《Lord of Inferna》 Rise from the Ashes of Memories When I opened my eyes¡­ I had nothing¡­ except for this dark rage toward something I could not remember. Who did or how, I do not know¡­ but I feel betrayed by something I had put my faith in. ¡­No¡­ I was made to put my faith in it. Without a will, without a conscience¡­ I was made to believe that all I had done was for the sake of that something. I can¡¯t remember¡­ Who¡­ Why¡­ How¡­ I feel frustrated for being unable to vent this ugly overflowing emotions within me. I had nothing except for this¡­ ¡°You¡¯re finally awake¡­¡± It was a calm soothing voice. It immediately quenched the rage within me. I tried to look for the source of the voice, but my vision was still hazy. All I could make out was the silhouette of a man. That was all he said before he stayed still, completely unmoving like a sculpted stone statue. Ah¡­ he was waiting for me. After a short while, my sight cleared and I could finally see the man before me. My first impression of him was¡­ he was dying. His skin was pale like a corpse. Blood seeped through his lips. His gaze was unfocused. And there was a dark red hole in his chest¡­ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I did that, was what I thought. I made that hole in his chest. ¡°Who¡ª¡± Before I could ask he placed a finger on my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± he said weakly. ¡°Remember this¡­ ¡°From now on, your name will be Ellavetra¡­ Ellavetra Inferna. I am your father, and my name is Dovarnies Inferna. ¡°Those who invade our home are our enemies¡­ but do not hate them.¡± I was confused by his words, but his voice held a certain charm. I felt like all he said was the truth and that denial of any of it was not possible. But then, the rage within me swelled. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. I let my emotions consume me¡­ then it all disappeared as I was embraced. ¡°In time, you will remember¡­ and in time, you will understand¡­ ¡°Do not hate them.¡± I could only nod as the man who called himself my father died while embracing me. ¡°Your majesty.¡± A figure appeared beside us¡­ a young lady dressed in formal maid attire. She knelt on one knee and lifted a hand towards me. ¡°Come,¡± she said. ¡°It is time for your coronation ceremony¡­ ¡°As the new Lord of Inferna.¡± Chapter 1: Arriving at Garandale Chapter 1 Arriving at Garandale A small trader ship had just docked in the port city of Garandale. It was just one of many and remained inconspicuous as its crew brought the cargo down to the wharf. ¡°Captain Ruen, thanks a lot!¡± On the deck, three figures where conversing with each other. The one who just spoke was an 18-year-old girl with curly dark-red hair in a short boyish cut. She wore a jacket made of brown leather over a simple light gray shirt. Her shorts revealed a pair of healthy thighs. On her back was a crossbow and on each side of her waist had a bolt quiver. Her name was Tarafina, a young huntress from the small island nation of Sesinni. She had boarded the ship from Sesinni and had now finally arrived at Garandale. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, missy,¡± replied a stout middle-aged man. His looks were rough and rugged, but the smile on his face was filled with a gentle warmth. ¡°I¡¯ve known your father since we were wee lads. You should take care out there, alright?¡± ¡°Of course! Besides, I have my little bro with me.¡± Tarafina and the captain¡¯s view landed on the third person, a thirteen-year-old boy with short black hair and sharp eyes. His attire was simple: a white shirt and black shorts. A huge pack was on his back, exuding a sense of dissonance. He was the smallest among the three after all. His name was Erik. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± he said. ¡°Hearing that come from you, for some reason, makes me feel relieved.¡± ¡°Hey! You make it sound like doing something stupid is inevitable for me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Captain Ruen laughed before saying, ¡°Enough with the bickering now. Any more of this and you might end up taking the ride back home.¡± They ended their conversation and after bidding their farewells, the two finally disembarked from the ship and walked into the city. The hustle and bustle within Garandale was a new experience for the pair. When they were in Sessini, they lived in a rural town near the sea and rarely went to the cities. In the few times they went, it was still incomparable to the sight in Garandale. Tarafina looked around wide eyed while stopping by almost every interesting thing she saw. There were shops and stalls selling all kinds of items like armors, clothes, weapons, food, and many other things. ¡°I wonder if we should grab a meal first or find a place to stay at?¡± she mused as they passed by a decent-looking restaurant. The ship had arrived before they could have had breakfast. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, we could eat first,¡± Erik said. ¡°Originally, our plans were to head directly to the capital as soon as possible and gather information there, but starting the info gathering much earlier doesn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s eat first!¡± The two backtracked to the restaurant they had just passed and ordered a sumptuous meal. After the meal, Tarafina and Erik found a good inn and managed to rent a room. It was a room meant for couples, but since they introduced themselves as siblings, it was acceptable. The room had a double bed, and even had a bathroom with a shower and tub. