《Cursed Empire: Rising against the Gods》


 Prologue

    A man of pure divinity towered over the crowd. Dressed in a white robe, his long silky blonde hair flowed with the wind as his golden eyes gazed down at them.


    The man looked around at what humanity has done to earth. From polluted waters, and countless dead bodies, to the men soaked in blood holding their weapons.


    The figure wasn''t happy, not one bit. He looked down at humanity and declared, "For too long, I have watched your world and have been disgusted by how my father''s greatest creation has been reduced. I cannot allow this embarrassment to continue to plague this land." The figure''s voice was powerful¡ªpowerful enough to resonate throughout the lands.


    Hundreds of men stopped their battle, hundreds of women held their children tightly as they watched the skies darken, and hundreds of divine creatures descended from the sky.


    The figure raised his hand, and his eyes glowed brightly, "My name is Joseph. And I will do something that my father could never do. That is...the clean this world and return it back to his image." He said as his voice echoed throughout the lands.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Everyone present dropped to their knees, howling in pain.


    Including the young blonde-haired knight, he gripped his neck, realizing that the source of his pain was there. A symbol of a yellow star that glowed a bright golden colour that caused him to drop to the ground. Blood begun to coat his right arm has an unbearable burning sensation keep his will low.


    Not just him but every human on this planet has been branded with the mark of cleansing.


    The pain only got worse due to the divine creatures being in their presence.


    The crowd produce two reactions. Many grabbed their bows or magic gloves. As a combined effect to fight back. While a small member decided to flee the battlefield. The blonde-haired man was one of them.


    Joseph watched his father''s creation descend down a path he had hoped they never walked to.


    The divine creatures flew down and laid waste to the men that were on the battlefield.


    Even though his will was shattered...even though he believed their struggle was pointless...he remembered the promised he made to his brother. The blonde-haired man escaped with his life. As the last survivor to witness the day that God descend.

 Chapter 1: Mysterious Swordsman

    Walking into an old run-down inn within Neverport. The man shrouded in a white cloak walked towards the counter.


    Many eyes stared at the man, noticing the two weapons he had carried. Two swords that belonged to the Heavenly Army.


    The man asked the waitress, "A bottle of ale for the road?" The man dropped two gold coins, surprising the waitress, considering that he had overpaid.


    She stormed to the shelf, searching for a bottle of ale. The man didn''t realize the gaze he received from the people around him.


    After searching for a moment, the waitress returned with a half bottle of ale featuring the wrong label, "Here is your ale. This is one of the best ales from the Kingdom of Earnest. I hope you enjoy it." she said, showing the man a bright fake smile.


    The man looked at the bottle with a deep sigh and said, "Correction, this is the beer from the Elizabeth Kingdom. It''s poorly made and not worth buying. Also, I can tell that you''ve poisoned this drink." He tossed the bottle across the room and glared at the waitress.


    She was frightened and ran to the backroom. That''s when the man realized where he was. A settlement of thugs, thieves, and murderers.


    Once he got up, he was surrounded by ten men and women with knives in hand, all were untrained thugs with no fighting background. Each had one thing in common, they had the eyes of the desperate common folk.


    A woman with red hair, dressed in black leather, stepped forward, "We don''t want to hurt you, just hand over the valuables...including those swords." she said, eyeing her teammates and signaling them when to attack.


    The man revealed himself. His blue eyes stared completely unbothered by her threats. "Why would I do that?" he replied, slowly walking toward her.


    The woman wasn''t prepared for his boldness and commanded her allies to attack. They felt completely confident by the sheer number they had, but...


    This wasn''t an ordinary man.


    The first attacker lunged forward to try to stab him, but the blond-haired man caught the blade with his fingers without even paying attention to the attacker, "What the hell?" Said the attacker as noticed how calm the blonde man was.


    His raw strength was incredibly...everyone noticed it. Despite the attacker''s efforts to push through, the man wouldn''t budge.


    The blonde man laughed at the guy who tried to stab him and tilted his head in confusion. Before delivering a swift side kick which sent him crushing towards the wall before landing unconscious on the table.


    Two other attackers tried to stab him, but he flash step and delivered a neck chop that sent of them to the ground.


