《The Wolf And The Lion: Flames Of War》


 Chapter One

    A small gust of wind blew through the mountains, causing a small echoing howl that carried throughout the valley below and the village nestled within the natural protective walls of the mountains. Small plumes of grey and white smoke rose, the telltale signs of life and activity. The closer one got; the chorus of voices could be heard either hollering, shouting, chatting, or laughing. Still, only one subject seemed to be of any similarity, and that was rumours of growing political instability within the Empire they were apart of.


    ¡°Did you hear? The Princess has gone missing! Word has it she was kidnapped on her way to the capital,¡±


    ¡°I heard the Emperor and Empress have secluded themselves in the palace due to their daughter''s disappearance, and that the leaders of the Nobles faction are pushing for more control in their place using threats of violence, the royalists are barely able to hold onto power because of it!¡± rumours and bit of news carried across the small village''s busy streets.


    Yet, despite the rumours, there was a single point of focus¡­ the disappearance of the Imperial Princess. The news of the Crown Princess¡¯ going missing was seemingly on the lips of all citizens of the empire ¨C save two, it seemed. On the far-off edge of the village was a small home with a thatched roof, sitting proudly atop a small hill surrounded by a tiny stone wall and trees. A small dirt trail snaked up to the front door. Behind the door, two voices were locked in debate. Their muffled voices showing that neither bore any anger for the other but instead tried to argue the different options presented to the young men.


    Inside was a cozy lived-in home of six, yet only two currently dwelling within, discussing their futures. The decor and style of the home is the current style of the Rovian Empire with familial touches. A wooden home with white wallpaper and wood trim carved to look similar to marble, with the furnishings within being rather well made and put together, with some having cushions, showing that the family who lived here had some degree of money to afford some comforts ¨C or were more a way to appear as such to those within the village.


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s a terrible idea, L¨¦once! There¡¯s no way Rovia University would admit us, let alone humour our attempts to attend. Hell, our family barely has enough as it is to afford what we have here, so how could they afford us going to some fancy school for nobles, hmm?¡± Voiced one of the brothers, a young, handsome man with short brown hair styled more for efficiency, with deep emerald green eyes and pale skin, similar to his brother.The parts of his arms and face tanned by hours out in the sun and a stockier build were a stark contrast however with his brother, showcasing the notion that he was the type prone to hard work and craftsmanship.


    The other brother, L¨¦once, was a tall, equally handsome young man who looked more like the skinny, bookish type. His sandy, medium-length blond hair was tied into a neat ponytail, a style popular in the capital, but unlike his brother, he had none of the tan, showing he was indeed a match for his appearance.


    ¡°Dammit Loup! Money spent now will give us untold prestige, grandeur and most important... vaults of money~¡± Leonce retorted.


    Loup frowned, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back, ¡°No. While there is merit to getting a degree, the cost isn¡¯t worth it. Plus¡­ we¡¯re far too stupid for such a place.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ but we¡¯ll at least be the first and only ones of our family to attend! So, there¡¯s that.¡±


    Loup rolled his eyes, ¡°regardless, we¡¯ll have to find something else.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­ what do you have then, hmm? Doing as our parents wish, and farming like the rest of this boring ass town?¡± L¨¦once asked, plopping down onto a chair near the kitchen table.


    He shook his head again, ¡°Of course not. The whole reason we¡¯re discussing options is to avoid that hell.¡±


    ¡°So? Have any suggestions, then? Thus far, it¡¯s just been me shooting ideas out, and you just slapping each down with logic,¡± L¨¦once noted with a fake shiver at the mention of logic, as though making fun of the word.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder who the older sibling is¡­¡± Loup sighed.


    ¡°Easy! I¡¯m better looking~¡± L¨¦once gives a triumphant grin.


    Loup facepalmed and shook his head, ¡°Whatever. Anyway, I do have something. One I think even you might like.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve poked my curiosity, dear brother of mine,¡± The blond replied, leaning forward and resting the weight of his head on his hands.


    Loup finally smiled, ¡°Adventuring.¡±


    L¨¦once looked confused, ¡°And? What about it?¡±


    ¡°What if we become adventurers? You¡¯ve seen the posters around town hall asking for new recruits at the guild. This could be our chance to escape this place and make some real money while getting actually to see the world.¡±


    L¨¦once tilted his head, ¡°Ah, yes¡­ well, you forgot one small cavoite dear brother¡­ the life-threatening aspect of the job description.¡±


    ¡°And when has that stopped us?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ always? You do remember I¡¯m a coward, correct?¡± L¨¦once said, leaning back and folding his arms over his chest.


    Loup knew that was a lie. L¨¦once was considered the village¡¯s greatest swordsman; despite his appearance and mannerisms, his older brother was considered by most to be an incredibly talented fighter, but he always seemed to choose the mask of the fool. Most had forgotten his talents, and had instead opted to see him as the fool he acted like. It bothered him, but he didn¡¯t bother to voice such thoughts.


    L¨¦once could see his brother¡¯s discomfort as his green eyes narrowed on his own blue. Loup was the only one who know his capabilities just as he knew of his, but Loup was considered the better brother primarily due to how much he had done for the village. Often crafting works of art for the village, but that was never his passion. Forging and building were his real passion, but like himself, Loup was a talented fighter. They both were. Loup was more focused on range, while L¨¦once the blade. Give the wolf a musket, and he¡¯ll shoot a coin from a man¡¯s hand from 600 yards. Give the lion a blade, and he¡¯ll cut through a thick-trunked tree: the wolf and lion, Loup and L¨¦once.


    To many, they looked opposite their names but were, in fact, very much deserving of their namesakes. Both brothers chose to keep this from their family however; they believed it better to avoid the attention of others when possible regarding their martial talents, which was partially the reason for L¨¦once¡¯s dislike of his brother¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Listen, Leo, you, and I both know the only way we¡¯re getting out of here is if we take the opportunity presented via the Guild. Plus, it¡¯s not like we have to do any actual mercenary work. Adventuring means travelling, exploring, and searching abandoned ruins,¡± Loup started, pausing to take a sip of water, ¡°You never know; we might make enough coin to buy a title and surname for our family.¡±


    L¨¦once sighed, defeated. He wanted to argue against it but knew it was pointless. The only other options presented to them all cost money they didn¡¯t have or military service, and there was no way in hell he was going to join the Imperial Army if he could help it. Not with all these rumours of civil war brewing up across town.


    ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll do your thing then¡­ I suppose. But don¡¯t expect me to be happy about it, Lou. I¡¯m not exactly thrilled at the idea, but¡­ you¡¯ve never been wrong before, so, fuck it~ Let¡¯s become damned adventurers¡­ but if this gets me killed, I¡¯m going to be very upset.¡±


    Loup grinned, ¡°You¡¯ll be dead,¡±


    ¡°As if death would stop me from giving you one swift kick in the ass~¡± He quipped back.


    Both brothers laughed, happy to have finally narrowed down something of an idea for their potential future.


    After gathering together a few personal items, the two brothers wrote up a note to their parents stating they were going off to find their fortune in the world and gave their love before leaving. The first steps they took were filled with a mixture of fear and apprehension as their feeling of dread washed over both. The fear of failure hung over them like a fly to dung. Yet, they pushed through their fear and mustered up their courage and excitement and made for the Guild.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild, or simply the Guild, had branches across the known world and while the size of each branch varied, there was always a place for one to find work or put up a request for aid. In this case, the village of Oakenhart branch was a tiny brick building near the town centre. Given the safe nature of Oakenhart, there wasn¡¯t a lot of work for adventurers, so the branch served more as an employment center, sending prospective recruits off to the larger branches that had stuff for one to do, which was the reason for the brother''s choice this day.


    Standing in front of the two large hardwood doors, the brothers scanned the spartan fa?ade of the building, as though picturing the start of their grand future like the building before them. A blank slate, one with limitless potential.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually thinking that by the way,¡± Noted L¨¦once as he looked to Loup, who was confused.


    ¡°Thinking what?¡±


    ¡°You know what. Don¡¯t assume you weren¡¯t staring up at the building like it was some deep meaningful thing like the start of our careers.¡±


    Loup smiled, shaking his head, raising his hands in defeat, before turning to face his brother, ¡°So you were too.¡±


    Groaning at the cheesiness of it all, L¨¦once was the first to open the doors, ¡°Come on then, this was your idea after all.¡±

 Chapter 2

    As Leonce and Loup stepped into the room, they took a moment to absorb their surroundings. The first thing they noted was the spartan d¨¦cor. Blank, unadorned wooden tables were laid out on the left-hand side of the room, each a small space between the others to give just enough space for people to sit at each. The chairs were similar, nothing special, and looked more as though you¡¯d get a splinter sitting on one. Still, the building didn¡¯t appear to be a place for people to stay for long periods of time. A handful of individuals sat at a few of the tables, each keeping to themselves as they nursed a drink. In a way, it was surprising to see there was a bar here in this small guild building, but the brothers hazard a guess it was likely something normal for all Adventure Guild branches. Given the amount of work a branch might have, it made sense to make a little extra coin on the side while an adventurer waited for a contract.