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve only seen these things in the bigger cities back at Sessini,¡± Tarafina said with her voice filled with admiration. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we were able to afford this room and managed to rent it for a week.¡± Tarafina was obviously excited as she walked around inspecting almost every object in the room. ¡°That¡¯s a huge cut on our budget. Aside from gathering information, we also have to find some ways to earn money here. If our expenses exceed expectations, we might need to stay longer and find a cheaper inn.¡± Erik¡¯s words poured cold water on her mood. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll take a bath!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use too much water. If you¡¯re too wasteful, the manager might charge extra.¡± ¡°Stop treating me like a kid!¡± Tarafina grumbled as she took off her clothes and entered the bath. ¡°And don¡¯t peek!¡± On one side of the bath, there was a small stove used for heating water. She didn¡¯t use it though while filling the tub. ¡°Take a cold shower first.¡± She heard Erik¡¯s voice from the room and pretended not to hear it. Still, she turned on the shower for a short while but was staying outside the range of the water¡¯s spray. A smug smile hung on her lips as she pretended to take a shower. She heard a small sigh from the room and knew that Erik found out what she was doing. ¡°And I told him not to peek,¡± she mumbled with a slightly flushed face. She then stepped into the shower and washed her body. Tarafina was a huntress and so she spent most of the mornings and afternoons in the forest near their home in Sessini. She also used to go with her father to sea to fish. Because of that, her skin was slightly tanned. It was a sort of blessing though that the tan was just light despite all her time spent under the sun. There were a few times when the other kids showed some envy and resentment toward this quality of hers. It was because she had the blood of an elf mixed within hers. If her lineage was traced, her mother had an elf for an ancestor. Her elf blood showed slightly in her appearance. Aside from her resistance to tanning from the sun, her ears were also slightly pointed. She was also slender and slightly taller than others of her age. Furthermore, she had been quite good at hunting. At first she thought it was because her father was a hunter himself, but when she found out that she had actually elf blood within her, she believed that this was the reason. After washing under the shower, Tarafina looked at the tub filled with cold water. She raised her hand and pointed it at the tub, then whispered a few words that she herself did not understand. A warm current flowed within her body towards her hand. Then, the air within the bath seemed to stir and twist, but it was just something that she felt. The air itself was calm and steady. Tarafina felt a slight sense of loss. In that instant a magical rune appeared within the water near the bottom of the tub. The water simmered for an instant and steam appeared. ¡°Good,¡± she said, feeling relieved. She then entered the tub and soaked her entire body from the neck down. She then placed a wet towel over her head. ¡°Ahh~ this is paradise.¡± She remembered the first time she soaked in hot water. She was around ten years old back then. After reading a book about cultures in different places, she discovered the existence of hot baths and hot springs and told her father that she wanted to experience it. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Her doting father was unable to deny her of her wish, but they weren¡¯t exactly well-off. Bringing her to a city with a hot both just to experience it was too costly so he built one instead. He reinforced a barrel and filled it with water then placed it over a stove. He then allowed his daughter to soak in there. He then went as far as to add herbs in the water to turn it into a medicinal bath. Tarafina laughed as she remembered that scene. As a child, she had fun bathing that way but looking back at it, if someone else saw that scene, they would only see a grown up man happily stewing an innocent little girl. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking sound on the bath¡¯s door. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while,¡± Erik said from behind the door. ¡°OK. Take care.¡± ¡°I¡¯m locking the door. Don¡¯t let strangers in.¡± ¡°Stop treating me like I¡¯m a child!¡± She heard a door opening and closing. He already left. ¡°Geez. That idiot,¡± she murmured as she sunk her head into the water. Although they would always introduce themselves as siblings, this was not true. Tarafina had always been an only child. Erik only came into her life three years ago which caused drastic changes she never expected. She and her father found Erik adrift on the sea. After rescuing him, he refused to talk to anyone. Shortly after, an incident occurred in their town and her father died after involving himself. Falling into a depression, unexpectedly, it was Erik who supported her during that time. She then began treating him as her younger brother. ¡°The way he acts make it seem like he¡¯s the older sibling, though,¡± she pouted. But she didn¡¯t resent that. Although he would scold her every now and then, when she makes an important decision, he would always be right beside her providing her with the support she needed. She lost the only family she had, but she gained a new one. Slowly, the comfortable bath and her warm thoughts sent her to a deep slumber. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Please, go out on a date with me, Liss!¡± Borfin said as he held the hands of the pretty young lady behind the counter. She had been handing over his ID card when he suddenly grabbed her hands and started reciting a cheesy poem then asked her out. With a troubled smile she tried retracting her hands but his grip was strong. ¡°Hey hey, Borfin! You¡¯re troubling lady Lissan here,¡± a man behind said as his shoulder was grabbed. ¡°Fuck off, man! I¡¯m busy here!¡± the man called Borfin said as he let the lady¡¯s hands go and turned around. Behind him a huge bulky man with face riddled with scars was staring at him with an ugly smile. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Borfin tried to make an excuse but before he could say anything the man¡¯s grip on his shoulder tightened. He felt like he heard his bones crack. With a thud, he was sent out of the building and into the road. His card went flying after him and hit him on his head. ¡°Damned scar-face! I bet he also likes her and was afraid that I might win her heart!¡± Of course this was just Borfin¡¯s nonsense. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely get my revenge one day!¡± He stood up and patted his pants free of dirt and picked up his card. That was when he noticed a young boy by the side. It seemed he like he was about to enter the building but stepped aside when Borfin was thrown out. ¡°Excuse me,¡± the boy said with a blank expression as he walked in. ¡°Another dreaming youth, huh?¡± Borfin mumbled to himself. ¡°He¡¯s just like me when I was his age. Well, it won''t be long before he realizes how futile his actions are.¡± A proud smile appeared on his face as he looked at the building where the young boy disappeared into. It was a three-storey building with a unique design compared to the other buildings in the vicinity. The windows were of uniform and neat design, and the walls were plain and undecorated, giving the entire building a professional feel. A signboard was hung over the entrance and in bold letters was written, ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡± Beneath it in small font was, ¡°Garandale Branch.¡± ¡°Should I take another request?¡± he thought as he stood before the entrance. He had just submitted the items for a previous request earlier and had received his reward. He had asked the lady behind the counter on a date because he had saved enough money to afford one, but now his plans were completely ruined. ¡°Never mind. Maybe, I should just hit the bar or something.¡± He found his favorite bar and ordered a meal and a glass of ale. As the usual waitress took his orders, he added in some cheesy lines to ask her out. Of course, he was rejected with a professional smile. ¡°Man, I just don¡¯t have luck with girls,¡± he grumbled as he stuffed his mouth with food. While having his meal, he perked his ears and listened in on the conversations in the surrounding tables. ¡°I heard that Eaven organized an expedition to finally wipe out Inferna this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Even though the rumors say that Inferna is currently lordless, I think this is all part the demons¡¯ plans. They¡¯re baiting us and its going exactly as they planned. We gather forces to attack them, then they wipe us out, and that¡¯s when they start invading again.¡± ¡°A Sacred Knight had been loitering in the capital for a few weeks already.¡± ¡°Really? I thought those guys never leave Eaven?¡± ¡°Apparently they¡¯re recruiting people from other nations to join the expedition to Inferna.¡± Most of the rumors were about the expedition organized by the Kingdom of Eaven. This wasn¡¯t what Borfin really wanted to hear, but information was information so he kept it in his mind. As he continued to eat and eavesdrop, he noticed a figure on the streets through the window. It was the young boy he saw by the guild earlier. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care about a child like him, but there was something about the boy that Borfin couldn¡¯t put into words. The boy entered the inn on the other side of the street from the bar. After a while, the boy went out again but this time he was accompanied by an older girl. As soon as he saw her, Borfin froze in place. That dark-red hair! That slender figure! Those healthy thighs! She was just his type! Quickly, he finished his meal and emptied his glass before rushing out of the bar. Chapter 2: At the Orphanage Chapter 2 At the Orphanage ¡°Wake up!¡± A voice accompanied by gentle taps on her cheek woke Tarafina up from her comfortable sleep. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Erik¡¯s usual blank expression. ¡°Morning,¡± she mumbled as she sat up on the bed. Suddenly, she remembered that she had fallen asleep in the bath. Why was she in the bed now? She looked down and found that she had been tightly wrapped in a towel. ¡°Seriously, I leave you for a short while and this happens,¡± Erik grumbled as he got off the bed took out some clothes from their pack. He then threw them on the bed while saying, ¡°Get changed quickly. We¡¯re going to register in the guild and get a few jobs.¡± Tarafina stared at the air for a while processing the thoughts in her head. As soon as she understood what happened, she jumped off the bed grabbed the collar of Erik¡¯s shirt and shook him back and forth. ¡°Forget everything you saw! Forget everything!