    One of the attacker tremble as the blonde walked towards them. He blinked his eyes once before his face was knee.


    The woman was frightened and began to back away, which led to her tripping and falling to the ground, "Wait, hang on. We might have ale somewhere, so please don''t..." she said, trying to talk her way out of this.


    The man was completely unimpressed. He drew his swords and made his way to her. But he stopped walking when a little girl holding a dagger stood in front of the woman.


    The man''s eyes sparkled as he recalled a haunting memory from the past. After sheathing his blades, he asked, "Tell me, what would you do if I gave you one of my swords?" He then sat down on the ground and continued to watch them.


    The woman didn''t know what to say but the little girl said, "My mommy is going to free us. She promised us that she would defeat the angels and save us all." Her voice carried years of worth of pain and suffering.


    Enough so that the man would smile at their attempts at freedom, "Kid, your mother is an even bigger fool than Joseph. My first day here and I have seen nothing but poor people trying to survive." He said to her, to which the girl charged towards him with the full intent of stabbing him, "YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" she screamed.


    But the red-haired woman stops the child, "EMILY! Enough...he is right." She said.


    Emily refused to listen and tried to struggle free but was surprised when the man placed one of the swords on the floor, "Let me ask you this. I can give you this sword now and leave you people to continue to suffer. Or would you prefer to change your suffering to flourishment? You alone will never be able to defeat them with your pitiful level of fighting. But I can, under the agreement become the leader of this settlement. What do you say." The man had a calm and mischievous demeanor.


    Emily hesitated for a short moment before immediately shouting, "NO, WE REFUSE! MY MOMMY IS GOING TO-" Suddenly Emily began to drop to the ground while gripping her neck. Not just her but everyone excluding the blonde hair man.


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    He picked up his sword and roses to his feet, "Maybe this will convince you." He made his way to the outside.


    Where four divine creatures descend to the ground readying to claim their taxes from the people. One of them walked forward and said, "Humans, we expect the following from the village of Neverport. Under Joseph''s orders, we require ten mature women, ten gold coins, and the finest ale this place has to offer." The people were already making their way to fulfill the demands.


    Making these people angry would only lead to Neverport destruction. The divine creatures simply couldn''t be killed. The only method requires were using their weapons or magic. This village had no access to the only means of rebelling.


    Ten different women were crying as they bid farewell to their families, knowing they would never be seen again. Many people gathered their resources, managing to collect enough money to equal ten gold coins. Meanwhile, the waitress pushed past the blonde man to deliver the ale he had ordered.


    Before the ale was handed over. The glass shattered to pieces by a randomly thrown stone. The people were devastated as all eyes turned to the blonde man.


    The divine creatures were furious at the man and drew their weapons, "You dare go against Joseph''s orders of cleansing your kind of its impurities-" It felt like a mere second, but the divine creature didn''t realize that the man was already by his face.


    "Keep on lying." With the swiftness of his blade. He decapitated the divine creature. Leaving the people in shock, including the divine creatures.


    The red-haired woman stormed out of the inn with Emily by her side. Both were taken aback by the yellow liquid oozing from the divine creature''s body. The man turned his head to them and smiled, "My name is Axel. From this day forward, I am your king. Together, we will rise against those who oppress us." With immense speed and strength, he cut down each divine creature without any mercy.


    His skills as a duellist kept the people in both disbelief and excitement. A real swordsman was in their village.


    After Axel defeated the divine creature, those impressed begun to cheer while those who disliked his character simply stay quiet.


    Axel then picked up the axe carried by the divine creatures and tossed it towards the woman with red hair, landing perfectly at her feet.


    The people were taken aback by his display. A small number were confused and shocked by what they saw. But the rest cared about one thing, and one thing only.


    They were free. Neverport will not be losing any more people. From today onwards.


    A few were not so trusting of the idea of a random stranger declaring himself King, but the majority who witnessed his strength were far too massive.


    Red hair woman realised that. Watching the people she knew cheer on Axel and even called him King. His presence was far greater than her''s.


