point on, I¡¯m going to keep writing the rest of the chapters. The next few chapters will be just preparation, so it might be a bit boring. But just wait, since after the preparation section, it¡¯s going to be a fun arc :D actually, instead of arc, I might change them to volumes. O well.


    P.S: Give a heartfelt clap to my editor for waiting this long.


    Editor: Also sorry for taking too long to edit this as I have been spending a lot of time IRL doing many things and sorting out my life but it has quieted down now and I am currently free.


    P.P.S Give another heartfelt clap for the author as he waited for a long time as well for me to edit this.


    On another note, the next chapter is almost done. But, I still have to wait for editor. Also, this chapter is a little boring. Probably the next couple chapters too, but I need to do them. After that, well, it''ll get more exciting. As for the mature content, I''m postponing everything until I complete this arc, so wait till then.


    <hr />


    Forgot to say in the description, I promise you. Bryan did not get nerfed. I repeat, Bryan did not get nerfed.

 Questions that you may have about the story

    So, still working on the next chapter. It''s almost done so don''t worry. I kind of want to do a question session. This is the part where I leave this for like a week so you guys can ask questions about the characters, the world, the monsters, the environment, anything (except for adding mature scenes and fight scenes: Don''t worry samurai buddy, I''m still working on those. Just not priority right now. P.s. To the other readers, you can skip these if you want since they have no major impact on the story, except maybe character development)


    Anyway, yep. Just ask whatever you want and I''ll answer them as best as I could and put the ideas into the story.


    Also, about the recent comments about... *dramatic pause* ... GENDERBENDER!!!!!!!


    So, here''s the catch. I once again have people telling me, put genderbender tag. I also have people telling me, don''t put it since it''s not a major factor (using example of Naruto which is not considered a genderbender)


    Then I thought about it. There is three groups out there (as far as I know) that have different opinions on the topic


    Those who have a passion for it (Ex for this story: This is not a genderbender, how dare you call this genderbender, don''t put the tag)


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.Those who hate it (Ex for this story: This is genderbender, it sucks, put the tag on)


    And those who are neutral (Ex for this story: There is genderbender but its part of the characters development and personality so it''s fine. This group honestly does not care about the tag as long as it works)


    This only shows that everyone is different and will comment differently. That''s why, I''m changing the description of the cover a bit. I won''t put the tag, but I''ll put it in the description that there will be a small amount of genderbender content and yuri (Only one scene for comedic effect... it''s also a way for me to hide the fact that I didn''t know how to end that chap lol)


    This way, everyone is happy! I think. Well I hope this small genderbender content helps future writers if you''re planning on having a genderbender story or a not-focus on genderbender story.


    Anyway, I expect many questions!


    (Actually, I also expect a lot of flame from the genderbender segment)


    BUT REGARDLESS, I hope to work with you guys in the near future :D

 Arc 2 Chapter 5: A Normal Day with an Unknown Future

    Arc 2 Chapter 5.1: A Normal Day with an Unknown Future (edited)


    (Bryan POV)


    ¡°Speaking of which, how¡¯s the students under your command Bryan?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing fine. I¡¯ve been teaching them various things about the battlefield. At the rate they¡¯re going, they should be able to take care of themselves¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ are you just teaching them military studies?¡±


    ¡°Nah. If I do that, they would become muscle heads who only know how to fight. I have Miselle teaching them history, Sara¡¯s teaching them arts and Lily¡­ decided to teach them how to cook¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s, pretty varied. What about reading, writing and math?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all part of Sara¡¯s art curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so their still having a good variety of education. You know, you should build your own school.¡±


    ¡°Nah. If I build a school, I¡¯m going to be tied down.¡±


    She gave a slight giggle.


    ¡°True. Well, aside from that. Mind if I visit you guys today?¡±


    ¡°Sure I guess, but you¡¯ll have to wait for the caravan to arrive.¡±


    She looked past the balcony towards the road below.


    ¡°You mean, that?¡±


    I looked where she was pointing at. There, three vehicles could be seen approaching. One was an armored vehicle called the badger ICV. It had a 30 mm cannon that was mounted above it. Not only that, there were ten soldiers inside, waiting to be deployed. Behind it were two Humvees manned with small rapid firing arms. They were weaker though, but in this world. They¡¯re practically unstoppable. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve made a lot of these. To be exact, I actually limited everything. The four artillery pieces where shortened into small howitzers that could be carried easily in the battlefield. We only have five main battle tanks with twin cannons and three rapid fire arms mounted in the front. We have a total of three badgers, ten Humvees, and lastly a blackbird. Who knew mana stones could be used as engines for practically everything.


    ¡°Well, I guess they¡¯re arriving a bit earlier than I thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news then. Let me just change my clothes before we actually set out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t be late. Were probably leaving 30 or 40 minutes from now.¡±


    ¡°I got it Dad!¡±


    She said that sarcastically as she disappeared from the room. Really, such a relaxed princess. To think she still had this much spunk even after learning that the empire is beginning to move. Well, it only shows that her title, the sword princess, isn¡¯t just a title. Really, her nerves are pretty much made out of steel now. I looked back at the meeting we had. For the past two months, we¡¯ve been having several war meetings. Of course, the other nobles and higher ups didn¡¯t like my presence, but I don¡¯t really mind. But still, I have a bad feeling about that dark mass they¡¯ve been reporting. I wonder what it is.


    ¡°I guess I should send out the blackbird for some info.¡±


    With a sigh, I quickly went out of the room and headed for exit.


    _______________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Bryan Sama, there is urgent news from Madame Lily.¡±


    One of the soldiers quickly exited the Humvee and reported to me. But still, to have it sent by person and not telepathically, I guess an espionage battle is happening right now. Without anyone noticing, I quickly activated a mana dome around us. With this, no one would see or know what we¡¯re talking about.


    ¡°You¡¯re good to go. Now tell me, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Lily-Sama said that there may be spies at the base.¡±


    ¡°What? How did they get in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of how they got in, but who master.¡±


    I was shocked to hear that. That means, one of my students was a spy. This is not looking good, rather I¡¯m quite upset.


    ¡°Alright, thanks for giving me this¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more master. Lily-Sama also told me to tell you that there are four spies and an assassin that has surrounded the entire compound.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    He nodded vigorously. Well, my problems are just adding up aren¡¯t they? To make matter worse¡­


    ¡°Bryan, are we leaving yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, get in the middle car. You should know how to use a seatbelt by now right.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s like you¡¯re my dad or something. Yes, I know how to use it. Come on, I¡¯m really excited to see how you¡¯re students are doing.¡±


    With a disguise that made her look like a peasant farmer girl, Artura quickly got inside the middle car.


