《Dawn- An Age Of Darkness》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue: The plea of the forgotten goddess.

    Eternal darkness. She was in eternal darkness. There was no light, no air, no nothing. And yet she was living, or perhaps she was long dead. But her consciousness never faded. Perhaps she herself was eternal.


    The world had long forgotten her. She bore the name Endroma, but it was lost in the tides of time.


    This infinite space of darkness was her dwelling. But she wasn''t here of her own accord. She was bounded here, by countless curses. She was beyond help and yet, she craved for it. She craved salvation. Perhaps it was hypocritical of a goddess to pray for help, to beg for it, but after spending thousands of years, she couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "Someone save me, anyone." Her voice didn''t travel through the empty medium of space.. But it reached someone, someone deep in sleep in a faraway land.

 Chapter 2 - Where The Hell Am I?

    "Where am I?"


    Everything was covered in pitch-black darkness. All I could see was the shadows darker still. I felt a slight breeze, the silence, and a tingling sensation up to my knee.


    ''Grass? But wasn''t I inside my room? It''s too dark to see. Wait, are those¡­ stars?''


    The next thought that came into my mind was this must be a dream. I was in an open field, overgrown with grass that reached my shin. I was barefoot. But the ground didn''t feel hard. It was more like, soft and spongy. The grass was sharp, and I cut my fingers from it. Blood came out but gradually stopped. My skin felt different. And it was definitely not my room.


    As I slowly adjusted to the environment, the silence broke from the buzz and chirp of insects. It wasn''t sudden. It was there all along. I just hadn''t noticed. The fresh smell of the air was refreshing at first but slowly turned into dread as a more sinister odor hovered about. It was the smell of blood and rot.


    ''Did the seniors throw me in some sort of field? I swear the way they treat freshmen¡­ wait, what was that!''


    There was a sound that could not possibly come from any insect I knew!


    ''What''s that!''


    An unrecognizable sound pierced my ears, and I knew I was not alone.


    I desperately squinted my eyes and turned my head in the hopes of catching a glimpse of whatever was moving around in the grass.


    It moved inside the grass, making low groans barely audible. My heartbeat kept rising. Sweat dripped from all my pores, drenching my shirt.


    As my eyesight slowly adjusted to the night light, I saw a single object moving in the field. It was just a little bit taller than the grass, but what caught my eyes was the knife it was holding in its hand- a childlike humanoid creature. The knife glinted in the light of the stars. I was six feet two, so spotting the moving object wasn''t that difficult for me, even in the darkness. But it moved blazingly fast, fast enough for me to lose it.


    Backtracking slowly, I tried to figure out what it was. However, I couldn''t make out its facial structure. All I could get was its color. A hellish sort of purple that held on to a knife. Honestly, I was too afraid to scream for help. My throat felt sore and not a sound would come out. Was there anyone here at all, besides me and the hellspawn that hounded me?


    The creature came closer and closer. I decided that running away would be the better part of caution. My body felt light. I ran and ran and then ran some more. I could have run a hundred meters or just a few. I couldn''t really tell the difference anymore. I couldn''t breathe, I couldn''t scream, I couldn''t even think. As I was busy struggling, it caught up to me. It stabbed me in my leg as it managed to catch up to me from where I left the beast behind. A burning feeling spread through my leg. Excruciatingly and fierce like liquid fire. The air got knocked out of my lungs by the impact I made with the ground. A small stream of warm blood flowed from a shallow cut on the surface: it wasn''t that deep. The knife had a jagged edge, it didn''t cut clean. I stood up as the adrenaline spurred me on to live as I stood shakily on my legs. The creature jumped backward and made weird noises. Laughter?


    Finally, I let out a scream and I believe that it was the loudest I''ve ever screamed in my entire life, almost tearing my throat. I couldn''t stand anymore: I fell on my stomach but instantly rotated and turned myself towards that thing which was presumably trying to kill me, to protect myself from it. But why? Why would it need to kill me?


    The creature made small groans and laughed in a wicked way as it saw me crawl backward. "Somebody! Please, anybody! Help me!" This couldn''t possibly be a dream! It hurts! Ahh! I groaned. No answer came.


    The creature looked at me as though it could comprehend my words. But how could it anyway? To me, it seemed like a twelve-year-old, who had put on a mask, a costume, and gone insane. But as it came ever closer I saw its face. It wasn''t something as simple as a child, and it was definitely not sane. It was a face I had never seen before, and definitely something I''d never forget for as long as I live. If I lived that is.


    Large red eyes reflected light: long sharp nose and scars were all over its face. But what made my blood go cold was its expression. It looked at me, smiled while saliva dripped, and licked its lips. He wants to eat me¡­ as the thought went through my mind, my blood went even cooler.


    It had similarities to the things in my culture, described as monsters: a goblin to be specific. But weren''t those things supposed to be only in fairytales and fiction? I didn''t have time to worry about that. My beating heart made thinking all the more convoluted.


    It brought the knife over its head and I knew this was it! If I don''t do something now, I''ll be killed! My leg bled, meaning I couldn''t run, so there was only one choice. Forgetting about everything else I waited for it to attack, with my heart constantly pounding like a steam engine. As the knife was about to land on my chest I caught it with both of my hands together. It was painful: blood-drenched the knife, dropped on my chest, and wetted the fabric. I could feel its breath, filled with rot.¡­


    The creature was very persistent. It kept pushing the knife through my hands and I could feel what I can only describe as, my individual cells being cut. The feeling was anything but pleasant: in fact, the pain was soaring through my entire body. But instead of begging for help I deflected the knife with all my might and punched the creature''s face with all my remaining strength. Flying away for a second, it dropped far but within sight. It was light, almost as though it wasn''t even alive.


    I tried my best and got up. Although the creature immediately got up as well, it was beyond surprised for the knife was now in my hands. It might have been just a stroke of luck but I finally saw hope.


    "Grrr" It made groaning sounds I never heard before: it looked pissed, squinted its eyes and saliva kept dripping. My heart beat even faster.


    With a desperate smirk, I waved the knife and yelled at the creature to run away. But it wouldn''t let go of me that easily. Did humans taste that good? I had never seen something move so ferociously and with such agility as it began to approach me again. Although my eyes had adjusted to the little light that the stars provided, I still couldn''t follow it with my eyes.


    With great speed, it charged at me. I swung the knife, but it easily dodged my swing. I''d never used a knife before for fighting, I never needed to.


    Suddenly its speed increased so much that I lost it for a split second. It was right next to my leg. I couldn''t believe my eyes and tried to swing back. But that moment stung gravely. It bit off a chunk of meat from my left leg and immediately ate it while continuously licking its lips. Blood ran through the leg and painted my feet red. It was a small chunk but the pain was beyond believable. I couldn''t believe my own senses. I screamed and groaned but still kept my eyes open. Tears streamed through my cheeks and I grinded my teeth.


    Did the creator curse my left leg or something? It hurt more than before, but my brain was too focused on surviving. I could see the exposed muscles; yet, I remained standing while sweating, biting my lips and shedding a tear. For better or worse I didn''t fall on the ground. The knife was still in my hands. It was my only consolation.


    I didn''t have a moment to think, I could only fight for my life. Again I waited for it to attack first. But this time before it even bit me I sliced its throat: it wasn''t deep. Luck was really a fickle thing. To think my wild swing would land so fiercely.


    At that moment it began to groan and beg. What astonished me most was that it spoke my language!


    "Pleas¡­p-please forgive me¡­ don''t k-kill me!" It said as it screamed with it croaked throat splitting blood like a small fountain. The blood was glowing pink and rancid.


    "Unfortunately I''m not that nice," I said.


    The hellish thing kept mourning and groaning in agony as I stabbed it through the heart; it was struggling all the way. A poor face with a begging pose was not enough to make my resolve waver. I continuously stabbed it until the light left its eyes. But it didn''t die. It felt pain, yet it didn''t die.


    What the hell is this? My horror returned and my whole body started to shiver. The small creature couldn''t move but it still tried to and was definitely not dead. Its eyes slowly turned red. My time was limited. With shaking hands, I slashed its throat again and again. I couldn''t cut through. It was hard. But I didn''t stop.. My life depended on it.

 Chapter 3 - I Hate This Forest

    Is¡­was this really alright? Terrified of what I''d done, I sat down, staring at the glowing blood. I didn''t know what to feel anymore. Disgust? Anger? Fear? The blood slowly became colorless. But this thing wasn''t dead. It wasn''t my problem anymore either. After all, it couldn''t move. So it couldn''t attack. But was this really alright?


    The horizon got brighter. Maybe soon it''ll be dawn.


    But what is this! Where am I?


    I couldn''t figure out anything as I kept staring at the dead creature. I couldn''t cry, I couldn''t scream and I certainly couldn''t believe this: I''d just committed murder. The knife in my hands shook as the blood dripped off. In fact, my whole body shook as I thought about what I''d just done.


    My left leg was burning instead of going cold. I tore my t-shirt and wrapped it around my leg. The lack of skin was not as much irritating as the intense throbbing and pain. The blood had already clotted- or so I thought. But I definitely lost enough for a normal man to pass out. So it was surprising that I was still ticking.


    ***


    There was in fact a forest behind me not more than twenty meters away, quite dark in color. To my deepest horror, there were small gleaming red lights inside, like eyes. But what in the world has red glowing eyes? As I asked myself that question I finally came to the conclusion, this is not my world, is it? For even the smell of the wind was different and by no means was there things, like that purple creature with a knife on earth.


    One by one the eyes marched out of the forest. I was hoping and praying to God that "Please make this a dream." However, God was not that easy.


    The glowing dots were not eyes for only living things had eyes. And whatever they were, they were definitely not among the living. Some had rotting meat which I could smell from far away and some just bones but all of them had a red glow in their eye sockets. Some of their meat was hanging, some had only muscles and some had pieces of meat covered with little skin. And I couldn''t believe my eyes, that I could see that. I just couldn''t¡­. SO these things were dead, to begin with? It made sense, though it didn''t make sense. I could see faint traces of blood in their exposed and severed veins and arteries. They were definitely not alive. But that judgment didn''t help me decide. How the hell are they moving? Maybe all of this started to drive me insane. But I didn''t have any means to survive. There were so many of them that I couldn''t even count. In my case, all I had was a knife and a useless left leg.


    If somebody had told me that I was in a horror film studio and this was just for the act, I would have believed him, only after punching and kicking him to my heart''s content of course.


    Slowly but surely the walking corpse and skeleton-like creatures came towards me. With a useless leg, I had no choice but to crawl, but was there anything I could do at all? My only remaining hope was my knife or rather the knife of the other creature I just murdered to save my own life, which still wasn''t dead.


    Life wasn''t fair. Those things had armor and the most dreadful thing- a sword, with them! A jagged edge and a hilt that looked like a skull made my brain go numb. I had watched and read enough fiction to conclude that those things were the undead. And yet, what the hell did they need protection for?


    Those things moved slowly towards me, or maybe time itself had slowed? My head was lite and I felt faint. Maybe this is how I go out? I couldn''t give up but I couldn''t cling to hope either: there was none.


    I was sure I''d be screwed. But as if to prove me wrong, suddenly, there was faint warmth on my face. It was sunlight.


    The corpse that had gotten the closest to me came under the sunlight and started to panic as his rotting flesh burned. Groans and moans drifted across. As luck would have it, the first ray of the sun decided everything. It was dawn and never in my life, had I been happier to see one. Up until now, all I did was curse the dawn, as I slept in my bed hoping that the sun would rise a little late. God was I an idiot, to hope that!


    For a guy who was about to die and didn''t know what the heck was going on, this shouldn''t have been anything funny but to my surprise, I laughed- quite loudly- as I watched it turn to ash.


    The sword and armor fell on the ground along with the burnt remains. They made a clang, a sound that resonated with my soul.


    Then it clicked. These things are weak to the sunlight. The others quickly returned to the forest before the slow-paced sunlight reached them and then vanished within. The sunlight didn''t pierce the forest''s darkness, but it made sure that they didn''t come out to get me.


    Grabbing the sword, I thanked the creator and started to limp in the opposite direction. The armor was too heavy for me to wear.


    The small creature (That had attacked me) shook violently and then turned to ash as well. I sighed in relief and grinned.


    To my surprise, I could still move. I wasn''t much of a religious man. But I probably called god''s name and prayed tonight more than my entire life. Maybe that''s why I was still standing.


    The supercharged adrenaline rush overpowered my pain. To be frank, I wanted to be as far as possible from that forest even if it meant that I had to go back to where I first encountered the purple creature and through the intense pain. I didn''t care if I bled, I didn''t care if I lost a leg: I just wanted to get out of here.


    If this was a game then that purple creature was a goblin and those things would be the undead? But whatever this was, it wasn''t a dream, a fiasco by the seniors, or a game! It was reality.


    I headed towards the site where I first came into conscience, hoping to find a clue. All I could think of was how to get out of this grass-covered field! However, the sunlight gave me courage as I moved on to meet the unknown.


    ***


    I barely moved as I continued limping (using the sword as a stick). My wound leaked ever so slowly. I was an idiot to think, my blood would clot without any added drugs or dressing. But I moved forward. The mere thought of the warm sun over my head gave me the courage to do so.


    It took me the better half of an hour to reach my initial starting point. Hard to believe, I went from here to there in a matter of minutes. Honestly, it was still probably a miracle that I could move at all.


    Reaching the spot where I first came to be, my blood froze once again. What about the goblin? How can I be sure that there aren''t any more of those things? But this time I had my sword and a knife: though both were stolen items. Maybe those things live alone? At least I wouldn''t want to live with a thing like that. The corpse (Which I killed) vanished as the sun came to be; hence it wasn''t as scary as I thought it''d be.


    Fearlessly I moved, but to be honest I trembled. I mean who wouldn''t be after seeing those things? Where do I go?


    The forest was behind me. Thus I decided that I needed to move forward even if it meant heading to the unknown with nothing but these two weapons. The sword''s blade was barely clinging to its hilt. Certainly, it had seen better days. The hilt however creeped me out: the rusty skull markings weren''t the best of decorations.


    ***


    A similar sound within the grass resonated just like before. Instinctively my heart pulsated. I immediately knew that it was that accursed creature''s kin or something similar. Although I couldn''t tell, my body knew. But it shouldn''t it be unable to move in daylight?


    This time I didn''t panic but my heart raced.


    Maybe it''s not an undead?


    I didn''t know much but I didn''t need to either: all I had to do was survive.


    I waited for it and soon saw it coming through the grass. This one was not as tall as the last one. Maybe not of the same species or it could be a male-female thing. It looked as big as a ten-year-old, a very ugly one that is. You wouldn''t be getting any chunks this time!


    With a valiant smirk, I swung the sword, almost falling to my doom. For a second I''d actually forgotten that I could barely move my leg. The damn thing laughed and moved around. What the hell was I even thinking?


    My odds weren''t even the slightest better than last night. I was healthy last night but didn''t have any weapons. Now I was almost crippled and yet had two good for nothings''. I couldn''t even swing the sword properly let alone attack.


    And the little thing understood it perfectly. It charged straight at me and I barely lifted the sword up. The sword pierced the goblin through its head. I was dazed for a second.


    It had died on its own accord. I couldn''t help but laugh. What the hell was wrong with the world anyway? As I pulled out the sword, it didn''t cut clean and the goblin groaned in agony. It still wasn''t dead. I slit its throat with my knife to ease its passing. I wasn''t inhumane enough to enjoy other''s suffering: even if they were trying to eat me. But this thing still struggled for a good ten minutes or so. It didn''t turn into undead. Maybe it only happened in the night? But one thing was clear, I didn''t know shit.


    Was everything in this forest just clinging to life like it was heaven or something? It sure didn''t seem like heaven to me.


    This one didn''t have a knife in hand, instead of a rock. So knives aren''t that easy to find, huh? This one wasn''t wearing anything either, just like the last one. Maybe they were not that intelligent or just didn''t care. If so, then how could the last one procure a knife? Racking my head over this wasn''t such a good idea so I gave up on the thought.


    I was breathless. It was brief but fighting this thing had taken a toll on me. I rested for a good long ten minutes (I had a watch which surprisingly, after all that...still ticked). But I couldn''t calm down. Who knew what lurked hidden in the grass. Why isn''t this ending? How long do I have to go? I didn''t thank my luck for I knew that lady luck was not on my side as what happened next was beyond my wildest of imaginations, and my imagination was quite wild as it was.


    After walking another half an hour, to my deepest of terror and regret, I realized that this field was in fact in the middle of that dreadful forest itself. The forest surrounded the whole field. Yet again I was forced to laugh at my own fate, drenched in blood and sweat.


    Who or what brought me here and put me in the most hellish place on earth? Is this really earth to begin with? I stared at the black dreadful forest: my memories from a few hours ago sprung back, fresh as lemon juice. The courage that the sun had fueled within me vanished in an instant. My hands trembled uncontrollably.


    Did God hate me that much? Nevertheless, I made my decision. I was in neither the shape nor the position to waste my time thinking. I went into the forest with my heart pounding and with a firm imagination of what was in store for me. I knew that I wouldn''t be able to run with such a leg as I could barely manage to stand at all. The only way to live was to fight. Get it together Daarc.. This is no time to be afraid! It''s now or never.

 Chapter 4 - An Angel In The Forest Of Death?

    The interior of the forest was far worse than the exterior. Even the ground was, pitch black. You could barely see anything inside. Unfortunately for me, my eyes had readjusted to seeing light as the sun rose up, so I couldn''t see much inside. The sun was like a blessing and a curse at the same time.


    The trees were quite big, big enough to cloud the sun itself. Not a single ray of sunlight came through. All I heard was the murmur of the stale and stagnant wind. Maybe the wind was telling me something but how would I understand that? However, the smell was anything but pleasant. It was pungent and rancid. It made me want to throw up. I didn''t have anything in my stomach otherwise I''d have thrown up a long time ago. I could feel the chill running down my spine, my blood going cold and of course my face leaking liters of sweat. How in the world did I have so much water left anyway?


    Without paying much attention to my surroundings, I continued straight. I don''t know if it was a good idea or not but there was no other way. For some reason, I felt attracted to going straight north. I went straight ahead! Fortunately, nothing was there that attacked me, at least not physically. Mentally? I was dying inside.


    I saw dead things at every corner of the forest but they were stagnant. Not even one tried to attack me, as though they couldn''t see me at all. There were plenty of types. Even the bugs on the ground were rotting corpses. When they crawled over me, I shook with disgust.


    ***


    After an hour or so of walking (if you call limping walking than yes I was walking!) I reached the heart of the forest. However there wasn''t any special monster here like the bosses you''d find in fantasy games.


    There was a simple half naked, almost worn, white statue of a beautiful woman with wings. Maybe because of my throbbing left leg, my inner desire to see beauty had died at this point for I didn''t feel anything as I looked at the statue. Then again I never had that desire to begin with.


    "Welcome, wanderer." An eerie voice echoed and I felt like that my heart would stop.


    "Who¡­! Who''s there!?" I shouted with my shivering voice. However as l looked at the statue I saw that the statue''s eyes were alive and it was talking without moving its mouth. That felt rather creepy than actual horror.


    "Welcome. I am Misrael. An angel tasked to protect this place and all its living."


    The angel spat out those words and to me that seemed rather sketchy. Honestly why would an angel be at such a place. I was at a point where I didn''t even doubt their existence, but why would an angel of all things be in a dark forest filled with undead? If it was an overlord or some kind of large undead, wouldn''t that make more sense? I was glad that it wasn''t the case though.


    "Can you tell me what this place is? I don''t know how I got here." Without complicating things with my useless thoughts, I blurted out the one most precious question that had been bothering me since last night.


    "You are in Destoa. This world is called the dark realm. For how you got here is a mystery to me as I don''t know either," the angel spoke in a matter of fact way.


    My whole body was tensed. My adrenaline rush could only last for so long. I was on the verge of collapsing from the backlash of it. "The dark realm!? What is that? Then what the hell am I doing here!"


    "Calm down. This world is called the dark realm as even the gods are unable to solve its boundless problems. The mere fact that you can understand me is a miracle in itself. I can only speculate that a being of higher order has summoned you to this realm. And that would also explain why you are still alive."


    I wasn''t prepared to hear that. Should I be grateful that my lifelong wish of escaping into another world had been granted or mourn as the world I was forcefully lashed on to was nothing anyone (Even evil geniuses) would dream of? In any case I was beyond mortified. "That''s a lot to take in! And what do you mean still alive? Do you have any idea what I went through? "


    "I have watched over you from the moment you came into existence in this world. An undead goblin''s teeth have deadly venom. Why do you think you are still alive after all that and even moving no less?" The angel didn''t let me catch a breath.


    "Enough of that! How does one get out of such a world and return to their own!?" Ignoring her words, I said what came to mind. I didn''t need a lesson on what kept me alive, rather I needed to know how the hell I''d get out of such a place.


    Her voice didn''t have a sense of hesitation. She was talking like there were no worries in the world. As a matter of fact, I couldn''t spot any undead in that area near the statue. "That is not possible. You would require help from a greater entity than me. A god would be a good example."


    "What! How do I ask a god!?" Although this was a stupid question I didn''t know any better.


    "I cannot answer that," she murmured. That was the first time her speech faltered, if only a little.


    And so, I went for the next best thing. "How do I get out of this damn forest then?"


    "This is the sacred forest of Daine. You should traverse to the north of here. You will come across a human village. Afterward travel to the city of Moire or the forest of the elves. You will find some answers there: one of my kin is near Moire. You have a very arduous journey ahead. I will protect you for as long as you are inside the forest." Her words were like blessings. It made me feel better, but my heart never calmed down.


    Who names such a forest, sacred? And you say that as though it''s not your problem!


    Well, it made sense. Why would the angel have a problem with me going through the pain of traveling in this forsaken land? So that''s why those monsters didn''t attack me?


    Without my consent, a sigh escaped my lips. " What do you mean you would protect me?"


    "I was placed into this forest for the sole purpose of protecting the people from the undead. However, after five thousand years, my powers have weakened. Thus I cannot keep them blinded in the night but I can still protect you during the day."


    Well, I shouldn''t have expected any better from a few millennia-old angel. Wait, millennia? Thousands of years! Somehow I felt genuine pity. I was here for just a single night and I felt more than just terrible. I couldn''t even imagine what the angel had gone through. "I see. You have my gratitude. So my being alive wasn''t a miracle after all." Annoyed as I was I still felt grateful to the statue.


    "Hurry! In your current condition, you would not last the night and even if you do, you will surely die because of the poison. If you hurry, you might reach the village by noon." The angel''s voice had a hint of urgency.


    I would die even if I survive. That''s reassuring! My head was fuzzy. I couldn''t really feel anything anymore. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to lie down. I wanted to be in my room. But the reality was cruel. "I understand. I would hurry." I wanted to hurry but my body had different plans. It didn''t even want to take another step.


    Her words made my heart skip a beat. It''s not often you hear someone giving a precise warning of the time of your death!


    "I will cast a simple blessing on you to heal you. However as my powers are weakened, you won''t be fully healed."


    "Wait, a blessing? Magic exists here then¡­." I had no idea how I came to that conclusion but I was probably right. It wasn''t a surprise though. After seeing the skeletons and moving corpses, magic couldn''t really surprise me.


    "Yes," said the statue and further shouted, "Go forth light, bless and guide this soul for he too traverses the unknown, ''Sacred rays''."


    I guess these things have names too. I didn''t say it out loud though.


    With rejuvenating light, the intense throbbing diminished but didn''t disappear completely. I looked at my leg and it was somewhat healed and I could even put my weight on it now without getting the feeling to cut it off. The skin was almost sealed but it wasn''t something I could leave alone untreated for long. "Why do all this for me?" I asked.


    "Nothing is for free. Maybe one day you will return the favor by freeing me from this curse. My lord and most of my kin are already gone. So, I wish to return by their side."


    I smirked. I newfound stamina was her gift after all. And I wasn''t ungrateful either. "So I''m just, insurance? Very well. If such a time ever comes I shall free you. Goodbye Misrael."


    "That is all that I hope. May the gods be with you wanderer.. And farewell."

 Chapter 5 - Is This Hope Or Is Your Skin Just Purple?

    I walked toward the direction Misrael pointed out. My body felt much better. The fatigue was almost but gone. The mere thought of getting out of this accursed forest brought joy to my soul. The path was relatively simple as nothing inside the forest would hurt me- which I na?vely believed. Although na?ve it definitely was the right thing to believe, as in reality, they most certainly didn''t harm me. Maybe that statue wasn''t lying after all. But even so I need to validate what it said and the only way to do that is to reach the village she described about. However I still had to be cautious. Blind the undead may be, they could have still posed a threat if I wasn''t careful.


    It took me two full hours till the forest thinned enough but the time felt close to an eternity. My leg still throbbed, which didn''t ache as much as last night though. The thought about the undead lurking here was a good reason to not forget about time. When I actually got out of the forest, my heart sunk a great deal for what lay in front of me was nothing but endless grasslands.


    "Was she really trying to help me?" I couldn''t think of anything other than the goblins. Those vile creatures must have been lying around here somewhere to strike me again. For once in my life I didn''t want to be proven right.


    With doubts I kept moving towards the fated direction. The sun was my guarantor. There wasn''t anything alive that was nearby. Birds, animals, nothing was here. Only rotted corpses were around. The place was almost like a wasteland or maybe a green graveyard. The animals were probably butchered and devoured by the goblins or something worse. The mere thought raised my heart beat. I was amazed that my heart still functioned at all.


    Although endless, the green scenery and the blissful sunshine were still soothing. Finally I could smell something other than pure rot. It was the blowing winds, with no special scent and yet to me it was the best. Gradually the grass became softer and smaller. After a full hour of walking I took a little rest by the only tree I could find in that entire area, which didn''t look like charcoal. I had an analogue watch on my hand, so time was something I could monitor without messing up. But there was also a problem. According to my watch it was five in the morning, but I most definitely could vouch that it was at least eleven. So maybe time in this world was a little different from the one I knew.


    This tree had green leaves, which the rest of the trees in the area didn''t. Besides, the trees were spaced by marginal distance. Almost like someone handpicked everything in this place.


    A pond with crystal clear water was here: I could even see the bottom. I took a little look at my leg and from my perspective it needed immediate attention but the only thing I could do was rinse it clean and change the bandage. I still had my handkerchief. It was a little small but enough.


    The grass here was normal and soft. Finally I could relax somewhat but I didn''t let my guard down. My leg was constantly reminding me about what could happen if I let that happen. The tree leaves resembled that of a pine tree. There were some of its fruit on the ground and boy was I hungry. As there were some rocks nearby, I used the rocks to crack open one and it was no easy work. I couldn''t recognize the fruit, but since I was already poisoned, it was a risk I had to take.


    It was rewarding though. Such was my first food after an eternity of suffering: it tasted like nuts. I worried about the water having deadly microbes but had no choice but to drink from it. Luckily the water was rather clean, quite surprisingly so. The taste was even better than filtered water (Does poison taste sweet?). I didn''t see any fish here though. I rested for half an hour. I was a little drowsy but I knew that I could be killed if I fell asleep. All I could think about was, what in the world was I dragged into!


    ***


    It was a pity to leave such a wonderful resting place, which had food and water, but I had to. After another hour I reached the first real challenge. I couldn''t tell if there were any trees in the distance or not but what I could definitely and painfully observe was that there were thirteen goblins in front of me and one of them was actually bigger than me! That one was holding a massive club. "Damn it! Just when I thought, this couldn''t get any worse!"


    Seeing me, they laughed. Their cheerful laughter sent chills down my spine. They didn''t waste time. The large goblin let out a howl which triggered the smaller ones to attack. They had little cloth over their privates and rocks as weapons. Some did have knives though. Just the sheer numbers were enough to scare the shit out of me. Then there was the big one.


    I was not the man I was yesterday. I screamed and let out a speech that embarrassed me. "I don''t care if you shits have families or need to live on humans or something! I will make it out of here alive whether you dog vomits like it or not! And I''m definitely not giving up!"


    I was so out of order that even my swears were cringed. But I was mostly trying to intimidate them. I couldn''t take ''em all and it was painfully obvious.


    It wasn''t enough. They attacked me without a doubt. So much for my intimidation. The skinny goblins were swift but after fighting two of them last night, I was somewhat adjusted to that speed. I killed one of them. As they attacked me without any strategy, I sliced the first one. It was almost laughable how much I''d lucked out on this blow alone.


    But I took a deadly blow on my left hand. The pain was intense and there was a bruise. How the hell did it do that with a rock?


    The rest of them weren''t that easy. They coordinated their attacks and all I could do was to persevere as I was being battered. The big thing hadn''t moved at all from the start. I was very glad for that.


    I got lucky as one of the goblins messed up its order and I successfully killed another two with consecutive strikes. I was bleeding all over but I wasn''t about to go down without a fight.


    I grinned. "Only ten more to go. Are you sure you still want to go on?" Even on the verge of collapse I still tried to bluff.


    For a guy who rarely exercised at all, that was a rather grand feat. Actually, it might have been the absolute best achievement of my life.


    Turned out it wasn''t a lucky break for me, as the big thing finally moved? The smaller ones dispersed as the big one came swinging. If these are really goblins then that one must be their leader- the hobgoblin? Give me a break!


    My body had almost but given up. The only thing that kept me going was my will.. And yet, even my will started to falter. I was I supposed to take on something which looked like it could kill an elephant with just a swing?

 Chapter 6 - The Warmth In Darkness

    I breathed and gritted my teeth. But, I couldn''t even defend. The large goblin''s one swing was enough to screw me over more than ten times. Not even in my darkest dreams had I ever wanted to face something this ferocious. With a face like an uglier version of the already ugly-looking goblins, it moved forward with incredible speed. Given its size, it was surprising and had caught me off guard.


    All I could do was, try to block the club with the withering sword. Not only did the sword break in half and the lower half pierced my stomach but also I was sent flying like three meters away: it hurt like being crushed by a dump truck. Don''t ask me how I knew that.


    Most of the bones in my left side were crushed by the club- literally. Maybe God did hate my left side after all for the sword tip had entered through my left side as well. Losing blood rapidly, I barely clung to my consciousness. Not being able to move at all was the least of my worries. The large one growled like a maddened beast as it came close slowly. Every step it took made my heart pound beyond the manufacturer''s limit. Maybe I''d even meet my manufacturer soon.


    The rest of the goblins were enjoying the show and making weird noises, I could only think to be laughter. They could imitate human words and understand humans to some extent, right? So how come they were so intent on eating us? Maybe humans really tasted that good?


    Suddenly arrows from a great distance hit the large goblin''s head. The hobgoblin looked around, confused. The whole thing was followed by a large spear that penetrated the goblin''s throat and dropped close to me.


    As it fell to the ground, the rest of the goblins fled in fear. However all of them were massacred by the arrow rain that took place all around me. Even I thought that my time was up seeing so many arrows. But none of them came even close to hitting me. I could make out some figures in the distance: eyesight was the only thing I was proud about myself after all. "Hel-" I wanted to ask for help.


    I couldn''t even speak anymore as I lost consciousness immediately but I thought that I would be saved.


    ***


    After an unknown amount of time I woke up and found myself next to robbed corpses of the goblins. Whoever they were, they killed these goblins for their own purposes, not to save me and that was crystal clear. Fangs, ears, and weapons were missing from the corpses. Even the blade that went into my stomach was missing: thank goodness it was precisely removed. However they were nice enough to rub some herbs on my wounds. I wondered if that did any good. I could still see the crimson through the drenched cloth around my waist. If they were going to save me, couldn''t they have taken me away from this damn field? I guess I shouldn''t have expected that much. But I was glad that at least they helped me to this extent regardless.


    My left side was still numb and I knew there were more than a few broken bones here and there. Miraculously I could still stand up and move forward, but I was leaking blood all over. Did someone put a curse of never dying on me? If so then why didn''t they just made me invincible instead? I couldn''t understand if that was some God''s gift, Misrael''s blessing or just the herbs: maybe all three? I couldn''t even begin to guess.


    I moved forward because I had to, as it was definitely the afternoon and the sun was bound to sink soon. After personally experiencing what a night in this world was like- by whatever means I wanted to get to that village.


    It was an arduous journey toward the village as the sun kept sinking and my body throbbed, much more than last night. I had to drag my left leg and it was not pretty. Only after half an hour did I feel what my body had gone through as my senses came back slowly. It was so painful that I felt like ending myself. But, that wasn''t an option. Killing yourself is an act of cowardice and I wasn''t such a coward. Even with such pain, I moved on. At this point seeing small animals like rabbits and birds didn''t make me that happy. I was far away from dead corpses but who knew if they could hunt me down in the night or not. I sure wasn''t going to stand around and give them the chance.


    ***


    The sun finally sank. I immediately felt all sorts of presence around me. My senses were on overdrive. Undoubtedly this entire place was the playground of the undead, and I had no intention of playing with them. The rotting smell was the proof of their existence. The smell wasn''t as intense as that dreadful forest though.


    The smell became more and more dominant as time moved on. As though, it was a signal from the world around me that the undead won''t let me go. Maybe the undead won''t follow me here¡­ But this smell¡­.


    There was still some redness left in the distant sky, which was definitely a blessing to me. I dragged myself on. With every step, I bled red tears, or were they just blood?


    Before it became fully dark I reached the village, but with it came more frustration and a feeling of defeat, for the village was surrounded by a massive wooden wall and I just couldn''t find any entrance.


    What was an obvious thing to do if you would live in such a place? Build a wall of course!


    "Is anyone there? Somebody! Please help me! Anybody!" I kept on shouting but to no avail. Nobody came to my rescue. There was some sort of fire lit up on top of the wall though. I tried to shout towards that as well. But there was nobody there.


    I saw quite a few undead in the opposite distance. They were slowly moving forward: red glow, everywhere. Cursing my fate I followed the round-like wall in hopes of finding a gate. Alas! The undead were already onto me. Did they want revenge for their fallen comrade? Did they possess enough emotion to exact revenge? Or was it that they just wanted to have a piece of my action? I suppose I''d never know the answers to those questions if I didn''t make out alive.


    I did eventually reach the gate but as anyone would guess, it was shut. I screamed my heart out and eventually was left there crying, being an adult such as myself, this was more than just rare. All this time my left side was slowly becoming more and more painful. I felt my vision going blurry. "Is this it? Is this how I go out? What a dull life I''ve had. If I got another shot; maybe I''d get a girlfriend this time," I mumbled to myself. I had regret, I had sorrows.


    Slowly I fell on the ground with tears flowing down through my cheeks. There was a smirk on my face; the grin of defeat. Laughing at your own fate can be quite a dilemma at times.


    The grass was rather soft here. It wasn''t very large. I don''t know why but I liked this grass.


    But for just a second I felt a warm light soothe me: I felt a warm comfortable light surrounding me as I gradually lost consciousness. All I heard before that was an enchanting feminine voice saying," Don''t worry, I''ve got you now. Everything will be alright.." I don''t know why but to me that was beyond comforting.

 Chapter 7 - Interlude: A Corrupted World

    "Do we really have to do this, your highness?" A Tall slender man spoke up. He was in a group of ten. The person he spoke to was shorter than the rest: maybe a child?


    "It can''t be helped. Humans in this era have grown too arrogant. They''re trying to recreate what almost destroyed the world three thousand years ago." The boy spoke in a matter-of-fact manner.


    "However-" the slender man began but stopped as he noticed something in the distance. "There''s someone there." He pointed at the distance. Humans weren''t capable of seeing so far away. Humans would see nothing more than mere moving dots in the distance, but these men here weren''t humans.


    "I''ll take care of it." The only girl in the group readied her bow. Her long ears picked up the speed of the wind and she surveyed the whole area in an instant. Half of her face was hidden behind clothing.


    "Leave them be. Such is the fate of men. They are powerless yet they challenge the heavens." The boy looked down upon the distance, as if he was looking down on humanity as a whole.


    There were two races in existence who thought of themselves as superior to other races. One were the demons while the other, the elves. These gentlemen were elves.


    "Unfortunately I don''t take orders from you, your highness." The girl flashed a smirk and let loose a volley of arrows. Needless to say every single arrow pierced its target. "And I''ll be taking my leave for the moment." She slid down the hill. She didn''t mean much disrespect but her act was enough to piss off a certain someone.


    The slender man grinned to himself. "I''ll lend you a hand." He threw one of his spears in the air like it was a plastic stick.


    The boy clicked his tongue. "Suit yourself. But unfortunately I came here on a mission, not to play around." Elves always had a placid look on their faces. But the boy''s expression was anything but calm. If someone said, he was angry, that''d be an understatement.


    The girl ran quite fast. As she became nothing but a dot in the distance, the men began to move. None of them said anything to the boy. They knew this wasn''t the time.


    "Just you wait." The boy spat in frustration. I will show you who the real¡­. The boy didn''t say anything and the rest of them followed him. They had a mission to accomplish.


    ***


    The girl for her part reached a place covered with dead bodies, namely goblins. But there was something else here as well; a human. "Don''t die on me now, or I''ll look like a fool," she murmured to herself.


    She checked the man for injuries. Strangely the man''s injuries were already in the process of healing. But it wasn''t enough. "It''s a waste but I''ll give you the herbs. It''s not like I''ll need these anyway." She dressed the man with herbs. The herbs were rare but not impossible to find. But for an elf to help a man to this extent was truly rare. In fact, normally elves never spoke with royalty let alone commoners from the human race.


    She cut the goblin''s ears and took their fangs to disguise the situation as a means of robbing. Giving humans the wrong expression that they''d always get help during danger, was a dangerous move after all.


    She wanted to help the man to the full extent but her hands were full. "There was supposed to be an angel here, right?" She smiled once again and headed for the distance. "Let''s just hope I''ll have enough time to check things out for myself." And let''s hope that woman wasn''t playing tricks with me. She kept her lips pursed and stared dead ahead towards the distant forest.


    The girl left the man on the field. But she took measures to prevent more monsters from coming near this spot. "Sorry, but I can''t help you any more than that." Of course, she''d done enough so that the man wouldn''t die.. But the rest depended on, the man''s luck and his resolve to live.

 Chapter 8 - It’s Okay For Me To Calm Down, Right? Right!?

    I opened my eyes. There was a wooden ceiling above: my vision was a little blurry. A soft wheat-like scent drifted in the air. I tried to move around and surprisingly my body didn''t hurt. Most of my wounds were sealed and even my bones felt better. I was wearing my torn pants but I didn''t have any shirt. My upper body was covered in bandages. How long was I out? I looked around and wondered why I was still alive. Was I saved by that voice?


    The room was rather neat and clean. Although not spacious, having things tidied gave the room a good impression at least to me. There wasn''t much in there though. A bed, a table and a shelf for clothes.


    I still couldn''t imagine the things went about. So all of that wasn''t a dream? I for once really wanted everything to be just a dream and move on from it. Monsters, goblins, undead, these things weren''t really something I wanted to think about. Where am I?


    "Oh! You are awake!" said a feminine voice. And soon a mature but young-looking lady entered the room. I''d say she was a few years older than me.


    My thoughts broke down as I stared at the girl. Honestly, I was glad she interrupted me now, or I might have broken down in despair. "Are you the one who saved me?" I asked as I stared at the lady.


    She had gentle eyes and a smile. Her clothes gave a vintage vibe. She wasn''t that pretty but beauty wasn''t everything in this world. I learned that the hard way. "Yes. I am the one who healed you, but¡­"


    "He''s already awake!?" A young man''s voice reached me from outside the room. Afterwards he came inside. He was tall and muscular. But probably the same age as me or maybe younger. With broad shoulders and a robust figure he struck me as the hard working type. Unlike me.


    "I believe he just woke up," the lady said.


    Both of them had black hair and tanned bodies. Their eyes however, were emerald green. Maybe a special trait for the people of this world?


    The man touched his chin. "I see." He didn''t seem that concerned though.


    The young lady introduced the man. "This is the man who rescued you. He is my little brother."


    My chest felt warm. I''d been saved. "Thank you." I was really glad. The world out there was cruel and this act of kindness was surreal. But I was glad, I was glad that I got to live another day. I better thank them.


    There were a lot of things I wanted to ask. But I couldn''t ignore the fact that I''d been saved. The first thing I needed to do was thank them.


    The man however didn''t let me formulate a response and started to barrage me with questions. The guy really knew how to rile himself up. "How were you still alive? You had broken bones! And you also had the devil''s poison!"


    How''d they know I had broken bones? The house and their clothes clearly stated that this was a village, and possibly on the lower scale of economy. Probably the same one Misrael talked about too. If magic was real than my rapid recovery wasn''t farfetched. I guess I owe these people more than I thought. But that poison they talked about piqued my interest. "I don''t know myself, to be honest. What''s the devil''s poison?" With a little awkward laughter I tried to calm him down.


    "In rare cases, undead goblins have venom. We call that venom, the devil''s poison," the lady explained.


    Misrael had said the same thing about the poison. So not every goblin had venom¡­ That''s actually a fitting name though; considering how hellish that day was. I was lucky to have survived, that much I could understand. No problem. But the actual problem remained. And that was this world. Just what was this place about?


    As I didn''t talk much, the lady cleared her throat and began introduced herself. "Oh! That''s right we haven''t introduced ourselves yet. I am Milai. This is my younger brother Dune. And that little girl that''s been peeking from outside the door is Sheila." As the lady introduced herself, I understood that another set of eyes were spying on me. She stood by the door silently poking her head in. She couldn''t be any more than twelve. But unlike her siblings the little one had white hair. She almost seemed like an angel, or she might have looked like one, if she didn''t glare at me with those fierce eyes.


    With a tried smile I followed suit. "I am Daarc Green. Nice to, meet you. And you have my most sincere gratitude." A little bit of my nerdy self-came out as I spoke. I watched way too many medieval movies, and sometimes my speech suffered for it.


    "This guy is funny sis." Dune laughed.


    I didn''t get if they found my name funny or maybe my gratitude. It kind of made me feel annoyed- though their behavior was pretty much justified. What''s so funny about that?


    Maybe Dune got the hint. He continued. "Don''t worry this is only natural. It''s only common courtesy to save someone in danger. For the time being please rest. Dinner will be ready soon." His uncanny and casual tone was reassuring. I was glad he didn''t hold anything back with me. Guys like him were always easy to trust.


    So it''s almost night time. He also was kind enough to give me the hint that it was almost evening now. I did feel relieved but I also kind of remembered how nights were in this world. And so, I tried my best to distract myself. "But still I must thank you." I wasn''t going to not show my gratitude. They deserved that much.


    Dune laughed. "Ha haha." I couldn''t get if he was just being sarcastic or he laughed like that. Honestly, I didn''t even want to know.


    "Please rest well." Milai politely stated and left. Dune followed suite with a laugh.


    The young one didn''t even come close to me. I still wondered if people were really this nice in such a cruel world. Why would they save me for no reason at all? Humanity? It didn''t make sense. Perhaps humans were on the verge of extinction or something, and every single one was precious? What the hell am I even thinking?


    I closed my eyes, wondered and soon fell asleep again.


    ***


    After some time, a small voice called me. My sleep ended in failure as I almost had a girlfriend in dreamland.


    "Hey, you¡­hey!"


    "It''s Daarc¡­" My name wasn''t ''hey, or you''. I knew my name wasn''t that conventional and please blame it on my parents. But still, couldn''t she really call me by my name? Oh wait, I hadn''t actually been introduced to her, now had I?


    The little girl that spied on me before came in the room with a ladle. She pointed it toward me and gasped. "I don''t care if it''s too dark for you. Get, your ass moving!"


    "Shouldn''t you let injured people sleep?" I asked, still groggy.


    Honestly, this little kid was a little weird. A tomboy, maybe?


    "I''m already treating you better than I''d treat any other freeloader," she mumbled.


    Hard to imagine this is the same girl who was so afraid before. Wait, was she really afraid? I felt a sinking feeling that the girl might have only wary at the time, not afraid. Besides, wasn''t she glaring at me the entire time?


    ***


    I got out of bed and it turned out I was in fact on the 2nd floor of a large wooden house. The wood creaked as I walked. It didn''t hurt as much as I thought it would. But that didn''t stop my body from telling that, it didn''t want to move even an inch. Every single bone of my body creaked as I moved along with the wood.


    "It wouldn''t break down would it?" I wasn''t sure whether I was referring to the wood or my own body. Both were making creaks the same.


    "Just keep walking." The girl sighed and looked at me with pity.


    What the hell¡­.is she really a kid? I held my head. My whole body was heavy. And this kid was, being a bully. But I guess I couldn''t really complain. After all, as she said, I was a freeloader.


    I tightened my resolve and walked on. I was almost fully healed yet felt rather uneasy as a walked. My chest felt tight. But it didn''t hurt.


    "How is this even possible?" I wondered as I came down. The stairway didn''t squeak as much. The wood on the walls seemed somewhat old and the house lacked decorations, yet it was rather tidy and clean. In reality, there wasn''t even a speck of dust anywhere. The air gradually became sweeter. I could almost taste it.


    As for my body, well it had seen better days. It didn''t hurt; it didn''t feel heavy for long. But honestly, I really didn''t like the cracking sounds my joints gave, every single time I moved a muscle.


    ***


    There were a grand total of seven people at the dinner table including me and the little brat. Upon getting closer to the wooden table I felt intimidated by the pressure set on me by the old man who was glaring at me. It was crystal clear that he didn''t like me. The sweet aroma in the air put the mind at somewhat of ease though.


    "How are you feeling now?" Dune asked.


    "Not bad. They are?" I said.


    "This is my aunt and these two are my grandparents." Dune talked with a smile.


    His parents weren''t here and I could take a good guess.. I couldn''t bring myself to ask about it though.

 Chapter 9 - Tranquility

    Milai brought the main dish. It was a soup with some meat and wild mushrooms. Just from the smell, I could say that it was beyond any dishes you would find on typical fancy restaurants.


    And I was certainly hungry. I didn''t know how long I was out, but my stomach was rumbling rather rudely.


    "I see. It is a pleasure to meet you three. And thank you for having me here." I tried to talk with a smile. I had to be sincere. These people saved me and I had nothing to repay them with. So the least I could do was to show my gratitude.


    "Stop wasting time. Eat your fill and leave by morning. We don''t need another mouth to feed!" the old man stated in a straightforward way.


    I already knew all that. I knew I was being a burden on these people. But did he really need to say it like that? Or maybe he did. Maybe I was the one being unfair here. But his way of talking did relieve me a little.


    "Grandpa!" Milai shot a dejected look at the man.


    Honestly, I was relieved to hear that! At least he was upfront. I for once wouldn''t want to leech on a family that saved my life. And besides, when someone starts behaving all nice and benevolent without any reason at all, isn''t that too suspicious? I''m all healed so maybe it''s okay for me to leave. I made up my mind that I''d leave the next day. Maybe I was making a rash decision or coming to a conclusion too soon, but I had to at least do something.


    "Don''t mind that jerk lad. You''re welcome to stay as long as you like," The old women broke my chain of thoughts. She was good with words and seemed rather understanding. I could understand how she could put up with such a brusque old man.


    "What are you saying? He''s a¡­ freeloader!" The old man wasn''t going down easy. He almost made me chuckle though.


    "Please stay quite dad. Or you might end up having another attack," Dune''s aunt looked at me, "Don''t worry dear, take a seat and enjoy your meal. He''s always like that." It was clear that this family was genuinely kind. And I appreciated that. But they did seem to have some sort of motivation for saving me and I could at least, guess that much. "How did you do it?"


    Her question caught me off guard. I couldn''t understand what she meant. I had tons of questions but when she asked me something, I was just lost. "Excuse me?"


    "I mean what where you doing out there and how did you survive such wounds? And how it that your body''s healing is so remarkable?"


    I didn''t want to spill all the beans without knowing more about this world, so I answered as best as I could without giving too much detail. It would be stupid to tell them everything, even if they are my saviors. "You see¡­ I don''t have much memory¡­ I was travelling¡­"


    I only gave them facts such as I was a traveller who lost his memories and was attacked my goblins outside. I could tell them about me not being from that world but I had yet to decide whether that was something I should tell someone. After all, I''d be hard-pressed if they suddenly kicked me out because someone in the past was a crazy maniac from another world. And I wasn''t going to take any chances.


    Though I tried to keep the facts the same, I lied to them without a second thought. But somehow they seemed to become even more compassionate toward me. Deep down, I felt guilty. Is this really alright? Should I really take advantage of them like this? But there was no helping it. I didn''t know anything about this world and I needed all the help I could get.


    "Five goblins in total!? And you even survived that forest! You must be one heck of an adventurer, huh?" Dune said. He looked at me wide with eyes, almost like he found some rough diamonds. I was suddenly getting the feeling that he probably saved me for a different reason other than just kindness.


    I was just lucky though. I didn''t tell them about the angel. They didn''t ask anything about it either. They were a little shocked when I told them about how I was saved by stray arrows, and they did have some ideas. Adventures occasionally travel around and kill monsters in the field- at least that''s what they told me.


    "But I almost did die though," I said. I wasn''t exaggerating anything; if anything I was probably downplaying my events. I didn''t want them to find me all boastful, after all.


    "Yeah, you were rather lucky. Fortunately, my sister right here is a priestess. I''m a guard of the wall. When I heard your scream and saw you covered in blood, I informed her," Dune said.


    That did make sense. So you did hear? Talk about a heart attack! "I see. You have my gratitude." I tried to remain calm but the moment I remembered things about that night, my heart started pounding.


    Dune forced me down. "Don''t worry about it. And sit down already!" I was standing all this time like an idiot.


    "Right!"


    I couldn''t ask any questions. I sat down and enjoyed the meal with the family. It was nice to get something to eat after all that. As I ate I got a lot of eyeballing from the old man. He might have really hated me. Well, I am a freeloader after all¡­ So I couldn''t fault him.


    Despite all that, I ate almost three times more than normal. They weren''t surprised. During dinner, it was rude to talk. Even so, they indulged with me quite mercifully. Nevertheless, I''d never forget their debt.


    "Looks like you were quite hungry, huh?" Dune asked, sneering a little.


    "Yeah, I felt a little too hungry. How long was I out?" I just asked casually. I was probably out for a day at most.


    "Three days."


    My eyes twitched. I couldn''t believe it but I had to say something. "I see." Say what? I was seriously out for three days?


    After finishing dinner I was told to spend the night in the room I woke up in. The people of this house were really nice. And I didn''t want to trouble them with my problems. But perhaps they were too nice.


    I was now back in the room. Lying down I surveyed the room again. There really wasn''t much. I should leave tomorrow.. Does this world have a library? Did this world even have books to begin with? Racking up my brain wasn''t doing any good, so I just slept.

 Chapter 10 - Interlude: Expression.

    A young man looked out through the window of a cramped room. The outside looked beautiful and perhaps a little dark: it was yet to be dawn. He got up rather early this morning and there was a good reason for that. The name of this young man was Daarc Green. He was from a place called earth, a place where humans lived with the comfort of technology.


    But the outside wasn''t earth. It was an entirely different world. A cruel and savage world where everyone was on their own. And yet, the sight from the window still charmed him. It was calm and quiet; perhaps, this is what he wanted. Perhaps not.


    I shouldn''t overstay my welcome. He kept thinking about this since last night. He still had his pride and he couldn''t just become a freeloader.


    Daarc went for the door only to stop by a small mirror on top of the bookshelf. He instinctively took a look at his face. There wasn''t much light, so half of his face didn''t even register on the mirror. Looks'' like the beard''s still not coming out. He was a bit of a late bloomer but the pores of his beard were definitely poking out. One couldn''t call that a beard even by a stretch though. And I''m going to be twenty this year too. His friends often made fun of him for his lack of facial hair for ages.


    Daarc sighed as he stared at his face. His hair and his eyes both were black: not brown, not chocolate, just pure black. It was always like this and Daarc never felt bad about it, at least till now that is. The world around him was different and black hair was rare: brown hair was the norm here.


    With another sigh, he opened the door and came out. He wasn''t paying attention and only a second later did he realize that was a big mistake.


    "Whoa!" A small girl crashed into Daarc. "Watch where you going, moron! I almost spilled!" She had a small cup in her hands filled with water. But upon closer inspection, that wasn''t water, rather it was a similar liquid named Panora which always glowed in pale light. It was rare, perhaps too rare.


    "What are you saying? Aren''t you the one who crashed into me?"


    The girl knew that too. But she was too prideful to admit it. Her brown pupils darted around and she tried to brush this whole incident off. "But it''s your fault for not looking before you got out." she did have a point though.


    Daarc didn''t take it too far. After all, he was a guest in this house. "Fine. Fine. And what''s this stuff?"


    "This is Panora. It''s expensive and this is all we''ve got in our village."


    Daarc scratched his head. "If it''s that expensive then what is a kid doing with it?"


    The girl- Sheila, exhaled and pouted. "I was given the charge of it!"


    "Yeah, yeah. Good luck with that." Daarc didn''t believe a word. The fate of the village, on the hands of this brat? Yeah right. His thoughts weren''t too pure either.


    "Hmph." Sheila just strode by and walked away, wincing a little. Perhaps she could speculate what this young man beside him was thinking. "By the way, we usually have breakfast a little later."


    But Daarc wasn''t out for breakfast. He was out for a different reason. I have to get out of here. He couldn''t trouble these good people any more than he did.. But he was yet to know¡­ the real reason why he was saved.

 Chapter 11 - The Decision

    The next morning was blissful. Instead of getting breakfast, I was thinking of how to get out of the house unnoticed. The least I could do was to get out of their hair. I tiptoed out. On my way out I''d crashed into Sheila or rather she''d crashed into me, but that was a different story.


    Milai and her aunt were in the kitchen. The old man and Dune weren''t here. I couldn''t see anyone else, so I succeeded. Thankfully, the front door didn''t creak.


    I went outside and found myself in a breathtaking village. Being a city folk, I never got to see such scenery before. I was watching this from the window of my room but I still couldn''t believe this. Everything was so colorful, so real. The green, the houses, the birds. Everything!


    Dune had given me a shirt last night. It looked dull and felt weird to wear, but it was better than nothing. (So yes, I wasn''t running around naked and covered in bandages.)


    The clear streaming pond was the heart of that village. Greenery was soothing my eyes. People didn''t seem paranoid about what was outside the walls. People walked by the road like nothing was wrong at all. It was like a medieval village but perhaps still of the twelfth century standard. I didn''t see any tech whatsoever. But honestly, this was probably for the best. I mean, the scenery was so beautiful that I didn''t really feel the need for tech anyway.


    One thing did concern me though. The people weren''t paranoid, but they had this dejected looks on their faces. And the number of people was low too. But since this was a village, maybe I was imagining things.


    There was a clear rule in the village that no one was to leave the village walls or so Dune had told me. The village itself was one of many in these regions. Most of the villagers were self-sufficient, having enough to live by. So going outside wasn''t something anyone wanted in the first place.


    As soon as I put my feet on the muddy road, I was immediately stopped by Dune. Just when I thought I wouldn''t get caught! How the hell did he know? And where the hell did he come from anyway?


    He tossed a piece of bread at me. "Come with me."


    I put the bread in my mouth and followed him: the bread''s taste was worse than my grandmother''s Jell-O.


    We went around the village. He showed me shops, houses, and even the church. It was really a village. There was no such thing as modern technology here. I saw children and elderly a lot but something felt a little off. There weren''t many adults. Shouldn''t it have been the opposite? Maybe adults were sent to the army or something? All of a sudden I was afraid of asking questions.


    Most of the houses were wooden but some were made from stones. However, when we passed through the church, something caught my eye. The backyard of the church had strange trees perfectly aligned.


    "What are those?"


    He didn''t look at me. He didn''t say anything. He just walked on.


    I didn''t press him. I didn''t have the luxury to. I could at least imagine things: almost no adults, grave stone shaped trees, and behind the church. Yup, I could totally imagine things. And I really hoped that it was just my imagination.


    We went into- what seemed like a weapons shop. For some reason Dune insisted that I take up a sword.


    "Please, Daarc! Every night our casualties increase. Lately, the undead have become restless. We just can''t keep up with the roaming undead. Besides, we¡­" He paused.


    I got the picture. No wonder he saved me and kept me in his house. The church treated the wounded and had separate rooms, so keeping me in his house was uncalled for. And now I knew why.


    I couldn''t stand his silence. Something was clearly wrong. "What''s wrong?"


    His expression changed. He ground his teeth, made a fist, and glared at me. "They''re dead¡­. The villagers are mostly dead. All the people who could fight are dead. Only seven of the guards are still alive. And three of us are injured. If we can''t protect the wall, everyone will die." He didn''t scream. But his words pierced my soul. His eyes shimmered.


    It pained me that my imagination came alive. "So the trees behind the church¡­" I didn''t finish. I couldn''t finish. Everything was real yet it felt surreal. I spent most of my days locked indoors. I read books, watched movies, played games. There were often plots for tragedies. But nothing hit this hard. When I was actually faced with a real situation, all I could do was shiver.


    His voice deepened. "Those were the graves¡­"


    "¡­" I knew it. I knew it yet I couldn''t say anything.


    "As long as you plan to stay here, please lend us a hand! Just an extra pair of hands-" He stopped. He couldn''t force me if I didn''t want to, and he knew that.


    I knew where this was going. I never did anything in my life and I wasn''t some guy who was going around saving people either. I wasn''t that type. But a good deed deserved payment and for just this once I felt something. Something changed in me. It wasn''t that I wanted to save them; it was just that I needed to save them. For their sake and for mine. I somehow wanted to prove this world wrong. If this world was cruel and wanted to take away everything from me then I wanted to stop it with all my might.


    I needed to return the favor. And though he had ulterior motives for saving me, he still saved me, provided me with food, and gave me shelter. I couldn''t just turn my back now. I just couldn''t abandon them. "I don''t plan to stay here long. There is something which I must do, somewhere I must go. And I only managed that out of desperation. I''d need to learn how to wield a sword first. " I didn''t sugarcoat anything.


    I still had to find out why I came to this world and how to return to mine too.


    "That is okay! Just, please help me defend the village. And when you''re ready you can leave, I won''t stop you." Dune was very persuasive and he was almost insane. The gravity of his words was heavy.


    I guess I should return the favor. I picked up the sword. It was heavy but I could lift it. I didn''t have to pay. I didn''t even know if money was a thing in this world or not. So being a college freshman didn''t really help.


    "I''ll be blunt with you. I have no idea how to use this thing¡­" I still tried to make him understand that everything was luck.


    But the guy never got the picture. He just assumed I was a novice who couldn''t use it properly. "To be honest I can''t use it properly either. However, I know the basics and I''d be happy to share. You''re more of a knife person, right?"


    That doesn''t sound very convincing. How the hell have you people been surviving? Since it wasn''t going through to him, I gave up. "Sounds good to me. Well, I can kind of use knives. Just kind of." I used to cook for myself a lot, so I did know how to handle a knife.. But to fight with it? That was a different story.

 Chapter 12 - Fighting For Survival

    Dune told me to sleep the whole day. I couldn''t necessarily sleep but lied down on the bed anyway. I didn''t want to return to his home but I couldn''t say no to Dune.


    I hated my house, my family. I had all the right reasons to. I''m pretty sure they hated me as well. A lot had happened to for them to literally hate me but it was true. So I didn''t really like the idea of playing family in another world. All of this kind of irked me and I wanted to stay as far away as possible. But I couldn''t really say no either. And since I told them about my lies of memory loss, I couldn''t ask much about this world either.


    "You up?" Dune called from outside the room


    Sounds like it''s finally time. I looked out the window. It was evening. I didn''t even notice how time had flown. Obviously, I couldn''t sleep. "Yeah."


    "Time to move out. Grab your sword."


    Training begun at night. It was more like me running around with an iron rod. I couldn''t even properly lift the damn thing. It was heavier than the sword from the undead. Besides, my body was still heavy.


    "Are you sure you killed five goblins?" His sarcastic tone bothered me, but still he tried his best to teach me.


    Yes, I was sure that I killed five goblins. But I was also sure they almost killed me every single time too. "Trust me, I''m as surprised as you are¡­ but aren''t we supposed to protect the wall?" If my memory served correct this wall was the only thing keeping all those monsters out.


    It was well past evening, but no undead had come near the wall; yet.


    "As long as the fire''s burning, there''s no need to worry." Dune reassured me with a pose. I didn''t know if he was trying to be funny or not but that pose almost made me chuckle.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask, how come they''re afraid of fire?"


    "You see all living things fear fire. Even after death they think it might harm them. In reality it does, so maybe that''s why?" Dune explained but he didn''t seem convinced either.


    So you don''t know either? Hey, wait! People are afraid of a lot more things than just fire. I wanted to say that to his face too. "But-"


    "No more buts now focus!" He swung his sword at me, I tried to block. It didn''t work. I fell on my back.


    Strength really was his strong suit. He didn''t give me a break. But I still knew nothing about this world. And was this guy seriously just using basics to beat me like this? Granted, I didn''t know how to use a sword, but this guy still seemed like an experienced fighter to me.


    He sighed. "Get up." For some reason he was utterly devastated. Regrettably, I could guess that reason.


    Somebody started shouting. "Dune the other side!"


    I got up. The fire was about to go out in the other side. We took a torch and ran for it, barely making it at the last moment. There were basically just five of us, including me.


    Every time the fire weakened a little, undead come pouring. And with just the five of us, it was hard to maintain this almost a kilometer long wall.


    The whole training combined with the relentless pursuit of the undead, was brutal. I already felt faint.


    "Tired already," Dune smirked. It was a little past midnight.


    I could fall asleep at a moment''s notice. "That ain''t funny!" I breathed heavily and panted.


    "But that just shows what happens everyday. But honestly these last few days were the worst. So I''m glad you''re here." He was sarcastic all night and suddenly thanked me now. It felt weird.


    But why? Why was the undead moving like this? Dune told me that it wasn''t like this even a few months ago.


    I still didn''t know how to kill those things apart from using sunlight though. Were the undead even killable? Fire was effective in scaring them but was it enough to kill them? "Oh and we chased them away but how do we kill-"


    Dune cut me off. Was he expecting this? "We don''t. Only a priest can purify them or someone who has holy powers. We can cleave them with proper swords but they''d still move around. Although they won''t be harmful that way. Or just burn them. That seems most effective, honestly. And I prefer that too; they''ll probably be back in a few days though. You won''t believe how well they burn!" His eyes showcased his passion for burning. There were these types of people in my world as well. These people just loved to burn stuff.


    "Sometimes I wonder who the bad guy is." My voice was barely a whisper.


    "Did you say something?" And he had the ears of a bear.


    "Nope!"


    It went on like that for the whole night. I couldn''t even move my arms after it was over. Dune''s training was as brutal as a bite from the damn goblins. But when morning light peeked through the eastern horizon, I felt at ease. My heart fluttered and I knew it was over- at least for tonight. Wait, I have to do this again? My heart sank a great deal when I actually thought about it.


    I was spent. So I slept till noon. Who cared about breakfast anyway? Not me.


    "Oi!"


    "Hey!"


    "YOU!"


    I woke up. Something or one was screaming in my ears. It was a high pitched voice. My ears rang.


    "Argh¡­" I groaned. Just what was wrong? Did they have to scream so much? Didn''t they know I was spent?


    I looked around, still half asleep. It was the little brat again. "What?"


    "Lunch is ready, they want you down."


    They want me down? You almost sound like a mass murderer. I was disappointed. I wanted to sleep some more. It felt like one those days when I accidently got too excited over a book or movie that I spent the whole night on that. Actually it probably was.


    I didn''t seem too convinced so, the brat explained things to me. It was lunch time some time ago but they were waiting for me to get up this whole time.


    "Huh?" My brain jumped started. It was already past noon and they waited for?


    I gasped, grabbed my head and sat down. My head hurt. The little brat led me to the place with water.


    I washed my face outside the home and went to the designated place: the fated dinner table. Dune was as bright as I last saw him. How tough was the guy? But the geezer was there too. And as usual, he greeted me with his solid glare.


    I ate lunch. I couldn''t talk much. And they didn''t say much either. Maybe they were mad that they had to just sit there for all this time?


    "You look sick¡­" Milai said.


    And I totally was. "Back where I''m from, that''s a compliment." I tried to act funny. But I most certainly wasn''t.


    They all laughed. Maybe they were too kind.


    I could barely keep my eyes open. Once finished, I thanked them, went upstairs and slept for another two good hours. I woke up in the afternoon and went outside the house. Sheila followed me. How the hell did she knew I was going out?


    "What?" I asked. I didn''t like kids.


    "Let''s go fishing."


    I never liked fishing either. Patience was never my strong suit. Why would I even want to sit down for hours with little hope of actually catching something good? "Huh? Why?" Two of my hated things, combined? I didn''t want any part of it, that much I was certain.


    "You''re eating our food. The least you could do is make up for it, right?" The brat gave me a solid grin. She had me just where she wanted.


    Aren''t I doing enough already? I couldn''t talk back to that though. Even I knew that she was right. The way she talked indicated that she might have been older than she looked. "Wait, how old are you?"


    "Thirteen."


    You don''t say¡­ Of course I didn''t believe her. "You don''t look a day over ten." I wasn''t convinced. She was too much of a brat.


    "I''m THIRTEEN!" She was pretty persistent though. She kept yelling and shouting until I gave up.


    I sighed in resignation. I had got myself into troublesome shit once again. "Yeah, sure, sure. Lead the way." I didn''t want anything to do with it, but now I had to.


    She ran back home without another word.


    I was all alone in the road: I was left here thunderstruck. What just happened?

 Chapter 13 - How Do You Fish Again?

    "How do you fish again?" I was out of order. Outdated would be a proper term. Or perhaps too modern? In any case, I didn''t know how to fish.


    "You don''t even know that?" Sheila came to me, looked me in the eye, rolled her eyes, and snatched the fishing rod away from me. Her grin was as condescending as ever. I probably ranked closer to a bug in her book than a human.


    We were by the pond. It was in the middle of the village. There weren''t any houses nearby but there were plenty of people. Some were fishing, some were collecting water, some were swimming and others were just playing around like us. My eyes sometimes darted around the wet village girls, but I was a responsible guy (somewhat) so I restrained myself, to the best of my abilities.


    "First you do this!" Sheila hooked bait on the needle and swung her rod fast. I was surprised. Boy, this kid had agility!


    When she had gone back into the house I thought she wouldn''t be coming back, but here I was. I actually hoped she wouldn''t be back, but she basically dragged me out here. And here I thought, I''d be able to get some good information about this world today. I could only bring myself to sigh, as the thoughts raged on in my mind.


    "Wow, you''re pretty good." I couldn''t help but lay down a few compliments though. She really was pretty good at this.


    She puffed her chest in pride as if to say ''Keep ''em coming''.


    "By the way, what did you do with that expensive stuff you were talking about?"


    "Oh, that was this month''s whole stock of the stuff. It''s pretty expensive so the central church only sends in small amounts."


    Though we were talking about expensive and whatnot, I never saw anyone using money in the village. Was money even a thing? Wait, if it was that expensive then what was this brat doing with that anyway. "What it is used for and why-"


    She let out an exasperated sigh. "What are you, a bartender who drank too much? Shut up for a second, will you? I''m focusing."


    For a brat, she really had some nerve.


    Within a few minutes, something hooked and she reeled it in. it happened in a flash and now we had a fish that was worth at least three kilos. She was far gifted than I could ever hope to be. Never knew the day would come when I''d be jealous of a brat like this. But I had to hand it to her, she really was worthy of praise.


    "Did you even need me here?" My thoughts escaped through my lips. I didn''t want to say it but I couldn''t stop myself. After all, if I had to give an unbiased opinion of myself, I''d say I was pretty useless.


    "Nope." But the kid was probably much more honest than I was.


    Her honesty, however, didn''t make me feel any better. Sometimes it''s better not to be that honest. I couldn''t tell that to her proud face though.


    Sheila, looked at me with pity and handed me the rod again. "Now you try." Her enthusiasm was back on track.


    I wasn''t particularly disgusted by bugs but I couldn''t really handle them all that well. Whenever I saw any bugs (anything that crawled) they reminded me of the undead bugs which in turn reminded me of the dreadful forest. "Can you at least hook the bait?" My voice shivered a little.


    "Uh¡­ No." Sheila gave me the look of disapproval and just stood there.


    I sighed. Life was really weird. Just a week ago I was sitting all day in my room, reading books, playing games and now I was hooking the worm to the needle. Life really was weird.


    I swung it back to the water. My body reacted with a shiver. I really didn''t like anything from the Annelida family.


    For about half an hour nothing bit. Sheila was pretty happy. She had secured our dinner, so why wouldn''t she be? But I sure wasn''t. Besides, she caught two more.


    After another half an hour my fate changed. Something finally bit on my rod.


    "Don''t rush. Take it slow but steady." Sheila came close to me and guided me through it.


    I listened to her. It was an arduous catch. The fish was moving all over the place just a moment''s weakness and it would be gone. Calm down, Daarc! You can do this! My pride and hope depended on it. After struggling for a few minutes I finally reeled it in, drenched in sweat. I felt like I''d just accomplished the impossible.


    Sheila rolled her eyes as I almost danced in excitement. "Well, that was something." She didn''t say anything but she definitely wasn''t that impressed.


    My fish wasn''t as big as hers. It was almost as big as my index finger but it was still my fish. She had no right to criticize me and actually, she didn''t. She just kept rolling her eyes. Somehow, that made me feel worse.


    We went back. I got praised for my catch. But I could tell that was nothing more than obligatory thanks. But I still liked it.


    I couldn''t help but acknowledge the taste. "This tastes pretty good." The soup had my fish, so it was bound to be tasty. I didn''t hold back any compliments when it came to food. Good food was good food.


    Dune''s family always had dinner exactly before the evening. That way they could spend time with Dune as a family. I liked this. Reminded me of the good times I had when Father was still alive.


    "Thank you," Milai said.


    Milai''s aunt giggled. "This is our family''s special recipe. Fish curry."


    "I see. It''s wonderful."


    We all had a laugh, ate, and before I knew it, Dune and I were back on top of the wall. It was too late to curse my luck. After all, I was the one who chose this.


    "Today we''ll learn how to parry attacks. And by we, I mean you!" With a moment''s pause Dune charged straight at me. His grin really was something out of this world.


    "Wait, you are not going to teach to me block first?" I choked on my words as Dune rammed straight at me.. Somebody get me out of this world! I regretted my decision all over again.

 Chapter 14 - Truth And Despair

    The next day at noon I went to the local church. Milai had asked me to come. It was a good opportunity to learn more about this village and the world, so I went along with her. My body felt better- at least better than yesterday. Though the very thought of Dune teaching me, made me shiver. The guy was like the devil. In contrast, Milai was like an angel.


    It was a normal church, but a very old one at that. There wasn''t anything special about it apart from the fact that it could collapse at any given moment. The walls were so fragile that my legs didn''t stop trembling the entire time. Or perhaps this was because I kept remembering a lot of things I shouldn''t have.


    I was an atheist in my own world, so I never really cared much about God''s existence. I never claimed that God didn''t exist, but I never believed in him either. So coming to a church like this, believing that God was the one who sent me to this place, was not something that I could believe just like that. But I wanted to.