    The red-haired woman approached Axel, axe in hand, "My name is Becca. I''ve been taking care of these people for three years, but I was unable to prevent these creatures from breaking our spirit. Yet, you managed to achieve great results in just a few seconds. You are better suited to look after these people than-" Before Becca could finish her sentence, Emily came screaming at the top of her lungs.


    "NOO!" furiously punching Becca''s leg with her tears streaming down her face.


    Becca ignored her and dropped the axe by Axel''s feet. She attempted to walk away while Emily held her tightly.


    But Axel stopped her by grabbing her collar, "Look around. No one wants you to leave." When she did, eyes of sorrow made her realize that they wanted her to stay.


    Axel picked up the axe and handed it over to her, "I wish to build a kingdom for the mistreated and helpless. This place is perfect for my start but I am unfamiliar with the residence here. So how about we form a partnership, what do you say. If you were to leave, you would surely die. Rather pick the smart outcome." Axel continued to smile while giving a mysterious aura.


    Becca was stunned, kept on stuttering over her words but stopped when she looked around at the people who knew her. They all didn''t want her to leave.


    Axel walked up to her and extended his hand, "For once we have a chance against them. We can survive this hell. Let''s build a powerful kingdom together."


    Many begun to support his suggestion a lot more. Emily held Becca leg tightly while whispering, "Don''t leave...please." Her tears and snot were smeared on her leg as she continues to hold onto her.


    Becca looked at Emily before turning her attention to him, "If everyone is okay with the idea...then we can make this work. So yes, I accept the offer." the two then shake hands which cause an uproar of cheers.


    Neverport, is going to survive from now on.

 Chapter 2: The plan

    It was common for people worldwide to feel hopeless after receiving the monthly tax from Joseph''s heavenly army.


    Two years ago, many referred to that day as God''s wrath. Humanity was divided into several factions: some supported the idea of punishment for humanity''s destructive nature toward the world, others accepted it as their new reality, and some chose to resist it.


    Neverport, a small settlement close to the southern coast with barely any noticeable life was one of the few who suffered under Joseph''s rule.


    But tonight was different, rather than going to bed and sleeping about the loss of a loved one. They all came out to celebrate.


    Axel watched from a distance as he sat on a stone wall. He observed them singing, dancing, and even preparing a meal for the people, despite the poor quality of the food.


    He smiled.


    Becca approached him with a bowl of meat stew in her hand, "They wanted me to hand you this. Looks like you won everyone over." she said, somewhat nervous due to his mysterious aura, which made it difficult for her to walk up to him.


    Axel gladly accepted the bowl of stew and said, "I simply showed the people what they were looking for. A strong capable voice of action that had the power to back it up." She noticed that his posture and the way he ate were not typical of common folk, "Are you a noble by any chance?" she asked.


    Gently resting his bowl on his lap. He said, "I''m a royal. My family name isn''t important because only two remains."


    Becca was confused by the news and asked, "What''s a royal doing at a place like this? Should you be cozy up in your castle eating stuffed pig?" Her tone hinted at a strong dislike for the upper class.


    Axel quietly laughed and said, "I lost my royal rights six years ago. So I''m a normal commoner just trying to build a kingdom." He smiled at her which slightly irritated her.


    Becca turned her head to him and quietly muttered under her breath, "You lost power, and now you''re suddenly normal?" Axel wasn''t concerned about what she said but rather too focused on the food he was eating.


    After a short moment of silence, she asked, "What are your plans for everyone?" Becca still refused to look at him due to her past experience with royalty.


    Axel briefly placed his bowl beside him and said, "Liveable resource, training for everyone, and finally our land expanded. That''s my plan for now."


    "Look around, we don''t have much to grow with." Said Becca


    Axel jumped off the wall and wanted to help her down, "There''s a place that has an awful ruler. Not too far from here, I was thinking we raid him." Becca refused his hand and continued to look at him like he was a monster, "No, we not doing that?" She said to him.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Axel sighed and spoke about the paths he had left unexplored, saying, "This man, William Peters II, is the reason why I wanted his place to be the first place we raid. Not only do I have a massive disdain, but he has decided to align himself with the heavenly army. He is responsible for many people disappearing, imposing outrageous taxes on his citizens, and causing widespread malnutrition among them. All of this so he can ingratiate himself with them while living a lifestyle of luxury." His visible anger confused Becca.