¡± she shouted with teary eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to see, and it¡¯s not like I was interested in the first place,¡± was Erik¡¯s heartless reply. ¡°YOU IDIOT!¡± she screamed as she jumped back in the bed and wrapped herself with a blanket. It took a few minutes for Erik to pacify her. After that short incident, they left the inn with Tarafina following Erik¡¯s lead. They had seen the adventurer¡¯s guild earlier when they arrived, but she couldn¡¯t remember exactly the way back. While grumbling and muttering behind him which sounded like a curse, they walked on the streets grabbing a bit of attention. ¡°You better stop that or we¡¯ll be the talk of the town,¡± Erik said. ¡°Hmph!¡± Tarafina snorted and snobbishly turned her head to the side. That was when she saw a man madly dashing towards them. He stumbled in the middle of the street but that didn¡¯t stop him from rolling his way towards them. He stopped right in front of Tarafina and jumped up. He then forcibly took her hand, got down on one knee and said, ¡°Miss, please grant me the blessing of hearing your name!¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± She was shocked to the core. What the hell was wrong with this man? She tried pulling her hand free but his grip was strong. Erik in front stopped walking and gave them a glance. His eyes wandered on the man¡¯s hand holding on to hers, and Tarafina thought that she saw a glint of jealousy in his eyes. ¡°I beg of you! Let me hear your name!¡± the man pleaded. A few bystanders started whispering and gathering, wondering what was going on. ¡°Go on and tell him so we can go,¡± Erik said. Is he in a bad mood? Tarafina thought. His expression was as usual though. ¡°T-Tarafina.¡± ¡°My! What a wonderful name! I am Borfin! May I ask as to where this fair maiden is going to?¡± ¡°The guild,¡± Erik answered in her place. ¡°Oh? And who might you be?¡± ¡°Erik, her brother.¡± ¡°Erik¡­ what a strange name¡­ but, I see. We met earlier at the guild. I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°The pleasure is mine, so can we go now? We¡¯re not really in a hurry, but time is precious.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m very sorry for holding you back. Please, let me accompany you!¡± He finally let go of her hand. Tarafina took this chance to move away from him and stepped closer to Erik. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± was Erik¡¯s reply before turning his back and walked away like nothing just happened. ¡°You¡¯re little brother¡¯s pretty mature, huh?¡± Borfin said as he hopped to Tarafina¡¯s side, who sent him a death glare. ¡°So what if he¡¯s mature?¡± she grumbled. ¡°Nothing, nothing. Isn¡¯t it nice to have a dependable little brother?¡± ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re just saying that because you don¡¯t know the situation.¡± Borfin didn¡¯t reply, but a wry smile appeared on his face as well as a slight nostalgia in his eyes. ¡°Welcome back, Sir Erik,¡± the lady behind the counter said. ¡°I brought my sister with me to register. I hope that doesn¡¯t trouble you, Miss Lissan,¡± Erik politely said. ¡°Oh, no. This is part of my job so Sir Erik does not have to worry about troubling me.¡± Off to the side, Tarafina and Borfin were glaring at the interaction between the two. Suddenly, a loud laughter came from behind them and said, ¡°The kid¡¯s beating you at your game Borfin!¡± It was a female dwarf in her late twenties. She had long dark brown hair tied into a thick braid. Two swords hung on her left hip. With a smug smile, she started slapping Borfin¡¯s back. ¡°You need to man up and up your game Borf!¡± she said with a loud laugh. She then proceeded to a different counter. ¡°Uhh¡­ Who was that?¡± Tarafina couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Grimna,¡± Borfin replied, refusing to add any more explanations. His eyes wandered to the young boy talking with the lady behind the counter and saw that he had been looking at them before returning his attention to the front. It even seemed like Lissan didn¡¯t notice that the customer in front of her wasn¡¯t paying attention to what she was saying. ¡°Come, Tara. Let¡¯s begin the procedures,¡± Erik suddenly said. With an OK, she went to the counter and began filling up the necessary forms. Borfin remained where he stood. He had been feeling something strange coming from this young boy. It was a sense that this boy was hiding an extremely big secret. His words and actions were too mature for his age and appearance. A jolt of lightning seemed to pass through him when he suddenly remembered something. With his eyes glued on Erik¡¯s back, he recounted the tales he had heard when he was a child in his mind. Tales about Sacred Knights. ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± he thought. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just coincidence.¡± The procedures went smoothly. Erik and Tarafina now both possess an Adventurer¡¯s ID Card. When she received her card, she felt something being sucked out of her hand, the same feeling she got when casting magic. It could be used to deposit and withdraw money from the guild¡¯s affiliated banking houses. Monetary rewards from the completion of guild requests can be sent directly into those banks. It could also be used as proof of identity when needed. ¡°It¡¯s such a handy thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Borfin said as he explained their uses to Tarafina. ¡°So¡­¡± Tarafina said with a strange look, ¡°why are you with us?