    "This is the village church. Every month we have all the villagers gather here and pray to the almighty Zelon, the god of bounty." Milai seemed reminiscent of the past. I didn''t want to ask about the villagers. I knew what kind of answers she''d have. So it was best not to poke my head where it didn''t belong.


    I tried to change the subject. "Can you tell me more about the gods? I can''t seem to remember much." To my understanding, there should be more than one in this world. At least that''s what Misrael, hinted at.


    Milai gave me a smile and looked a little bit more cheerful. "Of course. That''s why I asked you to come after all. What more suitable a place to learn about God than the house of God himself?" She paused, giggled a little. "There are several gods and half-gods. They are divine but not all-powerful. Some have given us light: some have given us water and some fire." She looked down. "Some have even given us darkness and evil desires." She looked me back in the eye, beaming with ambition. "We only pray to almighty Zelon. He is the god of bounty and good fortune. As for the other gods, different regions have different god''s mercy. So everybody''s prayers are different." Her conviction was real. She believed in God with all her being, and even I could tell that. There was no denying it and I didn''t want to deny her faith. But that didn''t mean I chose to follow her path either.


    That''s a convoluted system. Why couldn''t there just be one universal god instead? "So basically they are a bunch of all-powerful deities? Do they have any hierarchy?" I was being a bit rude perhaps, but I needed to know.


    "To sum it up, yes¡­ But just between you and me, the leader of the gods has vanished. As for the other god''s ¡­. We don''t know." She was basically whispering. Trade secret among the people of the church perhaps.


    She seemed hesitant to tell me. It was probably best that I didn''t press her. In religions, there are always some things that you are better off not knowing. But now that she told me more about the absence of gods, it seemed no one ever met gods anyway. At least no human did. So I couldn''t just believe her faith out of blue, now could I?


    And so, I changed the subject. "About the villagers¡­" I didn''t want to do this to her, but it all seemed connected. And since I''d live here, I tried to be as blunt as possible. After all, I couldn''t run away from the truth forever.


    "There''s a curse in the village¡­ in recent days, it''s gotten much stronger. I can''t keep up. Moire was supposed to send a more experienced priest here, but they haven''t responded in a long while. They''ve only given us a single bottle of Panora" Her speech exploded. She must have been really worried. She as probably holding these thoughts in for a long while.


    Moire? Isn''t that the place Misrael had mentioned? And Panora? Where did I hear that name before? The name rang a bell. But these deals with curses were an entirely new thing. If magic existed, than curses weren''t that surprising. But everything was a little hard for me to swallow. "A curse?"


    She looked down. "Yes, a very deadly one. The skins of the cursed are black and decaying¡­"


    It could be a disease¡­. The description was too basic, so I couldn''t conclude it. But to me, it felt like this village was being ravaged by some kind of plague.


    "Anyway, if you see anyone with black spots, don''t go near them. And if you think you might be cursed or anything, immediately tell me." Milai looked awfully concerned for my wellbeing. I guess I was a valuable asset to the village.


    "Of course¡­" I said. It was a general response. I didn''t have anything better to say anyway.


    "That reminds me. How come these people in graves aren''t turning into undead?" The moment I said it, I knew I had to apologize for it. My question lacked delicacy and she took a very large breath. I''d just done me a fatal mistake.


    "You see when lingering feelings accumulate in one place- especially the forests, souls don''t really leave this world. They cling to their bodies, but as time progresses their bodies¡­. " It pained her. I could see her tears welling up. I was the reason behind it. "But don''t worry. I''ve already purified the souls of our fallen. They won''t become undead." She faked a smile.


    "I-I see. Thank you." I didn''t apologize. I got the impression that''d only complicate things further.


    She wiped her eyes in secret but I saw it. She smiled, though it pained her. "Good. Now that we''re here¡­ Let''s pray!" Perhaps she was stronger than I''d assumed.


    I suppose asking about magic now, is a bit late. I smiled back. "Yeah."


    Oh God, please send me back home!


    If God was real, he wasn''t easy: I still had doubts, but for just this instance I wanted to believe in him. There were other people here too, praying with us. Mostly elderly and children. It was a village ravaged by some sort of curse and the onslaught of the undead. And yet, they had compassion.. And that made me want to believe in gods and in humanity.

 Chapter 15 - Troubles And Hope

    Eventually, I learned more about this world. The village didn''t have a library but there were some books in Dune''s house. I was still a little surprised by the new few found power of language. Yes, understanding other languages were useful, but couldn''t I get some sort of amazing superpowers? But I guess, being able to talk to almost anything intelligible was a superpower too.


    I could read the weird characters of this world and so I did a little digging. Unfortunately, there was only one history book and it was rather old in this whole house. It was handwritten so I couldn''t understand half of it. The fact that I could read and understand the language was still a little jarring. The writing looked like a weird form of Latin, but it wasn''t.


    The kingdom I was in was called Destoa, and the world- the dark realm, as most of the world was unknown. At this point, this wasn''t surprising, but it also wasn''t something I wanted to hear (read) either. After all, just who in what mind names a world ''the dark realm''? "There so many undiscovered continents that people took the liberty of calling their world something this ominous." Is this a book or someone''s autobiography? The book for most of the part was written in a hilarious language. Perhaps the man who wrote it was just having fun writing rather than actually writing.


    "As for the undead, they first came to be when ancient races waged war. The forests nowadays are remnants of those times and thus are home to the undead. And all those who die there are said to have turned into them. It is said that most undead are incapable of conversing and human functions but they for some reason crave human blood as though it would do them any good. But that wasn''t confirmed. However, some have shown to have sentient capabilities." Wait, what? Does that even make sense?


    There wasn''t much in the book. The author was probably long dead. Just who is this JKB. Sarjeon? The author''s name was kind of weird but somehow it made me feel a little nostalgic. But in the end, it did help me understand more about this world.


    For one thing, this was an entirely different world, not some weird forgotten past. There was no moon in the sky and the stars were closer than usual. The water tasted different and so was the smell of air. All in all, I was in another world. And yet, I wanted this to a dream and wake up already.


    The pictures in the book were blurry and I couldn''t read much of the scrambled texts. The only other thing it contained was the information on races. "There were thirteen races in the beginning. Now only five remain. The others were all lost in time. Some of their progeny still live as half breeds but the purity is scarce. As for the current races, there are humans, demons, elves, dwarves and demi-humans, and the near-extinct true Alves. True Alves are probably the rarest species on the planet." Almost like a game, huh? Could it be possible there are bunny-


    A sharp voice interrupted my reading. "What the hell are you doing?"


    "Um¡­ reading a book?"


    She hummed and gave me a grin. It was Shelia, the little brat. Honestly she might have been even worse than my own sister. "Come with me, we gotta fish!"


    "Again?" Just when this was getting good. And why was this brat so frigging obsessed with fish?


    "Yup!" Sheila gave me a long wide grin and swayed her head as she hummed something. For whatever reason, she was in a terribly good mood. Which also meant, she wasn''t taking no for an answer.


    And so I went with her. But my view of the world changed dramatically as time went on. But honestly, I just wanted to get off this rock.


    Actually fishing wasn''t that bad once I got used to it. I could catch fish as big as my fist now. Occasionally Sheila would catch one at least ten times bigger than mine and taunt me. But I was no kid, and so I just let it slide. If I let every little thing get on my nerves, than I was better of being dead. Cause this world wasn''t a place for quick tempered folks. And I wanted to pretend that I was an adult.


    "Looks like tonight we''ll have a feast too." I mumbled. For the last couple of days dinner was being made rather extravagantly. I guess these guys really knew how to treat guests.


    "You know." Sheila started. She seemed a little hesitant. "Maybe, you weren''t so bad-"She was almost mumbling.


    "What?" I heard her before but I instinctively asked, and regretted it for the last couple of seconds.


    "Nothing." Sheila sighed and picked up the fishing gear. "You carry the fish. Grandma''s caught a cold, so I''m glad we caught a lot." She was being awfully talkative today. Lately she wasn''t as hostile towards me as before. It was probably just my imagination.


    Just a little more and she might actually start to like me. Of course my goal wasn''t to get everyone to like me, but it couldn''t hurt. I wasn''t some egotistical bastard, but somehow I felt at ease knowing these guys liked me. "Let''s hope she gets plenty of rest too." I picked up the bucket of fish and walked towards Dune''s house with Sheila.


    Every day I practiced with Dune during the night. I did as he instructed and by the end of the week we had fended off countless attacks not just by the undead but even the goblins. I was skeptical about my skills but as I practiced with him, I gained experience extraordinarily. Guarding the wall was relatively simple. As long as the fire burned on top of the wall, the undead would never come. But maintaining that fire, all across the wall was tough.


    In rare occurrences some undead did get on top of the wall. That''s where me and Dune came in. Dune really loved burning them, and watching them groan. I might have misjudged him a little. Hell, I didn''t expect it to be like this. But I couldn''t blame him. He hated the undead with all his might. After all, these things was the root of our troubles.


    In another day or two, the other guards of the wall, would be back on duty. They were almost healed. So it made sense I thought about what I''d do next. I couldn''t forget about my goal, after all. But maybe this wasn''t so bad. The time spent in this village felt surreal yet, so tranquil.


    Lately I''d been thinking about heading towards Moire, but the journey was supposed to be rather hazardous at this time of year. So the villagers recommended that I at least stay for a month. I could smell their actual intentions from miles away. But I didn''t peg them for it. After all, this wasn''t so bad.


    "That''s the seventh time tonight."


    I huffed and panted. My breath never felt so shallow. "Are you sure these pyres are good? Cause-" Lately the undead were striking whenever the pyre was about to go down. It was almost as if someone or thing was commanding them. Tonight was no exception.


    "But that''s all we''ve got." Dune''s voice got heavy. He knew this was bad.


    I didn''t have a response. In this past week, two of the other guards got injured and the other two would be back soon. Now only he and I were left but things were about to get better- or so I hoped.


    On top of that, the pyres weren''t in the best of shapes and the undead were like getting smarter with each passing day. Life was getting harder by the day. And honestly, I didn''t want any part of it.


    "Samel should be good to go from tomorrow. So we''ll have it easy, hopefully," Dune said. He didn''t seem all that hopeful though. "Kamel said he''d be good the next day too."


    Doesn''t sound like you''re hopeful though. "Yeah." I tried to act casual but I couldn''t either. We both knew, things really weren''t going in the best direction.. But we had hope as a last resort.

 Chapter 16 - Magic: A Blessing Or A Curse?

    Magic existed in this world but most humans could never learn a single spell in their entire life. And nobody could teach magic to someone else. In fact, instead of calling it magic, people called it a blessing, at least humans did. The only one in the village who knew such a blessing was Milai who had the gift of healing. All of this new stuff was just rubbing me the wrong way.


    "How do you actually use magic?"


    It was afternoon. We were heading to the pond to gather water.


    "It''s hard to explain. If you have the gift, then you can just feel it." Milai spoke like it was the most obvious thing. Perhaps it was to her, but not to me.


    Sheila was fishing by herself today. She seemed a little distant. I wanted to go out with Sheila, but Milai asked me to come with her instead.


    ¨ª glared at Milai emptily. Normally I didn''t get the chance to hang out with her, and so there were plenty of questions I wanted to be answered. But if she answered them like that, would they really be of any help?


    However, somehow she understood me. She chuckled. "Well to put it in simple terms, you can feel magic power inside you. It''s like a faint warmth that only you can feel. When you concentrate on it, you can project the warmth out. That''s how I see it." Milai explained it in her own terms. For a second I felt captivated, albeit for different reasons. But unfortunately, I wasn''t into older women.


    I thought about how heat exchange works. "I see. So it''s like radiation." For a moment I might have forgotten that people in this world didn''t know how physics worked. In most part, I didn''t either.


    "Ra-di-a?"


    It was a weird thing to say. After all, they thought I''d forgotten things. "Oh, don''t mind me¡­" I tried to pass it out. Milai got the hint and didn''t press me. "So, um. Are there curses that people can learn? Like if there are blessings then-"


    "There are." Milai''s voice turned hostile. "And I''d suggest you not looking into them. But since you don''t know anything about it. I''d give you a fair warning. Curses are bad. No matter who uses it and no matter what kind of benefits it gives you, it''s bad. And because it''s bad that''s why it''s called a curse, to begin with. So stay away from them. If you''re learning a curse as magic, then it''s not worth it." It was almost like she had firsthand experience. She talked smoothly and warned me thoroughly. "Besides, there''s always a price when it comes to curses."


    I smiled. "Of course. I never planned on getting near that kind of stuff, to begin with." I was being honest. I didn''t want to do anything with curses.


    Milai''s smile made a triumphant return. Maybe she was glad for my answer. "Good. Now help me fill this bucket." She dumped the bucket in the water and I pulled it up. It was heavy, almost as heavy as my sword. Maybe a little more.


    For once I was glad that I moved my sword around often. Otherwise, I''d have been a laughingstock if I couldn''t even lift up this bucket.


    We laughed and continued on. I knew I shouldn''t take this for granted and I''d have to leave eventually. But somehow I felt at ease, somehow I wanted this to last.


    Tonight was really something. Loads of good food and they were awfully nice. But they never questioned me. Why did they trust me that much?


    I stayed at their house the entire time. It was a small village. The injured villagers were slowly getting better. Milai was excellent at healing. But at the rate the undead surged, it was only a matter of time¡­. Everyone knew that.


    I had even forgotten about the fact that I nearly died more than once just a few days ago. However, I couldn''t forget about the goblins or the undead. They''d haunt me in my dreams. They were my worst nightmares. However, I did feel a lot better whenever I was in this house.


    I asked more about this world to all of them, even the brusque grandpa. Of course, I took it slow and they all had their own answers. But the gist of it was something along the lines of they had no idea. The grandpa even went as far as to say, "Curse this damn world! Why''d it have to be so cruel!" I didn''t blame him though. Dune had some interesting views too. He was speaking stuff like how the world is fated to doom and we all would die soon. Well, he wasn''t totally wrong about doom, because even I thought that this world didn''t have a future. But I for certain didn''t want anything to do with death. I had other plans. SO I kept practicing and researching on my own. But there wasn''t much information.


    On my 8th day here, something unexpected happened. The whole village had come under a vicious curse. Apparently, it was stronger than what was already spreading around. And this one also had special properties, like some dying on spot. I''d never heard of a disease that killed people on contact. But it didn''t kill everyone infected just like that. Some died, some suffered while others just had mild symptoms. This disease seemed awfully biased to me.


    It was believed that the sacred forest was the source. The main targets of this curse were the old people. Leaving the few adults and children untouched. Flesh began to rot and people were rotting away slowly while they were still alive. A sight that I wish no one should see even in their darkest of dreams. It wasn''t similar to any disease I knew of. The only thing I could remotely compare it to was the bubonic plague but even the plague would have paled in comparison. I couldn''t find peace knowing that people all around me, were dying. But there was nothing I could about it.. The thought only pained me even more.

 Chapter 17 - Curse You Forests!

    On the 9th day, both of dune''s grandparents were infected with the curse. Dune and I were shocked.


    Dune remained thunderstruck. "Thi-this isn''t happening¡­." It was morning and yet neither of us had any sleep in our eyes. We were both tired from all the night crawling. But I never thought something like this would wait for us when we got home.


    The smell was terrible. I couldn''t breathe. It was like I was back in the forest.


    Dune was shivering. And yet, I couldn''t say a word. I couldn''t say anything to console him.


    "Grampa, gramma!!" Sheila was crying by their side. However, neither of them could move their bodies. If they did, the flesh would start to fall off. It was a sight I wished to never experience. And yet I couldn''t look away.


    It was also the first time I saw Dune cry. The all cheerful powerhouse crying. I felt powerless. There was nothing I could do. My trembling hands only reminded me, you are worthless, Daarc.


    Milai was busy tending all the infected being one of the few priestesses here. I could see the pain in her eyes when she left her own house and grandparents in favor of the villagers. I could never do that. I respected her. But her powers couldn''t cure them: she could only ease their passing. And there was another reason she left the house. She couldn''t bear this either. After all, her grandparents were already beyond saving.


    The smell of this house would forever haunt me. The air reminded me of that dreadful night in the sacred forest. Truth to be told the entire village felt the same. Almost every house had one or two grieving souls. If this is how this world controls the population problem, then I believe God and I need a good talk¡­


    During noon I was looking for fish in the pond. The blazing sun was my courage and its rays glittered infinitely in the water. My day time was free. Usually those of us who guarded the walls had the day off, to rest but not me. I preferred resting till noon and then staying active all day, at least that''s what I told myself, if I couldn''t fall asleep. Maybe that was the cause behind the large black spots under my eyes. They were a tad small to be called eye bags though. My reason for fishing was simple. Be useful to the people around me, as I had nothing else to do. And yet what good could I have possibly expected that to do? After all, even in such a crisis I couldn''t do basically anything. I guess I''ll keep guarding the wall for a little while longer.


    A pull! I received a force on my rod. I reeled it in. It did took some effort but worth it.


    I caught a large fish and thought about Sheila. "Yahoo!" This was probably the largest I ever caught.


    It was a mild shout. My mood was still pretty horrible due to the circumstances but even so this was a good break. At least I could secure their food.


    It was probably as big as the one Sheila caught the first time we went fishing together. It was also quite funny that I was somewhat attached to the brat. She reminded me of my own sister. I hated kids, yet I found somehow liking this brat.


    I bet this would cheer her up a little. She''d been very sad ever since her grandparents had been infected. Her time with her grandparents was limited but I wanted her to be at least a little happier, if only a little. I knew she wouldn''t jump around at the sight of the fish, but at least she''ll feel better. I hoped that she would.


    In the distance, someone shouted my name. It was Milai. She came rushing, breathing rapidly. With sweat overflowing all over her face, she appeared extremely troubled. And I had a bad idea about this.


    "What happened? Why do you look like that?"


    She was on her knees. She couldn''t speak. She couldn''t breathe. Something was wrong. "Da¡­dar¡­"


    "Catch your breath first!" I ordered.


    "Hur-hurry! She went into the forest!


    "Who? Sheila!" That was the first name that came to my mind. Sheila might have been a child, but she was definitely attached to her grandparents. Whenever you factored in love into any equation, things were bound to get rough. And that kid was a little too active for her age and maybe for her own good.


    "Ye-yes!"


    She went into the forest? My blood went cold and a shiver went down my spine. I expected to hear that, but didn''t want to and definitely wasn''t prepared to.


    There was a rumor in the village that the cause was definitely the sacred forest and it''s fumes that traveled by air. But there was no such evidence. Why would a 13 year old head into the forest only on speculation? And how was she planning on stopping something like that? I couldn''t think it through.


    It wasn''t good news. I experienced firsthand how cruel that forest was. There was no way a 13 year old could survive. "When did this happen?"


    "Samel saw her sneaking out of the gate. When he tried to stop her, she ran too quickly for him to catch up." Miliai was devastated and rightfully so.


    A child out matched an adult? He was injured, so that was understandable. I don''t think I would have done any better either. "How do we know that she went to the forest?" We still didn''t know if Sheila really went into the forest. After all it was still ways off from the village.


    "Where else do you think she went!" She cried. Milai was agitated. She was irritated. She was a sister.


    I didn''t have time to be doubtful. And this was my chance to repay my debt. "I see. I''ll head out right away. Does dune know?"


    "He already went after her." She broke into tears.


    In that case there shouldn''t be much to worry about. Dune is probably the best this village has to offer. "Stay here. I''ll go immediately," I said.


    That''s how I consoled her. But honestly, even so, I didn''t want to go into that forest. It wasn''t a place I ever wanted to revisit. Just once was enough for me. But I had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. The onslaught, the curse, and now this, all of this seemed too coordinated to be a natural occurrence. Could it be that something-


    "Take me with you. Having a priestess would help greatly in that forest," Milai pleaded. If something happened, she''d lose both of her siblings. She couldn''t afford that.


    But taking her was too dangerous. "The villagers here need you. I give you my word, I will bring her back. In the meantime take care of everything here." Of course, I knew it was dangerous and I didn''t want to go there, but taking Milai was a plain bad idea and even I could feel it in my bones.


    She didn''t seem convinced but there was no other way. And she knew that. Things moved too fast. I only consoled her in the heat of the moment. But I had to go out anyway. They''d done a lot for me, to ignore their pleas. They''d saved my life, they''d given me food, and they''d given me shelter. So I didn''t want to ignore them.. Of course, they had their own reasons, but that didn''t give me the excuse to just ignore their cry for help.

 Chapter 18 - Do I Really Have To Go In Again?

    The villagers were kind enough to provide a horse and some items for me but none of them had the vitality to accompany me, not even the guards of the wall. The only few adults that remained healthy were not capable of fighting. It was as though they''d already given up.


    I was by the gate and the villagers were here to see me off. It was like they were regretting to see me head to the forest. Perhaps it was just my imagination.


    A man covered in a cloak came near my stead. "Take this young man."


    "What is this?"


    His accent was different than the other villagers. "Tis''an elixir. Use it wisely."


    I had read about elixirs before in books and games. But weren''t they fictional and said to have granted immortality? If so, then why would someone give something so valuable to me? Maybe this world''s elixir was different?


    I put it in the bag. "What''s an Eli-¡­ where''d he go?" The guy was nowhere to be found.


    Dune''s aunt glared me with questioning eyes. "What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"


    They couldn''t see him? Something was definitely wrong. Just who was that man? However I didn''t have time to delve into that matter. I had something else to do. And fishy he may be, if he gave me a real elixir, than I had to problems with it. "Nothing."


    Milai came close to me, held my hand in hers. "Please bring them back in one piece!"


    I didn''t have a reply. I''d try my best. But if push came to shove, I was ready to flee at a moment''s notice. I didn''t want to spend a night in that place after all. So I wholeheartedly hope that I''d find them before dusk.


    "The undead are weak to holy element but we don''t have any panora water or holy objects¡­ Please take care of yourself¡­" A villager said as he slid something in my pocket. "This was my family heirloom." He whispered. He was a feeble old man and I didn''t question him.


    I knew Milai understood that it would take more than a miracle to bring them back; and it was written all over her face too. Probably everyone knew that. Even so they clung to their faith. They trusted me, the only able bodied man and a complete amateur who didn''t even know how to fight. But their faith was probably misplaced as I was utterly useless anyway.


    The outside was just like I remembered. The grassy fields were nests to various things, goblins included. However, I didn''t spot any hobgoblins. The horse was fast and the wind was on my side. It didn''t take long to reach the forest.


    I could feel the presence of dead things as chills went down my spine. The smell was here too. How could a girl that young traverse such vile lands alone? I didn''t get the answer. There was a single horse tied to a fragile tree just outside the forest. "So Dune''s already been here¡­" This wasn''t good. If Dune went into the forest, then that could only have meant one thing: Sheila was in as well.


    Once inside, the same feeling from that night came back. Never thought I would come here out of my own will! Only this time, I had a proper weapon and some items that would help me survive. The horse refused to enter the sacred forest and I couldn''t blame it. I covered my face with a cloth and moved on. Even with it, I couldn''t breathe.


    The torch that the villagers gave me was very helpful. Undead were not solely made of humans corpses. There were plenty of other humanoid creatures in this world. And the undead in this forest didn''t fail to impress on that.


    I assumed they were from other races found in typical fantasy worlds (Quite a lot of variety I suppose). However, I didn''t have to luxury to stare at them as the sunset drew nearer. As daylight still covered me, I moved quickly. I''ve to find them before sunset. I hurried, but it didn''t seem like I was making progress.


    I had two torches. One was hidden in my back pack and the other, burning in my hand. There was no trace of the siblings. I couldn''t find either of them. While I continued my search I reached the statue of Misrael. Honestly I was glad that it was still here.


    "Wanderer, why have you returned to this place?" Misrael asked. Her voice, a little concerned.


    "Two of my close friends have wondered into the forest to find out the cause of the curse that has befallen the villagers," I said and yes it was a mouthful to say. Staying in the village had changed my speech a little- or I was just too nervous.


    "That curse''s cause does lie within this forest. However, if you go there, you will surely regret it. Do you still wish to go?" Misrael asked in a different but compassionate tone. Something was wrong and I could feel it in the air.


    I didn''t have time to hesitate. So there''s trouble¡­ "Yes. Please tell me where they are."


    Misrael took a minute, as if calculating everything. "Head east. Past the point, where you first came into these lands, there lies the strongest being that haunts this forest. Know that she is already beyond my control. I wish you luck. You shall need it. However, I sense a godly presence in the forest. Be wary."


    A godly presence? A being beyond her control? Half of things she said didn''t make sense to me. But one thing I was certain of, I had to hurry and I had to be careful. "I will. Thank you."


    Misrael didn''t reply. I could tell just by her tone, she meant true. With a firm resolve, I hurried. Eventually I reached the place where the decaying corpse of the first goblin I killed, should have been. But it wasn''t here and the second one wasn''t there either. I didn''t have time to focus on these things, so I had to move on. Don''t tell me they''re undead now too¡­. I didn''t want to think about the possibility, but it was definitely the case.


    Finally, it was time to head into the most horrible of places. It wasn''t like the rest of the forest. This part of the forest was crawling with bugs and other insects that fed on raw decaying meat. The stench was unbelievable and much more intense. But my attention was drawn by the fact that there was at least three times more undead lurking here. They saw me yet never came close. They just stared, as if they were under some kind of spell. Cold sweat flowed down from my forehead. They can see me¡­ But there was still roughly an hour before sunset. It didn''t make sense. But glaring at from outside the trees wasn''t a good idea either. after all, I was practically running out of precious time.


    At one point every undead started to point at one direction- as if they were commanded by something. And judging by what Misrael said, that was definitely possible.


    I noticed that some undead had a beating heart despite their entire body being naught but skeletons. Just the heart. There weren''t any veins or arteries. This world is messed up¡­


    But the most messed up of things unfolded when I saw one of the two goblins I killed. They were both there, dead: even the one that had seemingly turned to ash right before my eyes. My blood went cold. These things¡­ don''t die. Even sunlight wasn''t enough to kill them, it would appear.. Perhaps I really had run out of luck when I came to this world.

 Chapter 19 - A Fate Worse Than Death

    My eyes almost popped out of the sockets but I steeled my heart. No matter what, you can''t die in this forest. I had to believe it, whether I liked it or not.


    My final destination arrived and both Dune and Sheila were present there, with their heads severed. The mere sight of that threw my heart into overdrive. What is this¡­? I couldn''t cough up a reaction. I was frozen in space. I could hear my own heart but I didn''t care. I couldn''t believe anything anymore.


    The thing in front of those two was not a simple undead. It had three heads facing in three directions- two on its shoulders and one on its neck: a total of seven eyes- and just one mouth on its chest. The actual head had pale white hair as though stating she was pure or something.


    As I stared at the dead bodies and heads my chest felt hot. My body felt hot. And I trembled. Not in fright but in rage¡­.


    The most noticeable difference between this and the other undead was that this thing had skin and some cloth over its flesh along with six distinct horns- two on each of its head.


    As I stood in silence the thing locked its eyes on me. It spoke to me. "Welcome candidate #9," said the Three headed monster in a broken feminine voice.


    I acted calm but I was infuriated beyond reason and yet a few drops of liquid leaked out of my tear ducts. The mere fact of not being able to save the two I risked my life for, was no longer a concern: but getting revenge for them was. All I wanted was to pummel the thing right in front of my eyes. I can''t even keep a promise? Even now? My body shivered with raging intensity. And yet somehow my voice was calm. "Are you the reason why the villagers are suffering?"


    "No that would be you. We wanted you to come here thus we caused that," she said. Not even a shred of doubt or remorse. She didn''t give a damn about killing others. And she didn''t care about the methods she was using either.


    "I see. But then why did you kill these two?" My voice didn''t shake. It was as though I didn''t have any emotion. In fact, if someone saw me like this, they''d probably reach the same conclusion. But they''d be wrong. I did have one emotion, albeit hidden: pure rage.


    "They had served their purpose. How could I have not?" The monster giggled. But it was more like a screech than a laugh.


    "What did you want of me? And how did you know that they weren''t me," I said.


    Both of them were stupid questions but I asked them anyway. I was about to explode but I needed answers; no, I wanted answers.


    "I am Brathuj, a higher demon of the Galbatian Empire. I was sent here to investigate the mysterious appearance of candidate #9 and bring him back." She grinned.


    "What does this empire want and where is it located? And why are you calling me candidate #9?" I couldn''t understand anything thanks to my shivering rage. It took my all just to maintain my composure and not run around swinging.


    Two bat wings emerged from her back. "Oh! You don''t need to worry. I will take you there with these wings. Our master wants to discuss something with you. All will be revealed there. " She chuckled. Her laugh made my blood boil.


    I went closer to the demon. Acting calm was not easy as I was gushing with rage beyond my control. And I was never good at acting anyway. Screw your empire! I want to destroy your entire damn nation! But first, something needs to be done! I was beyond reason at this point. "I will go with you, on one condition." I paused.


    "What is it?"


    "Bring them back to life," I said. It was an impossible task. Yet I didn''t know why I asked that. Maybe I was just looking for an excuse to let loose, or perhaps I had hope that the dead could be brought back to life on this world.


    "¡­ That is not possible with my powers. I cannot do that."


    "Then surrender your life. Do so and I shall go to your country," I ejaculated.


    "Ha hahah ahha. What are you saying human? Have you lost your mind!? And how would you do that if I died?" She laughed sarcastically. Her high pitched shrieks were hurting my ears but I had better things to worry about.


    I drew my sword. I knew I''d be killed here or taken by force but running away was not an option: my sanity was lost and I wanted revenge. "Argh!" With a scream I swing my sword horizontally. But the demon dodged in a split second. Training did me good and I could move around much better with my sword, but it just wasn''t enough.


    Charged I did, but to no avail. The demon was an expert at dodging and deflecting. I suppose having those extra eyes did have some meaning, after all. Meanwhile, she became serious and cut me with extreme precision so that I wouldn''t bleed to death. She didn''t use any special weapon but just her fingertips, making sure I wouldn''t die of being cut too deep. Did she pity me?


    "Why not stop this? I plan on bringing you back in one piece," the demon spouted. "Besides, it''s for your own good."


    However, my mind was too fixated on exacting revenge; the demon''s words weren''t reaching me. How would I face Milai after this? Hadn''t I promised her!? Damn it!


    I was struggling to even keep up, let alone strike a blow. The undead around us cowered in fear. Weren''t they dead already?


    My body was on the verge of giving up. Her attacks reached far and wide but mostly focused on my left side. It was no surprise to me that, god (if he existed) hated my left side. Did I look that bad from my left?


    Her gaping mouth was kind of creepy and when she giggled, it was even creepier. "Give it up. Or you''ll end up dead. I can only hold back so much¡­"


    "Shut your trap! I don''t care! I will kill you!" I didn''t know what I was spouting anymore. Rage had taken over.


    "Ha ha hahah, can you even hope that? Besides, I have to be alive to take you back," with a vicious laugh, the demon charged at me.


    She finally brought out her weapon, the scythe of death! It looked literally as if I was staring at my own death. Pure black blade, very jagged yet masterfully crafted. The moment it came out, my rage purged down in eternal cold. Almost as though my body had already given up, or maybe it had.


    With a swift swing, she cleanly sliced my chest. I couldn''t even see it coming let alone block. Blood was spewing everywhere. But I didn''t lose consciousness. It was as though I was thunderstruck. The pain followed afterward. It was so painful that I wanted to scream but bit my lips instead and stood firm amidst the unbearable pain.. I could finally see an opening.

 Chapter 20 - Existential Crisis

    This was the perfect opportunity. I, with all my might, plunged my sword through the demon''s mouth. She was so sure of her victory just seconds ago that she''d let her guard down.


    For a moment she was stunned. She couldn''t believe what happened. Her eyes twitched. Moving back a few steps, she groaned in agony and afterward went berserk. Her broken voice seemed like a melody in contrast to what came next. It was absolutely dreadful. It felt like my eardrums would burst but didn''t.


    "How dare you ¨C I will ¨Cw-will-kill you!" with terrifying voice the demon shouted. Screeches hurt my ear. They were too loud and intensive.


    How the hell did that mouth still work? Didn''t you pull all of this to take me back? And now you want to kill me? This demon had severe priority issues. If she wanted me to obey, then she should have tried to break my will first. Killing me was something she couldn''t afford, and yet, now it was all meaningless.


    Her horns enlarged. Her skin turned all muddy and her eyes along with her hair turned blood red. For a moment my breath stopped. Just what is this thing?


    This demon was nuts and so was I. Covered in blood, I smiled and recovered my dampened will. I had done all I could but this demon was beyond me. If I was supposed to be some chosen hero then surely I would have gained some wonderful skill or magic to face this impossible situation: but I did not. Learning the sword might have been a good skill but I was just a novice and worthless.


    I was on my knees with my weight on the sword. Fainting at any moment was the natural resolution. My right hand clenched to my chest barely keeping the blood in. I clung to consciousness like an alligator biting a prey. I wouldn''t let go. But everyone had their limits and mine was coming up real fast.


    The sight of Dune and Sheila''s severed heads came to mind. Intense anger welled up inside me, yet again. Will their deaths not be avenged? Just how many times will I go through this again? I didn''t want to let this down. These guys sheltered me, saved my life and treated me good. Even my own family had branded me as a failure and gave up on me, but these guys were here for me. I just couldn''t let their deaths be in vain, I just couldn''t.


    With the last of my strength, I stood up to face my doom. At that very moment the hooded mysterious man appeared in the corner of my eye. The demon hadn''t noticed. I didn''t have time to worry about him either.


    The demon was fast, I was barely conscious and above all she now intended to kill me. With every blow I would almost lose consciousness. Her slices were getting awfully close to my vitals but I could tell she wasn''t serious; if she was, I''d be dead already. I was a stubborn man. I wouldn''t go down without taking her. So I never once backed down. Seeing so, the demon stopped before just before her scythe touched my neck. It looked at me with wonder. All the dread in the air instantly vanished. Was she pulling a ploy for me to beg for my life, so that she could take me back? It seemed very plausible.


    "What- what is this?" the demon said in her broken voice.


    I was stunned as well. What just happened?


    I looked around. The man who gave me the elixir was there. I didn''t know why but he was probably the one who stopped the demon.


    My apparent on the fly theory was wrong. This demon didn''t stop on its own accord; rather it stopped because of someone else.


    The mysterious man slowly walked towards me. The undead parted to make way as if they were showing him great respect. "We meet again. Use the elixir on the demon: It''ll kill her immediately. She was careless enough to forget her own mission. What a failure." His tone was nonchalant.


    What is going on? I didn''t understand anything but the throbbing pain on my chest was a good reminder that I didn''t have much time left. "Who are you?"


    "Shouldn''t you first do what you''re told?"


    Although I hated it, I still took out the elixir. The demon writhed and tried to move desperately. "Ho-how did you get that?" I only wanted to see her reaction. Judging from that, I could tell that the mysterious hooded figure wasn''t lying about this elixir being deadly for the demon.


    But why? I didn''t have time to question either. The situation appeared to be in my favor, but it felt too artificial. I opened the bottle and it was a red liquid. Quite pale but the odor was strong and acidic. Smelled like lemon juice, honestly. "I''ll trust you¡­ for now."


    There wasn''t any response. So I slowly dropped the liquid on the immobile demon. For Dune! For Sheila! And for all the villagers you killed! Die!


    As soon as the liquid touched her skin she began to burn and cry. "Stop! Sto-stop! Argh! Noo!"


    She screamed in pain and burned before my very eyes. Unlike the undead who turned to ash, she liquefied. The sight made me want to puke.


    Before she could completely liquefy she gave us her last words. Quite ominous. "Ah, so you did survive you wretched filth. But I must thank you for stopping me in my master''s place. It would have been a disgrace to show up without completing my mission. Fuck! ¡­ ha ahaha ah." Her sarcastic laughter echoed through the forest and soon there was silence. Did she talk to me or perhaps the man behind me?


    I felt no remorse, no pity. If I had, I probably wouldn''t have been human. I still had half of the elixir left.


    The demon''s scythe fell on the ground and she got completely annihilated staining the ground in a darker shade.


    I was still on the brink of death. "Now then, would you mind explaining yourself?"


    I couldn''t see his face. It was hidden behind his hood. "Let''s just say, I''m not your enemy, at least not yet." His voice was normal and his accent was a little different: a little old. But I could understand him nonetheless.


    "But I don''t understand why you''d help me."


    I really didn''t. The way he walked around, owning the place, I could at least tell that he wasn''t some ordinary human. He wasn''t completely good either: I had a gut feeling.


    "Hmm¡­ you see: I''m neutral in this play at the moment. So I don''t think I can give you much information. But let''s just say it would have been boring if you died here."


    My body became cold. I could understand what he said but couldn''t comprehend it. "That''s all?" Too boring? Play? It was as if my blood froze. Just what was this guy saying? Boring? A play? So everything was just a game? Was he some kind of God or something?


    Before I could say anything else though, he smiled. The scythe on the ground flew to his hand. "I believe it is time for me to leave." He pointed at the elixir. "It''s a gift from me. It can revive someone even at the brink of death. It''s more valuable than a thousand lives, so use it sparingly."


    "Just what are you?"


    He only smiled. "I go by many names. I believe you''ll come across my name soon enough." His laughter stopped and a tinge of grief hung in the air. "But if I had to give you one now¡­ Terron."


    "Stop making riddles!" He got on my nerves. But I was glad that he at least told me his name.


    He burst in laughter. The guy really had a lot going for him. Screaming was a bad idea. I might have worsened the bleeding. The pain increased by a lot more.


    Suddenly mist covered the area. "What is this¡­?"


    "It seems the sun is about to set. I''d hurry out if I were you¡­" he looked dead ahead. "And looks like that cold blooded cat''s here too. You really should hurry." His words were like a play.


    "But I can''t leave these two!" If I did, they''d turn into undead and it''d be all my fault. I wouldn''t be able to live with that. I''d rather be eaten alive than live through something like that. I really didn''t want to leave Dune and Sheila behind.


    "Why?" The figure didn''t quite understand. I could tell just from his posture that he didn''t care if anyone lived or died. It was just a game.


    "So those two will be able to rest in peace!" My answer came out naturally. I didn''t have to think. I didn''t need to.


    He scratched his chin. "Hmm, understanding you humans were always a drag but you might be an interesting one. A parting gift is in the order I suppose. Oh and don''t forget the stuff in your pocket either¡­" He snapped his fingers.


    "Are you¡­ a God?" I remembered what Misrael told me. There were gods and half-gods still in this land. So the person before me could very well be one.


    "Hmmm¡­. Not anymore." He vanished.


    "Wait!"


    Light disappeared and the undead let out low growls.. I still couldn''t believe my eyes. What just happened?

 Chapter 21 - It Was Perhaps Only A Matter Of Time

    The undead grew restless to eat the two bodies on the ground. I didn''t have time to worry about the hooded man''s words or anything else for that matter.


    As weakened as I was, passing out was not an option. Do I drink the elixir and prepare to fight these things? Before I could make a decision one of the undead- the one of the goblin- came rushing at me. I stopped in my tracks. My trauma came back. I froze. Shit! Move! I screamed at myself but my body wouldn''t listen.


    Two screeches came from behind me. One horse jumped above me and kicked the goblin to pieces. Another horse walked right behind and probed me with its head. They were mine and Dune''s. I was breathless. I forgot to breathe. I touched the neck of the horse and smiled. I guess these guys had more courage than me.


    Who was he? I don''t know who he was but next time I''d have to thank him. I could understand that this was the hooded man''s doing. But whoever he was, I had to thank him the next time. Though he claimed to not be my enemy, for now, he did help me. Even if he turned enemy in the future, I''d have to remember this debt.


    With my willpower alone I picked up both of their severed heads and bodies. I took the severed heads in a spare bag and placed the bodies on the second horse. I touched the head of the horse and it nodded. These guys were intelligent or perhaps just loyal.


    It wasn''t a pretty situation but my life depended on it. In reality, Dune and Sheila were too much of a burden for me alone to carry. In a matter of minutes, my stamina was fully drained and my body gave up. I remembered what the hooded man said before leaving. Something about my pocket. I checked and there was a small vase with blue liquid. The script read ''drinking potion''.


    Potions in this world were quite rare or so I''d been told. My reason for not drinking one during the fight was simple. I had forgotten about it altogether. I didn''t even know I had one, to be honest. And yet that man knew it.


    I drank the potion, I felt recovered. But a single sip was not enough to completely heal my half-dead self, but it was enough to enable me to function. I could finally see a glimpse of hope.


    I mounted on my steed and the other one followed me through the forest. It was a miracle that they didn''t run away: I knew they would have if not for that guy. So it was more of a staged miracle, but a miracle nonetheless.


    Within minutes I passed the statue of Misrael. She didn''t say anything. She probably knew that I wouldn''t have replied anyway. The silence only made me feel worse. The undead were still after me, but they weren''t much of a treat anymore. Somehow I felt reassured of that. Or maybe I was just too sad?


    I came outside. With both of the horses I headed for the village, I could breathe easier. The undead were behind me but they were too slow. The horses were a lifesaver. I applied some herbs to my chest. It stung and I barely stood conscious. Herbs in this world worked better than anything else found on earth. And here I thought, medical facilities would be weaker in this world.


    It was evening. The undead would come after me even outside the forest in mere minutes. And then there was the problem of goblins. But I wasn''t concerned about the monsters. It was as though, I''d given up. It was as though, I was reliving the past. The past I wanted to bury deep within.


    The two lonely heads in the bag were definitely mortified to find out that I was the reason behind all this. All the way, only two thoughts crossed my mind. How did I survive? Why did I survive?


    I reached the village by nightfall, with a raging torch in one hand. This time I got in and received a welcome. The gate wasn''t closed. A single pyre burned on top of the wall but no undead were in the vicinity. I could understand why. My being here was the worst thing that could happen to the village and it did.


    There were lots of people here to witness my presumed triumphant return. But alas! I was naught but successful. Everybody knew what had happened just by seeing my face and the headless bodies on the second horse. I could tell it just by looking at them. They already knew before even sending me out. Probably they were relieved to see that finally at least someone came back alive and that their fellow villagers didn''t end up being one of the undead.


    But what kind of relief was that? How could they be satisfied of just that? I couldn''t believe it. Two of them just died and they were glad to see me? Like seriously? What was wrong with this world? "Guy I-"


    Milai came through the crowd, with overflowing tears. "Where are they?" she asked as tears slowly dripped from her ever so red face. Her voice trembled and my chest hurt. My wound was probably a little too much for me to bear.


    She grabbed my hands. Her hands were warm and the drops of liquid from her eyes fell on my hands. I couldn''t bear it anymore. "Where are they!"


    I handed over the bag I was keeping both of the heads in. She was surprised for a moment to see me hand over a bag. But as she opened the bag, her cries turned into the cruelest, saddest mourn ever. She screamed as she clenched on the severed heads with all her might, mortified.. To be honest, I too cried before fainting for good.

 Chapter 22 - Interlude: In The Shadows

    Two men were face to face- neither human. They were alone on the rooftop. The sun had set long ago and the sky was clouded with stars.


    "I met him. He does seem to have potential." One of them said. He had a hood on and red dots- probably eyes, illuminated features of his face; scars everywhere.


    "Perhaps I ought to give him a visit." The other man- rather a demon, swirled his wine glass and drink a sip. His eyes were a pure shade of crimson. His horns, however, looked like something straight from hell. Maybe, he was from hell. "To think¡­" the demon paused. "If nothing is done, everything would be trampled. The gods are already-" He drank more of his wine. "There''s nothing left to stop this. The summons was mostly failures. Two of them show promise but¡­ They won''t be enough." It was almost as though the demon was lamenting something.


    The hooded man let out a chuckle. "How amusing, a demon worried for the world?" He burst into laughter.


    "It does sound hypocritical doesn''t it? But what about you? Weren''t you the one who started all of this and then abandoned everything?" The demon admitted his own failures. However he wasn''t going to let this pass either, as he confronted the hooded man.


    Chuckles filled the air. "I suppose you are right. But it wasn''t me who started this, no. The one who started everything, is sleeping in the ocean. And I hope he stays there." His voice had a tint of rage mixed within. The man stared up at the sky. There was a moon up. It was cleaved in three pieces and all three were visible. "It is better that he is gone. If he stayed up, everything would have perished." He was reminiscing old times.


    "Hmm¡­. I suppose. But this threat is on another scale¡­ can''t you make the gods-" The moment the demon attempted to say it, his voice got stuck in his throat.


    "You don''t get anything do you? Humans were the ones who betrayed us. And only humans can amend their mistakes." The man corrected his hood. "Isn''t that why you bothered summoning them in the first place?"


    The demon just stared at the man before bursting out in laughter. "For now we can only see how things play out I guess. It is getting interesting though." He emptied his glass. "And I suppose you are right." He finally admitted.


    "Indeed. And that boy might actually surpass both of these two."


    Both of them looked out to the city below and laughed together. Perhaps they were friends; perhaps they were just working towards a common goal. But one thing was for certain, this world considered both of them, evil.


    "Don''t get killed now." The hooded man raised his hand and vanished.


    "I should say that to you." The demon mumbled.


    Now that his glass was empty, he just stared at the sky. The moon in this world vanished thousands of years ago. But in the demon realm, it was still here. No one knew why, or perhaps no one ever questioned it.. What will you do? The demon''s thoughts swirled and made an orchestra in his mind as he gazed at the stars and the moon.

 Chapter 23 - Farewell My Friends

    Dune and Sheila were buried inside the graveyard behind the church. I woke up just in time for their burial. They took the liberty to patch me up with bandages and herbs. It hurt to move around but¡­ I had to. This was the last time I could see them.


    There were tears on everyone''s faces but no one cried. It was as though everyone had already enough to cry. I couldn''t fault them.


    The burial was over and one by one everyone left, even Milai.


    "Forgive me Dune. Forgive me Sheila. I''ve failed you." The sky was cloudy, and so was my heart. All of this was my fault. But honestly, I didn''t want it to end like this. I wanted it to change. I wanted this fate to change or perhaps I wanted the world itself to change. But I was powerless.


    As the slow warm summer rain fell on me, it was time, I accepted my fate. I have to leave. I couldn''t stay in this village anymore and I knew it.


    I couldn''t sleep. I was staying in an abandoned house. There were plenty of such houses now. The curse still persisted but there were no more new casualties, at least not after my return. Most of the infected villagers were already finished. The rest wouldn''t last long either. This village didn''t have a future, and I knew it.


    Cries from families all over the village could be heard in the dead of night. So I am the harbinger of calamity here too?


    I quietly walked out from the house. It was a little past midnight. Insects were going on about their daily life. My eyes were sharp and keen to light. I wonder how they are doing on the wall. With the demon gone, there shouldn''t be much development. I felt uneasy. I knew the undead wouldn''t pose much threat anymore but couldn''t calm myself down. I was too injured to be on the wall, but honestly it was because I didn''t want to. Now that I took a good look at my wounds: the potion, the herbs and the bandages were doing their work. I didn''t have too much trouble walking.


    The village was lit up in the night. Every house had a fireplace close to their houses, to protect themselves in case of a surprised attack from the undead. But, as a result fires often broke down within the village. Talk about an infrastructural dilemma. So there was a separate force consisting of women within the wall who were always on standby in case something like that happened.


    I walked close to the pond. This was the only place in the village where no one lived. The pond was kept clean because of it. There were fireflies floating around: a majestic scene of warm light over the grass and water. A calm breeze flew by as small drops of liquid dropped from my cheeks.


    The night I came to this world, the sky was filled with stars but there wasn''t a moon in the sky. I later found out that this world''s moon hadn''t been seen for more than a few thousand years now. The moon is now believed to be a legend. Hard to digest but it was true.


    Light of the stars bounced off the pond and I could see shining moving dots on water, as though white ink dancing on black paper. It was a wonderful sight. Very photogenic, but I wasn''t moved. I don''t know how long I was here but I couldn''t think of anywhere else to be, not even my bed.


    Before long, thoughts of my life came crawling back. My family hated me. I never blamed them for that. In fact they were right to do so. My friends despised me and one by one we all drifted far away. Was I so much of a burden? Why must everything be taken away from me? Haven''t I already suffered enough? Within my sadness, anger lingered in. I could feel the shivering of my legs, the rising of my heart, my chest burning with regret and anger. I could feel them all. They hurt and I clenched my chest. Something must be done. My teeth rattled against each other.


    I steeled my resolve. This couldn''t go on. I wanted to scream. I didn''t hold back. I''d done enough holding back. Not anymore. "Fate, if you think you can do whatever the hell you want with my life then you have another thing coming. I WONT GIVE UP!" My voice resonated with the wind. "I don''t give a fuck if you''re a God or something that doesn''t exist, but I WONT GIVE UP! I WILL GO BACK!"


    It was past midnight and if that woke up people then so be it.


    A powerful breeze blew over my head, calming my soul and re-establishing my flimsy resolve. I now had a goal, I now had an aim. I will go back!


    I didn''t care if God, Fate, Devil or whatever ruled the world: all I cared was how the hell I''d get out of this world, and escape the fate something else decided for me.


    With tears streaming down I pledged my oath, I would return home no matter what and prove destiny wrong. That way I''ll be able to laugh at whoever brought me here.


    The next morning I left the village.


    I was covered in bandages. Milai didn''t come to see me off and nor did anyone from her family. Why would they? I knew that if I stayed in the village, all of them would be in further danger. The best I could do was to distance myself, from them. But I couldn''t tell them that I was the reason. I couldn''t tell anyone in fact. Maybe I was being selfish, maybe I was protecting myself. But I couldn''t tell them.


    A lot of villagers had perished. The remaining ones looked pale and skinny. Grief really was the worst disease.


    A villager pointed me in the direction of Moire - the city of dreams or so the locals said. Misrael also talked about this city; maybe... They also said Moire was one of the only cities in the entire country which had a sustaining population and guards to stay safe despite being in front of a forest like this village. It wasn''t surprising as it was a city after all. But during this time a fearsome monster is supposed to be lurking there. In winter the monster hibernates and people can travel safely, but during summer traversing the mountain was impossible. At least that''s what they told me. It didn''t stop me though.


    I didn''t get a horse this time. I was alone. I didn''t want to make those horses go through any more than they had to either. It was better this way.


    But getting to Moire required traversing the vast grass lands and that monster filled mountain. It was not something normal villagers would want to go through to reach this so called city of dreams.


    But I have to go. I can''t dwindle anymore. My mind was made up. With little rations that the villagers provided, I set out on my journey. This was the best thing to do. I wanted to see Milai one last time to say my farewell but I couldn''t muster up my courage.


    "Take care." Samel bade me farewell. He''d have to take our place on top of the wall form now on. My heart didn''t ache as much as I thought it would. I didn''t look back.


    The gates closed and my journey began. Hard to imagine just a few day ago everything was so peaceful, and now it all fell apart.


    As expected, the grasslands were full of diversity which included various monsters. Most of them were the oversized version of everyday animals like birds and squirrels and weren''t hostile. But then there were things like the goblins. Some moving plants were also buzzing around in the grasslands. I wondered how I missed them the first time I came to this region. Maybe my body was too focused on getting to the village rather than sightseeing.


    Monsters were a natural occurrence, and even the villagers couldn''t explain their origins: I didn''t expect them to know either. Since I couldn''t get much information I decided it wasn''t worth scratching my head over. Once I reach Moire I''d be sure to look into it.


    Walking around with a chest wound was not easy. I had to stop every few steps and sit down on the grass. And with the blazing hot sun screaming above my head, it was hot, burning even. By noon, I was totally exhausted.


    I took rest by a large tree. My chest just wouldn''t let me go without a rest. The location was quite close to the mountain. I was amazed at how much progress I''d made even with my wounds.


    With blazing sunlight came intense tiredness. So a short rest was in order, even though my mind was against it. The grass was small and the tree had enough shade to feel comfortable. However, I didn''t realize I''d be falling asleep as soon as I leaned against the tree. I was careless but couldn''t help it.


    Oh Alicia¡­ don''t go¡­ And I was having that nightmare again.


    My ears twitched and I was rudely awakened by strange chuckles. But my body twisted and became active rapidly as it recognized the sound.. It''s scary what a person''s autonomous system can achieve when pressed against the wall.

 Chapter 24 - Overcoming The First Hurdle; Hello Again My Lovely Purple Things

    My hazy mind registered shadows around me. Those things were the ones or rather their laughter woke me.


    Four shadows were nearby and all of them had wooden clubs. I was yet again surrounded by purple things¡­ a.k.a. goblins. Not again! My hands trembled and my palms became sweaty. I could taste my mouth, and it was salty.


    Well, it''s not like I''ve got a choice. I drew my sword and prepared for battle. Seeing the little purple monsters didn''t scare me anymore (I would like to believe that despite my body quivering). There were only four of them. But a troublesome one was also present, a hobgoblin. It seemed smaller than the last one though.


    It was a fatal mistake to take a nap in the middle of their hunting grounds, but I couldn''t help it. Well, I suppose I''m to blame for this. I didn''t have any complaints. I knew this would happen out here sooner or later anyway. Besides, was complaining really going to get me anywhere?


    Think calmly Daarc. Don''t do anything rash.


    Instead of charging aimlessly, I waited for them to strike. I was injured and outmatched, but I didn''t back down. I knew I won''t be able to outrun them, so I had to stand my ground.


    The goblins were confused as though why was being so calm. Maybe they were just used to seeing panicked humans? That''s right, be confused and come at me.


    The hobgoblin roared and the little ones all made noises before running towards me. Just what I wanted.


    Before the goblins could strike though, some arrows came flying from the opposite direction and wounded one goblin instantly. I was glad beyond reason. Last time I was on the verge of death when this happened, but this time someone really wanted to save me.


    Now''s my chance! Meanwhile, I took the chance and sliced the goblins in front of me, who got distracted by the arrows. A slash to the throat, to the chest, and finally a total chest pierce! I immediately recovered my blade and prepare for the real deal: the hobgoblin. Three goblins fell on the ground, forever immobile.


    With all the small ones dead, the hobgoblin went mad, swinging its club recklessly. Instead of attacking me, it looked for the bowman and immediately went towards him. Perhaps these monsters had at least some intelligence. Enough to determine that I was less of a threat.


    The marksman was at a distance and on top of a meager hill. I didn''t waste time and went after it. The big one was fast and I was wounded. But I couldn''t just let my benefactor face needless trouble and so I pushed myself. I caught up to the hobgoblin, just barely.


    Before the goblin could pull anything I thrust my sword inside its chest through the heart. Chivalry was not my strong suit, so backstabbing didn''t ruin my honor. Did I have honor, to begin with?


    The goblin didn''t die. It roared and turned around to face me. Just how much tenacity did these damn things have? I was about to be minced again or so I thought. But before it could, a single arrow pierced through its eye socket and it fell. Oh! A headshot! That was my honest reaction- at least before it fell on top of me.


    I groaned. I was already out of breath, but this hurt more than I thought. It really stung too.


    Instantly the goblin died gushing bright pink blood all over: me that is. The bowman in front of me was tall and slender. However, he was not a he, and definitely not human. It was a woman.


    "For a human, you are quite gifted and skilled," said the person in front. I couldn''t see her face as it was covered by a tight garment which was beneath her clothes that covered her entire body. In fact I couldn''t see much at all, as my eyes were dipped with the damn thing''s blood.


    She pulled the damn thing off me. She was strong. "Oh sorry about that. Here''s some water, wash your eyes thoroughly or they might get cursed."


    "Ri-right...!" I didn''t need to be told twice. Well that''s basic infection prevention theory anyway... Even so this world had some scary curses. I certainly didn''t want to risk it. I rubbed water on my wounds and eyes like crazy. I had better things to do besides getting infected. "You''re not too bad yourself. Thank you for the help," I said. I was just being honest.


    Perhaps my words offended her. She looked a little shocked. Did she expect me to kiss her boots or sing praises without stopping? She took a step back. "You can understand me! I wasn''t expecting you to reply. It''s been several moons since I last heard a human talk in my language," She exclaimed.


    Don''t act so surprised! You''re the one who started to talk! It wasn''t that surprising. If I could understand a statue, then understanding living beings shouldn''t have been surprising. I didn''t take pride in it though, since I didn''t earn this gift. "Yes, I can understand you. I am Daarc. Nice to, meet you." Nothing stopped me from introducing myself. After all, she was my savior.


    "I am Lianne. It is a pleasure to meet you. As you can see I am an elf." Well, I could tell she wasn''t human, due to her towering over me and white skin, but I didn''t conclude her to be an elf. Why? Cause I never met any elves, duh!


    Although I couldn''t see her face, she was quite beautiful and even a guy like me could tell. Half of her face was covered but I could see the outline.


    The woman in front of me, was an elf- although self-proclaimed. She was well mannered. I wasn''t expecting her ears to be so short, however; they were definitely larger than mine. Weren''t elven ears supposed to be larger? Perhaps large ears were only seen in fairytales. I still didn''t know much about my own world, let alone the stuff from another.


    Her emerald pink eyes stared at me. I could only imagine her face to be quite beautiful, but she didn''t permit me to gaze upon her face, and it was covered all the way. I wasn''t going to beg her to see her face either. I wasn''t some kind of pervert after all.. But one thing was for certain, I had to thank her for saving me.

 Chapter 25 - Contact

    She was wearing a light magenta-colored armor that covered her upper torso. The rest of her body was covered by flexible tight clothing. I could understand she favored function over form. Wait, wasn''t the moon supposed to be out of order? Lianne mentioned something about many moons, which triggered my curiosity. If I recalled correctly the moon wasn''t seen in ages.


    "Isn''t the moon just a legend these days?"


    "These days..." She took a minute. "It''s just an expression. Don''t worry about it. The moon is just a legend." She emphasized on the legend part and just stared at the distance. "I guess it''s been a while." She was gazing at something in the far west; perhaps reminiscing of the past?


    That was weird and I had a lot more to do than do worthless chat about the moon. "Anyway, thank you, Lianne. I was in quite a bit of trouble." I would have been in real trouble if she hadn''t shown up. However, I was prepared from the moment I set out on this journey. I knew it wouldn''t be easy. But getting help like this was really a blessing.


    She chuckled. "Don''t worry. You already repaid the favor by getting the big one before it could reach me. Having a bow has its own drawbacks you see."


    I could feel it just by talking to her that she was just being polite. An adventurer of her caliber should have been able to slice one or two hobgoblins with ease. I didn''t yet know whether she was an adventurer or not though.


    And the sword she carried was the proof of that. Without making much of a scene she cut of the goblins ears and plucked off their dominant fangs with a small knife. She told me to follow suit. I obliged, without even knowing what I was doing.


    Some goblins had a few rare things. One even had a three gold coins. If I was in my own world this much gold would have been enough for me to live a moderate life without doing any sort of work at all for at least a year. We put all the things in separate bags.


    "Why do this?" I asked. I didn''t know much about this world and customs. I also didn''t know much about monsters for that matter.


    "To sell them of course." Lianne answered as if it was only natural. Actually she gave me a glare of doubt when I asked it.


    "Sell? As in money exists in this world?" I was taken in surprise. Before I could understand, I had said something which I should have asked way before. But people in the village used goods instead of money¡­


    "Of course. But what do you mean by this world?" she asked as she looked intrigued. I was on her radar now.


    Shit! I didn''t mean to say that. But there wasn''t any money system in that village! I didn''t have any excuses. I was about to lie to her about my memory, but it seemed that wasn''t necessary.


    She finished up. "Never mind. If you don''t want to, you don''t have to say it."


    To a guy like me, who came from another world she looked like an angel. But regrettably my heart didn''t flutter. For I knew what this world was like and what horrors could lie in front. More importantly, I didn''t yet trust her. It seemed too convenient for her to show up at this moment and help me.


    "Thank you for understanding." But I held respect for her.


    She continued to answer my earlier question. "You see, these things fetch good prices depending on where you sell them. That brings me to my question. What were you thinking sleeping in such a place!?" She was brutal with her words in the art of scolding. It was like a thief being caught red handed, me being the thief.


    "Ha ha. I was actually very tired. I fell asleep before I knew it," with a defeated chuckle I answered. It really was stupid of me to sleep there.


    "You also appear injured," she said. She did seem a little concerned but I couldn''t tell much of her expression. I could outline her face and so I could gauge at her expressions, but for some reason he had a calm and relaxed mood. Only her tone of voice changed. Perhaps it was an elven trait.


    "Don''t worry about it." She had already done me a favor. I didn''t need more. "These will heal in no time." I tried to reassure her and put up a front. But I knew it wasn''t that easy.


    She pointed in the direction I came from. "So, what are you doing in these lands? If you''re looking for a human village then you should head that way." She was looking exactly towards Dune''s village. It brought back unnecessary memories.


    "I''m actually heading to Moire."


    "I see. That would make sense why you''re here. As luck would have it, I too am heading that way. Would you like to travel together until we reach the city? You seem to be acquainted with the sword although your movements are that of an amateur. But I think it''d be best if we worked together. Besides, I feel bad about the whole blood-in-the-eye situation¡­" Lianne tried to be considerate. And perhaps she was just trying to make up for something. But it didn''t make sense to me. Why would she go so far as to save me and offer me help like this?


    She seems rather talented. I would be much safer with her. But should I endanger her life to save mine? And wasn''t the blood-in-the-eye situation my fault?


    She took my silence as a no. "I suppose you don''t want that."


    "It''s not like that. You see, bad things tend to happen to people around me."


    That was a weird thing to say. Especially to a random stranger. But it was true.


    She giggled. "You should worry about yourself first. Anyway we can split the rewards from those fangs after reaching the town."


    A little manipulative, but she was still polite.


    "However, just so you know, there is a grand monster on top of this mountain. For centuries, this mountain has been its nest. This is the very last chance you will have before it''s too late to head back," She said. Her tone changed drastically. "And it also means your life won''t be guaranteed at this time of year."


    It was a funny thing to say. She was the one who suggested we travel together and before we could even start she gave me warnings. Yet another unfamiliar term. Given the fact that this world is so game like, it would probably be, something like a super boss. So I shouldn''t worry too much about it. I wouldn''t be able to beat it anyway. "Don''t worry. My mind was already made up." Being a na?ve guy I was, that was quite expected. I didn''t have anywhere to go back to anyway.


    "Good," she said with a smile. Her face was hidden but I could tell she was smiling. It was a beautiful smile suited to her face. Honestly, if she claimed to have been sent from heaven, I''d believe her.


    I looked one last time in the direction of the village. There was no trace of it left for me to see but I was kind of attached. Farewell Dune, Sheila, and Milai. I could finally move on.


    "By the way shouldn''t we bury them?" I looked at the dead bodies. They''d rot if we left them. And they''ll turn into undead.


    "They''d turn to undead regardless. So no need to waste our energy." Lianne didn''t waste time and we packed up.


    This world is messed up. It really was. And so, our journey towards the mountain began.


    After half an hour we reached the foot of the mountain. I was already out of breath.


    "Are you okay?"


    "F-fine." I was definitely not fine. My wounds weren''t open but, things weren''t looking too good for me.


    There was a thin path leading up, but its curve and upward angle were definitely not for the faint of heart. There were various kinds of monsters here. Fortunately, no goblins-at least not till now. The flying bird-like monsters and the cactus-like ones were a chore though. The former ones would shit all over the place while the latter just stung, very badly (Try grabbing a cactus with your bare hands with your full force). The mountain was tall and its peak touched the clouds. Honestly, even with my good eyesight, it was difficult to see the apex. But my mind was made up. There was no turning back.


    "Before we begin, there''s something you must know," Lianne said with a serious tone. Her change of tone was sudden and it triggered my full attention.


    Wait, there''s more?

 Chapter 26 - Is It Me Or Is This Elf A Bit Too Stimulating?

    Something serious? The tone of her voice changed. Her eyes were sharp and on point. I couldn''t really stop my heart from acting up. After all, I still didn''t know much about the girl in front of me. "What?" I asked.


    I was expecting something like "I''d take your soul as payment," or something like, "You''ll forever be my slave from now on." Don''t ask me how I came up with those.


    "Keep this by you at all times. It will protect you if I turn," she said as she handed me a cloth-covered knife. Her last words, ''if I turn'' rang a familiar tune in my mind but didn''t necessarily mean anything. What was she going on about?


    She gave me something instead of demanding. Honestly, I might have been a little disappointed. It was weird. "What do you mean?"


    "I can''t- I can''t tell you. Let''s just hope it never comes to that." She went ahead. She didn''t give me a chance to ask.


    "Alright," I said. I didn''t have the privilege of questioning her because without her, crossing this mountain would be very difficult or rather, impossible for me alone. I just had to play along.


    It was a straightforward path. There were few splits here and there but Lianne seemed to know the way. She also sniped, most monsters that attacked us. The rest were left off for me, as I was still inexperienced. She also backed me up, whenever I messed up. It was almost like she was teaching me.


    "Is the bow really better?" I said.


    I''d been wondering for a while. If I could snipe my enemies from far away and with good accuracy than what was the point of running around with a sword to the danger itself?


    "You mean better than a sword? Well it depends¡­ I could teach you to use one if you''d like¡­ But bows do have plenty of disadvantages. The arrows for example, are rather a pain to carry and can run out mid battle. " She closed her eyes and thought for a second. "You seem so restless when using your blade." She looked straight into my eyes. "I know you''re trying your best to master the skills but why don''t you be a little more patient? Practice and be patient. Those are the two things you need, to be successful." She answered all of my questions before I even got to ask them. I was blessed to have her. A little embarrassed too. She was almost like my middle school teacher whom I actually liked.


    "Th-thank you." I only had one response, the response of gratitude.


    We didn''t do any needless killing.


    It was tough walking around in the sun but it was tougher climbing a mountain. It wasn''t all that steep at first and there was a path, but after a while the path got twisted and it got very steep very fast. The path was sucking the life out of me.


    "Shall make a stop?"


    I huffed. "Ye-yeah." My wounds were going pretty wild.


    There were very few of trees hanging close to the edge of the mountain. "The other side is filled with trees like this¡­"


    Her eyes were telling a story. She looked very sad when she mentioned about the other side. Something must have happened. In fact, why was she travelling alone?


    "Really?" Is it me or does she seem really distant all of a sudden? I couldn''t bring myself to ask though. We were travelling together but that didn''t give me the right to poke my nose in her personal life.


    We were up pretty high. I looked out. I could see the vast grasslands. I could even make out the village. But I couldn''t see much of it. How are you holding up Milai? I''d already said my farewell, but I still couldn''t forget about the village. Perhaps human beings get attached to things a bit too fast.


    "We better get moving. The sky seems a little cloudy."


    My breath had returned. "You''re right!" I just agreed with everything she said. Honestly, if she were to say jump from here to your doom, I''d probably have done that. I was in a trance and I was glad to be in one.


    By the afternoon we had travelled halfway up and it started to rain. Fortunately there was a cave nearby. It was dark and cold; we were wet and the cave was small. But there was a problem. How the hell were we supposed to light up wet wood? My question was answered before I could even ask Lianne.


    This was the first time I saw another living being using magic. It was fire magic. I knew having magic was convenient and a little awesome but this was a life saver. I was really lucky to have met Lianne. "Having you really is blissful¡­"


    She giggled. "Thank you. You are quite helpful as well." It wasn''t sarcasm but it kind of hurt.


    She was being considerate to me- a useless person. I still considered myself worthless. I couldn''t save a friend and people died because of me. The same happened in my old world. I couldn''t do a damn thing, even now. So her praises only rubbed salt against my wounds.


    "Now you''re just being too modest." I tried to pass off my awkwardness with a laugh. We both laughed as I finished.


    The fire was warm and so was my heart. For the first time I felt that this world wasn''t all bad.


    But the memories of all the bad things constantly reminded me otherwise. And I felt the same way just a few days ago. And yet all it took was a curse and all that happened. Which meant, all of that could happen again. I couldn''t just take things for granted. I had to accept that.


    I was in deep thought about my past and all the things I screwed up. My trance was broken by Lianne.


    "Tell me, why are you going to Moire?" Her question was backed by curious gaze.


    "I suppose I can tell you. I am actually not from this world," I said. It wasn''t because I trusted her or anything but because I couldn''t hold it in anymore. I wanted to talk to someone. I wanted someone to know. If she was going to be involved with me then she had the right to know.


    "I figured as much," she said casually.


    I became intrigued instead of being confused. "You knew?"


    "Your conduct and your fluency in the elven tongue made me wonder. Besides there are history suggesting that in the past outlanders have visited this world"


    So she already had her suspicions, huh? But outlanders¡­. It made me wander a lot of things. But it seemed to overlap with what Misrael said. And that demon in the forest said something about being number nine and stuff.


    Lianne said that so casually but to a miserable guy like me, it felt wonderful. Finally someone understood my situation. But she didn''t question me much about my world.


    "I''m heading there to find out how I came to this world," I said.


    "You''re actually going in the right direction. The town of Moire is full of diversity. There are quite a few knowledgeable fellows there. You might find some clues there if you can search in the right place."


    That was all I needed to hear. No, that was what I wanted to hear. "I sure hope so." It was like a great burden was lifted from my chest.


    "But if you have any questions you can ask me. I''ll try my best to answer."


    Any questions? Well, I have a lot of them but maybe I shouldn''t bombard her with too many questions. "In that case, would you mind telling me more about your town and the elves?"


    She stared at me. She was surprised. I might have said that in a misleading way. I quickly tried to correct myself. But before I could open my mouth, she started.


    "It''s been a while since last I thought about my town and her people. You see we are a long-living race and¡­ it''s really been a while," her voice became softer.


    I might have stepped on a literal landmine.. I gulped and prepared myself.

 Chapter 27 - Curses And Magic

    Lianne looked at me and smiled. "Elves are a peaceful race but when they are cornered they can be scarier than demons. We live peacefully yet¡­"


    She continued. In literal words, elves were like a coin. They had two sides. But isn''t that true for all the races? Humans in particular are like that from the day they were born. So we are really not all that different, huh? I didn''t tell her that though and continued to listen to her.


    "My country is the most beautiful land I''ve ever seen. I''m not bragging when I say, Alfeim is the most beautiful country in the world."


    It did sound like bragging a little, but I let it slide. Every country is beautiful to its inhabitants. But perhaps Lianne had more love for her country than most others.


    But soon my primal instincts kicked in. Something was wrong and I knew it. But I really hoped it wasn''t what I thought it to be.


    There appeared a red glow in Lianne''s eyes as the conversation went on. Is it me or¡­? At first it wasn''t noticeable. Her eyes had the same color but the glow continued to brighten. As we continued to talk it became more and more apparent. And after evening-as the sun went down- her eyes were as red an undead''s. I tried to be as normal about it as possible but my speech began to falter and she understood it.


    "This was the reason I gave you that knife." She pointed at her eye. Her smile was still there but her eyes wavered. She didn''t want me to know. But she couldn''t hide it either.


    "Are you an undead?" Probably the most stupid question I could have asked, but I still had to.


    Lianne hesitated for a second and then looked straight at me. "Not exactly: I''m what you''d call a half-dead."


    I was speechless but still spoke anyway. "Half-dead?"