    ¡°Artura, wa¡­¡±


    ¡°No Marlana, I¡¯m going alone. Plus, no bodyguards. I think Bryan can¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I also want to go with you guys!¡±


    I gave a surprised look. Now that I look at it, she is dressed rather¡­ rough. With leather armor, a knee length skirt and combat boots, it look like she¡¯s some kind of adventurer heading out for an expedition. It also means that she¡¯s not asking, rather¡­ she is going. I sighed. Guess I¡¯m having another visitor. But still, the spies as well as the assassin may be a problem. I wonder why Lily hasn¡¯t taken care of them herself.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°What is this place?¡±


    Artura glanced around her like an excited kid. Right now, we were passing through village section of the compound. Of course, the houses were kept in a medieval style setting, but inside these houses, it was practically a modern lifestyle. Each house accommodated at least one or two families. Each had their own kitchens, bathroom and bedrooms. As we passed by, the villagers all noticed us and began to either bow or wave. Really, such happy folks.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ some of them were the prisoners we saved during the bandit extermination. The rest are the families of the knights that now work under me.¡±


    ¡°The knights? Oh, you mean the former elite guard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ honestly, I was surprised. One day, around two hundred people showed up in my doorstep asking me for my approval to join. Really, such strange people.¡±


    Artura gave a troubled look as we continue to pass by. Soon, we managed to pass the area and arrived at the military section. Here, the knights, the students and the soldiers were doing training. Since it¡¯s still early in the morning, they¡¯re doing basic combat exercises. I could see the marines pairing up with the knights as they taught them some cqc techniques.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re practicing close quarter combat.¡±


    ¡°Eh, but those don¡¯t seem to be close quarter combat techniques I know off.¡±


    ¡°Well, not this worlds cqc. My world.¡±


    As soon as the knights appeared, I was really curious on how they fight in close quarter combat. That¡¯s why I asked Nana to fight one of them. From there, I learned that this world mainly utilizes boxing with a bit of martial arts. Although it was effective, my world mainly focuses on practicality. It¡¯s a mixture of boxing, judo and instant disengagement. With a weapon, we would mainly do our best to put distance with the enemy, grab our guns, and shoot. Without a weapon, our main priority is to get in close, lock the opponent down and either kill or stun them. I could still remember the surprised look on the knight¡¯s face as Nana beat him.


    [Flashback]


    ¡°Take it easy on him!¡±


    With a nod, Nana took her position as the knight slowly approached.


    ¡°YOU CAN DO IT RAFAEL!!¡±


    ¡°SHOW HER OUR KINGDOM¡¯S PRIDE!!¡±


    ¡°KNOCK HIM DOWN NANA!!!¡±


    ¡°SHOW THEM OUR MASTER¡¯S TEACHINGS!¡±


    The surrounding people were excited as they saw the two combatants in front of them. As for the combatants themselves, the knight must know that Nana is pretty strong since the man was generally watching her every move. Nana on the other hand seemed really relaxed. Seconds began passing as the two looked at each other. As if finally running out of patient, the knight stepped forward with a left jab. He must have been going for a feint since at the last moment, he seemed to be switching his punch¡¯s aim. I could also see his legs move forward, probably to help him perform a low kick accompanied by a jab to the side. Sadly for him, Nana went low, latched onto the incoming arm and threw him over her shoulder. The knight had a surprised look on his face as he smashed to the floor face first. Without giving him a chance, nana instantly went on the man¡¯s back and locked his arm in place.


    ¡°Winner, Nana of the Marine Corps.¡±


    ¡°Hoh.¡±


    Everyone gave out a voice of admiration at the scene they saw. As for Nana, with a smile, she released the man and helped him stand. Although the man was pretty bruised, he seemed to be very satisfied. Cheers began erupting alongside a couple of troublesome comments. Either way, they seem to be in high spirits.


    [Flashback over]


    ¡°Bryan, neh. BRYAN!¡±


    ¡°Huh, oh. Sorry about that, I was just remembering something.¡±


    Right now, we were heading towards the students group. Half of them were practicing with the knights. The other half were practicing with the marines. If you think about it, I rather have a huge force under my disposal. For the past two months, I¡¯ve created about a hundred more automatons who look very human. Right now, I currently have two hundred under my employment. Mixing in the sixty knights, I have two hundred and sixty soldiers currently under my power. The students I have with me are currently a hundred. Since they¡¯re part of the militia, I can¡¯t really add them in. But for now, if you include them, I have a total of three hundred and sixty personals in my army¡­ somehow, I really feel as if I¡¯m making an army to go against Artura. Shaking the thoughts away, we finally arrived at the small training area.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Whoa.¡±


    Artura couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration. This was the first time she¡¯s seen this. Seeing as it was me visiting the kingdom instead of her visiting, they¡¯re really is a lot of things she has not seen yet. First of all, the training ground is divided into three different sections. The magic grounds, the non-magic grounds and the mastery grounds. The magic grounds is filled with students who were focusing on magic only. You could see fireballs, lightning spells and other offensive magic being used. Although you couldn¡¯t see it, and the students were also taught how to use defensive magic. Although it¡¯s common for magicians to use the elements to form a shield around them, they¡¯ve also been taught how to use the mana around them.


    Now, for the non-magic group, they mainly specialized in weapons. People could be seen sparring with a different assortment of weapons. One was even in a close ranged fight with a bow as he shot, parried, strike and shot again.


    Now, the mastery group is the highlight of this place. Only ten people were in it. These were the students who were practicing with both sets of skills. One girl was currently summoning a huge amount of fireballs as she fended of her opponent with her rapier. On the other hand, the boy was currently using his shield to bash through while using a water whip to douse out the fireballs. I have to hand it to Yuusuke, he sure trained them well.


    ¡°WHAT IS THIS???!!!!!!!¡±


    I looked towards Artura who was gazing at the students with a horrified expression. What happened to the admiring gaze she had previously. Marlana too, though her expression was more shocked than horrified.


    ¡°B-b-b-bryan¡­ these guys are the militia group under your command right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, though it¡¯s only a hundred now. I was supposed to be teaching¡­ a thousand I think. But those guys were wimps so they quickly backed down¡±


    ¡°¡­ The numbers doesn¡¯t even matter even more. The more I look, the more shock I¡¯m getting. These guys are probably stronger than even my elite guards now!¡±


    She then looked to me with a serious expression.


    ¡°I guess me coming here was a good idea, Bryan. We need to talk.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    [Inside an office]


    ¡°So, I guess my premonition was correct.¡±


    I sighed as I stare at the dejected looking queen in front of me. We were currently at my office inside the mansion. Here, she told me about the true status of the political area of the kingdom. Turns out, the kingdom¡¯s nobles are beginning to scrutinize my actions. Since I¡¯ve managed to gain a strong personal force, they¡¯re wary that I would use it against the kingdom. Add that to the fact that I¡¯ve been creating weapons for war and have a considerable amount of support from the commoners, they¡¯re beginning to think of me as a power of revolution. Really, such a pain.


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of the Aristocratic Parliament. Who and what exactly are they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the kingdom¡¯s oldest government. You can say, they are the true power of the kingdoms ability to sustain itself.¡±


    ¡°I thought the queen had the most absolute power.¡±


    Artura gave out a small laugh, though it quickly died down.


    ¡°The queen is merely a figure head for the people to follow. In actuality, it is the Aristocratic Parliament that holds the complete power. Though, I do still have a say in some things. You¡¯re position for example. I¡¯m allowed to institute people positions if I deemed them worthy. Military expeditions are also made by me, but regarding the kingdoms true policy and economy, that power is solely reserved for the Parliament.¡±


    Then, this was a considerably powerful group. But, if they truly exist, why hasn¡¯t my intelligence bureau managed to find them yet?