    However, both brothers walked past the tables, with Leonce adjusting the straps of his backpack out of a nervous habit. While he talked with confidence, he tended to have an issue with his nerves whenever he entered a new location, while his younger brother Loup seemed to be immune to most shocks that would otherwise bother the older brother. Still, they had their focus, which was to say, the Clerk whose head was buried deep in a stack of paper. Neither could quite make out the individual over the paper until they drew closer and came to note the Clerk was a bookish woman with a pair of wire-rimmed glasses resting upon her button nose. Her tan skin told both she came from the Eastern desert Kingdoms of Halandra. A place brimming with scholars and culture despite its desert landscape.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Leonce said, gently rapping his knuckles against the wood desk.


    The woman raised a finger before jotting down a few more sentences with her quill before finally finishing whatever report she was tasked with, nodded, satisfied with her work. Looking up at the two young men, she was a bit surprised.


    ¡°Is it my birthday?¡± She asked with a playful grin.


    Loup and Leonce looked confused before Loup spoke first, ¡°Uh¡­ is it?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not¡­ hah,¡± She sighed, leaning back against her rickety old chair, before addressing the two properly, ¡°Venessia, Clerk and manager of the Oakenhart Guild Branch, at your service.¡±


    ¡°Leonce, older brother of the good Loup here and son of Masson and Alvery,¡± Leonce introduced himself first.


    ¡°Loup¡­ son of the same, and younger brother.¡±


    The Clerk nodded, ¡°A pleasure! Now¡­ what can I do for you boys, hm?¡±


    The brothers looked at each other before replying, ¡°We¡¯re here to sign up!¡±


    Venessia arched a brow, ¡°Oh, are you now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re rather proud of our skills despite being from a family of farmers~¡± Leonce stated proudly.


    Loup just remained silent, unsure how to talk with this woman as she seemed to be gauging the two.


    Taking in a breath, the Clerk nodded, ¡°Well ¨C I¡¯m happy to hear that! But, you both should know that we do have a trial period of sorts that you¡¯ll be required to pass if you¡¯re to be registered as official adventurers of the Guild.¡±


    As she spoke, she pulled out two contracts after a brief look through a cabinet behind her. Pulling out the slips she passed one to each of the brothers, handing them a quill as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like most places mind you. Instead, we require you to fetch and carry for a bit. Just getting a feel for your determination and see if you¡¯re actually committed to the life of an adventurer, as the jobs you¡¯ll often take won¡¯t be all about glory or combat. Rather, it¡¯ll be more odd jobs to help the townsfolk out,¡± She explained while both brothers filled out their names, much to her surprise, ¡°If that¡¯s fine with both of you, I¡¯ll have you undertake four requests we have.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Both finished signing the contract and pushed them back to Venessia, who gave them a quick look over before blowing on the ink and stowing them in a drawer under the desk for later filing, ¡°Of course we are! Wouldn¡¯t have signed the dotted line if we weren¡¯t~¡± Chimed Leonce.


    The clerk eyed him with some interest before leaning forward, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re motivated then,¡± She smiled.


    Loup didn¡¯t like the predatory look she had in her eyes but said nothing, merely keeping his stoic stance.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind him. He doesn¡¯t like to talk much unless it¡¯s vital,¡± Leonce said, noting his brother¡¯s silence.


    Venessia waved aside the apology, ¡°It¡¯s fine! Nothing to be sorry for; I actually like the strong silent types~¡±


    Loup¡¯s eyes widened, and Leonce couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his younger brother¡¯s reaction. Both were technically inexperienced in matters of romance and dealing with the opposite sex, so such reactions were normal for them, though still quite comedic for both when it happened to the other. Still, Leonce quickly shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand.


    ¡°Ahem, well, the faster we start, the better we can get things underway~¡± Leonce said with a playful grin.


    ¡°Fair enough. Well, there are a few odd jobs we have that need doing,¡± She noted before digging through a few of the requests, ¡°Most of them are just going out into the forest to gather herbs for the local apothecaries and town Mage.¡±


    She passed the four requests to the brothers as she made sure each had the actual reading ability to understand them. Leonce and Loup gave them a quick read-through, noting how they were essentially fetching quests to grab a few items. Astrid Root and Vespur flowers. Both were common in the mountain valley forest, but outside of Oakenhart, the plants were rare. It was one of the reasons why a Mage actually called the small, out-of-the-way village his home. Rare flowers, roots, and weeds sprouted in the forests around here, and given how they were used to brew mana potions, it was a no-brainer move on the part of the Mage. Both brothers didn¡¯t bother to question it, though; no one really did. It was just something that was part of everyday life in the village; plus, he did a fair bit for Oakenhart as well. He often repaired the simple light fixtures around town and even used his power to lift heavy objects with unseen hands.


    As the brothers left to carry out their first task, however, Vanessia watched them awhile longer. Leaning the weight of her head on her propped-up hand, she let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Hopefully, those jobs will be just right to deter them from going through with this¡­¡± she mused.


    In truth, there was no actual selection process regarding joining the Adventurers Guild, as it was usually just something one entered and started working on jobs right away. This case, though? No. The two boys were young, barely eighteen, and already signing up for a challenging and dangerous life. In her mind, the military would be a far safer job than adventuring. So, out of worry, she gave the two young men the jobs no one wanted to do. She hoped they¡¯d get bored and quit after the first two jobs.


    Meanwhile, both Leonce and Loup stepped out and into the center of town, despite the confident look they had, both actually felt a little awkward knowing they¡¯d be returning home, despite having left a letter stating they were leaving for greener pastures. Now, they were heading home. Adventurers, yes, but not fully fledged ones. Both brothers looked at each other, knowing what the other was thinking.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s not going to let us live this down¡­ is he?¡± Loup asked, already knowing the answer.


    Leonce frowned, ¡°That he will not Loup~ I fear our dear father is going to make fun our supposed failure, or think we¡¯ve likely given up half way on the road.¡±


    Both frowned, then sighed.


    ¡°Just means we gotta finish these jobs within the day then.¡±


    Raising a brow, Leonce smiled, ¡°Oh? Think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°One hundred percent. Remember, that time I went hunting with Dad while you were off working in the library?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Well, during that year Dad taught me a lot¡­ namely the different plants, where they grow, how they grow and what works best for luring in certain animals,¡± Lifting the first of the tasks, ¡°And it just so happens, the Astrid Root grows near the ruined bridge leading to the old watch tower just north of here.¡±


    Leonce grinned, ¡°Why¡¯re we waiting around then, little brother? Come on! Our future awaits!¡±


    Racing off to the north, both brothers felt a renewed sense of excitement course through them as they dashed through the busy village cobble streets and towards the woods, that led towards a single tall grey faced structure that looked ready to fall apart with only a small gust of wind.

 Chapter 3

    It didn¡¯t take long for Loup and Leonce to reach the tower ruins, and upon the two walking over the ancient stone bridge, they immediately began to scan the area for the Astrid Root. Loup smiled a predatory grin as he spotted a small grouping of the plant, and carefully began to dig them up, trying his best to preserve the treasured stems and roots while Leonce busied himself with studying the tower ¨C his academic curiosity getting the better of him in that moment.


    ¡°You going to help, or just stare at the tower all day?¡± Loup asked as he loaded a few of the plants into a sack.


    Shooting his brother a grin, ¡°Likely stare at the tower~¡±.


    Loup rolled his eyes as he continued to gather the required amount to complete the request, while Leonce just scanned the old watch tower.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird though,¡± Leonce noted, as he brushed his hands against the ancient stone.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°This. This tower. By all rights it should¡¯ve collapsed in on itself long ago, yet here it stands. As if its vigil has yet to be completed,¡± Leonce observed.


    After tying the sack and hanging it from his belt, he turned to focus on his brother, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Look at it. The wood¡¯s all but rotted away inside, and those were what acted as the support beams. There¡¯s no central pillar of stone, or something holding it together beyond its own weight, but even that doesn¡¯t add up¡­¡± He continued, walking over towards the entrance, ¡°Sometimes I forget how strange this valley is.¡±


    Loup raised a brow, somewhat unsure what he meant by that, ¡°The valley¡¯s strange? In what way?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Loup. We have a Mage calling our village home, when they generally dwell in cities, as they have everything they require there, and even if we do consider the rarity of the herbs we have here, it still doesn¡¯t make much sense to leave centers of culture and education,¡± He replied, ¡°Of course there¡¯s also the ruins deeper in the forest we¡¯re all forbidden from entering due to the numerous beasts that often dwell there, and finally, we got this strange marvel of engineering. Damnedest thing this¡­¡± Leonce explained as he continued to study the ruins.