¡± Currently, the trio were making their way to a residential district withing Garandale. She and her brother had taken a simple request to deliver a package to a certain resident. This was so they could experience first hand how the guild¡¯s request-and-reward system works, on the behest of Erik. Tarafina wanted to postpone this for tomorrow, but on her brother¡¯s insistence, she was forced to go. ¡°Of course, as a veteran member of the guild, it is my duty to provide guidance and assistance to my juniors like you,¡± Borfin answered smoothly as if he had practiced this line a thousand times. ¡°We don¡¯t need your consideration!¡± she said as she tried to increase her pace. Of course, Borfin matched her like a tail. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t shake him off, she turned a pleading look to the young boy in the lead, ¡°Erik, say something.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°We¡¯re finally in the residential district.¡± ¡°Not that!¡± The residential district was in the northern area of the city, and the delivery location of the package was close to the city¡¯s northern exit. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s in the package?¡± Tarafina muttered as she looked at the object in her hands. It was the said package, a rectangular box tightly wrapped in cloth. ¡°Lissan recommended this request, so I¡¯m guessing its something related to her,¡± was Erik¡¯s opinion. ¡°The person we¡¯re delivering it to is someone she knew?¡± Tarafina asked. ¡°Probably.¡± Borfin had grown quiet for sometime and Tarafina felt somewhat strange for his sudden change in attitude. Well, it was not a bad thing for her as the nuisance had finally disappeared. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help herself and ask, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ no. I was just admiring your graceful walking¡­ The way you move your legs, your shoulders, your waist¡­¡± A loud thud was heard accompanied by the sound of what seemed like crushed flesh and broken bones. Erik didn¡¯t need to turn his head to know that Tarafina had drilled a painful lesson into Borfin¡¯s body with her fist. ¡°Geez! I was a fool for even worrying a little! Grrr!¡± she grumbled as she stomped her foot while walking. ¡°Did you make sure you didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Erik asked without a hint of emotion. ¡°That¡¯s cold!¡± Borfin¡¯s voice came from behind them. ¡°Stop following us!¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not following you two¡­ I¡¯m following you.¡± ¡°Gaaah!!! Erik do something!¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Tarafina kept on complaining the entire way as Borfin stuck to her like a leech. Finally, they reached their destination. ¡°This place is¡­¡± Tarafina looked at the small and simple building. On the wide front yard, there were a dozen children of varied ages playing around. Three adults were watching over them. ¡°An orphanage,¡± Borfin provided her the answer. ¡°Excuse me, we have a delivery request from the guild,¡± Erik said as he approached the gate. The other two followed close behind him. One of the adults, a man in his forties, approached and opened the gate for them. ¡°My name is Judivo, the owner of this orphanage,¡± the man said with a pleasant smile. The trio introduced themselves and greeted the other two adults as they joined them in the yard. ¡°Here is the package.¡± Erik took the package from Tarafina and handed it over. ¡°I see. This is from Lissan, right?¡± Judivo asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly. She recommended this request to us without introducing the client, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just like her.¡± The middle-aged man chuckled. ¡°Lissan also grew up in this orphanage. She belonged to the first group of children who was taken here, and was also the eldest child in the bunch. She was like the big sister of every kid here.¡± Erik listened quietly to the man as he narrated the events of the past. ¡°Big sis, come play with us,¡± a little boy approached Tarafina and asked with a shy expression. Looking to the side, she found that Erik was listening to Judivo¡¯s tale so she took this opportunity to at least enjoy a little. Borfin silently followed along. ¡°So, what are we playing?¡± Tarafina asked as the children surrounded her. ¡°Uhm, can we ask something, big sis?¡± it was a girl this time who asked. ¡°Go ahead!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Are you an elf?¡± she asked. ¡°Ah¡­ haha,¡± Tarafina laughed wryly at the question. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but nope.¡± The children had dejected expressions. ¡°Have you never seen an elf before?¡± she asked them. ¡°We only heard stories, and old man Judivo wouldn¡¯t let us out of here, so we hadn¡¯t seen one,¡± one of the children explained. ¡°But we know that elves have sharp ears and are very beautiful and s-s-sexy,¡± a boy said while blushing. Tarafina felt slightly embarrassed as she was indirectly described as beautiful. ¡°Well, I may not be a pure-blooded elf, but my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma was an elf!¡± The children¡¯s eyes widened after hearing this. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of greats,¡± Borfin commented at the side. ¡°Oh, shut up, you!¡± ¡°Shut up, you!