    ¡°If what you say is true, then why have I never heard of them before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they reside far away from here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re hidden in a remote area of the kingdom. As you¡¯ve gathered, there are four major cities. But in actuality, there is five. The fifth city is called Agner, the citadel of the dragons.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ pretty grand. Why is it the city of the dragons?¡±


    ¡°In the past, it was known that the entire kingdom was invaded. Yet, the city of Agner was known to have never fallen. No matter how many times it was invaded, the people seemingly fought ferociously. The battlefield was always littered with fire so the city earned the nickname, city of dragons.¡±


    That¡¯s, a real interesting story. But, considering that Artura was actually not the sole power in the kingdom. That¡¯s, quite shocking. Furthermore, my intelligence really can only go so far. But something is really piquing my interest.


    ¡°So I¡¯m curious, why are you telling me this?¡±


    I stared at Artura, trying to find her real reason for telling me everything. Sure, I can just hypnotize her and read her entire memory like I did with Miselle, but that won¡¯t solve anything. Plus, her eyes are only showing a person who truly worries for me as well as that hint of hope.


    ¡°It¡¯s because, out of all the people I¡¯ve ever met, you were the first one to have a personality that doesn¡¯t go against the kingdom¡¯s code.¡±


    ¡­ Ok, I expected something like, ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m the one that summoned you¡¯ or ¡®you¡¯re my responsibilty¡¯ but¡­ what? Personality? Kingdom¡¯s code?


    ¡°Ahh¡­ excuse me, what?¡±


    Seeing me confused, she gave a small laugh.


    ¡°A person who truly cares for the people, surrounded by smiles no matter where he went. Turning his prisoners into close friends. Bryan, there is no one like you in this world. Probably not even in your world. That¡¯s why, no matter what everyone says, no matter what the nobles or the parliament says, I can¡¯t bring myself to not trust you.¡±


    She then went over to the window and looked out into the cloudy day.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I think if it¡¯s you. You can clearly change this world for the better. Sure, the weapons you make are concerning, but even you have been toning them down. If it was another noble, he would have kept amplifying his force. Gaining the people¡¯s support, that¡¯s not for a rebellion. It¡¯s to actually take care of those in need. That¡¯s why, its better if I tell you these so that you can at least prepare yourself for the incoming hardship we¡¯re both facing.¡±


    Although her back was to me, I could feel her smile which seemed to brighten up the room. I couldn¡¯t help but rub the back of my head.


    ¡°Really, what are you saying? But I guess this means you have faith in me¡±


    ¡°Are you still saying that after my grand speech? Are you dense?¡±


    I laughed.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not, though I have a habit of ignoring troublesome things.¡±


    ¡°Like what, you¡¯re growing harem.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me¡­¡±


    We continued to laugh as the cold air blew into the room. It was as if nature was telling me that I was heading towards the proper path. Artura slowly raised her hands in front of her.


    ¡°I really hope you can keep lending me your strength for the future. We both know of the coming hardship. As for me, I¡¯m now taking a path I¡¯ve never considered before. Frankly, it¡¯s scary. But, I won¡¯t mind if my friends can help me out.¡±


    I clasped her hand in a handshake.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help. It seems interesting. But for now, we should probably deal with the empire first before fixing the kingdom itself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess we should.¡±


    Unbeknownst to the world, an alliance was formed between two people. An alliance that will soon be known in history as the Liberation Faction of the Sword Princess.


    ___________________________________________________________________________________


    (Small off topic conversation after the small meeting) [Artura POV]


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, I¡¯m actually a commoner.¡±


    I took a sip of tea and felt its soothing effect on me. Although I felt calm, my drinking partner was anything but. Bryan was coughing as Lily patted him on the pack.


    ¡°You¡¯re a what? Wait, how did¡­ if that¡¯s¡­ what is my intelligence group doing?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ don¡¯t worry about it. Remember, I¡¯m a figurehead. When the Aristocratic Party saw my achievements in the battlefield, they quickly placed me as queen for the lost royalty.¡±


    He blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Ok, so what happened to the previous king and queen?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°No one knows¡­ the official report says they were killed in action. But, another report stated it¡¯s possible the kingdom¡¯s enemies assassinated them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ This kingdom is rather harsh, even on the royalty.¡±


    _______________________


    Author notes:


    So, I''m posting this unedited. Until my editor is good for editing I will be posting unedited stories.


    P.S. I''ve decided. I just can''t add mature scenes. No matter how I try to make it work... it just doesn''t work with Bryan''s character. (Sorry samurai but you can''t have everything)


    P.S.S. I know it took me a while to make this when I said I''m almost done. Well, I had to change this like five times lol


    also, I''ve been researching military type novels so I can see how they do battle scenes. I think it was worth it O:


    ________________________


    Editor: Thanks for reading this everyone and sticking with us, I will try to make a mature scene so I can present it in a way that it is believable as Bryan and the other girls doesn¡¯t have enough development as of yet for that type of scene.


    P.s I got you Previous comentor.

 Arc 2 Chapter 6: The Spies and the Prisoners

    [Slight torture scene: Maybe cringe, meh still warning lol==========]


    Arc 2 Chapter 6: The Spies and the Prisoners


    [Prisoner POV]


    When I joined the war, I honestly expected myself to die first. But over the course of the years, I¡¯ve managed to survive. Not only that, I became part of the Prince¡¯s elite force. That¡¯s quite an achievement considering my poor background. When we were given the mission to lead the expedition into the kingdom, I had told myself. Prepare to die. I honestly thought I was going to die. Actually, I think I almost did die. Not just me, but the whole legion. Our group was working with the nearby bandits. Of course, we ignored their misbehaviors. I think we should have done something. Why? It¡¯s because, our base was attacked. It was three people that I saw. They were all girls, but I knew they had power. The middle one was especially furious. To our luck though, the prince was only capture and only the bandits were skewered like animals. After that, we were placed in some kind of compound I¡¯ve never seen before. Here, I knew¡­ that my rotting days would begin¡­ or so I thought.


    [A day after Artura came to the compound]


    ¡°This is a really good harvest!¡±


    ¡°I know right!¡±


    I began going through the fields, picking up the potatoes. Normally, you would be very cautious of these things since they were poisonous. But, we¡¯ve come to find out that they actually tasted good if the poison was taken out. Not only that, it was still ok to plant or harvest during the winter. Truly, the best type of crop to grow and eat.


    ¡°Whoo! With this, were having a feast tonight¡±


    Everyone in the field yelled out in excitement.


    ¡°I see you guys are filled with spirit¡±


    One of the guards came over to us with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah. Look, at the rate were going, we can fill up fifty baskets with these¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. True, keep up the good work then. I¡¯ll tell master that they¡¯re will be a harvesting celebration tonight¡±


    ¡°Thanks Max¡±


    With a smile, the guard quickly left the premise. Four months have passed since we¡¯ve been placed to work. You would think that prisoners aren¡¯t given a lot of freedom. Actually, most are sold to slavery, but here. No. I mean, we still work, but were not treated as slaves. We get paid, have a lot of leeway and the guards are rather nice to us. Before, everyone would think about finding a way to escape. But after only two days of working here¡­ it was an even better life than the one we had fighting for the empire.