    "Why should I believe you? We all could be your pawn and this place could be one giant chess board." She replied


    Axel calmly laughed and replied back, "If I wanted pawns then I would have picked ones that I could control. I''m not like other royals who would be a king who rely on others, I prefer to be the queen piece."


    She never expected to hear a royal express disgust toward another royal. She almost giggled and asked, "And why are you disregarding a fellow royal? Aren''t you all members of the same class?" Her comment caused a sad expression to appear on Axel''s face.


    He reached into his vest and pulled out a silver amulet with a blue gem. "This unexpected punishment we''re going through has made me realize how little we, as a race, have tried to solve our problems. This is just my effort to help those who are victims of the people responsible for this sentence we have received. I want to give them a proper life." Becca noticed that he seemed truly sincere.


    Becca sighed before gently punching his chest, "Fine, but how exactly do we get there?" She asked.


    Axel started to whistle, and his white horse appeared in the distance. Becca''s face twitched at the sight of the horse''s flashy armor.


    She wasn''t the only one who noticed, many of the children ran to see the horse. Once the steed appeared, the children took turns trying to pet him.


    Axel mounted his steed and looked at Becca, "My partner''s name is Diego. He is a friendly little guy, so you don''t need to worry too much. Whenever you are ready." he said.


    Becca paused for a moment, turned around, and shouted, "CJ... PHILLY! GET YOUR ASSES HERE!" That''s when two men arrived, trying their best to look tough.


    CJ was the man who was kicked by Axel, while Philly was a chubby man who ran away first. The two of them possessed the other two divine weapons obtained from the divine creatures. Philly wielded a spear, and CJ held a mace.


    Both received punches from Becca because she was annoyed by the tough guy attitude, "You both never acted like this. Don''t start now! Anyway, look after everyone while I''m gone, " she said.


    The two men recoiled in pain as they snapped out of the persona they were playing. Philly asked, "Where are you going, Becca?"


    She twirled her hair and said, "We going to get some resources for everyone. From what he is saying, it''s the settlement north of us. So we won''t be gone for too long."


    CJ immediately wrapped his arm around her neck and whispered, "That dude. He is dangerous." He said to her.


    They both turn to look at him who was gently grooming his steed, while looking majestic underneath the moonlight.


    Becca rolled her eyes and whispered back, "It''s fine, trust me on this. We really need resources for them. Sadly he has a plan and we don''t."


    CJ was clearly irritated by what she said and replied, "But we have everything here. We have farms, fresh water, and a mine. We have a plan but it would take time-" before he could finish Becca replied with simply line, "If he was here two months earlier, your wife would have been with you."


    CJ couldn''t respond to what she said and just kept quiet. Becca removed his arm from her and said, "There was no plan. Eventually, I would have been taken alongside the other girls. Then one of the guys would continue that role for me. But now, we have a chance, even if it means trusting a random stranger like him." She turned away from him and climbed onto the horse.


    "Ready to go?" Axel asked.


    "Yes, let''s do this." Together they left, heading north toward Wynville.

 Chapter 3: Ghost village

    The trail leading north was filled with silence and horror. The land was plagued with monsters from the heavenly lands roaming the wasteland in search of human life.


    Joseph''s cleansing plan came with many benefits and negatives for the people.


    The lands were slowly becoming rejuvenated. Plant life was growing back, and even some plants that had never bloomed before were now starting to bloom. The waters looked cleaner than ever, and the air smelled fresher.


    Axel and Becca came with the same thought. Our world is beautiful without any pointless bloodshed.


    Despite the benefits, many people were dying thanks to the cleansings.


    From a distance, Wynville was visible due to the massive mansion surrounded by farms and barnhouses.


    Along the trail, they encounter an old man lying on the ground, completely unconscious. His body was thin and dry.


    Becca clenched her fists in anger as she watched the hopeless man struggle to survive, "Damn you Joseph! What did he do to you? He''s just an innocent old man trying to survive. Is this the cleansing humanity needed?" Axel, seemingly indifferent to her comment, leaped off Diego and approached the man.