    "Yes, a half-dead. I''m not dead, yet I''m not alive either. I am in somewhere between the two," she said. She giggled to hide her pain. But it was so apparent, I couldn''t ignore it.


    "¡­" I stayed quiet. I didn''t have anything to add. My needless poking rubbed her in the wrong way. Perhaps I ought to apologize. This was my fault, and if I wasn''t here she wouldn''t had to disclose her secret. "Sor-"


    Before I could apologize she continued. "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you. I only gave you that knife so that when I fully become an undead you won''t be at risk. There''s a very, very slim chance that it might happen but it hasn''t happened to any of my kin yet, so rest assured. It''s just my theory." She was trying her best to calm me down. But it was pointless, as I was already as calm as I could be.


    She''s worrying about me even in that state? I might have given her the wrong impression by staying quiet. "I believe you." when I said that, she looked at me with a smile. It was the smile that suited her most. She must have really felt at ease hearing me say that. But now that I got myself involved, I decided to go all out. "How did this happen?"


    "My lineage was cursed long ago." She stayed quiet for a minute. "Let''s drop the subject. I''m not comfortable."


    "I see," I said. "Okay." I didn''t press her. I had no right to.


    I looked at my feet. Somehow I could feel her pain despite not knowing what she''d gone through. It was weird.


    "Don''t feel bad. This actually had some good outcomes. I don''t turn to ash when sunlight hits me, I don''t feel the intense urge to eat humans when the sun goes down and I can also use better magic. Ironically fire magic." She giggled. It put me at ease. "Besides, my body is much tougher this way."


    "¡­"


    I stayed quiet again. She could see that I was not afraid, rather I was sad. Not being able to live your life despite being alive was not something anyone should desire, even if it came with the benefit of magic. And yet, she wasn''t sad. Perhaps she was trying to cheer me up instead.


    The conversation had dropped somewhere along the way and both of us just watched the rain quietly. It wasn''t pouring anymore. It was more like drizzling now.


    We ate little food and turned in. With the fire going, fear of the undead was low. However, when there''s an undead right next to you, would you be able to sleep? I couldn''t. I could tell that she couldn''t either.


    "Can''t sleep?" she asked at midnight.


    "Yeah. What about you?"


    She sighed for the first time. "Another bonus of being undead. We don''t need sleep. More like much sleep." She was rather cheerful about it. But I could feel the loneliness in her voice.


    Really? Well perhaps it was a bonus, perhaps it was a curse. I, actually kind of liked the way she was, despite being undead or whatever. "Oh¡­" But I still didn''t have anything to keep the conversation going. I knew she was lonely and I knew she wasn''t fully alive, but I was glad I met her.


    She looked out. "The rain stopped. There are a lot of nocturnal monsters. I''ll keep watch, so get your rest."


    I smiled and nodded. But sleeping was a chore. I couldn''t, even after trying my hardest. The more I tried the less sleepy I felt. And the occasional howls of nearby monsters weren''t helping either.


    The night ended. I got a wink of sleep before morning but it wasn''t enough. Another day began- groggily. Luckily no monster attacked last night; it was also possible that Lianne made sure that none attacked. Either way, I was thankful to Lianne.


    Lianne declared that we would reach the apex before the afternoon and if we''re lucky we should be able to get off this mountain by tomorrow evening. But I saw a fear in her eyes. It was the fear of the monster she talked about.. A monster that had lived for centuries or perhaps even thousands of years.

 Chapter 28 - The Master Of The Mountain

    The morning was crystal clear. There wasn''t a single cloud in the sky. This place feels warmer than the village. In fact, it probably was a few degrees hotter than the village; not something you''d expect on a mountain.


    My body felt a little better. I was still in a not-so-pretty state but I could move around now without worrying too much about fatigue. I might have really had some weird blessing put on me by the God who summoned me to this world.


    The light was a little bright and the mountain air was fresh. It didn''t smell like rot, at least not as much as the barren wastelands at the foot of the mountain.


    With the cover of rain gone many monsters were roaming around. Especially the cactus-like ones. Just one sting and you''re set for a lifetime worth of pain. But the rain made the already difficult path even more difficult.


    Breakfast consisted of roasted bird monsters. They tasted like chicken but with a little too chewiness. After breakfast, we continued on.


    "Do goblins only stay on the ground?" I hadn''t seen one up the mountain. And I certainly didn''t want to see one either.


    "Most species stay on the ground. However, there are a few who live on mountains such as this. There are also some who live in the seas, deserts, or frozen lands. But those species are rare and few in numbers." She paused for a second. "But they are prized hunts. So if you ever come across one, do try to bring it back alive. Then again, even if you killed them, their corpse would still fetch a lot."


    So those suckers are pretty diverse and isn''t that task impossible? But then again, how the hell was I supposed to bring a goblin, those very same things that almost killed me a dozen times, back without killing them?


    I kind of felt annoyed. I hated those things. "I see." My voice was low. I really hated those things.


    "Speaking of goblins, you came out of it twice now correct?" Lianne casually strolled down the mountain path, like it was the back of her garden.


    Twice? But we''ve met¡­ It didn''t make sense. I only met her yesterday. But there was more to her story. She used a bow and I was saved by arrows when I was first attacked by that hobgoblin. Meaning she passively saved me twice already.


    "You mean you were the one who saved me back then?" I had to ask. I kept my description vague. After all it''d be embarrassing if she wasn''t the one.


    "Actually I was travelling in a group and I along with one of them saved you. Of course I hadn''t inspected you at the time since I was on another job, but I just assumed it''d be you."


    "That''s a hell of an assumption but you''re right." I sighed. She was right on mark. "SO, what happened to your friends?"


    Her eyes squinted for a moment but she contained it instantly. "We got separated." She was hiding something but it probably was some sort of secret.


    "I see. But thank you."


    I didn''t ask her for details. There wasn''t a point in knowing. What we needed to know was how the hell we were supposed to get of the damn mountain as the path was getting narrower and narrower. Honestly I couldn''t even keep my balance anymore. I felt like I''d fall almost any second now.


    At one point though, the path became so narrow that barely one of us could get through without falling, while hugging the mountain wall that is.


    "I''ll go first," she said. Lianne was definitely braver than me.


    I nodded.


    Lianne kept one hand on the mountain and used the other to keep her balance. She was like an expert and the way she moved ahead almost seemed like a dance. She carefully got on the other side of the narrow path.


    I tried to follow suit. Halfway through my legs started shaking. I didn''t stop. Small pebbles were falling as I went. Am I going to live through this, if I fall? Fall? Why am I thinking that? I was going crazy. My whole body started to shake.


    Lianne encouraged me from the other side. "Don''t look down, look at me."


    I took deep breaths and followed her voice. Almost when I reached the end, my left leg slipped. I saw a few flashes of my life. The whole world slowed down, and Lianne''s worried face looked amusing. At least someone worried about me. It''s a shame that even my own parents didn''t worry for me like that. But it wasn''t the end I expected.


    With lighting fast reflexes Lianne grabbed my right hand. While I was hanging like a sore monkey, she with all her strength pulled me up. I was genuinely impressed by her sheer strength. But it hurt, and I couldn''t feel my arm.


    "Tha - thank you¡­"


    "Catch your breath and next time be careful," she said with a gentle tone. For a second I thought she''d lecture me but she didn''t. She was different from all the people I''d met in life. She was kind, considerate and strong.


    Honestly, I was glad to have had travelled with her. I was totally out of breath. My chest hurt. It was painful and I had to clench my teeth to control my groans. But I still felt glad.


    After catching my breath we continued to move. The path became wide again. It was more or less a roller coaster of a ride.


    At noon, after slaying countless monsters, we rested by a tree. It was hard to breath here. Lianne didn''t have any problems though. All our water was exhausted. Fortunately there was a pond here similar to the one I drank from the first day; very clear and crystalline. It was very compact and deep.


    Before I could take a sip Lianne stopped me. "What are you doing? That stuff is poisonous!"


    "What? Poison? But it''s so clear!" I felt a little strangled.


    "Can''t you see? There''s no fish here! This is a trap set by undead mermaids," she said.


    Come again? More undead? I stopped myself from sighing but this world seriously had a problem keeping their dead, dead. "But I remember drinking water from a pond such as this." Besides that water actually tasted pretty good too and I didn''t die. Oh wait; I was already poisoned at the time so maybe¡­.


    I was just making excuses to justify my stupidity.


    "Then you are lucky to be alive. This water contains a substance that makes you feel sleepy and once you fall asleep the mermaid eats you alive, at night." Lianne looked at me with pity. I must have really looked like a child to her.


    "I''ll be careful from now on," with a horrified look I replied. My eyes darted around. Am I really lucky? I probably was. I was still alive after all.


    With thirst, we kept on moving. A little further ahead, we found some wild mangoes. Fortunately some were ripe. There were monkey like monsters nearby, but they didn''t pose any threat; too afraid to approach us. Or maybe they didn''t care.


    The mangoes were a bit sour than expected but had better flavors than typical supermarket ones. To a thirsty man, this was a blessing in disguise. It was hard to breathe but it would still take some time before we could reach the top. So we rested for some time, eat our fill of mangoes and then resumed.


    We were getting closer and closer to the peak, and my heart beat faster and faster. The narrow roads led us to the top and we could literally touch the clouds. When I was little I always wondered if the clouds were cotton candy. In my world they weren''t. But I still had hopes that this world might. But in the end I faced disappointment.


    Lianne looked back and saw my stupidity. "Hey what are you doing?"


    "Umm nothing¡­" I tried to move my hand like I was doing some cardio or something. But honestly, I was just trying to touch the clouds. I couldn''t tell her that though.


    She furrowed her brows and rebuked me without saying a word. Those eyes glared, ''Are you an idiot?'' but she never said a word. Her silence was like torture. If she had said something perhaps I''d probably had felt better.


    I didn''t say anything and followed her like an obedient child.


    Just as Lianne said, we arrived at the top by the afternoon. There weren''t any nests here. All there was what I''d call a graveyard but not a nest. There were raw skeletons and mummified corpses scattered everywhere: I saw some good looking armor and swords but I didn''t have the luxury to worry about that. And beneath them were holes leading down the mountain. Did I forget to mention the crushed bones?


    "What in the wor-..." I stopped as I quickly covered my nose.


    The smell was quite intense. Kind of like, that of the sacred forest yet somewhat different. I felt like my innards wanted to get out through my mouth without any delay.


    "Strange! I thought it''d still be here," Lianne said as she looked around for the monster. She wasn''t affected. More like she was too worried.


    I moved ahead. The peak was rather flat for a mountain this tall. When we reached the middle, both of us became immobile. It was quite strange to see so many corpses but not the monster responsible. And I was grateful, for it not being there. But the gratefulness didn''t last long.


    The reason for our sudden stop was simple: there was a shadow beneath our feet. It was curly and very long. Shockingly there were slight movements. I understood that we were yet again, not alone.


    "Lianne," I whispered.


    "I know."


    If Lianne knew that meant she''d come up with a plan, at least I trusted she would. No, I hoped or rather prayed that she would. Because if she didn''t have any, we''d both be dead pretty soon.


    We didn''t move a muscle. We were frozen in space. "On my signal," Lianne whispered. She set her bag loose and signaled me. "NOW!"


    Boy that was a loud signal.

 Chapter 29 - Jump? Jump Where!?

    Without looking back we started to run up ahead at full speed. The monster made rattling sounds and chased us, with occasional hisses. At one point I considered that it could be a snake. Any normal human being would come to that conclusion from all the evidence till now. But what kind of snake would be so big that it leaves a shadow hundreds of times bigger than humans? I didn''t care if its shadow was amplified by the setting sun but even with that it was long, and I knew it.


    Unbelievably, Lianne kept the conversation going even on the road. "Don''t, look back, just keep going!"


    "Alright!" I screamed. Of course, I had no plans of stopping either.


    Some part of me was curious. Any curious fellow would want to know what they are running away from (At least I would). There was a broad path in front of us. I was almost out of breath. Not being able to breathe wasn''t enough; I had injuries to cope with as well.


    But while going down, the path became twisted and there were cliffs here and there. This was still a good excuse to look back (it wasn''t). I was not prepared to see, what I would see in the next few seconds.


    It had a long body like an anaconda. Two eyes which looked like diamonds. Two massive horns and fangs were sticking about from its temple and mouth; with two massive wings which probably wasn''t enough to sustain flight, it looked magnificent- in the least... If this is a super boss, I wonder how many lives one must have to beat something like that¡­. And yet my mind was going crazy.


    What staggered me most was that it was made of grass and plant like features. I had heard of green colored snakes before but this one would put every other snake to shame. And then there were the skeletons which hung from its grass textured scales. I wonder how many souls it has ripped! I might have wondered a bit too much.


    The sheer size of it was larger than a four storied building. My running speed slowed down. I couldn''t breathe. Can we even run from something like that?


    "Yet again you trample my home. How much must you claim! Hiss!"


    I was taken aback by the voice in the air. "Huh? What was that?"


    "Hey! Didn''t I tell you to not look back?" Lianne shouted as she held my hand and pulled me out of the trance. But the monster had already caught up to us; it didn''t attack us straight away.


    There were plenty of other monsters here. Everything was running just like us. But the poor things behind us were either being eaten alive or squashed to death. And I wanted to take part in neither of them.


    "Do you trust me?" All of a sudden Lianne stopped dead in her tracks and glared at me.


    "Yes!" Without even the slightest of doubts I replied. Of course at this point doubting her meant death anyway.


    She grabbed my hand again and we jumped off from the cliff. It was like my heart had come out of my mouth. Huh? I didn''t have time to question my choices, but I guess I could have been a little more careful.


    I wouldn''t lie: falling down the cliff can be quite amusing when a beautiful half dead elf has one of your hands clutched onto hers. Time really felt slow but I didn''t get any flashes of memories.


    However my logical brain was screaming the entire time. Trees came in sight as we fell. They seemed like mashed green potatoes to me. This is not going to end well¡­ I never thought my earlier sarcasm about jumping on her orders would come back to haunt me.


    My body quivered. I was about to meet my doom. Was it really better than being eaten alive by a damn snake? Probably?


    Before we fell on the trees, Lianne grabbed onto me and we landed perfectly on a branch- and luckily didn''t break any new bones. The ones that were fractured before fractured anew. It was painful but worth it. Who was I kidding; it hurt so bad that I felt like rolling off another cliff to end myself once and for all. But unfortunately that wasn''t an option.


    I clenched my teeth so hard that if they had broken down I wouldn''t have blamed them. I felt like I''d faint but I still thanked her. Anything seemed better than ending up in that snakes stomach. After the amount of pain I just experienced, I was starting to doubt that though.


    "We should keep moving¡­ how''s your condition?" Lianne asked.


    Was she going senile or something? I couldn''t even stand properly yet she had the audacity to ask me how I was. "I''ll live," I managed. I didn''t show any temper, i didn''t want to get on her bad list after all.


    Satisfied Lianne nodded. "Good. But we''re not out of its domain yet. We should be careful. " Lianne knew the woods- at least, that''s what I thought. Although she too appeared hurt, it didn''t bother her as much.


    My back was killing me though. I was thanking my luck- when I landed- as neither of my legs broke. But perhaps my shattered ribs and the wound on my chest suffered a little too much.


    With great pain and agony we kept moving. However, within a moments delay, Lianne found some rare herbs. There were different than typical herbs as they could be applied and eaten as well or so Milai had told me. Dune and Milai really helped pave my way and yet all I brought was their destruction. Even so, I was glad to have met them.


    These herbs were supposed to be rare yet Lianne found them so easily. Aren''t these, what the potions are made off?


    "Eat these and apply them wherever possible," she said. She was unnerved. The herbs didn''t really matter to her even a little.


    "Are you sure you want to give something this valuable to me?" I said.


    I was still, doubting my worth. Why would she go through so much trouble for a worthless human like me? She could have easily ditched me and probably that was the logical choice. But why didn''t she? I mean, I was just dead weight at this point.


    "What are you saying? Of course! That''s why I searched for them in the first place," she said without any delay or doubt. She acted like it was the most natural of things to do.


    "Thank you," I replied with gratitude and while tears welled up in my eyes. I don''t know if this is an act or genuine kindness but I don''t care anymore. Never in my life had I been that glad. Upon eating and applying the rest to my broken body, most of my flesh wounds healed; this rare herb really lived up to its name (I didn''t know the name though). I was still in pain and needed rest but I felt better than before. But near never ate the herb. "What about you?"


    "Healing medicine and spells have opposite effect on the undead. In my case however, they won''t work unless they were at least imperial grade material. Moreover, my wounds aren''t that severe so they''ll heal on their own." She didn''t flinch.


    No wonder Milai wanted to come to the forest¡­ Perhaps things would have been different if she had come to the forest with me that night but I stood by my decision. But now that I thought about it, I didn''t know the grading of potions either. Guess I''ll ask that later.


    It was already evening. So we needed shelter. We also needed to get off the mountain quickly as the other side was supposed to be filled with stronger monsters yet we never encountered even a single one till now which really made me suspicious.


    "We need to be more cautious," Lianne said.


    "But I don''t see any monsters¡­" There were none.


    "That''s why we should be careful¡­look¡­" Lianne pointed toward the ground. There were signs of struggle and a few drops of blood- crimson black in color!


    The tracks were fresh. Something must have killed all the monsters. I most certainly didn''t want to meet that something. "Lead on..."


    In a short period of time Lianne found a cave. I was amazed to see, how many caves this mountain actually had. This one was larger than the last and seemed uninhabited. Hopefully the snake hadn''t dug holes leading to this one- at least I prayed for that with all my heart.


    "We can rest here," Lianne said.


    "What about food? My supply is nearly exhausted."


    I didn''t have much on me. Lianne had dropped most of her supplies on top of the mountain. She said they weren''t important, but I got the hint that they were.


    "I''ll look for something." Lianne readied her bow and put away her sword. She was perfectly in hunting mode.


    "Then I''ll go with you," I said. I can''t just make you do all the work¡­. I wanted to be useful if only a little.


    "Don''t bother; as you are, you will only slow me down." I knew she probably thought something along those lines. But I never thought she''d say it out loud. Perhaps she was just saying it to keep me out of the danger, but honestly, it hurt.


    She could have been a little fore tactful and choose her words precisely. She was totally right though.


    "A-alright." I said. I didn''t have an excuse. She was right and that was it.


    Lianne went out alone. I was feeling ashamed for my weakness. I''m relying on her too much. Is this really alright? She has her own problems too. I needed to repay her somehow. I was thinking of ways to help Lianne. But as weak as I was, I really would have just gotten in her way. I gathered some woods from the trees nearby. Though Lianne told me to stay put, I just couldn''t. All I wanted was to be not so useless. My body was pretty broken but it was fine as long as I didn''t try to run. The herbs were pretty effective. People would have paid millions for instant healing medicines like these back on earth.. It did still hurt like hell though.

 Chapter 30 - The Burden Of A Curse

    I need to do something! I couldn''t stand it anymore. I had to do something, anything. So, I made up my mind and decided to search for water. It would be terrible if I encountered a monster or something but since the chances were slim, I took the risk.


    The air felt stagnant. Yet I could hear trees creak and croak. Honestly, I was terrified of forests by now- even green ones. And yet there I was, all alone in the middle of nowhere pretending and trying to be useful.


    I heard a streaming sound nearby. For a moment my mind sank. Finally water! I rushed toward the sound with my aching body. There was a large river there. But there was something else as well. A pair of bright black pulsating eyes glared at me. Why the hell didn''t I listen to her?


    A pale humanoid creature caught me in its gaze. With little clothing, it lay close to the water. Without even thinking about anything else, I drew my sword. It was already starting to get dark and I didn''t want to take any chances.


    But this creature was different from goblins although they shared similar traits. Of course it was much taller than goblins and perhaps taller than most humans. With a longer and skinnier body than most humans this thing appeared very skinny- to the point where I could even see the bones. What I could tell from my observation that it possessed intelligence as it didn''t attack me head on. The ears looked similar to that of an elf or something close to that. Should I attack it or wait for it? For a second I didn''t know what to do.


    "It is okay human. There''s no need for caution. I won''t attack you," With a human like voice the creature answered; a voice which seemed profound. Maybe it took my staggering as a warning. Perhaps it was warning me instead.


    "What the hell! You can talk!" It shouldn''t have surprised me at this point, but maybe my brain was going haywire after all the thrashing it took in the last few days.


    The skin of the creature was muddy in color and it behaved almost humane. For a moment I even considered the possibility of it not being a monster. But I couldn''t trust something which looked like one- I just couldn''t. Besides, its eyes were a pure shade of red, just like those pesky undead.


    "I believe it is more astonishing that you can understand me. I talked in old human tongue without even considering that almost all humans can''t understand me in this era." His withering silver hair flowed with the wind. He almost felt like a noble for a second. I''d never met royalty or nobility. But I saw countless movies and I knew how those folks talked. This thing in particular was talking like that. Maybe he was once human or something like that?


    This era? How long have you been alive? "What do you mean? Why should I trust you?" I still had reasons to doubt it. Besides, his eyes were still giving me the heebee geebies.


    "I''m not a big fan of human meat. Too salty for me," he said. For a second his eyes flashed a glint of red darkness, if that made sense. He was serious. Which meant, he already ate humans before.


    That''s not something I needed to know. Although the creature didn''t seem to lie, I didn''t trust it. At this point I lost the ability to trust anything that looked monstrous. "Were you human?"


    "No. I was born a high elf. But through¡­." It sighed. "I don''t plan on boring you with this nonsense. After all, I''ve wrought this unto myself." He turned around. I could see his spine. I could even count most of his bones. It sent a slight chill down my bones. "Anyway, I will take my leave now. Just a warning. There''s a demon camp at the base of this mountain. If I were a human travelling with an elf, I would definitely not get the elf tangled in my business." His voice trailed off. He seemed¡­almost sad.


    "Hey wait, what do you mean?"


    The creature left without any delay. Its last words resonated with me. Demons meant trouble and I knew it. However it was also true that it was my problem and not Lianne''s. If the creature was once an elf, then it meant he''d care for his kin. Maybe that was why he warned me. As I thought about it, the sun went down for good. Oh shoot the water! I''d almost forgotten about why I came here in the first place.


    I had my water pouch with me. I filled it up and headed for the camp. Yet again I didn''t encounter any monsters.


    Lianne was, already back at the camp. She was skinning a wild deer. My heart skipped a few beats. Was it excitement to seeing delicious food or was it the terror of Lianne using a knife- probably the latter. She didn''t look at me. Yet she knew it was me. "Where were you? I was about to go search for you¡­"


    It was kind of scary how she was skinning the deer. Her eyes were red and glistening and yet¡­. She was calm and composed.


    "Just gathering some woods. I got some water from the river too. But ¡­" Of course I tried to be as nonchalant as possible. But when I remembered about that creature, I kind of stumbled at my words. After all, it had warned me not to drag Lianne down.


    Lianne stopped. She looked at me. "What did you see?"


    Why are you looking at me like that? I didn''t have any excuses, so I came out clean. "A humanoid creature¡­"


    "Looked like goblin but bigger, and had red eyes?"


    "How did you know?" Did she happen to meet him too? Lianne acted a little awkward. Till then I didn''t see her talk like that. You''re not going to attack me because I saw something I shouldn''t have, right? It was a weird assumption but not an implausible one. Nothing was impossible in this world and that much I knew already. But the though only made me feel cruciated. I sweated. My chest felt tight. If Lianne turned into my enemy, I''d probably end up dead.


    "Tha-that is the fate of my kin." But Lianne answered. She didn''t attack me and didn''t even look at me. Her questioning voice was gone and it was now filled with sadness.


    "What?" I wasn''t prepared to hear that. Why would elves become monsters? That was the question. But if I recall correctly that thing did say something like it was a high elf. I thought it was probably cursed or something but come to think of it, so was Lianne. So it did make sense, in a way.


    "All elves in my lineage will turn into that before their deaths. Elves live long lives. But you see, my lineage, the lineage of high elves live significantly longer lives but when this life comes to an end, we will look like that."


    But, Lianne was a high elf? I didn''t know the difference, but I didn''t really pry into it either. It was surprising but made sense. After all, it was a curse. "Because of the curse?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "¡­" I couldn''t say anything- I just couldn''t. After all, there was nothing left to say.


    She didn''t say anything for a few minutes.


    The deer was still being skinned. "What did he say?"


    "He warned me about a demon camp at the base and then left immediately. He also-"


    She cut me off. "I see. Let''s boil the water and afterward cook this meat."


    "Alright. He said-"


    She cut me off again. Now I understood that it was intentional. "I know¡­" Lianne looked at me and smiled. She paused for a second. "That was probably my grandfather."

 Chapter 31 - And I Thought, My Troubles Were Bad

    I didn''t have a response to that. If that was her grandfather then it meant Lianne would turn into something like that too. And it also meant the whole thing gave her much more than just sadness, yet she was consoling me instead.


    "Don''t worry. It''ll be okay. I was the one who said you should come along, remember?" Lianne reassured me.


    "But¡­" I couldn''t apologize, and I couldn''t thank her either. It felt like if I said something, I''d be downplaying her efforts.


    The demons were probably here for me. It felt as though I was betraying her.


    She finished skinning. "You have the potential to change this world. To be honest, when I first met you, I knew you were different. That''s why I''d saved you and that''s why I asked you to come along¡­"


    "What do you mean, potential?" I was useless. I couldn''t do anything. I couldn''t even save the people who saved me.


    "You see there were legends that in the past, warriors from another world visited us and saved us from a great calamity and changed the world. It''s just a legend so we don''t really know if it''s true or not. But now that I''ve met you I''d like to believe that it''s true. And after evaluating your character, I can say whatever you''d do you won''t do anything horrible." She chuckled.


    Isn''t that too early to tell? I smiled. The dread in the air decreased a little.


    I didn''t say anything afterwards. I didn''t want to think about the complicated things. Some part of me still hadn''t accepted the reality of me coming to another world. And here she was talking about changing the world. Like I cared about all that crap! All I wanted was to get off this rock.


    She started a fire from the woods and boiled the water. I believe that was to remove the micro stuff from the water. The meat was prepared with some dry fruits and seasonings as soup. She also made skewered meat with salt and lemons. Honestly she would make a wonderful housewife. However I most certainly wouldn''t want a wife who handled a knife like that. Probably because, I didn''t want to be skinned after a heated argument.


    The dishes were wonderful both in smell and in taste; especially, the soup was delicious. "How did you find something so good? It''s rare to see normal animals out there." I kept on buttering her up. But she was actually pretty good, so most of my flattery was actually just genuine praise.


    "Normal? You mean small? The trees told me¡­."


    Ignoring her question I voiced mine. "The trees? But ¡­." I never heard of talking trees. This world was magical, but that didn''t mean there were talking trees around, were they? If so, then why hadn''t I met one yet?


    "If you pay attention you too will be able to listen to them. Understanding would be tough though." Lianne giggled. I finally got the picture. Those large-thin ears weren''t just for show after all.


    "Now that you mention it, I did hear some creaking sounds," I said.


    "If you want I can teach you, how you can listen to trees and understand what they are saying. I don''t know if you''ll be able to pull it off or not though." She didn''t seem that hopeful but at least she was willing to teach me.


    "Really? That would be awesome."


    I ignored her last statement. I wanted to be as optimistic as possible. Otherwise I wouldn''t even be able to sleep anymore with all the constant worries. Besides I always wanted to be able to talk to trees. Call it a wish or a fetish but I was obsessed with it in my early days. My cousins would often hide behind trees and try to scare me, but I instead found that amusing: I didn''t know that anyone was behind the trees though. And then I turned eight and learned the hard truth, trees couldn''t talk.


    "With your language gift it should be possible in theory: Let''s say it should take less than ten years. Anyway, rest. Meanwhile I will take watch." Lianne just casually dropped a bombshell. It was just so like her.


    Ten? Ten! I smiled it off. "Sorry to make you do all the work," I said. My head was spinning.


    "Don''t worry, as I don''t need sleep, this is the least I can do." She smiled.


    Her smile was beautiful but contained sorrows and mysteries that I could never comprehend. She was kind yet mysterious. Though I spent so much time with her, I never saw her face, yet I could tell whether or not she was smiling.


    "By the way-" That reminded me of that guy I met in the forest.


    "Yes?"


    "Back in the forest near the village, I met a mysterious man cloaked in grey. He had crystal like eyes. Ever heard about him?" I explained things about how I met a man in the sacred forest and how he saved me from the demon. I didn''t go in-depth about the elixir though. I still didn''t know how much it was worth after all.


    "N-no. But judging from your words¡­ I sure hope not." Lianne averted her eyes. She knew something.


    She wasn''t making any sense. I sighed and gave up. "I see." Pressuring her wouldn''t have got me anywhere. I decided to play the waiting game. I''d take my time asking her about things.


    The way she stuttered made me suspicious. But it was pointless to ask something like that anyway. After all, I hardly knew anything. SO I changed the subject. "By the way, you said things about imperial grade potions. What are those? I mean what are grades?"


    Lianne''s eyes lit up for a second. "You see. There are various qualities of items. First, there are the common ones, then the rare ones. The third level is the imperial level and the fourth is the legend or Myth level. That''s it. This also applies to weapons and armor too. You can buy up to imperial grade as long as you have money. But Myth or legend class, as the name suggests are very hard to find." Lianne was awfully talkative about the grades. Maybe she had a fancy for this kind of stuff."Well, then again these are elven grades, so humans probably have a different system." I didn''t need to hear the last part though.


    "I see. Thank you."


    Lianne was delighted at the compliment. Perhaps she really did have a fancy for the grading system.


    I finished my dinner and made the bed. Lianne kept watch.


    Before actually falling asleep I reminisced about my life. Being a college student wasn''t easy. My mother had given up on me and my siblings always quarreled with me. I just wanted to disappear from my life. That was the reason why I wanted to live a fantasy life. But if I''d actually known what a fantasy life would be like I most definitely would have never hoped for this. But in the end, would it have mattered? I didn''t particularly feel that bad about not being able to see my family but what I did feel bad or rather horrible was this damn world! I could only sigh to that though. Cause no matter how bad I felt, I could do nothing about it.


    I went to sleep and surprisingly slept like a log. It''s been a long time since I had a good rest: it was probably thanks to Lianne.. I dreamt a little about my old life.

 Chapter 32 - An Impossible Escape?

    The morning began with bad news. I felt somewhat haunted. The sound, coming out of trees was terrifying. Creaks of wood and screeches of monsters in a distance declared something was wrong. As if the whole forest was in agony. Breakfast was the least of our concerns.


    Lianne clenched her fist and glared at me. "We need to leave. Now!"


    That was the first time I saw her so worried. Even when we saw the monstrous leafy snake, she didn''t appear as distraught as that. Or maybe I hadn''t paid enough attention.


    "What is it?" It was a stupid question. I already knew the answer.


    "They''re closing in. Gather your things," she said.


    I could tell just by her expression that shit was about to go down. And it was common sense that it was my problem. But I couldn''t just decline her offer now, I couldn''t. and even if I did, she would still see this through and that was just the way she was. So instead, I chose to honor her wishes. If she wanted to get tangled up in my affairs and help me then I''d just accept it. But if she ever needs my help¡­. Then¡­.I made a vow. If I lived through this, I''ll try to return the favor. "Right!"


    I gathered my things. I didn''t have much, to begin with. I thought by this time the skins, ears, and fangs would start to rot but in reality that hadn''t happened. It was all thanks to a special liquid which smelled kind of like formaldehyde- or maybe it was that (Who knows, right?)


    "This way," Lianne said as she quickly headed in a different direction than where we were supposed to go. Maybe she knew a quicker or perhaps a safer way out of the forest.


    I followed her. We ventured deep into the forest. There were monsters everywhere: meaning the demons hadn''t come this way yet. However, instead of attacking, they were running around in panic. Just from that, I could understand how much of a threat the demons posed. And I knew that first hand from my encounter with one in that forest. If that hooded man hadn''t helped me, I''d be dead now.


    It didn''t take long before we ended up in very deep woods. The detour wasn''t all that bad. Though there were monsters here it was also the sign that the demons were far away.


    These parts were covered with thick roots sticking up from the ground making it harder and harder to move ahead. There were some plant monsters that tried to attack us despite the chaos. I suppose this was the best time to hunt, after all.


    All of the plant monsters spewed corrosive liquid; maybe acid. Luckily, Lianne sniped them before they could harm us, but arrows weren''t that effective. The only safe way to traverse was to move from branch to branch atop the trees. But I was never much of a climber.


    "We need to move fast. They are catching up. Hurry up and climb up the tree." Lianne was already on the tree. She was a natural climber or maybe she practiced for years. The latter didn''t seem like a good description, so I stuck with the first. Either way, she could do something, I couldn''t. And this wasn''t the only thing.


    "I¡­I-I can''t climb¡­" I stuttered in embarrassment. What more could you expect from a shut in college nerd? I couldn''t climb, I couldn''t swim, and I was practically useless. But saying it out loud, made me realize just how much embarrassing it was.


    "What! Give me your hand!" Answering in disbelief Lianne spread her right hand toward me. She pulled me up with just one arm. The Gods must have really blessed her with strength. The pull was strong and she almost ripped my arm off. She didn''t even apologize.


    I wasn''t eager for an apology, but she could have at least gave me some sincere encouragement now, couldn''t she have?


    Once up, we jumped from branch to branch. I wouldn''t lie- I almost fell like a dozen of times. Fortunately Lianne made sure I was still moving and not falling to my death. I guess I was much more of a burden that I thought I was.


    Although it was a detour we were still making progress. After all we were climbing down this time instead of up: meaning, we were going down the mountain.


    Lianne listened to a tree. Her head forehead touched the tree bark. For a second she almost seemed cute, at least before she laid out cold facts. "This isn''t good, the demons are moving as well. The whole forest is in a state of chaos. I can''t make out anything."


    "Let''s just keep moving," I said. Probably the famous last words of an amateur adventurer. My own internal monologue turned into my enemy. I sighed at the utter depression I wrought.


    By noon we had moved farther away from the demons and closer to our destination, at least I hoped we did.


    "Let''s take a break."


    I nodded. We were too tired. We moved without breakfast and both of us were exhausted from the jump yesterday.


    She handed some bread to me. "Eat them. I was saving them for emergencies like this." I didn''t even ask where the bread came from. She didn''t have any bags on her. Meaning there were pockets in her clothes¡­..


    Just thinking about it¡­. I shook my head vigorously and I took it. "Thank you." I''d almost gone down the rabbit hole of perverseness.


    We ate, drank water and rested for a few minutes before setting out again.


    We were almost at the base. And yet I had a bad feeling. Call it a gut feeling if you will but whatever it was, it definitely wasn''t a pleasant feeling.


    Fate wasn''t nice and I knew it. When the forest began to become less dense and we finally reached the very bottom, it happened. There it was: a strong, half naked, muddy skinned humanoid creature that towered over me. He had four arms and seven eyes on his face and no mouth. The muscles were sticking out and he was twice as wide as me and Lianne combined. He didn''t speak, obviously.


    With axes in each arm it looked like a horrifying scene straight out of a horror movie. And behind him was an army of demons. There was a familiar demon there too. How in the world did they get here so fast! I really thought we''d be able to escape, but clearly we were wrong.


    I couldn''t tell if the strong hulk thingy was a demon or not but he was definitely glaring at me. He didn''t say a word but the only thing he did was to make a sign which to my belief translated to - come with me or die. I knew going with them would be the logical choice under the circumstances when the guy in front of me looked like he could kill elephants with his bare hands and was backed by an army of demons behind him. To be honest I might have taken up the offer right away if Lianne wasn''t there. However, there was a particular demon there that caught my eyes instantly. She was none other than the one who killed Sheila and Dune. And thus my anger roared. Wasn''t she dead?


    "Lianne, you should stay back. This is my problem!" I screamed.


    She unsheathed her sword. Till now I hadn''t seen her use swords or knives. So I had no idea what she was doing. "What are you talking about? It''s obvious I''m here and I plan to interfere." She''d already made it clear a long time ago.


    But I was still glad to hear it. "Lianne¡­" A smile crept upon my lips.


    She was too kind. For a guy who lived most of his life in the midst of hatred and isolation, this was a true bliss. And that was why I didn''t want her to take part. But maybe I was just being selfish.

 Chapter 33 - Who Makes These Things? God? What God?

    "Looks like you''ve matured a bit. But did you say your goodbyes? You still have the option of coming with us quietly," said the female demon.


    The voice was almost the same but her tone was a bit different. Is it possible that this demon is different? There were minor differences. This demon looked the same and perhaps even was the same one but her tone was different and less condescending from the one I fought and killed back in the forest.


    Lianne and I jumped to the ground. There wasn''t an escape route. If we went back, they''d just catch up with their wings. They must have flown this way, and that''s how they got here so quickly. SO it meant, we had to duke it out right here, right now. "I think I''ll pass."


    "Too bad." The demon taunted in a seductive voice. Was this really the same demon?


    The female demon didn''t charge or do anything in particular. In fact, none of the demons moved a muscle. It was the big thing- maybe demon- that was the problem. His broad shoulders looked rather strong: so strong, that I couldn''t think about anything other than not getting in his way. But with firm determination I stood, knowing that I''d probably be killed. My only regret- I got Lianne involved! Why does it always have to come to this? But I couldn''t complain now.


    "Well I suppose I can''t complain now. After all protecting civilians is a duty of mine." To my surprise it was Lianne who charged ahead. And what did she just say? I didn''t understand her one bit.


    Wasn''t she supposed to back me up with her bow? And what the hell is she talking about civilians? She attacked with a small knife and her sword. The big guy was sluggish and she was relatively fast, so she easily cut him in various places before anybody could react.


    It''s too late now! Yeah, it was really too late to second guess anything. I should begin too. With excitement I too charged. The axes in the demon''s hands looked terrifying, but so did loosing another friend. My sword was Dune''s gift to me. It was a gift given for me to triumph. I couldn''t just let it go to waste and sully Dune''s good intentions.


    It wasn''t a coordinated attack or anything but the big demon couldn''t keep up with us. It was too sluggish. Lianne blinded it with her barrage of attacks and made an opening for me. As she moved I came rushing and I punctured through the demon''s chest. The demon stood firm not even flinching once. Other demons started laughing. He looked at us relaying, "Are ants walking over me?" without even a word. Was this thing really a demon? Cause it looked more like a indestructible wall instead.


    Is it me, or is he radiating heat? The big guy looked a bit redder and the environment around me felt hotter.


    "Get back," screamed Lianne.


    Before I could do so, the demon got ahold of me with two hands: my sword still sticking out of its chest. Boy that was a solid grip!


    The female demon came near me and laughed sarcastically. "Ha! I expected too much. Because of you I had to suffer embarrassment over my twin''s failure. I can''t believe that being interfered though. In any case you''ll be coming with us."


    Twin? Then that thing did die in that forest. Now it was confirmed that this demon wasn''t the same on from before. This also confirmed that that hooded guy must have been some sort of deity, as even this demon was referring to him as a ''being''. Maybe I was jumping to conclusions but there was no helping it.


    I didn''t have time to dwell on what she said though. I had bigger things to worry about.


    My bones felt like they were cracking and there were quite a few sounds: the pain was excruciating. I was still in bad condition from that fall yesterday, and now this. Fate really had it in for me.


    I could barely move my hands but that much movement was not enough to grab a sword, let alone put up a resistance. Lianne tried to attack again but as she came closer, the demon punched her so hard, she fell quite far away. She let out a groan, spit out blood and glared. With just a single punch she was coughing up blood and looked miserable.


    This four handed demon was really something. This damn thing! Damn it!


    "Lianne!" I screamed with my constricted voice. I couldn''t even talk anymore, not with this much pressure.


    "Use the knife¡­" she said while writhing in pain. That reminded me, Lianne had given me a knife before climbing the mountain. This knife was supposedly strong against the undead.


    I pulled out the knife using my hands which were powerless against the strength of this monster of a thing. Moving the knife was easier than the sword and that should have been obvious yet I failed to see it.


    The female demon laughed. "Don''t even bother. Struggling is meaningless. This guy is one of the oldest greater demons. You can''t possibly-"


    But I bothered and I also struggled. After all, what was human life if not just a bundle of struggles?


    As the knife came into contact with the demon''s skin, the skin started to liquefy. Immediately the demon moved back, releasing me in the process. The knife was emitting a slight glow which I didn''t notice before. So this is why she gave me this knife.¡­ Strong against the undead? This was more like poison to them. And were demons and undead relatives or something?


    Almost half of my ribcage was broken and so was my left hand: the pain was the proof. I could barely breathe and the pain was unbearable.


    I felt like passing out. But with Lianne on the ground, it was not an option. If I fall now, it''s all over. "Lianne, you okay?" My voice wasn''t going too far. I couldn''t speak properly. I might have croaked my throat a little in the struggling process.


    Lianne however, got up soon regardless of her injuries. She really was a tough one. For the first time in my life I felt blessed despite feeling the urge to chop myself up because of the intense pain.


    The female demon emanated a violent aura. "You swine! Where did you get that knife?" Her gaze didn''t betray. This was that demon''s twin alright. The same temper.


    Don''t tell me this one will go on frenzy too¡­"That''s none of your business." Lianne answered for me.


    The female demon hissed. "Change of plans. Kill them! Hanstol do it! The elf might be it¡­"


    So that''s his name? So yet again you guys would forget your main purpose. What is wrong with you idiots? I sighed.. Instead of being scared or angry I was disappointed. Were demons really just overgrown monkeys or something?

 Chapter 34 - Who Knew Demons Could Fly?

    The big one or rather Hanstol-the demon''s skin color changed from muddy-red to bloody-crimson. Stench of blood filled the air. I felt nauseated. It was similar to the transformation of the female demon back in the sacred forest if not worse. Which meant this wasn''t good.


    "Don''t lose focus, this is far from over," Lianne said.


    "I know." I know that very well.


    All the demons become somewhat infuriated afterward; their eyes had turned red from pure black. But with that knife, my chances of survival increased significantly- at least that''s what I thought. Lianne moved back and brought out her bow. She should have just done that from the beginning.


    I grinned. "This just got interesting." It was like one of those moments where there was nothing you could do about the things around you. And yet I had to struggle. I wanted to struggle. I didn''t want to give them what they wanted. I wanted to live free.


    All the demons started attacking at once. There wasn''t a way for us both to survive before so when a ray of hope shined (in the form of this knife), it really got interesting.


    The big one swung its axes like he meant business and I could tell that he did. Lianne shot down as much as she could but the big one was hard to manage with my beaten up self.


    Moreover anger was welling up inside me ever since I saw the female demon here. Although she was not the culprit behind the villages'' doom, I couldn''t stop myself from hating her. Maybe I was the one being stupid.


    I dodged most of the big guy''s attacks while trying my best to attack the female one which seemed to have fun playing around. It got me nowhere. Dealing with the big guy was problematic enough but now I had to deal with all of them at once.


    "Are you even trying?" The female demon grinned condescendingly. It irked me up, but I didn''t have any ways to overcome this.


    "Does is look like that I''m not?" I replied as I was trying my best not to die.


    "There''s still time. Give up this meaningless struggle and come with us. You might even end up dying a quick death¡­."


    Sorry but I''ll have to decline. I had no plans of dying, and that much should have been obvious. Maybe these demons were just too stupid to understand that.


    "I''m disappointed. I thought you''d be smarter than that." A voice echoed through the forest. "But I suppose just this once I''ll help you out my precious Lia." At that moment arrows, came flying down. These arrows looked like they had embedded magic elements- that was the only conclusion I could come up with. Some glowed red, some blue, while some yellow; they were like different elements. What else could I have thought apart from magic?


    I was saved by a hair. I took a step back and composed myself. However, I didn''t see anyone there beside us. Whoever they were, they were very good at playing hide and seek.


    The demons were all confused and glared in all directions. This was the perfect chance to make up a strategy. "Who was that?"


    "Now''s not the time to worry about that..." Lianne said as she came closer. She and I were now back to back.


    There were more arrows falling down than yesterday''s rain. A lot of demons were struck as they were too focused on me. The smaller ones bled, but the big guy still remained firm while the female one writhed in anger.


    "Serves you right," I said as I smiled. It was a taunt and I betted all my stars on it. Whoever you are, you have my gratitude. I don''t know what their end goal was but I liked them quite a lot. After all, they saved me: us.


    However Hanstol the demon, still remained dauntless. There was no sign of pain or any emotion coming out of him other than pure anger. Does he not feel any pain? I know that demon kind was tough and a sinister race but the guy in front of me was the exception among exceptions. Not only did he take the arrows head on but also, remained undaunted. The skin that had previously turned to liquid regenerated. He really was something else.


    "What are you waiting for, kill them¡­" The female demon screeched.


    "THAT''S ENOUGH¡­ I HAVE SEEN WHAT WAS NECESSARY¡­ HE IS OFF NO USE TO US¡­ AT LEAST NOT YET." The sky became dark as a sinister voice echoed. The voice was cruel and made me wonder how anyone could ever have such a dreadful voice. The voice itself made me shiver. The demons were quivering along with me. Finally we had something in common, huh?


    Every single demon kneeled down on the floor and only the female one raised her head. "But my lord¡­"


    "DON''T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF¡­ RETURN AT ONCE¡­"


    What is this? The voice made me shiver yet felt nostalgic. I looked up and the sky was dark and there were flashes of lighting. But that was it. There was nothing else.


    The demons bowed on the ground and answered in unison. "Yes my lord¡­"


    Immediately they retreated. When looked at from a distance, they looked like birds in the sky (Very ugly birds that is). The sky cleared and the feeling of dread disappeared. It all happened so quickly, that I couldn''t really believe much of it.


    Lianne and I let out a sigh in relief. By some miracle, we''d been saved. Except this was no miracle.


    "Any idea what that was all about?"


    Instead of answering my question, Lianne took the liberty of explaining something which should have been obvious. "Well, one thing we can be sure of is they really wanted you."


    Then again it was understandable as I was the one who asked a stupid question to begin with.. Yeah, no shit.

 Chapter 35 - Hope? What Is That? Do We Eat It?

    Both of us were heavily wounded yet we were on our feet. The sinister voice was quite worrying but we didn''t forget about the voice that saved us either. "I''ve heard that voice before."


    Lianne looked at me without any emotion. "You think so?" I didn''t blame her. We were barely alive and emotion was the least of our worries.


    My memories seemed were a little fuzzy. "Yes, but I can''t seem to remember who they were or where I met them¡­."


    I got the feeling that Lianne knew something about that but she didn''t tell me anything. Perhaps it was her grandfather, perhaps it was someone else. But I couldn''t just ask her out of speculation either. The way she''d told me, a lot of her relatives were supposed to be here, so I couldn''t jump to any conclusions.


    "Well, whoever they were they already left." Lianne didn''t look at me.


    They said, Lia. Could it be, Lianne? I vaguely understood things but didn''t have time to dwell in such things. After all, I didn''t have business with those people. My current business was how the hell I was supposed to survive.


    It took some time to pick up pace. We were close to the end of the forest but the condition we were in made it seem too far. We still had some herbs left. They were useless for Lianne so I used them. My wounds didn''t heal. The wounds were too deep and the herbs were too little. I did feel somewhat better though. It was probably placebo effect.


    Without further ado we got out of the forest while writhing in pain. Walking when your ribcage and a few other bones are broken can be quite amusing; the world got bright and dark at the same; time warped as well- as though I was drugged. Getting out of the forest was the easy part, but now what? That was the question I suppose, as our saviors never showed their faces.


    The outside was also filled with greenery. And it was too bright for my poor eyes. Why does this world have so much green? My heart sank a meter. Honestly I wanted some civilization there, so we could survive and stuff. Was it really too much to ask for a change?


    "Not again¡­" In front of me was an infinite field of green. It was expected since the other side of this forest had a field of green too. But boy did I hope this wasn''t the case. Yet, unfortunately, it was.


    "Don''t worry. There should be adventures out frequently in these roads¡­" Although Lianne assured me, I wasn''t in the least convinced. After all there was virtually nothing in front of us but greenery. As for the roads she spoke about, there wasn''t one. The only thing that remotely resembled a road was just a thin line of dirt and that was it. This is supposed to be a road? For who, a cow? It was pretty thin.


    When your body gushes with adrenaline that''s when you realize that time slows down. Although I couldn''t breathe or even walk around properly, I could still feel the wind, see the moving white fluffy clouds and hear the screeches of wildlife in the distance. It was weird but I felt humane again and really painful.


    For the first time I became wanting of modern technology. Was it really that bad? Was having technology and the ease of modern life really that bad? If I had another shot at life and I had to choose between worlds, I''d most certainly choose my own world. Even on a cold day in hell, I wouldn''t choose this world.


    We continued to walk in our tattered body and gear for about two hours without food or drink. Maybe my world wasn''t so bad after all¡­ Most of my love for fantasy worlds had vanished the night I came to this world. However much I had left (if I had any to begin with) disappeared right now.


    There just wasn''t any reason to rest, as, if we let our mind rest even for a second, we''d surely pass out; we were that much wounded. And passing out here, meant death.


    "Is that what I think it is?" Lianne looked in the distance.


    "Finally¡­" My vision wasn''t as great as normal (Due to extreme hunger and wounds) but I could still make out the small thing in the horizon.


    But the pain was worth it. Greenery was everywhere but there was something else. Something that gave us hope.


    What I did see in the distance, was a cart. My heart skipped a beat. I felt joy even without considering that they might not help us. More winds passed us by. Sighs of relief escaped my lips and I fell on my knees. I couldn''t stand anymore.


    Gradually the cart came closer and closer. Whoever was on the cart saw us- that much we could tell. With every passing moment, I felt my chest tighten. Was it excitement or was it pain? I didn''t have an answer for that.


    The cart was spacious and had some people- at least that was what I could tell from the outside. Some seasoned adventurers were there and even a novice like me could tell. They were poking out their heads to gauge the situation outside. For a second I almost felt envious.


    They came prepared to fight against all sorts of danger during their travels- I guessed. The person driving the cart was a middle-aged man who looked quite healthy. And then came the fatigue. It was like my vision failing.


    When they got close, seeing us in shambles, the middle-aged man said something. I was glad but my vision was too blurry now. I didn''t really look at Lianne but she was probably in an even worse shape than me as she couldn''t even receive healing.


    But before replying to the middle-aged man, everything went dark. During that period I could hear the people around me murmur but I couldn''t understand them.. I felt something soft underneath my head. (It felt amazing)

 Chapter 36 - Does This World Have A Fetish For Curses?

    I woke up some moments later. I was under the lap of one of the adventurers. I retracted my previous sentiments. There was nothing amazing about it. Because the adventurer''s lap I was under was a cross-dressing male. Why would anyone pull such a prank? Was it a prank to begin with? Fortunately, I never asked and no one ever told me.


    There were four of them, counting the driver.


    A guy holding a spear like it was his smartphone or something was in the corner. "Looks like he''s awake." The guy with the spear was even taller than me and had a deep voice. He had a scar on his left cheek. With blazing yellow hair and eyes with more sharpness than daggers, he was definitely more handsome than me. Then again, I was not much of a looker, so that was apparent.


    "Oh my! You''re up already?" said the guy whose lap I was just under.


    I immediately got up. My chest felt like it just exploded with pain. I groaned.


    Getting up like this was a bad idea. The crossdresser was a modest looker. He had some make-up over his face, making him look uglier than he was (At least to me). However, he had broad shoulders and lengthy arms; fit for a swordsman. His voice was¡­not that compelling.


    Lianne was here. She was a little far but on the same side. "Take it easy, there''s no need for rush." I was glad to see Lianne sitting up. She was so injured yet she didn''t look defenseless even for a moment.


    "I''m okay¡­" I said.


    Some of my wounds were being treated by normal herbs. They were effective but my body was pretty busted.


    The third guy didn''t talk much. He was rather chubby for a bowman, or perhaps he used other weapons than just bows? I didn''t see anything else on him though. With brown soft beard, and short stature, he looked like a dwarf. Maybe he was one.


    "Anyway why don''t you lie down on my lap again? I promise to take good care of you¡­" the cross-dresser said. He tried to imitate a woman''s voice but it ended up sounding horrifying. And the way he smiled kind of seemed villainous to me. Maybe I was the odd one.


    "No thank you." I moved further away from him and sat next to Lianne.


    Without many thoughts I could understand that we were being transported to the city. The cart was covered with curtain like cloths. Those cloths were much sturdier than they looked. I could see the back of the cart and the endless field of grass and monsters roaming around in the distance from slight sway of the cloths. Streaks of light occasionally came inside, and painted my face warm.


    "We will stop by a village nearby," said the middle aged man.


    "We need some restocking to do, too," the guy with the spear said.


    Lianne smiled. "Very well." She was still in her veils. But finally, I could relax a little.


    It was afternoon. We stopped by a village to get myself treated and for the guys to restock. But I got the feeling that it was mostly for me.


    Honestly those guys were really nice. Not only did they take us in but they also made arrangements to treat us. However a question did remain, why would they help us?


    Was it really just courtesy? Why would they go through needless trouble over some random nobody? I decided it was best I didn''t ask them. I should talk to Lianne before making any rash assumptions. Since I was passed out, Lianne must have made some sort of arrangements with them; that was the only logical choice after all.


    It was a small village of only five families in the middle of some trees and a single pond. Hopefully it wasn''t one of those undead mermaid''s traps: There were fish, after all. A total of seventeen small huts were here. They must move around a lot.


    There wasn''t much defense set there. One family had former adventurers, so they weren''t in that much of a threat from monsters in the grasslands. Besides, the only monsters we saw so far were herbivores and non-hostile ones. As for the undead, there weren''t any in a few mile radius. So safety wasn''t that much of an issue.


    Lianne decided she would look after her wounds by herself and went into a tent. I didn''t see anybody object, and apparently elves were rare in these parts and they were supposed to be secretive: I didn''t see much truth to that though, or maybe Lianne was just different. But I lost my chance to talk to her.


    In my case the village priest gave a helping hand or rather he would have if he wasn''t running late. Priests were a serious treasure in this world I suppose.


    While I waited for the priest, I opened one his books. It was about human magic. Magic was scarce in that world. But the people who were extremely religious and devoted their lives to gods, gained special abilities like healing or dispelling curses and the alike. Sounded like BS (I was an atheist, remember?), but I kept on reading.


    That made me want to believe god''s existence but I was still not fully convinced; few could gain such skills as they train mindlessly for decades, which could be gained from spiritual training. So even if people didn''t believe in god, they could still acquire such skills in theory. It was proof enough for me to rebuke the ideas of gods: I knew I was just being stubborn. However this world has made clear that gods do exist and they most certainly hate me. Besides, I''d already met one, probably.


    I started reading out loud. It was a weird habit but I couldn''t help it. "Although most humans could potentially learn magic in theory, they fail to achieve it for reasons unknown. Once an elf told me that to cast spells you have to visualize it and name the spell. It would help with the process but I never really understood much of it. The elves and demons could master magic and as a result are far more powerful than humans. Elves in particular are more gifted with magic than any other race. Demons however have superior strength. Alves (One of the lost races) was said to have even more magic than elves but they are long gone. Dwarves don''t possess any mana in their bodies. But they are probably the strongest among all the races. As for the humans, we are most definitely the weakest."


    The priest entered, rather magnificently. "I believe that is inaccurate. We might be weak but we possess a strength the other races do not. Love and hope!" I couldn''t understand if he was serious or joking, but I didn''t reply. I didn''t want to.


    "So if humans tried hard enough they can learn magic?" I asked. I didn''t know much but it didn''t hurt to ask.


    "Only few in history have ever achieved that, so I can''t deny. But that also doesn''t mean I can agree either." He wasn''t being helpful with his neutral approach but I couldn''t blame him either.


    "Fair enough." I put the book back and my treatment began.


    I was gravely wounded yet the priest was surprised that I was in the process of recovering already. Something was wrong with my body.


    "He has a very strong healing system. His looks say, he''s human but this healing state otherwise," murmured the priest.


    He had a white robe on top of his clothes; a middle aged man with a decent personality. His beard was rather fluffy. But sometimes he was just plain weird. Perhaps that was his way of relieving stress?


    "I don''t know how to answer that¡­"


    "Oh, don''t worry! I was just mumbling to myself. They said you will head to the city tomorrow, correct?" The priest smiled. He was hiding his surprise. Or more like, changing the subject.


    Unsure of how to react to him I just nodded.


    "You have a few wounds, which I''m afraid I''m unable to heal. Especially a tricky curse hangs over your soul. It''s not necessarily bad but you shouldn''t live with curses," he said. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "This curse may have very well saved your life, but even so, I don''t think you should deal with curses."


    "Maybe I''ll visit the church in the city, once I''m there," I said.


    I was aware that something was wrong with me but never expected it to be a curse. A curse? Well, I shouldn''t be surprised now. Actually not many things would be able to surprise me now.


    The priest thought for a moment. "Meet sister Ashlyne in the northern church. She tends to the wounded without compensation or discrimination. She will be able to heal you fully."


    "I''ll remember that. Thank you." There''s discrimination even in churches? Since there were a lot of gods, so there was bound to be discrimination. I should have seen that coming.


    He grinned. "You''re welcome."


    "So, what kind of curse do I have again?" I needed to know. After all, I didn''t necessarily felt all that bad. So it piqued my interest.


    "Regeneration."


    How the hell is that a curse? "Aren''t those things more like blessings?" Being able to heal quickly and easily was probably one of the most sought superpowers. And yet, this priest was calling it a curse. To me, a guy from the twenty-first century, it didn''t seem all that practical to call something like this a curse.. But maybe I was missing something. Maybe there was a price?

 Chapter 37 - Is This Really A Curse Though?

    The priest glared at me in confusion. "Why would you think that? Did your parents not teach you anything?" He sighed and tried to explain. "Think of it like this. You are in an undead forest and injured. You cannot get out. The undead are eating you alive. You won''t be able to escape nor die. As your healing system is overpowered, the only way you''d die as if all the undead ate you alive as fast as they could. You''d still die after a few days but won''t you suffer a lot more than any normal human?"


    The way he used the example was terrifying. This guy really knew how to evoke fright. I displayed an artificial smile and grinned as best as I could. "I-I see. I''ll try my- to be careful." But I still wasn''t convinced. I did get his point though. After all, if it weren''t for this curse, I''d probably be long, long dead.


    I was finished being treated by the evening. Most of my wounds felt painless. However, the priest''s last sentence really invoked fear in me. That could have happened to me the night I came to this world. I thanked the gods though I didn''t believe in them fully. It was the least I could do. Am I becoming religious?


    When I was little I was very religious; the very image of a pious kid. But as my life continued to become shittier and shittier I gave up on religion. I blamed God for everything and before I knew it, faith wasn''t part of my daily routine anymore. And here I was clinging to faith in desperation. Talk about irony!


    From experience, I could tell that my wounds weren''t fully healed. But they were good enough for me to walk around. If someone told me about healing wounds with priests even just a month ago, I''d laugh at their faces. And now here I was, walking around by the blessing of some priest whose name I didn''t even know. Life really was full of holes and ironies.


    The villagers seemed unified. All of them gathered by a large fire by in the middle of the village; so did we, or rather me and the guys. It was evening and the stars barely peeked from the heavens. Everything felt surreal and too fast. Was I in some sort of trance?


    Everyone was here except Lianne. I remembered that by night, her eyes glowed, so it was better that she''d stay away.


    They prepared for dinner. The rule in the village was to share their hunt with everyone, so no one would be left hungry. However, the villagers didn''t take any risk with the monsters. At all times there were at least three people standing guard.


    "I don''t see your friend¡­" said the cross-dresser.


    "She must be resting." I couldn''t conjure up a better excuse.


    "What a shame! This meat is delicious," said the middle aged man.


    I laughed awkwardly.


    The guy with the spear sat behind me. He still had his spear at the ready. How attached was he? "How did you survive?"


    I could get what he meant. Lianne had told them that we were attacked my some demon raiders- whatever that was. But we managed to escape. I didn''t think they''d buy it, but it looked like they did.


    "I guess, it was a stroke of luck," I said. I tried to laugh it off with a nervous chuckle but kind of failed big time.


    "Was it now?" He was wiping his precious spear with cloth.


    I didn''t know how to react to that so I just smiled like an idiot. It certainly was not just luck and I knew that. But saying something like, mysterious arrows saved me or a sinister voice called them back would be even stupider.


    "Did you try this? This one''s better." The middle aged man shoved some skewered meat in his mouth. He almost choked.


    We laughed. The awkwardness dissipated a little. The spear guy didn''t push me too hard. The laughter took over the atmosphere after all.


    The environment was loud in a pleasant way. The only thing missing was the half dead elf. With the laughter I was distracted from the fact that we were in the middle of monster territory. But it didn''t feel that bad. I didn''t feel that lonely. And I didn''t want Lianne to feel lonely either. So, after I had my fill I started searching for her with a stick of meat and a glass of fruit juice in my hands.


    The path was relatively straightforward. Lianne was supposedly resting in a hut nearby. The door was made of cloth so I cleared my throat. "I''m coming in."


    I waited for a reply but there was none.


    I went inside; she wasn''t there. Well I wouldn''t be alone in a hut like this either. It was expected. But this gave me the hint that she might be on the other side.


    Without any surprises, I continued to the other side of the village. It was dark. However, the stars were bright. Apart from the sounds of insects, not much could be heard. I wasn''t in a bad mood: in fact, my mood was never better. With a fluffy yet wonderful feeling, I went on. The grass was comfortable.


    There was a silhouette close to the other edge of the village. Her red eyes were beautiful in the dark. A striking contrast of darkness and crimson.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Not much," she said.


    She stared distantly at the stars. Although for just a second, my heart fluttered as I witnessed her hair swaying in the night breeze. Her hair reached up to her thighs, rather long if you asked me. She always kept it tidied, so I never really paid any attention. But now that I look at her again, she really was beautiful.


    "I brought some for you," I said as I made the gesture of giving them to her. We were basically alone.. The crowd was all partying on the side of the village.

 Chapter 38 - A Silent Good Bye

    Lianne smiled but something about that smile was artificial. She took the juice from my hand and drank it at one go. I almost saw her face. Damn it! If it wasn''t for this shadow! I cursed the shadow of the hut nearby. Why did it have to get in my way?


    "Thank you. But¡­" Lianne averted her gaze.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I think it''s time." She looked at the distant fields and smiled.


    "What are you talking about?" I was dumbfounded. But deep inside, I knew. It was time.


    "You are in good company. I already paid them. I took the liberty of using one gold coin that was supposed to be my share. Be good to them and give them my regards." Lianne''s gaze was reminiscent of something I didn''t understand. In the end, just who was she? Who was this beautiful high elf?


    "I don''t understand." I really was dumb. I knew that she would leave and I shouldn''t get attached. But in a world like that, can you really stop yourself from getting attached to someone who''d done so much for you? I couldn''t.


    "It''s a shame I never got to teach you to speak the language of the trees or even how to use a bow. Maybe if we meet again, I will teach you." She looked at me with a soft smile and apologetic eyes. "But keep practicing the sword. You''ve got potential."


    The enthusiasm from my voice disappeared. "So you''re leaving?" Took me long enough to confront it, but I had to, eventually.


    "Didn''t I tell you? I was heading in the same direction but not the same destination. My comrades are waiting for me."


    I suppose I have no right to ask any more of you.


    Although it was short, I really became attached. I couldn''t stop myself from not to. It was dependency and I was selfish. But even so I didn''t want it to end here. I was just too selfish. But I couldn''t make myself tell her to take me or stay with me. "I hope you achieve what you set out to do. Oh right, take half of these spoils and your knife!" So I did the next best thing; wish her good luck.


    I barely kept my tears from leaking. I might have gotten a bit too soft around her.


    "Keep them. The knife was my brother''s. I was searching for a successor to hand the blade to anyway. If you show it to any elf, they''ll surely help you. And definitely buy yourself some armor," she said as she chuckled. "Besides, I can''t bring out that light from the blade anyway. Only a pure soul can. I surmise you''re really kind."


    She still worried for me. This world was really something. The monsters and everything are much like a curse but the people were too kind. That was also a reason why I didn''t want to get attached to the people. But this girl, this elf, was a different matter. she was the only one who I couldn''t afford to not get attached to. She was my savior and even her compliments warmed my heart.


    Successor? So he''s¡­ dead? It was too late but my mouth slipped anyway. "Who are you?" That was the first and also my last question. I didn''t know anything about her even now. But I wanted to, no, I had to.


    "Just a friendly travelling elf." Her smile was radiant and that was the first time she smiled like that. I liked it. But then her face clouded with something else, something sinister. "And someone I don''t want to be." She really was full of mysteries.


    "Thank you for everything Lianne. Good luck and goodbye." What else could I have said? There was nothing more for me to say.


    "Thank you as well. I hope you can accomplish what you set out to do. Farewell."


    Me too. I couldn''t do anything but just wave.


    Lianne jumped ahead and left. She really was a gifted woman. I stayed there waving and watched as she disappeared by the horizon. My heart felt torn. Maybe my wounds were opening again. The stars were rather bright tonight. But I it only made me feel colder.


    After sometime the chubby one with the bow came to check on me. He came alone and for the first time spoke. "So the elf left..."


    He had a deep voice; deeper than all the voices I''d heard so far.


    "You were here?"


    "No, I saw that from a distance," he said.


    At least he wasn''t eavesdropping. "I see." I didn''t have much to talk about.


    "Don''t worry lad, elves are cunning. They don''t make stupid decisions." He chuckled. Maybe he was just trying to console me. It didn''t make me feel any better though. I sighed and hoped for Lianne''s success.


    We went back to the campsite. The skewered meat was getting cold, so I took the liberty of biting them.


    All four of the guys were disappointed that she''d left but at the same time they seemed to be understanding. Nobody asked me anything about it. The festive mood went on but everything seemed muted.


    The middle-aged man got drunk real quick. He held a mug of ale in my direction. "Don''t worry kid. Just drink and forget about it all!" He must have had the wrong idea.


    "Sorry- don''t drink." And I most certainly don''t want to forget any of this. It would an insult to my fallen friends. It was a firm denial. Drink to forget? What a joke! In the end what you''d get was nothing more than more pain and regret, and possibly a liver failure.


    "Too bad." They all laughed.


    We went to bed after all the events. They really were kind people. Well they were paid after all.


    I hope she succeeds in her quest. Will I really be able to find any clues in the town? And what was that voice? Why did it sound so nostalgic? But this world seems too complicated. Some want to kill me while others are nice and caring. What is this place? I had tons of questions but no answer. I was really oblivious. Maybe I''ll head to a library. There''s bound to be one in the city. I soon fell asleep. But maybe, just maybe, this world wasn''t as bad as I made it out to be. Maybe I was just unlucky.


    The next morning was normal: as far as I was concerned, it wasn''t. We set out for our journey. The villagers would move today. But before we left they made a ceremony for our good luck. Some kind of weird ritual. It finished with me drinking some white liquid: tasted like milk. The consistency was a little thick. I didn''t see any domestic animals here. So I hoped I was wrong to assume it was milk or rather where it came from: I really hoped I was wrong with all my heart.


    "Lucky weren''t you?" The cross-dresser chimed.


    "I suppose you are right. I did get to live." But most of it was thanks to Lianne and others who died for my failure.


    "That''s not what he meant." The spear fanatic looked at me with pity. "I guess it''s better you don''t know."


    The cross-dresser burst into laughter as the three of them looked at me with pity. What are they going on about? I didn''t know what they were talking about and I didn''t want to.


    The middle-aged man didn''t tell me his name but the other three were Jorry (the cross-dresser), Slouder (the spear fanatic), and Bojang (the chubby one).

 Chapter 39 - The Ugly Truth

    The journey to the city of Moire was short. There weren''t many monsters out. I didn''t see any goblins. Instead, there was a diverse biome that I hadn''t seen before. They must be flourishing because there are fewer monsters here. The large animals were really a sight for sore eyes.


    "I don''t see many monsters¡­" I asked.


    "They are constantly hunted, so it''s no surprise," Jorry said. "But they breed fast. So we''ll see some sooner or later."


    "What about the undead?" Undead were always on my mind along with goblins. I couldn''t forget about either.


    "They don''t come this far."


    He was right. But it was still kind of a surprise. "I see." If there were undead roaming about in the dead of night, I''d have felt at least something last night, which I hadn''t.


    The cart moved along the winds. It was rather windy today as well. A storm maybe?


    It was in the middle of summer and sticky hot. So the breeze was refreshing. The curtains fluttered and I felt at ease.


    "Looks like we have another mess on our hands." The middle aged man poked his head in. "You might want to stay inside. It''s pretty gruesome." He looked straight into my eyes.


    I didn''t know what he meant, so I couldn''t really say anything. I still doubted myself. Meanwhile Jori and Slouder peeked outside.


    "Yes, it would be better if you stayed inside. We''ll take care of it," Jori said. For once he wasn''t joking: he was dead serious.


    "What happened?" I''d already made up my mind long ago. I couldn''t just step away from these things anymore. If it''s trouble with monsters, I''ll help. I was injured but that didn''t matter. My will mattered more.


    "There''s a reason not many women become adventurers. Tell me, what is the worst that can happen to guys?" Jori asked.


    "They die?" It was obvious, but I asked.


    "Yes but something even worse happens to women." He glared at me. "Lianne told me that you are a novice. But you need to learn this." He exhaled, gathered his thoughts and glared. "They get raped and are forced to give birth to goblins."


    "What!?" I was shaken. My whole body shivered, almost as if I''d got hypothermia. I couldn''t stop my mind. It was uncomfortable beyond reason. I had little sisters back at home. The mere thought of someone I knew getting raped, staggered me. But what if it happened to me? I wasn''t a girl, but what if I was one? I couldn''t even imagine what girls would go through. It was brutal beyond reason.


    "That''s why we''re asking you to stay inside." Slouder went out.


    "Stay inside." Jori went out and so did Bojang.


    "Alright," I mumbled. I still couldn''t face reality. This world was cruel, and I had to accept it. And yet¡­ I couldn''t.


    All three of them got out. There were shouts and screams outside. One by one the groans of goblins stopped but one scream didn''t. The scream of a girl. She screamed on top of her lungs until finally it stopped. The only thing I heard before it stopped was, "Please kill me!"


    I couldn''t stop my tears. My stomach was about to erupt and everything wanted to come out. Was I always this weak? I almost bit my tongue trying to control my feelings.


    The three of them came back some time later.


    I couldn''t look at them. "What about the girl?" My head hanged down. I couldn''t breathe. It was as though someone was squeezing my heart with all their might.


    Slouder sighed. "Her party was already dead long ago. She herself was beyond saving."


    "So you killed her?" I already knew the answer. I could guess at least that much.


    "If I hadn''t¡­." He paused. He didn''t finish.


    I looked at Jori. He gave a wry smile and explained. "If he hadn''t, she would have died an even more horrible death. She would gradually turn into a tool for goblin reproduction. Humans could give birth more frequently than goblins and in large numbers. Just think about what she''d have to go through. And after all that when her vitality leaves her they''d eat her alive."


    I couldn''t imagine. And I couldn''t say anything either. I really was wrong about this world. And my naivety was to blame.


    "Don''t worry. We gave them a proper burial." Bojang put a hand on my shoulder.