    ¡°Hey Cris, catch¡±


    Before I had a chance to react, a potato hit me in the head and plopped down into the basket I was carrying.


    ¡°What was that for?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your wife. Isn¡¯t she feeling sick?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but she should be better. The medicine here is actually really good¡±


    This was another thing we found out. First of all, the prison here isn¡¯t separated by gender. Rather it was unique. First, we were given what they call rooms in this huge building. Normally, you can lock the doors from the inside so men can¡¯t go into girl¡¯s room or girls can¡¯t go into men¡¯s room. But, if a relationship forms, we¡¯re actually given our own homes besides the farms. Not only that, the houses were a lot better than the empires¡­ even the kingdoms. It¡¯s really a strange thing to see as prisoners, rather, I¡¯ve always been asking myself. How big is this place? And why do we have so much freedom? As the day progressed, night was finally approaching. Since we were dismissed, I quickly ran back to my home. There, I saw a pair of boots I¡¯ve never seen before. I instantly became wary as I moved through the house. The door to my room was opened. There, I saw a man who was sitting beside my wife.


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯ve arrived. I hope I¡¯m not intruding¡±


    I blinked, seeing if my vision was tricking me.


    ¡°Noel? Is that you?¡±


    One of the most famous spy of the Empire was standing in front of me. Like the rest, he was a beastmen who had excellent vision and skill for his line of work. Of course, I¡¯ve met him before and interacted with him, but aside from our positions as a soldier and spy, there¡¯s nothing special in our relationship.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯m here to help free you guys¡±


    Huh, free us? Really? Then I guess the Empire hasn¡¯t forgotten about us¡­


    ¡°Free us? From what?¡±


    He gave me a strange look. Even I was surprised by my own words. But if I think about it, isn¡¯t it natural. In the empire, I have nothing. Yet, here. I¡¯m living a decent life, I actually have a beautiful wife and I don¡¯t really need to worry about dying. I just need to worry about working and that¡¯s it.


    ¡°What do you mean from what? From the kingdom? Don¡¯t you want to return to your homeland, to fight for its glory?¡±


    ¡°No, rather, I enjoy my life now than before¡±


    I could sense a bit of killing intent from him.


    ¡°Are you, by any chance, deserting¡­ Captain Franz Crisburne¡±


    With a strong determined look, I stared right into his eyes.


    ¡°And what if I am?¡±


    He shook his head as if I made a grave mistake.


    ¡°Pity, and you had a future too. Maybe if I clear the obstacle, you¡¯ll decide to JOIN US¡±


    Suddenly pulling out a knife, he quickly lunged it towards my wife. My whole body moved towards her, but I knew I was going to be too late.


    *Clang*


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Found you!¡±


    With a smile, a guard appeared out of nowhere. The knife was stopped by the man¡¯s spear and my wife quickly woke up. She saw the two people above her and realized what was happening. Even though she was sick, true to her training, she took the knives she kept beside her and threw them towards Noel. He deflected all of them and had a surprised but furious look on his face.


    ¡°YOU TRAI¡­¡±


    Before he can finish, the guard quickly appeared behind him and used the so called Taser, immobilizing the man.


    ¡°Whew¡­ and I thought he was going to disappear. With this, we managed to take one down¡±


    ¡°Ano¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you two. Sorry about that. The empire sent several spies and assassins in the compound. Seeing she¡¯s sick and all, I hope we didn¡¯t inconvenienced you two too much¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Rather, thank you¡­ for protecting me and my wife¡±


    The guard gave a smile before vanishing back into the shadows. Hmm¡­ Maybe I should just join the kingdom.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ===========================__________________________________________________________


    [Cringe alert scene: HIGURASHI STYLE]


    (Bryan POV)


    ¡°So, what brings you here?¡±


    Right now I was sitting, facing another beastmen in this very isolated cell. Of course, he was tied to the chair so he really couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Hah, like I¡¯ll tell you anything you pawn¡±


    I could already feel a vein pop in my head. Though, I instantly managed to calm myself down. But, I really don¡¯t like long waiting periods so I¡¯m just going to be direct.


    ¡°Well, since I already know you have extreme loyalty for the empire, I have no choice but to torture. I mean, I could just pull out the information myself since I have magic that can do that, but¡­ Artura is actually here. So, I¡¯ll have you tell her yourself. Actually, I¡¯ll be nice here¡­¡±


    I pulled out the torture device. It was a simple one. You basically place a finger right on the device. Then, you simply slam on the lever and pop. Off comes the nail. By the looks of it, this guy has some long sharp nails. It¡¯s perfect.


    ¡°¡­ Now, since the empire is moving quite fast, I need some information. You see this¡±


    I pointed at the device. Obviously, he¡¯s never seen it before. But after this, he will never forget. I think I heard from the other beastmen, Mattias, that a beast man¡¯s claw is their pride, no matter what group they belong to.


    ¡°This will forcibly rip out your claws if you don¡¯t give me the answer I want alright. Now let¡¯s begin¡±


    I could already see sweat forming on his face.


    ¡°What kind of mons¡­ AHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±


    I reflexively slammed the lever as his claw came popping off. The blood began to spurt all over the table and you could see his entire body shuddering.


    ¡°You don¡¯t do the questioning, I do. Now, let¡¯s begin. How many spies are here?¡±


    As I asked him, I moved the machine to his next finger and secured it tightly. Sadly though, he wasn¡¯t saying anything.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH¡±


    ¡°You should answer, since silence equals claws coming off¡±


    ¡°FOUR¡±


    He seethed it out with rage.


    ¡°There we go, now you¡¯re learning. Next, what are the empire¡¯s goal?¡±


    Controlling his breathing, the man seemed to vanquish the pain.


    ¡°Unification, as well as subjugation¡±


    ¡°Please, explain¡±


    ¡°The empire plans on unifying the entire land under one banner. We then plan on subjugation the entire demon race after we conquer the human lands¡±


    That actually makes sense. In other words, it¡¯s pretty much unifying humanity against the demons. But, their methods really are pretty bad.


    ¡°What is the current status of all the conquered nations and cities of the Empire?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Empire¡¯s report or my opinion¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re opinion¡±


    ¡°Bad. The populace is in shambles, taxation is also high¡±


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s bad, then why are you fighting for them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of pride. Now, if you¡¯re done asking me¡­¡±


    He instantly quieted down when my hand was going for the lever. He really knows.


    ¡°Alright, I have a few more questions. What¡¯s the empires military strength?¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯ll tell you¡­ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±


    This time, his claw was hanging in place. It was like a hinged door. I took the claw and placed it up. Blood instantly came spewing out.


    ¡°Now, military strength. Tell me¡±


    To put emphasis on my words, I twisted the claw.


    ¡°WE ONLY HAVE 50,000 MEN CURRENTLY IN OUR DISPOSAL. THEY¡¯RE SPLIT INTO FOUR REGIMENTS, EACH HAVING THEIR OWN WAR GOLEMS¡±


    I released the nail and his breathing became more controlled.


    ¡°Is the empire recruiting more men?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, currently supplies will not last if they recruit more¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, then our intelligence was slightly wrong. They must have somehow faked it, but then¡­ how would they know that we were watching them. The general must be a cunning man with a good intuition.