    Axel conducted a quick inspection of the body and noticed something unusual. The man''s tongue was purple, and his eyes had turned grey. Turning to Becca, Axel said, "He was eating orgerberries. He probably didn''t know they were poisonous, but I can''t blame him. He was likely driven by starvation."


    Becca''s face was sorrowful and remorseful. She didn''t even want to look at the old man any longer.


    Axel climbed back on Diego, and they continued with their journey.


    They arrived in the village and took a stop by a tavern. The village seemed devoid of life.


    Axel jumped down and offered to help her down, but she ignored his hand and continued walking ahead inside the tavern while Axel followed behind.


    What they found was shocking. Many people died peacefully together. All seemly passed away due to starvation.


    Becca was in disbelief at what she was looking at, "They all looked peaceful. That they all died together?" Her anger kept on building up to the point her skin was turning red.


    Axel walked beside Becca and gazed at the horror before him, "There are many like them, searching for a place to call home, but they lacked a leader who could have prevented this outcome. At least they have each other."


    He knew that Becca would be more motivated to do this raid if she saw the justification for stealing William''s supplies.


    She carried the people emotion. Something that he lacked.


    "We''re raiding that pig''s mansion. He doesn''t deserve to breathe after what he''s done." She said.


    Axel showed a satisfying smile. The two walked out of the tavern and sneaked toward the mansion.


    The building wasn''t fully maintained, but compared to the wooden barns, it looked like a paradise for the villagers. The wood used was only found at the Asmodrawn nation. A very expensive resource.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Even standing by the door, they could smell the freshly cooked roast.


    The door was unlocked with no guards present. Inside the building, there was destroyed furniture, tattered women''s clothing, and unfinished meals. While searching the rooms they noticed a trail of knitted baby clothing.


    Suddenly a plate was dropped but when they turned around. They saw a figure disappearing. Leaving behind a doll that Axel notice the similarities between him and it, "Creepy, stay in front." He said as try continue exploring.


    All of their expectations about William were confirmed when they arrived at the upstairs master bedroom.


    They found him lying soundly asleep in bed, surrounded by countless gold coins, gems, and jewelry.


    Becca was beyond furious and snatched the sword from Axel''s waist. Slowly creeping towards him with the sword held tightly in her palms, "Your people died, and you can sleep without a care in the world. Rot in hell, you disgusting pig." Without any hesitation, she plunges the blade through his chest.


    William''s eyes open for a brief second, but he went to sleep for good.


    Axel simply watches with a smile on his face. Knowing that he found his partner.


    Becca didn''t stop with one stab, she continued to stab the corpses repeatedly until her rage was satisfied.


    Axel waited until she calmed down before searching the room, and he found two blankets. He gathered enough gold and tied the sheets to create a makeshift bag.


    "Grab as much as you carry. We can return tomorrow to collect some resources with more people." Axel said already holding four bags filled with treasures.


    Becca gives one repulsive look at William before cutting some sheets out from his curtains to create a bag.


    The two collected ten bags of treasure, which were placed in barrels. Once that was done, they loaded them onto a wagon they found outside that was used to carry Williams around the village.


    Afterward, they located the kitchen which had a month''s supply of food. Fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and even liquor.


    Axel stayed outside to ensure Diageo was secured onto the wagon. Meanwhile, Becca continued searching for valuables until she came across a bedroom.


    Inside the bedroom, two things caught her attention. One was a drawing of a woman shown in various appealing poses. The other was the woman herself, gently rocking in a chair while knitting a baby sweater.


    The woman was enigmatic, dressed in a long black nightgown. Her purple eyes met Becca with a broken smile as she hummed a gentle melody.


    Becca stepped forward, tightly gripping the sword in her hand. She approached the woman and asked, "Who are you?" The woman appeared relatively healthy, yet her presence was still oddly mysterious.


    Becca was just seconds away from approaching her when Axel appeared behind her, "Becca, we need to-" but he stopped short when he saw the woman.


    In an instant, the woman got up and ran toward Axel. The two old friends exchanged a warm, tight hug, "It''s been a while, Patricia. I never expected to find you here." he said with a bright smile.