    "Won''t they turn into the undead?" If a priest didn''t purify bodies after death then people of this world usually turned undead. But that didn''t necessarily mean that everyone would turn undead everywhere.


    "The forest is a little far from here. So they shouldn''t." Jori didn''t sugarcoat anything.


    I couldn''t argue with them. They were already doing me a favor and yet, and yet I wanted to punch them. I wanted to blame them. But I knew that was wrong. I knew that was cruel. This world¡­. Damn it! I whacked my hand on the wooden seat. I ground my teeth till they crackled.


    "It''s okay, lad. This the way of the world. We can only grit our teeth and persevere." Bojang patted me on the shoulder.


    I couldn''t really think straight anymore. I just stayed quiet and so did they. I tried not to think too much about that.. I have to grit my teeth and persevere? It was laughable but I took Bojang''s advice to heart.

 Chapter 40 - First Look And The Guild Master

    We reached the city by noon. From the outside, the walls looked as big as a three-storied building and it was made of stones. Honestly, it was a piece of architectural marvel. The guards at the gate didn''t make any fuss and let us inside. The middle-aged man must have been quite influential or perhaps, this world''s gatekeeping wasn''t that evolved yet.


    The city was marvelous. At the moment I entered through the gate, a cold salty breeze greeted me. Are we close to the sea? The background noise reminded me of my own hometown. But instead of cars, they had wagons and carts powered by large animals. It looked like a proper fantasy town. The village however had only the medieval part right, but not the fantasy part.


    I couldn''t think of a proper way to describe it but everything about this town was amazing. A large castle lay at the heart of the city. I could see towers from all the way here. Large pelicans floated up in the sky and chirped. It was quite the sight.


    The roads were made of cobblestone. I saw different kinds of peoples there. Although it was drizzling a little, people moved around without a care. Normally you''d want to be summoned in a city like this if you fancied the fantasy element. I''d never want to be summoned ever again though: assuming I could ever get out of this damn world.


    But I couldn''t help but wonder about the storm that was brewing: the sky was pretty cloudy. Maybe it''d rain hard soon.


    The houses were superbly aligned. Made from brick, they represented the Middle Ages (As if that wasn''t apparent yet!). However there was some technology too. There was one steam powered turbines in the distance, very close to the other edge of the town. I wonder if this world made that kind of progress yet¡­,


    "You look marveled," said Jorry. I was in fact.


    Can you please stop talking to me? You''re making me uncomfortable. I didn''t say it out loud though. "I''ve never seen such a city as this," I said.


    There was a nostalgic sound coming from the roofs of the houses. My grandparents had an old house made bricks and a burnt clay roof. The rain drops made a wonderful sound to my ears. And yet my heart was clouded. I could never forget those cries: the cries of those villagers, and the cries of that lone girl haunted by goblins.


    "Be sure to head to the church first and then the blacksmith," said Slouder. He was staring at my torn clothes. I got the picture but he was still staring at me. Did he swing the other way or something?


    "Right!"


    He patted me on the back and it hurt. "I''d recommend checking out Grimp''s shop. And try not to think about it too much. It''s hard for me to say this but, that was normal and happens all across the world."


    I didn''t know how normal that was for this world, but to me that wasn''t normal and it''d never be.


    "I''ll be sure to check it out¡­ Thank you everyone. I really owe you guys my life." I changed the subject. I really didn''t want to think about it.


    Slouder kept patting my back and well, I wanted to punch him now: it hurt too damn much. "Don''t mention it."


    The middle aged man grinned. "Of course we''d help you. Besides thanks to you guys, we made a fortune."


    I didn''t know how to respond to that besides looking dumb but happy in a very awkward way. That was life I guess.


    "That should be obvious. We''d never leave a boy behind. Especially a strong boy like you," Jorry said as he chuckled uncontrollably.


    Although I was uncomfortable I was still very grateful. If it weren''t for their kindness I''d be still lying dead, on that grassy plain. Though that kindness was bought, it was still warm. It seems not many people would help you without proper reasons. The world really is fair to only the bold and rich. And that''s why I felt horrible for using Dune and the others. Or maybe it was the other way around but I still felt terrible.


    "Still, thank you," I said with true gratitude.


    "Anyway, we''ll be taking our leave now," said the middle aged man.


    "Um, sir?"


    "Yes?"


    "You''ve never told me your name¡­" The other three were quick to introduce themselves first thing at the party, but the middle aged man never introduced himself. But then again, I never asked anyway.


    "Oh that''s right! I seem to have become rather forgetful these days," He chukled and spread his hand toward me.


    "Ha ha ah. I am Daarc Green," I spread my hand toward him for a handshake.


    It seemed proper to introduce myself first, as I never did that either.


    "An odd name. Maybe you''re from the south?" He wondered before grabbing my hand. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Green. I am Ronald. I own a guild up north. If you ever come across any troubles, pay us a visit. We will surely help, for an adequate price that is," shaking my hand he said. "Oh and we have plenty of branches across the continent, be sure to visit if you''re ever in need. Oh but we don''t have one in Moire yet." He chuckled.


    So he''s a guildmaster? I was familiar with the concept since I was a gamer at heart: I didn''t have enough money to play too many games though. "Up north? And that is?"


    Bojang cut in the conversation. "Actually it''s close to the capital."


    "It''s more like it''s inside the capital," Jori added.


    How far was that village from the capital anyway! "I see. Thank you sir and again thank you all." But then again I didn''t know where the capital was in the first place. In fact, I didn''t know where I was geographically speaking.


    "Anytime. Be sure to visit. And don''t do reckless things like that again," Mr. Ronald said.


    "Take care, lad."


    "See you around."


    "Oh my lovely Daarc, we must part for a short while, but I''ll never forget you. So please don''t forget me!" Jori held my hand and made a scene. The people around us stared at us with complex looks on their faces. Actually, my face was probably the most twisted.


    Slouder and Bojang dragged Jori away and waved.. I waved back.

 Chapter 41 - The City Of Moire

    I hadn''t asked them about guilds and stuff. After all, I was still going by as a lone rookie adventurer ¨C just like Lianne advised me to. Better get myself a map.


    It was a little sad to say goodbye. It was short but I was still glad. Suppose this was for the best.


    And now my mind finally exploded. I headed wherever my heart wanted. I was a shut-in nerd after all. This was a brand new experience for me.


    The diversity attracted me the most. There were all sorts of people: businessmen, workers, housewives, children, and even adventurers (people with clunky armor and wild looks). Nobody seemed unhappy at all. And there were various species too. Some had animal features like a tail or ears. So this is why people call this place a paradise!


    I went to the market first. There were countless stores with weird but unique signboards. I could read them! One particular signboard caught my eye. It said, ''Be Virgin No More!'' What the hell is that supposed to mean? I didn''t go in. It was better that I didn''t find out what it meant.


    There were various stalls too. I''d never seen so many kinds of fruit at once. Most shops sold food and daily necessities. I didn''t have any money aside from the two gold coins, so I had to figure out a way to sell the monster parts. And I also needed to know how much a gold coin was worth. But judging from how those four acted, I''d surmised that it was pretty pricy.


    I stopped a passerby. I didn''t know anything about this city, so I had to ask. "Excuse me, where can I sell these?"


    "Head north, you''ll see shops that buy that stuff."


    "Thank you."


    I searched and finally reached the monster parts trading shop. The goods I had were sure to fetch a good price given the fact that we''d risked our lives for them, at least, I hoped so.


    "Welcome."


    I showed him the fangs and ears. "I''d like to sell these." I cut to the chase rather quickly. I didn''t have time to waste, more like I couldn''t wait any longer. I wanted to walk around this town like my life depended on it. I was high on wanderlust.


    "Let''s see¡­how about 20 bronze a piece sound?"


    I had no concept of money. So I didn''t know if he was robbing me or giving me a good deal. I had seven pieces of goblin fangs and seven pair of ears. I also kept some cactus needles too. The needles were really hard to pull out of the skin. So I didn''t give him those just yet.


    "So, the fangs are worth twice as much as the ears?"


    His smile kind of put me in a defensive mode. His goatee made me even more uncomfortable. This guy was a serious businessman. "Yes sir, that is correct. Goblin''s have only one large fang, hence the value increase."


    "Alright, I''ll sell you them." I made a poker face. I just hoped I wouldn''t be tricked.


    He took all of them. "Here''s your 240 bronze." He gave me a bag full of coins.


    Did he miscount or something? "Hey wait! I''m supposed to get 280 bronze!"


    "You must be mistaken sir. I assure you, I am a proper business man. I would never try to cheat on you." I didn''t seem to lie. He seemed too confident in his business skills.


    "Is that so?" But I wasn''t convinced. Did he think I studied fourteen years for nothing?


    I gave him a math lesson on multiplication. He seemed interested in learning as well. Ironically that guy was not a cheater rather a vagabond who didn''t know how to multiply. Which actually made sense. According to him only nobles were taught in schools around the kingdom and ordinary folks like him were left to do guesswork. The rich merchants could bribe a scholar or two and learn things but the lower end merchants were forced to just learn to do things based on their intuition. I didn''t like that system but there was nothing I could do about it.


    "So¡­s-sorry sir. I didn''t know!"


    "Just give me my money!" I was bitter. The screams of that girl still haunted me and I wanted to get rid of it. I thought distracting myself would work, but it didn''t. Moreover the thought of rich prospering while the poor laggard behind, was enough to irk me even further.


    "Here you go sir, two silvers and 80 bronze."


    Apparently one hundred bronze was worth a single silver. I wonder how the goblin got its hand on that gold coin¡­ Wait doesn''t that mean that was one hell of an amount? Sigh* no wonder they talked about fortunes and all¡­ My earlier theory was correct. These two gold coins really did mean a lot.


    I sighed but in the end thanked my luck. After all, I still had two gold coins and unlike the people of this world, I was educated. "Nice doing business. Is the weather always like this?"


    "No sir. From last two days the weather has been like this. It usually happens earlier in the year but maybe this time the storm came late?" He smiled. "Please come again."


    It was only drizzling. The sky had gotten rather dark. I didn''t know why but it looked ominous to me. And I also learned a new thing; this world had some kind of a calendar system. I still didn''t know much about it though.


    My stomach all of a sudden announced its presence with a grumble. I haven''t eaten anything yet, huh?


    An inn was nearby. I headed in. The atmosphere was too cheerful for my taste. What is wrong with this world? That city was too carefree. Nobody seemed even a little concerned about what was outside the walls. At first it was refreshing but as it went on, I felt more and more empty.


    A woman from behind the counter welcomed me. "Welcome!"


    "How much a night?"


    It was a very rude way of asking for a night but I couldn''t find a better phrase.


    However the woman still greeted me with a smile. She was young and beautiful, fit for the job I suppose. "20 bronze for one night and 30 for two."


    So basically I''d get a discount? I still don''t know what I''ll do or learn yet. So I shouldn''t spend too much. "I''d like a room for one night."


    "You''re ID, sir?"


    It was a shock. I never thought this world had something like that. But then again this was a different world so I shouldn''t have been surprised. "ID?"


    "Are you new to this town? In that case you should visit the church. They''d issue an ID."


    No wonder everyone kept telling me to visit the church first. "I see. For now, I''d like some food."


    "In that case please take a seat over there."


    A waitress came to get my order. I ordered a chicken-potato soup with bread. It was somewhat of a luxury to get that meal at 8 bronze as most of the other food were less than five bronze, but I wanted to. And this was also the first time I''d get chicken after coming to this world, so I went for the overkill dish. It was the priciest. It seemed that with about a hundred bronze a person could live pretty well for about three days if they were conservative.


    Being a selfish jerk when it came to money, I always saved by all sorts of means but not this time. It was always a good idea to let loose once in a while.


    Promptly she brought the food. It was still warm. She also gave me a towel: it brought a smile to my face. When I bit into the meat, it dissolved in contact to my mouth- that''s the best description I could come up with. Anyway, it was delicious and the bread was decent.


    People in the inn at first stared at my rusty-semi-torn clothes but soon focused on their meals. Well after going through what I did, it was a surprise that my clothes were still there. And perhaps this wasn''t that surprising anyway.


    I overheard a group who seemed to be adventurers as well. They were talking about a forest. Brings back memories¡­Horrible memories¡­


    "Hey, have you heard, Geurd saw a weird statue in the Bylin forest?"


    "Really? Maybe we can sell it!"


    "Don''t be stupid! Don''t you know that forest has undead lurking around at every corner?"


    "Damn it! What the hell are those elves doing?"


    They went on. I refocused on my food but I couldn''t take any more bites.


    Honestly, my appetite disappeared as they mentioned the undead. However, my intuition clicked when a statue came into the picture. Could that be? Misrael had mentioned something about her kin. Meaning sooner or later I''d have to visit that forest.. I sighed at the thought.

 Chapter 42 - The Devout Are The Same Everywhere

    Wham! It was a large-broad man; he entered through the door with style. The word ''barbaric'' might be a fit. He came in with a wicked smile and the shop shook as he walked; no one was afraid. He was wearing some sort of armor that looked more like a lion''s skin. The guy was big but looked fairly healthy and his muscles made me jealous. "Hey, women! Give me a barrel!"


    A waitress rushed to his side. "Right away, sir!"


    Maybe he''s some hotshot, famous adventurer? The guy quieted down as he engulfed the whole barrel of ale right in front of me. I stared with wonder; what an amazing drinker he was! He wasn''t fully sober afterward but he was still sane. I suppose there are all sorts of people in this world.


    I finished my meal, paid for it, and headed to my next destination- the church.


    The church was easy to locate. It was very close to the inn and I could see its peak from far.


    There was a magnificent dome inside the church. It was a pretty sight. Windows were heavily decorated by some form of art and so were the walls. The church itself was rather large. The graffiti work was all over the place: from a dragon eating the moon to a snake killing a lion. Rather weird if you asked me.


    There were people inside and lots of priests and priestesses were listening to their plea. I grinned and had a mocking smile. You pray to god while he relaxes in heaven, while you suffer? I couldn''t really believe these people. And here I was, seeking help. I no longer doubted God''s existence, but honestly, I didn''t like him one bit. It really was hypocritical.


    I went to a priest and asked about sister Ashlyne. He looked like he was in charge. "Ashlyne? Don''t worry about her. Just tell me your problem and let us embrace Silisesta together!" He was enthusiastic, maybe a bit too enthusiastic.


    "Selisesta?"


    The priest was clothed in fancy robes. If not for his wrinkled face and rather aged voice, it would have been hard to tell that he was in fact pretty old- close to seventies. "You''re telling me you haven''t heard about it!"


    Don''t look at me like that. What the hell are you expecting? "I''m actually not from here." I tried to be honest. I didn''t want to make a scene. But I could tell it wasn''t working.


    "That''s no excuse. What god do you pray to?" His eyes were sharp. I got the feeling he''d throw me out, if I said something weird.


    Even I don''t know that. Didn''t Milai say something about a Zelon or something? "I pray to Zelo-"


    "Preposterous!" His voice rose significantly. I couldn''t maintain my smile anymore. "How could you pray to him! Pray to Selis instead. She is the greatest of all the gods! Pray to her! The goddess of fertility and oceans!"


    Does this guy have a screw loose? And there''s a goddess of fertility? "Can you just tell me where I can find sister Ashlyne?" I was in a rather bad mood now. I was about to snap. Something about this town disgusted me. People outside the walls were going through hell and this guy was preaching to me about fertility.


    A nun from behind him pointed me in the right direction. "Head to that room by the alter." Her black and white dress kind of put me at ease. Instead of traditional cross, she had a different one hanging on her neck. It looked like a dragon more than a cross. Ominous but effective. But at least she was sane.


    The eccentric priest looked somewhat defeated but I didn''t care. I didn''t have the luxury to care about gods anyway.. "Alright, thank you."

 Chapter 43 - Are All Sisters Like This?

    "Sister Ashlyne?"


    A room of modest size. Nobody was inside besides a woman who had her eyes closed and looked old- close to her fifties. The room looked ordinary and there wasn''t much.


    "Yes, you are?"


    "I am Daarc green."


    For a woman that old, her voice was quite smooth. If I hadn''t seen her upfront I''d deduce she''d be no more than forty.


    "Please have a seat."


    I sat down. The woman must have spent her days in this room all alone. The church was booming with activity but there wasn''t much of anything here.


    "You see¡­ a priest from that village¡­" I told her what the priest had told me. I still didn''t think having regeneration was a curse.


    "I see. Why don''t you show me your hands?"


    I held my hands towards her. I wondered what she''d do. After all, she seemed blind. "What do you intend-"


    She grabbed my hands. "I see. This curse indeed is very powerful. I''m afraid it''s beyond even me. Only God himself might be able to rid you of this curse: well, the one that actually gave you this, that is."


    And now you''ll tell me to pray and became a pious person or something? This is too predictable. I saw it coming from a mile away.


    I thought I was being scammed. But she continued. "However, I might be able to heal your wounds. As for the curse itself, it isn''t going to harm you in any way. And given the black spots in your destiny, I believe the curse might even come in handy to you: maybe that is why God has entrusted you with such a burden."


    Black spots? "What do you mean by my destiny?" Cold sweats poured down from my forehead. I didn''t have blind faith in fate but I didn''t disbelief the stuff either. meaning this sister just got my full attention.


    "Do you see the water in the corner? Pour it into a small bottle and bring some here." She ignored my question.


    She wasn''t answering me so I had no choice but to listen to her. "Here."


    Sister Ashlyne took the bottle, opened its lid and started to mumble something. She finished her mumble and blew in the water. "Drink this, half of this. It''ll purify you. I''ll also cast a spell on you."


    So you''re not going to answer me, huh? Maybe talking about destiny was forbidden or something? Her earlier tone had suggested that I had tough times ahead of me. But I hoped she was wrong.


    I drank the water. My body immediately felt lighter and my wounds felt much better. She took her sweet time before casting a spell but when she did my wounds healed. The deep ones were still there but I was mostly healed. "Thank you." I didn''t think I''d get much done in this church but I was wrong.


    "It is okay." She smiled. "Now strip."


    "Sure- wait what!" The hell did she just say? I couldn''t believe that the sister could say such a thing with a straight face.


    "Oh sorry I didn''t mean it like that. I meant please remove your clothes."


    "Both of them mean the same thing!" She''s not serious, is she? I was honestly dumbfounded. Just what the hell was wrong with this church?


    "Remove your clothes and apply the rest of the water to your wounds. I''m afraid I''m getting old. Back in the old days, people would strip without even having me explain things. I''m really getting old, aren''t I?" She touched her cheeks, looked worried.


    Oh no, you''re plenty old enough. Stop giving me ideas!


    I calmed my head and controlled my breathing. Guess I''ll apply them. I did remove my shirt but kept a close eye on her eyes. She really was blindfolded, if nothing else. The way she smiled, gave me loads of doubts though.


    The moment the water touched my skin, the water turned black and my scars disappeared. Wow! By the end of the application, I was fully healed and scar less.


    I buttoned my shirt and looked at her in amazement. "How should I- I mean how much should I pay you?" I did have money on me now but I was prepared for a bargain. After all, this was a holy place and people often demanded a hefty sum for helping out in these sorts of places.


    "Paying me won''t be necessary. Just have faith that is all I ask. It doesn''t matter what god you pray to, as long as you remain faithful that is good enough payment to me." The sister''s words were actually profound. I couldn''t help but admire her. I even let her earlier comments slide. Not what I expected. Maybe she is different. And then she had to drop a solid bombshell. "Besides, I already got what I wanted," she murmured and giggled.


    A chill went down my spine. But I controlled my thoughts.


    I had made up my mind. Maybe it''s worth taking this risk¡­. Though the sister seemed a little strange, perhaps too strange, but I still wanted to talk to her about this world and about me. Meaning, I wanted to know what she knew about me coming to this world out of nowhere. If God brought me here, then one of God''s favorite was bound to know.


    I told her about me not being of this world and asked about all the destiny crap. At first she seemed a little shocked but gradually as I went on, she became calm. "As I figured. You''re smell is different from normal people. "


    Hey! Don''t go about sniffing random strangers! I wanted to say that but I didn''t have the guts to do so. I sniffed myself a little. I hadn''t taken a shower in the last three days. Maybe that''s not what she meant but my under arms definitely needed attention.


    "But I''m afraid there''s not much I can do for you. I''m not knowledgeable in this field. Why don''t you visit a summoner''s hut in the northern city of Bromum?"


    What she did was already enough for me. Bromum? So I''d have to travel north. And if I''m right north is where the capital is located. "It''s okay. I just-"


    "What I can do for you is to provide some information." She licked her lips. "And if it''s something else you seek-"


    "Really? That would help!" I didn''t let her finish. But honestly I needed all the help I could get. But I certainly didn''t want to go down that other route.


    "This world is called Destoa (the continent), the dark realm. There are countless monsters and we don''t know where they come from. You currently in the northern region of Bromum- the largest human kingdom in the continent. There are other small countries as well. But this country is the largest. "


    So by Bromum city, she means the capital¡­. It made sense. Till now I thought those two places were two separate places but I guess they were one and the same all along.


    "Do you know about any empires?" The demon in the forest had mentioned something about an empire. So I needed to know.


    "There are two empires at present. The empire in the south- Alfeim, and the one in the west- Demonica or now known as the Galbatian empire. The former is formed by elves and the latter, the demons." She was being rather frank.


    At least she isn''t tempting me anymore. But I was glad. "What did you mean by my destiny?"


    She sighed. She might have not wanted to tell me. "You see. I have the gift of divine revelations. I can see at least something about the future of every man that visits me. However for you, I see nothing. Thus I can only conclude that your future might be very cruel and unjust." She paused. "Although I get frequent visions in bed. So-"


    Please don''t scare me like that! It was spooky but honestly, I didn''t pay too much attention to it. I had better things to worry about. "One last question. How does one meet God?" If I could meet one, maybe they might send me back- or so I believed. However, the reality is often not what you believe.


    "Oh, your ignorance is piercing me!" Is she really a sister- a priestess!?


    I sighed and cleared my throat.


    She controlled herself. I wished she''d done it sooner. "That is a very good question. But even I don''t know the answer to that question. In my forty years of devotion I''ve yet to meet one," she chuckled.


    That doesn''t make me feel all that hopeful, you know. Gods did exist in this world and that much was clear, but if nobody ever meets them, then doesn''t that mean they just abandoned this world or something? Or was I missing some kind of link?


    I needed to pay her somehow. She helped me dearly. "Thank you for your time. Shouldn''t I really pay anything?"


    "That won''t be necessary. But if you insist we could share a be-"


    I ignored her last sentiment. "But, your eyes¡­" Honestly I felt sorry for her. The poor woman was in no shape to do these but she still kept at it. And then I wondered if she was pretending or not. "On second thought-"


    "Don''t worry. I can get by without them. I don''t want money for my devotion. It would be an insult to the gods."


    I could see where she came from. It must have really insulted her devotion. So I had to make at least some amends. "Sorry about that. Couldn''t help myself. Please take care."


    "Very well. Please take care of yourself as well. May God lead you in the rightest of paths!"


    Maybe I should start actual prayers for once too?


    "I would really love it if you''d visit me tonight though," she continued.


    Nope!


    I donated ten bronze- a measly amount but it was still a lot for a guy like me- to the church. The nun gave me quite a look when I donated. She was the same one who told me where sister Ashlyne was. Perhaps she was expecting more?


    I hurried out.

 Chapter 44 - Shopping’s Always A Chore P1

    The outside air felt stagnant. I was somewhat cured but the questions still remained. I had to find a summoner to get my answers. So next up is the weapons shop¡­and then a summoner in the capital? I sighed. This journey keeps getting more and more complicated. And I also had to visit the statue in the forest too, which was another headache all in itself.


    I wandered around the town. I didn''t know where I was let alone where I wanted to be. Finding the church was easy but finding anything else was a chore. "Excuse me, sir," I asked a man outside the cathedral.


    "Yes? What is it, lad?"


    "Can you tell me, where I could find Grimp''s smithy?"


    "Grimp, eh? Hmm¡­.why don''t you head downtown. I think it should be somewhere around there. "


    Not that informative but definitely progress. "Thank you."


    I walked toward the downtown area. I didn''t know my way around and had to ask for directions a few times, but it was thrilling to wander around in this town. After a while of searching I arrived at a garden. There was a large decorated sign, it read: to love is to live. My brain was too irritated to process that. I wanted weapons not stupid fetishes of normies.


    All my life I''d been single. So, seeing this sign and what came next annoyed me beyond compare.


    The garden was quite spacious and the general populace could enter it. A lot of rare and beautiful flowers were here. But what caught my attention most was that people were expressing their affection in broad daylight.


    "You''re eyes look so pretty," the guy said in an elegant voice.


    "Oh, you always say that¡­." The girl said became embarrassed and looked away. It was clich¨¦ but to me it was torture.


    What the hell is wrong with this world? How can they be this carefree? If you have time to fondle around then, why don''t you just pick up arms and get rid of those damn monsters!? I was really irritated. I learned that the world only revolved around the strong and privileged, and that was true for all worlds, no matter where you went.


    I walked around in rage. People avoided me in the road because of that, probably. Before long, I stumbled upon the weapon shop. Was it luck? (Most probably so.)


    "Welcome." A stout voice shouted from the counter.


    It was a grand shop. There were all kinds of equips. My trusty sword had become too rusty, my clothes too torn. Although they were gifts from Dune, after these few days of clashes, it looked like a rusty nail that had marinated in the storehouse for ages. I needed a change. The owner seemed like a good man. There were other customers there too. So I didn''t waste any time.


    "I''d like some good armor. Please keep it under one silver. And do you think you can do something with this sword?" I needed to save money, so I tried my luck.


    "Let''s see, with one silver, you won''t be getting much quality but¡­" He ran his hand through his beard.


    My beard was still in its infancy. I had facial hair, but compared to him, it was probably just nothing.


    He stopped midway. I got the feeling, he could understand, I was a bit on the poor side. If it comes down to it, I might need to use that gold coin, after all.


    "This sword is not usable. You should get a new one," said a man next to me. He was average in size but had a tanned body and I could tell his experience was far-far greater than mine.


    Seriously? "It was a gift, so can''t we do anything about it?"


    "Yeah, can''t you go any higher than a single silver? If you had, for example another silver, we might be able to do something about the good part of the sword and perhaps make it into a knife." The owner gave me a pitying look but suggested stuff anyway.


    The living cost of this world was low, so I thought weapons were cheap too. But I was dead wrong. To get money you needed to spend it first, I just learned the lesson again in this world.


    "I suppose there''s no helping it. Please give me the best you can under two silvers¡­" I suppose I''ll have to spend the night in a barn the next few days if I don''t earn before the night. It was already evening, so I didn''t really have time to meddle around either.


    I knew that considering food expanses it would be impossible to stay in an inn. Never knew living was so hard. Maybe if I make it back alive, I''ll pay a visit to father''s grave.


    "By the way, a needle is sticking out from your bag," the man beside me pointed out. The tanned man coughed and initiated a conversation as I handed my sword to the blacksmith.


    "Oh! I didn''t notice that¡­ thank you¡­" I really hadn''t noticed that. The needle was barely poking its small head and wanted to sting something (I suppose). It was sharp and definitely a pain.


    "You should sell them. They should fetch a fair price," the man suggested.


    Now that I took a good look at him, he was a senior citizen in his prime. He looked rather dashing for someone old. And he really looked great in full plate armor.


    "Hmm¡­ I guess I should have sold these too¡­" Honestly why was I keeping these anyway? Probably cause I''d forgotten.


    "Would you mind selling me a few? My needle stack is almost drained," the owner said.


    "How much are you willing to pay?" I said as I brought out my poker face. I for once didn''t want to get ripped off, so bluffing was the only way.


    "Fifty bronze per piece¡­ it''s a fair price wouldn''t you say?"


    I had lots of needles; close to a hundred perhaps, so I decided to push my luck. "Make it 55 and we''ll be in business,"


    "That''s actually a tough price. Why don''t we settle for 105 per pair?"


    "You got yourself a deal."


    Anything more than the initial price, was a bonus for me. I sold him 90 needles. I kept the rest as insurance. Who knew when you needed some extra cash? Fortunately for me that was enough to buy good quality equipment.


    "Looks like my total budget has increased to 45 silvers. So please keep it under 40." Having at least five silver should be enough for a few days¡­. I was proud, and my chest was puffing itself up almost as if it had a mind of its own.


    The owner and the man next to me were too surprised. "How did you count so fast?"


    Are they for real? "Oh! It''s no big deal. I''m good at math"


    The owner said something rather weird. "What''s a mat? Is it delicious?"


    I stared emptily. "Oh yes, it''s very delicious."


    "Really where do you get one?" the tanned man said.


    Apparently, this world''s general population didn''t have any formal education, let alone learn mathematics. I envied them and pitied them at the same time. For once in my life, my fourteen years of education didn''t seem like a complete waste. "You''d have to travel to a place called Dirt. It''s in another world." It was sarcasm in its prime.


    Both of them burst into laughter. A few customers nearby laughed too. "Mister you really know how to crack jokes, huh!"


    I laughed too. "Never mind. Please hurry up."


    "Right!" They probably thought I was some kind of pampered noble. Cause that was the only explanation in this world anyway: after all, nobles and rich merchants were the only ones who received education. And I most certainly wasn''t a rich merchant.


    All this time the other customers were staring at me. The one, who was talking with me before, was checking me out, for some reason. He was staring rather rudely down my waist where I had my dagger.. I didn''t pay much attention though.

 Chapter 45 - Shopping’s Always A Chore P2

    The owner was busy sorting his stuff. It didn''t take him long to get me an armor. It was black in color and looked scaly.


    "This is my toughest piece in your price range. It''s a Dragon mail made from black iron and a small amount of dragon scales: the lowest quality."


    Aren''t dragons supposed to be boss-like? I''d played enough video games to understand dragons and their value. But the guy did say the lowest value, so maybe it was plausible.


    Some part of me didn''t want to believe I''d be getting such good quality armor but as the owner said that, I could understand that even if that armor was made from dragon scales, there would be a very little amount of it. No wonder he said it was the lowest quality.


    "Try it on in the back; don''t worry, you can use the innerwear there because I restocked them today. I''ll fetch a good sword in the meantime and get this to the smith." The owner took my knife and walked behind the counter again.


    Wait, you''re not the smith? It only made sense. If he was the smith then who was running the smithy?


    I went to the dressing room. Should I really use these? The underwear here weren''t the ones I was used to. These were made from rough cloths and didn''t seem comfortable. I tried them anyway. When I picked up the armor, I could tell it was dense. But when I wore it, I really felt that it was dense: oh yes, I really, really felt that. I couldn''t move, I couldn''t breathe. Life was tough. And to no one''s surprise, the underwear wasn''t wearable.


    I came outside with a heavy heart. "This armor is too heavy!"


    "But I''m afraid that''s the best in the price range." The owner was back and giving me that look of pity again.


    "Defense is pointless if you can''t move around in the first place." I made my point. I couldn''t even breathe in that let alone move around.


    "Sigh* I''ll get some leather armor¡­ Pick your poison." The owner didn''t have any enthusiasm in his voice. Maybe he really liked this armor?


    There were three armors in front of me. All three looked like they were made from monster skins. One of the three drew my attention. It was the middle one.


    The middle one had a coating of fur and looked sturdier than the others. It was rather black though.


    It looks a bit heavy but mobility shouldn''t be an issue with this. I took and tried it on, inside the dressing room. Of course this time with my own underwear: I''d be sure to give it a thorough wash soon. It was a perfect fit and not even close to the weight of the previous one.


    "I''ll take this one." Although a hasty decision, I bought it.


    "It''s one of the cheap ones, so you''ll not get much protection but you''ll get maximum mobility from it."


    "That''s fine and all, but shouldn''t you show me a sword already?" I was actually getting impatient.


    "What do you think I''m doing?" The owner brought out a sword. As the armor was relatively cheap, my budget for the sword had increased dramatically. "This is my strongest sword. Use it wisely," Meaning I''d pretty much be getting a nicer sword.


    I bet you say that about all your products! But this one does look seriously heavy though! I stood erect with a dull look. I picked it up and found myself surprised. "WOW! It''s much lighter than I expected. This is usable!"


    "What do you mean usable! That''s my best piece!" For the first time the owner got a bit grumpy. He might have really liked that sword.


    Yeah right! I was skeptical hearing that. But the sword was no doubt of good quality.


    "This one has some holy coating, so expect it to deal some damage to the undead. And it also has blood sealing. So it shouldn''t end up like your other buddy sword anytime soon. And it''s ranked- a solid C. "


    "Holy coating? Blood sealing? What the hell are you talking about? Rank C?"


    "I don''t know, so don''t ask me¡­ I know it''s called that, and that''s it! Just don''t expect it to be too effective¡­" The owner wasn''t much help either. Frankly, I didn''t care. All I wanted was to get out of this world and survive.


    So this knife has that same coating? The knife was actually pretty good stuff. And Lianne had given it to me for free too. "Anyway, how much do I owe you?"


    The owner rudely stared at me. "You''re not going to buy helmets or boots? What about shin guards?"


    More armor? No thank you! "They''re unnecessary. But give me your cheapest set of boots." My feet were killing me. So the least I could do was buy boots. At least I wouldn''t have to do with all the bug bites.


    He dropped some rough looking shoes on the counter. "Here you go! Let''s see¡­. the armor is six silver¡­ the boot is 20 bronze¡­ and the sword is¡­37 silver¡­"


    I tried them on and they fit. How the hell did he get my size right, again? I sighed. That''s over budget! Guess I need to exercise my bargaining skills once in a while!


    This world didn''t have the concept of using socks for commoners. Unless you were a noble you couldn''t really buy them either. It felt really weird to wear boots without socks though. So I was more annoyed then satisfied. "Are you done counting?"


    The owner brought out an abacus. "Wait a few minutes¡­"


    "It''s 43 silver and 20 bronze!" I said in annoyance.


    "WOW! You counted so fast. You must really love eating mat. Anyway that''s the price, so pay up."


    Was he excited to know I could count fast or that he''d get loads of money? Probably the latter.


    "It''s math." I stared at him. "I suppose we can tone it down a bit¡­ I was thinking like 40 silvers and 50 bronze."


    "That''s a no go¡­ I am already giving you a massive discount with the sword!" He was rather stiff. Maybe he dealt with customers like me a lot.


    You got to be kidding me! I like this sword! "How about 41 silver?" I proposed.


    "42 silver and 70 bronze!" But the owner wasn''t yielding.


    But I didn''t want to give up either. "Let''s both win and keep it at 42 sliver and 40 bronze?"


    He sighed. "Alright, you win kid. You got yourself a deal."


    Finally the owner gave in and I got myself a good deal. He was actually rather nice. I got the impression he liked me, that''s why he didn''t come too aggressively. Maybe I was being a bit too self-conscious.


    If I play it right, I may be able to sell these needles and live a quiet life here for a few days¡­ The thought reassured me and I felt relaxed for the first time. "When do I come back to pick up the sword?"


    The owner put his hands on his head. "Holy shit! I forgot about that! I need two more silvers!" Oh boy, I almost got out of it too.


    "The deal''s done. There''s nothing you can do now." A very wide grin swiped across my face.


    "Noo!"


    Although he was reluctant to admit it, it was his fault for forgetting. But I still paid him an extra silver to ease his mind.


    "Come back tomorrow. I''ll try my best."


    "Okay. "After paying the owner I left the shop and was aimless.


    There wasn''t much I needed to do.. I couldn''t come up with any answers. "Oh no! I forgot about the ID!"

 Chapter 46 - Interlude: Beyond The Darkness

    A few hours into the future, in a forest covered in darkness, two girls faced off against each other. One had a fiery sword blazing like the sun while, the other, a cold blade like the moon. The first girl was injured and her left hand was rendered useless but she refused to yield: her ears were a tad larger than a human''s. The fate of her people, the fate of her friends depended on her.


    But the second the demon girl just grinned and was completely unharmed. The darkness was the eternal cover and the stars provided little light. But neither of them had any trouble glaring at each other.


    "Give up. There''s nothing you can do." Taunted the demon girl.


    "Unfortunately elves can be quite tenacious, so don''t just mark them for dead just yet." The first girl was an elf and behind her was a group of elves who at first glance seemed frozen. They were also surrounded by the undead on all fronts but the undead never made any attempts to come forward, as if they were afraid.


    The demon girl chuckled and swayed with the wind and darkness. "Oh, but this was a grand curse. Believe me, when I say this unless you are a true mage, you can never escape such fate. Meaning, anyone but you have already-" The demon kept on laughing.


    The elf gritted her teeth glared. She didn''t want to hear those words but she couldn''t deny them either. She was still standing but the same couldn''t be told about her companions. They were here to survey the forest and ease the terror of the undead. But inside this forest, they''d met something far more sinister. A demon of the highest born; a Monarch.


    "Why do this? Aren''t they supposed to be your people?" The elf asked.


    The demon was perplexed and looked at the elf with a surprised face. "My people?" The demon amused then burst into laughter. "Are you dumb?"


    The elf was helpless against this foe or perhaps just outclassed. She was strong in her own right, but against a monster like this, she could do little. Farewell... farewell, father. The elf''s final thoughts weren''t really even for herself.


    "Playtime''s over." The demon raised her hand and floated in the air- preparing what seemed like a large ball of water, but then she came to a halt. "Oh? Looks like we have a guest." Her grin widened and the ball of water dispersed. "I''ll be right back." But before leaving she said a chant and the undead surrounding the elves launched an attack on them.


    "Wait!" The elf screamed but it was to no avail.


    The undead''s target was the lone elf, meaning she had to run far enough or the undead would harm the frozen elves. So there was only one thing she could do¡­.. Hope that she could keep this up till morning.

 Chapter 47 - Even Religions Have Black Spots

    I ran back to the cathedral. The drizzle had settled down. There were no more traces of rain. The streets were busy. In fact, they were even busier than before. Streets and houses were lit up too. Looking at it now, it didn''t seem all that different from a city of earth. Very busy, very noisy. At least there was no pollution.


    The cathedral was crowded as well. But there wasn''t any noise. Everybody was too busy praying and crying in silence: even footsteps were silent. No matter where you go there are always people like this.


    "Is something the matter sir? Why have you returned?" It was the same nun from before.


    Last time she helped me out by directing me to Sister Ashlyne. She did give me a rude stare when I donated a measly sum to the church, but I guess that was expected.


    "I actually need an ID. Do you know where I can get one? The woman at the inn told me to come here." I don''t want to be here, trust me.


    I got some stares from the priests around me when I ushered in the word, ''ID''. The nun''s expression became a little down by that word as well. But I received a prompt reply. "Follow me." I got the feeling that somehow I tangled myself in some weird shit again.


    We headed off to a different place within the church. Calling the place big would be an understatement. It was at least one hundred meters wide, long and tall. The key words being ''at least''. Just who the hell was funding this place? God?


    I still had lingering questions about God and stuff. And since this place was a holy place, I figured it wouldn''t hurt to ask. "So basically everybody believes in a different god depending on regions? Aren''t there any God who''s revered in all the places?"


    Now that I''ve been following her along, I could finally look at her without getting stares from the priests. I could understand why priests of all people would glare at me. Only her face uncovered and just at first glance, it was evident that she was a beauty.


    "There was one but not anymore." Something about her tone felt off. So I refrained from asking. The nun was pretty beautiful from what I could tell. However, her attitude was somewhat stale. She didn''t show much emotion. In fact, she didn''t show any emotion. "We''ve arrived." A massive door with various engraving awaited us. The door opened as soon as she touched its handle. I was spooked for a second. "Let us go inside."


    All this time all I''ve been doing was nodding. I didn''t have anything to add anyway.


    I went inside. It was very dark. But I could still see. There were some things in there that looked important; however, the room itself was pretty small.


    But when the nun came in, the door closed and now everything was covered in pitch-black darkness. My heart rate escalated pretty quickly. What is going on?


    The nun lit a candle of some sorts and held it close to her face. She came closer and I took a step back. The back stepping continued until my back hit the wall.


    "Umm¡­. What are you doing?" I could hear my own heartbeat. Please tell me she isn''t like that sister? What sister you may ask? There was a certain horror movie I watched a year ago. Don''t get me started on it.


    She didn''t answer me. She was at arm''s length. The light from the candle was orange and it lit her eyes in a similar light. But they were still as blue as they were before. Her bright silver hair reverberated with the pale light but scared the hell out of me. I didn''t know what she was doing. She looked so beautiful that anyone''s heart would flutter. But mine fluttered for a different reason. I was sweating profusely for those reasons. She scared the big Zelon (Milai''s God) out of me.


    She took my hands and the candle went out. I closed my eyes. Please tell me she isn''t going to sacrifice me in the name of god or anything. Obviously I expected some other form of sacrifice. I was ashamed that my imagination might have run a bit too wild.


    It was a petty and stupid fear, irrational even. But honestly, I couldn''t help it. Sister Ashlyne and that movie had scarred me.


    But nothing happened. Her touch had the warmth of kindness. "You can open them now."


    Her voice assured me and whispered "Don''t be afraid" to me. I was relieved. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a white light radiating from our hands. She had my right hand clenched onto hers. The light illuminated the surrounding and it painted her divine.


    "What is this?" The light was pale but it illuminated everything around us.


    The nun''s face softened a little. "Your mana. Haven''t you done this before?"


    The way she questioned was utterly cute. Now that I could see everything around me and that she wasn''t going to sacrifice me or anything, I could finally relax. I sighed and for once found that the nun was indeed beautiful (I know I''ve said before but I''ll say it again. She was beautiful!) It was also a shame that nothing actually happened. Just what the hell was I expecting?


    She took my silence as a negative and continued to explain. "Although most humans can''t produce magic we still have mana- the flow of magic in our body. Maybe god initially intended for us to use magic but then changed his mind. As a result most of us have so little mana that we can''t do anything with it. The color represents the element of one''s mana. Mine is holy. Yours is the same."


    She gave me a lot of useful info. But me, a holy person? The same person who thought there was no god even just a month ago? This had to be a joke. "I see. So do you think I''d be able to cast spells?" But there was a different question on my mind.


    "Your mana is weak. So maybe if you devoted about twenty years or so in this lifestyle-"


    Twenty years for a frigging healing spell? No thank you! "I-I see. About the ID-"It was a little awkward, so I had to change the subject.


    "This is the standard procedure of making an ID. First we needed to know your nature. And now we shall proceed to the next-"


    You got to be kidding me. All this because of¡­ I sighed.


    She continued to explain and soon the room illuminated itself: this time it was artificial lighting, but oddly, no was electricity required. There were all sorts of other instruments too.


    "Please give me these details¡­" She handed me a paper that had a lot of questions. Like, where I was born, how old I was, what''s my name and stuff. I lied in most cases apart from my name.


    It didn''t take long for her to hand me a card. It was a metallic card pressed my magic. The instruments in this world worked very differently. As long as you had proper magical gear you could do a lot of things even if you didn''t have any magic to begin with. It kind of worked like electricity. And all you needed was mana- which almost all races had. So, though most techs in this world were obsolete, and very scarce, it could still be used by common people. But since they were so rare, the thought of common people using these wasn''t even funny.


    "This is your personal card. Don''t lose it. And renew it every time you visit another city. The church takes these things very seriously." She smiled. It was the first time she smiled and that was one of best smiles I''d seen. "I''m still amazed that you never had one. Was your village really that far and didn''t have any facilities?"


    I didn''t answer her. I didn''t know how to. She took the hint and didn''t press on me too hard. Her attitude had become a lot softer. Maybe it was just my imagination.


    The door opened and it was past evening. So I didn''t really have much time left. "How much do I need to pay for this?" I suppose this''ll cost me a hell amount of money. Anything related to religion was bound to be expensive and even I knew that.


    "Actually I was thinking of giving it to you for free."


    I was dumbfounded. "Why?"


    The nun looked away. "You were the first person to not touch me anywhere in that room when it got all dark. It was the scariest part of this job for me. And yet¡­" I could swear she blushed.


    Huh? What did you just say?


    I could see some redness in her cheeks from behind. Although her speech indicated something entirely different, I thanked her and steeled my mind. I couldn''t afford to think about it. In reality, I was probably more scared than her. Just what the hell is wrong with this church? I didn''t say it out loud though.


    "Ummm¡­ really, thank you. And I''ve got to go now."


    I blitzed my way out. But when I was almost outside, she shouted in a rather soft voice. As contradictory as that is, it was real. "Take care¡­. Daarc."


    She knew my name as I told her before. However, I never asked her name.. Maybe I should have.

 Chapter 48 - Truth Is Often Sour

    Once outside, I took a breather. Although I was in there for no longer than half an hour, it felt like an eternity. And I was tired. The sky was finally clear and I could see pale red tints here and there up in the sky but that also meant my time was almost up. Better get going.


    I thought hard and went into the market once again. The street lights had painted the market colorful. It was amazing how a little light could change everything.


    The town wasn''t any busier but everything looked amazing. I went around poking my nose everywhere and discovered various foods and things. However, I wanted to see real-life bunny-humans. In other words, I had a fascination for anything related to bunnies.


    Alas! I didn''t encounter any. So I settled for some skewered meat by a street stand instead.


    "How come everyone''s so cheerful here?"


    The middle-aged owner scratched his chin and gave me a grin. "You''re not from here huh? You see this place is protected by the best holy knight of this country. And her royal highness governs this place. Wouldn''t you be surprised if it didn''t have a mood like this?"


    No¡­.I didn''t care for theatrics. I finished my meal, paid him and roamed a little more until it became a little less noisy. Even now the city was booming with activity. Well it was a city after all. I couldn''t just compare it to a measly village and think that''ll cut it. It was well past the evening but it wasn''t midnight yet. I should head back to the inn.


    On my way to the inn, I bumped into a boy, or rather the boy bumped into me. He was small, a child maybe. His clothes were tattered and he was dirty. But his smile was blinding.


    He got up gave a bow and was about to run.


    My bag felt lighter. Which meant only one thing. "Hold it, buster. I''d need my pouch back." I didn''t just hate pickpockets, I despised them.


    The kid''s smile started to falter and he made a break for it. I caught him regardless. He wasn''t very fast. He was weak. Actually on second thought, he looked skinnier than, a man starved for a week.


    He gave up and returned the pouch. His eyes glinted. He wanted to cry, but he didn''t. He was acting tough.


    "Come with me." I dragged him around. He wasn''t listening to me one bit, so that was the only choice.


    "Please don''t hand me over to them. I have a little sister," he pleaded. I didn''t listen. "Please!"


    This time he was really crying and making a scene. I thought the passersby would make a commotion but no one really said anything. On that note, I didn''t think they even cared. Maybe kids like this were plenty in number.


    Halfway through, the kid gave up and sobbed. He even bit me. I didn''t really care. I had my fair share of trouble with kids. My four siblings never really gave me much of a choice in life and they were more of a chore than this brat.


    When we reached the destination, the kid looked at me with a puzzled expression. He didn''t really understand why I''d brought him here.


    "Old man, two sticks," I said.


    The owner looked at the boy and then at me. "I was about to leave. Now I have to unpack again." He was grumpier than a stray cat.


    "Sorry about that." I scratched my head and chuckled.


    I took a seat and made the kid sit down. He had only one question. "Why?"


    "No reason really. I thought you could use some food. That was all."


    He didn''t say anything. I didn''t either. The old man brought the meat and I paid him up front.


    "Eat them, throw them away, or carry them home: it''s all up to you." I grinned. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have to go." I didn''t want to roam around in an unknown town after midnight, anyway.


    "Th-thank you." The kid bowed his head and ran before I could even start walking.


    My grin lasted. For some reason it actually felt good.


    "You shouldn''t have done that. He''ll grow up to be expectant of people being like you," the old man said. "The world isn''t kind to kids like that." Somehow those words felt real, too real.


    "Are there lots of kids like that here?" I knew knowing would only weigh on my conscience but not knowing would weight more on it.


    "There''s a slum downtown. It''s small but it''s there. Kids who lost their parents, or people who can''t do jobs, you know what I mean."


    I didn''t really want to think about all that. I''d be leaving this world the first chance I got, so thinking about this world''s problem was not something that I wanted. And yet, I couldn''t really forget it either.


    "Thanks for the warning. I''ll keep that in mind."


    I headed back to the inn and rented a room. The ID was very effective. I was portrayed as an adventurer and that was probably the only truth in it apart from my name. I didn''t mean anything bad by it though.


    "Is there a place here where I could take a shower?" Before going up to my room, I asked the receptionist the daring question which was bugging me for a while now.


    Sister Ashlyne had meant something else, but it made me more self-conscious about my odor.


    The receptionist was kind enough to point me in the right direction. "You could try the commoner''s bath. It''s right up the alley."


    "Okay, thank you."


    I first checked my room and made sure everything was as advertised: it was. It was pretty much empty though.


    The upper alley- was definitely up. I had to run to actually make it. I''d broken a lot of sweat on my way. The entry fee was mundane at a mere one bronze but the quality of the bath was even more mundane. For once there was no bath. And what little water they had, were piled on buckets and they didn''t even have soap. Talk about a melodrama! But since I paid for it, I had to use it. I showered for better or for worse and came out fresh. Next time I see a pond, I''m gonna jump in. I don''t care if mermaids live there or not!


    It was past midnight when I got back at the inn. So I ate my late-night dinner before heading off to bed. It was okay and cold. Bread and soup was never my thing.


    The room was compact and lacked almost everything apart from a bed. Actually, there was nothing but a bed, a mattress, and a small table. I sighed. I shouldn''t have expected much. I already knew it''d be like this. After all, it wasn''t a five-star hotel or anything.


    The door had a wooden lock mechanism; faulty but effective. I took off my armor and went under. The mattress was anything but soft. But since I''ve been sleeping on just a sheet for the last couple of days, it was heaven. I fell asleep almost immediately.


    "Take her to school? Why should I?"


    "She''s saying, some students are bothering her. You''re the big brother, at least take some responsibility," my mother said.


    "What a drag!" I sighed.


    I woke up. It felt like a never-ending nightmare had overtaken my sanity. My head hurt.


    I got inside my armor, picked up my things, and left the room. If everything was alright I''d be able to gather some information today. Yesterday had gone out in a flash and I was distracted by my fantasies but today was different. I was different.


    I needed at least some info.


    I washed my face and had breakfast. More bread. It was dreadful.


    I came outside. It was bright, too bright. My head still hurt. I didn''t want to move. An after effect of all that? I shouldn''t have stayed awake so late.


    I didn''t have an answer but I knew my body had gone through a lot. I started walking around aimlessly. The sky was clear.. There wasn''t a trace of yesterday''s rain. Where do I even begin?

 Chapter 49 - An Unprecedented Encounter

    I scratched my head as I couldn''t even think of where to begin. So instead of aimlessly running around, I decided to head to the blacksmith''s shop to check on my sword.


    I walked along the road towards the downtown area. Things were peaceful but somehow they were weighing me down.


    There was a scream and it sounded awfully familiar. I was only halfway. I turned. A boy was being beaten by a large man.


    "Finally caught you, you little rascal." The man burst into laughter.


    The boy had tears streaming down his face but he glared at the man. It was the same kid from last night. The same weak, barely alive, kid: he was bathed in red, his own blood. There was a crowd surrounding them.


    "What''s going on?" I asked a man beside me.


    "The kid stole from him some time ago. Now he caught him and-"


    What do I do? My heart started pounding. I didn''t know what I could do. I didn''t know the city. I didn''t know the laws. More importantly, I didn''t know the crimes he''d done.


    "Now where is my money?" The man glared.


    "I didn''t steal from you!" the kid yelled back.


    The man grinned. "Guess I''ll make you my slave and-"


    I grinded my teeth and shoved through the crowd. "Hey!" I didn''t care anymore. I didn''t know what came over me either. I wasn''t some humanitarian anyway. But something inside me just couldn''t let this slide.


    The large man looked at me and the crowd parted. "Oh, young man, you''ve been robbed too?" He still had his grin. I felt sick.


    "How much did he steal from you?" I asked.


    "Thirty. And he''ll pay dearly for it." He lowered his gaze down to the boy.


    Whispers went around. "Thirty silvers? But that''s ridiculous!" A man next to me whispered. That was a ridiculous sum and anybody could understand that.


    Which could only mean one thing: the guy was lying. "You''re lying!" I unsheathed my new sword and pointed it at him. Can''t stop myself now. I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts. There''s no helping. I took the initiative, I''ll see this through. "I will ask you again, how much did he steal from you?"


    He seemed a little uncomfortable but didn''t back down. "I''m telling you, he stole-"


    I rattled and my eyes narrowed. Obviously it was just a bluff, but I made the gesture of rushing for him.


    All of a sudden a young man stepped forward. He was younger than me. I stopped in my tracks and sheathed my sword, back stepping promptly. The enemy of all men had arrived. Damn those golden locks! Damn those glittery eyes. What was this? A girl''s naughty dream or something? Why did he have to be so damn good-looking? "What is going on here?" He was in some sort of uniform, a little different from the guards I saw before.


    No one answered, so I made headway. From what I could tell the large man was influential, but I didn''t really care. Moreover this newcomer handsome, enemy of all men, irked me a bit too much. "This man accused this boy of stealing and was beating him. However the sum he claims is just ridiculous. Tell me, if this kid had really stolen thirty silvers, would he really be going about streets like this, dressed in filthy rags?" I was in my made up humanitarian mode. I saw lots of speeches like this from Uncle Tom: He was an expert at controlling the room. And I despised him, but I guess even my time with him had its merits.


    I gave it my best shot at gathering the pity of the nearby people. They were disgusting in their own way but I could use them.


    "I see." The young man looked at the large man. "Care to explain?"


    "Yo-You!" the man seemed a little down. He was sweating too. "I might have been mistaken. So I''ll take my leave." The man hissed and left. It was surprising just how quickly he gave up. Maybe he was just a common thug?


    I felt the urge to beat him senseless but I controlled myself.


    "Thanks whoever you are." I thanked the young man and went straight for the little boy. He had tears in his eyes and a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting boy."


    He didn''t say anything and passed out. I sighed and took him in my arms.


    "What are you going to do?" The young man asked.


    "I don''t know. I have some herbs maybe I''ll apply them. Or maybe I''ll buy some potions. I don''t really know the way, so it''ll be nice if someone helped." Of course I wanted his help. He seemed to be a good guy, or at least better than the sorry assess those surrounded me. I mean, I didn''t like the guy but I needed his help, so there was nothing I could do but ask for it.


    Plus he also seemed to be a guard of some sort, meaning I could get out of trouble if I was with him, and perhaps steal some information about how this world worked too. I had too many motifs.


    "Okay." He seemed a little eager as well, too eager maybe.


    The crowd dispersed as quickly as it had formed and it made my stomach crawl. Were human beings really this selfish? Maybe humans only helped others out of their own need. Maybe they only helped each other for their own gains. I couldn''t unsee this after this incident.


    The young man led me to a potions shop and I bought ten vials of potions for one hundred silvers: I had to use the gold coin and now had only one gold coin left: money came and went pretty fast. All of my equipment wasn''t even worth fifty silvers. That just showed how expensive they were. And yet, I didn''t feel terrible. Me, a miser, didn''t feel terrible after spending so much money! It was a miracle!


    I still fed the boy, a full bottle. He''d regained consciousness on the way. He downed the bottle in one go and smiled. We were inside the shop and the kid was on the floor. We might have made business hard for the shopkeeper but after the large purchase, I just made he didn''t have it in him to complain.


    "Are you sure you should spend so much money on potions? Wouldn''t it have been better if you''d just seek help from the church? Actually, if you paid a priest one gold, he might have even gone on journeys with you." The young man was under the impression that I was a lone adventurer who found the gold coin in one of my journeys. He wasn''t wrong, though.


    "You''re right but people die too quickly around me. This was better." Actually going to the church never really occurred to me. I might have been a little dumb in that regard. But it was better this way. That church was full of weird people and it sent shivers down my spine. Regardless, it was best that I didn''t travel with people. I didn''t want to put others in danger.


    The kid''s wounds healed. He didn''t have any fatal ones. He was only left with a bruise on his head. But with all the blood and stuff, he needed a shower. "I don''t think I have any money to repay you. I-"And yet, he was more worried about paying me.


    "No one asked for payment. Don''t get me wrong. I didn''t help you out of the goodness of my heart. I helped you so I can sleep better at night. Meaning, I helped you for my sake, not yours." I mean, I didn''t lie. I would have had loads of problems if he died on the street and I had to witness it.


    The young man sighed. "You should be a little more honest. Anyway, I''ll be taking my leave. Take good care." He looked at the boy and then turned around to leave.


    "You never told me your name," I said.


    "Gorgan."


    "Daarc."


    "I''m Seel." The little kid felt the necessity to tell us his name too.


    No one asked you. I didn''t tell him that though.


    We bade each other goodbye and I took the kid- Seel on my back. "Where to now, boy?"


    "Over there, and it''s Seel."


    "Whatever."

 Chapter 50 - Just Because It Shimmers, It Ain’t Gold

    I followed Seel''s instructions and moved past the weapon''s shop. The shop was at the very edge of what I could only describe as the livable zone.


    It was the downtown area alright. The fresh smell of human waste was the first thing I noticed. I wished I hadn''t, but reality wasn''t so nice. The houses in these parts were rundown and barely standing. People were in the streets, naked, hardly alive. I was glad I didn''t come here yesterday. The weapons shop must have been at the better edge of the downtown.


    Some guys looked like living skeletons: their skin was so tight that I could even count the bones. I wondered how they were still alive. Why were they alive? Was living really that fun?


    The kid squeezed my neck a bit too tight. "You''re making it hard for me to breathe."


    "Sorry." He eased up. "It wasn''t always like this you know."


    "I didn''t ask you know." The last thing I needed was his backstory. The more I''d know the more I''d feel bad. So I didn''t want to know.


    We arrived at a small hut. The area around was kind of clean. At least, better than the rest of the slum. I went inside the hut and saw two faces. One belonged to a girl who was younger than the kid and another which was an infant. The infant was in the girl''s arms.


    "Didn''t you say you had only one sister?"


    "He is a boy!" He pointed to the infant.


    "Not what I meant but-"


    "Who is he brother?" The girl spoke in a rather cute way. She couldn''t yet pronounce words properly. She reminded a lot of my little sisters; they weren''t so little anymore though. It put a smile on my face.


    "He gave me food yesterday and saved me today." The boy proudly introduced me. He couldn''t properly stand up on his feet but he still made a triumphant pose regardless.


    The girl looked at me with shock and recovered almost immediately. "Please have a seat. I''ll get something for you to eat." She sounded like a kid but acted like an adult. And then she realized how scarce food was for her family. But everything about her was cute as hell.


    "I already ate, so it''s okay." I reassured her. "Now that I''m here, why don''t you tell me how this all happened?" I asked Seel.


    I didn''t want his backstory but at this point it was unavoidable. After all, I couldn''t just leave like this and I couldn''t ask for their food either. SO I had to change the subject somehow.


    "I thought you didn''t want to know." The boy tilted his head in confusion.


    "And now I want to know. Spill the beans." My tone was more ordering than I intended.


    "But we don''t have any beans!" All of a sudden he started to panic.


    "Oh!" I sighed. "Just tell me what happened."


    The kid began to explain. His father was a soldier. His mother was a worker in an inn. Two years ago his father went on an expedition and didn''t make it back. His mother worked as hard as she could. But after six months of their father''s death, his mother became pregnant and couldn''t work as much.


    I could understand what sort of work his mother did and why she did it. It was to feed her children, so I didn''t have the right to criticize or even feel sorry. She made her choice. She was free to do so.


    "She worked less and less and eventually wasn''t able to go to work anymore. We didn''t have a house after that. We moved here and shortly after Herin was born. My mother died two weeks after that," Seel continued. He was on the verge of tears.


    The newborn-Herin wasn''t their real brother. Seel knew that: I could see in his eyes. I didn''t know how he''d known at such a young age but he didn''t seem to care. He had better things to worry about.


    "And now you''ve taken over as the eldest son of the family." I wondered aloud. It was hard to imagine. I was the eldest son too and my father died at a young age. So I could sympathize with him. However unlike him I never had to go through much hardship. My mother took care of everything on that regard. Now that I think about it, you must have had it really tough, huh mom? I could finally understand why she''d just stay up late at night crying alone and act all strict.


    "Yes."


    "Tell me, isn''t there any money reserved for the martyrs?" I didn''t know much about the world, so I couldn''t really say much either. But this much was supposed to be mandatory for a city.


    "The kingdom was supposed to provide us ten silvers every month but they never really provided any. When mother went to the enforcement camp the first day, she didn''t come back. The next day she came with some food but no money."


    I guess corruption is everywhere. To think even the soldiers¡­. I sighed. "So what''s your plan? You can''t keep stealing forever, you know."


    "I Know! I know that." For a kid who was an orphan and had siblings to look after, he didn''t seem the least broken. He might have been stronger than me: strike that, he was definitely stronger than me. "I-I plan on taking jobs but no one hires me."


    I thought for a moment. There was nothing I could do about it. I could just give him some money. But what difference would it make? He''d have to steal again, after the money was used up. I couldn''t take him with me either. Dealing with one brat wasn''t an issue, but dealing with three was more than a chore. They''d die faster than saying cheese.


    I sighed, I didn''t really have any means so console or help him.


    "Don''t worry¡­ Brother. I will- I will work and- and I will surely make better living for my family." He hesitated to call me brother. But I felt at ease hearing him say that.


    "I know you will kid. Why don''t you let me hire you? Let''s say if you do this job well, I''ll give you one silver. I know it''s not much but, let''s say it''s plenty for your first job. Right?" I wasn''t thinking straight but that was the best I could come up with. And I had just the right plan.


    He smiled while tears streamed down. "I''m finally going to do my first Job?"


    His sister started crying too. Even the infant sensed the atmosphere and let out steam.


    I felt awkward and tried to get some attention. "I need information on how I could get information about the information of being a summoned." The words flowed out of my mouth like a waterfall gushing with water.


    "Wait what? Are you alright? Did using too much money on potions rid you of your senses?" Seel genuinely seemed concerned about me. It only made me feel more stupid.


    I could have phrased myself better. Honestly even I couldn''t understand what I told him. I had to rectify. "I just need information on where I can find the information about summoning. I mean summoning guys from another world."


    "Oh yeah, like the legends. There''s a small elf hut in the town square. You could start there. I''ll lead you-" For a kid, he seemed to know his shit.


    "I only wanted information. And now that you''ve given it to me, catch!" I threw a bag of one hundred coppers at his face. I''d kept three bags like that in case I needed a small change. He barely caught it.


    "Bu-But!" Plus, he had something to say too.


    "I don''t want any butts from you. Use the money well and next time, don''t get caught." Another Frenzy of cries went out. They bowed their heads and thanked me. It felt a bit too awkward but I didn''t mind.


    I walked out of the hut, looked back, and whispered, "Live well."

 Chapter 51 - Who Knew Meeting A Pretty Boy Could Be Such A Drag

    I walked straight for the town square. Meanwhile, someone followed me all the way. He was walking in broad daylight and seriously thought I wouldn''t notice. I sped up, took a sharp turn, and waited for him. He walked right into a meters distance from me.


    "What?" I glared at him. He jumped a step backward, clearly surprised.


    "I was kind of worried so¡­." He didn''t look me in the eye.


    "SO you eavesdropped?"


    "No-no I just, I just kept my distance and saw what you did. I thank you for your help. I couldn''t have done that if you weren''t there." He was the same young man- Gorgan, who helped me before. Obviously, I knew it was him but it still rubbed the wrong way when I saw his face. Jealousy? Envy?


    But if he wasn''t there at the right time, I might have punched a hole in the large guy''s stomach.


    "Don''t mention it. Oh and you''re a soldier right?" I didn''t know much about him or his standing for that matter.


    "Yes?" His answer didn''t give off confidence either.


    "His father was one too. But he never got the monthly money. And now his mother''s dead. I''d look into it, if I were you." I gave him the gist of everything.


    "Understood." He mumbled something. It went something like, "To think there were so many of such people¡­" Probably.


    "On that note how come there''s a slum like that in a big city like this?" It piqued my interest. I knew there were rich people and poor people everywhere but the contrast here was too much. Besides this town seemed much better than the village too.


    "A lot of soldiers have died over the years. Moire is the only city of Bromum which is said to have impregnable walls. Of course it comes at a cost. You can imagine what happens to their families. The state can''t possibly cover all the families¡­ And so the soldiers these days fight a little cautiously: enough to even call them cowards." Gorgan hesitated for a moment but in the end he told me everything.


    I could understand his reasons. No wonder their mother had to resort to that¡­. "But the people that gave their life did that to protect the citizens and you''re saying this damn city can''t even provide for the families of those martyrs? No wonder this city is rotting¡­." But just because I could understand it didn''t mean I could accept it.


    "I''m sorry. It is not my place to say but¡­ I do feel what you''re saying. I''m sorry."


    I don''t need your damn apology. As far as I was concerned the whole system was to blame not some random pretty good soldier. "See you around." I turned around, and waved my hands.


    "I could show you around if you need to go somewhere." He still offered his help though. Maybe he was nicer than I thought.


    "I can manage." I didn''t feel like talking with him. But there was a reason I didn''t want him around anymore. At first he was a big help but now he was just a pain. He was literally the best looking guy I''d seen in this whole town. His hair was golden, his skin was golden, and even his face was like a masterpiece. Honestly if I had ovaries. They''d have exploded by now. Unfortunately, that only pissed me off more. The mere fact that he didn''t notice the crowd of girls behind him and acted modest pushed me off the edge even further. If punching for no reason was allowed, he''d have more than a few bruises on his face.


    Gorgan made an awkward face, smiled, and left.


    I finally found the hut too. Except it was closed. You got to be shitting me! Looked like, luck didn''t favor me one bit.


    "Excuse me. Do you know when this shop will open?" I asked a nearby store owner.


    "Oh they just left yesterday. I don''t think they''ll be coming back in months."


    Perfect. I smiled, grabbed my head, and sighed. So far life was full of sighs.


    I didn''t have any more leads, so I just walked around. Maybe I shouldn''t have acted on such haste. It would have been more practical to learn more about the legends first. And yet I neglected all that. I walked around like a withered tree.


    That''s when I saw a familiar face. It was a face, I wanted to forget but I couldn''t. It was also the face that haunted me for the longest of times. She was just standing there in the middle of the road.. She looked at me, her expression emotionless.

 Chapter 52 - I’m Not Safe Even Inside The City?

    I didn''t have any more leads, so I just walked around. Maybe I shouldn''t have acted on such haste. It would have been more practical to learn more about the legends first. And yet I neglected all that. I walked around like a withered tree.


    That''s when I saw a familiar face. It was a face, I wanted to forget but I couldn''t. It was also the face that haunted me for the longest of times. She was just standing there in the middle of the road. She looked at me, her expression emotionless.


    My heartbeat accelerated faster than sound. I breathed as though I didn''t have my lungs. I screamed as though I had lost my mind. I might as well have. "Alicia!"


    However, she didn''t even look at me and went inside an alley. Maybe she is just a lookalike. I consoled myself but couldn''t control my emotions.


    "Hey! Wait!" I followed: more like barely managed to stay on my feet. The alleyway was dark and felt somewhat isolated from reality. I could feel the bloodlust in the air. In fact, the air smelled of fresh blood. But something else was on my mind. "What are you doing here? How!?"


    The person in front of me was a red-haired girl with average looks, good intelligence, and whom I long thought to be DEAD. She had bright brown eyes with large pupils. She was also my younger sister. "¡­"


    At first, she was silent. After a brief pause, she burst into laughter. A laugh so sinister that I began to doubt my senses. "You''re not her, are you?" She''s dead¡­ she''s dead¡­ she''s dead¡­this can''t be¡­ she isn''t real! Although I appeared calm on the outside, I was breaking apart on the inside.


    "Took you long enough!" she said and burst into laughter again.


    Just from the laugh it was clear this person was not my sister. Besides, she had died three years ago. None of this made any sense.


    "Who are you?" I controlled my emotions.


    It wasn''t a normal situation. My sister was dead but she died back in my world. Someone couldn''t possibly pretend to be her, not in this world, without actually knowing her from before. That meant the person in front of me knew my sister in my own world. And therefore it was clear that she knew I was not from this world. Which consequently meant that she had the answers I was seeking.


    "Oh! You forgot me already?" She transformed into something that resembled the demon that attacked me in the sacred forest. Honestly, I was glad that this thing wasn''t my long-dead sister. So you''re the twin of that monster.


    I needed answers. "How did you imitate her?"


    She giggled around. "Hmm¡­ how I wonder?"


    "Stop playing dumb!"


    "There''s no need to shout!" The demon teased.


    I knew getting all heated up would get me nowhere. So I played cool and tried to control the situation. If I play my cards right, I might be able to get at least some answers from her. "What do you want? Why are you here?"


    "Don''t worry; I have not come to take you back this time."


    Not here to get me? Then why? It didn''t make sense. These sisters came after me twice already and all they wanted was to take me to their country or something. But this time this one wasn''t here to take me? Which meant, it had something else on its mind.


    "I have come to end you for once and for all," she chuckled. "My lord has lost interest in you. But after how much disrespect you showed, it would truly be a pity to let you live. And you have no idea how much humiliation I''ve suffered because of you and my sister." Her voice slowly turned violent.


    You should blame your sister for that, not me. I had already drawn my sword. The new sword and armor gave me new confidence.


    "Don''t think it will end like that time¡­." The demon gave me a solid glare. I could spit back those words right back at you. The feeling was mutual, I suppose.


    She had a similar weapon like her twin but only in appearance. This particular weapon was a spear. Still black in color and it reeked of death.


    She came swinging. I prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. I''d recovered but my skills were not enough to go on toe to toe with something like this monster. I had to win this with intelligence, not with brute force. If I could just lure her out then the guards-


    But before she could come even a single meter close to me, the sky turned black. Time slowed and there was a shadow behind her. A shadow so sinister, my initial instincts were to get down on my knees and beg for a reason which I didn''t yet know. My feet shook on their own and I almost groveled at my feet.


    The shadow appeared instantly and I could vaguely make out a shape. The female demon sweated as she appeared to be paralyzed. The same pattern again? Which meant that hooded guy was here?


    "B-But¡­ W-why¡­" she managed. She couldn''t turn. Although her skin wasn''t all that colorful, it turned rather pale.


    Then there was silence. Or perhaps the world was so afraid of this shadowy figure that it forgot to make any sound.


    "You''ve served your purpose. Both of you are a letdown. Why couldn''t you have been more like the third?" Words poured out of nowhere. They were human words but not the shadow''s. I looked around for the source and saw a small kid at the road, dazed: the words had come out of the kid''s mouth but those weren''t his. The shadow impaled the demon from behind and then gazed upon me. "This is a rude way to meet but let us begin." The kid''s trance broke and he ran away screaming tearing the flesh of his face.


    Now there were only two of us face to face. It or he said some words which took me some time to decipher. The female demon fell on the ground and continued to bleed without making any sounds. I almost felt bad for the thing.