¡± the children imitated her with a cheery voice and laughed. After that, they started playing a game of hide-and-seek. Although Borfin was uninvited by the children, he joined in and was forcefully made it by Tarafina. ¡°The children are having fun with your comrades,¡± Judivo said with a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My sister is immature despite her age, and that man is just an acquaintance we only met a while ago.¡± ¡°It is you I find interesting. Such a mature child,¡± he placed his hand on Erik¡¯s head and patted it. He then opened the package. What was inside was a bundle of waivers. ¡°She really outdid herself this time.¡± Judivo shook his head then said, ¡°Once you return to the guild, please tell Lissan my thanks and that we owe her a lot and will surely repay her back in the future.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Erik suddenly asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This is my opinion, but I think that Lissan will never think that you owe her. Instead it should be that she felt like she was the one who is in great debt to you.¡± Judivo was stunned by this. Than shook his head as he laughed at himself. ¡°I really am getting old.¡± ¡°You are still quite young, good sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me, kid.¡± He thought for a while, then said, ¡°Then tell her to come visit us whenever she have time.¡± ¡°This message I will surely relay.¡± ¡°You should act your age, too, kid. Don¡¯t you want to play around, too, like other kids your age?¡± A small bitter smile appeared on Erik¡¯s face. It was an expression filled with many meanings that he only knew of. ¡°My sister is immature and unreliable. We lost our father about three years ago. She only has me to rely on. If I don¡¯t take this role, I will feel uneasy for her.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see¡­ But, if you act this way, won¡¯t she come to just rely on you forever?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Something you have to think about.¡± ¡°I thank you for your advice.¡± ¡°No, no. I thank you for taking your time to listen to this old man¡¯s ramblings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still far from being old, Sir Judivo.¡± As they were about to wrap up their conversation, one of the adults watching over the children earlier came out of the building with a flustered expression. ¡°Jud, Henoia is missing!¡± Chapter 3: Abduction Chapter 3 Abduction Two days have passed since the visit to the orphanage. Tarafina had woken up earlier than usual and was thinking about what had happened. A child who had not yet reached a year in age suddenly disappeared. Judivo, the owner of the orphanage was at a complete loss. The missing child was the daughter of Lissan¡¯s bestfriend, Hernilta, who also grew up in the orphanage. Hernilta died during childbirth, and with the father¡¯s whereabouts unknown, Judivo decided to take care of the child in her stead. Upon receiving the news that the child was missing, Judivo was at a complete loss. Tarafina, Erik, and Borfin helped search for the child but the results were nil. In the end, Judivo filed a formal request in the guild where Lissan found out. She fainted on the spot. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it,¡± Erik suddenly said. They were sharing the same bed, so the voice came from right beside her, startling Tarafina. ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re already awake,¡± she said as she turned her head to look at him. ¡°I was awake before you. It¡¯s not my fault that you didn¡¯t notice. You should learn to be more aware of your surroundings.¡± ¡°A scolding first thing in the morning¡­ geh!¡± Erik did not comment on that and instead got off from bed and started doing exercises on the floor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still keeping that up without getting tired of it,¡± she sighed as she also got off the bed and performed some stretches. ¡°It¡¯s a habit.¡± After breakfast, the two immediately went to the guild. So far, the requests they had taken were low-risk low-reward ones. It was not enough to cover their living costs, it did reduce their expenses. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Judivo,¡± Tarafina exclaimed as soon as they entered. The man was at one of the counters, apparently in a livid discussion with the attendant. ¡°Lissan had not yet returned to work,¡± a voice came from behind the two. ¡°Grimna!¡± Tarafina recognized the owner of the voice as she turned around. ¡°Oh? I believe we haven¡¯t introduced each other yet. Must be Borfin selling out my name.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tarafina apologized. ¡°No no. You don¡¯t have to apologize. It¡¯s Borfin¡¯s fault so I¡¯ll make sure to teach him a lesson when I see him. So, your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tarafina.¡± ¡°Erik. A pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°As you have heard, the name¡¯s Grimna.¡± After the introductions, Grimna returned her attention to the commotion at the counters. Tarafina and Erik followed her gaze. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time something like this happened,¡± she explained. ¡°A few weeks ago, a similar case of abduction appeared in the nearby town of Orindol. It was a strange case. The couple who reported their child was missing recounted that they had slept on the bed with the child between them. When morning came, the child was gone. There were no signs of forced intrusion in their home nor any evidence left behind by the perpetrator. It was a perfect crime. ¡°In another city, an entire family disappeared. Their corpses were found in a nearby forest, properly buried. All the family members were there, except for their newborn.