    Patricia didn''t respond, but rather just hugged Axel tightly, "You know her?" Asked Becca.


    "Yes, a long-lost friend of mine. I assume she was taken by the angels. But I see she was here all this time. We can introduce each other later; let''s leave with the valuables we obtained first." Axel said.


    The two with the addition of Patricia left the village with weeks worth of food and enough gold to trade with other people.


    Patricia rested inside the wagon while Becca inspected the gold closely. Axel turned and asked, "Pretty nice, huh?" He replied with a strangely cheerful tone.


    Becca was amazed at the quantity of gold they had and said, "It''s beautiful up close. However, that pig owned it, so it lost its value. By the way, do you have any trading partners, given your royal background?"


    Axel faces out towards the horizon. With the calmness of his voice, "We will be trading with the other races of monster." A sentence that nearly poped the eyes out of Becca''s face.


    "WHAT!" she screamed.


    Axel cleared his throat and said, "It makes more sense to choose monsters over humans. Trading with other humans has either become costly or is often denied. Many monsters have different views on humanity''s extermination or cleansing, whatever you prefer to call it. Some feel pity for us, some believe it''s justified, while others actually support us."


    Becca had heard enough from Axel to assume he was just crazy, but this was only adding more fuel to the fire.


    "Before I arrived here, I conducted a survey of the area and discovered that Neverport is located near three different races. By tomorrow, I would like you to choose between the three: the orc tribe to the west, the druid tribes to the east, or the demon tribes further north. Hope you make the right choice?" Axel''s warning was both cryptic and heavy with significance.


    Becca thought to herself. Who should we trade with?

 Chapter 5: Encounter

    That night in Neverport was considered the best for the residents. The party extended into the morning, where most adult residents drank their first taste of alcohol in years.


    Becca was one of those who passed out at their home. When she reawakened, she took a moment to regain her focus. And try to fight the morning sickness.


    Her friends CJ and Philly were beside her. CJ was lying with four bottles around him, and Philly was stuck in a barrel.


    Becca got up from her doorstep and immediately walked inside to see Emily. She was sleeping soundly.


    Becca smiled, knowing that her daughter was enjoying herself for the first time in ages. She played with her friends and ate good food.


    She quietly walked over to her, picked her up, and slowly placed her on the bed, tucking her in. She gently kissed Emily on the cheek before leaving the house.


    Becca looked around and saw how everyone was having fun in a while. Something she knew was missing in this village. Something she couldn''t bring in ages.


    Normalcy has returned to the people.


    Becca wondered what would happen if this place got bigger. She walked down the dirt road, looking around and imagining a large, peaceful kingdom. No more hunger, no more tears, and no more extermination.


    And now she was meeting the man who was making this possible.


    After walking outside the village, Becca approached the tent that was pitched nearby. Axel was grooming Diego''s mane while Patricia sat by the campfire, humming a song.


    "Have you decided?" Axel asked, already aware of Becca''s presence.


    She stopped for a second and said, "No, I''m... I don''t know what to do. I never met a monster nor thought of trading with them. So I have no idea who to go with."


    Axel paused in his grooming of Diego''s mane and sat on a log stump, "Let me share something my father always told me about decision-making. First, you should consider: How does this decision benefit me? How does it benefit the people close to me? What benefits will the person I''m dealing with receive? And what risks will I face? If you take a seat, I can offer you more insight into making a choice." Axel continued to smile as he patiently waited for her.


    Becca didn''t waste time and sat by him with her legs and arms crossed, "Well speak royal boy." She said to him.


    "Certainly, let''s start with the druid tribes. They absolutely pity us and believe humanity''s extermination is justified, mainly due to us destroying so much wildlife and plant life. Demons believe that extermination is not justified and often assist humanity with certain issues in exchange for allowing demons to reside in the places that the humans have abandoned. And finally, the orcs don''t really care about both sides. They want to fight the strongest." Axel explained.


    "Then wouldn''t it make sense to ally with the demons?" Asked Becca.