    "WANDERER, I BELIEVE THIS IS OUR FIRST MEETING. I AM THE RULER OF THE GALBATIAN EMPIRE. I GO BY THE NAME NAMCHA MIALLIANES. PLEASE EXCUSE MY SERVANT FOR DISRUPTING YOUR DAILY LIFE," he said in a sinister voice that felt like it pierced my very soul. It wasn''t high-pitched, it wasn''t low-pitched and yet it made me tremble. It was the same voice I heard back in the woods.


    The voice was dreadful yet had some sort of charm to it. I was frozen stiff yet felt warm and shook (How''s that for a contradiction!). I really didn''t know how to describe these feelings in words. My heart raced faster than it ever did in my entire life.. I could even hear the individual beats as though time had slowed.

 Chapter 53 - Finally! The One Behind It All!

    He was in front of me yet I couldn''t see properly. The colors of the world had vanished. All I could see was black and white. There were loud screams all across the town and I could feel it, hear it, but couldn''t believe it. All sounds were like they were filtered using cotton. My senses weren''t doing their job properly.


    However, I was more worried about getting out alive than the lives of strangers around me. Call me selfish but when faced against an adversary such as him, no one in his right mind would dare worry about another being.


    Showing weakness would have meant my complete defeat. If what he said was true, then I shouldn''t waste this chance. He''s the root cause of all the suffering around me¡­ I took a deep breath and calmed myself. "I am Daarc Green. Nice to finally meet you."


    I pretended to be as friendly as I possibly could. If his underlings were that powerful then I could only imagine how strong he''d be.


    His voice didn''t show any empathy but his eyes squinted a little as though he displayed pity. "I SEE."


    In any case, I couldn''t see his face or anything other than his blazing dark pupils and black cloak that flowed like fire. His face was hidden behind the darkness that no light could reach. He was larger and taller than me. But not too large I''d say he was one and a half my size.


    That''s it? He''s not going to say anything else? "Why are you here? I don''t think that the emperor himself would come to apologize to me for no reason." I know I was pushing my luck but it needed to be done. I needed to know his reasons. Why would he show up now? To kill me?


    "HMM...LET''S SEE. IT''S BORING BEING THE EMPEROR. SO I DECIDED TO PLAY A GAME. I WOULD SUMMON RANDOM STRANGERS TO THIS WORLD AND HAVE THEM, GO THROUGH HARDSHIPS. THAT WAY IF THEY ARE WORTHY ENOUGH, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE ME AND EVEN POTENTIALLY ENTERTAIN ME," he burst into laughter as he said that.


    It took a minute for me to understand. What did he say? I questioned myself, replayed his words in my mind and deciphered the situation. I was thunderstruck. I couldn''t think properly for a good few minutes. Sweats dripped from my face and shivers went down my spine. But in the end my blood boiled. "Why tell me this?"


    "CAUSE IT''D BE MORE FUN?"


    That infuriated me. All this time I cursed the gods for summoning me. But not even in a million years did I think that a demon would summon me. It felt like the whole world was turned upside down. "Is that so? So¡­ do I pass?"


    "PASS?"


    "To screw you, of course." I launched an attack.


    It was foolish but I didn''t want him to mock me. All this suffering was because of him and he was just in front of me laughing: that made me more than just angry. The fear of death which persuaded me even moments ago had vanished. My sanity had been overwhelmed by sheer anger. Maybe anger really was my greatest weakness.


    He dodged so quickly that my eyes couldn''t follow. I didn''t stop. We got out of the alley or rather he led me out. He was basically toying with me. The new sword was very good but my skills weren''t enough. People around us were frightened to death. I saw countless men piss their pants. It was not a pretty scene.


    This is too soon for a boss fight and he''s too damn strong¡­ His speed made me hesitate. I couldn''t just rush him either.


    "WHAT''S WRONG? WEREN''T YOU GOING TO SCREW ME?" And then there was that mocking tone again. This guy really knew how to piss people off.


    Damn it! I was getting restless. I couldn''t even follow him with my eyes let alone strike a blow. But for an emperor he was rather nonchalant- or in his words- he was just bored.


    I was fighting for my life and the future, and yet, here he was chatting nonchalantly like we were best friends having a normal conversation or something. "YOU SEE, I HAVE POWERS EQUAL TO THAT OF A GOD. SO THIS WORLD FEELS SO BORING. THIS WORLD HAS MANY PROBLEMS AND AS I''M LAZY I WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX THEM."


    "Then why not fight a God and be done with it?" My lungs were on fire and my sweat glands were like they were on steroids.


    The emperor''s voice changed for a moment and it hinted a little seriousness. "Everything in this world demands a fitting sacrifice for adequate reasons. To think one could have their way just because he''s powerful would only make history repeat itself." It was like he was reading a book in the middle of the fight or something.


    "What the hell are you spouting?" I didn''t know why, but it made me feel more infuriated.


    "THAT''S ODD¡­ I REMEMBER GIVING YOU ENOUGH ABILITY TO COMPREHEND LANGUAGE." Besides, all of this was like a game to him.


    "I don''t care what your reason is but I won''t let you get away with this."


    "ISN''T THAT WHAT A TYPICAL VILLAIN WOULD SAY?" He giggled.


    I didn''t get it but the guy had a familiar sense of humor. Something about him seemed familiar but I couldn''t grasp it. And that pissed me off even more. And it made me even more hesitant. "I don''t need to hear that from you!"


    I kept on trying to hit him. He was definitely beyond me and just playing around. Deep inside I was scared of what might happen if he went serious. I was scared of the truth.


    "NOW YOU''RE JUST BUGGING ME. I DON''T HAVE INFINITE PATIENCE YOU KNOW. IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, I MIGHT GET MAD AND DESTROY THIS TOWN AND THAT VILLAGE." He wasn''t joking. I had to stop. Even if I continued it wouldn''t bear fruit, and I knew that¡­but¡­. I stopped. I stopped in my tracks and stood still, looking down at my feet.


    "THAT''S MORE LIKE IT. WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO LISTEN?"


    We stood there in the middle of the road. A lot of people were running away from us. The mere sight of the fight made a lot of people empty their bowels and bladders. The air had a pungent smell. However, I still needed a lot more answers. So this wasn''t a total loss for me.


    The emperor already knew about me. So I didn''t need to sugarcoat any of my questions. "I''ll listen to you but first, I need to know how that demon imitated my sister. She''s dead and-"


    "I ASSURE YOU, THAT PATHETIC CREATURE HAD NO MEMORY OF YOUR SISTER. SHE RECONSTRUCTED HER FACE FROM YOUR MEMORIES. YOU SEE SOME DEMONS HAVE THAT POWER."


    I didn''t believe it. But I didn''t say it out loud either. So, in spite of everything, I decided it was best for me to listen. "Alright, what is it that you want?"


    "I WANT YOU TO TRAVELL ACROSS THIS WORLD AND ACQUIRE ENOUGH SKILLS, COMRADES, AND WEAPONS TO STAND UP AGAINST ME. MEANWHILE, I''LL STAY PUT AND NOT WAGE WARS AGAINST ANY NATIONS."


    It seemed too good to be true. I always followed the rule ''if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.'' So his words were hypocritical. And so the question remained. "Why?"


    "I TOLD YOU DIDN''T I? I''M BORED. IT''LL BE MORE FUN TO CRUSH YOU AFTER YOU WENT THROUGH SO MUCH TORTURE AND HARDSHIPS, SEVERING ALL THE BONDS AND HOPE WHILE DROWNING YOU IN TOTAL DESPAIR." He was like a comedian just going on serious ramblings.


    What are you? A hardcore sadist? I couldn''t say that out loud though. He''d probably have ripped me to pieces.


    "Can''t I just go home?" I pleaded.. I knew that was selfish but I couldn''t help it.

 Chapter 54 - My Life, My Choice

    "OH? YOU WOULD ABANDON THESE PEOPLE AND RETURN HOME?" It almost sounded comical. A demon lecturing me about abandoning people? It really was hypocritical.


    "I-I don''t owe them anything¡­it would be pointless to waste my life for theirs¡­" My argument was sound. This world was pretty screwed as it is. The gods had almost abandoned it and monsters were everywhere. It will probably be better without a guy like me.


    And yet, when I said that, my heart pounded so hard, that it was as though it wanted to leave my chest.


    "THEN YOU WOUDNT MIND ME KILLING THEM ALL RIGHT?" I saw white teeth on his pure black cloak. He wasn''t kidding, not one bit.


    "What?" I was dumbfounded. He''d kill all of them if I say no?


    But before I could process the whole thing, he let out a faint dark aura and brought out his sword, immediately slicing through all the people there. Pale darkness blinded the light as a sword darker than night, moved faster than anything I''d ever seen.


    Without a moment''s delay, all their heads flew. After a few seconds, blood gushed out. I remained stunned. As if realizing that they were dead, the bodies fell on the ground not moving an inch.


    It wasn''t true that I didn''t owe them anything; the people I owed already died because of me. Dune, Sheila died because of me. The villagers suffered and died, because of me. Lianne risked her life because of me. Those four saved my life and risked theirs. And yet I say I don''t owe them anything? How much of a scum am I? At least my thoughts were more honest than I was.


    Playing spectator wasn''t going to get me anywhere. I needed to make my decision. Go back to my peaceful world and abandon everything or live through this hell and save as much as I could, were the only two options; one was easy and the other a hellish nightmare. I was no hero and I never intended to be one. But I couldn''t bear to see innocent people die because of me; not again.


    I grunted and smiled. Besides, there''s nothing for me left there. I had steeled my resolve. "Very well. I will play your stupid game." It took me a lot to say those words but I didn''t stutter. I didn''t stutter even for a second. Did I want this, deep down? Did I want to save the people I knew nothing about?


    "IT TOOK YOU SOME TIME BUT ATLEAST YOU MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE."


    He stopped in his tracks after slaying about a few dozen people around me. His dark sword stopped right before he could slice off another head and dripped blood on the floor. The lucky man let out a scream and passed out on the stone pavement.


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "IF YOU HAD CHOSEN TO RUN BACK HOME THAN THAT WOULD HAVE MEANT YOU WERE A BORING PERSON. AND I HATE SUCH MEN. THUS YOU WOULD HAVE DROPPED DEAD. SO CONGRATULATIONS." It sounded comical yet the gravity was rather strong.


    I suppose I should have known that. I evaded an immediate game over by sheer dumb luck and determination. That didn''t make me happy for a second. Because of me, people were on the ground, dead. All of that was my fault! How could I have been glad to hear that?


    "NOW LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR. YOU HAVE BUT ONE YEAR. IN THIS PERIOD THE DEMON ARMY WOULDN''T WAGE WAR. BUT AFTER THAT I WILL DECLARE WAR ON THIS WORLD. AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP ME WOULD BE TO KILL ME. STOP ME IF YOU CAN. AH AH AHAH!" His sadistic laughter echoed throughout the land.


    But there was something which was bugging me from the very first day. There were a lot of questions I wanted to know about, however, this was probably the most important one. "Can you tell me one thing?"


    "YES?"


    "Why me?"


    "NO PARTICULAR REASON. I JUST PICKED PEOPLE OUT OF RANDOM."


    And yet that important question had no value. I was nothing but an average idiot after all. "So there were more people besides me?"


    "NOW THEN, I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE LEAVING. DO YOUR BEST AND DON''T DISAPPOINT ME."


    He left as a sinister laugh echoed throughout the land, yet again. He didn''t wait for me to answer or anything. But one thing was clear. It would be more than just impossible to even stand up to him as I was.


    The sky became normal but the clouds remained. And soon rain fell on my face. The blood on the road flowed along with the rain, making a light red color.


    My heart didn''t race anymore, my body didn''t quiver. Something was wrong with me.


    Most of the people, who were here, died. Only a handful survived yet they were frightened beyond reason. The corpse in the alleyway disappeared as well. A few moments later a band of knights led by that large man came by and formed a ring around me. Wasn''t he that man who beat up Seel? That guy was leading these men apparently.


    They pointed their spears at me. I bet they think I caused all this commotion. Honestly, I couldn''t blame them even if they did.. Because this time, it really was me.

 Chapter 55 - Why Did It Have To Be This Way?

    "So this is the pet of that demon?" said the woman on the throne, dressed in black.


    The throne was golden in color and had heavy decorations. The room in question had similar decorations. Giving it an extravagant design and making me grind my teeth.


    I was taken to the castle at the center of this town. It looked like, a replica of medieval castles, nothing unique. The smell was different: It was the first time my nostrils experienced such floral yet desirable smell: I sniffed the air like I was sniffing cocaine or something, at least until the guard told me to knock it off. However, the woman in front of me was anything but typical.


    "Yes, my lady," a man by the throne said.


    He looks like a minister. Maybe this woman¡­. I''d heard snippets of information about how this place was run by a woman in power. This woman seemed to fit the bill. Maybe she was the governor or a princess perhaps.


    "You there, pet, what are you grinning at?" the women said.


    She was close to my age and I could tell she was beautiful despite her personality. With sharp blue eyes, pinkish-white skin, and deep brown hair, she looked gorgeous. The dress she wore was black in color but had golden threads all over it. There was just one problem.


    "Nothing¡­ and I''m no pet," I said as I was held against the floor by a man in flashy golden armor. He looked too flashy to be a normal knight and had a good face. Gorgan. I couldn''t even begin to wonder how high his post was.


    The other knights immediately pointed their spears at me. I vaguely understood that anything I said would need to be cautiously selected or those fancy knights wouldn''t let me go unscathed.


    "That''s enough. There''s no need for that." The woman raised a hand and looked bored to be frank.


    "Y-yes my lady!" The knights shouted in unison.


    The atmosphere was against me and I could feel it. If they think I''m a pet of that demon then they''re not that far off the mark. However, I can''t waste my time here. I know I''m no hero, but isn''t that why I have to be one? My train of thoughts was idiotic. Just a few hours ago I had no intention of risking my life for others, and now I had to be a hero for people I didn''t even know. Honestly, I was just an idiot.


    The woman didn''t waste time and asked the most fundamental question. "What are you?"


    What sort of question is that? I''ve heard of people asking - who are you but this ¨C this is insane. Yes, she was not a typical woman. She was hot yet cold at the same time. Something about her made me stay on the defensive. "I''m a human being."


    "The demon lord came all the way to our meager city, killed hundreds, yet left you unharmed and you still claim that you are human?" The minister-like person snorted.


    "Trust me I am as confused as you are. However, I can assure you that I am nothing like that demon."


    None of them seemed to be convinced. The woman made a gesture. At that moment a knight brought a man into the throne room. That knight was the one who lead the soldiers in my capture as well. That damn, knight.


    "He is a survivor of that incident. Let us determine your word''s truth." The woman flashed a slight grin and supported her head on her hand.


    That man was frightened. And I wouldn''t blame him for being so. His eyes displayed grief above fear. "Th-the demon came out of nowhere an-and-and killed all of us¡­ my family¡­." Tears overflowed from his face and dropped on the marble floor. He was the same man who was spared when I accepted the terms of the demon lord.


    "Please tell us how it happened ¡­" the man beside the throne asked.


    The man shivered. His face went pale. "I didn''t hear much but¡­Th-the demon asked this man something but he refused. That''s when the de-demon killed all my family in front of me¡­ but that''s not all. After this man agreed it vanished." Though his looks suggested he went insane or something, his words were perfectly sane.


    The man kept crying. He had lost everything because of my indecisiveness. I felt guilty.


    "I-I see. You there, pet, what did you and that wretched demon talk about?" The woman looked at me with disgust. I didn''t blame her.


    This was my problem and I had to take responsibility. "If I traveled across this world for a year then he would refrain from waging war," I said with a bold face.


    Everyone burst into laughter. I grinded my teeth. How could they be laughing after what happened and in front of this man while he was still crying? How could they! What is wrong with this town? Is this really that same cruel world I''ve been going through?


    "Are you foolish enough to think we would fall for such rubbish?" The man by the throne chuckled.


    That guy was grinning the whole time. Well I hadn''t lied, but deep down I had anticipated such reactions. After all what I just said might have been a little idiotic. "Unfortunately what I said is true"


    The woman seemed interested. Maybe she had a weird sense of humor. "Really? Then what would have happened if you didn''t accept his proposal?"


    "He would have decimated this city and declared war against humanity."


    "What!"


    Although what I was saying didn''t necessarily mean much, they seemed frightened of war. I still didn''t know the history of this world. There were just too many things I didn''t know. But one thing was for certain, the emperor had enough power to obliterate this whole city and these guys knew it.


    "He will eventually declare war on the world but he chose to give me a head start." I went on. I couldn''t really understand what I was spouting. My mind must have gone mad after experiencing everything today.


    "But why would he?" The woman wondered aloud.


    And then all of a sudden I was bombarded with the most important question. To be honest even I didn''t understand the answer to that one.


    I made a desperate attempt to make up an excuse. "He-he''s preparing for war."


    As much as I wanted to tell the truth, I couldn''t. How could I tell them that the demon emperor just wanted a good ass-whopping? How could I tell them that all he wanted was to escape from boredom?


    "Yes, preparing for war is costly and needs time but where do you come into this? Besides, didn''t you just say he would have declared war if not for your agreement?" She fingered the throne handle and stared.


    Honestly I wasn''t prepared for answering such questions. What would I tell her? That the demon emperor wants me to get strong so that I could kick his ass, or that the demon emperor personally but randomly summoned people to put up a good fight? This is just stupid. My head hurt. Just moments ago I witnessed deaths all around me, and yet now I just wanted to get out of this place and roam around the world or something. I didn''t have time to come up with excuses. "I''m actually an adventurer and the demon emperor placed a bet on me with the gods. You do know he''s power is equal to that of a God, right?" Since this world was so infatuated with the gods and everything I thought up a good excuse, after brainstorming for a good five minutes that is. I might have seen suspicious but I made it look like it was agonizing for me to reveal all this.


    After saying what I just said, a little sense of reality came to my mind. I might have dug my own grave. What did I just say? Those looks¡­ don''t give me those looks¡­


    She squinted her eyes. "What bet?"


    They''re not buying it, are they? It was stupid but I still continued with that excuse. "The bet to become strong enough to put up a fight against one of the underlings of the emperor by a year. If I succeed he won''t wage war for ten years. "


    "Is that so? You aim to be as powerful as the seven monarchs, huh?" She furrowed her brows. She wasn''t the least convinced.


    Seven monarchs? Who comes up with these names? I vaguely remembered that big demon in the forest was supposedly a monarch, or so the female demon had claimed. I didn''t believe it one bit though.


    Whispers floated around. "But a mere human against one of the monarchs¡­."


    Apparently a human just was strong enough to barely stand up to a regular demon despite a life time worth of training. But it sounded like blaspheme when humans called other humans, a mere human.


    However judging from their reactions the monarchs were a different story all together. There are even stronger demons? I couldn''t really imagine the scenario. I nearly died just by fighting one demon and I couldn''t even win without help. Just escaping took everything out of me. And now I just learned that there are much stronger demons. Life was really fun- not in a good way. And if there were seven of those monsters, like that big guy from the forest, then honestly, I didn''t know what to think about this world anymore.


    As I was silent she continued. "So, what is your first goal towards that?"


    First goal? How do you expect me to come up with something like that? "To become s-strong enough." What else could I have said?


    She raised a brow. "Huh! As expected of a pet! You have no ambition. But I suppose the emperor has done something similar in the past. So there might be some truth to your words." She ridiculed me but gave me an important piece of the puzzle. So people have been summoned or made to do similar things before¡­That answers my question. I''m not alone. But the emperor did say something about summoning others, meaning I wasn''t alone, to begin with.


    Although only a little, my heartfelt light. I already knew pieces of the legends. But now it became a little clearer. I was skeptical about the emperor''s words before. But he told me the truth. I''ll trust his words for now.


    "However because of you, we have lost countless citizens. Don''t even assume for a moment that you won''t be punished!"


    She was right in a sense, if I wasn''t here no one would have to die. But it was also true that I had nothing to do with all this BS. At this point, she was getting on my nerves. I didn''t care if she was some big fish but I wasn''t a fan of being ridiculed over and over again. Besides, I didn''t do any wrong.. I never asked to be transported into such a world! Oh! Wait I actually did¡­.

 Chapter 56 - Let’s All March Into The Lovely Forest Of Death

    "Listen-" Before I could finish a knight barged in. he was covered in sweat. If anybody wore something as big and chunky then wouldn''t they drown in sweat as well? He looked older than most of the other knights. He was old to be called middle-aged but young to be called a senior citizen. However, he definitely had better muscles than me. And he was also the same guy from the weapon shop who helped me out yesterday.


    "M-m-my lady¡­"


    One of the vein''s in the woman''s head popped up. "Catch your breath first¡­" But her voice didn''t show any signs of irritation.


    "Ye-yes¡­ the forest¡­ monsters¡­"


    "Didn''t I tell you to catch your breath first?"


    He bent his knees and caught his breath. "The forest is overflowing with the undead. Even in daylight w- we can spot them inside the forest. They haven''t come out yet but I fear they might attack tonight."


    "Are you saying that they might pose a threat to us?"


    The old knight''s face became even paler. "They outnumber our army ten to one."


    Almost everyone gasped. Even me.


    "Have you heard anything from those elves? Have their expedition failed?" she demanded.


    The old knight stared at the floor. "I believe they might not be among the living anymore¡­"


    Not among the living? Without a moment''s delay, my mouth opened on its own. "Hey what do you mean!?"


    Everyone here was somewhat surprised at my reaction. But I didn''t care. Why didn''t I think this through?


    "Why are you upset? You are not worried about those long-eared freaks are you?" she said with a bitchy tone. "Even if you are, we have better things to worry about."


    My heart rate began to accelerate. My face became sweaty and suddenly I was out of breath.


    She literally appeared to me as a bitch. If the knight-Gorgan- didn''t hold me down, I don''t know what I would have done.


    I grunted. "You see, I''m friends with those long-eared freaks. So I can''t just ignore them." Not after all they''ve done for me. I can''t let them get annihilated.


    She exhaled. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "My lady: your orders?" The old knight was still out of breath and he breathed heavily but he didn''t forget about his duties.


    "Fortify the castle''s defenses." The woman paused and didn''t say anything else.


    "Just the castle''s my lady? What about¡­" The old knight was flabbergasted.


    Finally irritation appeared in her voice. "Didn''t you hear me?" So that''s your true color¡­ she finally revealed her nature. Yes, she was selfish. Anybody who had enough power was always destined to be selfish and as an educated person myself, I knew that.


    The old man- as agitated as he was, didn''t show any disrespect. "Yes, my lady." He replied with a soft and low voice. His hands were tied too.


    If they outnumber the army by tenfold, then this has to be the work of something else. The undead aren''t smart enough to attack like this. This is almost like the attack¡­ on the village? The pieces fell in place. "Let me go to the forest¡­" I said.


    Whispers began circulating.


    I very well knew what kind of horrors lay in those forests. But I couldn''t betray my saviors; for debts must be paid in full. Without them, I wouldn''t be here, to begin with. And besides, Lianne was supposed to rendezvous with them. So there was a high chance she was there in the forest as well. Plus I didn''t want to be in this place anyway.


    "You? What can you possibly hope to accomplish there? Besides, I plan to throw you to the dungeons. I still don''t know what to do with you yet. Maybe I''ll have you rot for a couple of days," she grinned.


    I wore my best grin. "Do that after I return from the forest. Send some knights with me to make sure I come back to get myself thrown into the dungeon. Oh and you know what''ll happen if I die in that forest right? After all, the emperor himself came to the town because of me. Who knows what he''d do if I were to die. " My tone reeked of confidence- confidence which I didn''t have.


    It was blackmail but this was the best I could come up on the spot. It was risky but there was no going back. Besides this way she''ll be able to save face too. I''d have proper backing. And if the undead are uneasy even during the day, then the only explanation would be that something has happened to the statue. My thoughts however weren''t that confident.


    I''d already heard about the statue from the adventurers back at the inn. I hoped that wasn''t the case.


    But she didn''t budge. "What..? Why would I¡­?" She wasn''t too bright: or rather she pretended not to be.


    "My lady, let me accompany him¡­" said the old knight.


    She didn''t reply. She just stared at the old knight without answering.


    The one who was holding me down also volunteered. It seemed the fancy knight and the lady had something between them. I couldn''t really fault them, both of them were lookers. Especially this woman. If she and Gorgan were to walk around in another city, people would have noticed the woman more than him.


    "You?" she said with disbelief.


    "My duty to the people is what drives me¡­ my lady." Gorgan''s words flowed like water. The guy really knew how to talk.


    Another set of whispers floated around. I didn''t like where this was going, but I had no choice. Any help was welcome.


    "Really? Very well. Be sure to come back in one piece," with a short sigh she said, as she put her left palm on her face. I saw her grin. Something about that lady put me on edge.


    I could feel it that these two wanted to find out the reason behind this, because, everybody here knew, a full-scale invasion of the undead would be too much to handle for a big city when the wall is too damn wide in radius and most of the soldiers would be busy protecting the castle. Besides the current disarray among the soldiers was a thing too. No one would voluntarily give their life for the city if their family ends up in the slums.


    I left the castle without even saying anything: no one dared to stop me. I didn''t want to speak to that woman and I didn''t want to speak with any of the guards. The two gentlemen who came with me were both knights. The one holding me down before was a spearman; his name was Gorgan. He was a year or two younger than me and that somehow made me more jealous as he was the perfect embodiment of a pure looker. The other was a swordsman like me. However, he had a shield. He might have once had a handsome face but not anymore. His name was Jocuar.


    "Before we set out, let''s get some Panora water," Jocaur said.


    I might have heard that name before. I couldn''t recall though. "Panora wah?"


    Gorgan pitched in. "It''s basically holy water but very pure."


    "Aren''t you supposed to be a veteran adventurer?" Jocaur glared at me. Wait, wasn''t he absent at the time, or was he outside the door all this time, just trying to get in? I didn''t know and I didn''t want to know.


    "Well," I said, laughing awkwardly. I''m a complete amateur though.


    Gorgan swirled his hair and gave a lady killer look. "But isn''t that stuff very expensive?"


    I felt the undying urge to punch that beautiful face for the sake of all men.


    "Oh yeah, I forgot about the money. My body has finally started showing its age huh?" The old knight laughed dejectedly.


    "How much do they cost?" I asked.


    "100 silver per bottle, usually," Gorgan said. He came close and whispered. "Meaning you can only buy one bottle with all your remaining money." He winked. Just how much was he prying into my wallet, huh?


    Huh? That much? Even all my equipment isn''t worth one-half of that.. I took a second to process that. Wait, doesn''t that mean you were looking! Talk about being rude!

 Chapter 57 - Are You Sure I Have To Go In There? Are You Sure Sure- WhaH!!

    "This is the forest?" Looks more like a death trap to me. And I came here on my own decision too. I really wanted to punch myself in the face though.


    "Yes, and it seems there are company inside," Jocaur said with a heavy tone.


    We had arrived close to the forest. We made it barely before the afternoon. If it weren''t for that woman we would have surely made it earlier. However, once we had gotten here, things didn''t look to be in our favor. But then again, was anything ever in our favor, to begin with?


    "Both of you draw your swords," Gorgan said.


    "You don''t need to tell me that!" Jocaur grunted and drew his sword.


    The rotting smell of flesh and blood went through my nostrils. Here go again. I sighed and prepared myself.


    We were out in the ever-diminishing light. Although it was yet to be evening, we didn''t have much time. We tied our horses and prepared for the worst. I sure hope this is not what I think it is.


    "I believe both of you are ready? Let''s start killing some undead. The more we kill the less the town has to deal with," Jocaur said with a boldface. Seriously? You''re going with that? I couldn''t blame him though.


    Just a few weeks ago, this would have been a dream. But, now it''s just a nightmare. The forest was dark to no one''s surprise. We had three torches. Undead were lurking in every corner. Bugs crawled underneath our feet and made me shiver with disgust. The ground was soft and felt like it''d melt but didn''t.


    I could trace the feeling back to the sacred forest. Is this the work of the demons? But didn''t he say¡­.? I had a good reason for suspecting the demons. That reason being, I didn''t trust them one bit. But their leader- the emperor, did say something about them staying put for a year. So this seemed a little different.


    "Look sharp," Jocaur screamed.


    My new sword was unsheathed. An undead came towards me with turtle like speed; my heart raced. Calm down. If you don''t show your skills now, they''ll all be suspicious. I''d lied to them about myself so I had to try extra hard.


    With one swing I severed its head. Although it looked easy my body certainly knew it wasn''t. I almost popped some blood vessels moving as fast as I did. And there was pain.


    My body feels so light? But I didn''t train¡­However to my surprise my body held out even in that speed. Actually my body moved much faster than I''d intended.


    "That''s a nice sword you have there. You''re skills¡­ aren''t half bad either." Gorgan chuckled. But the pause he added with my skills, gave me a rather windy mood.


    The head fell a little far and the undead went searching around to collect it. This reminded of a certain movie with pirates but I felt nothing but shivers.


    "He might have a good sword but his actions are still that of a beginner. He should learn to focus," Jocaur said with a harsh tone. He was right. I was too careless.


    But, I couldn''t pinpoint the exact reason behind my growth. Maybe it was because of the large demon that I''d fought till death. A close call with death might have not been all that bad. After all disparity was the mother of all invention- in my case. If I weren''t desperate and the gap of skills between us wasn''t that great, I wouldn''t be alive.


    Without the worry of sunset we marched in further and further inside. We''d covered our noses with cloth but the smell was still too damn strong. This was my third time in a forest like this. But I did not- I repeat, I did not want to be in here.


    Both of them were talented. The old knight was very skilled with the sword and shield. Gorgan was quite skilled with the spear as well, very skilled in fact.


    "Is it me or is that guy literally shining?" I whispered.


    "Never seen a holy knight before? I get ya lad. I''m jealous too," Jocaur said.


    Weren''t holy knights supposed to be swordsmen? At this point I didn''t know what to be jealous about anymore, his looks or his skills? The guy had it all apparently: looks, skills and fame.


    However me and Jocaur, Gorgan''s skills were different. If me or Jacour hit an undead, it''d crumble to the ground. But when Gorgan hit an undead, it stayed dead: it didn''t turn into ash, it just vanished. So this holy knight business isn''t just lip service, huh?


    It made me respect Gorgan a little, but only just a little.


    So if I master my mana, I can erase the undead too? The possibility was there. But I didn''t want to spend the next twenty years praying for it either.


    The air kept getting more and more pungent. At one point I felt like throwing up. Although we had gotten quite deep into the forest, there wasn''t any sign of a statue let alone the elves. The only noticeable thing was the overflowing undead and their groans.


    I gasped. "Why can''t we find anything?"


    "What are you looking for exactly? Weren''t you here for the elves?" Gorgan asked. He was right though. I never really made myself clear.


    I spoke without thinking. I was desperate. "Yes but we needed to see the statue as well," I said.


    Jocaur scratched his chin. "The statue?"


    They looked at me as though I had gone mad. Maybe I was a little mad. But after going through everything I did, I couldn''t really blame myself. But why would I blame me to begin with?


    A groan! My focus made a triumphant return. I''ve heard that sound before. All my senses tinkled. My body knew something which even I didn''t.


    Jocaur went on. "Considering-"


    I looked around. "Shush!"


    It felt as though time had stopped. All I heard were some sounds of something moving rapidly through the leaves on the ground. It must be a¡­


    Before I could process the situation a shadow appeared behind the old man. "Old man, BEHIND YOU!"


    It was a goblin. Every single time I saw those things with a knife, my heart became unstable. This time wasn''t an exception either. However, the old man wasn''t as weak as I thought. Experience triumphed over raw strength.


    "Hmph, you would have to be quieter than that if you want to get behind me." He punched the goblin with his shield and slit its throat when it fell. It groaned in agony as slowly its life drained. "And I''m not old!"


    Consequently he lit the damn thing''s body on fire. He was fast for an old man. If I were the man from before I''d probably have a little pity for the little critter but honestly, I didn''t care anymore: I just watched it burn. My heartfelt lighter. It burnt to a crisp. The fire kept the undead around us at bay too.


    But this reminded me of something. I remembered, on that fateful day, I felt attracted to the statue and it was located at the center of the forest- at least I thought that was the center. This might be worth a shot.


    "I''m going to try something." I trusted my companions and closed my eyes. I focused my thoughts and¡­ I felt it. As I hoped, there was some sort of connection between the statue and me.


    "What are you doing?" Jocaur poked at my forehead.


    I didn''t answer. I had found the probable location of the statue.


    "Found it! This way," I shouted.


    I rushed in the direction my instincts led me. I didn''t know what I''d do if I was wrong but I marched on anyway; it''s not like there was any other clue.. Both of them followed me but they had doubts in their eyes.

 Chapter 58 - What’s More Valuable, My Life Or My Pride?

    Gorgan was the shining star. In fact, he was literally glowing. His armor and sword gave off a faint aura and he was our lifeline. Without him, we''d probably be half dead by now. And that wasn''t an understatement. His humble attitude made me want to punch him even more though.


    It was odd how these undead could still see us even in broad daylight. I''d heard it before from Jocaur, back at the palace but I didn''t really want to believe it. I''m getting a bad feeling about this.


    It was like I had an invisible radar and the statue was the beacon. We slew countless undead and goblins in our path and finally reached the center, covered in rotting flesh and blood in the process. All three of us had wounds all over but none of those wounds were serious, and we didn''t have time to treat them with the undead continuously charging at us.


    The center of the forest looked the same as the rest of the forest and there were undead here as well. But they remained surrounding the area, without intruding the center. The statue was there but it was broken. Not in half, but in pieces.


    I punched a tree nearby. "Damn it! No wonder this is happening!"


    "You know something, don''t you?" Jocaur became excited. "You even led us to this place? Surely you know something!" He was right. I did know more about the statue than him. But there wasn''t a point in grooming over it.


    "This statue protected you guys from the undead. Now that it''s gone."


    They looked at me with doubtful eyes but seeing how serious I was, they didn''t say anything.


    After a brief few minutes the old knight sighed. He was rather pale. He probably believed me. "My granddad used to say something like that too. But what about the town!"


    "This is no time for worrying about the statue. We need to get back and put up a defensive barrier around the city wall. We''ve searched and found the reason behind the surge but there''s nothing we can do here," Gorgan explained. "We also couldn''t find the elves in time¡­ they must have really perished¡­." He trailed off. Meaning he wasn''t here to find the elves in the first place. So why did he come? Just to find the cause? Somehow it didn''t make sense to me.


    "With just the three of us? You do know, that she ordered all the knights to protect only the castle, right?" My tone was a little sarcastic. The mere thought that I couldn''t find Lianne, put me on the edge.


    "I''m aware of that."


    We stayed quiet for a few seconds. The undead around us groaned and moaned. I didn''t really care about them but if push came to shove, we''d have to do a lot more than just fight off undead. Besides, I got the sinking feeling that something was off. And was fighting them even possible with what little forces we had?


    "Wan¡­"


    What was that? "Did you guys hear that?" I glanced around.


    Gorgan looked sharp. "You mean the restlessness of the undead? Yeah, I heard it clearly. We must hurry now!"


    "That''s right!" Jocaur added.


    I see. I sighed. Only one of my goals had been fulfilled and the other one remained. "You two can head back, but I need to find those elves first," I made my declaration clear. I didn''t want to spend another second in this forest, and yet I couldn''t go with them either. It took a lot of willpower from me to resist the urge to get out of here and not be alone.


    But I couldn''t abandon the elves, not Lianne; not until I had definite proof of them being dead.


    "I don''t know what you owe to them for wanting to risk your life this much, but I pray for your success." Jocaur slapped me on the back.


    "Thanks old man."


    "And I took the trouble of getting you out of there too, you know." Gorgan came close to me and whispered. He almost sounded disappointed but then smiled and walked away. "Don''t lose focus and keep your head straight." Gorgan turned around. "I trust you''ll make it back in one piece. Don''t make me lose face to my lady. And thanks for allowing the lady to save face earlier. I really owe you one."


    I smiled. Just how sharp was this guy? But it did make sense. He was here not because he wanted to find the source of to find the elves. He was here because he owed me a debt and he wanted his so-called lady to save face. I didn''t know what he had for that woman but I didn''t judge him. The guy really was a nice guy.


    But neither of them stopped me: it was odd and yet made perfect sense.


    They knew they had bigger fishes to fry. Besides, the undead might have been surging but they didn''t really pay all that attention to us: as if they were somehow dazed. Some were still the same though, attacking us, the first chance they got. If all of them came at us with full force, the three of us would have had a much harder time. Even so, I didn''t think they''d let me go without making any fuss. I guess I was wrong.


    "You too," I said while staring at an undead in front of me.


    It was staring at me instead of attacking. Actually, none of the undead attacked us near the statue. They had us surrounded and glared from a distance for a time now. It was creepy. Maybe some part of the statue was still alive.


    "Oh and don''t forget about that," Gorgan gave me another lady killer look. Did that guy swing the other way? I was really starting to doubt it.


    What the hell are you talking about, dude?


    Both of them left. I couldn''t think of anywhere to go.. The torch in my hand was burning bright, but soon it too would run out. Would it be better to head back and protect the town instead? But Lianne¡­

 Chapter 59 - The Governor

    I was standing there like an idiot. My head was filled with worries but not a single solution. Now then, that voice I heard¡­.


    My thought was broken by a fading voice. A voice that was barely audible. "Wan..der¡­er"


    "Who''s there?"


    Somehow I knew that it must be the broken statue. I knew it. But a part of me reminded me in these forests nothing was impossible; so it was better to be safe than sorry.


    "Elves¡­north east¡­annihilated¡­careful¡­"


    The voice was too low and I couldn''t hear much of it. But I could make out most of what it said. It was a broken voice but I didn''t have anything better to do.


    What is this; telepathy? In any case, I couldn''t just stand here either. Let''s see where this goes. I didn''t want to, but I had to.


    I headed northeast. As far as I went, the environment kept getting foggier. The sun had almost set. Soon the undead would leave the forest and march toward the city. I need to hurry. If the elves are annihilated I must return to the town with haste. These thoughts weren''t pleasant. I had a bad feeling but I couldn''t leave Lianne behind, not after all that''s she''d done for me. And not after coming all this way all alone either.


    I arrived at a spot where the fog was the thickest. Undead were roaming about without a care, but this place didn''t smell bad. In fact, it had a floral scent that I''d smelt before. Didn''t I smell that before at the castle? But why here? I resisted the urge to start sniffing like a madman. This aroma had some sort of trance-inducing property. It wasn''t the least bit funny.


    The undead didn''t even pay attention to me. So the scent worked on these things too? I ventured into the fog.


    It was too chilly for me even though I was wearing my furry armor: though calling this a coat would be an apt description. As I went on, I found them. The elves were here, but they weren''t dead, weren''t alive either.


    "What the hell happened here?" My lips slipped. The elves were like statues, frozen in time. Some were standing, some were on the ground and some looked fully prepared for battle, but all them were frozen solid. When I touched one, I felt a chill and my skin detached from my hand. Blood started to slowly come out and then came intense pain. I had herbs with me, so I rubbed them and moved forward. I didn''t have the luxury to worry too much about my injuries. Was I getting accustomed to pain or something?


    It was a stupid idea, but I had nothing better. "Lianne!" Screaming in this forest really didn''t seem like the best thing to do. I was cursing myself for screaming like this.


    She wasn''t here. Nine statues were here but Lianne wasn''t. It was a tragedy and yet I felt relieved. I let out a sigh in relief and decided to head back immediately. If Lianne isn''t here then I should assume she''s at least alive.


    The elves had saved me once before, and I wanted to repay them. But I didn''t have any means. At least she isn''t here. The only saving grace was that Lianne wasn''t here. Which meant the chances of her being alive wasn''t zero.


    But my body stopped: a sound in the distance. A fire? It''s moving! At that moment, there was something behind me and my entire body could feel it without even turning. Granted there was a lot of undead here, however, the sensation was different. I got used to the undead and even the goblins, but the feeling behind me was entirely different. My hands shook; sweat gathered in my face and dripped, while my heart throbbed. It was a nightmare.


    Then I heard a voice: more like a whisper. "What have we here?" It was a soft womanly voice. But the voice was low pitched and left a familiar tone in my mind, along with a familiar scent.


    I turned around and there it was: two bright purple eyes, a beautiful face and hair that flowed freely. It was the very woman who wanted to throw me into the dungeon. I didn''t even know her name. I couldn''t believe my eyes. Her face wasn''t covered and never had I seen such wondrous beauty. What is going on here?


    "You¡­"


    "Yes, yours truly," she said while playing with her fingers as though she didn''t have care at all. Her looks had changed. Her eye color had changed. Even the color of her hair had changed. But I could never forget that condescending face, that look.


    "What are you doing here? Why you? And what happened to the elves? "I shouted.


    Could you have blamed me? I couldn''t decide why a woman of her stature, would wander through the forest. Why the governor of this damn city of all people would venture inside the forest in the first place? It was just too much of a shock. I still wanted to think she was a different person, after all she looked different.


    "They are frozen by the grand curse of Alatit. As for your first question, how should I phrase this? Hmmm? I know¡­ I am here to annihilate all of these buffoons as they dared to disrupt my- no our grand plan. Why don''t you guess the second one? Does that answer your questions?" She wore a smile I had never seen before. It was not a pretty smile, her mouth opened wide as though she didn''t have a jaw and her skin could stretch beyond human capacity. She wasn''t human.


    How could this be? "What happened to you?" I asked amidst all the confusion. When I met her before, she was a pain in the ass but not to this extent. Had something happened to her or was she always like this?


    "Nothing much. I just learned some valuable lessons from you humans, that is all. My kin is waiting for me. I thought these undead scums would be enough to deal with the elves but then you came along. I couldn''t believe it when Lord Namcha visited. So I just had to pay you a visit." She paused. "Honestly I almost couldn''t keep my laugh in check. You really are a comedian, challenging my lord like that." She giggled.


    Humans? Undead scums? Lord Namcha? "So you''re not human?" the words didn''t leave my mouth and remained a whisper. I couldn''t really believe my perception.


    I was overwhelmed. It felt as though my throat was clogged and my heart would stop. What was this woman saying? I couldn''t comprehend it, no; I didn''t want to comprehend it.


    "Those mongrels over there tried to stop me and ended up that way. I wonder what you''d do now," she let out a shriek followed by wicked laughter.


    Meanwhile more and more undead kept gathering around us. Did those guys have nothing else to do but stare at living things?


    My voice didn''t fully return to me. I couldn''t understand nor believe the situation. Didn''t the town belong to her? "So it''s you? You did this? You''re one of that demon''s kin!" And soon confusion turned to rage.


    "That''s a rude way to put it¡­ well I could see why he was interested in you but¡­" She didn''t finish.


    I bit my lips. Some blood flowed out. It was of no concern. I pointed my sword at the same woman who laughed and spoke of needlessly inciting the undead. I could forgive myself for raising my sword against her but couldn''t forgive her for doing all this. It was evident that something had to be done. Without any more doubts, I calmed myself. The basic principle of putting up a good fight was to remain calm- that''s what Dune taught me: that''s what Lianne told me. So raging around wasn''t going to get me anywhere and I had to accept that.


    She had a black silver-ish sword in her hand. She wasn''t wearing typical armor. Instead, she had a scarlet-black leather dress. Her raw hatred and killing intent penetrated my body from afar. She wasn''t playing around that was for sure.


    Her grin didn''t leave her face the entire time. I had some grudges against her. I could still remember that grin from when the man back at the castle cried. Besides, she herself made it clear that she wasn''t even human.. Therefore I charged, very calculatedly that is.

 Chapter 60 - Reunited?

    She blocked my sword straight away and I was left there hanging with anxiety. Getting slightly better didn''t really help. She was too fast for me.


    "Why do all this?" I said as I struggled against her.


    She spoke casually. "Why should I tell you?" She had a point.


    Every one of my swings was blocked by her sharp swordplay. "Are you done?" She asked nonchalantly. To her, all of this very well might have been a game.


    "¡­" There was nothing I could have said. I didn''t have enough potential to stop her or to change her mind. Seeing my silence she started to counter. Her attacks were swift and precise. I couldn''t block them: I ended up with cuts all over my body. The torch was on my left hand but even after being cut, I didn''t drop it. Swordfight with her was difficult as it was but I as I had to protect the torch, it got exponentially harder. Not to mention I had to fight with just one hand.


    "You''re not all talk huh? I could see why he was interested in you. You must really be special." She was mocking me; there was no doubt about it.


    "Not really." I grinned. It probably pissed her off more.


    Stopping her completely could potentially save the people- at least that''s what drove me. But she was far stronger than I was.


    "Don''t be so modest-" As she talked I saw an opening. I went for her shoulder and stroke through. She didn''t block. What?


    As to show her point, my sword went straight through. For a second I felt happiness surge within only to turn into total dread a second later. My eyes took a few seconds to register her grin.


    She wasn''t harmed to the least, not one bit. Her shoulder liquefied and the sword had gone through. Not even a speck of blood spilled. All that spilled was just plain water- to my belief. She laughed hysterically for a good minute. Her mouth opened wide and she was about to say something.


    But before she could do so¡­A ball of fire!


    She was hit by a ball of fire, her face burnt. I jumped back at the moment of impact but some of my skin got burnt too. The ball came from the same direction as the fire I saw before.


    A woman came through the fog with one of her hands dripping blood: she was also dripping blood from her forehead. It was Lianne.


    For a moment the governor''s face twitched. I still couldn''t understand whether she was a demon or something else altogether. She must have not expected to be hurt out here as her face stiffened and she glared back at Lianne. I couldn''t help but grin a little.


    "This is getting tedious." The governor raised her voice and added, "I''ll leave the rest to you mongrels." Liquid surged on her cheeks.


    "Hey! What are¡­?"


    Her face recovered and she floated in the air. "Sorry but I don''t have time for you. If it weren''t for the emperor, I''d have killed you here. Besides, if I waste any more time on you then he might seriously get mad," she said as she flew off.


    Lianne couldn''t speak properly. "Wai-t"


    It was a spectacular sight. Unlike typical demons, she didn''t have wings: was she really a demon though? She just floated like there was no such thing as gravity. Meanwhile, the undead slowly came towards me. My sword might have been effective against the undead but given their large numbers, it wasn''t enough for me to stand alone. My skills were enough to barely survive let alone handle this many.


    Fires from Lianne''s direction came and obliterated the undead close to me. She might have seen me afterward, but she still barely missed me.


    It wasn''t enough to suppress their march: the undead looked pretty pissed. As if I''d eaten their son after kicking it to death: I wouldn''t do that though, I hoped. The torch was barely clinging. It wouldn''t last very long. Things looked grim.


    Lianne herself was surrounded. She was battling undead on her own. Her leg was hurt and she couldn''t move much but that didn''t stop her from fighting. At that moment, a sprinkling sound surfaced. It was from my pouch. That''s right! The Panora water! I smirked. I''d forgotten all about it. I didn''t want to thank Gorgan but he was the one who gave one to me before setting out. We bought three bottles using his and my money combined: I was penniless but it was for the sake of the expedition. So although I wanted to hit him, I still had respect for him: in the end, I still had to pay for my portion though. What an irony!


    I got a bottle of Panora water out. I had only one bottle. One drop was said to be enough to completely kill one undead, although they were dead, to begin with. So it was some sort of holy water.


    I sprinkled the water all over me and my sword. It''s safe on humans, right? Too late to ask that question now.


    I used some of the water on nearby undead. Scattering water never seemed more fun in my entire life. Very expensive water that is. The water had a floral smell though. I hated the smell of roses. It reminded me of the bitch of a governor.


    What a waste of good money. The ones closest to me perished immediately turning to ash. So they''d be back eventually. Meaning the claim of this water killing the undead completely was false. If I survived this, I''d be sure to learn Gorgan''s secret to being a holy knight even if that was the last thing I''d do.


    With a grin on my face I calmed down a bit. Dead or not, these things were going to be immobile for a few days. And these things knew it too, so they were wary of the water. I took the chance and ran towards Lianne.


    The sun had completely sunk. The undead kept their distance from us because of the water and fire.


    "Are you okay?" I asked.


    At first she was startled to see me. So you didn''t know it was me?


    "Sorry." She might have thought I was an enemy when she cast the spell. Don''t tell me she aimed that spell to kill not¡­. I didn''t even want to think about it. Maybe that was why she cast it without a warning but I didn''t really care. However she quickly came to her senses. "No to time to chat, we must hurry." She coughed up blood. She was in a pretty sad state.


    All this time the elves were frozen. But one among them had glowing blue eyes and only after the evening did it show. If the sun was still here I wouldn''t have noticed. If this is an undead curse¡­


    I took my chances and poured a few drops of panora water on that elf. The bottle had roughly half of its contents left. The volume was close to one liter so there wasn''t the risk of running low just yet.


    If the water worked on the undead then it might work on their curse as well. I took a leap of faith. The elf started to release smoke and slowly but surely kept regaining life. That was a good sign: no-a great sign. I did the same with all the remaining elves. They too released smoke but dropped on the ground as corpses. None of them regained life. They were dead.


    Only the one with the blue eyes broke free of the curse.


    My heart tightened a little but at least someone had survived.


    I was glad. I was glad beyond words. Lianne was relieved as well. However she had this pained look that I couldn''t bear to watch. The thought of someone being there with me within the crowd of undead was enough to ease my heart, but that was just selfish. I should have felt guilty but I didn''t.


    Upon breaking free, the elf-boy fell on the ground, unsure of what just happened.


    "Are you okay? Can you move?" I supported him.


    "You¡­." He looked at me with questioning eyes. His blue eyes and pure white hair were quite eye-catching but not as much as his left arm, for he was missing it. I could see the traces of blood on the torn sleeve of his chainmail. He looked at Lianne. "I see."


    "We have to get out of here," I said in a rush.


    He nodded. He was unable to speak anymore or he might have been unwilling to. I lent him my shoulder and we kept moving. Lianne was barely standing but we didn''t have time to worry about her.


    Before we could head out, Lianne said something, a thing that made me grieve inside. "Farewell, my friends. Hope you can forgive me." She lit them on fire. If she hadn''t, they''d suffer for all eternity. Although they were already dead, it kind of hurt. My chest tightened even more and it was hard to breathe. We watched them burn.. Lianne in particular had tears streaming down while the elf boy''s eyes sparkled with tears but they refused to leak.

 Chapter 61 - Is That Hope I Smell? Nope, Just Rot

    We hurried in the opposite direction to escape the forest. We had to reach the city as fast as possible. The effects of Panora water and Lianne''s fire were effective. Therefore the undead wasn''t that much of a concern anymore. And more importantly, they didn''t pay much attention to us in the first place. But who or what was she referring to when she left?


    One threat remained in my mind. That woman had mentioned something to stop us, but there wasn''t anything here besides us and the undead. She couldn''t have meant the undead, could she? And then there was that ''he'' she''d mentioned about. Was she referring to the emperor or someone else? My head hurt just by thinking about all this mess.


    With each step we got closer to the statue, and upon reaching the statue, I felt a faint aura. The elf finally spoke.


    "Stop here," elf-boy said while writhing in pain.


    I stopped. He closed his eyes and began to mumble. I couldn''t get what he was saying. He opened his eyes and looked at the statue. The glow in his eyes increased.


    "Astral revocation!" he shouted while coughing up blood.


    "Hey! Don''t speak."


    He passed out afterward.


    "Hey! Hey!"


    Lianne''s eyes became teary but she didn''t say anything. While I was concerned with him, I saw a faint glow in the broken pieces of the statue. The glow spiraled to a single point and a golden-haired woman with wings appeared. She was glowing and wearing a light, semi-transparent dress. The rotting smell of the air vanished. It was replaced by a fresh smell of leaves.


    "I assume you are the angel?"


    "Yes. I am Sisrael. I was placed here¡­" Her voice was just like Misrael''s but unlike her, this one had a moving mouth. In fact, it looked too humane apart from the wings. She was also probably the most beautiful woman I''d seen ever in my life. But beauty was of little importance.


    Her wings dripped feather fragments that vanished before hitting the ground. She didn''t have much time left.


    I didn''t have time for a chat either. So I got down to business. "I''ve already heard about that from Misrael. Can you explain the situation to me instead?" I might have been a little rude. But I really didn''t care all that much about courtesy at this point.


    "What are you talking about? And that language you are speaking without any artifacts!" Lianne seemed confused.


    Shouldn''t you be more confused to see an angel than me talking to her? "You can''t understand her?"


    Lianne nodded. "But with this, I can." She pointed at her earring.


    It was surprising but I didn''t have time to explain things to her or demand an explanation from her either. I already knew that a lot of shit was still unexplainable in this world.


    The angel wore a wry smile. "So you''ve met her. Very well. A possessed human destroyed my dwelling and in turn the undead became free. I believe you know of whom I speak."


    Suddenly my mind got bombarded with questions. But why would she? And possessed human? Then something was controlling her?


    I had a lot of questions but honestly they didn''t matter anymore. Knowing her reasons didn''t interest me. I was more interested in stopping her and to do that I needed help. "Anyway, can you heal these two?"


    "I''m afraid my powers are too weak. I have only materialized for a short amount of time because of this youth''s magic. He collected my soul fragments before they could fully disperse. I don''t have much time left."


    "If that''s the case, then how would we stop the undead, without you?" Lianne cried out. She was awfully quiet this whole time but she couldn''t stop her worries. I didn''t fault her, I couldn''t either.


    "At this stage they are unstoppable. They are being controlled by that woman and a higher being. Since the spell is already cast, even killing her won''t stop their march." The angel wore a wry smile. Things weren''t looking good for us.


    My heart which was calm just a second ago suddenly started pounding rapidly.


    A higher being? A Monarch? My mouth became salty and my hands trembled. The thought of an entire city being wiped out was heart wrenching. And a higher being capable of doing something like this must be a Monarch- at least that''s what came to my mind.


    "Is their nothing we can do?" I couldn''t think of a resolution. If she couldn''t either, then that would mean the end of the city and its inhabitants.


    "I''m afraid, not many options remain." The angel''s body was becoming more and more transparent as we spoke.


    "That''s not something you''d want to hear." I grunted.


    Damn it! I hit a tree. Lianne stared at me in silence.


    If the undead kept marching on, they would inevitably wreak havoc and thousands would lose their lives.


    Sisrael''s body started to became very transparent and let out a fading glow.


    "Hey, you?" We were out of time.


    "My ten thousand year life is finally coming to its end." She looked content. If the angel died then what would happen to the city? Things looked more and grimmer if not impossible.


    "No¡­" Lianne bit her lips.


    I didn''t reply to her.


    "But don''t worry. I will fulfill my last duty to the people of this land," Sisrael said.


    "What do you mean?" I didn''t understand where she was coming from. She suffered for ten thousand years and yet, why did she have to look so damn content?


    "I shall put my faith in you, wanderer as my little sister had done before. After thousands of years of torment I would meet her again and reunite with our lord," she said as she closed her eyes and had a content smile. "Live well and be free." Her last words were loud and clear.


    "What are you saying?" I shouted.


    She didn''t reply. She vanished with a bright glow. However, the glow didn''t immediately disappear. It came towards me and engulfed me with warmth, as though her soul itself lent me the powers to overcome destiny. The darkness came cowering as the last shred of the light disappeared, with it came the rotting smell of flesh. My eyes became a little wet.


    "Let''s get out of here," I whispered.


    Lianne nodded. I carried the elf-boy and Lianne acted as our guard. She could still walk. She really was a strong person. No, she had to be strong. To live in this world, one just had to be strong, so strong that nothing would be able to harm them. I glared and marched ahead.


    Halfway through the forest, elf-boy regained consciousness. He wasn''t healed but still got on his feet. He didn''t seem surprised to the least. The undead kept their distance as usual. Never thought I''d be able to walk around in a place like this!


    The Panora water must have really been effective. But its effects were intensified because of Lianne''s fire. If she wasn''t here, then who knew what might have happened. Although we moved rather slowly, we still got out of the forest. We reached the place where my horse was. But the horse was no longer alive. It was butchered. Its head was severed, so even if it did turn into undead, we wouldn''t have much trouble with it.


    "Judging by the looks, this must have been the goblin''s doing," said the elf boy.


    "You could tell? Even in this darkness?" I couldn''t see much outside the range of the torch.


    "I was born with the gift of miraculous sight. But now is not the time for talking about that. Shouldn''t we start running?"


    As he said that, hordes of undead kept on passing through the fields towards the city. Their pace was slower than a child walking around. But they''d reach the city eventually.


    "You''re right. Let''s run!"


    He was injured but we had no choice. I drank one of my potions and gave the elf boy a sip as well. Lianne couldn''t be healed so we had no choice but to clean her wounds and dress them up as fast as possible. I was no expert but these past few weeks had taught me to do at least this much.


    Is that hope I smell? Nope, just rot.....

 Chapter 62 - Come At Me Purple Thing(S)

    With a steady pace, we kept running and outpaced most of the undead. Though they were scary, they were too slow. Lianne lagged behind but there was nothing we could do, all three of us had our own injuries to worry about.


    "What is her intention? Why were you guys frozen?" I asked.


    "They- they plan to make this city their base and then¡­" he said with a pained look. He didn''t finish and I couldn''t push him either.


    Was he telling the truth or was he hiding something? Something about his wording struck odd to me but I couldn''t pinpoint why.


    Lianne cut into the conversation. "We were here on an expedition to lessen the undead but then¡­"


    "You were betrayed¡­" I interjected.


    "Yes."


    I sighed. I suppose this is as worse as it gets. I stood mistaken: I might have thought too soon. Because a horde of goblins waited for us along with four hobgoblins dead ahead. Oh shit!


    "This is what she meant," I mumbled.


    The goblins outnumbered us by tenfold. But the main problem was the hobgoblins. They had massive clubs and looked ferocious. The little ones all had knives and some even had armor made from animal skins. This doesn''t look good.


    Goblins had little intelligence but they could be taught. This was proof.


    "I''ll cast a large area spell. I might pass out but don''t worry about me. Just run." Lianne suggested something outrageous.


    I flat-out rejected her proposal. "Unfortunately we can''t have that. Hey boy, think you can fight?"


    He sighed. "My left side is a little lighter than what I''d like but I think I can manage." He was probably older than me, judging by his reactions but I guess he didn''t mind being called a boy by me.


    If he had no problems with it, I didn''t have any problems either. "Alright then¡­"


    The elf boy had only a knife and Lianne had a sword. I didn''t see her bow, maybe she''d dropped it.


    I sank my torch into the earth and took out my knife. I took a deep breath, calmed my nerves, unsheathed my sword, and charged as the vanguard. I was the least injured after all. But using both the sword and the knife at the same time, wasn''t easy.


    Evading the first hobgoblin, I sliced three goblins with my knife. The sword was on my other hand. I used it for blocking. But the other three massive hobgoblins didn''t give me a laugh. They roared and swung their clubs at me. I jumped back. Did they only have clubs? I was glad they did because if they had anything else, I might not get out of this alive. Then again, I didn''t know if I''d be getting out alive in the first place. But I was glad that this time, I wasn''t alone.


    As I taunted the goblins, all their attention was on me. They really didn''t want to kill me that was clear. Maybe it was because that emperor liked me or something? It felt weird but just this once I was glad for it.


    A small rock hit my shoulder. It hit hard and my bones creaked. What the¡­?


    There were small goblins that hid in the grass and fired slingshots. "Looks like they really don''t want to kill me, huh?"


    But the same wasn''t for the two elves. The goblins were after their lives and I was just getting between them. However, they weren''t going down without a fight that was for sure.


    "Fiery heaven!" Lianne cast her spell. A small area around her caught fire and so did five goblins. The entire area illuminated with orange light.


    It wasn''t a powerful attack spell so she didn''t pass out like she''d predicted. But she was on her knees.


    Now we had better lighting. My accuracy increased and I sliced a few more goblins. I didn''t have the luxury to help those two but I figured they''d be fine on their own. After all, they weren''t weak like me: they had actual skill and experience to back them up.


    One by one we took down half of the small ones. The elf-boy was an excellent knife user. Even without an arm, he moved faster than me. Looks like I should worry about myself instead.


    I made sure to dodge the incoming projectiles. I was tracking their trajectory. And finally, I saw it. "Be right back!"


    They nodded. They knew exactly what I''d been thinking. When you have coordination, everything becomes easy.


    I ran and found the snipers. The poor things were just kissing the grass on the same spot, making it easy for me.


    I grinned as though I was approaching children. "Hi there."


    Probably not the best thing to say, at a time like this but I was a little mental. The goblins were short and looked like they were still toddlers.


    "Donnt- kills us." They were prostrating before me and looked awfully humanoid. Much more than goblins¡­. So those guys were really saying the truth¡­ All this time I wanted to forget about the whole ganging up on women thing. I didn''t want to think about it. Maybe goblins really were just awful, disgusting creatures which didn''t deserve to live.


    My face stiffened up and I slew them mercilessly. They couldn''t put up a good fight. Killing babies might not have been my thing but to survive, I had to do it. And I needed their death for the sake of my conscience.


    One of the hobgoblins was right behind me but I had anticipated him and dodged at the last moment. Its club grazed a little over my shoulder. It hurt.


    "It''s now or never, huh?" I lifted the sword up, focused, and held it in both of my hands, dropping the knife on the grass.


    The hobgoblin swung its club but I dodged, slid under it, and punctured a hole in through the bottom. It roared, groaned, and fell on its butt. I moved before it fell on me. I picked up my knife and slit its throat. Not the cleanest way to kill something, but I had to survive. I had to make it out of here.


    I was out of breath. I just did the unthinkable and even triumphed. There are three more of these things?


    But my glory was short-lived. After all, there still were quite a few of them. They were too focused on the elves in front. Even though, I''d just killed half of them and one of their leaders they were still virtually ignoring me.


    Before jumping ahead I caught my breath.


    I sneaked up from behind and sliced three more goblins. One of the hobgoblins was staring the elf boy down. It didn''t realize that all the little ones backing it were on the ground. I sneaked behind it and climbed up through its shoulder with haste. It panicked and grabbed my foot. Too late. My sword dived through its throat and blood spewed everywhere. Two more to go. But I thought too soon.


    The hobgoblin didn''t fall. It turned its head: bloodshot eyes.it was still holding onto my legs. I face went numb and my chest went cold. With a swing like the hulk, it ruined half of my left side, as I crashed on the ground. The impact was sudden and precise. I coughed out blood and then came the pain. It was unbearable, as though a thousand knives were slicing my skin off all at once.


    Thinking they weren''t after me was a grave mistake and it cost me dearly.


    The hobgoblin wasn''t done. It covered its wound with one hand and grabbed its club with the other. I was about to get smashed. Oh shit!


    "This is what I meant when I said you lack patience," Lianne came between me and the goblin. The hobgoblin grunted, groaned, and swung its club like it''d gone mad. Lianne moved fast, too fast and sliced the goblin''s head off clean. The head fell a few meters away from me as she got drenched in blood.


    I sighed in relief but it felt like my lungs just exploded. I couldn''t move, I couldn''t breathe. Why am I so powerless, so impatient? I glared at my fist.


    Lianne dug through my things and fed me a potion. "I envy your regenerative abilities. A normal person would be dead by now." Though she meant that as a compliment, it only made me feel more broken.


    The pain numbed, but I still had broken bones. I ignored Lianne''s words. I didn''t want to think about it. I was worried about the other goblins attacking. But they weren''t here anymore. "What''s¡­ going¡­ on?" I couldn''t speak. My breath was totally out of sync. I panted. I needed to sit down for a while.


    The elf-boy answered. He was totally calm as if nothing had happened. "They ran away after seeing you two slay two of their leaders."


    How nice of them.


    Lianne on the other hand barely stood on her feet and breathed heavily. The undead were yet to catch up. They were too many of them. Hard to imagine I couldn''t outran those slow pokes on my first day. How wrecked was I back then?


    I was pretty wrecked now too, but we had to keep moving. We caught a moment of rest to ease our breath. Life was not easy.


    Lianne lent her shoulder to me and we moved. Hard to imagine she was the most injured just a few moments ago. How fate could change! And yet she was still shouldering me. She''d wiped the blood off her face but her clothes were already dyed.


    Lianne was very close to me. I could feel her breath. She was weak. And yet she was stronger than me. "What did she meant?"


    I assumed she meant the angel. Lianne was my savior. So I answered her as honestly as I could. "We''re on our own."


    She didn''t say anything else and we walked on.


    "By the way elf-boy, how did you know about the angel?" Back then, he used some kind of magic and the angel appeared. So I asked him.


    "I didn''t. I used a special magic called, spirit magic. The spirits told me to do that and that''s it."


    I had no idea what the hell he was talking about and I didn''t have the mood to know either.


    Our pace was slow but not as slow as the undead. It hurt to breathe, let alone walk but I had no choice. Thousands of lives depended on our knowledge.. We had to stop this.

 Chapter 63 - Selfishness?

    We arrived at the gates. We were out of breath, out of energy, and on the verge of collapse.


    A familiar voice shouted. "You''re still alive!" It was Jocaur. He was atop the wall. The guy must have had mighty eyesight for somebody that old.


    "Glad to see, you made it out alive too." I didn''t know if he heard it but he smiled.


    "Open the gates," he shouted.


    The undead were far behind us. With haste, we went inside and the door was again shut tight. The undead were too slow-paced. Even a child could outrun them. But their numbers were overwhelmingly huge. If just a fraction of them could get inside, a lot of people were about to die.


    "So, this is all we have?" I said.


    We stood on top of the wall. Everything was lit up. Lianne''s eyes were a liability, so she closed them and clung to my arm instead: more like I clung to her.


    "These guys are disobeying orders just to be here. So don''t be so picky," Jocaur bitterly explained.


    Only a handful of soldiers were here. Some adventurers were here too but the numbers were a little too thin. The rest of the soldiers and knights were guarding the castle. It''s funny how people with power always end up with most of the privileges.


    "I don''t see Gorgan. Did he go back to the castle as well?"


    "Yeah." One word was enough to convey a butt load of feelings.


    I had respect for Gorgan. He was strong and didn''t have too much pride. He was sociable and approachable. I really had respect for him¡­ But that respect was crumbling a little.


    "Oh, you''ve found the elves. Anyway grab a torch, grit your teeth, and chew some herbs. We''re going to have a damned night." You''re realizing that now? He might have been a little dense but he meant no harm. However, I didn''t like his grin when he noticed how much Lianne and I were clinging to each other. His gaze almost said, "I see. So that''s why." But that wasn''t why.


    A knight brought us some herbs. I and the elf-boy took them while Lianne cleaned her wounds. It was amazing how she could do that keeping her eyes closed. My wounds weren''t deep but I still cleaned them anyway and wrapped some bandages. The herbs were effective. But the problems were the broken bones. At least three bones of my ribcage broke. It was very hard to breathe because of that.


    Jocaur''s eyes shimmered with rage and courage. "If only our soldiers weren''t such cowards." But the soldiers did have reasons to be cowards. If they died their families would be making a one-way trip to the slums.


    There was no way I could tell him about that woman though. Besides, he wouldn''t have believed me anyway. So I took a different approach.


    We sat down, ate little food, drank water and rested for a few minutes. The first wave of undead would reach the city within half an hour.


    I looked up at the sky. I couldn''t see any stars. It was awfully cloudy. "So that woman is inside the castle with all her guards?"


    When I attacked her my sword had gone through her without even leaving a scratch. It made me very worried. Plus now she had her army. If she tried to frame me, I''d be doomed. My only choice was to convince Gorgan somehow. But it was awfully optimistic of me thinking it was going to be that easy.


    "That woman? Oh you mean, that snotty princess? You should know how royalty works."


    So she''s a princess? It was obvious but I didn''t assume her to be royalty. Maybe I was the dense one?


    "Damn!" I shouted. And then quickly grabbed the left side of my chest. The pain stung. I should have known, but some part of me still hadn''t accepted it all. If God created all man equal then why is there a hierarchy?


    "What''s wrong? Don''t get so worked up. This is the city of dreams. We won''t let those things trample over our city; not after the blood and sweat went under its creation," he said with a firm look. "Besides, I have a family to protect."


    I got his drift. He was doing this for his family. This old man was just doing his job as a fellow citizen and a father- may be a grandfather as well. But didn''t he realized that his family would be in jeopardy if he died as well? "Won''t your family suffer if you died?" I was acting out of my character.


    "Huh!" He laughed." Worried about me? I have good kids. Plus I don''t plan on dyin!" He laughed rather loudly. The soldiers around us wore smiles.


    Maybe it took a lot more courage to face an impossible battle like this than I thought. "Hey, old man, do you know how to hit something which you can''t hit?"


    He scratched his head. His eyes were questioning my sanity. After a while, he let out a sigh. "If something''s unhittable then fundamentally It''s impossible to hit it in the first place." I sighed. But he wasn''t done. "However in that case magic might come in handy."


    That''s right, Lianne''s spell had worked.


    Suddenly I found new hope. I stood up and the two elves knew what I was about to do. "I think there could be a way to stop this. But I''d need you to hold this line."


    Jacour squinted his eyes. "I''ll believe you. Honestly, I don''t really have anything else to hope for." Although he trusted me, his words didn''t really show much appreciation. Jocaur punched his chest forward. "You can count on me. We will guard till the last breath. Can I count on you?" Jocaur without much pretense believed me; did he trust me that much? I didn''t know.


    This isn''t time to be heroic with the speeches.


    "You got that right!" But I wasn''t planning on letting him down.


    Both me and the elf rapidly headed to the palace along with Lianne. This can''t go on.


    My wounds still hurt, but I could move better. Chewing and rubbing herbs might have been more effective than just drinking potions.


    But something else was on my mind. How would we go through the knights that protected the princess? Damn it! I hate this salty smell. My mind was going crazy. If the knights were too faithful to the princess and refused to listen to reason, we were as good as screwed.


    We rushed to the castle. There weren''t many people out. Maybe they''d heard the rumor of the undead. Rain? It was cloudy, so I wasn''t really surprised.. It drizzled a little.

 Chapter 64 - Prelude To Damnation

    "Let us in, damn it!" I tried to barge in.


    "Calm down, calm down. We were told to let no one in," said the soldier.


    We had arrived at the castle but the guards wouldn''t let us in. it was infuriating. But they weren''t attacking us either. Which meant we weren''t branded as enemies¡­yet.


    "I have an appointment with your princess. Now let me in!" I tried to push through but the guard was very persistent in keeping us out.


    "Settle down man. I''m just doing my job." He raised his arms up in an attempt to calm me down.


    "What''s with the ruckus?" A familiar voice appeared from the shadow. It was Gorgan. Was he in it too? I looked at him containing my hostility but some of it still slipped. "Oh, Daarc. Glad to know you made it. Are these your companions?" He genuinely looked glad.


    I made myself clear. "We don''t have time for this. I need to meet the princess." I couldn''t possibly explain things here and besides, Gorgan was on the suspect list too.


    "Her, eh? But I''ve been ordered to let no one in." Gorgan himself looked uncomfortable but he wanted me out too. It didn''t look like he was about to let us in.


    "Please, this is an emergency. It''s far greater than just the undead''s uprising," the elf boy said, his eyes raging.


    For some reason, I felt he might know something but he was hesitating. I''d be sure to lecture him thoroughly if I survived.