    ¡°Last question, do you know about a girl named Miselle?¡±


    His eyes became huge which told me he does. Yet, he refuses to talk.


    ¡°Even if my claws are removed, I will never tell you¡±


    Interesting. I immediately plucked off the hanging nail. The man bit his lips as the pain coursed to his brain. Then, I moved on to his next set of fingers. Of course for each claw removed, blood came splashing unto the table. It¡¯s as if the table wasn¡¯t originally white, but was instead red. Finally moving on to his last claw, the man let out a relieved sigh. With a mischievous smile, I stretched my hands towards him.


    [Heal]


    To the man¡¯s shock, circuits began appearing on his hands. Claws then began to regrow and once again occupied his previous wounds. Sweat began to form again accompanied by a horrified expression.


    ¡°Now then, once more at the beginning shall we¡±


    With those words, I once again ripped a claw from his hands. The night was still young, so I¡¯ll make sure to interrogate him as best as I can.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    Author notes:


    SURPRISE, Here¡¯s another chapter. And who knew, my editor is actually ready to edit just now XD. So give him a round of applause.


    P.S. Almost done with this arc. You know, is it arc or volume. I really don¡¯t know O:


    Editor: In my view it would really hurt if you have your claws pulled out only to heal then have them pulled out again, but many people have their own views, if you do torture them long enough then they start to develop Stockholm syndrome which is really messed up but meh it¡¯s a story so even if you feel that this torture is lackluster or not creative, there is a saying if it isn¡¯t broken don¡¯t fix it or something like that.


    Collaborator: I don¡¯t have much to say other than the editor is still my B*tch so that¡¯s a plus but real talk, me and the editor have put a lot into this story and I think it¡¯s the next arc maybe I don¡¯t know or the one after but other than that this is a good story hope you reader continue reading.


    P.s Please comment about what you think so far and give us your reviews how is it so far for the second arc is there something we are doing wrong. And grammar wise how is it, need some criticism not just thanks for chappy

 Not Hiatus

    this is not hiatus. just having some trouble with the next chap. so until I explicitly say this is on hiatus, it''s not.


    I''ll have the next chap done soon. I first need to finish it, send it to my collaborator and editor and then post it. Also, I was going all out with my other story so I''m really sorry for the wait.

 Arc 2 Chapter 7: Formal Declaration of War

    Arc 2 Chapter 7: Formal Declaration of War


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s all I can get out of him.¡±


    I sighed as I exited the door. I didn¡¯t even look at the mess I left behind. I should probably take care of him soon¡­ but I need to take care of Artura first. She looks like she¡¯s about to hurl.


    ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ yeah. Just remind me not to get on your bad side.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too late for that. Anyway, I need you to go back to your men. If what he said was right, then were in for a long war¡­¡±


    She had a solemn look on her face. It was like she was trying to imagine what the future held for her. Being a queen sure is tough. I pinched her face and immediately pulled on either side.


    ¡°Wha far do uwing?!¡± (What are you doing?!)


    ¡°Come on, you should smile more. Now¡¯s not the time to feel down.¡±


    ¡°Wet we gwo!¡± (let me go!)


    I laughed as I continued to play with her cheek. After a few seconds, she managed to free my hands.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that hurts you know!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Anyway, how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­ better I guess.¡±


    She gave a wry smile as she began to walk towards the exit. Before exiting though, she stopped.


    ¡°Thanks Bryan. Someday, I will repay for this¡­¡±


    With those words, she left. Jeez¡­ way to make the mood strange. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She¡¯s young, but she¡¯s went through a lot. It¡¯s better if she finds days to just take a break and relax. Then again, who am I to talk? Changing my expression, I began contacting everyone.


    [Alert status. Level 1. Prepare for short time deployment.]


    [[[Hai!]]]


    [Ehh¡­ did something happened?]


    [Yeah¡­ for one, we might have a problem sitting in interrogation room.]


    I stared back at the room I dirtied¡­ or rather, what used to be dirty. Before, blood was spilled even on the windows. Now, they were sparkling clean as if nothing happened in the first place. On the table, as if nothing was wrong, the beastmen casually yawned as he piled the stakes I drove into his body. Just from that, I can already tell that he was someone I¡¯ve let my guard down.


    [¡­ alright I¡¯m heading over there. Do you need me to bring Rester or Freyja with me?]


    [Just tell Rester to go here. As for you, I want you to prepare the troops. I feel as if this talk will be the one to start it all.]


    [Alright. Make you stay safe ok].


    The link immediately ended. I then entered the now clean room.


    ¡°Ahh, you came back. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how long I could have held on.¡±


    He smiled as he casually leaned on his chair. I noticed that the restraints placed on him were lying on the floor.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re not just a simple soldier.¡±


    ¡°Simple? Hah. You can say this job was a piece of cake. Honestly, you should have been more wary.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit mad about his words, but I let it slide. As he said, I was foolish not to have been wary about him. Seeing the people of this world, how they fight, how they act and think. I thought I had them, all figured out. This led me to be foolish and it was only as I was interrogating this man that I found out¡­ there are people that are more dangerous than I could have ever imagined. Someone that had the same mentality from my old world.


    ¡°Slowly sending infiltrators to test out the defenses, using sacrifices as well as using the prisoners to get you inside. Furthermore, faking injuries to the point that you had control over your own body¡¯s healing and physical capability¡­ you are the first person that I have met to have done this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for the praise. I have to say, I have a name to keep. Failure is not an option so it¡¯s better I don¡¯t mess up now.¡±


    His fearless smile matched up to my bloodlust. Even under the pressure, he showed no sign of breaking.


    ¡°Really, just who are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Well, I would say traveler maybe. If that makes any sense.¡±


    ¡°¡­ in other words, hero.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ yes. But, I don¡¯t like being called a hero for you see¡­ I¡¯m nothing like one.¡±


    He then took out a small knife from his pocket. It was a curved blade that seemingly had a hook on the handle. It looked just like a Karambit.


    ¡°Let me ask you¡­ what is the definition of a hero?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He dug his blade into the table.


    ¡°A hero¡­ is someone who saves the people who believes in him. This is the definition I have come up with. I mean, how else can you explain it? A hero is summoned, the summoners ask them for protection and voila. The hero protects those who summoned him¡­ but me? Well¡­ I¡¯m the exact opposite.¡±


    ¡°You see, I have lived in this world for three years now. I was summoned¡­ but I killed those who summoned me. Why did I do that? Well, to be precise¡­ they hated me for my race. Beastmen. Of course, I was human before, but in this world I am a beastmen. That¡¯s why, I decided to kill them.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that pretty rash?¡±


    He laughed.


    ¡°Rash? Nah¡­ I was already used to it. In my previous world, I had a fun job of exterminating huge pockets of pest. Though I was rewarded by being called a psychopath and was soon locked up in a jail. I was then sent to this world around my 2nd month. You can say it¡¯s been a rather fun time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I can tell that this man was already gone. But, through his monologue, I was able to tell one thing. He was an otherworlder. Just like Yuusuke and the others. Also, he was dangerous. I¡¯ve met people like him before. He¡¯s one of the few that will continue to thread the path of chaos no matter how much we try to help him.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ it seems I¡¯m rather straying from the main point I¡¯m here. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Please take your time¡­ it¡¯s better to relax while you still have the chance.¡±


    ¡°Is that a threat? Ah, well it doesn¡¯t matter anyway.¡±


    He reached into his clothes. Suddenly, I heard the door crash behind me.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Rester came in, his tower shield ready to bash at the beastmen. I held out my hand stopping him in his tracks.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Seeing the angry look on Rester¡¯s face, the beastman smiled. He then pulled out a parchment from his robes.