    Taking a breath, Loup just shook his head, ¡°Strange or not. We got more important things to focus on¡­ namely our job. You know, the herbs?¡±


    ¡°Fine! You¡¯re right. Lets get the flowers and be off then~ Better to get these requests done as fast as possible. So, where in the hells are we supposed to find the flowers, Hmm?¡± Leonce asked.


    Loup nodded behind his older brother, prompting the blond to glance over his shoulder and see only a thicket of trees, prompting him to arch a brow, ¡°Really? Deeper into the woods? Sure that¡¯s wise, little Wolf?¡±


    He shot him a pointed glare at hearing the nickname, ¡°I¡¯m sure. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Alright, deeper into the scary beast-filled woods we go I suppose~ But don¡¯t go expecting me to fight anything. I see something larger than a boar, and I¡¯m running with my tail firmly between my legs.¡±


    Loup couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Still sticking to that act?¡±


    ¡°Always~¡± Leonce smiled.


    Trying to move as quickly as possible the two entered the woods, jogging outside the road, hoping to find the flower sooner. Loup assured Leonce the flower would be easy to find, as he and their father often found the rare flora whenever he took Loup hunting with him. Leonce didn¡¯t question whether his brother was speaking the truth either, as he knew for sure his little brother knew where they were going and what they were looking for. In truth, Loup was the one leading this expedition, Leonce was just along for the ride so to speak. But, the further they breached the woods, the more on edge the older brother was. The birds were still chirping, and there was still a fair bit of activity around the woods, but the atmosphere changed from light to dark. A heavy sense of dread began to well up within the older brother, and he slowly drew free a small dagger from its sheath, holding it in a defence-ready stance.


    Loup meanwhile was the very image of calm. He kept his own pistol holstered still, his eyes laser-focused on the task at hand. Unlike his older brother, he would be able to tell if something dangerous was moving towards them. The sounds, the forest life, and even the trees themselves would react to anything potentially life-threatening. It was why he didn¡¯t bother to react or get into a defensive posture like Leonce. Before long, he found what he was looking for. Pausing, he brought a closed fist up, calling for his brother to stop, only to point down to a small gully below wherein the rare flower was found in large flower beds.


    ¡°There¡­¡±


    Leonce peered over Loup¡¯s shoulder, a bit amazed at the sight before them, ¡°Wow. That¡¯s actually rather surprising.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Loup nodded, ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t take us long to complete these tasks.¡±


    ¡°I can see that now. Didn¡¯t know there¡¯d be that much just¡­ there, you know? Seems rather odd to see such a rare flower in such a place, in that large of a flower bed at that no less,¡± Leonce noted as he slid down alongside his brother to gather a few of the rare purple-pedal flowers.


    Loup shrugged, ¡°Nature¡¯s weird that way.¡±


    Leonce shot him a confused look, ¡°All the books I¡¯ve read seem to give the idea that such a flower bed is stupidly rare¡­ so rare in fact that it makes me question if this is some sort of trap or¡­ well, you know, a witch¡¯s garden.¡±


    Loup paused mid-pluck, pausing to look over at Leonce, ¡°If it is, all the more reason to gather what we need and move on quickly.¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Both brothers got the required amount, and once stowed away, Leonce was first to peak over the edge of the tiny gully, looking around to see if any beasts had crept up on them, but thankfully, the sound of life still echoed about the woods, giving him some degree of relief. Loup was next, and after a quick look around, he nodded and climbed out, followed closely by Leonce.


    Thus far, it seemed their luck had held out as they emerged from the woods and stepped back onto the stony pathway leading to the town. Even Loup looked back, a little surprised at how easily they were able to escape the woods, but he wasn¡¯t about to question it.


    ¡°Come on, the faster we get these plants submitted, the faster we can avoid going back home,¡± Loup said, breaking into a run.


    Leonce didn¡¯t need to be told twice either, as he knew full well what their dad would say if they came home after the letter they left. They told their parents they were leaving home for a life of glory, adventure, and excitement. Instead, they were still in Oakenhart. It was embarrassing to think about, as even the very thought made Leonce blush a bit at how stupid he¡¯d look going back home after writing all that.


    After a lengthy run, the two came to a stop in front of the Guild once more, this time panting and a little worse for wear, given all they had gone through to get to this place. While their adventurer wasn¡¯t particularly exciting or that action-packed, to them, it was just the start of something that could very well be great ¨C or well, that¡¯s what they told themselves as they pushed the two massive wooden doors open and stepped inside.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Leonce announced proudly, while Loup unloaded the bags of herbs onto the desk before the Clerk who stared at them a little surprised to see them here already.


    ¡°Oh? Oh! You actually got everything? That ¨C that¡¯s rather impressive and a little unexpected¡­¡± She mumbled, counting the herbs before marking off each and giving a small pool of coins to the two.


    As Leonce began to count the coins within the bag, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the Clerk staring at them, prompting the brothers to look to one another.


    ¡°What?¡± Loup asked, ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No. In fact, you performed rather impressively if I¡¯m being honest¡­ so much so I can¡¯t deny you entry into the Guild,¡± She said, pausing a moment to look past the two and note the arrival of the only team of adventurers in Oakenhart, ¡°Which is why¡­ we¡¯ll be giving you a final exam~¡±


    Leonce raised a brow, ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think you guys had that stuff?¡±


    Technically, they didn¡¯t, but this was her final chance to try and scare off the two young men before they found themselves in a job where not many emerged unscathed.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a way to ensure potential adventurers have what it takes to work in such a dangerous field, which is why¡­¡± She paused, waving over the group leader, a stocky tall man dressed in armour and leathers he could barely fit his muscle within, ¡°You¡¯ll be working with our Bronze level adventurers here ¨C Iron Shield!¡±


    The tall, stocky man looked confused and tilted his head, looking for the answer, only for Vanessa to pass him a new request.


    ¡°Iron Shield here are being tasked with clearing a cave not far from the terraced farms, as there have been reports of Goblin activity in and around the area, prompting fears from local farmers and the town that there might be another Goblin incursion into the town¡¯s outskirts. So to prevent such, we¡¯ve been tasked with performing three tasks,¡± She began to explain before she pushed herself up from her desk and to a nearby map, ¡°The first is to perform a search for any signs of Goblin activity, and if any is fine, you are to log it, mark down the areas then move onto the second.¡±


    She gave the group time to catch up, though they didn¡¯t need to be told, as it was more for the benefit of the brothers, as the group had done this a few times. They didn¡¯t need to be told this, and so the other three members just found a spot at a nearby table and waited for Vanessa to finish her briefing.


    ¡°The second task is actually to scout out the cave the Goblins are reportedly living within and see if there are any external threats such as traps, guards, etcetera. And finally¡­ clear the cave,¡± She said, her tone shifting away from her usual bubbly tone to a more determined and darker one, ¡°This is the final task and by far the most dangerous one. This is why we¡¯re going to use this as the perfect chance to test your determination and skillset. If you¡¯ve never taken a life¡­¡± She looked to Leonce, easily able to tell he wasn¡¯t one for hunting like his younger brother, ¡°This will be the best way for you to learn and come to terms with the deed. Make no mistake: killing these creatures is paramount to the success and safety of the valley. If you let even one survive, it will gather others and attack with such ruthless brutality that you¡¯ll think you¡¯re in a horror novel.¡±


    Her warning was enough to give the two a slight shiver running down their spines. But they weren¡¯t going to back down. They couldn¡¯t. So, acknowledging the task given to them, they made to interact with the others sitting at the table while a lone figure, a woman whose face was obscured by the heavy brown cloak, stepped up to whisper in Vanessa¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you scare them like that?¡± She asked


    The Clerk glanced over at her, then back at the boys, ¡°They¡¯re young¡­¡±


    ¡°So? What does their age have to do with anything?¡± She asked, confused.


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ hoping they¡¯re prepared for the life they¡¯re choosing to live¡­¡±


    At that, the cloaked woman came to understand, but still felt it a little odd, as she was about the same age as them, and she hadn¡¯t said anything about her place with Iron Shield. Shrugging, she turned to rejoin her companions to plan out a proper plan of action. All the while Vanessa watched a while longer, her mind flooding with potential bad ends for the two. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was worrying about them, but she was.

 Chapter 4

    It had been a few hours since the Iron Shield had left the Guild, bringing with them the two brothers, who pulled the rear, trying to see what it was they were supposed to learn from these Bronze-level Adventurers. Thus far, it was just a whole bunch of walking and some minor discussions between themselves.


    ¡°So¡­ what exactly are we supposed to learn from these guys?¡± Leonce asked with a bored sigh, his left hand hanging on the hilt of a spare rapier given to him by Vanessa.