    Axel shook his head and replied, "Not that simply. Demons do side with humanity, but they do it to solely expand their race. They have abilities that can corrupt both the soul and appearance of people. So little Emily might turn into a demon if you are not around. And you wouldn''t be able to notice at first." He made sure to use his words carefully which caused Becca to get frightened and horrified.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She jumped and immediately said, "Okay the orcs. Maybe-" Before she could finish, Axel briefly chuckled before saying, "Orcs love violence and challenges. The residence will be put in a life-or-death situation where the orcs will always remain superior." That information drop made Becca tremble and further increased her horrified expression.


    "The-" before she could even mutter a word. Axel already started speaking, "Druids are unlikely to trade with humans, even if they did. They will not help with the war by any means." He explained.


    Becca was speechless and struggling to find the right words. Axel continued to grin at her confusion, "No matter what you choose, there will always be a risk. However, only one option seems reasonable if we build a good relationship. Remember what I told you," he said.


    Becca stumbled for a moment before sitting down on the stump. She paused to consider her three options. Druid seemed like a one-sided relationship but seemed reasonable. Demon would sound perfect but there was no way in hell she would endanger Emily. The orcs just seem like the worsted option.


    She jumped off the stump and said, "We will go with Druids."


    Axel tilted his head and asked, "Why that?"


    Becca twirled her hair and said, "The demon''s corruption is going to be a major problem, and I don''t want the people to be harmed by the orcs. So, I suppose the druid will suffice." She sounded confident, but her assurance began to waver as she noticed him staring intently.


    Which caused her to stiffen up. But Axel got up and climbed up on his horse, "Alright let''s go." He said.


    Becca was taken aback by Axel''s forwardness. He tied his hair into a bun and removed his cloak, "Patricia, I will be back." he said as he tossed his cloak to her. She caught it immediately and put it on before sitting down by the fire and humming a soft melody.


    Axel continued to wait for Becca to climb aboard, "Let''s go." He said cheerfully.


    Becca sighed and climbed aboard, "Let''s go already."


    The pair immediately left the camp and headed east to the druid tribes, "I need to ask you something. What''s up with the girl. She seems odd."


    Axel sighed a brief moment before responding oddly cheerfully, "She seems mentally broken. I don''t know what she experienced by William. She doesn''t talk, she mainly spends her time singing and knitting baby clothing or even staring into nothingness in complete silence. Frankly, I''m not sure how I can fix her." Becca couldn''t understand his cheerfulness.


    "And why do you sound happy about that?" She asked


    After a long drawn silence, he said, "I''m not, I just don''t want my emotions to have the best of me. So I will just stick to my cheerful self." His voice sounded somber and Becca started to believe him.


    She didn''t see them once the party began, nor did they want to participate. She wondered how they were feeling right now.


    "I want to share some advice about speaking to Druids. They love animals, nature, and beauty. I hope you have good knowledge about the first two." Axel responded.


    Becca laughed confidentially and replied, "Trust me, my mother taught me about cows and flowers. And I''m cute, so we don''t need to worry. We''ll be fine."


    Axel laughed aloud before saying, "We are doomed." Which resulted in a punch against his back.


    (35 minutes later)


    They arrived at a small forest in the grassland just east of Neverport. The forest was beautiful with countless beautiful flowers and trees. But that beauty disappeared when the animals started staring at them.


    Axel drew his sword and handed one to Becca, "Don''t attack them, but if you have to defend yourself, just block and parry their attacks. They are-" Before Axel could finish his sentence,


    He immediately slashes an incoming arrow that nearly attacks him, "Be on guard." He jumped off Diego walked forward while twirling the sword in his hand.


    Seconds later, multiple arrows rain from the heavens aiming heading them.


    Once Axel stopped twirling his blade, he raised his arm to perform a slash. Becca noticed that his bandaged right arm was glowing with multiple blue symbols becoming visible. With a swift motion, he slashed through the air, releasing a blue energy wave that destroyed all the incoming arrows.


    Their attackers flee deeper into the forest, waiting for them to join them.


    Becca was completely stunned before shouting, "YOU CAN USE MAGIC!"


    Axel turned his towards her with a confident smile and said, "What king would I be if I didn''t have the power to back it up. Let''s go already."