    "If you say that then I have no choice. LET THEM THROUGH!" Gorgan led us.


    Just like that? Just who is this elf-boy? Although I was somewhat doubtful and skeptical I didn''t ask unnecessary questions. Might be a pipsqueak of elven nobility or something. He did look noble and all, but I didn''t expect too much. He looked like a kid after all.


    We went inside. The castle always made me feel uncomfortable. The fragrant scent in the air was no longer prominent. It made me even more uncomfortable.


    There weren''t any guards, which was rather odd. The throne room of all places was completely unguarded.


    "How come there aren''t any guards outside this door?" I asked Gorgan.


    "There should have been at least two. Let''s head inside. I don''t like where this is going." Gorgan was agitated. "Maybe she ordered them outside?" Gorgan mumbled to himself. I didn''t like where this was going either.


    We made our way into the throne room as quickly as possible, passing through the massive double door. The princess was inside, alone. She was sitting on the throne looking all pretty. She looked just like I when I first met her in this room, except kinder.


    Gorgan bowed to show respect. Without bowing I threw my questions. I didn''t care for courtesy not after what she''d done. "So after leading countless undead into the city you sit there like nothing is wrong?"


    Gorgan looked at me with questioning eyes but he didn''t say anything for the princess said nothing as well. She was sitting there wearing a kind smile over her beautiful face. The sheer guts of that woman pissed me off. She was just smiling and said nothing: almost like a doll?


    "Well? WHY PRINCESS? WHY! AREN''T YOU SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOUR PEOPLE?" I roared. And before I knew it, I was screaming at the top of my lungs.


    "Something''s odd," Lianne whispered into my ears.


    Honestly, I too could feel that something wasn''t right either. Gorgan didn''t say anything at all. He was too quiet.


    I went closer to the princess. Nothing changed. She was just the same. Is it possible that¡­?


    I tried touching her hand.


    "Hey! What are you doing?" Gorgan finally shouted.


    I ignored him. Upon touch, she immediately turned into water and flowed straight to the ground. What the hell? I kind of expected something like this but I was still a little surprised when it did happen.


    "What did you do to the princess?" Gorgan screamed with his spear pointed at me.


    He was more confused than angry. He must have realized at least something. I betted on that and continued. "As you can see, I did nothing."


    So this was just a double?


    Gorgan didn''t seem convinced. He was about to come at me for real. But before he could do so¡­ A man barged in haunted by pain and terror.


    "Lord¡­ Go-Gorgan."


    "What is it?"


    The soldier''s face was pale. He couldn''t speak as he was drowning in his own sweat. "A-tida-tidal-"


    Gorgan forgetting his primary concerns for a moment looked genuinely worried. "Calm down. You''re not making any sense."


    "A tidal wave is coming. Look outside the city. What''s wo-worse¡­ her high-"


    Gorgan exploded with excitement. That was the first time I saw him losing composure. "WHAT IS IT?"


    "Th-the princess is seen in the west gate: alone."


    I wasn''t surprised and nor were the two elves but the same couldn''t be said about Gorgan. His face went pale and he sweated. After a moment''s pause, he lost it.


    Gorgan snapped with a grinding tone. I was surprised his teeth didn''t break. He ran outside. We hurried out as well. There really was a huge tidal wave above the city, covering the entire western region. The tidal wave floated in the air. It flowed normally and held its place. How is it standing there against gravity? Magic? Even if it was magic, the odds of accomplishing something of that caliber was definitely beyond humans.


    "I-I think we can speculate the enemy now," Lianne said as her face was leaking sweats of terror.


    "And that would be?" I stared at the tidal wave as well.


    The elf boy pointed at the wave. "See those red dots inside the water?"


    I couldn''t tell water from waves, let alone dots. "Even with my good vision it''s indistinguishable for me to identify them," I said while getting sucker-punched inside. Good eyesight was my selling point and if that was taken away then what did I have left?


    "Those are undead," he said with a soft tone, barely audible.


    "Undead!?"


    "Undead mermaids, to be exact," Lianne said.


    What if that thing falls? Hey, isn''t the slum that way too? I couldn''t shake the feeling that something bad might happen to those siblings. And by extension something very bad was about to happen to this whole city. Please find some shelter guys.


    Gorgan was very shocked. The poor guy was speechless and didn''t know what to do anymore. He was on his knees.


    I couldn''t blame him. I was shocked as well. Anybody would have been. However he was probably more shocked to find out that the princess was behind all that. But I got the impression that he didn''t believe me. I didn''t force it upon him either. He''ll have to see it for himself.


    "Lord Gorgan, mermaids are falling from the tidal wave by the west gate," Another soldier declared. "The slums¡­ the slums would be overrun!"


    Gorgan didn''t respond.


    "Lord Gorgan, a massive undead force approaches from the east gate!"


    "Lord Gorgan, the princess is missing!"


    "Lord Gorgan!"


    He still didn''t respond. He was bombarded with responsibility but he looked miserable. His eyes quivered and he held his head in his hands while on his knees, panicking. If someone was shouting in my ears like that I might have ended up punching the guy, but Gorgan just stayed on his knees.


    Lianne couldn''t contain herself anymore. She went close to Gorgan and patted his back. I was shocked. So you''re not going to slap him?


    If it were me I''d have slapped him to his senses. Guess that was unnecessary.


    "It''s okay; we all face the impossible at some point in life. But it''s up to you whether you make a choice to overcome the impossible or not. Don''t you want to save the princess?" Lianne''s voice was kind and she knew exactly what to say. Gorgan stared at Lianne. It took a second but he regained composure.


    He calmed down and nodded. If he hadn''t I would have surely punched him, as this wasn''t the situation for melodrama.


    "Damn it! Order the men to form three units. One unit go up the wall and one stay here. The rest follow me," Gorgan said as tears streamed down his cheeks and his eyes breamed with determination.


    He got up. Did he get back his resolve?


    "Wait! What good, will protecting this castle get us? We need to protect the people first. If there are no people then there can be no king," said the elf-boy beside me.


    Well said. Obviously, I agreed. For a little kid, he sure knew his way with words.


    "Very well. It seems I too have a lot to learn. You heard him, MEN. Unit two will protect the people instead. Unit three, follow me!" Gogan''s shout ignited something in the soldiers.


    "Sir!" with a unified shout, the soldiers present saluted Gorgan. Everyone started running around but there was no sense of chaos, it seemed too coordinated. They were trained soldiers, after all.


    Was this holy knight really the most powerful knight here or was he just respected? I couldn''t tell. What I could tell was he was no different than me: a broken man deep within. So, I had no right to judge him.. But I respected him if only a little.

 Chapter 65 - And So, I Stood My Ground

    Before we could set out Gorgan grabbed me from behind. "Back then what you said¡­. was it true?"


    "I think you need to see this with your own eyes to believe it." I didn''t want to burden him more than he could chew. There were some things in this world that you needed to see with your own two eyes before you could believe it.


    He didn''t protest and we moved.


    We headed to the west gates. Undead mermaids and mermen were literally raining from the heavens. They had feet covered in scales. Some had tentacles, some had fins, some had giant claws, and some even had blades for limbs. Some looked humanoid, some were fish-like and some were monstrous. They all had one thing in common and that was red burning eyes. They were the undead.


    When we actually reached the other half of the city, all we could see was red: a metallic smell lingered in the air. The smell of rotten human waste was replaced by fresh blood. Crimson blood, intestines, splattered limbs, and so on. Most of the people were behind locked doors. The unlucky few who were outside met their brutal and cruel fate. The ones inside weren''t safe either, as the mermen were breaking walls, doors, and charging in. And people of the slums had it the worst.


    "Sa-save me," a small girl by the road screamed.


    There were two piles of flesh right next to her, drenched in blood.


    I, with my sword, rushed. "Argghh!"


    Her head was cleaved off by a large shark merman: entrails of blood became visible. I was too late. Stunned by my powerlessness, I could do nothing but watch.


    Her murderer had shark-like features and very sharp teeth. He ate her like men eating a slice of cake.


    Infuriated by guilt I went straight for this thing''s head, only to be flung in the air by it. My whole body quivered, my heart throbbed.


    Meanwhile, Lianne shot arrows that pierced its skin (she got a bow from the knights).


    The elf boy shot a stream of lighting. The lighting paralyzed the mermen. "Now!" elf-boy shouted.


    Both of their attacks were effective and the shark fell. Afterward, I struck a serious blow on his chest. He died, but I didn''t stop. I sliced his head off just like he''d done to the poor girl. My rage didn''t subside. I kept stabbing it until I could stab no more.


    I panted and tears welled up.


    "Don''t charge blindly," Lianne screamed.


    The elf-boy stared at me emptily. "Was it really necessary?"


    "Sorry, couldn''t help it," I said in a low voice. I stared at the corpses¡­. Farewell.


    "You knew these three?" Lianne asked, grabbing my shoulder.


    I got up and controlled myself. "Yeah. We met this morning. I met the boy last night."


    The corpses didn''t resemble anything human, not anymore. I''m sorry, I''m so powerless.


    Similar screams were coming from all around us. The world was really cruel.


    "I see." Lianne didn''t say another word and we just stood here.


    "Heal!" Suddenly a restoration spell rejuvenated me and the elf boy: it''s funny how I still didn''t know his name even now. It was a voice I heard before, a very soft and warm voice. Even some of Lianne''s wounds healed, but only a little.


    "The nun?" I said in confusion


    "This is no time for reunions. Focus on the things in front," she said.


    It was the same nun from the church who had helped me before. I couldn''t delve into sorrows now. I had to do something. I couldn''t let the lives of these three go down in vain.


    The nun would be in danger too. I didn''t want her to die for me. "But-?"


    "Don''t worry about me. And the church is in good hands. I can still help. If I couldn''t, I wouldn''t be here." She healed the elf boy and tried to heal Lianne. Maybe she knew high-level spells for such feats? We didn''t have time to dwindle with the details so I didn''t bother asking. Besides now that Lianne moved in pale starlight, her blazing red eyes were perfectly visible even in the dark. And I could tell, she was feeling at least a little better.


    We marched deeper into the enemy territory. Meanwhile, Gorgan and the men he brought were busy saving the people. But all I could see was blood and flesh everywhere. Those mermaids were hunting humans and eating people alive. I clenched my teeth hard.


    Gorgan and the knights were doing their best to save as many as they could but it was nothing but a bloodbath. Some mermen were even taking trophies out of the corpse: just slicing their head off wouldn''t extinguish this rage. The metallic smell of the air was far greater than before and I could guess why. Tears welled up seeing what I saw. How could something do this to living beings?


    In front of me was a pile but not just any pile; it was a pile of heads. The apparently mermaids liked to eat the body of men but not their heads.


    Granted they were undead, but that didn''t justify such outrageous and cruel acts. As tears fell, my hands became raging fists waiting for a chance to break loose.


    "Are you okay?" Lianne placed her hand on my shoulder.


    "I''m fine." I was not fine. I was about to explode.


    "There''s something up ahead," The elf boy said.


    The nun''s voice shivered. "Yes, something, unlike the rest."


    A shadow was in front. Before I could realize the area was covered in fog. The smell was familiar. The salty smell of the ocean couldn''t even compare. There you are!


    There was a shadow within the fog. It was a woman''s shadow. And a very familiar floral scent lingered in the air. It was her. She looked just like when I met her inside the forest. It was- the princess.


    I clenched my teeth and suppressed my rage as much as possible. "So this is where you were hiding-"


    "Hiding? From what? You?" she said with a wide grin.


    I chuckled. "Me? Oh, you give me too much credit."


    I was shivering. Shivering with rage. And yet I smiled, to control my anger but it still slipped out, just a little. My rage boiled. No, my whole body boiled.


    "That was not a compliment." She giggled.


    Her laugh made my stomach crawl. Even after killing so many innocents, how can their ruler laugh like that? But then again if she was being controlled then she wasn''t their leader anyway.


    "I don''t get one thing." I started.


    Her vulgar grin widened. "Very well then. I will answer one of your questions before killing you."


    How generous. I ground my teeth. But in a matter of seconds calmed myself down. "Oh thank you. So please answer this. What would be the best way to kill you? Rip your guts and feed them to fish or hang you with your intestines and fish with them? After all, you seem to love all these bloody fish! Oh yeah feeding you to the undead is an option too. But I really like the fishing one. Recently I''ve become quite adept at fishing. " I grinned.


    "Imagination can be quite a thing," the elf boy mumbled.


    I heard that! Even I couldn''t get what I just said, as my rage got the best of me. But I didn''t regret saying that; not even for a split second.


    The princess was dumbfounded. Maybe she was expecting me to ask her about her reasons, but honestly, I couldn''t care less about her reasons. What she did was unforgivable, no matter what she''d said to justify it. But instead of going into rage mode like all the other demons I''ve met before, she just burst into laughter: laughter so hard, that she was almost in tears. "Sorry, sorry. Haven''t laughed like that in a while."


    "This guy''s interesting," a guy said from behind her, with an ominous laugh. The fog was thick so I hadn''t noticed him. Or maybe he was an expert in concealing his presence.


    The voice was low-pitched, deep, and made my body instantly get on the defensive. It was trouble and I knew it.


    A guy with a long sharp neck, horns on his forehead, two wide crimson eyes, and a shivering smell of blood emerged from the fog. He looked fairly humanoid yet something about him was not human. He also was fairly built, definitely much better than me. What was worse, he was shirtless. Honestly seeing his muscles only made me more terrified if not jealous.


    I was immediately on the defensive and so were the two elves. Just the voice alone was enough to jump-start my heart and all the senses.


    "I''d assume you''re the mastermind?" I asked, barely containing my hostility.


    His pale white hair flowed freely with the breeze. "Oh, you catch on quick!"


    Yes, but that was just a guess.


    "One word of advice, wanderer," he paused. His eyes shimmered in golden light. He was probably different from the ones I was used to.


    Wanderer? Was that a common term or something? This guy knows about my identity.


    With just one word he established quite a few things. First, he knew about me. Second, he was not any normal undead or mermen. Third, he really was the mastermind and probably knew how to stop the undead and mermaids.


    "Why don''t you pretend you saw nothing and walk away? Injuring you or killing you will definitely upset his highness and I might even get scolded. So can''t you just go away? I''ll even spare your friends and give you loads of cash to spend on stuff. What do you say?" He had a dubious smile. What was this?


    I couldn''t tell if he was serious or cracking a stupid joke. Wait, what?

 Chapter 66 - Through Ashes And Blood

    "Thanks but I''ll pass." There was no doubt in my mind.


    I probably won''t walk out of this alive, but at least I''ll be able to sleep peacefully in my grave knowing that I tried. However, I will not go down without a fight. I didn''t like where my thoughts were going, but I did want to keep living.


    Instead of being surprised the demon became excited. "I can see why he was so fixated on you: you have bones after all. Too bad, but I''ll just apologize to him when I meet him next. Let''s have some fun," he said.


    A large cleaver with jagged edges emerged from a ball of water next to him. With a sharp look, he charged straight at me, grabbing the cleaver. Damn, he was fast. I didn''t even have a chance to blink. It took my all, to just dodge the first blow.


    Lianne and the elf boy engaged the princess as the battle began.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" He said as he swung his cleaver lightly. "And I would advise you not to look away during an important battle." He chuckled.


    I dodged again. The blade was so jagged each and every cell of my body was telling me to dodge instead of blocking it. I don''t need to hear that from you. Although he was lecturing me about priorities he was looking at the elves too.


    The cleaver''s color was also ominous as though telling me, ''I live to kill.'' I could hear the constant rise of my heart. Raindrops bounced off that cleaver as he came chopping through. "What''s wrong?" he shouted.


    I desperately tried to dodge them. "I thought the emperor would keep his words-"


    He stopped, looked at me, and grinned. "Aren''t you mistaken? Did you forget what he said? He said he won''t wage war not that the demons wouldn''t. And besides, we''re just killing time, this ain''t a war." He burst out laughing. "Plus do you see any demons here aside from us?"


    My face stiffened up and anger welled within. So this is just killing time? But one thing was certain both of them were demons. The guy himself just admitted it after all.


    "Now then, show me what you''ve got!" He kept swinging his cleaver. That cleaver was long and quite scary, to be honest. After a bit of playing around, he plunged it for me and grazed my left shoulder.


    He grinned. "Shouldn''t you try a little harder?" This was all just fun and games to him. But to me, it was life and death. I couldn''t do anything besides dodging and this was going nowhere.


    It stung like hell: blood fell on the floor and my body burned. But this was no time to act frail. I gritted my teeth and bore the pain. This guy¡­ might even be stronger than that muscle head. He probably was too.


    His cleaver was longer than my sword but it seemed I might be able to reach his hands. The moment he grazed my shoulder I''d found the perfect opening: after all, it''s the moment of victory, when one is in their most defenseless form. So, I swung. It reached, and his arm fell off. He raised his chin and examined his wound.


    Although my arm was also almost unusable by this point because of the severe pain, I was rather pleased with the result.


    "Heal!"


    I was healed by the nun again. Upon looking at her I realized we were surrounded by mermaids and the situation was dire. Lianne and the elf boy were barely standing. The princess was really something: she was dodging like crazy.


    But the guy I was fighting was on a whole other level. Although I chopped his hand off he didn''t even seem a little concerned. He looked straight at me and smiled. "I underestimated you." He cast magic on his hand. Black flares gathered close to his head and he was fully healed. Even his arm regrew. I couldn''t tell if he was alive or an undead. But it was clear that he didn''t possess even a shred of humanity. This demon was the very epitome of the word demonic. "I believe you are worthy of facing me in my full form. But before, may I ask your name?"


    Wait, you weren''t fighting in full strength? Sweat poured through all my pores. This wasn''t good.


    If the guy could cut my shoulder nonchalantly without even trying, I couldn''t even imagine what he''d do when he got serious. Frankly, I didn''t dare imagine.


    "How courteous! I am Daarc," I sarcastically answered. And something was probably wrong with me too. My legs were shaking but I tried to bluff all the way. I wanted to run away and yet, I couldn''t. After all the talk and bluff, running away right now just wasn''t an option. If I ran away now, I wouldn''t be able to live with myself.


    "I am Zeline, Monarch of the sea, one of the seven. Oh and I''m just taking some precautions. It would be a shame if I didn''t write down your name on your skull," he said laughing in a nefarious tone.


    This guy has that weird hobby. Something about what he said reverberated in my mind. Wait, a Monarch? So he really was one of those monsters.


    Zeline''s body became larger and looked muddy in color. His teeth grew rapidly and looked like, that of a shark. His pale white hair grew pitch black and so did his golden pupils. He wasn''t an undead. His black eyes were proof of that. His bulging muscles made me even more terrified. I was about to be skewered and there was no doubt about it.


    With a grim look, he charged and sharp pain flowed all over my body. I couldn''t block any of his attacks, I couldn''t dodge them and I couldn''t look away. Even with the nun''s healing, it was impossible for me to stay on my feet. This is how I go out? Talk about a sorry life. I guess I do make poor choices based on emotions.


    At the brink of my consciousness, a spear flew by my shoulder and struck Zeline and he fell a few meters away.


    "Daarc! You okay?" Gorgan shouted.


    "Boy am I glad to see you!" I couldn''t really speak. Honestly, his timing was perfect. If he''d been a second later, I might not be standing anymore. I might have been dead.


    He came running and stood beside me with a spear in hand. Some knights came along too; they kept the mermaids around us, busy. They were just too many undead.


    The elf boy was on the floor, unconscious. Lianne was breathing rapidly. Her wound on her forehead opened up again. This is not good.


    Everything was in shambles and I was powerless.


    "Argh, that was a good throw," Zeline said as he got up. He took out the spear from his shoulder and threw it on the ground.


    Damn it! What is wrong with this guy?


    "Daarc, is that her highness over there?" Gorgan glared at Zeline. But his heart was still with the princess.


    "Yeah," I said in a subtle tone.


    The princess was fighting there all along. Maybe Gorgan couldn''t believe his eyes. But this wasn''t the time for that. This was a life and death battle and yet-


    "My lady, why?" Gorgan shouted


    This isn''t the time to ask stupid questions. Focus, you idiot! And yet- I couldn''t bare myself to say it to his face.


    The princess made a weird expression as though she was innocent. "Oh! Gorgan, you were here? These guys accused me of crimes and now are trying to kill me. Will you not help me, my knight?" Did she perhaps forget that her appearance was different to that of the princess?


    "You''re not her highness. Who are you?" Gorgan said as his eyes became wet. I was glad that I didn''t have to deal with a complete idiot.


    The princess started acting all funny. "Hmm, what makes you say that?"


    "Her highness never calls me by my first name!"


    Seriously that was his reason?


    "Ah, I see," she giggled.


    Gorgan made a fist and pointed at the princess. "You aren''t the princess. I knew something was off but-"


    "You are in love with her, right? No wonder you always looked at me with such eyes. Join me and I shall let you savor this body you so love," she said with a wide grin. "I''ll even throw in a little bonus and give you-"


    How detestable! Even my face twisted in disgust.


    "What are you talking about? I want to fight that guy," Zeline said.


    The princess ignored the sharkface. "What do you say, Gorgan? Oh right, you prefer being called Jelight. My Jelight?" she said with a seductive tone. She really was a bitch.


    "It''s true I loved her highness. But- but I''ll never stoop so low to crave her body! MY LOVE ISN''T THAT SHALLOW," Gorgan shouted with a shivering but loud voice.


    Well said. But do you mind focusing a little more on this shark thingy instead?


    "Too bad." The princess sobbed, and then laughed wickedly.


    Grinding his teeth Gorgan, pointed his spear towards Zeline. "First, I''ll take down you and then her."


    "Come!" Zeline said.


    With both of us, the fight was even more complicated. It seemed that the shark face had special offensive magic too. "Shrouded flares!"


    With splattering, darkness flares came towards us.


    "Holy wall!" A wall of light appeared before us. It absorbed the flares and soon the nun fell on the ground. "Sorry, but that was all I could do." She lost consciousness right afterward. With our healing gone, we were as good as dead. It was the nun''s healing that kept us up till now.


    Cold sweats began falling from my face. My hands quivered.. But my resolve stayed affirm.

 Chapter 67 - If You Won’t Fall, I Won’t Either

    Gorgan grit his teeth and started thrusting his spear at Zeline. Gorgan really was talented.


    Although the Shark face attacked mercilessly, Gorgan dodged all most all of them and ended up doing damage to the Shark face instead. However, Zeline was recovering almost immediately. Hope wasn''t a luxury I could afford anymore.


    My sword was too short compared to the spear and the cleaver, so, I had no choice but to be on the sidelines. Besides, I was far too injured. And I was just extra baggage. But that didn''t give me the right to sit down and do nothing.


    "I''d expect no less from the country''s youngest holy knight!" But surprisingly Zeline was complimenting Gorgan. It was odd, really.


    "¡­ I don''t care if you''re a Monarch or whatever. I''ll defeat you right here!"


    It was like one of those battles from movies. Except it happened right before my eyes. For a moment I felt like I was just watching it as a spectator and then realized that I really was.


    Gorgan''s spear flashed and he glowed. The Shark face glowed too. I ground my teeth in anguish and back-stepped. "Sorry, but you''ll have to deal with this your own." It took a lot of willpower to say it out loud.


    "Sorry but you weren''t much help, to begin with," Gorgan said.


    "Sorry, but would you two shut up and fight me?"


    Something about that conversation seemed a little creepy but I moved anyway. Gorgan was right, but did he really have to say it? I felt more and more hopeless. Being mortally wounded wasn''t enough and now I had to deal with mental stress?


    Gorgan could handle himself that much I knew. But the elves really needed my help. Besides, I wanted to be at least a little helpful.


    While Lianne was on her last legs, I went straight for the princess: she was astounded but recovered before I could land a blow on her. I don''t know if this''ll go through like last time, but at least it''ll buy some time for them to come up with something.


    As the princess focused on me I launched my sword straight through her and she did the same to me. Although my attack went through her just like before, her attack grazed my stomach.


    "Gotcha," I said with a desperate smile. The pain was devastating but worth it.


    "Hey, what?"


    I grabbed her tight and didn''t let go. I knew it. Flesh didn''t go through her. After all, mana, which magic was produced from flowed directly into one''s body. It was a stupid bet and a long shot, but I didn''t have anything better. I''d betted everything on that possibility and it came through.


    "Lianne now!"


    Lianne came our sideways and started chanting. The princess struggled quite a bit but I didn''t let go. This is the only thing I can do¡­.


    The elf boy was still on the floor, so I couldn''t count on him.


    "Torrential flame!" A wall of fire covered both of us. Strangely I didn''t feel any heat. Did my pain sensor die, or was I already dead? I couldn''t tell. My vision got blurry and I couldn''t tell what was happening. Soon I fell on the floor but surprisingly didn''t lose my consciousness. I couldn''t feel my heartbeat. What was keeping me awake? I didn''t know.


    The fire didn''t even reach me. The princess was cancelling out the fire with her magic. She was dishing out water through her hands. My shoulder, stomach leaked blood and my consciousness was fading. Yet I could still feel what was happening around me. Shouldn''t my life flash before my eyes? Shouldn''t the world slow down?


    Nothing of that sorts happened. After completely nullifying Lianne''s magic, the princess flew towards her, and caught her off guard. She plunged her black, cold silver sword through Lianne and she (Lianne) fell close to me. All I could do was watch as the last of my senses failed me. I couldn''t even move my hands anymore. But seeing Lianne like that reminded me of Dune. I couldn''t save him. I couldn''t save his sister. I won''t be able to save you either?


    Tears welled up like a fountain. I cursed the heavens and tried my best to move. My body was burning up. It was off no use. No matter how I tried I couldn''t move. The elixir! There must have been some left in the bottle.


    I remembered. But what good would it do to remember something when you couldn''t even move your arms?


    But I didn''t give up. With sheer will power I finally dragged my right hand inside the pouch. I Brought out the bottle, forced my fingers upon the slid and drank some of it.


    My body started to shine. I got up. None of my wounds were healed but I could move, and that''s all I needed. That''s all that mattered.


    I had half a bottle of Panora water. I dipped my knife in Panora. Lianne was still conscious and she imbued the knife with fire before passing out for good. The knife glowed with pale white light and a hot fire swirled around it.


    But the princess didn''t know any of it. She was too focused on something else. She was focused on the prey in front- the elf boy.


    I plunged the knife through the princess''s back as she was about to finish off the elf boy. She noticed too late.


    "Hi. How''s it going?" Words flowed out of my mouth like it never did before.


    This time there was blood: fresh, warm, metallic scented blood. Was it because of panora, was it because she didn''t have her guard up, or was it because of the magic? I couldn''t tell and I didn''t care. I just wanted her dead and I didn''t even know why.


    She writhed in pain and looked back disbelieving what happened. "Why you¡­." she fell on her knees.


    Gorgan kept track of what was happening. I couldn''t believe how much free time the guy had. "Your highness!"


    "Don''t look away now. Your business is with me." Zeline forced his cleaver through Gorgan''s defense but he dodged.


    A shadow from the princess''s corpse emerged. Soon it manifested as a humanoid looking demon. She had two short horns but mostly human like features.


    Her black hair had a bob cut and she wore something similar to traditional eastern clothing. "Didn''t think you''d be able to hit me. Maybe I should give you more credit." She was actually less beautiful than the princess and didn''t look as fair. Her voice was rather coarse too. Definitely not the type people will fall head over heels for.


    But I had other things to worry about. "Lianne, you okay?"


    There was no reply. She was unconscious.


    I took a deep breath. "So the lady on the ground, that''s the real princess?" I asked the floating demon.


    "Oh, you catch on quick, don''t you?" the demon itself was unharmed.


    I tried to reach her and strike but she flew away towards Zeline. The real princess was lying in a puddle of her own blood. Being my fault I had no choice but to feed her some of my elixir, but she didn''t wake up. I did the same to the elf boy. It was a very precious drink but it was better than sending them to their graves. I didn''t know if this would work on Lianne or not but I had no choice but to try on her too. In the end, I had barely one sip of elixir remaining.


    "Woman, get out of the way. I''m in the middle of something," Zeline shouted.


    "That''s enough playing around. Let''s end this and complete our mission already," the female demon said.


    "You don''t get to order me around half-breed." Zeline cleaved her in two with a snort.


    "Sigh* you really are a muscle-head, aren''t you?" She re-manifested. Those two were like monsters of the monster world.


    "Thunder cage," the elf boy shouted.


    When did you get up? A cage of electricity surrounded the duo. "Sir Gorgan, do it now," he shouted.


    Without a doubt, Gorgan threw his spear and it went through the shark face''s chest. Zeline coughed up blood.


    Meanwhile, I was by Lianne. She was leaking blood and there was nothing I could do. I can''t even defend my comrades. Am I just a hindrance? Why must I lose everything? My sister, my friends, my father, my love! Why! Even with the elixir, Lianne wasn''t showing signs of recovery.


    "Daarc! Snap out of it," Gorgan shook me.


    I was daydreaming in the middle of battle. As my hands bathed in Lianne''s blood, my mind was eaten up with rage yet again.


    I took the chance and picked up my sword which had fallen when I fell on the ground. I won''t let you-anybody steal another person from my life, not even god!


    The woman hid behind Zeline. So, I went straight for Zeline. The elf boy''s magic ran out and with my sword in one hand, I went straight for his head.


    "Don''t underestimate me," Zeline said as he coughed up blood. He was right, I was underestimating him. But I didn''t have any choice.. My rage might just have been my worst nemesis.

 Chapter 68 - Decisive Battles Need A Bang

    Zeline thrust his cleaver at me and I blocked it with mine but my sword snapped in two. My desperate struggle was snuffed in an instant. With one hand grabbed my throat and lifted me up. I couldn''t breathe; my throat felt like imploding. I don''t know why but fate really wants me to suffer, huh? But Lord Fate, I too have an answer for you.


    Both of my hands were free. At first, I tried to free myself but I was unable to do so. I was almost out of breath. My body wasn''t listening to me but I kept at it with sheer willpower alone. My sword was lying on the ground in pieces; so, there was only one option left. I brought out the knife and shot it through his neck: he saw it coming but he was too overconfident to dodge. I grinned as the last of my consciousness started to fade.


    He looked at my eyes in shock and then slammed me into the ground, breaking most of the bones of my left side, as I fell on my left shoulder. My heart stopped for a moment and made sure whether I was still alive or not: unfortunately, I was. And yet somehow I was still conscious.


    The damage was done. Zilane''s throat was liquefying and his body looked that of a dried fish. Within moments he started crumbling down. Man, talk about an overpowered knife. If I''d known this damn thing was this powerful I''d have used it long ago.


    "That knife, huh? Looks like you really might be able to pull it off after all," he ejaculated. "To think I''d be defeated with such a relic." He snickered. For a guy on a deathbed, he didn''t seem all that troubled.


    He was out of breath and dying and yet, nonchalant. Meanwhile, the woman beside him didn''t even look at her partner. She was standing there looking calm and quiet, as though the world was her garden and we were nothing but bugs.


    Zeline came to me as he kept on crumbling. I got the impression that he''d finish me off before perishing himself. But¡­


    He patted my head. "For centuries I''ve wandered in this world in search of an adversary worthy of my life. Yet it just had to be you, Daarc." He smiled. "I guess it really was fate. Don''t let this world corrupt you." He didn''t stutter. Not even once. "I hope you can stop him."


    I couldn''t speak. I didn''t know what to say. I was speechless. Something about his voice¡­ Something about that voice was nostalgic.


    "Give my regard to his highness, Daarc." His last smile was very humane and overflowed with regret. What? Why are you looking at me like that?


    "Hey, why me-"


    Zeline''s body liquefied and his whole body crumbled. Only his cleaver remained. What just happened?


    "You really do deserve more credit than I give you," the female demon said. Her grin was everlasting.


    "Prepare to die," Gorgan said as he got up and charged.


    "Hmm¡­ I think I''ll pass. I failed to kill the prince and the princess. And this idiot ended up dead as well. I guess he really was the weakest among us." She sighed, widened her grin, and glared. "Any more time wasted here, is actually pointless and embarrassing. As you can see, unlike him, I''m not driven by battle lust. And I don''t plan on dying anyway. So I''ll take my leave: I''ve already had enough fun for today." She gave Gorgan a seductive smile. "Besides, I for once don''t want to come near that knife or that stuff he has in his bag." She slowly dissipated with a burst of fading laughter.


    Gorgan missed her by a hair. The floral scent disappeared along with her.


    I-I I still didn''t know what was going on. Why would a demon pretend to know me and act like that toward me? Wasn''t he trying to kill me? But if he was, why wasn''t I dead? Who was that? My head went funny. I couldn''t think straight. Frankly, I couldn''t think at all.


    "Daarc! ... Daarc!"


    My senses returned when the elf-boy shook me. For the time being, I decided to put off these feelings.


    Now that both of them are gone, what will happen to the city? I looked around but almost nothing had changed. The mermaids were going on about their days, ravaging homes, killing people, and eating them alive. Why did we waste so much of our time here then? Everything felt meaningless.


    My teeth, grinded against each other, my burning intensified. With a pained grin I tightened my resolve. I drank the last sip from the elixir. It really was my life line.


    But something changed. It started pouring out of nowhere. I looked up. I was not prepared to see what I saw next. Oh no! "Guy''s we gotta run!"


    I picked up Lianne, Gorgan took the princess while a soldier picked up the nun, and then we ran. We ran for our lives. The tidal wave above the city- the water that was glaring at us from the top- was now falling, ever so slowly. We ran, ran and ran. It sped up and within moments engulfed the whole area. At first the west area drowned but soon the water dispersed into the whole city. Luckily we were a little further into the city but still the water submerged me to my neck and then settled down around my knees. I was drenched. It was hard moving around but we had no choice. Damn it! My heart throbbed just by thinking how many people might have drowned by misfortune.


    "Listen up. The masterminds are gone. Only these weaklings are left. We can do this. FOR THE CITY AND HER PEOPLE!" Gorgan screamed.


    It wasn''t a great speech but I couldn''t think of anything better than what he said: the soldiers were disheartened and so that was the best thing to do. If he couldn''t stir them up then we wouldn''t be able to even put up a fight.


    Lianne was still unconscious and so was the nun. "Gorgan, what can we do about these two?" The nun had passed out from overuse of her mana but Lianne''s condition was serious. She had a sip from the elixir and yet, she showed no signs of recovery.


    Gorgan was by the princess''s side. "Would you trust me and my men? I can vouch for their safety that way. Besides, I have to look after her highness as well."


    I didn''t have time to think about it. "Alright. You have my trust." But before anything, I bandaged Lianne''s wounds with some extra cloth. That was the least I could do.


    I trusted Gorgan and his men, and started killing every single mermaid I could find. My wounds weren''t healed but the elixir worked like a pain killer. I felt nothing, nothing at all. I didn''t know how I moved but I did. Basically at this point I might have looked like an undead, give or take some rot.


    Gorgan was protecting all three of them and I protecting him.


    I didn''t care if they were large, abominations or even child-like. All I cared was they were killers- every single one of them: the undead. But, killing them was not easy. Although they were undead and weak to my knife, they were fast and strong. For a moment I could hardly believe they lived underwater. But then again water still covered my knees, so it wasn''t all that much of an implausible scenario.


    Most of the mermaids were busy eating the people than hunting. This gave us the proper advantage of killing them while they ate, at the cost of hundreds. How could this happen! Do the gods really have no mercy? Nowadays I was a full believer but I detested the gods with all my might. Where were they when all these people suffered?


    Then there was the problem that the undead weren''t actually dying. Apart from me and Gorgan, the others were merely scattering the mermaids'' bodies. My knife worked just like Gorgan''s spear: maybe this knife really was an overpowered weapon. It was enough to kill the mermaids. But at what cost?


    I, elf boy and the rest of the soldiers were trying our best to keep things under control till sunrise, but it still wasn''t even close, and we could barely suppress them. It was also quite hard while three of the ladies were unconscious. Even the princess had no consciousness. So protecting the three ladies required some active heads. Gorgan was protecting them while fighting mermaids, and I was beside him, helping him kill these things. This can''t go on.


    "This is getting nowhere!" Gorgan said.


    "Damn it! We are outnumbered."


    At that time, we heard bombarding sounds from the top of the wall. So many catapults! Is- is that a cannon?

 Chapter 69 - An Orchestrated Miracle

    Massive balls of fire rained downed from the heavens outside the city wall. The rain was still here, but barely noticeable after the wave. There was a cannon-like object on top of the wall too, and it was eye-catching: it a bit too fat to be called a canon. If they were firing, then that could have meant only one thing. Those undead must be already here!


    "Looks like, this is it," I said. I hated to admit it but our luck was finally over. We were surrounded by undead inside the city and the city itself was surrounded from the outside. We couldn''t suppress just these undead, how were we supposed to anything about those outside? The only logical conclusion? We were screwed, there was no doubt about it.


    "I hate to say this, but probably it wasn''t a good thing we met," Gorgan said with a smile.


    If we weren''t dying, I''d have surely hit you myself. What was wrong with that guy''s sense of humor? Was he high or something?


    But just as fate seemed grim, people with torches, pitchforks, knives, and even swords came out. They came in crowds of hundreds- no thousands: men, women, and even the elderly. Heaven might have abandoned us but the people haven''t. The smile on my face returned. They looked almost like a mob.


    For once in my life, I was glad to be surrounded by people who I didn''t know.


    "I take back what I said before," Gorgan said. His face looked a little red and he looked away. I really couldn''t believe the guy.


    "It''s a bit too late to say that I think," a familiar but soft voice said.


    "My lady!" Gorgan jumped in excitement.


    "I think your concern should be the city, but not me," she said.


    "Oh my lady."


    Gorgan hugged her with passion. I hadn''t noticed but the princess got up. Tears welled up in Gorgan''s eyes and streamed down his cheeks. The princess didn''t protest. In fact, she also hugged him back.


    Although under normal circumstances this would have been sweet or cute, I was amazed he could pull that off, while mermaids were going around ripping throats off.


    "Ahem!" I still doubted the princess and the situation was critical so I couldn''t help but cough. "Let''s clear this up first."


    They separated from each other turning red. I wasn''t jealous okay... maybe a little.


    The help from the citizens proved essential for our survival. But, they were only civilians. So, many of them fell, but now we had an edge. With an astronomical increase in numbers, we were crushing the mermaids. But the sacrifice was too great to ignore.


    With countless lives lost we thinned the mermaids after a long-long struggle. Roughly half of the volunteers survived. Most of the mermaids were rotting on the floor. A good chunk of them were still alive but harmless. They''d probably be finished once the sun woke up. But won''t they be revived once the sun went down again? The thoughts really didn''t leave anything to be desired. This town had way too many tragedies on hand.


    The metallic scent of the air made my stomach crawl but, I had to bear it. But the other side! They are fighting on top of the wall already! I''d nearly forgotten about the other side of the wall. The cannon-like thing was a good reminder that our work wasn''t done yet. "Gorgan, we need to hurry to the wall."


    "That is correct," the elf boy said.


    For a moment I even forgot that he was there. There was a slight pain in my chest but I ignored it. Without a moment wasted we headed straight for the walls.


    On my way, all I saw were cries. People lost everything: homes, family, and above all their means to live. And yet it still wasn''t over.


    The spiral staircase ate up my stamina as I climbed up the wall, and I was left panting in want of air at the top.


    As expected, the undead were already here and banging on the steel-framed large wooden door. Some had gotten on top of the wall by stepping on themselves, making a ladder. Are they really that intelligent? Were undead intelligent, to begin with? All I knew about them that they liked to dine on human flesh and nothing more. But this wasn''t the time.


    "We heard the news lad. Well done. But we have our hands full as well. Sorry, we couldn''t send you any backup," Jocaur said while finishing off an undead. He was in the army so I guess news traveled fast in this town.


    I took a breather on top while they were still fighting.


    For a moment I felt like punching Jocaur. I don''t know why, but I felt like punching anything that I saw. He was worried about me and here I was acting all weird. Was I going mad?


    I didn''t reply but took a closer look around. There really was a cannon- or cannon-like thingy; I wasn''t hallucinating. There was an old geezer with glasses close to it. So there are people like him too?


    The princess had come to the top along with Gorgan and now was dishing out orders. The soldiers were surprised but they worked and followed orders with haste and obedience. She was more capable than I thought she''d be.


    Most of the undead were fairly close to the city: not many got on top of the wall. So they are out of firing range? However, there were quite a few problems. The most prominent one, there were far, far too many undead. So much so, that even the entire population of the city would pale in comparison. My heart throbbed at the sight of it. It wasn''t the pain of fear or anger. I felt as though my soul was being torn. What is this¡­?


    I clutched my hand on my chest and fell on my knees. It was the pain from before that I ignored all this time.


    "Are you okay?" the elf boy said, patting my back.


    "Argh!"


    The pain intensified. I had never felt pain like this. As if my whole body was crumbling down, while my soul was being torn apart from my living body.


    "Daarc!" a familiar voice shouted.


    "Lianne, you shouldn''t be here," I said as I struggled. I couldn''t breathe anymore. It was like someone had crushed both of my lungs and my heart.


    Lianne had arrived on top of the wall. She was bleeding yet refused to leave. I couldn''t believe she was still standing even after sustaining such wounds. But I was glad she finally woke up.


    Just looking at her made me smirk. "You''re a strange one huh?"


    "I don''t need to hear that from you." She sat down beside me.


    But my heartache didn''t stop. A glimmering light covered my chest and slowly parted from me. Sharp, intense, stabbing pain followed afterward. I passed out after hearing two sentences.


    "As promised, I will now fulfill my last duty to the people. So you can rest in peace." I saw an outline of Sisrael''s body.


    The whole world turned too bright and before I knew it, I lost my consciousness.

 Chapter 70 - And So The Grand Magic Saves The Day! Wait, What Grand-

    "There will always be guys like that. I''d been through it too. She should bear it and tell them upfront to stop. If she doesn''t it''ll never stop."


    My mother was in my room. "But she already tried that. She even complained at school but-"


    "You spoil her too much mom. If it were me, I''d have them groveling already."


    "Do I need to remind you how many times you spent crying in your room?" She was kind of right, so I didn''t really have an argument there. "Besides, she''s much kinder than you and-"


    "Argh, fine." I resigned myself.


    I woke up in a very soft bed. My clothes weren''t here. I was pretty much in my b-day suit underneath the sheet. It was embarrassing but oh well. I tried moving but my body hurt like hell. I couldn''t even move an inch. I had loads and loads of scars and bandages. Do I really have to live with these?


    The first thing I noticed was the ceiling and the extravagant chandelier. Why does that thing have so many crystals? I checked my body to see if all my limbs were still attached. Luckily they were. However, moving my body was very hard and painful: as though every fiber in my body was screaming in pain. My chest pain was gone but still, I couldn''t move.


    The rest of the room was quite spacious. I moved my head around. I didn''t have anything better to do after all. No one was beside me. So, that only happens in fairytales huh? There were flowers by the window and the curtains were flowing. I did want someone to be by my side when I woke up but that never happened.


    Faint floral scents swam in the air; in fact, the air was breezing and felt somewhat good. The breeze flowed in and danced around, but I was too absorbed staring at the ceiling. Seems to be daylight. What happened to the city? Is everyone okay?


    I realized a little late, but before passing out we were fighting a dreaded battle. Many lives must have been lost. And here I was admiring a chandelier instead of worrying about them, but, I couldn''t help it. I couldn''t move and no one came inside my room: what more would you expect of such a man?


    Well if I''m alive, then it means things worked out. I sighed and just lied. I couldn''t do anything now even if I wanted to anyway.


    Knock! There was a knock on the door and a young lady came in. Why knock? What if I was sleeping?


    It was the princess and behind her were two maids. She was dressed in a dark yellow dress overflowing with embroidery. Her pink cheeks resonated with the air and I could feel a familiar rage boiling within me. Calm down, calm down. It wasn''t her, it wasn''t her. I knew she was just being controlled but I just couldn''t hide my grin of despair and rude stare.


    But something else was on my mind. Oh crap, I''m nude. I tried my best to keep the blanket from swaying.


    "Ah, I was right. You''re awake. Allow me to introduce myself. But before, first things first," she said with a velvet tone.


    She bowed. She bowed right afterwards. What''s going on? I was startled. What was she thinking?


    "Hey! What are you doing? Lift your head already. Aren''t you a princess?"


    "But this needed to be done as soon as possible," she lifted her head.


    I was bewildered by her smile once again. She was kind of childish. I''d bet that she was at least a year or two younger than me. But her looks were definitely mature.


    "Now then, that''s out of the way. Let us pick up where we left off."


    What the hell is she going on about? And why is she- the princess here?


    "I am princess Beatrine, third daughter of the late king Eldowund. You have my deepest respect and thanks. I must also apologize for all the trouble I''ve caused you. Please forgive me," she said as she bowed again.


    Is it me or does everyone have weird names in this world? "That''s enough. Now you''re just embarrassing me." It was kind of embarrassing but something else was much more shameful. I couldn''t tell that to the princess though.


    She grinned when I said that. Was that a political ploy or just a heartfelt apology? I couldn''t differentiate.


    She lifted her head again and smiled even more widely. Her teeth were really white. I was yet again marveled. What is this? I haven''t felt this way for like forever! It was like I was going through puberty all over again. The two maids stayed quiet and watched us in silence.


    "Anyway, what are you doing here," I said.


    "Just to, thank you of course."


    "That''s it?"


    "Yup," she said closing her eyes and with a smile. As much as I liked her smile, I wanted to smack her good, so, she''d learn to distinguish between annoyance and productivity. She really was kind of selfish. "Now that I''ve seen you, I suppose I should return to my works."


    "What happened to the city?" I asked.


    "It''s all here. We were saved by a miracle," she said as she looked at me and added, "Your miracle."


    I couldn''t get what she implied so I asked. "What do you mean?" Something about the way she''d said it, made me wonder.


    "I''m not really good at explaining these things so, I''d tell Gorgan¡­ I mean Sir Jelight to tell you," she stuttered. Her pink-white face became reddish. I see. So that''s what going on between you two¡­. I knew that Gorgan was head over heels for the princess but I didn''t know that the princess was like that too. Now I had another thing to be jealous of that dork. "Anyway, rest well. Refina, stay behind and see that all his needs are met."


    "Yes, my lady." A maid by her side bowed and smiled.


    Whatever needs? Calm down, Daarc. This isn''t the time to think about stupid things. Calm down! I wasn''t thinking lewd things at all. No sir!


    "Thank you for stopping me." I could hear her whisper but she''d already turned around and didn''t wait for my reply. She left and one of the maids stayed behind. I couldn''t really get any information out of her.


    The maid''s smile never faltered. Maybe they needed to smile at all times? She was pretty and I could tell that this one was one of Beatrine''s personal maids. I stared at her and she blinked rarely. And then just like that I''d remembered the state I was in.


    "So, sir, are you hungry? Or maybe you feel pain and need medicines? I could call the priest right now, if you''d like."


    "No, that''s okay," I said, a little embarrassed. "Can I get some clothes instead?" My tone was the very epitome of embarrassment.


    "Of course!"


    She ran outside and brought back fancy clothes. If I weren''t mistaken I saw Gorgan wear something like these underneath his armor before.


    She looked away and I clothed myself as fast as I could. It still hurt like hell to move my body but it was better than spending my time nude. When there''s a will there''s a way. And apparently my will to get clothed was stronger than any pain my body could produce.


    Why the hell was I like this to begin with though? There wasn''t anybody I could ask that without dying out of embarrassment, so I kept quiet about it.


    "I''m really glad you came to this town. No matter what the rumors about you say, I believe in you. I know you are kind." She gazed out of the window.


    Me? Wait, what rumors? "Umm¡­ excuse me, what do you mean by rumors?" I buttoned my shirt.


    "It doesn''t matter. You could never be his chosen warrior destined to destroy the world." She turned around: her eyes sparkled.


    His chosen warrior? What in the world is happening? I didn''t get my answer. I wasn''t feeling hungry and I most certainly didn''t want to see the priest. That guy would probably use this chance and force his religion on me again. And who knows what kind of revelation he''d have for me. I lied again and before long fell asleep.


    I woke up around the afternoon when the sunlight seemed warm in color. This time my stomach signaled me that it required some attention but I ignored that. The maid Refina was sleeping in a chair next to my bed. This might not be that bad¡­.


    "Well, at least he''s awake this time," Gorgan said from the outside.


    Took you long enough, jerk. I beginning to think you guys had forgotten all about me.


    Three people came inside: Gorgan, old man Jocaur and the nun.


    "The nun? Why are you here? And should you move already?"


    She looked a little confused. "Has no one told you? And it''s Meriane. Please engrave it in your soul as I have yours. "


    I ignored her last sentence and pretended I''d never heard it. "What exactly?"


    "It''s been one full week since the battle already."


    I didn''t really need to know that though. More like I didn''t want to. "I see," I said tying my lips together and looking like a moron. But two weeks? Two¡­weeks? Literally!?


    "Anyway, I''m glad you''re okay. I never knew you had so much power," Jocaur said looking proud.


    "What the hell are you guys saying? We accomplished this together, remember?" I said. If I were alone, I''d never have able to beat that fish head, anyway.


    There was more to that together though. I didn''t want them to think I was some selfish boaster. I wanted to be as friendly toward them as possible.


    "I''m touched. I never knew you had so much humility," Jocaur said, tears welling up in his eyes.


    "It''s okay," I said. But the effect was much stronger than I expected. In fact all three of them looked too happy and too proud. Did I step on an emotional mine or something? What is going on? I sighed, took a deep breath and glared at Gorgan. "You look like the most sensible person here. Care to explain why they are treating me like this?"


    "You don''t remember? You casted the grand spell of holy flare and eradicated every single undead. It was a magnificent honor to witness such magnificence with sheer presence. For once I felt regret for not witnessing it fully as I was blinded by the light." Gorgan too seemed a little over board with pride and admiration.


    "Say wha¡­" I was in a daze. Just what the hell were these three spouting?


    Huh? Huh! What grand spell? I couldn''t even use magic to save my life let alone save others!


    "Yes, I consider myself to be lucky for witnessing something as grand as that," Jocaur proudly declared.


    Why be proud of something like that? And what grand spell!


    "Well you seem, okay now. Refina!" She didn''t wake up. "Good job," Gorgan tapped Refina''s shoulder. The poor girl was still sleeping in spite of our conversation.


    "Yawbn* huh! Oh, sir Gorgan. I-I you see-I," She couldn''t say anything, She was too flustered. Gorgan tried to calm her down. But honestly, I''d have preferred if someone was calming me down instead. My mind was going haywire.


    "How''s your condition. Does it hurt too much?" Meriane asked.


    "It hurts to move. Nothing too severe though," I said. I was still recovering from the emotional shock these guys just inflicted on me but I couldn''t say it out loud, now could I?


    "Hmm¡­ you''ve sustained significant damage. So normal healing spells wouldn''t do much. Your injuries are mostly healed but your mana system has taken a significant hit. I''ll see if her highness would allocate a few potions to you. Potions should at least ease your pain. But you''d need a long time before these wounds can fully heal." Meriane didn''t sugarcoat my condition. I was glad, she was being honest.


    "Thank you. " I still had thousands of questions but these three morons were just stepping on my nerves instead of actually explaining stuff. "Gorgan, you were there right? Can you tell me more about what happened?"


    "I don''t think I can tell you much. All I saw was a flash of light and the undead were gone," he said.


    Useless¡­.


    Weren''t Lianne and the elf boy with me? "That reminds me. What happened to Lianne and the elf boy?"


    "The elf boy? Ha hah." Gorgan laughed, hysterically. "What a sense of humor." I didn''t know the name of the elf boy yet, but that didn''t mean I was making fun of him.


    "He''s fine. Lady Lianne, on the other hand, is severely weak and still recovering," Meriane added. Her voice seemed a little off. Maybe she was still recovering herself. The other two however looked fit.


    I was glad to know that they were at least doing okay. "I see. I''d like to visit them."


    "First you''ll have to get well," she added.


    I groaned. They didn''t really answer me and left me even more confused. The three of them left after saying goodbye and again only the maid remained. The light became redder and redder. Finally, it was evening. Refina had yet again fallen asleep. She was drooling in her sleep. An urge to draw something on her face emerged within me. Isn''t there anything here that I could use to draw? But then again I couldn''t move my hands properly anyway.


    Life seemed pretty boring, lying in bed. Refina woke up, wiped the drool off her face, and went outside. For once, I actually felt lonely. I was a shut-in nerd, so, I never even considered the possibility of me being lonely. Fate can really be cruel at times and contradicting too.. Or maybe I was just hypocritical.

 Chapter 71 - Boring But Enjoyable Life

    There wasn''t much light coming out of the window. I could see faint traces of lights far away. It was proof that we were still inside the city, and quite high up to be frank: but more importantly, there were people outside. It calmed my heart if only a little.


    The room was lit by two burning lamps. Refina had lighted them before leaving. Will I really be able to get powerful enough to beat that monster? If I can''t, I won''t be able to return home and millions might die¡­. And who was that Zeline? His voice- My thoughts were all over the place. I couldn''t really focus on anything.


    Knock! After a solid knock, Refina entered the room along with the elf boy. She brought food in three plates. I wouldn''t lie, my stomach was roaring and they looked too delicious.


    It wasn''t the usual bread and soup I was used to. Rather it was a full course meal. There was bread and soup but there was also rice, fried chicken ( it wasn''t that good) and most importantly, lemon juice. The contents of each plate were different though.


    I ate as both of them pleasantly stared. One by one I finished all three plates. I also downed all three glasses of lemon juice. Honestly, it was the best meal I had in this world. Wait, three people, three plates¡­. "Sorry guys. I forgot about you guys," I said while halfway through the last plate. I might have been a little too dense.


    "It''s okay, there''s always more food in the kitchen. But I wished you''d told me earlier that you were this hungry." Refina looked a little sad.


    After finishing and drinking all the water I could gulp down, I let out a burp and lied down. Not very gentlemanly, was it? But it was definitely the best meal I had in ages and that was for sure.


    "Thank you." The elf boy bowed.


    What is up with this world and bowing? At this point, it was just embarrassing. I smiled. "It''s okay. There''s no need."


    "But-"


    I changed the subject. "Anyway, how''s Lianne?"


    "She''s too weak to walk around. I''m afraid she might¡­" He didn''t finish. I could tell what he meant.


    "Do you think there''s anything we could do?"


    "Not in this country. Maybe if we could get back to Alfeim-"


    "I''d stop it there sir," Refina cut into the conversation.


    I got the feeling something was up but I ignored it for the time being. "I''m glad you''re alright. Once I''m up and running-"


    "Thank you. But please worry about yourself first." The elf boy left hastily. I could see the pain in his eyes. I on the other hand didn''t want to rush things. If Lianne was really in a bad state, rushing in my current state would have only complicated things.


    "Sir, now that you''ve finished eating, please rest well," Refina said.


    "I was planning on it."


    Closing my eyes I tried to stop my thoughts but I couldn''t. Refina blew out the lamps and left. The room was quiet and dark. There weren''t any insect chirps: there weren''t any sounds. I couldn''t sleep even if I wanted to. There were just too many things in my head.


    Why now of all time, Alicia? Did you come back to haunt me? How did that demon know about you anyway? But she''s¡­. I still couldn''t trust the words of the emperor. My sister died because of my fault and maybe that''s why I was going through this. I didn''t want to run away from the fact but maybe in the end, I really was the one who was running away instead of making up his mind and standing his ground. Even now, I still couldn''t forgive myself. So how could my family forgive me if I couldn''t?


    Before I knew it, I nodded off and abruptly woke up. The sound of a single step echoed throughout the room. The window was open and the curtains, blowing. So it wasn''t inconceivable to think that someone would come from the window.


    As my eyes were closed all this time, I could see at least somewhat in the dark. Two oval blue eyes pierced the darkness and looked straight at me. I could make out a vague shadow.


    "Elf boy?"


    "Yes Daarc, it''s me." He came closer.


    How the hell do you know my name and I don''t know yours? Is it me or is this happening a bit too much these days? It was kind of embarrassing when people called your name and you couldn''t call them by theirs. But it probably felt infuriating to the other party. Maybe I''ll ask his name when it''s not awkward.


    "What brings you at this hour?"


    He maintained his distance and spoke softly. But as there wasn''t much noise, I could hear him clearly. "We needed to talk."


    "Alright go ahead." I expected this, at least to some extent.


    "We need to head to Alfeim within two weeks. I don''t think Lianne would last any longer than that," he pleaded.


    I was glad he went straight to the point. So Lianne¡­ even though you were that injured, you still reached out for me? Although it was tragic, I couldn''t help but grin inside. I''d never seen anybody care for me that much. Of course I didn''t let it show on my face. No matter how glad I was showing a grin would have meant great disrespect. "How long does it take to reach Alfeim?"


    "One month on land."


    My mind was boggling. Wait did he say on land? What about- I knew he''d suggest the sea but I still asked him anyway. "So there''s another way to get there? The sea perhaps?"


    "Thank the heavens you catch on quick. You see, we can easily get there within a week using mechanical ships but-"


    Mechanical ships, huh? If the guy who built that cannon, could build a steam engine¡­. "They won''t give it to you, because it''s some sort of military asset?" It was a rough guess but I could picture something like that.


    "Yes."


    It was only normal. That''s what any country would do. "What about normal boats?"


    "It will take a little more than two weeks, if the weather remains favorable." His words weren''t really that convincing.


    "So that''s a gamble as well."


    "So that''s why I''m here."


    "What do you mean?" I suspected he''d want my help. It was only natural. But I acted dumb. I wanted to see his resolve. And besides, I was injured and couldn''t move around. My bowels didn''t grumble yet, but when they wanted to move, I''d be in a messy situation. So I had a lot of other things to worry about too.


    "I beg of you, please help me save her¡­. Please," he bowed his head down to the ground. "You have already done so much for us. It pains me to ask more of you but, please. I will forever be your slave if you should desire. So please!"


    I knew he was some sort of nobility. But this act of kindness was something out of the picture. The guy wanted to be my slave in return for my help. He''s resolve was that strong? So, I could only meet him head on. "What are you doing? Get up!" I made him get up.


    There were faint traces of tears in his cheeks. He must have gone through a lot in these last few days. "I was too rash. If only I was-"


    "Don''t blame yourself. If you think what you did was wrong then make sure you don''t make the same mistake again. That''s the only way to repent¡­." That''s how the world worked. It wasn''t a game where you could just hit the reset button. Real world had real consequences. Once something is done, you can never change it. You can only repent and hope for the best. I knew that first hand. No matter how much I cried, no matter how I tried, my sister, my Alicia won''t come back from the grave. "And don''t worry about the payment. I won''t ask for something like slavery. I''d rather settle for some special training, so that I could get stronger." Besides, I already knew the elves were stronger than typical humans anyway. So maybe I could even end up learning magic.


    "Thank you." He paused. "In that case once I''m home I''ll arrange it for you. I will leave now. You need your rest." He swiped the droplets of tears from his eyes and sniffed. He almost sounded like someone high and mighty. I already suspected him to be nobility so it wasn''t really surprising.


    "You should get some rest too."


    He went closer to the window and asked something which I didn''t know the answer to. His voice stiffened up a little. "How did you do it?"


    "Did what?"


    "That spell."


    "You were there, right? Can you tell me what happened?" I still didn''t know much about the things about that night, let alone the spell and all that.


    His voice was devoid of emotion. "You released a sphere of light and passed out. That sphere grew rapidly and covered the entire region wiping out all the undead. But just between you and me, I saw it talking to you: I couldn''t understand anything though. In ancient texts, that spell was written as one of the sacred spells- a grand spell lost in time." The guy really knew his history. I got the feeling that I''d learn a lot from him if I became friends with him or something. So making him owe me wasn''t such a bad idea after all.


    "I see. Let''s just call it a miracle and leave it at that for now."


    "Very well," he said in a calm voice and jumped off. "I shall trust you," he murmured.


    Elves must really have been great jumpers. But he''d given me a few answers. I could finally understand why Sisrael gave me that light. It was also probably her voice that I heard before passing out for good.


    So it was you, Sisrael. I really hope you find your true peace. And thank you for everything¡­.


    With a long dream of my childhood, I woke up feeling grumpy.. But somehow, I felt better than before.

 Chapter 72 - So Right, Yet So Wrong. Could I Suck Any More At Lying?

    I gulped down two whole plates of food this morning. Refina stared at me with wonder as I finished my meal and lied down again. My body was messed up pretty bad. So, I couldn''t move much. The pain didn''t go down? I thought I''d at least recover a little. But it didn''t. Did my curse weaken or something? Where was that damn thing when I needed it?


    Sometime later Meriane came inside. For some reason, she smelt good. Some kind of perfume perhaps?


    Along with her came Gorgan. As usual, the lady killer had a lady-killing aura. I wouldn''t have been surprised if there was a fan club of sorts for him even in this world. Actually, come to think of it, there was, wasn''t there?


    These two had at least some ulterior motives. However, I could get the impression that they liked me; how much so, that I couldn''t and didn''t want to comprehend.


    "Drink this," Meriane said. It was as though she was offering medicine to a toddler.


    "This is?"


    She had a cup of red liquid. It almost looked like blood. But smelt like wine. "A high potion. Quite rare and expensive. But luckily, her highness has given you three of these for your exploits." He handed it over, and it definitely smelt like red wine.


    Some part of me tells me that''s just bribery. But I suppose I shouldn''t judge people out of assumptions.


    I drank a full cup of the potion. What a taste. It tasted exactly like red wine, without the punch of alcohol. I had a liking for grapes, so I liked the flavor. This is bad¡­. I think I can get hooked to this¡­. I erased the thought from my mind the moment it appeared.


    My wounds didn''t heal much. But the pain eased. I could stand on my feet and move around, albeit on a limited scale.


    "This is amazing!" Of course I meant the taste.


    Meriane smiled. "Yes, it is. But don''t forget that they are very expensive, and use them accordingly." She didn''t hand me the remaining two. "I''ll hold on to these. They say high potions have a refined taste, so people often go bankrupt trying to acquire one. We can''t have that with you, right?"


    "I will. And yeah, I understand." I had to act humble even though I didn''t really have the potions. But I could see where she was coming from. It really did taste quite nice.


    "Now that you can move around, want to head to the throne room? I believe her highness has some business with you," Gorgan said.


    So that''s why you were here? "First I''d like to visit Lianne," I said.


    "Of course." Gorgan sweated and looked a little awkward. Perhaps it was just my imagination.


    He led me to Lianne''s room. Mariane followed us. Compared to my room it had less lighting, small, and seemed kind of grey. The elf boy was there too. He was holding Lianne''s hand. Something about it made my heart feel heavy.


    "I promise you, I will find a way to get you there, even at the cost of my life," he said. He hadn''t seen us yet. Or perhaps he was saying that because he saw us. he had excellent eyesight after all.


    "Calm down. Remember what I told you?" I said.


    Honestly, I couldn''t bear to see Lianne like this. She was much more pale than usual. She looked skinny, and I felt horrible.


    He turned around, shocked. "Daarc! You can move now?"


    I ignored the elf boy''s query. "She never awoke?" I asked.


    "She fainted right after you, and hasn''t opened her eyes since," he said as his eyes sparkled with tears.


    "Don''t worry. I think I know what to do," I said.


    Beatrine might not like it, but I suppose I can at least give it a shot.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Daarc, I think we should head back. It won''t be wise to poke our nose in the Elf''s business," Gorgan whispered. I couldn''t follow his reasoning. Why shouldn''t I be involved with them?


    But for the time being, I listened to Gorgan. "I''ll see you later," I said.


    "Okay." Elf boy didn''t make a scene. He just stayed there.


    Afterward we headed towards the throne room. The only way to understand all this is to speak with the most powerful person here. I didn''t have a plan, parse. But I did have some ideas. And the princess probably won''t like any of them.


    My impression of the castle changed quite drastically since the last visit. I had to admit, I was wrong. Only the first half of the castle was made out of stone and looked like the castles found in the history books. However, the rest of the castle was made from something special. Something I had never seen before. This special something was like metal and floated. Yes, you heard me right, they floated! That''s why the castle had a narrow base yet had seven floors: each with a unique layout. And I''d only seen one of them on my first visit. No wonder I''d thought this was ordinary.


    "By the way, how come you were able to kill the undead?" I said.


    Normally even with the coating on my sword, I could only severe the undead''s body but they didn''t die unless exposed to direct sunlight. However, Lianne''s knife was quite effective in that regard. That was the only weapon that could perfectly kill an undead. So when Gorgan effortlessly killed more and more undead, it only made me curious.


    "I''m a holy knight."


    "I heard. And?" I wasn''t letting him off the hook and he knew it.


    He sighed. "You see¡­"


    He explained it to me. Apparently, holy knights were handed a special technique by the royal church in the capital. It all depended on one''s purity of the soul and their ideals on whether they''d be able to use the power or not: sounded like utter BS. That power on the other hand was similar to magic but instead of using mana to cast spells, they used it to coat their body and weapons. But the only people eligible for such training were ones with holy affinity. And they even made sure to seal away the actual memories of the technique somehow to prevent leaks. Seemed a little too clich¨¦ to me but rather effective. But why keep it a secret? Wouldn''t making it public help the people more? Gorgan didn''t seem comfortable when I asked him that. He just brushed it off saying ''''please don''t ask me that.''''


    It took some time to get there, as I had to move at a rather slow pace. But finally, I''d gotten some good clues about this how this world worked. If the church had made the technique public that more and more general people would be able to use it and the undead crisis would subsidy at least to some extent. But this way, they won''t be able to maintain their position. I''d seen such practices more than enough in my own world. Every history books had at least some form of this. I narrowed my eyes, exhaled, and moved on. Something really was wrong with this world, and it wasn''t just the undead. It was the living too.


    A massive double door opened up and we went inside. Somebody declared our arrival in a stout voice. Refina and Gorgan were here with me. Mariane too was here: she''d been awfully quiet for a while though. Although every one of them bowed I didn''t: more like I couldn''t.


    The princess greeted me with her smile. "Welcome, Daarc. I believe the potion has worked?"


    "Yes, as you can see so, it has certainly worked. Thank you for giving me something so valuable." I had to play my cards right.


    "You''re welcome. You must be wondering why I summoned you here despite your injuries, correct?"


    It was kind of odd how Gorgan had phrased his words so I was curious. "Can''t say that thought didn''t cross my mind." But it would have been more surprised if she didn''t have questions for me. After all, this all started because of me.


    "Well I wanted to talk about the emperor you see," she said.


    She got straight to the main issue. I was here because of the damn emperor, to begin with. So it was only natural she''d ask me that. the question, however, wasn''t to my liking.


    "The emperor? So you were conscious?" However the princess was being controlled. So I didn''t really think she''d know that. Other people could have filled her in on it as well, I suppose.


    "It''s true I was being controlled but I was still conscious of what was transpiring around me." She looked a little down. "Besides, my vessels have filled me in where I''d lacked."


    "I see." But then-


    Before I could dwindle in thought she bombarded me. "So, what happened? Why did the emperor come all the way to this city for?" Her eyes were glaring at me and I could tell everyone''s eyes were on me. She''d recovered way too fast.


    Would it be better to say the truth? I pondered for a moment and then tried to answer in a haze. "I-"


    "My lady, if I may," Jocaur stood up.


    He was here with the knights. Some other people were here too. I''d assumed they were nobles.


    "Yes, go ahead." Beatrine squinted her eyes but she didn''t protest.


    "He has saved us and proved that he was telling the truth. I believe it would be the rudest thing to ask of him to verify his words, yet again." It was surprising really. I knew he trusted me quite a lot. But I never thought he''d go on and petition the princess on my behalf. My respect for the man shot up by miles.


    "I too believe that, my lady," Gorgan spoke up. I was glad to have some backing. But this one I didn''t anticipate. I never thought Gorgan of all people would rebel against the princess- his love.


    There were some whisperings inside the court. With a barely audible sigh, Beatrine spoke. "Very well. I will refrain from asking that." She shot a dejected look at Gorgan. Gorgan quickly averted his eyes. Just what was going on with these two people? "Now let''s get down to business. I''ve already seen your strength first hand. You are no ordinary warrior, but do you think you can beat one of the Monarchs? But wait, didn''t you already beat one? Doesn''t that count?"


    She had a point. I was cornered. "But I didn''t do it alone and the Monarch I''m supposed to defeat was bigger and well- kind of had a large thingy- I mean-" I was running a little low on imagination.


    "I see." Just what the hell do you see? She paused. "And what was that? My retainers tell me, that was magic, but humans-"


    Her speech and conduct were different from when she spoke to me alone. Maybe that''s just how she was. But her questions were precise. If I didn''t answer adequately I got the feeling that anything could happen.


    "No," I said without hesitation. Truth to be told that slipped out of my mouth; because deep down I knew I couldn''t beat the emperor or his puppets, as I was. "As for that, it really was a spell but I wasn''t the one who cast it. I had some help from an acquaintance. Can we just leave it at that?"


    The whispers became louder. It was a tall order and I didn''t think they''d take me seriously after what I''d just said.


    She gasped. "I see. I was hoping you were some sort of chosen warrior of god capable of wielding magic, but there goes that. You do however have holy affinity, so maybe¡­."


    Sorry to disappoint you but I''m the chosen warrior. Chosen warrior of the demon lord that is. It was almost laughable how screwed up my life was.


    "We have a year, correct? What do you plan to do in that time?" She supported her head on her hands. She almost seemed cute.


    "I''ll be honest with you. I''m neither strong enough nor skilled. So the first thing I''d like to do is to acquire skills and get the best equipment I can find," I said.


    I didn''t have time to think about all this. To be more precise, I never gave it time, to begin with. But now that I think about it, I really needed to get stronger.


    "Hmm... that would be wise. But how would you increase your skills?" She won''t give me a break, will she?


    I''d watched and played enough games to know how to get strong. I hoped the same fundamental theory would apply here as well. "By traveling around the world and searching for good equipment." And hopefully not dying.


    I was kind of flustered. There wasn''t much to say as I didn''t really think about it or rather didn''t have enough time to think about it.


    "That would make sense. Yes, you should search for mystic weapons. Without them you''d end up minced in seconds," she struck a thinking pose and said.


    Minced? The way she phrased herself, left a lot to be desired. "Mystic weapons?"


    Her eyes glared at me in confusion. "You don''t know about them? I thought you were talking about them when you said ''good equipment."


    Shouldn''t have asked that I suppose. I tried to play it cool, but I was drowning in sweat. Wasn''t this supposed to be just a greetings exchange thing? Why the hell was I getting interrogated with this much intensity? I knew the reason, but that didn''t help me ease up.


    "There are three legendary equipment, each possessing mystic powers, and names," Gorgan said.


    Ahh¡­Gorgan to the rescue. "Where can I find them?" I was being stupid and a jerk. Something about my conduct was rude but I couldn''t really change my own self, not at this point.. What''s worse, I was aware of it.

 Chapter 73 - Maybe She Wasn’t So Bad, After All?

    "No one knows. If they were easy enough to find, they wouldn''t be called mystic, now would they?"