    Loup shrugged, rolling his shoulder slightly as he adjusted to the musket on his back, slung over his right shoulder. Another gift from the Guild Clerk, as she didn¡¯t like the fact that neither brothers had their own weapons aside from a dagger and old pistol. Both were thankful for the weapons but were a little curious if this was how they treated all adventurers ¨C well, Leonce figured it was because Vanessa was interested in Loup.


    Either way, the brothers were thankful to have useable weapons to fight the goblins, although their condition didn¡¯t inspire confidence. Still, they¡¯d serve their purpose well enough, or so that¡¯s how Leonce viewed it. Giving the leather sheath a reassuring pat as they continued on their way. Loup also wasn¡¯t too confident in the musket and figured it would¡¯ve been better just to grab their dad¡¯s, but that would mean going back home, and suffering the embarrassment of facing whoever was home and read the letter Leonce had left. Just the thought alone was enough to send a shiver down Loup¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Yeah, no¡­¡±


    Leonce raised a brow, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Shrugging, Leonce just continued on his way, with Loup tagging close behind.


    Meanwhile, the cloaked woman would occasionally peek over her shoulder. She looked at the two, trying to figure them out. What was it that made them so special when all she got was a pat on the back and shoved into the Iron Shield with nothing but a ¡®good luck¡¯, yet these two boys come up, and she favours them and not her? It annoyed her, and she wanted to show her displeasure at such, but her time as an adventurer told her to reign in her emotions. Just as she turned back to the road, the tall man raised a hand, halting the group, before he pointed off towards the mountainside. The group peered through the woods and bushes, noting the person-sized hole leading into the reported cave infested with goblins.


    Outside, they were quick to spot two sentries. Goblins.The group noted they stood there haphazardly, barely paying attention to dangers that could be lurking in the woods before them.


    ¡°Ugly little buggers~¡± Leonce observed.


    True enough, the goblins stood four feet tall, with oily green skin, with boney long fingers gripping crude spears that seemed to appear ready to fall apart at a moments notice. Their eyes seemed to glow a dull red, attributing to their demonic nature and origins. These were evil creatures. There was no doubt they would murder, kidnap, and commit all manner of cruelty upon the townsfolk.


    ¡°Mhm. Get ready to kill them,¡± The giant man ordered.


    The brothers looked to each other, a little unsure what to say or do in that moment. It wasn¡¯t hesitation to kill, but rather their confusion regarding how they¡¯d do so without getting caught ¨C or well, Leonce showed signs of hesitation. Unlike Loup, Leonce had never actually hunted, or taken a life beyond the odd bug that flew into the library he worked at. It was Loup who knew how to take a life, not him. However, even Loup had his reservations. A wild animal was one thing, but these were technically sentient creatures. A strange nervous sensation began to bubble up within their stomachs, with Leonce shooting his brother a grin.


    ¡°Feels like I got butterflies, Loup~¡±


    Loup raised a brow and smiled. He wanted to laugh, but he held it in, knowing it wouldn¡¯t do good to give away their position. Meanwhile, the members of Iron Shield just watched the two with a degree of impatience before finally the cloaked woman stepped forward, whispering something under her breath before suddenly two blue arrows seemed to form ahead of her. Within moments, they were off, faster than anyone could follow, each slamming into the heads of the goblins, killing them instantly. The two brothers stood in stunned silence, a little shocked by the display of magic. They¡¯d seen magic before, yeah, as the Mage had often showcased his powers, but it was only flashy shows to entertain the town during festivals or events. This was the first time they¡¯d seen offensive magic up close.


    ¡°That was new,¡± Leonce thought aloud, with Loup nodding silently in response.


    The cloaked woman turned to face the two; a prideful grin spread across the pale skin not obscured by the shadows cast by the hood. She wanted to show off more, but her leader nudged her forward.


    ¡°Come on. We have to move fast. Goblins have hidey holes all over this mountainside¡± He said while scanning the mountainside for any murder holes or holes for sentries to look out.


    Leonce looked confused, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re going to be here for more than a single day?¡±


    The leader turned to him, giving him a judging look, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No. Goblins tend to gather in a single place to feast, breed, and party until they choose to go out on another raid or someone invades their burrow,¡± He explained finally.


    Stepping forward, the group advanced, taking care not to alert any potential goblin sentries within the cave mouth. Leonce and Loup followed close behind, with Leonce drawing the rapier free from its sheath and Loup fixing a ring bayonet around the barrel of his musket. The two looked and felt ready; their nerves, however, spoke otherwise. Hands shaking, Leonce had to squeeze his right hand, trying to steady himself, while Loup managed to reign it in ¨C ever the cool-headed one. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    As they entered the cave, the inky darkness quickly consumed them, giving them all a moment of temporary blindness as they carefully traversed through the cave¡¯s central tunnel. The putrid smell of rotting flesh and grey plumes of smoke clinging to the ceiling gave away the location where the goblins were likely feasting and partying. As the group adjusted to the darkness, it became easier to move, and it became clear what passages were traps and which ones were the way forward. It seemed whoever led this tribe had some intelligence, so much so that they had devised a method to split off the tunnels and have whatever smoke came billowing out travel one way while avoiding the other.


    ¡°How the hell did these creatures come up with such a thing?¡± Leonce asked in a hushed tone.


    This time, it was the cloaked woman who answered, her voice low, ¡°Normally¡­ they don¡¯t. Something¡¯s off about these ones. Best keep close and do as we do. The likelihood of traps being set across the ¡®safe¡¯ path is very high.¡±


    Leonce nodded, ¡°I take it you¡¯ve dealt with this before?¡±


    ¡°Once¡­ near the deserts of the South. There was a goblin warlord there who had a bit of a brain in his head. They managed to lure in two adventurer teams, each numbering about ten. Took the women as slaves and ate the men.¡±


    The brothers recoiled at hearing the story, and instead of making the brothers bolder, it only had the opposite effect, with Leonce feeling the pangs of fear well up within him. It was only when Loup squeezed his shoulder, reassuring him, which allowed the blond to calm down visibly. Both brothers would never leave the other to such a horrid fate.


    With careful and practised steps, each of the adventurers managed to undo or disarm the many traps that lay before them in the tunnels. Each time, they would find a goblin in an alcove, and each time, that goblin would die. A quick thrust up through the creature¡¯s neck, cutting the jugular and then up through the jaw to prevent a scream or howl of pain. The bodies were left where they were slain, as the passageways soon began to just converge into a single long length of tunnel. The walls had been chiselled and carved with crude, primitive tools, with some of those tools being found leaning on the walls or left discarded and broken on the floor. Goblins were never the cleanest of creatures, so when something had lived out its usefulness, they tossed it, left it, or discarded it in a way befitting demons. Still, as the group continued to traverse the narrow passageway, the rancid smell became worse. Leonce had to force himself to swallow the puke; he nearly spewed out at the smell while his brother toughed it out, already akin to such smells during his time as a hunter.


    Still, Leonce was determined not to make a mess of this. Their lives and the lives of everyone back in the village were at stake. The brothers knew this, and it was for this reason that they pushed aside their fear for a moment, turning it instead into determination.


    As the goblins danced and praised their dark masters, the Iron Shield Adventurers began to set up. Muskets were quickly loaded, and the cloaked woman had finished downing a small herbal mix that acted as a sort of mana potion. The others, meanwhile, had their melee weapons drawn and ready. Blades had been slicked in mud to avoid their shine and sheen from being caught in the light emitted by the glow of the fire in the centre of the chamber. So blinded by the light of the fire and their celebrations, the goblins had no idea of their impending doom.


    Once everyone was set, the leader gave a wave with his index and middle fingers, and suddenly, all hell broke loose.


    Loup stood up, bringing his musket up, his ears stuffed with cotton to muffled the sound that was soon to follow, and took aim, focusing on the figure sitting on the chair. A Hobgoblin by the looks of it, the surprise evident on the creature¡¯s face as Loup aimed and fired. The Musket bucked in his hands, but his training and experience with firearms had given him a better handle on managing the recoil and how best to fire accurately ¨C even in these darkened environments. The distance was short, and so it was the metal ball found its target, killing the hobgoblin in one swift moment of shock and awe.


    The goblins watched in terror as their leader slumped dead. Screams of panic erupted all around the chamber, as the greenskinned demons began to scramble for their weapons, only for the other adventurers to emerge from the darkness, blades raised or poised to strike. The first wave of goblins died, as the leader and the other melee focused adventurers of Iron Shield made quick work of the fear striken creatures. All but one of the Adventurers slew the goblins quickly, with that one individual being Leonce¡­


    He''d never taken a life before. Sure, he¡¯s killed bugs, but this was different, this was something he¡¯d never seen in all his life. Unlike his brother, he wasn¡¯t prepared for this type of scenario. Loup had some mental fortitude against this type of thing, and he knew it. Sticking to the shadows, he watched his younger brother, bash the skull in of a goblin as it tried to lunge for him. All the while, he just stood there. Frozen. Fear clung to him like it did the demonic creatures. He knew what needed to be done, and he knew the price of hesitation. His old swordsmanship master used to tell him such. Drilling it into his head every day and night how the enemy of a warrior was hesitation.