    ¡°Here, this is the empire¡¯s formal declaration of war. Once you open it, you will have no choice but to face us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I stare at the parchment. For some strange reason, I felt immense power from it.


    ¡°Just what is this?¡±


    ¡°It is the declaration of war¡­ and once you open it, you will have no choice but to fight.¡±


    He then stood up as if he was going to leave. Rather, he was about to leave.


    ¡°Do you honestly think you can escape from here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why do you think I¡¯m standing up? Oh wait¡­ maybe you¡¯re actually blind.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but pull out my two knives. I then dashed towards him, hoping to stab him in the stomach. To my distraught, my knives passed through him as if I was only cutting through water.


    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re so hotheaded. What happened to the calm look you had earlier¡­ ah, never mind that. It¡¯s time for me to go.¡±


    ¡°WAIT!!¡±


    ¡°You really think I¡¯ll wait? Ah, however. I actually will be waiting. For now, your fight is with the empire. Until you reached the truth of this world, you¡¯re not worth of my time yet. That¡¯s why, fight and become strong. It¡¯s only then that I¡¯ll have fun kicking you back into the ground.¡±


    I shook in anger as I continued to slice at the particles disappearing in front of me.


    ¡°You really do amuse me. Until then, Hero.¡±


    Then he disappeared¡­ his voice echoing like a warning for the future.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    [1 month later]


    ¡°Front rank, Kneel! Company¡­ FIRE!¡±


    A volley of bullets rained downwards through the range. The stuffed dummies were shredded into pieces, the bullets landing safely back to the ground behind them.


    ¡°Rear line, forward two paces. Front rank, kneel! Company¡­ FIRE!¡±


    Another hail of bullets rained down upon the poor dummies. Right now, the soldiers were currently training with new weapons. Before, the soldiers were given a mixture of M4s, HK416s, and other types of assault rifles. These weapons were capable of being loaded with a huge amount of ammo. The problem though was the aim. No matter how much I tried to design the grooves inside the barrel, they couldn¡¯t shoot accurately for more than 200 meters. That¡¯s why, I decided to equip them with rifles. These rifles were capable of shooting up to 600 to 800 meters. You can say, I¡¯m going for accuracy rather than quantity.


    ¡°Master. As you can see, the men are ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see¡­ tell them to prepare. As of now, we are also entering the war.¡±


    ¡°HOH!¡±


    The sergeant immediately saluted as he ran down the line yelling. As for me, I headed back to the command center. As you enter, you can tell that it was a very busy place.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Supplies have arrived. Begin defense operation.¡±


    ¡°The knight squadron has been ambushed at sector H-569. They are requesting support.¡±


    ¡°Gryphon squadron are heading for hill 32. They report that a small brigade is setting up a forward camp.¡±


    Information after information were yelled into the air. In the center, Freyja has taken command.


    ¡°Have the militia 24 and 28 support the knight squadron at sector H-569. Also coordinate with the kingdom¡¯s artillery squadron and mage corp to provide wide area coverage. As for the riders, tell them to fall back. We cannot risk any casualties.¡±


    Being a goddess, she sure fits the role of commander well. Rather, you could really see her aura glowing.


    ¡°I see your back. So, are we finally doing it?¡±


    Lily entered the room and went right to my side.


    ¡°Yeah. As of this moment, were fully entering the war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. With this, the kingdom¡¯s forces morale should increase.¡±


    I smiled. Right now, we were still not participating in the war. Why? It¡¯s because I had to train my men in the use of practical firearms. Not only that, I had to reteach them close quarter combat that combined this worlds martial arts as well as my worlds CQC techniques. In other words, we¡¯ve created a new combat style that prioritizes on speed, technique and force distribution. Of course, we¡¯ve been helping in the war by providing weapons and armor. Also, our information network has greatly contributed to the kingdom¡¯s forces. But today, that will all change. Because now, it¡¯s our turn to attack.


    ¡°Bryan, I¡¯ve mobilized your soldiers. Your armored core are waiting for orders. The mechanized infantry are also ready as well as the 1st, 2nd and 4th air division.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the information. How are the militia doing?¡±


    Freyja smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. They¡¯re doing fine. Plus, being led by a former elite guard¡­ the soldiers are in high spirit.¡±


    Now that I think about it, Sara was the one leading the militia. With her experience, the militia was really in good hands. Every single piece sure came into place. But, even when everything was falling right into place, I couldn¡¯t help but fear. Fear for the unknown. I then felt a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s not good for the commander to be worried. Didn¡¯t you say that to Artura?¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I was just thinking about what happened back then.¡±


    ¡°With the beastmen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it just makes me wonder about many things you know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lily closed her eyes as if to think about something. She then went in front of me and flicked me in the head. Of course, I didn¡¯t really feel anything.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you worry about the future. But right now, it¡¯s better to focus on the present. If you continually dwell in the future¡­ then you¡¯ll never focus on the present. And honestly, the present is much more important than the future since the future can be changed¡­ but the past can¡¯t¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, rather cheer up a bit. Look, everyone¡¯s staring at you.¡±


    I stared around the room. Everyone had a worried look on their face¡­ even Freyja. I sighed. I then slapped myself on the face and gave a confident smile towards everyone.


    ¡°Start deployment. We¡¯ll go overtime to reach the battlefield at the quickest pace possible. Understood?¡±


    ¡°HAI!¡±


    With a thunderous shout, everyone near the place screamed. I smiled, knowing that I was in capable hands. I couldn¡¯t help but think that, whether good or bad, we are the ones to carve our fate¡­ and our future.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________


    (This is an event that is happening parallel to Bryan deploying his forces to the front lines)


    [A forest near the city of Kraftig]


    ¡°Shhh¡­ be quiet.¡±


    Through the darkness, small silhouettes could be seen. It was a small company of imperial men at arms. Their dark blue coat and black armor blended with the night. As for their swords, they were currently sheathed so as not to attract the full moon. They slowly crept towards the kingdom¡¯s fort. They were tasked with surprising them and opening the doors for the imperial army. So far, they¡¯ve managed to get really far and their morale was really high. Suddenly, a whistle rang through the air.


    ¡°Our base! FALL BACK!¡±


    Many of the men spat at the floor with anger. They were very close to the fort, yet they were instantly recalled back to their base. Seeing the looming fortress to be so close, they couldn¡¯t help but be mad at the lost opportunity. Running through the forest though, that sentiment soon changed though as they saw their burning base.


    ¡°What in the world?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand their! Cover our comrades!¡±


    They all shouted as they charged back to their base. There, they saw the reason to the burning encampment. A small group of men, clad in red and green could be seen. A flag of a falcon with some weird symbols on the back could be seen. The knights were astonished since they¡¯ve never seen that flag before, but they had no time to watch. They instantly threw themselves at the attackers allowing their combat training to help them. Some will find this to be their biggest mistake.