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too tragic,¡± Tarafina said downcast. ¡°All the targets were infants,¡± Erik immediately picked up on the clues. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those were the only news I¡¯ve heard so far, but I¡¯m sure similar cases are occurring all over the continent,¡± the dwarf affirmed. For a while, the only sound in the guild was the ensuing commotion by the counters and the whispering of the bystanders. ¡°Tara,¡± Erik said softly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. It¡¯s nothing.¡± For the first time, Tarafina saw indecision in Erik¡¯s eyes. He had always been firm and decisive. She had never seen him so hesitant before. In the end, he didn¡¯t voice out what he had been trying to say. There was nothing Erik and Tarafina could do to help Judivo and the orphanage. In the end, they left the guild without taking a request. ¡°Let¡¯s just rest for today,¡± Erik said as they left the guild. ¡°Mm.¡± Tarafina nodded her head. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You can go wherever you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not coming with me?¡± ¡°If you want some time alone, that¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ Thanks a lot, Erik.¡± Tarafina decided to go back to the orphanage. Erik watched her back as she left. ¡°Are you sure about that? You know where she¡¯s going, right?¡± Grimna asked. It seemed like she had a habit of suddenly appearing behind a person. Erik wasn¡¯t surprised, though. ¡°She can manage on her own.¡± ¡°What an un-cute little brother.¡± Tarafina was standing a short distance away from the orphanage. The yard that was once filled with the cheerful noise of the children was desolate and empty. It was a depressing sight. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A figure appeared beside her. It was Borfin. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Silence ensued between the two of them. For a long time, they just stood there, watching the orphanage. In the end, Borfin couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started making weird grumbling noises. ¡°If you have something to say, then say it,¡± Tarafina said, irritated by the noise he made. ¡°I think I have a lead,¡± he sighed. Upon hearing those words, Tarafina¡¯s eyes widened. She suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed him on the wall of a nearby building. ¡°Tell me!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Calm down!¡± When she heard him, she loosened her grip but did not let go. ¡°The information is dubious so I¡¯m not sure myself. I hadn¡¯t yet checked if it¡¯s true or not.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Geez, girl. You need to relax a bit more.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Damn it. Fine! Let go of me first.¡± As she let him go, he fixed his crumpled shirt as he glared at her. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ A couple of hours away from the north of the north gate, there¡¯s an area of the forest that used to be a village. Its mostly overrun by nature by now, but apparently, a group of suspicious individuals managed to make use of the what remained of the village as a hideout. There were also children being kept there.¡± When Tarafina heard the word children, she immediately sprinted for the north gate. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t act rashly!¡± Borfin chased after her as she went past the north gate. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell your brother first?¡± ¡°The children¡¯s life might be in danger right now. There¡¯s no time!¡± ¡°Tch. This is troublesome.¡± It was already noon when Borfin and Tarafina arrived at the village ruins. They were currently hidden in the shrubberies at a distance, observing the place. ¡°Seems empty,¡± Borfin whispered. He looked to the side and saw Tarafina¡¯s serious expression. The gleam in her eyes seemed to let out blood thirst. He could already imagine the scene that once their suspicions were proven true, she would jump right in and spill their blood. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°She seemed like a ditz when she¡¯s with her brother, but I guess you can¡¯t really judge a book by its cover,¡± he thought. ¡°There!¡± she said as she pointed at an inconspicuous place. It was an area on the ground covered with vines and greeneries. The ground moved followed by the opening of a trapdoor. ¡°So they were hiding underground! There must be a house with a basement there before! The house was now gone, but the basement was still there!¡± Borfin concluded. ¡°Let¡¯s make our move!¡± the girl beside him said impatiently. ¡°No! We¡¯re lacking on information on our opponents. It¡¯s too risky!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going ahead!¡± Without waiting for his reply, Tarafina stood up while whispering a spell. A green glow surrounded her body as she grabbed the crossbow on her back. With deft movements she loaded a bolt, aimed, and fired! ¡°Hmm?¡± A man wearing leather armor was climbing out of the trapdoor when he noticed something moving. With quick reactions driven by instinct, he managed to quickly jump out of the way and dodged the bolt. He then hid behind a tree. More than a dozen figures appeared from the trapdoor, all dressed in shabby leather armors. They moved swiftly under cover, proof of their battle experience. ¡°Damn it!