    ¡°Fear was a weapon, just as anger when harnessed correctly, but hesitation¡­ wasl''s how warriors die,¡± As his old mentor once said.


    Leonce clutched the hilt of his blade tighter. He had to fight himself here; his own mind was working against him. It wasn¡¯t until the strange woman in the cloak came up beside him and shook his shoulder that he finally snapped free from the prison of his mind. Turning wide-eyed, he saw her finally. The dull orange glow of the fire casts a light over the features that the shadows cast by the hood had once hidden. There, he saw the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen. Soft pale skin, icy blue eyes, ruby lips, with a straight nose with a feint sprinkling of freckles.


    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± She shouted.


    At her holler, Leonce did just that, shaking his head, as though to clear his mind.


    She looked at him a moment before quickly adding, Don''t hesitate! If you freeze up, you die. These creatures won¡¯t show you mercy if you beg for it! So swing your damn sword, stow your hesitation and feelings of remorse for later!¡±


    He nodded, and as she released his shoulder, he thrust the tip of the rapier past her, and stabbed into a goblin that had been aiming for the woman¡¯s back.


    Looking over her shoulder at her would be attacker, she turned to face Leonce, a smile now spreading across her face, ¡°We can say we¡¯re even now,¡± she quipped, before conjuring up a fireball in her hand and launching it at a group of goblins about to swarm her team leader.


    Leonce stood there for a moment longer, watching her as she ran off to join the fray once more. Lifting his blade up, he watched as the black blood of the goblin he slew trickled down the length, and with one swing of his blade, he got rid of the worst of the ichor, the rest would need to be wiped off with a cloth. For now though, he overcome his hesitation and lunged into the battle, coming up beside his brother in time to save him from being stabbed in the side.


    ¡°Sorry little Wolf! Had to sort my brain out.¡±


    Loup smiled, knowing his brother had come to some realization, and nodded, ¡°Better late then never.¡±


    Both smiled and resumed their duty.

 Chapter 5

    The battle with the goblins was a brutal and quick affair. Having lasted just under thirty minutes, with most of that time spent hunting down and clearing out the remaining goblins that hid within the cave. By the end of the battle, Leonce and Loup were exhausted, both no longer caring about the smell or scent of anything that had once brought Leonce to the point of vomiting. So thoroughly were they beyond caring that they sat near the piled corpses of the goblins while the Iron Shield adventurers finished their search for the remaining goblins and to see if there were any captives. With a bitter sigh, the leader emerged from a crude cage, carrying with him the remains of what was once another adventurer. All there was now were bones.


    ¡°This is why you don''t show these fuckers any mercy,¡± The leader growled, hate clear in his tone as he spat on the lifeless body of the hobgoblin.


    Leonce watched the display but chose not to say anything, thinking it better to remain silent. Given what the man likely saw, he could understand the disdain for the demonic creatures.


    ¡°That it?¡± Loup asked, breaking the brief moment of silence that followed.


    The man shrugged, ¡°For the moment. Chances are a few of the damnable creatures managed to escape in the chaos, so you can be sure there¡¯ll be another job in the near future.¡±


    Loup sighed, believing they were likely going to be stuck in Oakenhart longer than they intended. Meanwhile, Leonce was pretty calm; he wagered the opposite. He hoped their efforts this day would earn the approval necessary to escape their hometown and head out for an actual adventure¡­ and avoid the awkward discussion they¡¯d likely have with their parents and sister should they go home defeated.


    ¡°So, what now, then?¡± Leonce asked.


    The leader paused a moment to think. Looking at the discarded harness in his gloved hand, he frowned.


    ¡°Well, for now, I¡¯d say the mission is complete. There¡¯s no chance we¡¯ll be able to find any stragglers as it is. They¡¯d be careful in their escape. They¡¯d have made sure to cover their tracks¡­ despite their low intelligence, they still have enough to cover their tracks,¡± He answered.


    Leonce nodded, a bit relieved ¨C all things considered. Meanwhile, Loup began to busy himself with counting the remaining rounds he had for his musket. It didn¡¯t take long to count how many charges and balls he had left. After a slight nod, showing he was satisfied with the ammo count, he stowed his ammo back into its leather pouch and turned to his brother.


    ¡°We leaving then?¡± Loup asked.


    Leonce nodded, a bit unsure, ¡°I suppose we are~ Though, to be fair, I¡¯d be surprised if anything was still alive as the big man suggests there to be.¡±


    Loup shrugged; he didn¡¯t have an answer to such a question. He only knew how many goblins he killed in the battle, not them. He didn¡¯t bother to count the dead that littered the floor mere moments before. L¨¦once turned away, knowing he wouldn¡¯t get anything more from his younger brother, and instead focused on the beauty that was the cloaked woman. He still couldn¡¯t get her out of his head, not after seeing her for the first time. All he¡¯d actually seen of her was a brief look, everything else was obscured by the strange shadow cast by the hood. He figured it was some magic but didn¡¯t bother to look too far into it.


    Shaking his head, he had to pull himself back to the here and now, turning to face his younger brother, who was already up and moving towards the exit, musket slung over his shoulder.


    ¡°Woah! Don¡¯t just leave me like that, Loup!¡± Leonce called out, quickly rushing to follow Loup.


    But just as he caught up, he peered over his shoulder one last time. They caught each other in that moment, both quickly looking away. Loup saw it and looked confused but stowed it for later. For now, the main focus was getting out of this hellhole and getting some much-needed fresh air as the scent of shit and blood began to play foul with his stomach.


    As the group emerged from the mouth of the cave, with the last two of the Iron Shield carrying with them a small horde of goods from within, both brothers took a moment to breathe some much-needed fresh air. It was like a blessing. As though they¡¯d never truly appreciated the scent of the forest until now. Leonce acted more dramatically as he gestured his hands as though wafting the fresh air into his nose and out his mouth, purging the foul air from the goblin den. Loup, meanwhile, took slow, even breaths, steadying himself. He wasn¡¯t like his older brother in how he liked to make a show of certain things, but he understood why he did it. It was better that way. It kept people thinking.


    ¡°Alright! Enough lollygagging, and let''s move out!¡± The big man barked, waving for the group to move forward.


    Some of the members let out groans of annoyance, and a few grumbled about how they wished to have a few minutes of rest, but it seemed their fearless leader wasn¡¯t having it. Both Leonce and Loup were just happy to get as far away as possible from the den, and get their reward so they could be on their very merry way. But, just as the group began to move out, the cloaked woman came to walk beside the two brothers this time. Her jealousy and ire seemingly gone now, when not long before the battle she was shooting them glares and stares of hostility. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°You know¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure about you two. But after what I witnessed in the cave, I think you¡¯ll both do alright out there. Just ¨C try not to be all melodramatic about killing some goblins, yeah?¡± She smiled.


    Leonce blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed while Loup just raised a brow and gave her a confused look.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Loup grunted.


    The woman shrugged with a smile, ¡°Nothing!¡±


    She left the two brothers in an awkward silence for a bit, as Leonce tried to cool his head, while Loup tried to figure out what the hell just happened. Regardless of the odd display, to both brothers, it seemed they proved themselves and their skills to the Iron Shield, which they hoped would translate to a passing grade from the Guild Clerk Vanessa.


    ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t think we got your name yet?¡± Loup suddenly asked, breaking the silence.


    The cloaked woman nodded, ¡°True, but you didn¡¯t need to know it¡­ till now,¡± She answered with a smile.


    Leonce looked away as though trying to find something in the nearby woods while the cloaked woman looked at him, then back to Loup, ¡°Aelizabeth. My name¡¯s Aelizabeth,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°Aelizabeth, that sounds like the Princess¡¯ name?¡± Leonce asked, his interest finally breaking him free from his embarrassment.


    Aelizabeth nodded, ¡°That was the intent, yes,¡± She started, noting how quickly the blond¡¯s face flushed, ¡°My parents were hoping that if I shared a name with the one set to inherit the throne, I¡¯d get the same luck as she¡­ and, as you can clearly see ¨C it didn¡¯t work,¡± She smiled.


    Leonce chuckled while Loup just smirked, shaking his head. The two brothers could understand that a bit. Their own names were chosen based on something similar. Leonce was named to be like a Lion, while Loup was named after the wolves that stalked the woods in packs. Their names did fit them when one looked at their personalities and appearances, but others would often think such to be silly and ignore such naming sense, seeing it as more comedic given how both brothers were L and L.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about luck or not, but, at least you have more freedom than she does. She was forced to live a life she likely cared little for~¡± Leonce said.