    ¡°AGH!¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°AAHHHH!!¡±


    Many were flipped to ground and were instantly stabbed to death by many blades. Others were simply bashed to the ground before their heads were cut off. The knights were astonished. They¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Seeing that they couldn¡¯t throw themselves that easily, they began focusing on one on one sword fighting with the assailants. Only death awaited them. One man was rendered useless as a man used his own momentum against him. The knight had tried to go for a jab, but the unknown attacker simply slid past him using his shield, pummeled him with his pommel and cut the knights neck all in one move. Others were killed in a similar fashion and they began to feel fear. They had reason to for the fact that only the dead bodies of their comrades littered the floor.


    ¡°Just who are they?¡±


    ¡°Monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°DEMO¡­!¡±


    They didn¡¯t even finish their sentence as they were cut apart by the attackers. As they slowly cut through the knights, the commander knew that they have lost this battle. When a man began walking towards him, he thought it was over. But, to his surprise it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°RETREAT!¡±


    The attackers were beginning to retreat in a fast but orderly manner. It was truly bizarre seeing as they had the advantage¡­ until they all realized one thing. They were allowed to live. As if to hammer this fact, the last person to leave was a young knight. From her armor, you can tell it was a female knight. Although she was wearing a kettle hat, you couldn¡¯t see her face for the flames seem to hide her. But, you can say one thing. She was sending out a message¡­ a message that told the knights that they were allowed to live for another day. You could feel the amount of bloodlust that she held for them. The pressure was astonishing. With a loud neigh, her horse wound itself up as it clawed at the air. A fog then appeared as if to engulf both her and the horse. Then they disappeared¡­ the mist dissipating into the night sky only to show the ground littered with the dead as the fire illuminated the battlefield. The knights engrained this image into their minds, for they knew¡­ the dead bodies could have been. Gone was the courage and pride they had before for they knew that they were fighting someone¡­ or something out of their league. As the night progress, the knights lamented for them and their dead comrade. It was a sad day for them¡­ but the conflict has only just begun.


    ___________________________________________________________________________________________


    Editor: Wow battle finally but that last part confusing I¡¯m sure author san will explain, but yeah happy the series is getting back on track.


    Collaborator: Seams like the author knows what he is doing, adding mystery to the story good all humans fear the unknown that sinking feeling in your stomach before you go to a party that is the unknown who is going to be there what¡¯s going to happen to me? All is adding to that feeling that we all get, the author is getting better at writing, so hope your still around to join us on this really really long journey.


    Author: I know it might not seem as much but, I really did have problems with this chap. I¡¯ve always wanted to introduce the beastmen as an enemy in the format of shrugging of the torture session as nothing. (I currently have 6 versions of this part with me lol, all ending in many different ways). Also, I wanted to kick start the war and for some strange reason, I had a hard time transitioning. That¡¯s why it may seem a bit rushed, but I decided to just follow the pattern of a time skip from other stories that had the same troubles I did. So, even if it¡¯s not that great after the long wait, I sure hope you enjoy.

 Arc 2 Chapter 8: Changing Battlefield (part 1)

    Arc 2 Chapter 8: Changing Battlefield (part 1)


    (Yuusuke POV)


    ¡°It stinks¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ no kidding¡±


    I lifted some of the rubbles and the stench immediately grew worse. There, I saw three mangled bodies that were covered in blood. It¡¯s obvious that they were dead but I still went on my knees and checked their pulse. I felt no beating and I quickly closed their frozen eyes. Whatever killed them must have shocked them. So far, every dead body we found had the same look. A fearful gaze that left their eyes white with fear.


    ¡°Just what happened here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But something tells me were not the only ones here. Did Kayden and Cynthia find anything yet?¡±


    Horie shook her head as she kept sifting through the debris. You can clearly see the pained expression she had. Although we were fighting the Empire, she still doesn¡¯t like it when she see¡¯s people being killed.


    ¡°Alright. If you want, you can stay outside¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can still keep going¡±


    Giving me a smile, she kept on going as she slowly went to the next room. As for me, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. This was a forward base that the Empire made. Yet, even though it was recently made, it now lied in shambles. Of course I went and checked with Freyja to see if the kingdom sent forces to deal with the camp¡­ but.


    I never sent anyone there. You sure they didn¡¯t just abandon the place?


    That was the reply I got. Seeing that there were bodies here, I¡¯m pretty sure that the men were attacked. By the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t just a simple fight. It was a slaughter. If that really was the case, then I couldn¡¯t help but fear that the kingdom might be next. As I thought about our current dilemma, I noticed that the men outside were beginning to shout in excitement. I rushed towards the exit fearful of what might have happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    I got outside and sure enough, there were several men running towards me. They seemed really excited.


    ¡°He... He¡­ hero sama¡­ agh¡­¡±


    They were breathing heavily as they paused to take a breath.


    ¡°We¡­ we found something¡±


    __________________________________________________________________________


    (Bryan POV)


    Have you ever heard of strategic personnel? Its word that¡¯s very common in many military societies back in my world. It¡¯s very simple really. It meant, people that are capable of changing the field of battle to their desire. Their very presence is enough to rally the men as well as cause fear for the enemy. You might be wondering why I¡¯m explaining this to you. Well, it¡¯s simple. Right now, I really want to finish this battle. Freyja agreed and all our strategic personnel were set loose into the battlefield. For the kingdom¡¯s side, I saw Artura leading four other people with her. One of them was the dwarf commander and the other was Cecilia. I didn¡¯t know the last person since he had a scarf covering his face but I can tell he was really strong. As for me, I was currently leading my own army. Besides me, Lily and Rester were brandishing their weapons, a smile on their face.


    ¡°Just like the old days, eh master¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Yeah. Just like the old days¡±


    We quickly approached the battlefield. Ever since my army¡¯s entered the fight, the Empire had changed tactics and have now turned this battle into a static war. Trenches lined up the battlefield as crossbowmen and archers riddled our sides with a constant barrage of arrows. Ballistae, catapults and other weird contraptions were also firing barrages of magically enhanced boulders that exploded upon contact. Who knew that I would see a battlefield that was akin to my old world.


    ¡°Alright you two. Remember our objective. Break through the entrenchments and destroy those artillery position. After that, our men will charge through¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we know already¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry master. We¡¯ll give them hell¡±


    The two stood ready, their bodies filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Minith. Don¡¯t forget the signal¡±


    ¡°Hai, master¡±


    With that, I quickly jumped out into the open followed by Lily. Rester also activated the circuits on his body and stood in front of us. I could see a slight bluish color as he placed his tower shield in front of us. Soon, I heard the whistles of the incoming arrows.


    [Aegis]


    A dome formed around us and the arrows harmlessly bounced away. Of course, that didn¡¯t stop the empire¡¯s soldiers as more arrows came crashing down. Some of them succeeded in breaking through but Lily simply batted them away with her sword.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m still surprise that they can actually go through your shield master¡±


    ¡°That only proves to show that even this world has magic I don¡¯t know about¡±


    With the occasional arrows breaking through, I enforced the defense circuit with three more layers. Soon, the arrows stopped reaching them as they were stopped by the second and third layers. Suddenly a loud clang could be heard and I saw Rester¡¯s body move back a bit. After a few second, I heard a thump as Rester relaxed his body.