    Then how the hell, am I supposed to find them? Ignoring everything I continued to display my ignorance. "That makes sense? What are they, exactly?"


    Beatrine picked up. "There are a bunch of legends about them. Some say the three pieces are: a sword, spear, and shield. Some say a bow, armor and sword. Some even say they are: a helmet, shin guards, and sword! Frankly, the legends are all over the place." She got a little excited over the legends. She immediately controlled it and acted all dignified again.


    Is it me or the sword shows up in every legend? "I see. So the legends are not that trustworthy," I said.


    "Anyway, you should first head to the capital. I believe my brother would be very welcoming of you and definitely give you resources such as money, equipment, and protection," Beatrine said. Then she smiled. "Besides we already have a special sword in the capital. And I assure you, it''s very powerful." And a very tempting offer too.


    Gorgan decided to butt in again. "Yes, and I''ll also recommend you to the church for the special training."


    So that''s your plan. I knew something was up when I was showered with praise and potions. I knew it and it all came down as I expected. However, it wasn''t all that bad. I had planned to go to the capital anyway. And now I''d have Gorgan''s recommendation as well. It was the best reward I could ask for. But my mind was made up.


    "Sorry, but I already have a place in mind," I said.


    "That would be?"


    "Alfeim."


    Beatrine''s face stiffened a little. One of her veins on her forehead popped up. It was uncomfortable. "I see. So that brat was poisoning you all along."


    From mere context, I could understand that relations between men and elves weren''t too hot. But in that case why were the elves here in the first place? What''s more, they were betrayed. If the princess didn''t handle the situation properly this could get a lot more complicated. I wouldn''t be surprised if war broke out over this.


    Something must have happened between these guys.


    "I don''t think you should speak of someone like that in their absence, princess," a voice said. Someone was present inside the room and we hadn''t even noticed before. But I did recognize the voice.


    "How did you get in here?" The princess looked flustered.


    "You didn''t forget I possess magic did you?" It was the elf boy: his voice, haughtier than usual. He had a determined look. The knights tried to surround him but Beatrine signaled them not to.


    He came close to the throne and bowed. "Princess Beatrine, please. Give me one of your prototype vessels. I give you my word, I will repay this debt."


    "I believe I''ve already made myself clear. I can''t do that. That vessel is a prototype and a national treasure. Besides, it doesn''t even work properly."


    The debate got heated and without a doubt, things didn''t really look all that great. Sigh* what the hell am I supposed to do now? "Excuse me, what is this prototype vessel we''ve been talking about?" I was obviously the only one who had no idea what was going on here.


    "It''s a boat that uses steam instead of conventional methods,"Gorgan said.


    "So, it''s a boat powered by a steam engine?" I didn''t think my predictions would end up being true but that might have been a blessing in disguise.


    "You know of it?" Gorgan seemed a little surprised.


    "Yeah, of course." Obviously, I knew about it. I had a passion for everything 19th century.


    Actually, everybody was somewhat surprised. The princess however wore a dignified smile. "What do you say- you pay a visit and check it out?"


    "Sure." It was a good opportunity. That way I could verify things as well.


    "Gorgan, lead him to old man Zeorando''s place. I believe we''ve found the last piece of the puzzle." Beatrine seemed too sure of herself.


    I took a gamble and prepared myself. "Tell me, princess, if the boat works, would you let me borrow it and travel to Alfeim? If so, then I''d visit the capital just like you asked."


    It was worth a shot. If she really wanted me in the capital then she''d agree. But I prepared myself for more requests. I didn''t think she''d agree easily.


    "So your intention was that all along? Very well. If you can make it work, I''d grant you a passage to Alfeim. But-" She agreed faster than I''d expected and that caught me off-guard. With a gulp, I waited. What conditions would she instruct? Her serious expression subsided. She wore a gentle smile like the one she''d shown me when she came to visit me when I''d woken up. "Be sure to travel safely and gather the equipment along with the skills."


    It took me by surprise. But she seemed genuinely concerned about me. Maybe I''d misjudged her. She might be nicer than I thought.


    "I actually have two more requests¡­" I didn''t know how I could bring this up. I wasn''t really great at negotiating. I could bargain at a store, but negotiating was just not my thing.


    "Let''s hear them." Beatrine however, didn''t shot me down.


    "There''s a village just south of the big mountains that way." I wasn''t making sense, but hopefully, they knew what I was talking about. "They were suffering quite a lot from curses. Could you provide a priest so that-"


    "And? What''s the second one?" Beatrine didn''t even blink.


    So I can assume it was just granted? Just like that? "The second one is a little tricky." I concealed my awkwardness and acted a little more serious. "I think it would be best for this city to not let another slum happen. Of course, you know what I mean."


    Most of the nobles grimaced while the knights had faint grins. From the looks of it, I had plenty of support.


    "I''ll take it into consideration. The first one, however, I''ll ask the church myself." Beatrine''s smile was no more and she just stared at me with utter seriousness. She really was a princess. Her royal attitude was on another level from what she''d shown me before. "However, I''d expect you to be at least more favorable to our nation."


    I smiled. I''d achieved all of my goals and with relatively good results. "Of course. Alright then, I''d take my leave now," I said.


    "Yes, please be careful. And prince, Araan, stop feeding him lies," she said looking at the elf boy.


    The elf boy gave a stare to the princess and looked at me. He was unnerved.


    My eyes twitched. Just what the hell had I gotten myself into? "Prince!!!"


    "Sorry I hid that from you," he said.


    The look on the princess''s face made me stay on the edge. She was right and she knew it. That''s how confident she was. After all, the elf boy really did lie to me but under normal circumstances, I''d have done the same.


    Something was definitely up but I was still glad.


    I made a gesture of lowering my head but I couldn''t lower it. "Thank you Beatri- You''re Highness."


    "You''re welcome." Her usual smile was back.


    I wanted to thank her some more but Gorgan hastily led me out of the room. He sighed and stared at me and the prince.


    Once outside I talked with the elf boy. He seemed rather cheered up. "Why didn''t you tell me you were a prince?"


    "I missed my timing. Anyway, good luck." He too left hastily.


    I didn''t blame him. Under those circumstances, no one would give their identity to a random stranger, even if he (me) saved his life.


    So that''s what that bitch meant by not being able to kill the prince! I really hated that female demon.


    I was pretty busted so we rested by the royal garden before setting out. It was a pretty sight. Only I and Gorgan were here. Some gardeners were in the distance but they were far enough to not hear our conversation.


    "I didn''t know he was a prince either: I''d heard that he was a high-ranking noble in the empire. I don''t know how much you trust them, but know this that the elves have done a lot of horrible things in the past."


    I knew where he was coming from. The history book I''d read said something like that too. If they were peaceful they were the calmest but if they were angered they''d be worse than demons. So I didn''t boycott him. And I didn''t reply either.


    He didn''t like my silence and questioned me instead. "So you''re telling me that spell wasn''t yours?"


    I was taken aback. "You don''t believe me?"


    "Frankly I don''t want to. If you were capable of doing that much, I could hope you would do well but-"He paused and sighed.


    "Well, I suppose you''re right."


    "But even so, you defeated a Monarch, on your last legs. I think you still have a shot. You just have to prepare well."


    I sighed. "I suppose you''re right. But we achieved that together. So don''t give me all that credit." Besides, that female demon had said something about the shark face being the weakest of the bunch. If wasn''t even laughable anymore. The weakest? My ass! He was nothing like anything I''d fought before. If it wasn''t for the elixir and a stroke of luck I''d be dead ten times over.


    And more importantly, I didn''t have any more of that elixir. So I didn''t really have all that much confidence. I still kept the empty bottle though. Thinking back on the elixir, just who was that man? I still didn''t know anything about him.


    "You really are modest, huh?" Gorgan laughed. His laugh was surprisingly pleasant: on a cold night in hell that is.. "But as I said, don''t trust the elves too much."

 Chapter 74 - Zeorando And The Fancy Steam Engine

    We went out. My body didn''t want to move but we had no choice. The pace was slow and the stairs were like a death sentence. But at least I was being useful in my own eyes. The town didn''t look as busy as the day I came. There was still a faint smell of blood and rot in the area. It made tears well up in my eyes thinking all of that might have been my fault for being here. But according to those demons this time it wasn''t my fault. So I had at least some consolation. However the dead won''t come back and since part of it was my fault, I just couldn''t rest easy.


    "What happened to the people of the slums?"


    "They were all¡­ gone." Gorgan''s voice stuttered for a second.


    "I see." I already knew it was something like that. The three siblings had died right in front of me. The rest weren''t so lucky either


    Gorgan continued. "They were buried in a mass grave just next to the slums. There were few survivors but-" He sighed again. "Let''s just say they didn''t find this city trustworthy anymore and left."


    I couldn''t say anything. Silence was all I was capable of.


    We went to the place Gorgan had in mind. It was the same place I saw the day I arrived at the city. A single brown-colored two-storied building. It had two giant turbines. Some of the houses close by had similar but rather small turbines. This particular region of the town looked a little advanced, only marginally though.


    "Whoa!"


    We went inside and saw the same man I saw up in the wall, who was by the canon. It was funny how I remembered stuff from that crisis of a night despite nearly ending up dead. There were a bunch of other people here too, but he was most likely the mastermind. I didn''t think I''d be this excited. It was like that field trip I took to a local museum when I was ten all over again. I was probably more excited now.


    "Look at all this stuff!" I said bathed in excitement.


    "Why do you look so stoked?" Gorgan found my ramblings a little weird.


    "Why aren''t you? I''ve never seen these things outside of museums."


    There were bearings, gears, pistons, nuts, bolts, screws, and a lot of analog stuff I didn''t even know the name of. Analog stuff had always been my jam. I didn''t know why but I was always attracted to this stuff. Maybe that''s why I dismantled every toy I ever got as a present. Maybe that was also why I stopped getting any presents past the age of ten.


    "Mu-si-what?" Gorgan fiddled and tilted his head in confusion.


    I hadn''t accounted for his not knowing. This world didn''t have the system for displaying things to display their ancestry. So I should have known.


    "Who is this gentleman?" a slightly high-pitched voice said.


    I looked back and it was that old man; probably close to sixties. He had a solid beard and was quite round. His bead reminded me of my own beard and I subconsciously touched my chin. I still didn''t have a beard.


    "This is Daarc. Daarc this man is the mastermind of everything you see here. He is Zeorando." Gorgan introduced me to the man.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you." I shook his hands.


    "It''s always a pleasure to meet another fan of science." So the term ''science'' is universal? Tad surprising but I didn''t really care. "So what brings you here?" The man didn''t seem suspicious of me. Maybe because Gorgan was here?


    I got down to business. I didn''t have much time left but honestly I didn''t want to stay up on my feet. All I wanted was to lie in bed. And all that excitement didn''t really help. I just ended up more tired. "We''re here to take a look at your boat. Has there been any progress?"


    He scratched his chin. "I can''t seem to wrap my head around this one."


    "Do you mind if I take a look at it?" I was fairly confident in my understanding of mechanical physics. Besides, I really liked the steam age, so I was well versed in those things.


    We went further inside and saw the engine. It was the very definition of an old single piston engine; very basic stuff. Even the boiler room was outdated. Then again steam engines themselves were outdated to begin with. But what intrigued me most was that it used the user''s mana to function along with coal, increasing its torque by threefold. This is amazing!


    I calmed my nerves. "I think we should separate the boiler first. Adding another piston and making it a complex system should make this a bit more effective." I blurted some fancy stuff without even considering anything. I might have really been a jerk.


    Zeorando didn''t waste time with theatrics and went straight to business as well. "What is this guy talking about? It doesn''t make any sense!"


    Sigh* so I have to explain stuff too?


    At first the old man was not even listening to me. But as I continued to explain, he became like a curious toddler. The more I answered the more he asked. People from around the place gathered before me and it was like I was teaching a bunch of middle schoolers. At one point I became too stressed and had to take a forced break.


    I drank something that resembled and smelled something in between tea and coffee. Maybe it was tea, but I couldn''t tell. "These guys are very hard workers."


    "Yeah," Gorgan said.


    I sat and admired the sky. It was clear but some white clouds were there. Hard to believe just two weeks ago all that stuff happened. I sighed and kept on sipping.


    One of the workers ran to my side. "Daarc, come see, it''s done."


    I gulped down and tea and almost burnt my tongue. "Already!" But it probably hasn''t even been two hours since I came here. It was unbelievable, and I was skeptical.


    We went there and saw it. The design was there, the problem was whether it would work or not. He fired it up and it started. Everything was working, but not for long.


    "Sigh* now comes the hard part of troubleshooting!" I looked around. This angle seems wrong. I had found the problem(s). The piston was placed at a wrong angle. The cylinder was too cold as well.


    Round two began and the guys were too hyped. We fired it up and again and this time it started up and then quickly died down, again. I scratched my head, clearly tired. I breathed rapidly. I hadn''t done any hard work yet my body couldn''t really keep up.


    But we went on. After four mind-blowing rounds, we finally succeeded and it was already evening. The engine was stable as long as it could be fed mana and coal consequently. Someone will definitely faint if they used it for longer than ten minutes at a time. So we were taking turns and checking if everything was alright. We kept at it for another hour and finally tweaked it so one person could use it for half an hour without fainting.


    The guys wouldn''t stop shaking my hands. It was like I was a celebrity or something. I felt awesome, but who doesn''t want to feel like that? But just this once, I felt useful. I felt like I could change. I felt like I''d be able to become better and stronger.


    "Oh and don''t forget about that!" I said.


    "I most definitely won''t. It''s too damn interesting."


    Me and old man Zeorando cooked up the blueprint for something special. I wonder if it''ll be ready the next time I come to this land.. Gorgan on the other hand, looked more than just uncomfortable.

 Chapter 75 - Never Knew Something Could Hurt Like This

    We got back to the castle and informed the princess.


    Beatrine sighed. "I suppose I''ll have to keep my word. Minister, make the preparations for them to head to Alfeim as soon as possible." She probably didn''t expect me to succeed.


    "Very well, my lady."


    I smiled. I was really happy. I would finally be able to repay my debt to Lianne. Although I might have reached a point where I couldn''t really tell who was repaying who anymore.


    "And about-"


    "The village will be taken care of and we have come to a decision that there will be no more slums in the future. The state will provide for the family of the deceased." Beatrine didn''t stutter for a second. It was as though she''d practiced this all along.


    I chuckled. I couldn''t control my laughter. She really did make my day. "Thank you," I spoke from the heart.


    Beatrine only smiled in response.


    I was leaving when Beatrine said," Let''s just hope the debt you owe them is worth the risk."


    I couldn''t get what she meant and I didn''t really care. But I still asked anyway. "Care to give me a little hint?"


    "Magic for humans apart from healing is considered taboo among the other races, especially the elves. I''d be careful if I were you." Her reasons were sound. But I''d saved the elves'' lives. So they wouldn''t do anything to me. But I couldn''t just throw away Beatrine''s warning either. "Duly noted."


    I visited Lianne one more time. The elf boy wasn''t here. I stood in her room for a few minutes. I''ll get you home. I promise.


    Afterward, I went to my room and took rest. Sometime later the elf boy came to visit.


    "I heard the news. You have my greatest of gratitude. Thank you."


    "You''re welcome. "


    He didn''t stay long either. His conduct seemed a little different but maybe it was because he was so tensed till now. Things moved fast, too fast perhaps.


    Refina cleaned up and left too.


    Before leaving Refina said something; something which actually made me feel a little disturbed. "I know how kind you are, but please keep your kindness to a minimum and never let your guard down. Who knows, the enemy might be hidden among someone you trust."


    I wondered what she meant. I couldn''t understand it. Was she implying that I should be worried about my friends being enemies? Or was she suggesting they might end up being controlled like the princess? In any case I couldn''t wrap my head around it. Maybe I ought to be a little careful. It''d be stupid to let my guard down.


    It was weird but the day was over rather fast. It was peaceful and fun. But I felt a little unease. Maybe it was because all that I''ve suffered. It will only get better from here. I went to bed.


    I rested quite well. Yet again I dreamt of my family. I wanted to forget about them. I really, really wanted to, but couldn''t, my subconscious, wouldn''t let me. I wanted to escape from those memories and yet I couldn''t.


    "Daarc you awake?"


    I had just woken up. My eyes were still closed. "Yeah."


    Gorgan came in. "The preparations are done. You should be able to leave as early as the afternoon."


    "Really? That''s awesome." I couldn''t keep my eyes open. I was too sleepy. Maybe my voice reflected that, as half of my pronunciations were half assed.


    "I''ll give you a warning, and this is all I can tell you. The roads can be quite windy but never lose sight of what''s beneath you and behind you. Hopefully they won''t bare their fangs against their benefactor."


    My eyes opened wide and my brain jumpstarted. I didn''t reply for he didn''t wait for my reply and left immediately. The ominous feeling in the air was breathtaking. The elves might be the enemy? After all she''d done for me? Sorry, but I don''t want to believe that. I wasn''t dense enough to not understand what he or the others meant but I didn''t really want to believe them either. But in respect to their wishes, I kept my guard up.


    My pain was back again. So I had to drink another potion. Last night Meriane had handed me the two bottles. The way she was clutching to the potions made me chuckled. What a waste of good will and money. It still tasted amazing though.


    Most of my things were inside this room along with my broken sword and unusable armor. All this time I was running around with the clothes of Gorgan. Strangely, his clothes fitted me more than him.


    I didn''t want to keep extra baggage so I didn''t take the sword or the armor: besides, they were unusable anyway. After getting everything ready I left that wonderful room and headed for the throne room.


    The large door opened and I went in. With a solid bow I offered my gratitude. It hurt like hell when I bowed. My body still wasn''t ready.


    "Thank you for everything you''ve done for me."


    "No. Thank you. I hope you achieve what you are aiming for and don''t get sidetracked." Beatrine signaled a knight. "A parting gift."


    That knight brought me armor, a sword and a pouch full of useful items along with some money.


    "This sword¡­?"


    "The blacksmith had given it to me a few days ago," Gorgan said.


    It was the sword Dune had given me: it was shorter than what it had been but at least it was here. The armor was similar to the one I had.


    Honestly I was glad from the bottom of my heart. "Thank you."


    Everyone smiled in response. I thanked them again.


    "I want to visit the graves. I''ll be back before the departure." We still had time. And since I''d be going far away, I wanted to pay my respects.


    "I''ll lead you lad," Jacour said.


    "That would help."


    We said goodbye to the princess and headed out of the castle. Me and Jacour went to the slums and visited the mass grave: Gorgan followed us too.


    The grave was massive. At least a few thousand lay here: I saw some people paying their respects. I didn''t ask for forgiveness, I didn''t cry, and I didn''t whine. I regretted and moved on.


    The promised hour visited when the sun reached the western hemisphere. The ship we were supposed to get on was still being checked by Zeorando and his men. They took the boat on a trial run around the port area of the town. It was fun to see them so cheered up. After the tests were over, we got onboard.


    "By the way, Prince Araan, how are your injuries?" It was a little awkward to call him anything other than elf boy.


    "Call me Araan. You can even call me Elf boy if you like. And as you can see, I''m fine."


    I smiled awkwardly. I called him elf boy so many times that it really felt weird calling him by his name.


    I didn''t ask anything other than that. The ship left the port. Jocaur, Gorgan, Meriane were waving at me. Even the princess had come to see us off. Refina was there too and she shouted. "PLEASE TAKE CARE. AND DON''T FORGET TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF!"


    It was a blissful farewell. I waved back as they became blurred images.


    The journey began as I watched the marvelous sunset. It was a calm evening. I wasn''t prone to sea sickness (thank heavens). I walked around the entire ship and checked everything. The captain was a serious man. He looked like a pirate; not someone you''d want to mess with.


    I went downstairs and checked on Lianne. Elf-boy was there. "How''s she? Any improvement?"


    "I don''t see any."


    I never even asked about it before as it didn''t really matter. What mattered most was getting her to Alfeim to get treated. "What happened to her anyway?"


    His voice contained pain. "Her undead side is taking over. I don''t know how you got that elixir but¡­. Elixir''s have very bad side effects on some elves¡­." He kept quiet


    Lianne¡­ so it was my fault? It didn''t make me feel any better knowing that. No wonder the prince had kept it from me all this time. I tried to not think about it. Maybe I was just running away from my own mistakes.


    I didn''t stay there for long. I was feeling a little lonely. I don''t know why but I think I kind of liked the city of Moire and the cheerfulness. It reminded me of my own town.


    I went back to my cabin. It was swaying pretty badly. Even just moments ago the sea was calm. I went back to the deck. It was raining pretty badly too. The sky was still red from the fading sunlight. The whole boat was swaying. Large tides were rising in the distance.


    "What''s going on?" I screamed.


    "That damn sea king is hunting! But why the hell is this happening now!" the captain declared.


    "Hey, SOMEONE FELL OVERBOARD!" Suddenly someone screamed from the sidelines. Everyone was too busy maintaining the ship.


    I rushed to the side. I couldn''t spot anyone in the massive ripples.


    Slam! Gravity slowly tilted and my body decided to lean forward.


    "Forgive me." Someone whispered.


    The water of the sea gradually came closer and closer, welcoming me. What is happening? Am I falling? My brain took a second to process everything.


    Before going overboard, I turned around. Everything was moving in slow motion. All I saw were two large blue eyes-leaking streams of liquid on cheeks- and a grin I would never forget in my life. Why?


    Water sneaked in and I slowly answered gravity. My armor was too heavy to move anyway. My eyes burned as saltwater covered them, but I kept them open. My lungs were screaming for air, my body went cold. Panicking wouldn''t do anything so, I didn''t even struggle. I suppose this is what you guys meant Gorgan, Refina. I can''t blame the elves either now can I? After all they were betrayed first. But why?


    The ship moved further and further away from me. Finally, my autonomous system took over and I was struggling to survive. But it was too late and there was nothing left to do. My body turned downwards by the drift and I was amazed. The ocean floor was deep and dark. But there was something there. Something big; something very big, and long. I saw two large red eyes with black pupils. Everything went dark, and I finally lost my consciousness. I might never wake up again.. The only question remained. Why?

 Chapter 76 - Wait, This Thing’s A Snake?

    "So basically, we are inside the sea serpent''s mouth?" I didn''t know why, but surprisingly, I was rather calm. I wasn''t dead, right?


    "He goes by the name, Terortra," the old man said.


    I woke up a few hours later inside the creature''s mouth. I could still see giant fangs and the red interior. Surprisingly there was light.


    The space was large, if this thing really was a snake, then it was definitely big, like at least a few times bigger and wider than the one I saw on top of that mountain.


    The person inside was an old man, probably in his sixties, who had few teeth and a scrawny body. He was much smaller than me and his skin was loose, but his beard was sublime and very well maintained. He was proud of his beard if nothing else.


    The creature must have been at rest, or I would have probably fallen to its stomach or rather my death by now. In fact, I wouldn''t have even believed I was inside something, unless the old man had told me, or if the fangs weren''t sticking out. There was air, there was light, and my head hurt. I couldn''t remember much but my body hurt as well. However, the air was rather rancid. Smelt horrible.


    "Old man, where''s all this light coming from?" My voice almost echoed.


    He grinned. He was missing some teeth, but strangely he looked good. "You shouldn''t ask things you don''t want to know."


    Something about his tone seemed odd. Besides, what was an old man doing inside the serpent anyway? Not to mention why wasn''t the place flooded with water? The old man''s quirky replies weren''t helpful and he wasn''t going to answer me straight either.


    I was feeling rather cold. The armor felt sticky. Frankly, everything here did. And I wanted out.


    The old man gave me a wide grin. "I wouldn''t wear that if I were you."


    I looked at him and closely inspected my armor. My armor fumed and was melting. How the hell did I not notice this sooner?


    I threw off the armor and was reduced to wearing my shirt, sword, and pants. It felt even cooler but my skin burned: not the most pleasant of feelings. The floor was rather sticky too; mucus drifted everywhere. The air was acidic and irritated my nostrils. How the hell did I end up in here?


    The old man was wearing just a rag, covering his privates. He had nothing else on. I got the note, why. "You''re armor must have touched one of the fangs. Its poison is quite something I tell ya," he said. I didn''t reply.


    After a while of inspecting the surroundings, I sat down. The squishy sound made me regret it but, I had to bear with it. What the hell did I get myself into again? And just when I thought I''d get better from here¡­.


    My stomach growled a bit. This is not the time to worry about hunger! I rebuked myself. I was weak and hopeless.


    "By the way kid, are you here for that too?" The old man''s grin was all over the place. I couldn''t understand what he was thinking.


    So there''s something in here? I tried to play it cool. "I don''t know what you mean," I answered with my poker face.


    If I''d answered honestly he might have tried to sugarcoat things. So I decided to trick him into answering. However, I still had my doubts and I was missing some memories.


    He didn''t like my answer. "Kids these days. You shouldn''t waste your life searching for stuff that might not exist." He grunted. His cheeks squinted and he lowered his eyes. Maybe he didn''t want to be here? After all, I most certainly didn''t.


    Says the man, who''s also trapped in here for who knows how long and what purpose. I couldn''t say that to him though.


    Time marched on and my mind kept on wondering. "So, old man, what are you doing here?"


    "I am Denkaborkarere. Remember it well," he said proudly.


    Fancy name. I didn''t bother with his name. I''d always had a hard time remembering names as it was, let alone this, so it wasn''t feasible. "Nice to, meet you old man. I am Daarc."


    His face reddened. Just how proud was he of his name? "Which part of my name didn''t you get? Did your parent not teach you how to speak with elders?"


    "Actually they didn''t," I said. My face down at my feet... That wasn''t a lie. My father was dead before I knew it and my mother was always distant. And after Alicia''s death, she shut herself off from me. So the old man was really right on the money. It didn''t make me feel any better but, I couldn''t really rebuke him.


    He sighed. "Never mind. I am here for the same reason you are. I''ve been searching for that wretched sword all my life. Two years ago I finally found its location; this serpent''s insides. But as you can see, we can''t even move beyond this spot. Luckily the serpent never eats or moves. All it does is sleep."


    Oh so now he feels like talking? Should I be happy or scared? But didn''t the captain say the sea king was hunting? What was I doing on the ship anyway? it was like puzzles in my head. I couldn''t remember much but I was piecing through the puzzle at a decent pace.


    My memory had jump-started somewhat. "So this serpent is called the sea king?"


    He replied immediately. Was he waiting for my question? "Yeah, that right."


    If the captain was right then the old man was wrong, and if the old man was right then the captain was wrong. So one of them had to be wrong. Or was I missing something? "The captain- he said something about the serpent hunting and-"


    He sighed. "You see. I''ve been here for two years but this is probably the first time I''d seen it hunting. Honestly I was really surprised."


    Trust me I''m much more surprised than you.


    I was amazed that he had survived inside the serpent for two years but honestly, I was too scared of how one could live under such circumstances. Can I live like this? The problem wasn''t living here though. It was getting out of here. "Any idea how to get out of here? You''ve been here long, so you must have at least some ideas!" I intended to be sarcastic about it at first but after saying it, I kind of regretted it.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. If he doesn''t have any ideas, wouldn''t that be just rubbing it in?


    However, he answered without flinching. The damn geezer''s mentality was strong: much stronger than I''d assumed. "The skin is too thick and even if you make it past the skin, the bones will get ya. I''ve tried cutting it with knives and the knives melted. I tried air blades and they too were not as effective as I thought. "


    The old man was talking like it was all normal and everyday stuff, but to me, everything sounded too foreign. "Air blades?"


    "Haven''t you wondered how you''re breathing?" He raised a brow.


    I wondered but since I didn''t understand anything around me, I ignored it. That''s right. We are underwater yet we are still breathing! "I did and I was about to ask that too. Weren''t you the one who said I shouldn''t wonder what I didn''t need to know?"


    He puffed his chest, looked proud, and winked. "You see, I am an adventurer. I possess wind affinity and so I can use wind magic," he said. Apparently, he ignored all of my queries and just loved to boast about himself. But I was grateful.


    It was a good thing and I was alive because of him. But honestly, I didn''t really like him. Maybe I was being too picky. Maybe I was just a jerk. But I didn''t really care. "So you''re not human?"


    "What makes you think that?" He was offended.


    There was no going back now, I guess. "I''ve heard humans don''t possess magic powers."


    "That''s just bullshit my boy. Who fed you such crap?" he sighed as I didn''t reply. "Under extreme circumstances, magic will evoke within you no matter what you are. Take me for example. Before coming in here, I could only light up the space around me but when my air supplier ran out, there was only one way to survive," he said, his eyes lit up.


    "Produce air!" We said in unison.


    That made sense. The area was lit up and we could breathe. So magic was dependent on the situation. Does that mean I''d be able to use magic too? And does that mean one person can attain more than one affinity? That meant what I''d known about the world had been wrong. As I talked to him, more and more memories came back. "Then the thing about one person having just one affinity was also wrong?"


    "Yup! And as you can see, I possess both light and air affinity." He was too proud. "Although my light affinity is weaker than a tadpole''s."


    I''m pretty sure tadpoles don''t have magic. Do they? Actually, it could have very well been possible in this world.


    Seeing my silence he continued. "Since the elves live longer they end up with magic more frequently than us humans."


    That explains how they have the most magic affinity. "Elves¡­" My voice shivered. With just one word my headache came racing. My memories made a thunderous return. All this time I didn''t think about how I ended up inside the serpent but now it was evident that my mind was just avoiding the thought. My subconscious was probably just protecting me, telling me it didn''t matter anymore. After all, I had bigger priorities now, namely to survive.


    But as most of my memories came back, I smiled and sat, hugging my knees. With my ever so saddened face, I couldn''t even look at the old man.


    "I suppose you have your fair share of shit too," he said looking at a distance.


    "My shit probably got too shitty, but oh well."


    "Ha ha!" the old man burst out laughing. I laughed as well. I laughed at myself. I laughed at my own stupidity.. Everyone had warned me and yet I was so thickheaded that I never saw it coming. How could you Araan?

 Chapter 77 - The Mystic Blade

    However, I couldn''t just ponder about the betrayal forever. If I didn''t put it down, for the time being, I probably won''t make out alive. But the question now was, is it even possible to get out?


    It was awkward, so I changed the subject. Besides, it interested me a little before. "Say old man what''ll you do, when you get that sword?" Of course, I knew nothing about the sword, so I just pretended. I was never much of a liar, but I hoped everything would work out. It had to.


    "I''ll slice this damn snake up and head to Alfeim and shove the damn sword inside the damn crown prince''s ass," he said with a solid grin. The guy didn''t even stutter for a second.


    How many times do you have to say damn? When the name of an elven prince came up I was- to my surprise- a little intrigued. It probably wasn''t the same prince but I didn''t care.


    "The prince? And isn''t that too much for an old man?" I giggled. I hadn''t laughed in a while.


    "You won''t believe how long that brat has ridiculed me about the legends and my search. And for the last time, MY NAME IS DENKABORKARERE!"


    Don''t tell me you''re doing this for the prince. And I don''t give a damn about your name! I didn''t know if the old man got the hint or not but he continued. "He insulted my family and my entire bloodline, as for generations we''ve been searching for the mystic weapons." He was a little down.


    Well, at least you''re doing it for your reasons. Mystic? Meaning that sword is a mystic weapon? At least now I had a solid lead. I didn''t know where I was going to search these things anyway.


    "I see."


    The old man gave me the last piece of the puzzle. The sword here was the mystic blade. Meaning my luck was definitely extreme. I couldn''t decide if it was extremely good or extremely terrible.


    I didn''t say anything else. My eyes were slowly shutting down. It must have been night. I couldn''t really focus either.


    He said something and came closer to me but before I knew it, my eyes had shut down. I was too tired. I fell asleep in the eeky-sticky floor resting on the equally sticky wall.


    "Why couldn''t you be like Alicia? Sitting all day in your room! She died because of you, so at least try to get yourself straightened! Even looking at you fills me up with disgust!" My mother was saying whatever that came to her mind. She always shut me out after Alicia''s death. But for the last couple of days, all she did was complain. I couldn''t blame her but it wasn''t all my fault. Not to me. And yet¡­ I felt guilty.


    "Kid wake up!" the old man''s voice woke me up. I felt a little dazed, but my drowsiness vanished in an instant.


    The serpent''s insides were swaying. The ground or rather its mouth was tilting form side to side and it was also moving forward and backward: The serpent was moving.


    "I thought you said he doesn''t move!" I couldn''t keep my balance.


    "I never said that. Did you forget how you got here?"


    I grabbed hold of one of the fangs. I didn''t give a damn if it had poison. "Damn it old man!!"


    Screaming around wasn''t doing us any good but the swaying was getting even rowdier. The direction of gravity shifted a little and the insides of the serpent was calling me. The old man was shrewd; he already latched himself with the tongue of the serpent. I was yet again answering the call of gravity as gallons of water came from above and pulled me down. The fang was wet and I slipped. My fingers were fuming but I had better things to worry about.


    "Don''t stay inside the gastric juice for too long, and IF YOU FIND THE SWORD TRY TO MAKE IT BACK IN ONE PIECE!" He was more worried about the stupid sword than my life.


    If I come back alive, this old geezer''s getting a beat down! "I''m gonna haunt you OLD MAN!"


    I fell with full conscience. The water was warm and I was unharmed, miraculously. I was floating. I didn''t want to, but was still glad to the geezer for whatever reasons.


    There was nothing to grab on to. This snake isn''t making anything easy for me! The mouth was straight up, so I couldn''t even climb. What was it doing anyway?


    The warm water gradually started to hurt my skin. So this is the gastric juice he was talking about? I was scared and my heart was racing. All this time I was relatively calm for a man who was swallowed by a monster. If I stayed like that I was a goner and that was evident. Should I try to climb up using my sword? But wouldn''t it melt? It was a risk I had to take. I couldn''t just stay afloat around and be liquefied. I had to make a choice.


    I was about to unsheathe my sword when all of a sudden another round of salt water fell from the havens or rather the serpent''s mouth. I was shoved even further down the serpent''s intestines. For once, I was glad about my regenerative powers, even if it came at the cost of being summoned by the demons or whatever.


    I was fully submerged and my skin was falling off from my body. It was very painful, like your skin literally being torn from your living body. Even a thousand stings (Of cactus needles) at once couldn''t compare. I could feel the pain more than the lack of oxygen. I tried to float back up but the downstream was too powerful.


    I kept my eyes closed. If my skin burned then I could only wonder what it''d do to my eyes. But there wasn''t any time to waste. So I had to choose. Either die keeping both of my eyes intact or open one and bet everything on it; that I''d survive while keeping one of them intact. My options didn''t look too hot. But I chose the latter.


    Looking around didn''t really help. My right eye burned much more than when Alicia had dumped a can of paper spray on my face (Don''t ask me why). My conscience was about to fade when I saw a glimmering light down. The slight shimmer came from even further down. My eye screamed. I couldn''t understand why it didn''t melt immediately though.


    I didn''t have the energy or time to think, so I used the downstream to reach the light. It took some fiddling through the strange translucent fluid but there it was; a magnificent sword, and it glowed!


    But it was too heavy even under water. How would I take it out when I couldn''t even fight back the stream without the sword? I picked it up regardless: my body glowed and the light enveloped me. Suddenly my body became light and I found new strength. Was it a miracle or just dumb luck? Just by touching the sword, I felt power surging within. As if my body was fully healed and I was swimming in a pool. A pool of acid to be exact. The bleeding in various places stopped but none of it healed. I was still missing oxygen. The sword wasn''t as heavy and I could move much more freely despite suffocating.


    I used the side walls as my footing and launched myself straight up. With my newfound strength, I got out of the predicament and rose to the top, only after a lot of struggle. I breathed in the rancid air and my lungs burned. The water had stopped.


    But my situation was not over. My skin had already started to burn and liquefy. The sword had only slowed the progress but didn''t stop it. The only way to survive was to climb up. But even if I could climb up, will I survive through these wounds? My regenerative powers were keeping these at bay too, but for how long? What was my limit? Come to think of it, I didn''t know much about my own curse.


    Thinking was not something I was supposed to do at this time. The sword didn''t have a scabbard. So I pulled mine from baldric and plunged both of the swords inside the serpent. The walls shook: it must have felt this. But I continued.. With two swords I kept stabbing the serpent- back and forth and moved upwards. What the hell was the serpent doing anyway? Did it suddenly feel the urge to stand up on its tail?

 Chapter 78 - Escape The Snake!

    The pace was slow, my body shivered, quivered, and screamed in agony. One of my eyes went dark: it was the same one I''d opened down below. I didn''t know if it lost its light forever but I had to keep moving. Losing an eye was the least of my concerns.


    Climbing was tough. Climbing a slimy surface straight up, with nothing but swords was tougher. Did someone flip the switch from nightmare to hell mode? Just how hard was this going to get from here on out? Honestly, I did not want to think about that.


    Extracting one sword, punching a hole with the other. It really was slow. Too slow perhaps. My body was screaming in pain and I couldn''t really do anything about it. Why does it always have to be like this?


    Almost when I reached the top, my sword fully melted and I was left hanging with only the shining sword instead. I threw the melted sword and it dropped in the pool of juice below: It was Dune''s sword but I had better things to worry about. I was about to fall to my death again, literally. If I could just climb one more step I will be able to climb up!


    I was that close to the mouth. But the pull of gravity was no joke. Gravity, the weakest force of the four known forces, seemed very strong.


    The mystic sword or whatever was holding pretty well, but there was a problem. Everything was covered in mucus. Which meant, the sword was slipping. Oh boy! My skin was almost all gone. I looked like a red undead (I certainly didn''t want to look at myself), dripping blood all the way.


    Suddenly a voice shouted and a hand appeared before my head. "HANG IN THERE BOY, AND DON''T YOU DARE DROP THAT SWORD. I''M SAVING THE SWORD, NOT YOU, JUST SO YOU KNOW!"


    Trust me, I know. I wanted to laugh but I couldn''t.


    I wondered what he was holding on to, but didn''t really care. What I cared was definitely how I''d make it out alive.


    I grabbed the old man''s hand and he pulled me up. He almost ripped my hand off: was he trying to do that on purpose? Once up I saw the old man''s gaze.


    I couldn''t breathe. My lungs must have suffered more than I''d thought. But at this point my survival didn''t really seem all that plausible.


    The old man was literally dripping saliva as he saw the sword in my hand, while holding down a ripped vein. The serpent must have really felt that one. Poor snake. I on the other hand was writhing in intense pain. That''s right! The last high potion!


    I had completely forgotten about the third potion. My memory must have still been funny. If I made it out alive, I just had to thank the princess and the rest of them. My pouch was still here. Most of my things were gone but thankfully, the pouch was still here. I say here, but it was barely clinging and was about to fall off any moment. It was a miracle it was still clinging to my waist anyway.


    Without a doubt I gulped down the high potion and my skin mostly healed: as I remembered, the taste of wine wasn''t bad. I didn''t bleed or drip blood anymore. For once it wasn''t a total waste. I wondered how damn expensive such a thing might have been. In my world people would kill for such a thing. In fact that might have been true for this world as well. However, the light didn''t come back to my left eye. It was probably lost. But I didn''t have time to worry about it.


    The old man wasn''t shocked. He was staring at me with intent and I had the sinking feeling that we might end up enemies. I have the sword and he wanted it for all this time, but now what? He isn''t going to turn on me, is he? "Old man, why do I get the feeling you are about to do something stupid." My voice had a tinge of hostility. I wasn''t totally healed but I still had enough strength to take on an old man like him, I most certainly hoped so.


    But come to think of it, he had wind magic. Meaning he could cut me from a distance. If decided to kill me, then I won''t have an escape. Was escape even possible from this damn place?


    "Don''t worry, I won''t pull something at least not while we are still in here. Besides, you came out from there and look like you can survive another round, plus you have that sword in your hand. I wouldn''t be stupid enough to do anything now. I don''t even know the depth of your skills yet," he said grinning widely. His chuckles weren''t pleasant either. The guy was sizing me up this whole time. He was much shrewder than I''d thought.


    Talk about a long speech. This guy talks a lot when he wants to.


    I wasn''t convinced. I couldn''t trust him. I didn''t want to trust anyone ever again. Coming to this world had changed me, but coming here inside the serpent morphed me. I was fed up with the thing called trust. But I needed his help. So I didn''t have any problems, using him. "Anyway, how do we get out?" I still thought he might be hiding something. So I tried to act my part. "But man, this sword was so heavy even moments ago." I was swinging the sword like it was a yardstick or something. It was really light.


    He looked at me and smiled. "Maybe it chose you? I dunno." He knew more than he claimed and even I could understand as much. He thought for a moment and then smiled again. Was he really alright? "This way," he pointed and then added," I''ve been digging here for all this time. I tell you, using magic is quite taxing." Glad to finally see that I was right about at least something. There really was a wound near a fang of the serpent. Blade marks were very clear. "Try swinging that sword through this. If you can''t then no worries. I still have enough strength to pierce through. So mind giving me the sword?"


    Could he have been any more obvious? Maybe staying in isolation for so long made a few screws go loose in his head. "Not in a million years old man. But maybe I might change my mind if you were shoving it down the prince''s ass."


    He laughed. I grinned. We had a common goal. And they do say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So just for the time being, I was willing to put my faith in the guy. I still didn''t trust him though.


    The remnants of my pants were still there along with my belt. It probably wouldn''t survive for much longer though.


    I took a stance and shoved the sword through the serpent''s wound. The skin was thick but I got through. The sword was too damn powerful. I''d never wielded something this light, powerful, and yet wholesome.


    But the hole was too narrow. Water came out through that tiny hole, which not only granted us hope but also gave us courage.. Because to us this was more or less like a godsend.

 Chapter 79 - I’m Not Going To Be Eaten, Right? Right!?

    "How are we supposed to make a hole big enough to get out? And what are we going to do about the water?" I asked.


    I actually hadn''t thought about it before. I mean, I was too excited about making a hole that I forgot about I could do anything other than that.


    "Just focus on the hole, I''ll take care of the water." The old man reassured me.


    I nodded. There really wasn''t much to do. We found a way out and we were about to seize it. No hard feelings serpent.


    I slashed the flesh wall as hard as I could. With every slash, the walls shook. How the hell is the serpent still motionless? Is he even sleeping or just waiting for us to get out of here only to squash us?


    Even after all the slashing serpent didn''t move. My mind was full of doubts but I had to move on. With every slice, we were one step closer to freedom. The old man''s glance was still on the sword in my hands though. This guy is too obvious. But, I guess I can''t blame him, now can I?


    He was using magic to suppress the water, and it amazed me. It was more or less like a wind barrier. That old man was no joke. After making an adequate size mark, I kicked the flesh off the bones. If I were the serpent I''d definitely feel that one. The bones were still intact, but there was enough space to slip through, barely. Small spews of water came through the wind barrier. The other side was completely submerged.


    "Well, it''s now or never." I sighed.


    "If you''re having second thoughts, then how about giving me-"


    "NO thank you."


    The old man laughed and grabbed my hand. We slipped past the bones. I was not a fan of holding his hands though.


    It was tight and we almost got stuck. But in the end we made it out with just blood covering our bodies. And then more problems surfaced, or more like submerged, if you know what I mean.


    In just one second I felt the weight of the ocean. My body was almost about to implode. Holy hist! I couldn''t even swear.


    We were outside and a bubble of air surrounded us. It was the same rancid air. So that smell was the air, after all! But I breathed hard and didn''t give a damn about the odor. The pressure vanished.


    "I thought I was about to die." I was literally holding on the old man''s torso as we swam up. We were very deep inside the ocean, but strangely the pressure was not unbearable to me: at least not anymore. If the bubble formed a second later I''d probably be crushed by now.


    The old man was looking up, while me down. Honestly, I was prepared to see the crimson red eyes but I most definitely wasn''t prepared to see the sheer size of the monster. My last memory of it was very, very large. But I might have forgotten to add another ''very'' to the equation. It was massive! The serpent was- at the least- ten times bigger than the one I saw at the top of the mountain (the leafy one). And that one was no joke either.


    It was staring straight at me. There was darkness creeping about, but I could see the blood floating around and its deep crimson eyes. Oh! He''s pissed.


    "Old man, if I were you, I''d hurry up."


    "Trust me son, I''d already be sitting pretty at the top if I weren''t carrying yar ass." Now that was just rude. Did he forget what I went through to obtain the damn sword he sought after all his life for (not that I wanted to)? In any case we were in some damn trouble.


    "ARGHHH!!!" A massive unbearable roar haunted the ocean floor. It was too damn loud. Even holding down my ears with both of my hands wasn''t enough. But moments later I realized that I had let go off the old man and was currently in the process of embracing the welcoming sea water down there. Wow, how dumb can you get, Daarc?


    Luckily the old man didn''t forget about the sword, so he was holding me by my left arm. He almost ripped it off when he pulled. Did he save too much strength, or was he just trying to kill me?


    The serpent moved around in rapid motion. Half of its body was on the bottom floor while the rest of it floated. Considering we were in the middle of the ocean, that was really something.


    It couldn''t have been daytime as the ocean was too dark or it could have been just that the ocean was too dark to begin with. Either way, luck was not something we possessed.


    Meanwhile, we were quite far away from the surface but the old man was tired. He was continuously creating air and maintaining it too. If we kept up speed for at least ten more minutes, then we might have been able to reach the top. But we didn''t have the ten minutes.


    The serpent was roaring in anger and finally came for us. But I could hear something within that roar. "HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM ME AGAIN!!!"


    "Did you hear that?" I said.


    "Yeah, that damn snake''s mad. Better start paddling kid, it''s gonna be a bumpy ride!"


    "I meant, did you hear a voice," I said. I most certainly heard one.


    "Yeah. I sure did. That damn snake says he wants to rip us apart!"


    We were basically shouting but words weren''t getting through.


    I couldn''t believe the guy. He had the balls to be sarcastic and laugh at this situation. Did he have some screws loose or was this situation fun to him or both!? It was definitely both.


    In any case we were swimming for our life. But then it was again. "UNFORGIVABLE!!!"


    "There it is again," I said.


    "He really mad now." The old man was having the time of his life. he really did have a few screws loose.


    "You mean he wasn''t mad till now?" If we weren''t in the ocean, there''d have been a stain on my pants.


    He laughed it off.


    If I can understand him, maybe we can talk this through. I had the most, stupidest idea ever. And yet somehow, I thought it could work.


    The snake was still far away. Maybe he was just warming up. A hunter would first let its prey run around and reap the fun only to crush all the hopes of the prey at the very last moment. Maybe he was aiming for the same.


    "Hey! Scale face. We need to talk!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.


    "Are you outta yar mind!?" The old man shouted. For the first time he seemed a little pale.


    "Hey! I''m talking to you!" I didn''t stop though. The snake roared and made me almost go deaf but this had to be done. But my approach might have been a little too much. "I know you can hear me!" I didn''t stop. I kept going. My heart beat started rising. The old man couldn''t decide whether to abandon me or roll with it. I was glad that I had to sword.


    The serpent came very close to us. Maybe, my calling out provoked him. Almost when he was about to eat us again, I let out another scream on top of my lungs.


    "I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU! CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?" I hadn''t screamed that loud in a while. I almost croaked my vocal chords.


    The serpent stopped in his tracks. "HUH?"


    He stopped. I breathed heavily. The air was horrible but my panting didn''t stop.


    I was amazed, surprised, thrilled, well no matter what, I was just staggered. What can you expect? My racing heart started to calm down as I stared at the large fangs sticking out from his mouth and the majestic crimson eyes which probably would be my last sight before dying only moments later. But yeah, I had hope.


    "HUMAN WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU CAN COMPREHEND MY WORDS?" Water bubbles were flying around as he spoke. His mouth didn''t move. The words were literally just pouring into my brain.


    "Yes."


    "What the hell is going on here?" the old man said.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes. I couldn''t blame him, because I couldn''t either.


    "IT HAS BEEN CENTURIES SINCE ANY MORTAL HAS TRIED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME." His voice was as magnificent as his looks. It was loud and very stout. Enough to make grown men faint just from hearing it once. However since my life depended on it, I couldn''t and didn''t have the luxury to faint.


    Mortal? So you are some sort of deity? "Are you a god?"


    "Are you conversing with him?" the old man whispered. I nodded.


    "I AM TRERORTRA THE GOD OF LIGHT, CURSED BY DESTINY." He was very close to us. He had two large multipronged horns on his head. His scales were blue with the hint of aurora like color. I couldn''t pick between seriously be scared or bewildered. In the end I chose the former.


    Something tells me I shouldn''t dive deeper than that.


    "IN RESPECT TO YOUR BREVARY AND THAT YOU''VE GIVEN ME SOME AMUSEMENT, I SHALL LET YOU KEEP YOUR LIVES. BUT, RETURN THE SWORD!" There was no hiss, so belittlement. This was genuine kindness. But I wasn''t sold.


    This sword. I''d been shown mercy. It made sense since he was a god. But what he wanted in exchange was something which I needed. In order to beat someone as strong as the emperor, I at least needed this sword. The sword was very powerful and I could feel it the moment I picked it up.


    However, refusing here could mean my death. I was forced to make a gamble. But my life itself was already a gamble so I couldn''t really complain.


    "I-I cannot do that." I stuttered.


    "WHAT!"


    "The world is under the threat of the demon emperor. And to beat him I need this sword. Would you lend it to me for one year?" I tried to plead my cases, but it wasn''t working. Maybe I should have just accepted his offer? And I was having second thoughts already.


    "THIS SWORD WAS MADE FROM MY SOUL. I CANNOT JUST GIVE IT TO YOU. IT IS PART OF ME! IT SEEMS I MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO MERCIFUL. KILLING YOU IS THE BETTER ACTION!" The water around him foamed and it felt like he was about to destroy us.. And just like that, I invited my ruination.

 Chapter 80 - The Cursed God Of Light: Trerortra

    "Kid¡­. are you sure?" The old man was looking at me with a sweaty face. I was leaking too, albeit from various regions of my body.


    God of light? So basically he''s the god who gave humanity light, in that case. But I decided to provoke him further. That was the only way. In other words, praises and stuff wouldn''t have worked on him. So this was my only option. Sometimes reverse psychology is very important. "I don''t know what happened to you but you''d rather keep your sword to yourself and let millions die instead? What kind of god were you!"


    "WHAT DO YOU KNOW? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS WORLD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I CARED FOR THE WORLD? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I DID FOR THE MORTALS? I GAVE THEM THE GIFT OF HEALING. I CREATED ANGELS FROM MY VERY SOUL AND PLACED THEM IN THE DEADLIEST OF PLACES TO PROTECT THE WORLD AND ALL WHO LIVED IN IT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA!" The whole ocean reverberated. Oh, he was mad alright.


    The old man was shaking. That was justified. The sheer voice of the serpent was enough to send brave men cowering to their beds. He was indeed a fearsome god. But my idea worked. I got the exact reaction I wanted out of him.


    "I don''t have any idea. I am not from this world. I come from a place called earth. I don''t want to spend the rest of my life in this world and to go back I''d need to kill the emperor." I tried to be honest. I didn''t really have feel the necessity to lie. I didn''t want to die ofcourse.


    "YOU!" He was about to squash us but stopped midway, again. And again, that scared the shit out of me. This time perhaps literally. "I see. You do smell a little different than regular humans. But what makes you think I would care now? I was betrayed by your kind, the very kind I tried to protect with my soul," he said in a calmer voice. He was calming down. After talking to him for a while he seemed like a normal person, with very high ego that is. Betrayed? Then¡­. Then this could work, and I betted everything on that small fraction of a chance.


    "I too was betrayed. Not once but twice in a matter of weeks. But I still haven''t given up on this world. And I promised Misrael that I''d free her as well. I believe you know whom I speak of." According to him Misrael and Sisrael were part of his souls. So I betted on the possibility. I crossed my fingers and betted everything on that possibility, hoping I''d have at least some leverage for those names.


    Well, mostly because I want to go home.


    "What makes you think I haven''t given up?" He ignored the whole angel topic. Maybe he knew from the start.


    "Because I believe in you. I don''t really care about the gods but if you help me, I''ll forever pray only to you and you alone. But I need your help to beat the emperor and return home," I answered. I was utterly serious. I didn''t give a damn about gods. But if he helped me than that was prove enough that he cared. And I''d be obliged to respect that.


    "So you only want to return to your homeland and you''re not doing this for the people?"


    "Unfortunately I''m not that nice. I have my own selfish desires too." If I was being honest, I didn''t really care all that much about the people. But if that was true than the emperor would have probably killed me back then. Maybe I was betraying my own feelings and ideals. Even I didn''t know what I wanted.


    "There''s a hint of lie in your speech. Maybe you, yourself are unaware of it."


    Oh! Trust me, I''m aware of it. I just didn''t find the need to think about it, that was all.


    I exhaled, prepared myself and stared directly in his eyes. "In any case, lend this sword to me. I give you my word that I shall return the sword after one year, given the fact that I survive." I waited for the reply, and boy was that wait a long one. It felt like an eternity. It was probably not more than a minute though.


    He thought for a moment and his body swirled. "Interesting. The weapon you carry in your hand is carved from my very soul. I pray that it illuminates your path and keeps you from falling from grace. Don''t make the same mistakes I made."


    A God praying? That''s not even funny. But I was glad that at least he gave me a chance.


    "What is he saying?" the old man asked.


    "Can you shut up for a moment?" I said.


    The serpent''s body floated and glittered. If I wasn''t scared to death, I''d have considered it pretty. "Now that you''ve gotten the sword, what do you plan to next?"


    I took a closer look at the sword. It was still glowing. There were strange insignias on its blade. The blade itself was double edged and glowed in pale blue.


    I stared at the sword and answered the serpent. "We will continue to search for the other two mystic weapons and I will get strong enough to stand up to the emperor." It wasn''t a lie parse, but it wasn''t the truth either. I still had to figure out why I was betrayed in the first place.


    "It seems you are mistaken. There are seven of them scattered throughout the world. They all contain a fragment of my soul. When all seven are gathered you shall became the bearer of godly strength, my strength."


    "That''s reassuring. I''m actually glad to know that. "


    If that''s the case then I might just be able to¡­.


    "Just a word of caution, some of the equipment is guarded by grand monsters, the former gods, and they won''t listen to you even if you talk to them, so you better not waste your time with that or jump inside their stomach." That was actually a fair warning.


    I didn''t know if he was serious or just humoring me. The former gods? Better keep my mouth shut.


    "Thank you, for the warning. Just so you know, it wasn''t my intention to end up in your belly."


    "Judging from your eyes you were betrayed, yes? But betrayal always comes for a price. The people who betrayed me ended up cursed and walked these lands in the form of neither the alive nor the dead. They too have faced redemption. In time your enemies will face a similar or even deadlier fate." He grunted. "The time for my slumber has come yet again. Be on your way, and don''t forget our promise."


    He really was a god. He read me like a book. And I liked his thinking too, except for the grand monsters thing.


    His accent slipped from time to time. Maybe he wasn''t used to talking. He was a god who spent most of his time underwater after all. I was genuinely curious but didn''t have the guts to ask questions to him. He was too damn scary.


    "I won''t." I had no intention of breaking my promise anyway.


    "Interesting¡­" I could only see his shadows. He dived deeper into the ocean.


    "Are we good now?" the old man said.


    "Be patient please." I was shaking too.


    The old man was already beyond his limit. It was clear to me that any moment we would end up in a very undesired situation.


    "Alright then, we''ll be on our way." I breathed a sigh of relief and signaled the old man. He was sweating buckets and looked at me with a pained look. "Please tell me, you, we can go up?"


    The old man didn''t respond and just closed his eyes.


    And then the bubble burst and the old man fainted. Holy shit!


    "Since a part of my soul already trusts you I shall too. This is a gift in recognition of our pact." My body glowed but my full attention was locked on the crushing water that had me surrounded. "May you succeed! Farewell!" With that said the serpent God used his tail and launched us in a straight path. The tail was so fast that I couldn''t see it before the very last second. A stronger bubble appeared and surrounded us but the old man was already unconscious so, there was only one explanation. The motion of the bubble was too much for us to handle. I too was gradually becoming unconscious.


    The serpent in the distance became invisible as we moved further and further away. With my cheeks running down like I was in a fighter jet simulator, it was very hard to stay straight, let alone have the luxury to look around.. I blacked out the very next second.

 Chapter 81 - Should I Really Be Happy?

    Something was pinching my nose. I opened my eyes and there was water and sand everywhere. A crab pinched my nose and my pain receptors became active all of a sudden. It hurts.


    I threw the crab away and looked around. Behind me were endless waves of water and in front of me was a jungle of coconuts.


    "What about the old man!?"


    There was no sign of him. But something else was missing too. It was also quite obvious.


    Damn it! The sword is gone! Actually, everything was gone apart from my underwear and some cloth around it. They were still here thanks to my belt.


    The sun was in the west and it was evident that the night would visit soon. Some part of my pants was still attached and my underwear peaked from within. It was kind of embarrassing but at least I had survived. Where is this place?


    I took a deep breath and started to check my body. My eye¡­ my eye was gone and I knew it. But strangely enough, my vision didn''t seem all that blurry or even constricted. What is going on? I looked at the water behind me but couldn''t tell just by seeing my reflection. But I got the feeling that somehow my eye had recovered. I couldn''t tell if that was true or not though.


    I was about to head inside the forest when a white bunny came out. Its tail was fluffy and looked rather cute. Oh my god! An actual bunny!


    "What are you doing there little guy?" I tried making my voice as cute and harmless as possibly could. The bunny was twice or close to three times as big as normal rabbits and looked muscular but I didn''t worry for a second. After all, I was a bunny lover, through and through.


    "Rrgh!" It roared in a very not so cute tone and jumped in front of me. For a moment I was flustered. I don''t know why but I thought it was jumping in my arms. It did but¡­


    It bit my arm and the teeth sank in my flesh. For a moment I was staggered. Huh?


    I regained my senses, grit my teeth. My heart raced. It was the same feeling when the goblin bit me. Intense pain followed as I grabbed it and threw it in a distance. Blood dripped, and my heart beat faster. But there was more. If it was just one, I could have handled it, but there were at least a few hundred of them: pain was the least of my worries. You gotta be kidding me.


    They were coming toward me in flocks and I was taking steps back. The water from the sea touched my feet and moved away with the tide. My heart was beating rapidly from the moment, the first one bit me. So much so that I figured it''d pop out. The cold water at my feet was not comforting.


    The bunnies were marching towards me and I was constantly moving back: my left hand felt very hot. Blood gushed out and made me feel faint but I didn''t have the leisure to sit down.


    The bunnies suddenly stopped and I stopped as well. The water covered up to my thigh. They didn''t even let the water touch them. Huh! Are they afraid of water? But I was too dumb to notice what could make the little creatures feel fear. The water was making little swirling sounds. Cold sweats covered my entire body as I realized the situation I was in. Don''t tell me¡­.


    There were piranha-like fish with large pointy heads and they surrounded me in every direction. They were roughly half the size of the bunnies. But there were more than enough of them to screw me over. Just a few more steps and I would have fallen off the riff too. It was edgy and looked like an eternal abyss of darkness: but there were faint flashes deep down. What in hell-


    My bloody arm was the beacon. Damn it! Both of my legs were underwater so it was impossible to move about with speed. But that didn''t stop me from trying to run.


    The damn fish were striking with speed and precision. I lost blood from my legs and with the combination of the saltwater the pain was heart-wrenching. I could barely stand as I brought out my only weapon; Lianne''s knife. It was attached to the belt that kept my underwear where it should have been. It was more or less an undie miracle. Get it? No? Okay.


    Blood was spilling everywhere. They weren''t giving me any quarter. I tried to run towards the shore but it was already overrun by the savage rabbits. Man-eating fish or rabbits? I had two choices. Either be eaten by rabbits or be eaten by fish. I didn''t like either of them.


    "Turbulence," shouted a familiar voice.


    A gust of wind sliced about seven bunnies. They were torn in half as pink glowing blood spewed everywhere. The rabbits were staggered.


    Seeing so, I rushed to the shore. But, the fish weren''t letting me go off without payment. They settled for my blood and flesh. By the time I reached the shore my legs were covered in blood, I was missing some flesh from my legs, and my vision was getting more and more blurry, but I had sliced at least ten fishes. More like they sliced me but oh well.


    At first the rabbits acted mighty, but as more and more gusts of wind came, they started to panic. They ran away from the incoming gusts.


    "I leave you for ten minutes to take a piss, and you end up like this?" The voice said. It was probably the voice of the old man. I didn''t see him.


    Then you shouldn''t have left in the first place. It happened without any warning. I lost consciousness.


    The crackling sound of wood woke me up. My legs hurt. I looked and it was covered in herbs. There was a fire near me. And a man with a sword was sitting there eating fish. The rest of the place was covered in darkness as the light from the fire didn''t reach those places. This isn''t that beach? There were trees around me and the ground was covered in grass rather than sand.


    "Old man, I thought you ran away with the sword," I said.


    "I did felt the urge to do that, but since we are surrounded by the sea in all sides it didn''t seem practical," he chuckled.


    Yes, the old man didn''t just leave me behind, but he didn''t because, there wasn''t any choice. He was too screwed to try anything funny.


    "What were they?"


    "This island is full of carnivores: the birds, the animals and even the fish. They eat each other." The old didn''t look at me and enjoyed his meal.


    Never knew bunnies- the cute creatures of my dreams- were carnivorous in this world.


    He offered me a fish and we started to eat. It was actually pretty good. Wait this couldn''t be¡­ "Is this the same fish?"


    "Do you really want to know that?" he said. I didn''t like his smirk one bit.


    I didn''t reply. I kept eating. Even if that was the fish that tried to eat me, it didn''t matter anymore. He fiddled with the fire and dumped some more wood.


    "Why save me?" I didn''t have any worth to him. He already had the sword and we were out of the serpent. So I didn''t have any value, at least to him.


    "I don''t like owing debts. Besides, I never saw anyone trying to fiddle with monsters like that and survive. Ever." He glared at me and I had to look away.


    Though I didn''t like his reason for keeping me alive, I didn''t complain either. "By the way old man, you a sailor?"


    "What makes you say that?"


    "Your way of doing things reminds me of my uncle. He was a sailor you see," I said.


    My uncle was a sailor whom I wholeheartedly respected. He taught me a good deal of things. Including how to charm women. It never worked for me though. He also taught me how to fish. But in my uncle''s own words "you''re not cut out for this." After that Alicia died, and we drifted apart.


    "Good observation lad. I was once a famous sailor. But that was more than twenty years ago." He seemed rather proud of himself. He had to strength to back it up, so I couldn''t really reject his pride.


    He was cooking fish and meat by the fire. I only ate the fish.


    We continued to eat and stuffed everything down with coconut water. After finishing I stared at the sky. It was a beautiful sky just like the first day I came to that world. My body was still pretty exposed. But at least I had underwear. Without it, I''d have looked like a pervert. Something which I never expected me saying to myself.


    Now that we were out I didn''t feel considerate anymore. "Say, old man, how did you survive in that place?"


    He laughed hard for a minute. The crickets in the background were really having fun. "Well, when push comes to shove you''ll know how to survive even in the roughest of places or just die tryin. But that reminds me, what the hell were you spouting about? Some sort of lover''s quarrel?"


    I laughed in an awkward way. "I suppose that does make sense. Survival of the fittest. As for that, how about later? I feel too sleepy," I said. I actually didn''t want to think about it just yet.


    He laughed and I smirked.


    I tried to get some sleep.. The fire kept burning and the sound of the fire was comforting.

 Chapter 82 - What Is My Worth Anyway: The Decision

    "La la a laal a."


    I woke up. The old man was already up. A beautiful melody came from far away. My heart fluttered. It soothed my soul.


    "What is this?" I said.


    The melody was too comfortable. The pain in my legs eased up for a moment- or more like I almost forgot about it.


    "Are there people here or¡­" He didn''t finish. We took our weapons in hand and went towards the direction of the melody. My body was falling apart but I could still move thanks to the herbs, and despite the pain, I still wanted to go to the shore for some reason. The shore was calling me. I had to go.


    There was something glowing inside the water. The beautiful voice was coming out from the depths of the reef. From far away I could see that it had a tail and wings like a bird. Half of it was humanoid and looked to be a girl around the age of twenty. The bottom half was fishlike. A mermaid perhaps? But since when did mermaids have wings?


    "Stay away from that boy. That right there is a Siren," the old man shouted.


    My mind snapped. My feet were already touching the water. How did I get here?


    I couldn''t believe what just happened. I went towards her even without realizing. If the old man wasn''t here then I might have even went underwater and met my fate there.


    I jumped back and gathered my thoughts. My legs shouted at me. I couldn''t believe I was moving through this much pain without even noticing. I fell on my back but got up after a slight struggle. My legs burned and the wounds reopened. I had to deal with the pain, somehow.


    The thing jumped in front of me and I was left in awe. The old man called it a Siren. And just like the fairytales, it looked beautiful and very seductive.


    The scales were rainbow in color. The hair was pure white while its skin, like moonlight. The large cleavage was covered by pearls. I was literally walking to my death?


    When I started to freak out and move back it showed its colors. Jagged teeth appeared on its beautiful face, hands became claws. And the siren launched itself straight at me: it was really fast. It almost crawled like a snake. But how did it move outside of water? I couldn''t picture it. Its lower half looked like that of a mermaid''s but it moved like a snake. It was pretty weird.


    I gritted my teeth and held the knife. The old man started chanting. When the siren came close I swung my knife, completely missing my mark, and giving it the excuse to tear the flesh of my chest, creating three distinct claw marks. Damn! Those claws were big.


    "Arghh!" I screamed in agony.


    Blood rushed out and my body was going cold. But it was very close to me, so I tried my luck again. I yet again missed my mark and fell on the ground. The ground soaked on my warm red blood.


    The old man launched his magic and the siren was wounded by a wind blade. Strangely it had bright red blood like me. So it''s not an undead or like those monsters?


    With a shivering screech, it headed straight for the old man who was on the shore. It didn''t even look at me: was I really this powerless?


    Blood filled my mouth and I ejected them out. I was coughing blood like a guy who had lung cancer of the final stage. Breathing wasn''t an easy job.


    The old man however made a stance with the sword and sliced the siren in half: the slice was the culmination of his skills and experience. It happened in an instance but it was magnificent. Barely visible wind had surrounded the old man as he made the cut. I was shaken to the core when I saw him accomplish that without even flinching. His eyes were shining like a master of the craft. He was brilliant.


    I laughed at myself, seeing his technique. He''s that strong and still had to sit in a snake''s stomach for two years. Then who am I to expect I''d be able to become strong enough in a mere year to challenge the being that is said to have the same strength of a God?


    My head fell on the sandy beach and I yet again blacked out, laughing at my destiny. My body went cold and I could hear the faint shouts of the old man. Live me alone¡­I''m better of being dead.


    The next day or maybe the day after, I woke up around noon. The sun was up high and looked hazy. The sea glittered like glistering small lights in the distance, totally unnecessary. The sky was cloudless yet I, my heart was clouded. The wind was blowing but it didn''t press against my skin. I felt terrible.


    "Why do you look like you are the most miserable man in the world?" The old man was next to me. I hadn''t noticed him.


    "Nothing," I said.


    "Heh! I''ve seen crabs with more spirit than you," he said.


    Well, I suppose the crabs might actually have been more spirited than me. After all they didn''t have the burden of becoming strong enough to beat a god in just one year. Damn it!


    "Now you seem frustrated. Either be sad or be angry. Just make up your mind."


    Was he trying to be funny?


    "Say, old man," I said.


    "Yeah?"


    "How did you do it? How did you stay so calm? How could you?"


    He chuckled. "Did I seem calm? I was on the verge of pissing my pants: not that I''m wearing any." He laughed awkwardly. He was definitely trying to be funny. He straightaway added," Well, I suppose you can call it being patient."


    "How does patience come into all this?" I heard a hell of amount of things about patience. But I didn''t know shit about what anyone actually meant.


    "Think about it. Everything in this world is dependent on what you do at the right moment. If you are early you lose. If you are late you also lose. I waited for the right moment and struck true." There weren''t any doubts in his eyes. Something about it made sense but I didn''t really get what he was implying by it. However, I had to become stronger. I just had to.


    "Do you think you can teach me that?" I threw away all my pride and asked him. If I could get just a little stronger then begging wasn''t any problem.


    "Hmm, you?" He raised a brow.


    "I''d really be in your debt! Please!" I pleaded. "Besides, didn''t you say you don''t like to owe debts? I got us out of here and because of me we found that sword." I wasn''t making much sense, but I really wanted to get stronger. And for that, I had to beg and give it my all. If I was going to do this, I was going to do this with the full force of my prowess.


    "I don''t know about that. It took me all my life to learn it. And I already saved your butt two times, so that makes us even." He definitely had a point. I breathed a heavy blow. I didn''t know what to say. He was right. And he had nothing to gain from it either. But just when I was about to give up hope, he added, "But since I don''t have anything better to do, I might as well. I do want something in return though."


    When he actually said that, I was glad. My heart was lighter. At least I''ll have a shot. "W-What?" I stuttered. The old man was shrewd. Too shrewd perhaps.


    "The sword. I''m taking it. And I''ll have to buts. I''m taking it and it''s final." There was no room for debate. I had to give it up, at least for the time being. The old man nodded in satisfaction, seeing my reaction. "Good. Training will begin soon, but first, you''ll have to recover."


    "I''ll have to wait for that too?" I chuckled. I didn''t give up on the sword. I was just playing nice for the time being. After all, I had a promise to keep too.


    "That''s right. It''s all about patience. Consider this training as well," he chuckled along with me.


    Now that I thought about it. Even when facing that monster, he didn''t really use the mystic blade. "So where is that sword anyway? And why weren''t you using it?"


    His face went a little pale. "Let''s not into that. I think it''ll take some training on my end to lift the damn thing first."


    I chuckled so hard that half of soup that was in my mouth, decided to ferry out through my nose.


    The old man gave me a dejected look and whined internally: I could feel it from here. "I haven''t felt this week since I was three." He grumbled. I had no idea what kind of childhood he went through, and frankly, I didn''t want to know.


    I sat in a bed made of leaves. The old man was basically doing everything. My chest was covered with herbs too. He was both old and wise. And I was just another arrogant fool. He''d probably seen countless fools like me in his life. But he still chose to nurse me to health. I really owed him.


    "I''ve taken a look into this island''s landscapes. There are three regions. This part of the jungle is full of those fluffy bastards. The middle zone is covered with insects and the other side is basically the land of unholy-ness. There were countless undead monsters. I didn''t see any humanoids though."


    That wasn''t a shock. It would have been surprising if he had said otherwise. If people actually lived in such a place then they probably wouldn''t be able to survive a single day unless they were as strong as this old man.


    "Are there any other islands nearby?"


    "Nothing but rocks." The old burst into laughter. He did have a weird sense of humor.


    With a sigh my remaining hopes shattered in an instant.

 Chapter 83 - If You Want To Change The World Change Yourself First.

    Evening came with utter cold. It was definitely colder than last night. Even with the fire, life wasn''t easy.


    The wood crackling was quite amusing. It made me feel alive.


    "How''s your wounds?" he asked.


    "Better than before." They were better but I still couldn''t move.