    Loup shrugged, ¡°Or she liked it.¡±


    Aelizabeth didn¡¯t answer; rather she peered down at the ground as they walked in silence for a moment longer than anticipated, before finally looking up and saying, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re correct¡­ both of you. My guess is she likes some parts but hates others.¡±


    Leonce twitched his features in a show of agreement, ¡°True. There would be quite a few perks associated with being a royal ¨C but just as many negatives.¡±


    At that, Aelizabeth agreed wholeheartedly, ¡°Exactly!¡±


    Loup looked off a moment, ¡°Weird¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Aelizabeth asked before Leonce could.


    He paused momentarily, unslinging his musket as he did, ¡°I thought I heard some branches snap¡­¡±


    Leonce looked puzzled for a moment but didn¡¯t question his younger brother¡¯s wariness. If he was feeling off about something, that meant it was better to air on the side of caution. Carefully, Leonce drew his blade, while Aelizabeth looked a little perplexed but raised her wand, holding it at the ready. A simple knarled thing, it gave her all the power she needed, and with the three of them prepared, it seemed like the would-be ambushers took this chance to dart away, leaving Loup to frown.


    ¡°They ran off.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I take it beasts were trailing us? Maybe the goblins? Bloody green buggers sure were persistent back in the cave, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Leonce said.


    Loup shook his head, ¡°Mmm¡­ no,¡± He shook his head, ¡°This was something else. Likely another group of adventurers coming out here for the same job?¡±


    Aelizabeth shrugged, ¡°Shouldn''t be. Once a party accepts the job, the request is taken down ¨C unless, of course, there was a request for more than one party.¡±


    Loup¡¯s frown deepened briefly before it faded, and he returned to his neutral expression, ¡°Well, they¡¯re gone.¡±


    The three lowered their guard, with Loup slinging his rifle after making sure it was safe to do so. Meanwhile, Leonce and Aelizabeth were able to effectively sheathe their weapons in quick order. Once all was away, the trio made to catch up with the rest of the group. The rest of the walk towards town was uneventful, with Leonce a little surprised by such, given his brother¡¯s earlier worries. It was odd to him, especially after the battle in the cave. Switching off that aggression and adrenaline came with some extreme fatigue that he was sure only he was really feeling, given the state the others were in. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to Loup¡¯s prior experience as a hunter or because of his relaxed demeanour. Either way¡­ he was jealous. However, he wouldn¡¯t voice such things.


    As they entered the Guildhall once again, Leonce quickly found a place to sit down and rest, leaving his younger brother and the rest of the party to go make the report. Vanessa seemed to be a little shocked to see the group return, as she expected the whole journey to be¡­ well¡­ a journey. Evidently, she had miscalculated again, and seeing that the two brothers were once again back with a completed request, she found herself with yet another defeat. She knew now that there was nothing she could do or say that might dissuade the two young men from continuing with the adventurous lifestyle. At first, she thought they might get poor grades from the leader of the Iron Shield, but as he detailed their actions and their deeds and highlighted how many goblins each brother had killed, Vanessa finally let out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°Well~ it seems you¡¯ve passed every test we had for you two ¨C and with flying colours no less, which leaves me with no other option than to reward you both with the rank of Cooper ranked adventurers!¡± She announced, handing both Leonce and Loup each a small necklace displaying the colour of their rank.


    Both smiled, feeling a moment of excitement well up within them as they draped the necklaces around their necks with pride. It was one small step towards the life and freedom they dreamed of.

 Chapter 6

    After getting their rank, neither brother knew what to do. They had the key to their freedom, but at that moment, they were lost for what to do next. Both looked at each other, hoping the other would have an idea, but neither seemed to have the answer. Instead, it was Aelizabeth who walked up, handing Leonce a request from the board. A simple hunting quest to cull a pack of wolves in the outskirts of town.


    ¡°Here. I figured you¡¯d be unsure what to do next, so I took the liberty of finding you both a job that would give you something,¡± She said with a small chuckle.


    Leonce blushed and opened his mouth to speak, but Loup spoke first in his usual aloof way, ¡°Thanks. This would help us actually.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, Leonce finally spoke up, ¡°Y- *cough* indeed! With something to focus our minds, we¡¯ll surely come up with a proper plan of action!¡±


    Aelizabeth chuckled, ¡°Of that, I have no doubt. Just¡­ try to be more careful out there ¨C both of you.¡±


    ¡°We will, and thanks again for what you said to me back in the cave, I guess ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. But, in the meantime, it seems my boss wants to head out. With our rewards split, we¡¯re off to go complete another task before moving on to the next town over. If you ever find yourself in Kiron, feel free to look me up. Normally I stay at the inn there,¡± She said with a smile, before gesturing towards the two pieces of silver on the table for the brothers.


    Leonce grabbed both coins, passing one over to Loup before turning to Aelizabeth, ¡°Well¡­ hopefully we¡¯ll be able to work with you again soon,¡± He said with a smile.


    She returned it with the same warmth before nodding, only for the leader of the Iron Shield to call out to her, ¡°Come on! We¡¯ll leave you behind if you don¡¯t hurry your ass up! Move it!¡± He barked, prompting Aelizabeth to jump, a little surprised by how loud he was.


    ¡°Coming, boss!¡± She called out before looking back at Leonce and Loup one final time, before offering them a nod, ¡°Take care, you two; I do hope we¡¯ll see each other again in the future. Until then, keep working on your skills!¡± She said, running out after the rest of her team.


    Leonce stood in silence, waving goodbye as the door closed behind her. Meanwhile, Loup was busy looking over the request that had been passed to them. It seemed like an easy job ¨C far more straightforward than the goblin purge. He bit his bottom lip in thought, trying to come up with something.


    It was then the blond brother patted Loup on the shoulder, ¡°Well, no point wasting any more time here, eh~¡± He said, flashing his cheeky grin.


    Loup just sighed, nodding in agreement, ¡°Mhm. If we kill enough of the pack before dawn, we¡¯ll be able to secure enough coin to book a trip out of Oakenhart.¡±


    Leonce liked the sound of that and was already beginning to brim with excitement, ¡°Dear brother, sometimes I forget which of us is the educated one!¡±


    A rare chuckle from Loup prompted them to move on before giving Vanessa a small wave goodbye themselves while the Clerk watched with some hope that they might do alright out there. Given the skills they displayed on their quest to take out the goblins, gathering the herbs, and coming back well before the expected time ¨C well, there was little doubt in her mind anymore. So, giving the two boys a wave, she shot them both a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you both in a few hours then!¡± She called out as they made their exit.


    Meanwhile, outside, both brothers paused a moment, with Loup pulling out a map he had tucked away earlier within his inner coat pocket. Unfolding it on a nearby bench, he and Leonce quickly examined the pack''s location relative to where they were and how long it¡¯d take to get there.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ seems it¡¯ll be an hour-long walk once outside the town,¡± Observed Leonce, his finger drawing an invisible line from where they were to the wolves.


    Loup nodded in agreement, ¡°Mhm. And oddly enough, it leads us down the same road Iron Shield is taking.¡±


    Leonce raised a brow, ¡°Oh? I thought they¡¯d take the east exit?¡±


    Shaking his head, ¡°Too long. This would only add unnecessary time to their travel. The path south is quicker but more dangerous, but given who they are, I don¡¯t see that as a problem.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, I guess we¡¯re seeing them earlier than we thought then?¡±


    ¡°Likely.¡±


    Leonce frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re making that face again.¡±


    ¡°What face?¡±


    ¡°You know ¨C the face! The one that screams trouble.¡±


    Loup straightened and turned back towards the north, recalling the strangers who had been tailing them before melting back into the woods, ¡°Worried more like.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Remember earlier on when I said we were being followed?¡± Loup asked, his attention focused on his brother.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re likely to make another pass at us, so I¡¯m just being pessimistic,¡± He explained.