¡± Tarafina cursed as she sprinted to find an angle where she could shoot them. ¡°Too reckless!¡± was what Borfin screamed in his mind. So far, the only advantage they had was that the enemy did not know that there were only two of them present. He remained hidden, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. The spell Tarafina had casted earlier was a wind enhancement to increase her speed. Using that speed boost, she kept moving out of her opponents¡¯ range and from that safe distance, fired her crossbow. Despite her seemingly advantageous position, she couldn¡¯t land a hit. ¡°They¡¯re too good at dodging and hiding,¡± she thought as a sense of urgency and irritation welled within her. She was getting impatient. Earlier she had been keeping track of the locations of each enemy, but now she had completely disregarded their positions and numbers. She kept on circling them, looking for a clear shot. Suddenly, a shadow jumped from behind her. One of the men had managed to flank her. There was no time to aim at the figure behind her, so she dodged instead. The assailant¡¯s surprised attack had caught her off guard and managed to land a cut on her thigh. ¡°He¡¯s aiming for my legs,¡± she realized. ¡°They¡¯re planning to reduce my mobility.¡± Three more shadows leaped behind her. She was completely surrounded. ¡°I was too careless!¡± It was too late for regrets. While trying to dodge, she whispered a spell as fast as she could. Aiming the spell on one attacker and using the bow on another, she managed to slow them down. Still, it was not enough. Their attacks landed. One managed to stab her other thigh, while the other made a deep cut on her right arm. ¡°Is this it?¡± she thought. ¡°Is this the best I could do?¡± Injured and down on the ground, her attackers cautiously approached her. ¡°What, it¡¯s just a girl!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a cutie isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Half-elf?¡± ¡°Who cares?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a taste of women for quite some time.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯s a virgin?¡± ¡°With this pretty face? I doubt it.¡± ¡°Haha! She must have played around with a lot of guys already!¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯s with that look, girlie? You think you can fight back?¡± They all had indecent smiles and lust-filled gazes. Two of them had held her down on the ground. She was completely unable to fight back. She could only grit her teeth in rage, shame, helplessness. ¡°I should have listened to Erik,¡± she thought as she remembered all the times that the young boy scolded her. ¡°I get first dibs, okay?!¡± One of them men said. A tearing sound filled the air as her clothes were ripped. ¡°Ohh! Her skin¡¯s so smooth and tender! I just love young girls!¡± ¡°Hurry up, will you!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Borfin was at a loss. He didn¡¯t expect that they would be able to quickly form a strategy to capture her. He could only stare dumbfounded at what was happening. ¡°Useless¡­ and you call yourself a man?¡± he scolded himself, but he was unable to make his body move. He wanted to save her, but how? He was alone and there were more than a dozen of them. There were some things that a single person just couldn¡¯t do. Suddenly, the wind picked up. The trees began to groan as the wind increased in speed. It was as if a storm had suddenly appeared above them. Then, Borfin saw the silhouette of a young boy walking from a distance. The air around him seemed to twist and warp as he walked to where the men had surrounded their prey. Wherever he walked, the trees broke and the plants were uprooted. It was as if no living thing dared to be within his sight. ¡°Erik¡­ save me,¡± Tarafina whispered as tears finally fell from her eyes. Seeing her pitiful appearance, Erik¡¯s eyes were filled with rage. He lifted a hand and pointed it forward. Then the winds picked up some more as the sky darkened. Dark gray clouds blanketed the sky, twisted, and formed a vortex above the young boy. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The men were shocked and dumbfounded. Was all this the doing of this boy? Purple snakes of lightning danced around Erik¡¯s raised arm. Then with an emotionless expression he said, ¡°Die.¡± Hundreds of bolts of lightning fell from the sky striking each men more than ten times. Despite the ferocity of this sight, not a single bolt of lightning touched Tarafina. Soon, it ended and the sky cleared. The wind also finally died down. What was left was a ruined forest and a girl in tattered clothes. Not even a burnt corpse remained. ¡°Geez. I leave you alone for a while and this happens,¡± Erik said as he knelt in front of her and casted a spell to heal her wounds. Borfin couldn¡¯t move at all the entire time. He was afraid that if he made one wrong move, bolts of lightning would also rain on him. As he slowly recovered, his gaze met with Erik¡¯s. The young boy¡¯s eyes had a disapproving look within them. ¡°Damn it,¡± Borfin cursed at himself. Those eyes were cold and dreadful. He felt like his very soul had been wrapped in ice. ¡°The children¡­¡± Tarafina said as she tried to lead Erik towards the trapdoor from where the men had come out from. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. They¡¯re safe,¡± Erik said as he forcefully made her lie down. ¡°Just rest.¡± Seeing the worried look in his eyes and his rare gentle smile, she nodded and layed her head on his lap. Nobody noticed the injury that he had been hiding.