    ¡°Pesky little things [Hell¡¯s Judgement]¡±


    He raised his Warhammer into the air and immediately hit the ground in front of him. Suddenly, cracks began opening from the ground, snaking its way to one of the forward ballista. I saw knights jumping off as the contraption sunk into the ground. Then, I saw more ballista aimed towards us.


    [Two minute burst, HE. 50 degrees, left 20]


    As I ordered the artillery crew behind our lines, I saw two bolts coming for us. One managed to reach us though it was quickly stopped by Rester¡¯s shield. The other only sailed pass us. As the bolt fell the floor, I heard a soft whistle. Soon, explosions began lining up the area in front of us.


    ¡°NOW!¡±


    Breaking from Rester¡¯s cover, I quickly ran towards the nearest trench. There, I saw several men aiming their crossbows at me. I took out my pistol and my knife and jumped towards them. They managed to shoot their bolts but I simply parried them away. As surprised as they were, instincts must have taken over as they cleanly reached for their swords. It was too late however as I pointed my gun at them. Squeezing the trigger, I felt the small recoil as the men in front of me fell with a pained look in their eyes. I then took my knife and immediately stabbed at the guy on my right. Seeing it, he tried to use his crossbow as a shield. It didn¡¯t help him though as I tore through the wood and plunged the knife deeply into his throat. In one pull, I then aimed at another man killing two people at the exact same time.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just focus on the artillery¡±


    Rester nodded as he bulldozed his way through the trenches. Comically, I saw many men being flung out of the trenches. They seemed daze though Lily made sure to finish the job. She then began chanting and several fireballs materialized around her. Each flame was then sent to different parts of the trenches, exploding upon contact.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a bit more inconspicuous?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I like making a huge racket¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I flipped another soldier to the ground. I then plunged my knife into his throat, ending his life. In front of me, more men were beginning to gather. This trench line is rather wide.


    ¡°Shield wall!¡±


    The men formed a phalanx. Huge shields covered their front as rows and rows of pikes slowly approached me. I aimed my pistol towards them and pulled the trigger.


    *clang* *clang*


    To my surprise, the bullets harmlessly bounced of their shields.


    [Fox Whisper]


    I aimed the gun once again and fired at the middle most section of the phalanx. Blue flames emerged from the guns barrel, tearing itself through the formation. Many of the men dropped their shields as the flames hungered for their flesh. As for the men who didn¡¯t get hit, they dropped their formation and charged at me with swords. I brandished my knife, excitement welling inside me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________


    (Freyja POV)


    ¡°Wow, they sure are killing a lot of them¡±


    I stared at the map in front of me. Currently, I was in the command post that Bryan made. It was some type of vehicle that was capable of hovering thousands of feet in the air. Of course, it has no battle capabilities and was restricted for intelligence. But, you have to admit. Bryan sure knows how innovate.


    ¡°Madame, the enemy is beginning to retreat¡±


    ¡°Really!¡±


    I stared at the map in front of me. If you were to look, the empire seemed very rigid in holding their positions. But, the more you look, the more you can see that the lines were beginning to fall back. In other words, they were finally leaving the trenches.


    ¡°We need to capitalize on this. How are the skies looking?¡±


    ¡°Allied forces are at 89% strength. Enemy has sustain 90% casualties¡±


    ¡°Good, send in the air cav. Tell them to breach through and create a small perimeter behind enemy lines¡±


    My message was instantly conveyed and a screen popped up in the middle of the map. There, I saw video coverage of men entering several vehicles that looked like planes. They weren¡¯t planes though, they were hovercrafts. Each had two magic fed engines that allowed the craft to hover. They also had a hybrid look between a helicopter and a plane so they looked really futuristic in comparison with this world.


    ¡°Anti-air nets are being deployed by the enemy!¡±


    ¡°Have the Gryphic knights assist the landing. Make sure we get that beachhead¡±


    Mwu¡­ these empire people are beginning to be annoying. They¡¯ve been countering a lot of my tactics and as a goddess, it¡¯s really unheard of. Even with the technological advantage we have, the empire¡¯s managed to counter us with highly sophisticated magic that even the gods would be jealous of not knowing. Who knew humanity is capable of doing this.


    ¡°Madame, here¡±


    May was passing me a cup which I gladly took. Taking a sip, I let the drink pour into my throat. The fruity taste instantly blended with the milk creating a unique texture. Ahh¡­ it¡¯s really relaxing.


    ¡°Thanks May¡±


    ¡°No problem. You look really stressed¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ these empire dogs really know how to fight. No wonder they¡¯ve manage to conquer the neighboring kingdoms¡±


    As we talked, I saw another video feed. This time, huge war turtles could be seen. A top of them, catapults and two ballistae¡¯s were mounted on the front. They kept a constant fire as the men bellow them kept shouting to one another. Then, unsurprisingly, the turtle fell into two halves. The poor creature didn¡¯t even have time to think as it died right on the spot. In the middle, the figure of Bryan could be seen. Far away, I can also see the other war turtles fall to the ground, dying. I guess Lily and Rester managed to clear their sides too.


    ¡°Well, there goes the artillery. Order the charge¡±


    ¡°Yes mam!¡±


    Suddenly, the lines began to change and several video feeds popped in front of me. The militia groups led the charge as they thundered to the front lines. With lances pointed towards their enemies, they waved the banner of the kingdom proudly into the air. Besides them, the 1<sup>st</sup>, 2<sup>nd</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup> Regalia infantry also made their move. With bayonets fixed, the three companies charged forward with their guns blazing.


    ¡°Oye, why aren¡¯t the knights charging?¡±


    ¡°No confirmation yet milady. But it seems one of the nobles are holding them all back¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­¡±


    I stood their annoyed as the knights stood back and watched the battle.


    ¡°They¡¯ll cost us the war! [ARTURA!]


    [Whoa, what happened?]


    A startled voice answered back. I didn¡¯t care to change my tone seeing as I was really getting annoyed.


    [The knights aren¡¯t charging. Right now, if we run through the empire as one, we can finally end this battle. At the moment though, your men are hindering our victory]


    [¡­ alright, I¡¯ll see what I can do then]


    As the link abruptly ended, I saw Artura beckon to one of the Gryphic knights. The man landed besides her long enough for Artura to hitch a ride. They then flew back to the knights forces. I took my attention away from them though as I stared at the rough battle occurring. Horses ran by the soldiers, impaling and slicing into the ranks of men. Some of them were pulled from their horses and were immediately stabbed by many weapons. As for Bryan¡¯s men, they took a slow approach, shooting and running for cover. Each squad covered for each other as small machine gun emplacements were placed creating killing zones. The riflemen protected the gunners while the shock troopers secured frontal positions for the men to entrench themselves in. As for support, tanks were at the very back of the charge firing and destroying anything in their way. Of course, we only had four of them but that was enough. As this was all happening, several red dots began to appear. Looks like the Empire¡¯s finally taking this seriously. With a sigh, I leaned back on the chair I was seating on.


    ¡°I guess the real fight begins now¡±