    Leonce shrugged, ¡°Well if it comes to that, we run. There are enough trees and bushes around where we¡¯re going that we can easily outrun any attackers, and with all the cover, we¡¯re not likely to be shot by a musket unless it''s one of those fancy-ass rifles the merchants keep talking about.¡±


    ¡°True. Still, better to be overprepared than under¡­¡±


    Nodding, Leonce folded the map and stuffed it into his younger brother¡¯s inner coat pocket, ¡°You worry too much. Let me be the one to do it from time to time. Besides~ I get to see Aelizabeth again; how can I not be a little excited to take the southern road?¡±


    Loup cracked a smile and shook his head, ¡°Fair,¡± he said before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll take point then.¡±


    With that, they were off, quickly making for the southern road, hoping the wolf hunting would be just as smooth as the last two.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Minutes soon passed into half an hour as they left the safety of Oakenhart and into the monster infested woods of the south. Neither brother was worried however, and instead, they seemed almost giddy in a way. Not that Loup would show his excitement the same way his older brother would, but one could tell in the way he walked. He was surer footed, and radiated with a type of confidence that only served to motivate Leonce. When the wolf was happy, so was he. It was when Loup was on edge, that was when it was time to worry. As it was, they were thus far close to their objective, and close to seeing Iron Shield once again. The thought of seeing Aelizabeth was something that excited Leonce more, which when one considered his age, made plenty of sense. A young eighteen-year-old man, with no real romantic experience, seeing such a beautiful woman for the first time in their life? It was bound to happen.


    Though, the further in they went the more Loup¡¯s mood began to sour. Something was wrong, and the youngest could feel it. The forest was still. Like a dangerous predator was on the prowl.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± Loup asked.


    Leonce looked confused and shook his head, ¡°Nothing,¡± He replied, noting he heard literally nothing beyond their footsteps and voices.


    ¡°Mhm¡­ exactly. Somethings off about this place. No birds, no bugs, only us.¡±


    ¡°So? Could it be the wolves?¡±


    Loup shook his head, ¡°Unlikely. I¡¯ve hunted wolves before; the woods never went quiet like this. Its almost as if they were spooked by something.¡±


    ¡°Or someone,¡± Leonce suggested.


    Both brothers nodded in agreement, each carefully arming themselves. Leonce drew free the rapier, while Loup unslung his musket and began to load it. It was a muzzle-loaded weapon, so it was slow going, but it was made all the more painfully slow by the fact he was trying to be as silent as possible as they both treaded further into the woods. Neither bothered to look at the other. Instead, they watched their fields of view but kept close enough together that they wouldn¡¯t lose the other. They wanted a complete defence and a way to avoid getting caught off guard by whoever or whatever spooked the wildlife.


    Moving further in, they suddenly began to hear something. The sounds of metal clashing against metal.


    ¡°Fighting?¡± Leonce thought aloud.


    Loup frowned but nodded, ¡°Likely. If they¡¯re focused on each other, they¡¯re likely not prepared for two more. Keep low and follow me,¡± Loup instructed.


    Both brothers melted into the woods, ducking into the thicket, taking care not to step on a branch to give themselves away as they began to check who was fighting. They both had a feeling who was being attacked, but neither wanted to voice such.


    Drawing in closer to the sounds of combat, they came to see their initial theory was correct. Before them was Iron Shield facing off against a small token force of men dressed in uniforms neither brother had seen before. Crimson Red coats, with cr¨¨me coloured pants, and black tricorn hats. They looked rather odd to both, but it seemed they were skilled enough to have killed two of the Iron Shield members, whose bodies lay strewn about the floor with three of the red coated attackers. The leader, meanwhile, was desperately blocking, parrying, and roaring with fury as he swung his axe out towards the closest foe, only for them to quickly backstep and make an attempt at the giant of a man. Aelizabeth meanwhile continued to do her best, but it seemed she was bested, as two men grabbed her from behind, with one stuffing a cloth into her mouth, another blindfolding her before they dragged her away. They knew why. If she couldn¡¯t speak the words of power, or see where she¡¯d fire them, she was effectively robbed of her combat potential. Once she was dragged away, they made swift work of trussing her up, tying her up in a tight hogtie. She lay there thrashing helplessly against her bonds, while the rest of her team struggled to fight off their attackers.


    Leonce feels a rise in anger at the sight of Aelizabeth being treated in such a way, but Loup shakes his head, knowing the numbers there could easily overpower them. Yet, still, Leonce felt himself burning with rage, his pride thrashed about, spurring him to tighten his grip around the hilt of his blade. Loup could practically feel the change in his brother''s aura; he seemed different. Something told him it would be better to let the lion loose as it were. He didn¡¯t want to act on this feeling, though, as he saw the leader of the Iron Shield go down with an anguished cry of outrage; he¡¯d only managed to kill three of the men who killed him.


    But, it was that final cry that snapped Leonce¡¯s ability to maintain his rationality. Standing up, he emerged from the woods, his blade flashed as the tip plunged through the closest man¡¯s throat. The man grasped at the blade in breathless panic before Leonce thrust the blade in further to the hilt and with a cruel rip, cleaved the man¡¯s head free from his shoulders. He stood there, his eyes darkened with murderous intent that caused all to freeze in a moment of surprise and terror at the brutal sight that just unfolded before them all. The ten remaining men stood in silence for a moment, before their officer spoke up.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?! Kill him!¡± He barked.


    Quickly shaking the fear from their minds, the first raised his musket to fire, only for his head to crack back as a shot rang out from behind Leonce. Loup stood, his musket smoking. He didn¡¯t care much for Iron Shield; he didn¡¯t know them, but Leonce was his brother and his brother''s enemies were Loup¡¯s as well.


    The others quickly began to cock and load, but Leonce lunged forward, bloodied blade thrusting forward with surprising speed that the nineth man could barely respond in time to deflect the blade as it stabbed through his chest, heart, and out the back. But one of the others used his death to try and get a shot off at Leonce before Loup could reload, only for Leonce to pull the dying man close and use him as a meatshield. Two rounds slammed into his back, but, as the blond had prepared for the blowback, he was able to take the shock before letting the weight of the bodies fall, sliding the blade free. As one man began to panic and reload the man next to him tried to charge Leonce with bayonet fixed.


    Blue eyes seemed to flash in the moment as he saw the threat before him, he side stepped the bayonet, slapping it aside with his left hand, before he thrust upwards the basket of the rapier up and into the man¡¯s nose, breaking it. The man fell backwards, but as he did the other had nearly completed his reload only for his head to explode as Loup stepped out from the woods now. The enemy moved quickly to try and kill Loup whom they thought the weakest, while the officer, tried to rush to the cart to drive away in that moment, only for the Iron Shield leader to use the last breath of life he had left to swing his blade up, slashing the man¡¯s back. Those seconds were all the brothers needed¡­


    As the men charged Loup, they did the one thing they shouldn¡¯t have ¨C turned their back to a Lion. Leonce lashed out with his rapier, the tip coming to slash the first two¡¯s Achilles tendons, causing them both to fall forward in cries of shock and pain, while the third saw his bayonet batted aside by Loup who reached out with his hands and grabbed the man¡¯s throat and squeezed with a force of a wolf¡¯s bite, crushing his throat with gory results. The body crumpled before Leonce spun around in time to roll to the side, narrowly avoiding a shot to his head. Leonce buried his left foot into the ground to stop his slide before digging his right in and breaking out into a headlong sprint towards the remaining men. They began to break and run at the sight of the duo who had so brutally murdered their fellows, but they didn¡¯t get far before Loup lifted one of the dead men¡¯s loaded muskets and with a loud crack two men fell. One was killed by the bullet, the other maimed by the shrapnel sprayed out by the bullet as it passed through the man¡¯s skull and out into a tree, causing a shower of shards to cause the second to fall in a fit of pain. The other saw his open mouth speared into by Leonce. He was barely alive before Leonce snapped the man''s neck with a wrench of his blade, killing him instantly.


    All that slaughter had happened so quickly that the officer, as he turned to finish the leader of the Iron Shield off with his sabre, gasped at the absurdity. Now two extremely dangerous men stood before him, their eyes focused.


    ¡°D- demons!¡± He screamed out in a fit of panic, legs giving out as he scrambled away.


    Through his eyes, he saw four eyes that looked like demonic beings. Golden-blue iris¡¯ shined from Leonce, while icy white-grey came from Loup. One stood like a Lion, ready to pounce on its next kill, while the other appeared like the Alpha Wolf, ready to bite down on the neck of its prey. The officer knew he was dead in that moment, as both brothers walked up, and silently plunged the tip of their blades through the officer, killing him with a coldness one might expect from veteran soldiers.


    The wounded men of the outfit cried and tried to crawl away, but they didn¡¯t last long as Loup silently dispatched them with a thrust of the bayonet. All red coated men were dead, not one survived. The Iron Shield had been avenged¡­

 Chapter 7

    As the blood haze began to lift, Leonce moved silently towards the cart where Aelizabeth remained hogtied. She looked towards him, more out of fear than of awe. She¡¯d just heard such a brutal display of skill that she¡¯d never witnessed before¡­ and quite literally, given how she was blindfolded. In her mind, she couldn¡¯t help but ask herself if a couple of madmen had just saved her and how to utilise their natural gifts for murder. But, as she rubbed off the blindfold, she was fast to see that it was the two brothers: Leonce and Loup. Part of her said she could trust the brothers; even as scary as they were, given the carnage of the scene, they didn¡¯t give off the aura of two murderous killers or veteran soldiers. Instead, it seemed more like something inside them awoke in that spur of the moment. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was, and neither did Leonce or Loup.


    After Leonce had cut free her bonds, she swiftly pulled free her gag and spat out the excess saliva that had built up in her mouth before looking up at the blond, who stepped back only to see him slump down against a tree. Both brothers seemed exhausted, and rightfully so after a fight like that. But, her attention was focused more on Leonce at the moment as he was the closest to her in that moment.


    Leonce meanwhile felt tired and breathless. It felt like every muscle in his body was on fire. He had to calm down ¨C no, he needed to calm down. Glancing over at Loup, he noticed his younger brother was already going through the motions, taking a deep breath in, and letting it all out. Leonce followed suit. Taking a deep breath in and out. Both began to calm down and relax, but in that state, exhaustion began to rear its ugly head.


    Aelizabeth came rushing towards him, grabbing a canteen from her pack that had been discarded in the fight, ¡°Here, drink.¡±


    Leonce took the offered canteen, downing the entire thing in seconds as if he¡¯d been without water for days.


    With their attention focused on each other, Loup took a moment to separate himself for a moment, making a move into the thick brush, before nearly falling into a tree, his breathing becoming hard as though he were hyperventilating. Twisting around, he slumped back against the tree, letting his weight fall onto the root protruding from the knoll. Panting and breathing were difficult to do. His grip tightened around the musket barrel in his hands, his knuckles going white with the sheer force of his grip. A groan of metal and the cracking of wood suddenly saw Loup visibly calm. Blinking, he looked around, sweat beading down his face as though waking from a bad nightmare. Swallowing, he paused a moment when he felt a stinging sensation from his hands, prompting him to glance down and see a small trail of blood seeping down the length of the crushed musket barrel. Pulling his hands away, he let the lump of metal and wood fall before he examined his hands, noting the small puncture wounds on his palms. Peering down at the ruined weapon, he waged it was the cracked wood that did the damage to his hands, but as he examined his fingers, he noted how his nails seemed¡­ ¡°Longer?¡±


    It was more a statement of confusion than surprise. His nails not only seemed slightly longer but sharper, more claw-esque. He wasn¡¯t sure why or how they got like that, but he didn¡¯t want to think about it now. His mind quickly returned to his brother, and having calmed down after a moment of panic, he pushed himself up and emerged from the brush once more, seeing Aelizabeth care for Leonce. Letting out a sigh of relief, Loup was sure his brother was fine at that moment at least, but for now, he needed a new weapon. As he reached down, his entire body began to hurt, as though he had the most intense workout he¡¯d ever done. Gritting his teeth, he fought through the pain to grab one of the discarded muskets and an ammo bag.


    While Loup went through the motions of grabbing all the ammo he could find, Aelizabeth gave Leonce a once over, ensuring he wasn¡¯t wounded. She hadn¡¯t seen what had happened, but the bloody scene, she was sure he was likely wounded. Much to her surprise, he was fine. Just sore and exhausted. Aelizabeth didn¡¯t know what to say in that moment.


    ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re fine. No wounds I could find, but, I recommend you take a moment to rest here. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to go look through that man¡¯s bag to see who these men were and why they were trying to kidnap me,¡± Aelizabeth told Leonce, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before moving towards the dead officer.


    She quickly found the dead man¡¯s bag. A splattering of blood on the dark chocolate-coloured leather seemed not to harm the contents within. Pulling out a few papers and letters, the woman began to examine each, trying to see what orders these men were acting upon. Aelizabeth knew who and why they came for her, but not how they managed to track her down to this place. She was supposed to be safe travelling along with the Iron Shield. Before long, she found her answer. Amongst the letters was one velvet letter stamped with the signet of Duke Brihan von Gerlt. A man deemed too ambitious and power-hungry by all within the Kingdom. However, given his power and connections, not even the King could move against him without proper proof and support from the other factions within Parliament. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Biting her bottom lip, she began to chew the skin out of habit before Leonce¡¯s voice snapped her back from her thoughts.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Leonce asked, still leaning against the tree, his sea blue eyes seemingly having a strange gold hue to them.


    As she stared at him, she quickly turned away and back to the report, ¡°N-nothing. Just some slavers looking for a quick score. Some piece of shit noble apparently hired them to kidnap me. Likely after catching a glimpse of me somewhere down south, I imagine.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you know you¡¯re popular,¡± Leonce joked, prompting Aelizabeth to roll her eyes and smile.


    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you will be too.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Loup stayed silent as he limped towards them both, only to sit down beside his brother, using his newfound musket as a walking stick.


    As the two brothers took a moment to rest and recoup, Aelizabeth stowed the other letters to examine for any other valuable intel, before getting up to take care of her former team. Iron Shield had been wiped out, and its members lay dead alongside their killers. She felt upset in that moment, but didn¡¯t want to break down here. She couldn¡¯t. There was too much that had happened, and as she looked over at the brothers, she began to frown. It was weird to her how two young men the same age as she had been able to do what veteran adventurers failed to do. They were armed only with loaned-out weapons, and yet they managed to do more damage with those than the better-quality gear she and Iron Shield had. It annoyed her if she was honest with herself. But she knew there was no point in complaining about it. Instead, after grabbing the tags of each of her fallen teammates, she headed back to the officer, grabbed the sabre and hilt, and passed it to Leonce.


    ¡°Here,¡± She said flatly, all but thrusting the officer sabre into his hands.


    Leonce examined the blade, noting it was far superior in quality than the rapier he used. A glance down at the loaned-out blade told him the rapier would likely snap in another engagement, given how he¡¯d used the blade in the past day and a half. As he examined the sabre, he noted the weight, as it had a heavier tip, giving it more power when swung. The gold plated hand guard on the front bore a strange emblem though, one he swore he saw before. He looked up to ask Aelizabeth about it, but as she tossed her kit into the carriage he doubted she wanted to focus on the killers of her friends longer than necessary. Plus, as far as he¡¯d read in the libraries and from what he¡¯d heard from travelling merchants, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for slavers to have their own private forces. So, with a small shrug, Leonce dismissed the worry aside for now.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next for you?¡± Loup asked before Leonce.


    Aelizabeth paused a moment, looking up into the foliage of the trees as if in thought, ¡°Continue on my way I suppose.¡±


    Both brothers looked at one another, a little skeptical.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re just gonna keep going, despite slavers chasing after you?¡± Leonce replied with a tone that suggested she was crazy for even considering such.


    It was then that she turned to face them both, a predatory slash of a grin across her beautiful features before replying, ¡°Who said I was going alone?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You two. I¡¯ll be going with you two.¡±


    ¡°And who said we¡¯re going with you? We hardly know you, much less care enough to act as bodyguards,¡± Loup shot back.


    Leonce motioned for his brother for calm, ¡°No, wait¡­ this ¨C this might work actually.¡±


    Loup looked at him, confused, ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°Think about it my dear little brother! Didn¡¯t we both want a way to get out of Oakenhart? This is our chance! Ha! Of course we¡¯ll do it!¡± Leonce answered, his own excitement at the prospect of leaving and getting closer to Aelizabeth overshadowing his commonsense.


    His younger brother meanwhile harboured his usual healthy distrust of strangers, but he trusted his brother. So, with a heavy sigh, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Fine¡­ but if this gets us into trouble, I¡¯m going to be very, very pissed off,¡± Loup growled.


    Leonce shot his brother a cheeky grin, ¡°You know it always does.¡±


    Loup rolled his eyes, knowing his brother wasn¡¯t taking his worry into consideration, but still, if there was one positive thing to take away from all this, it was the fact they were leaving Oakenhart.


    ¡°So, if neither of you have anything else to say, jump onto the back and lets go. I¡¯ll steer the cart,¡± Aelizabeth said, motioning for the two to climb into the back of the cart.


    Both brothers looked back towards home once more. They knew they¡¯d return one day, but not for a good while. For their lives outside home started now. Climbing into the back, the two got as comfortable as they could in a cart.


    As Aelizabeth climbed aboard the cart, she paused a moment to glance back at the two, noting they only had their weapons and clothes on their back and nothing else, ¡°Wait, is that all you have?¡±


    Loup nodded, ¡°Mhm. Besides all you see on us, we got nothing. We were originally going to buy our stuff at the general store,¡± Loup answered calmly as he reached out and grabbed one of the rucksacks on the cart, ¡°Not that we need to worry anymore. We have these.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t argue with that, and with a slight shrug, she snapped the reigns and spurred the horses on. As the cart lurched forward, both brothers looked at one another, both feeling the same sensation as the other ¨C fear and excitement. While the adventurering job wasn¡¯t part of their dream, leaving their hometown was. They were now on their way to a new beginning, and hopefully a life filled with wonder, awe, and excitement.