    The old man made stew of those bunnies. Rabbits were my most favorite animals. So I kind of felt guilty to drink the stew and eat the skewered meat. It was also the only reason why I hadn''t eaten the meat last night.


    But it was either that or the large insects the old man fried by the fire. Looking at the insects was mortifying in its own right. So, in the end, I was reduced to eating my most favorite animal instead. At least it tasted good.


    "Now then, I assume you owe me a lot of things. Why don''t we begin with an explanation?" The old man had an anticipated look on his face.


    I sighed. He was right. And so I tried explaining stuff. "I''m not from this world. I was summoned by the demon emperor and stuff happened¡­. But back then when I talked with Trerorta he said¡­"


    I''d finished explaining and the old man nodded in response. He didn''t really say much. I didn''t want him to say anything either.


    Finally, he sighed. "Well looks like your shit was pretty shitty to begin with."


    "You got that right." I stared at the sky. It was cloudless and rather pretty. And yes, there was no moon.


    "Well, at least now we know why your eye healed like that¡­" The old man threw in a curveball.


    My eye''s healed? It should have been obvious as my vision wasn''t obstructed in any way. But it was still a little hard to believe. Perhaps it was the curse, perhaps it was the cursed god of the sea¡­.


    The night ended without any complexity: the old man didn''t bother to ask needless questions. I really liked his considerate attitude. If only he was like that all the time.


    The next morning, I took a good look at my wounds. They were healing but I was definitely out of commission for the next few days. The old man tried his best to search for food, scout new regions, and even look out for ships that would pass by, on his own. But no ships came and six days ended, just like that. I was fully healed thanks to the old man''s excellent knowledge of herbs.


    "Move your left foot back. Raise your shoulder a little more and strike this tree through."


    We were practicing near the beach by some coconut trees. The waves crashed against the shore and made noise. I didn''t like it. I was sick of this island already.


    I did what the old man said. I couldn''t even cut one-tenth of the tree let alone cleave it in half. The sword in my hands was not the mystic sword. This sword was something that the old man found in the shipwreck a little north from there: he told me it crashed here more than five years ago and there weren''t any survivors. He also found some clothes and medicine. The medicine was all unusable though. The clothes however were made from resistant materials. They looked pretty good too. However, given how many years it''d been, I had to be careful otherwise they''d tear.


    "Sigh* if that''s the state of your skills then I really am surprised how you survived till now and convinced the world serpent," he said. It was as though he pitied me. I didn''t mind it, but I just hoped he''d stop belittling me every chance he got.


    The sword was pretty rusty but the old man sharpened it and it was¡­ usable.


    "World serpent? So he goes by that name too?" Just how many names did that snake have in the first place? I was actually getting confused.


    "What? He didn''t tell you? Well, I shouldn''t be surprised if he didn''t. You see he is the creator of healing magic and light. Before his gifts, this world was only covered with darkness." The old man knew a lot more than I thought.


    "I''d rather not imagine that." I most certainly didn''t want to. Who''d want to live in a world of darkness for no reason at all?


    "Ha ha ha. I don''t want to either."


    "So, why is he called that? And why is he a snake? Isn''t he a god?" Those were the questions that I wanted to ask the god himself but too scared to ask. So I had to try my luck with the old man.


    "He was one. Until he killed all the rest of them that is," he said. He was nonchalant about it. Like seriously, he killed them all?


    "He killed them? All of them!?" Actually, that kind of made sense. Since the gods were already dead, they won''t be able to listen to any requests let alone save anyone from dangers. But just because something made sense, didn''t make it a good thing.


    "Indeed. He was betrayed by men. And that betrayal happened because the god of underworld ignited the greed of men and they stole half of his soul. Since men are weak, they were easily deceived. Then they used the souls to forge weapons: we call them mystic equipment these days."


    "But then-"


    "Well, enraged Trerorta ate the forbidden fruit of power in heaven and slaughtered everyone and also cursed the lands. He needed the fruit''s power to transform into the snake in order to destroy everything. After all, although he was the most powerful, he wouldn''t be able to defeat everyone with only half of his powers." The old man gave me a weird smirk. I gulped. "The reason this world is so fucked up is because of that. But some half gods or rather demi gods were still left alive so, now they''re the ones who are running the show. But I was really surprised when you told me that you spoke with him and convinced him too."


    "But why would people still worship them? This doesn''t make sense. And how do you know these things?" It really didn''t make sense. Milai had said something about the leaders of the gods disappearing. But she never told me everyone was dead to begin with.


    "No more questions. Get busy!"


    I continued on. The old man intentionally avoided it. Although it was shocking news, I wasn''t concerned with the world history. All I was concerned was getting stronger and going home.


    We kept at the training for days and eventually it became harder and harder. From doing pushups with just fingers to running around for miles into the monster territory and coming back unharmed from the monsters without any equipment. At one point I started to curse the old man and his cruel training methods. At first it was relatively easy but soon became close to hell. But I was making progress if nothing else. And since I was the one who begged him, I didn''t have the right to complain. And being a shut in nerd didn''t really help.


    "Today I want you to go and stay the night in the third region of this island."


    "You mean that place with the undead? But it''s already evening!"


    He might have said something incredible. So much so that, my eyes twitched in disbelief. "Yup. And guess what¡­" His awfully evil grin was back. I hated that look.


    "I''m not allowed my sword or the knife." There wasn''t even the slightest enthusiasm in my voice. I knew very well what it meant to be in a place with undead in the dead of night and without weapons no less. Did this guy really want me to re-enjoy my awesome time from the first night? I certainly didn''t want to.


    "He he. Instead of a sword use this stick. It''s perfect for Imbuitian."


    I sighed. The guy really knew how to trample over my good will. "Imbuitian?"


    "You saw me cutting the Siren in half right? Well, I cheated a little. I imbued my sword with a little magic and there it was! The blade got intensified with my wind and its reach and sharpness increased. It takes very little practice and magic to accomplish that. I call this process imbuitian," he giggled.


    So that''s not even a real word. But that does makes sense. He was covered in wind at the time no less. But wait: don''t the holy knights use the same thing? So how the hell is that even a thing?


    I sighed again. "But I can''t use magic!"


    It was a stupid protest. If holy knights could do it without being able to use magic, then I should have been able to use it too. But I was too skeptical.


    "Didn''t I tell you? It comes to you when you are in trouble. At least I think it does."


    He wasn''t convincing anyone with that. But if human beings could use healing magic then it wouldn''t have been impossible to learn other magic as well. After all, magic was magic. There wasn''t any extensive research done on the subject, at least not in the case of men. Unlike all the rest of the species, humans lived a short life after all.


    "What if I can''t?"


    "Then I suppose, you''ll just have to give up and become their food."


    Shouldn''t you try to be a little more inspiring than that?


    I glared at him. He was smiling very intently. I bet, he wanted me dead, so he could have that sword all for himself. But I wasn''t going to let that happen.


    "Have it your way geezer. I ain''t backing down now." I picked up the damn stick and ran like hell. The stick was a bamboo stick: perfectly balanced for carrying around like an idiot.. The direction I was heading was south of the campsite.

 Chapter 84 - Awesome, More Bugs

    My conquest to the third region of the island was underway and within moments halted. My path was obstructed by bunnies: yes, the lovely creatures of my dream.


    Yet again I felt guilty for hitting them with my stick. But there was no helping it. This region was relatively open. There were very few trees and the whole area was covered in grass. So running around was easier. All I had to do was dodge and block. And sometimes hit them. I didn''t really hurt them and they didn''t get the chance to get near me. SO maybe it wasn''t that bad.


    I moved fast and reached the next region. Without any incidents, I managed to move on to the next region- though that wasn''t totally accurate as there were plenty of incidents, mostly bunny-related.


    The forest got dense very fast. The trees were closely packed and there were vines everywhere. The ground was covered with moss rather than grass. But, the problem was, there were bugs in every corner. I didn''t hate bugs but I wasn''t a fan of them either. If they were ordinary then it might not have been any problems but these little or rather big critters were special. They were much bigger than your average joe. And they were crawling everywhere too. Then there were finch sized mosquitoes.


    Should I be disgusted or scared?


    I chose the latter and started running like I meant business, which I did. The dense forest wasn''t of concern anymore. Who cared if the forest was packed with stuff, all I needed was to get out of here, as soon as possible, and away from the bugs. The forest was getting relatively open again. This might be the third region. At least there are no goblins here.


    I finally made it to the open area. I let out a sigh of relief. It wasn''t dense but this part was darker than the rest of the forest. It was evening and the smell of this place reminded me of all my bad times. Why does my back itch?


    But before I could worry about my situation, something else grabbed my attention. There was something on my back: something big. It was heavy and my back was itching. I removed my shirt and saw it. My eyes opened wide. There was not one but two leeches on my back. They were as big as my hand. Calm down, calm down.


    I didn''t panic- at least think I didn''t. My heart beats were audible even to me. There were salt in my back pack. The old man insisted I take some- now I knew why.


    But putting salt on those things might complicate things even further. Giving these things salt could make them vomit all the blood back into my system. But since they had all sorts of bad things in their body it wasn''t an option.


    If they were normal sized then it wouldn''t have been an issue, but these were definitely something I didn''t want to leave alone either. Otherwise they''d suck me to death. And I wanted to avoid that kind of death.


    There was a small stick nearby. I picked it up and located the head of the first leech. In the meanwhile I was being surrounded by small undead bunnies: the sun had set. Their eyes were red, some had small amount of flesh and some were just bones. Yet again I was faced with the question of whether to be disgusted or face fear. Without a doubt, this time the former reigned supreme.


    With the head detached I successfully removed the first one. But the 2nd one was a little further down and I couldn''t locate the head. I took a gamble and removed it anyway. Unfortunately for me it wasn''t the head and it ended up screwing the wound. Immediately I took some herbs and shoved them in both of my wounds and used the stick with the other hand to fight off the rabbits. I squished the leeches with my foot. My body burned: I lost so much blood that I felt faint.


    I had to tear my shirt again but it was worth it. After tying the shirt over the herbs I double checked my body, especially the groin area. At least you''re safe. I let out another sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile the bunnies grew impatient and jumped on top of me one by one. But the little critters weren''t strong enough to make me fall over. However their bites were as prominent as ever.


    The stick wasn''t even the least effective, but there wasn''t much I could do either. I had to individually pick every single bunny on top of me and throw them around, only to have them come back straight at me. They broke down, got revived and came back for more. These things were really just plain trouble.


    I was bleeding and it hurt like hell. I felt like running back but then I remembered the old man''s lustrous laugh and kept at it. If I''d gone back he''d surely laugh at me for days to come. And I didn''t like that. Even I had an ego to content with.


    Although undead, these things still had their sharp teeth. I loved them yet I couldn''t help but hate them.


    Time slowed down and I could feel every passing second: the feeling, not so pleasant. All the suffering lasted till midnight: but to me it was an eternity. I was on the very verge of collapse. If it weren''t for the curse, I''d be dead a long time ago. But my body was beyond its capacity, so I wouldn''t have been surprised if I ended up dead anyway.


    But it all changed at midnight. In an instant, the bunnies stopped and so did the pain. A familiar melody swayed with the air. It was comforting and my pain had eased up. I''ve felt this before.


    I couldn''t think straight. The bunnies left me and moved towards the sound: I followed suit. Within a few moments, we reached the shore. It was beautiful. The stars were very pretty but not as much as the ocean. The stars glittered in the sea and welcomed me. The light was very, very welcoming. The song was exceptionally beautiful as well. I wanted to dive in the water.


    When I almost reached the water, the bunnies in front of me jumped around in joy and were eaten.


    My trance was broken. There was a Siren in front of me. But unlike the first one I had encountered, this one''s colors were pale. I could see a glimpse of its flesh, declaring its former glory. And the eyes were red. Why is everything in this region undead? No one answered me. So the undead eat each other? Yet again, no one answered me.


    After eating the bunny it looked at me. Most of my body was already covered in herbs yet I felt faint.. There goes all my herbs.

 Chapter 85 - A Cruel Yet, Wonderful World

    This particular Siren was very impatient. Without wasting time, it came straight for me: maybe living flesh tasted much better.


    I couldn''t do anything to it, with the stick. I couldn''t even block. All I could do was, dodge. If the stick broke down, all my hopes would do down as well. But dodging wasn''t easy either. Although it was slower than an ordinary Siren, it was definitely not slow when it came to cleaving everything in sight.


    All this time I was under the impression that undead only feasted upon the living because they were jealous of the living, but in the end, they too felt hunger. Then how were they different from ordinary humans eating other living things to survive? What is up with this world?


    As I dodged more and more, I got scratches all over my body. The herbs were falling off one by one, leaving my wounds exposed. I was in a very bad situation. But there weren''t any signs of magic. What was magic anyway?


    With every passing minute, my body became heavier and heavier, my heart beat faster and faster, my soul cried out louder and louder.


    It wasn''t letting me go. Does it never get tired?


    I was already breathing rapidly. My vision narrowed even more than usual. I knew this was it. I''d faint soon. At least I made it this far. If I die now, I''ll haunt you old man¡­.


    "Don''t give up¡­" A feminine voice echoed: it was too faint to comprehend but I could still hear it.


    "Who''s there?''


    The siren seemed confused. It looked at me, made weird sounds, and charged straight at me. This time I couldn''t dodge. My left hand was broken by the impact.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    I screamed. It hurt more than anything else till this point. Calling it excruciating would be an understatement. It was literally broken and my cries must have even reached the empty heavens: probably not.


    Drops of liquid jumped off from my eyes and fell on the ground. They were tears. I was prepared to die but I didn''t want to die here.


    "That''s right don''t give up. Use your soul. The very soul that gives you life also grants you magic." There it was again. I could swear I had heard that voice before but I couldn''t remember.


    I held the stick with my right hand and looked sharp. The undead Siren was looking rather happy. I was grinding my teeth and my body was burning like a stove. But I didn''t charge. There weren''t any means for me to attack. The only option left was to draw the battle out and wait till dawn, no matter how long it took. No matter how much you glare, you ain''t getting any meat from me.


    It charged again and I dodged it. With a broken arm that was anything but easy. Even moving a little was enough to make a grown man cry. And I was definitely shedding blood and tears if nothing else.


    And then in a moment of silence, there was a faint glow on my stick, barely visible.


    "That''s it¡­. Use the willpower of your soul to survive. Use it to wield magic. Use it to see the light of day. For dawn- the dawn of a new age!" The voice completely disappeared and I knew what to do. So, this is magic¡­.


    As I focused my thoughts, my desires and my very will to survive the faint glow became bright and then brighter. The siren seemed weary of the glow. As I moved forward it moved backward. Before long I was running. My pain was my strength. I used every ounce of my consciousness for the desire to survive, and manifesting magic was definitely the only way to achieve that.


    With the glowing stick I plunged it straight through the Siren''s chest: surprisingly it went straight through with ease, almost like a rapier. For a moment its eyes looked normal and watery. "Thank you¡­." the Siren uttered in an eerie voice and vanished. It wasn''t the voice I''d heard just moments ago. This one was different.


    So you were in pain too? It was a brand new discovery. Up until now I never considered that undead could have feelings. I had only dismissed them as mere monsters. But now, things were different. So, how are we different from each other? Humans killed monsters, animals to survive. The monsters and the undead did the same. Maybe it was unfair to them, to even think that they were doing this for fun.


    The glow from my stick faded.


    Without a doubt I had accomplished the impossible. But that wasn''t the end of it, as I fainted soon afterwards.


    During the night I could hear faint words.


    "I can''t believe you actually did it. Well done lad. But lying down there like that while the little rabbits were eating you wasn''t a good idea." Most of it was like muffled talking. I couldn''t make sense of the words but I was at ease as the voice belonged to the old man.


    The next morning I opened my eyes and I was back at the campsite. The old man was skinning my love, the bunnies.


    I didn''t like the sound of crashing water, but I was glad for once. I didn''t want to spend the rest of my life in this place, but honestly I was glad I didn''t end up becoming an undead. "When did you-"


    "Did you think I''d be able to sleep if you ended up dead there?" he said.


    "Old man¡­. So you were there the whole time?" I had a feeling like that. I mean, the old man was obnoxious, but he had a good heart.


    "Oh hell no! Why would I be there? And don''t get the wrong idea. I only did that because my humanity begged me to. Not because¡­." He grinded his teeth. He didn''t finish. But I got the point that he cared about me.


    Yet again I was covered in all sorts of wound. I couldn''t even move this time. I wonder how long this''ll take to heal.


    The old man focused his attention on skinning my loves. "You''re lucky your shoulder got dislocated."


    "You mean it''s not broken!" If I wasn''t surprised before, I was surprised now. I tried moving it around and it hurt like hell, but not as much as last night. Seriously, it wasn''t broken?


    "Don''t start moving you brat! You might end up breaking it for real this time!" He didn''t usually get mad. But just this once, I saw how agitated he was. Oh boy, he might have actually snapped this time. SO I just kept quiet. "Ya better stay down for the next couple of days," he said.


    He calmed down a little. His accent slipped from time to time. I couldn''t tell if it was intentional or not.


    "By the way, I can use Imbuitian now." I still hated the word, but I learned a lot last night. And hopefully, I''d be able to use it.


    "Yeah, I saw. But don''t get carried away now. You could only use it under dire circumstances. Once you get better practice non-stop. And keep it hidden."


    "Why?"


    "Do I have to spell it for you? Unlike me, your magic is visible and humans with magic aren''t treated well in this world unless you possess healing magic. But even so, you''re magic might actually turn out to be rare. It''s been a long while since I last saw some holy magic. Unlike those fake holy knight brats, yours might be quite effective."


    "Wait, what?" Fake? Last time I checked, Gorgan''s powers were pretty real.


    "Shut yar trap and stay down."


    I had started to sit down when the old man forced me to lie down and left. He was definitely not the friendly type at certain times.. But at least he was upfront about it.

 Chapter 86 - The Forgotten Times

    It took me a few weeks to fully recover but I bounced back up and we resumed my training. The old man didn''t become even the slightest sympathetic. He went all out with me. Not only was he strict but he was cruel too. However, deep down he was just as kind. At least I hoped he was.


    All the sweat and tears were worth it. Even running around and dancing at the siren''s songs were worth it too: probably. From here on out, things moved fast. My daily routine included practice drills, fishing, and sleeping. But then there were the weekly drills that required me to run around, hunting sirens. I never forgot about why I was here and I never forgot about what I was going to do. But for now¡­. I felt at ease.


    On the 62nd day, we officially dueled with bamboo sticks. The old man had gained a few kilos. I had similar gains. Though most of my new weight came from my muscles. Perhaps I could finally stand tall, saying I looked decent.


    I watched the old man closely and waited for him to strike. He taunted me and came straight for me only to move back at the last second but I didn''t fell for it.


    "Good. You''ve gotten much better. But you''ve got much to learn," he said.


    "What are-" I fell on the ground. What just happened? When did he? "Hey, how''d you-"


    "Better pay attention next time," he sneered. "But I must say you might actually pass for a normal knight with all that skill." The old man went away laughing.


    I got the feeling that the old man didn''t mean that as a compliment. It took a minute to get up, catch my breath and head back to camp. This old man was not easy. Why''d he had to be so dramatic over everything? Or maybe I was the odd one? I probably wasn''t, at least not to me.


    We had dinner. More fish and rabbit. At this point, I wouldn''t be surprised if he started slaughtering kittens. I loved cats too, so I expected him to. It was probably a good thing that there weren''t any kittens on this island though.


    "Old man what''s your relation with the holy knights?"


    "Where''d that come from?" I''d been wondering that for a while. Gorgan said some things about his training back in the capital but from what I heard, the church made sure that there were no leaks. And yet the old man knew this. Plus he called the holy knights fake. Something was up.


    He fiddled with the fire. Wonder if he''ll ever catch fire. "I was a holy knight candidate once."


    My jaw literally fell. My mouth gaped in surprise. "What!?"


    "Don''t make that face kiddo. It was over forty years ago. I was too young." How frigging old are you, damn geezer! I never dared to ask that though.


    He continued. "I volunteered for the training but after a while, they told me that I didn''t have it. That pissed him off ya know!"


    I can picture that. "SO¡­?"


    "I sneaked in. obviously." He talked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But frankly, it wasn''t.


    "Then what happened?"


    "They found me out and kicked me out of the capital."


    If it were me, I''d have you executed though. "Did you find out anything?"


    He sighed. "They¡­ They use an artifact. Very old."


    "Artifact?" I was clueless. I didn''t know much about the world and the old man wasn''t very sharing. He still occasionally dropped the info bomb. So I had to keep my eyes and ears wide awake.


    He scratched his head. "Let''s just say, they are forbidden by the nations. If elves for example knew that we use an artifact for ourselves and make fake holy knights, they''d be furious and we''ll have a major issue."


    "You mean war¡­"


    "Exactly. It''s a very serious thing. This particular artifact used to magnify the users mana if they were suitable. Now you''re wondering why they didn''t kill me, right." The old man''s grinning face was on full display. I couldn''t bring myself to tell him that I hated his smile though.


    Don''t worry. I wondered that a long time ago.


    I didn''t have to reply. He continued. "I was supposed to be executed outside of the country to avoid suspicion. But when push came to shove¡­"


    "You ran¡­" It was obvious. If you knew, you''d be executed, you''d run like the wind.


    "Yup! I''ve been on the run ever since, traveled across the world, and had all sorts of fun. They''ve probably forgotten about me though. So I think I can go back now." He seemed pretty optimistic about it.


    I sighed. "Only if we could get off this rock that is."


    "Yeah¡­ we''d probably see at least some ships in the near few days."


    The old man was awfully optimistic about this too but I wasn''t. "What makes you say that?"


    "This place is perfect for hiding treasure, at this time of the year."


    Something about his tone felt ominous. More like creepy. So I ignored it. My bag looked a little fluffier than usual but oh well.


    "Say, so there are no gods alive?" For the last couple of months, the old man had been avoiding the topic. This time I wasn''t going to let go.


    "Well since it came from me, take it with a grain of salt. I''ve neither seen nor confirmed any of the stuff I told you. But I''ve seen enough in my life to conclude that." He sighed and stopped talking. He was done on the subject. A few minutes passed and he looked at me again. "After seeing how fruitless the country''s methods were I began building my own. I searched far and wide for the power. During my late part of my travels I met the prince and you know the rest." There was this awkward silence between us. I didn''t know what to say. "So don''t get your hopes up. There could still be one of those shitheads out there."


    Never heard anyone call gods by that before. What is this, a new discovery? "¡­" I kept quiet but never in my life, had I laughed that hard.


    The next day something unbelievable happened. The old man''s ominous predictions came alive. There was a ship very close to the island. It was big and looked quite fancy- in a very dark way. As our smoke signal clouded the sky it turned towards us and I saw a wavering flag swimming with the breeze. The flag had a skull face and it was crossed with swords.


    "That isn''t what I think it is, right? Tell me that, that symbol is some sort of fetish in this world, right? Hey?" I questioned the old man with every ounce of my doubts.


    He only chuckled and looked at the horizon. "Our ride has arrived."


    Oh boy.. Here we go again! And so my everyday life on the island came to an end.

 Chapter 87 - Interlude: Obligations

    "My lady, I bring ill news." Gorgan bowed before the princess. Everyone in the throne room glared at the holy knight: all kind of attention was on him. He didn''t raise his head.


    The princess raised her arm. "Raise your head. What happened?" She was prepared. Even if she wasn''t, she had to put up with a front.


    "Daarc fell overboard. The ship has come back and that''s what the captain told me." Gorgan''s voice flowed freely. He was sad but he didn''t let it show. Almost an entire month had passed since Daarc had left from the port of Moire.


    "That BRAT!" The princess banged her fist on the handle. "I even warned him!" She looked anything but dignified. But no one could say a word and no one dared. With a long exhale she composed herself. "And? You wish to travel there and confirm?" She was annoyed, to say the least. But she knew her loyal knight, a bit too much to be exact.


    Gorgan didn''t say a word. His looks became even fiercer. "And I have an envoy from the dwarven kingdom." And yet, this loyal knight had bigger things to worry about.


    The princess''s eyes opened wide. "An envoy?"


    Again all attention was on Gorgan. The news of Daarc falling overboard might have been shocking, but the idea of an envoy from the dwarves was even more of a shock. After all, the dwarves rarely went out of their way to get out of their stronghold, let alone send an envoy to a faraway land.


    "We have one from the capital as well. The dwarves claim¡­" Gogran cleared his throat. This was uncomfortable to him. Very uncomfortable. "They claim¡­ they claim- their princess has been abducted." Gorgan''s voice shook. He sweated and he couldn''t maintain his composure. It was an almost unbelievable situation. The kingdom of dwarves was like a natural bunker. Its defenses were the best this world had to offer. And yet, one of their royalty, abducted? It was hard to believe: no, it was impossible to believe.


    The nobles inside the court had a similar look on their faces: the face of surprise and shock. Whispers became shout and soon chaos descended.


    But the signal of the princess was adequate to quell the chaos and bring silence. "What do you-" Beatrine attempted.


    Before the princess could finish, Gorgan moved on. "By prince Havard." It just took one word to silence the whole room.


    The princess''s eyes shot wide in surprise and she just glared down at Gorgan, silently. "Are you sure?" She spoke each word with caution and clarity.


    "Yes."


    ***


    Two months later, in a different part of the world, a boy sat by the window, admiring the sight from high ground. It was a marvelous sight, to say the least. And the place he was at was no doubt the greatest of all the marvels this land had to offer: the land of elves- Alfeime''s royal palace.


    "You''re highness, the emperor wishes to speak with you regarding the human. A messenger from Desota is waiting in the throne room. He expects your presence at once." A maid bowed fiercely by the door. Her long ears and sharp looks could rival even the most beautiful of beings. She wasn''t human.


    "Very well, I shall be there at once. Please leave me for I must dress in proper attire." The voice was low and sharp: the promise of youth.


    "As you wish your highness." The maid left the room. But just outside, she stopped. "And it would seem her highness has wandered to the town again. She still appears to be sad about the incident." It was almost as if she was pitying the princess.


    "I see. I shall try to talk with her. You may leave."


    "Yes, your highness."


    There was silence. The room had only one person according to human eyes. The person was an elf. His eyes glowed in bright blue and a tint of red. But this smile was anything but innocent and there was definitely more than just one person inside.


    ***


    In a land far away, a fortress city stood in the middle of a well. The city was protected by three mountains on three sides. And on the fourth side, there was the ocean. It was a prosperous city.


    People would wonder where the residents of this land got their water from as the whole land was surrounded by a massive desert. And when they''d hear that it was from a measly well, they''d almost always think of it as a joke.


    But it was no joke. This one measly well, a well with a radius of less than a meter was the sole source of water for the entire city. Of course, physically it wasn''t possible but physics wasn''t the only thing that governed these lands.


    But there was a problem. The problem being, the quantity of water started diminishing and the well got deeper and deeper.


    "I''m afraid it will run out in two months my liege" A soldier bowed before the man on the throne.


    There was no one else in the room and both were big people: dwarves.


    "How can this be¡­?" The man on the throne pondered and held his head in his hands. He couldn''t even look at the other man. "Does his highness know?"


    "I''m afraid we might go to war my liege. He said he won''t be able to send rations for us." The man spoke clearly and fiercely.


    This particular man on the throne held enough power to govern an entire city but when faced with a natural disaster like securing water, even he was powerless. "Damn!" The man hissed and banged his hand on the handle. "First the abduction, then the goblins and abnormals, and now a shortage of water? What is happening in this country? To THIS country?"


    There was no one to answer his questions.. But one thing was for certain, whatever was happening here wasn''t good for the living.

 Chapter 88 - Finally, A Ship? Wait, Why Do They Have A Skull- Ugh?

    As the ship came closer and closer all my hopes slowly faded away. It was a large and wide ship. The hall was made from some sort of black wood. Massive sails could be seen from far afar. The ship stayed at a fair distance; two smaller boats dropped down from the main ship and headed our way. Yup, we were in for it, whether we liked it or not.


    "Looks like shits about to go down old man."


    I came to this world, also known as the dark realm over three months ago. A lot happened since then. At first, I didn''t really know how I arrived but I later found out that the demon lord had summoned me in this world to entertain him. I met friends who died for me, who did their best to save me and I also met those who backstabbed me. I was saved, befriended, betrayed, rewarded, and then betrayed again. After what seemed more or less like an eternity of suffering and dread I arrived on this island with an old man who I met in a serpent''s stomach. The serpent being the God of light. Talk about a weird journey!


    "It ain''t so bad." And yet, somehow this old man still had the guts to be optimistic.


    I looked at him in disbelief. He was smiling, not a trace of fear or anxiety on him. I''d lived with him for over two months now and I still couldn''t understand him.


    The guy had quirky humor and was at times, rather a pain. But he meant good (I hoped), and that was enough for me.


    "Well then again, shit was always shitty to begin with." He burst out laughing.


    "Enough with the shit joke. That stuff is getting old. Just like you!"


    He laughed. His beard swayed with the wind. "Yeah." For a split second he feigned grief but recovered almost immediately. He wasn''t such a feeble old man.


    The island we were in had carnivores, large insects, and the undead. Truly a paradise. A paradise for the deceased that is. But I''d managed to stay alive on this island for more than two months now, and that was enough to make me feel stronger if nothing else.


    I sighed. "Let''s hope so." I wasn''t optimistic, but I knew that the old man and I were good enough to fend off quite a few people. But I hoped that it never came to that.


    A total of seven people came ashore. Their clothes gave off the expression anyone would expect from a situation such as this.


    "Well, what have we here?" One of the men said.


    His voice was deep and prickly. He had a beard as black they got. He was wearing a red hat and there were plenty of scars on his face. He was different from the rest. Pretty much what you''d expect. He didn''t have an eye patch though nor a hook.


    The rest of them had a little different clothing; most of them wore tattered clothes. I couldn''t differentiate if they were clothes or rags. Some of them were shirtless too.


    "Cap''n, they be too afraid," said a man beside the man with a dubious laugh.


    So he''s the captain? The black-bearded one was apparently the captain. The lack of hook and eye patch threw me off though.


    The one that just spoke had a soft voice, more like high pitched... This particular one was fairly handsome and looked quite fair. He had blonde hair and a pretty face. I wouldn''t be too sure. But he was wrong.


    It didn''t take long for me to know what was happening. Then again, I could guess from a distance anyway.


    To be honest we were kind of intrigued rather than scared. We didn''t expect the ship to be a pirate ship. I for once didn''t think I''d be meeting pirates in my lifetime. But given how screwed my life had become, it wasn''t really that surprising.


    "We are just humble sailors. I know we are asking too much of you, but could you give us a ride to anywhere that has seen the light of civilization?" the old man said.


    What the hell are you thinking old man?


    I couldn''t relate to what the old man was saying. I could understand that we were in a very bad situation and day by day my time was dying down, but that was no reason to ask these guys for help. They were outlaws and by no means they''d help us for free.


    "Har har har¡­. What be this man thinkin?" Another man started laughing behind the captain.


    That''s a weird way to laugh.


    "Transportation demands payment. What have ye got for us?" the captain said. As expected he wanted something in return. These were pirates. Actual living, breathing pirates. Why the hell would they help stranded people like us for free?


    The old man however didn''t even flinch for a second. He took out a red gemstone form his deep pocket and flashed it in front of the captain. It was bright and looked quite expensive.


    Where the hell did you get that! I''d been with him for two freaking months and I had no clue what just happened.


    "Let''s get''em boys. They might have more stuff," the blonde guy said.


    The blonde one headed straight for the old one. I had my hand on my sword the whole time. I wasn''t dumb enough to trust these morons anyway.


    The moment he brought out his knife, I unsheathed my sword. I stepped in and blocked his knife. He was skilled but lacked patience. I lacked it too, but maybe not as much as him.


    Well, it was obvious they''d try something like that. After all, they were pirates.


    "Ha ha. I wouldn''t do that if I were you." The old man laughed it off.


    There was a small tornado in the old man''s hand. The mystic sword was hidden inside a shady scabbard: he didn''t even let me touch the sword. He knew exactly what he was doing. I''d panicked for no reason. Now I had to calm down.


    "Shiver me timbers! This man won''t be easy," the blonde one said.


    Their accents were a bit too pirate-y: more like forced. Are they pretending or something? They were a funny bunch. Instead of actual pirates, they looked more like cosplayers. I didn''t have the guts to spell it out loud though.


    "Let''s just leave them here. Eventually, they''ll die and we''ll get the treasures."


    Four of them seemed to agree with the sentiment. The captain didn''t seem all that convinced but he kept quiet as if observing our reactions.


    The old man grinned. "Are you sure? We have survived on this island for almost two months now. Besides, don''t you think we could do serious damage to that ship of yours?" His smile never faltered. He was bluffing, but his bluff had actual weight.


    "That''s enough. Aye, Let there be the deal of lives and gems," the captain said.


    That seemed easy; too easy. What are they plotting?


    The old man was smiling the entire time. He didn''t look troubled even for a moment. So, I didn''t let my anxiety show either. Let''s wait and see.. Of course, I didn''t let my guard down, but I didn''t show too much hostility either.

 Chapter 89 - A Hearty Escape To The Sea

    The pirates came to shore and started gathering food and water. There were plenty of coconuts and regretfully rabbits to collect.


    "Don''t let your guard down." The old man passed by and whispered. He didn''t have to tell me, I''d been on my guard from the get-go.


    I was gathering my things. My bag seemed a little heavier than usual but it was probably because the old man had stuffed worthless things inside. I didn''t want to bother with them so I just kept things as they were.


    This island had a lot going for it. There was life, there was death and the undead were sandwiched in between. But to leave it after two months, everything felt surreal.


    Before setting out once and for all, I tried to cut the tree I first started my training with. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn''t cut it through in one shot. I cut down hundreds of trees but never actually succeeded. Not the most environmentally friendly thing to do but this world didn''t have all that global warming crap, to begin with. When was the last time I worried about global warming? Wait, have I ever worried about it?


    Lately, I''d forgotten all about the trees, but since today was the last day, I had to at least see what I was capable of. I took my best stance and focused.


    This is the result of my training, all the suffering, and pain. And yet, the coconut tree in front of me didn''t seem all that worried. Could trees worry? I mean, they had life, right? Maybe they could feel the pain too? I was just making up excuses as to why I shouldn''t cut down this tree. But it was mostly because I didn''t want to know how far I''d made it. After all, I''d be sorely disappointed if I ended up not making progress at all.


    No! I will! It took me a minute to refresh my goals and strengthen my resolve. I took a deep breath and swung with all my might and skills. It had to work. I had to do it. If I couldn''t then what was the point of all that ruthless training for the last two months?


    The sword touched the trunk and I knew it. There was a satisfactory sound of a falling tree. That was close! It almost fell on me.


    I cleaved it through: not fully but the last bit just cracked on its own anyway. Finally it happened. I did it! I was truly glad. My training had finally paid off. I laughed as hard as I could. To an ordinary outsider, I might have even seen mad or something but I was perfectly sane. It was a shame that I couldn''t cleave it through fully, but at least I finally made it fall. I was glad, if nothing.


    As we got on the small boats I looked down. Darkness spiraled infinitely down. I could see small flashes of light and hear vivid chuckles. Sirens!


    "But, I''m surprised ye survived on that island. Not many people can stay alive there for even a single day." I was with two pirates. They were different from the rest and seemed friendly; more than the rest of them. I got the impression that they probably came regularly to this island.


    "It was luck and skills I suppose," I said.


    I was looking back at the island. It''s been three months since I arrived in this world. Have I become stronger? Have I become a better human being? The former was obvious but the latter I couldn''t say much about.


    "You must really be strong then?" He was talking in normal tongue. Not even a shred of pirate-ness.


    "I don''t know." I honestly didn''t know. The guy didn''t really say anything either.


    When we got near the ship I was yet again marveled. The ship was larger than I had assumed. The bowsprit was quite long and below it was a carved half angel. It looked rather similar to the angels I saw back in the forests but was carved out of wood. Talk about being fancy!


    It was getting dark. There were twenty-seven pirates on board. All of them were men, but not all human. Some looked like crocodiles and some even looked like half animals; there were plenty of variety. The helmsman was a large dwarf. I couldn''t even begin to wonder why dwarfs were called dwarfs. Given their sizes, it wouldn''t have been surprising if they were called giants instead, fat giants that is.


    "Move it ye pretty boy; unlike ye, I got things to do."


    I was shoved aside by one of the crew members; he had a wolf like body and face. He was rather rude but the fur was cute. What''s his problem?


    "Don''t mind him; he''s Gack, the throat slicer. I''m Brend. Nice to meet ye."


    I looked back and behind me was the blonde pretty boy. Throat slicer? That''s scary! But, why is this guy being friendly now? I got the feeling that he was up to no good.


    "I''m Daarc. Nice to meet you too," I said. I tried to pretend I didn''t hear him. I for once wanted to keep my throat attached.


    "Dark? Who names their kid after darkness? Were your parents-"


    I didn''t let him finish. Even I didn''t know why my name was, what it was. "It''s actually spelled with¡­ never mind. Anyway where do we stay?" It would have been a chore to explain, so I gave up halfway.


    Apparently the guy didn''t care about my name and he moved on. "Here. On the deck. We don''t have any place for ye on the inside." That was not something anyone should say to someone''s face, at least not with the type of grin he had.


    The old man wasn''t with me. He was busy negotiating with the captain. It seemed pirates take their treasures very seriously. On the deck? This might be tougher than I had imagined.


    It was fine during day, but what about nights? When I came to this world, it was summer. But now its autumn and sometimes it really got chilly. So that wasn''t something I looked forward to. Besides, then there was the problem of monsters. After all, every night I had plenty of fun with Sirens. A type of fun, I never ever wanted to experience again.


    My silence triggered some response from the Blondie. "What are ye be thinking? Ye don''t expect us to give ye quarters eh?" He didn''t hold back anything. I guess I couldn''t fault him either.


    "Nothing. Never mind." I stared at the water below. It reminded me of the ship I was using for sail to Alfheim. Which in turn reminded me of that dreaded night when Araan pushed me overboard. I didn''t really know why he did that but now that I was off the island, I had time to think about what I was going to do next. The peaceful sunset made the experience even more surreal. I only sighed.


    The sun had set and stars were poking through the clouds. The sky wasn''t cloudless but wasn''t too cloudy either. Brend- or whatever the hell his name was, was staring distantly at the sky. "Aren''t they beautiful?"


    Don''t you have anything better to do? I wasn''t sold on his being too friendly. He had an ulterior motif and that was clear. "The stars?" I asked. I had to play a little dumb. I was on their ship, of course.


    "Aye. I miss the moon though. She''s much prettier than the stars." He looked at the sky longingly.


    "Wait, but the moon is just a legend, isn''t it?" I never saw the moon in this world and whenever the topic of the moon came, everybody just avoided it.


    He stared at me. His eyes shone with innocence. "Just because its legend doesn''t mean it don''t exist, now do it?"


    I had no idea what he just said but I could guess. Apparently I had a lunar fanboy on my hands. "I suppose I''ll have to agree with you on that one."


    He turned his gaze back to the stars again. He might have really been a total lunatic. Over the moon that is. "I actually have an impossible dream. I want to visit the moon someday. Laugh if ye want. But I-"


    "It''s possible. With a modern rocket you probably would be able to head to the moon in just months," I said. The very next moment I realized what a blunder I made. I said too much. Why did I always end up babbling information to random strangers? Not only did the moon not exist in this world but also the concept of traveling to the moon was even more novel. Was I always such an idiot?


    His eyes opened wide. He wore a very troublesome expression. The expression that had trouble written all over it. "What''s a rocket?" His question was as innocent as it got. And yet, it made me sigh in despair.


    "Ahh¡­ well¡­" I tried to smooth things out by making excuses but couldn''t come up with anything good. I could never make up good lies on spot anyway. But just when everything was lost, I saw a glint of hope: The old man came out of the captain''s cabin. There it was, my excuse. "Old man," I shouted.


    I immediately went toward him. The Blondie was staring at me with doubts. I would have been surprised if he didn''t.. But by some miracle, I''d escaped.

 Chapter 90 - A Sassy Dinner

    "What?" The old man said, visibly confused.


    "How''d it go?" I winked.


    He grinned back. This old guy really was something else. Brend frowned a little but he let us be.


    "It''s official. He allowed us to stay on board till they make port in Elicaane town. It''s a port town north of Veneheim." The old man puffed his chest and looked mighty proud. I hated that side of him.


    "Veneheim?" The name rhymed with Alfeime.


    "It''s the entry to elven territory, also known as the sacred forest of old." The old man didn''t have his usual grin. He just looked a little desolate.


    "I''ve had enough of forests and their sacredness." I didn''t intend to say it out loud but it slipped out anyway. The old man only laughed in response. But it was kind of weird but I had to ask anyway. "How far is the capital from there?"


    "About three days."


    "Think everything will go okay?" I had my doubts. But ever since I ran into the old man, things weren''t so bad. At least not till now. Even the encounter with the pirates wasn''t that bad, at least not yet.


    He looked at me, curiously. "Son, if I learned something from life, is that nothing goes the way you want it to. If it goes that way, then either you''re going mad or something terrible is waiting for you," he said. Just this once, he didn''t speak total nonsense.


    I believed him. I had no reason to not believe him. His words were true to the core. But something about the way he said it, seemed comical. I never did get the chance to thank him though.


    The pirates were moving around like nothing had happened at all and they were normal sailors or something. I didn''t know why but I was kind of disappointed seeing them all like that. Just what the hell was I expecting?


    "Anyway, stay vigilant. They seem nice but I don''t think they''ll let us get off that easily." The old man whispered. He was educating me about on what I could expect from this ship and its crew.


    Well, that was not unexpected. It would be stupid if we weren''t suspicious of them.


    At night, the stars looked really pretty. The sound from the waves was calming but also reminded me of his betrayal. Why would he betray me? For what purpose? What would he stand to gain from it? I couldn''t forget about it.


    "I don''t know about you lad, but I bet my family is gonna go frigging barnacles when they see me." The old man sat by the ship terrace, his back stacked against the wood.


    Well, I suppose that''s what you''ll get, going home after all this time. "I don''t have any family. At least not in this world," I said. I had told the old man about me not being of this world. He had believed me without much doubt. Come to think about it, he never did ask me questions about my life. Maybe he was just being considerate or maybe because I never asked about his.


    "Well, I am sorry to hear that." He didn''t seem sorry at all though. He laughed like an alcoholic. Maybe he was one.


    "Don''t be. They never liked me to begin with." I chuckled along with him.


    "Ha ha ha. No family can hate each other. At least not for long." He was an obnoxious old man.


    We were staring at great distances. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to the island. It went out of our sight a long while ago but it''ll remain in my heart forever. I learned many great things on that island. Hopefully, they were for the best.


    The pirates were partying. Apparently, they partied after the evening every day. Although a bit ambitious, I suppose that''s how outlaws should live their lives. If not, then what''s the point of being an outlaw in the first place?


    But in reality I was a little jealous. We were sitting tight on the deck while they were partying downstairs. The ship however wasn''t particularly lit up. I suppose that was only natural, since they were pirates after all. I''d been surprised if they lit the damn thing up and literally shouted, ''we''re pirates.'' No matter how dumb they were, they wouldn''t be that dumb, right?


    "Back when I was sailing we used to party like this too." The old man grinned like he owned the place.


    "Don''t tell me you were pirates," I said. He already told me that he was a sailor. I didn''t know what sort of crew he had. But I got the impression they weren''t typical sailors. So if he was a pirate, I wouldn''t have been surprised.


    I looked at him with dull eyes. He didn''t admit or deny. That only made me suspicious but I didn''t really care. What he was before didn''t really matter now. The old man burst into laughter. Although a little obnoxious I had somehow got accustomed to his laughs.


    "So what kind of family do you have and where are they?" I took up the courage to ask.


    "In Elicaane. I think my whole family is there. My wife''s family lives there you see." He sighed. I didn''t get to see this side of him often.


    No wonder you negotiated to go there. "Well, let''s be glad that you''ll meet her soon." I didn''t want to rub it in, but I had a grin on my face.


    "Well, I don''t want to meet her just yet." For the first time ever, he laughed in frustration. Usually he always laughed in a sarcastic way, yet somehow this time it felt different. It was as though, he was sad.


    "What do you mean?"


    "She''s-" He couldn''t finish, as footsteps approached us.


    "Ye two haven''t had anything right?" The blonde guy or rather Brend had brought us dinner. Was that a gesture of politeness or was he up to something? I''d bet it was the latter. But I was glad he showed up at the right moment. A few seconds later and the conversation would have ended up in a horrible place. I for once didn''t want to see the old man sob or anything. I''d been through enough sobbing already.


    "Yeah lad. Haven''t had anything yet. Are those for us?" But maybe I didn''t need to worry about the guy, as he recovered anyway.


    "Aye."


    We looked at each other but in the end decided to eat anyway. It was a very dangerous move but we had no choice. I didn''t know about the old man, but I was starving. However I didn''t really trust them yet. What if they mixed poison in it? It wasn''t uncommon and they were pirates for crying out loud. But the old man dug in without a doubt and I followed suit. A rather risky move, but I had to. My stomach demanded that I do.


    It didn''t look bad and I thought the taste might be okay. But it was terrible: utterly, terrible. There weren''t any spices other than salt. Even the texture was¡­ "Yuck! What is this?"


    "That''s coconut rice with fish. That''s actually considered a delicacy ye know," Brend said. Was he trying to be funny or something? This thing, a delicacy?


    "Seriously?" I looked at the old man, perplexed, and he was already half done. It tasted like flavorless mush. How the hell is thing a delicacy? And how the hell are you eating this stuff?


    The old man for his part, was devouring the thing.


    With tremendous amount of will power I ate my portion. There weren''t any fast acting poison to say the least. As for the slow acting one; only time could tell.


    Brend went away with the plates.


    "By the way, when will you give me my sword?"


    "You''re sword? I don''t remember it belonging to you! But if you want it you have to beat me first," he said. He sure was proud of his skills, if nothing else.


    The old man was laughing quite a lot. I knew I was indebted to him, but he was way too annoying. As for beating him, he was too damn strong. He was probably stronger than most elite knights of the kingdom. If this damn geezer declared he was the strongest adventurer or something, I''d believe him. After all I was yet to meet anyone stronger than him. Even Gorgan, the so-called strong guy wasn''t enough to put up a fight against this man''s wits. I guess strength-wise Gorgan was stronger, but the old man had him beat in skills and wit.


    I leaned against the starboard fence. Calling it fence was a weird way to put it but that''s how I saw it. It was very fence-like: it almost reminded me of the fence I crashed into when I was ten.


    I tried to stay awake but soon, I fell asleep, and with that, thoughts filled my brain.


    "Huh! What do you mean you don''t want to go to college anymore? I wish I never had a son like you. If only you weren''t born! If only it weren''t for you¡­ she would- " My mother had never finished that sentence.. But for just this once, I wish she had.

 Chapter 91 - To Be Sea Sick Or Drunk, That Is The Question

    The creaking of wood woke me up. The helmsman was sleeping and so was the old man. The ship was moving in all sorts of direction, so there was more than enough swaying. The big guy who was behind the ship''s rudder was fast asleep. No wonder the ship was swaying. Come to think of it, would this really be alright? What if we went in the opposite direction?


    "Hey wake up, ye fat ass!" I screamed.


    I might have picked up some random pirate words. After spending all day with the pirates, it would have been surprising if I hadn''t. Actually come to think of it, I always ended up talking like the people around me, didn''t I? Maybe it''s a side effect of the curse? It wasn''t very prominent, so I never paid any attention. But this was still rude of me to say so.


    The helmsman woke up in a very shaky mood and looked straight at me. His bloodshot eyes lusted for blood. Oh shit.


    "What did ye say?" he howled.


    I didn''t know how to react but I had brought this onto myself. Sometimes I really could be so dumb. "Soryy, you were sleeping so¡­" I tried to rack up my brain for excuses. As expected, nothing was coming to mind.


    "Huh!" He picked up a club. It had metal strings on it. He came towards me with a slow pace. He was going to mince me, there was no doubt about it.


    I had nothing against him but I didn''t want to get squashed. So, I unsheathed my sword. He was big but I couldn''t let him scare me. I haven''t done anything wrong other than call him that. But wait, isn''t that wrong too¡­? I was contradicting my own thoughts and that kind of ruined my mindset. I really was dumb.


    Before he could reach me a voice resonated. "Yerrr! Sea dogs! I''m tryinn to get some shut eye!" It was the captain.


    The big guy stopped, looked at me, and gave an expression that didn''t bode well for me. "Don''t call me that." It was more of a threat than a request. I nodded, vigorously.


    He returned to his duty. And as if nothing had happened, started snoring again. I sighed. Just what was the point of all this then?


    "Let that be a lesson to you. Never call dwarves fat." The grumpy sleeping guy next to me was apparently, not sleeping.


    "And you just happen to say that now!" I grumbled but sat down anyway.


    The old man was awake after all. He was smiling. I felt the urge to strangle him but controlled myself. My heart was racing, so it was a little hard to fall asleep. I was really lucky to survive this. Let''s make a rule for myself¡­. Never call anyone fat or thin¡­. And so I embarked on a journey of self-realization¡­ wait, what?


    The next morning I woke up with a headache. It was like that hangover I got when I stole a can of beer from the fridge and downed it at one go. I groaned and sat down. The world was magnified and I wanted to throw everything up. Motion sickness? But- I almost threw up just by thinking about it.


    I wasn''t prone to motion sickness: I never had seasickness either. But apparently, last night''s swaying wasn''t good for my body. People around me didn''t really look any worse than they already were. I did see two other guys throw up by the fence: maybe they were new recruits. Seeing that made me want to throw up even more.


    "Drink up boy." The old man handed me a black liquid of some sort. It looked horrible, smelled worse.


    "What is this?" It was hard to control my guts and talk at the same time.


    The old man had awoken much earlier than me. He looked just as fit as he used to. Come to think of it, he looked much better now that we were at the sea. What was he, a fish or something?


    "Do you really want to know?" He was smirking again.


    I didn''t want to play the old man''s games. "I don''t care." I closed my nose with one hand and drank the stuff. It tasted sweet and perhaps a little sour. "Not bad¡­" Moreover I felt better. My seasickness died down a little.


    "By the way." The old man''s grin widened. "That was pretty expensive. You''re lucky we harvested it from the siren last night."


    "Siren? Har-harvested?" The glass was still in my hand. My eyes twitched, my face twitched. Just what the hell did I just drink? Just what the hell did you just make me drink, old man!?


    He came close. "You see¡­." The old man whispered in my ears. Needless to say, only moments later, I threw up everything and the whole morning, my guts and my mood was literally on fire. The chuckles around me weren''t helping either.


    Seagulls were flying by. Some of the pirates were trying to catch the birds. But they were failing miserably.


    It was close to midday. Thanks to a certain somebody I had no appetite and was currently starving. I did feel better though. I didn''t want to admit it, but that black stuff was definitely some sort of medicine. I still wasn''t going to thank the geezer though, never.


    The wolfman-Gack was jumping around from the mast but he wasn''t making any progress. I was feeling rather amused to see that. His scary face didn''t seem all that scary now. If only he had a better personality, I could have even called him cute.


    "Hey, newbie go and call Brend. He''s got the best skills among us with throwing stuffs." Gack swung around his sword but he couldn''t do anything to the seagulls. "Damn it! I wanna cut some throats but these things! Damn it!" The seagulls were basically flying around him in circles, almost mocking him.


    I ignored the last bit of what he said. "Sure, but I''m not joining you guys." Oh boy! He didn''t see me smiling did he?


    I instinctively had my hands on my throat making sure it stayed attached. Placebo effect was the real deal. Gack for his part didn''t really care about me and kept swinging his sword. His disappointment was definitely amusing.


    The pirates had already assumed I would join them or something; so, they were ordering me around like an intern. But, I had better things to do than go around and pillage stuff.


    However, for the time being, I''d be their errand boy. I didn''t want to meet Trerortra anytime soon again, after all.


    My worries about the monsters of the sea were the real deal though. Occasionally monstrous fish or squids would show up out of nowhere and we''d have our food. I liked octopus more than squid and maybe because of that, we didn''t see a single octopus yet. Was there any octopus in this world though?


    According to the pirates, Brend''s cabin was next to the captain''s. Nobody apart from the captain himself was allowed to enter. No wonder they pushed the job onto me. But if nobody was allowed, how come they wanted me to go in?


    "Hey, am I really allowed? It''s okay for me to go in right?" Before knocking on Brend''s door, I shouted at Gack.


    The guy looked at me without any emotions. "If the captain finds out, ye''d go without a day of food. But let''s say ye don''t listen to me¡­. I''ll take yer throat. I''ll leave the last decision to ye."


    Yup, I knew what I''d do. Why the hell did it have to be pirates? I almost wanted to cry.


    I knocked once and went straight in. The life of my throat- my life to be exact- depended on it. The door was a bit hard and I had to push a little too hard but eventually, I went in: wait, was this a lock?


    There was someone in there. Someone with a much curvier body than Brend.. I couldn''t believe my eyes. "Hey, you''re- !"

 Chapter 92 - An Odd Discovery And A Deceitful Life

    The person in front of me had: blonde hair overflowing on all sides, bright blue eyes, and a nose that looked almost too perfect.


    "You-you-you''re a girl!" Words escaped my lips like they had no worries.


    Yes, the person in front of me was a girl and she was wearing nothing but a towel-like cloth as she just came out of an attached shower. I was enchanted.


    She pulled me inside the room and covered my mouth so that I wouldn''t be able to make any sounds. I didn''t want to make a fuss, so I obliged. Once inside, she locked the door and stared at me with crude eyes. She looked like she would chop me up. "If ye scream or even make a spec of sound, yer dead!" She meant business, and I knew it.


    I nodded to show my obedience. She let me go. There was a glowing stone near the bed. When she picked it up, a pale amethyst gem shined around the golden bracelet. Who is this beauty? How come no one told me about her?


    She wore it and a bright glow covered her entire body. She turned into a man; not just any man, but Brend.


    My eyes were twitching. What the hell! How- what? Frankly, I was a little disappointed.


    "Never thought anyone would be dumb enough to crack open a locked door and come inside just after knocking once. Maybe I should have changed the lock."


    At first, her accent sounded strange but then it all clicked. The door was locked to begin with. No wonder it took so much of my energy to open it. But I never thought anything like this would have ever happened.


    I was still silent. So she started. "Don''t look so dumb. Ye don''t think a girl in a pirate ship would survive did ye?"


    She had a point. A single girl on a ship full of pirates couldn''t possibly live a dignified life. But then again, were pirates really living dignified lives, to begin with?


    "But-"


    She sighed. She was weighing something on her mind. I got the impression that she was thinking over whether to kill me or let me go. "Forget what ye saw. And don''t ye dare tell anyone."


    "I won''t but-"


    "I can take yer word for that right?" He held a knife against my throat. I nodded in desperation. Cold sweats fell from my forehead. How he did it seemed irrelevant at this point. "Why were ye here?"


    He put the knife back in its place and became cool again.


    "Gack told me to get you and-" I tried to make up excuses. This time, I had a good one.


    "I see. I''ll be right there." He kicked me out of the room.


    I couldn''t believe what had happened. Was he a she or was she a he? My brain was as confused as I was.


    "Hey, newbie, did ye call him out?"


    "¡­" My eyes were on the ground.


    "He looks lifeless." The other pirates were laughing at my poor display.


    It just had to be pirates? I really didn''t want to be on this ship. I could almost start crying.


    Brend came out a minute later and threw three consecutive knives. Three fat birds dropped from the sky. But I was still skeptical of what hell was going on.


    "Yarr! Time to feast!" Gack ran lifted his sword and ran around screaming. It''s not like he anything, so why was he so excited?


    They began to cook the birds straight away.


    "These guys take food very seriously," the old man said. Where the hell were you, geezer?


    He went through his beard a couple of times. As if to gaze my reaction. When he saw I was almost in tear, he started laughing loudly and went away. I hated that geezer.


    Even I had a beard at this point but after I got off from the island. It was mostly just rough hairs though. And apparently, the pirates didn''t like my beard. So they shaved it off for me. My dream of having a proper beard was shattered yet again. And I couldn''t even complain about it. Now, I really wanted to cry.


    Although it was Brend who made the catch, the pirates seemed to share the food properly; not equally though. It was the first meal that was actually somewhat edible aside from its saltiness. I wasn''t punished in any way though, as Brend forgave me.


    It was a very sunny day. I don''t know why but the sea had been rather calm ever since we arrived on the island. Maybe these regions had a good weather system. So the ship didn''t meet any horrible weather either. As the day went on the ship drifted farther and farther. Monster sightings were rare too. What was this? The calm before the storm or something? at this point, I really couldn''t be optimistic anymore.


    "Captain, how long do you think it''ll take us to reach port?" I asked.


    "About seventeen days. "


    "That long? Can''t we make it faster? I thought it only took less than two weeks from Moire to Alfeim!" I didn''t want to think about it, but always running away from memories wasn''t great for me either.


    "Who told you that?" the old man intercepted.


    Oh boy, don''t tell me. "An elf," I said. My attitude suddenly skyrocketed down. Even I wasn''t dense enough to not see where this was going.


    "That one eh? It takes less than a week by conventional ships. Besides, Alfeim is really close to Moire." A guy walked closer to us. He was covered in rags and I couldn''t see his face. He left as fast as he came. I didn''t even get to ask any questions.


    "Yup, that guy said. You were duped kiddo." The old man wasn''t enjoying this. For once, he was actually a little sorry for me.


    I wasn''t really prepared to hear that though. I suppose I should have known. I know the prince betrayed me but knowing he lied as well, was really making my heartache. Why would they betray me this badly? Was she in on it too? But agonizing about it wasn''t going to get me anywhere either.


    "If ye wanna get there as fast as possible then get yerself a raft and paddle like a mad lad. Har har ahr!" The captain did have some funny ideas though.


    Again, that''s a weird way to laugh! I didn''t reply to that. I got the feeling that if I replied to that, they might have seriously put me on a raft and sent me packing.


    The old man grinned and laughed as well. "By the way captain, which route are we takin?"


    The captain continued to laugh but his eyes were serious. "The Trenched way."


    Although there was a smile on the old man''s face as well, he wasn''t happy to hear that.. I couldn''t even begin to wonder why.

 Chapter 93 - A New Companion?

    The day went by rather quick. It''s not easy staying on board a pirate ship. One, the stay isn''t free, two you have to work your ass off every possible second-from tending small cracks to washing clothes of those filthy jerks, and three the food is terrible.


    At the evening just like before they partied and the two of us sat in a corner of the deck. As usual we were sitting tight watching the stream of water flowing by. So far, no monsters started jumping around.


    For some reason, there was a little warm fluffy feeling close to me. I felt that all day. Maybe I was missing the rabbits; I could even hear their babylicious sounds. Although they were carnivorous and tried to eat me for the last two months, they were still my most favorite animals. Sigh* I''m really hopeless aren''t I?


    The stars appeared one after another. As I looked carefully, the constellations were a little different. Most of the earth''s constellations weren''t present in the sky. The ones'' that were present looked distorted. They could have been entirely different constellations altogether.


    "How come there''s no moon?" I always heard people saying the moon was just a legend and all that. But I''d never asked people about it. at least I didn''t feel like asking.


    "Dunno." The old man chuckled. Well, he wasn''t helping. "But I heard you can see the remnants from the demon kingdom. Maybe you''ll find your answer there?"


    "Hell no. I ain''t going over there." The remnants? So the moon did exist. Of course, to an earthling like me, the moon was a common thing. but in this world, it wasn''t. And since no one could freely venture to Galbatia, it was impossible for the people to confirm something like the moon.


    The old man burst into laughter but a second later he looked rather serious. "It''s best to prepare ourselves. The path he talked about won''t be easy. There are some islands on that route that have been said to be rather scary." The old man began in a nonchalant way. But his words oozed seriousness.


    "Well, we''ll figure something out. As long as-" I stopped. I''d just said something stupid again.


    Seeing my silence, the old man couldn''t help but laugh, again. "Well, at least you''re confident."


    That kind of ruined the mood and made me mad again.


    Sometime later when the redness of the western horizon disappeared, Brend came with another two plates. This time just roasted squid and shark tail. I didn''t like the looks of either.


    We started eating. Brend didn''t talk much at first. I was still confused about whether to call him a, him or her. In the end, I settled for him.


    Is this stuff really edible? But my question was still the same. The food didn''t look appetizing nor smelt good. I just couldn''t bring myself to gulp down this stuff. Even that gooey stuff from yesterday was better than this.


    Before I could force myself to take a bite, Brend started barraging me with questions. Rather heavy ones too. "That time, ye were talking about going to the moon. Were ye serious?"


    Would it really be alright to tell him the truth? I weighed the merits and demerits of me telling him. The worst that could happen was that he''d spill the beans and I''d be treated differently. But the best case scenario didn''t seem all that best either. After all, I didn''t want to be treated as a liar and wanted to be laughed at.


    Cough* the old man made a little sound and left the place. So, he''s leaving it up to me? I didn''t like it, but I guess he was just being considerate.


    Well, I know his secret, I guess¡­ I knew Brend''s secret and so I thought maybe I could tell him mine. But in the end it seemed a little weird or rather a little embarrassing to say it. Besides, I still didn''t know if he could be trusted or not.


    "Well? Were ye serious?" But his eyes were too innocent. I couldn''t help but be enchanted. I didn''t swing the other way but I still gave up and decided it would be alright to tell him.


    I looked around. There were pirates on the deck too, but most of them were far away and almost all them, were busy drinking, and gossiping.


    With a lot of resolve I answered. "Yes." I prepared for him to laugh it off and all that.


    "How?"


    "How should I explain this to you¡­. you see I''m not from this world. I come from a different world where technology is used for everything. The rocket thing I told you about before was a technology too."


    I said something complicated without actually considering what I was saying. But I didn''t think he''d believe me. But I didn''t have any reasons to lie to him. Well, I wouldn''t blame him if he thought I was weird or anything.


    "I see. At first I thought ye were weird but I see. Hmm¡­ okay I believe ye. How do you get to yer world?"


    Huh!? Weird, really! At least he believes me. But really? That easily? I was going through a complicated string of thoughts. I couldn''t say if they were good or bad. "Actually I''m trying to figure that out too." I came out clean.


    "What''s that supposed to mean? Then how did ye get here?" His face was awfully close to mine. Now that I see it, why his eyes were the same when he was a girl. No wonder he looked so damn dashing.


    "Actually I can''t tell you that. It''s complicated."


    I almost crushed his dream but he didn''t really seem all that crushed. If anything he seemed more excited. "If ye could return to yer world think it would be possible for me to go to the moon?"


    "Theoretically yeah. But you''ll need loads of money and patience though."


    He didn''t even bother hearing the rest of the sentence. He was too excited. His eyes were glowing with excitement. If this was a movie or something, we''d have sparkles everywhere. "WOOHOO!!! YARRR!" Yup, he was excited alright.


    I let out an exasperated sigh. "I''ll appreciate it if you kept quiet about this." I didn''t want him running around, telling people that I was out of this world or something.


    He didn''t hesitate for a second. "But of course! The same to you." For a second I almost thought he was normal. But when he started to chug down the fish and blend in with the crowd, I knew it: he was just like them.


    The ship''s name was Andromeda. It was probably a coincidence that this name was used in this world but I didn''t pay any attention to it. At night Andromeda was lit up using small oil lamps here and there. For pirates, those guys were rather laid back. I wondered why they didn''t do that the first day, but today they were really partying and lighting up things randomly. They had too much free time on their hands. Didn''t they know they were inviting attention by lighting up?


    It was close to midnight but the party hadn''t stopped. Brend almost begged me to tell him more about my world. But at one point he started investigating my bag. "By the way, I like yer pet. Are ye gonna eat him or keep him?"


    "Pet what-" I looked around and there was nothing. I didn''t know what he was talking about. "What are you talking about?"


    "This!" She grabbed something from my pouch. A little squeak escaped into the air.


    "When ye were moving it was moving too. Maybe that''s why ye didn''t notice. So that means I can eat this right?"


    How did I not notice?


    I snatched the little guy from his hands and acted like a mother protecting her child from predators. That was obvious because the little guy was a rabbit and a baby one no less. It was the most precious thing I had ever seen.


    "So, ye wanna eat that?" He seemed a little confused.


    My heart beat fast. Sweats overflowed throughout my body. "I think there must have been some sort of miscommunication. I''m not going to eat him. Ever!" I exclaimed.


    At that moment other pirates were peeking in to our conversation.


    "So you''re going to share it with us?" Brend said, utterly confused.


    Where the hell is this going? Should I just tell them I love bunnies? But even my friends laughed at me for saying that. I still remember the day when my friends at school found out that I loved bunnies. One of my friends had strangled a bunny just for poking fun at me. All of them laughed at me. I later beat the hell out of them though. Maybe that was why I never had many friends.


    "This newbie is quite sincere. Give it to me. I''ll cook something up and give it to everyone." Gack took the little guy from me. The little bunny was frightened to the core and looked at me with watery eyes. My heart fluttered when I saw those black eyes dripping with tears. The pure silky pinkish-white fur was calling out to me; the marvelous-wondrous ears twitched and enticed me. I had to save it. I had to answer it, I just had to.


    "Hey!" I went towards him with aggression. I looked the guy in the eye. His eyes were black too but my mind was made up. I took the bunny out of his furry hands by force and declared a speech that was rather something. "LISTEN UP! THIS IS MY PET AND I LOVE BUNNIES. ANYONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT CAN COME AND ARM WRESTLE WITH ME!" What the hell did I just say? Have I ever arm wrestled before? I was looking intently at everyone but honestly I was too embarrassed to look away. What is wrong with me?


    "Umm¡­I don''t see any problems in that. In fact I love bunnies too. Those little critters are too delicious," Gack said. Gack was looking away hiding his red cheeks. What the hell was he blushing for?


    Everyone was laughing. They weren''t laughing at my words, but rather the situation. I laughed too albeit for different reasons.


    I didn''t know why but for some reason the pirates understood me more than my actual friends back on earth. That just explains how sad my friendships'' were. I never thought I''d get along so well with pirates of all people. And yet, somehow I felt grateful.


    The old man came near me and again my logical brain prevented me from punching him. He sighed and started, "I was hoping we would eat him when he got a little older but I suppose there''s no helping it."


    You knew? Can I punch you now? All this time I thought the damn geezer was asleep but never in a million years had I thought that he had plotted something like this.


    "SO, what are ye gonna call him?" Brend said, ignoring the crowd.


    "Let''s see, how about little Whi-¡­ AWWW!" I was fiddling the little thing around its face but suddenly it bit my finger. I quickly took out my finger, but didn''t drop the little thing; the pirates were too busy laughing. It doesn''t hurt as much as I thought. "Hey, there''s no blood." Meaning there were no teeth either.


    "Looks like he hasn''t grown any teeth yet. Lucky you eh!" The old man said.


    How is that lucky? So in the end this guy is a meat-eating monster too? I was basically crying inside. But at least it was still harmless¡­ and cute¡­ for now.


    I didn''t really have to think anymore. "I changed my mind, I''m calling him Bitey."


    "Cause he bites? If so, then that''s just sad," Brend said, chuckling all the way.


    What else could I name a monster that bites like that? Whitey? Mighty? Cidey?


    It was constantly trying to eat my finger although it didn''t even possess teeth. If the damn thing wasn''t as cute as it was I''d have surely eaten it instead.. But, just by looking at it, made my heart melt. How could I have even considered eating it?

 Chapter 94 - Good Days

    "Land ahoy!"


    I looked around and there was an island in the corner of my vision. It had been three days since I came abroad the Andromeda. But the crew was rather nice to me. I still couldn''t believe these guys were ruthless pirates.


    "Be careful. These islands are supposed to be rather scary places." The old man was beside me and he kept on warning me. I got the picture, so I nodded and kept my eyes open.


    The ship stayed at a distance from the reefs and we went to the island on small boats. I didn''t see any fish in the area. There weren''t any birds or animals in sight either. It was odd, as the flora was basically overwhelming everything.


    "Yarr! I wanna slice some throats!" Gack was as loud as ever. The guy didn''t know when to stop. It was kind of ironic though. He was going on about throats from the moment I got on the ship but I''ve never really seen him slice anything.


    It was a weird island, rather small. Maybe a hundred meters in length. But the forest was denser than the insect zone back on the island I was stranded on. It brought back memories. I instinctively stayed close to the gang. Apparently seven pirates- myself included- came ashore. The old man stayed behind. Among the crowd there was one bowman, and the rest of us were melee fighters. The bowman kind of looked like an elf and had his face covered. He was also the one who''d corrected me about the distance of Alfeime from Moire, back on the ship. I paid no attention though. I had no reason to.


    For some reason Brend was following me like an apprentice or something. It weirded me out, so I tried to distance myself from him. I failed.


    It took a few hours but we finished scavenging the whole island. It was really odd. There wasn''t a single bird, let alone animals in here. Even insects were a rare sight. It did relieve me, but it also made me stay on the defensive.


    "Don''t these fruits look awfully delicious?" One of the pirates were about to pick a bright red fruit. It was like an apple but bigger.


    An island without animals but has plants. The plants have sweet looking fruits¡­. Wait¡­ doesn''t that mean? It didn''t take long for me to figure it out. "They ate all the animals!" The plants too must have been carnivorous. Maybe that was why there weren''t any animals here. It wasn''t all that implausible. After all we were in a world where, corpses roamed around hunting the living. So man eating plants weren''t a surprise.


    "What are you mumbling about?" Apparently he hadn''t heard me and picked up the large apple without a delay. I had a bad feeling about this.


    Nothing happened and he walked away. What the hell?


    I sighed. It was best that I was wrong. Just this once I felt glad that I was wrong. I wiped off the beads of sweats from my forehead and was pleased.


    "Look out!" The bowman shouted and fired an arrow before my eyes could react. The plant had waited for the pirate to turn around and then strike. I hadn''t even seen it coming.


    The arrow hit the plant and it screeched uncontrollably before falling to the ground. The bowman was using a crossbow. I didn''t think an arrow could do all this much though.


    Just a second later, and all hell would have broken loose.


    "Thank you! Thank you! I thought I was a goner. I should have listened to you Daarc!" The man thanked me and the bowman.


    How the hell do you know my name? For the record, I didn''t know any of their names apart from the three pirates I always ended up talking with.


    The plant monster''s screech was the signal, and the whole forest erupted with monsters. There were monsters everywhere. "Well this just got interesting," Brend''s eyes were like glass.


    My eyes twitched and I prepared myself. But before I could react, Gack howled and went around slicing everything in his path. The guy was really fast. The bow-man was something too, but this guy was in a league of his own. No wonder these morons are so laid back. I got the taste of their power first hand. They were powerful and there was no doubt about it.


    We didn''t sit around and waited for the plants to eat us either. We stole their fruits, murdered them, and then ran away. Although that made us look like villains, we didn''t have much of a choice. They were monsters and on top of that, they were the ones who attacked us. So they didn''t have the right to complain, not anymore. And besides, we were pirates. Although I still hadn''t accepted the reality that I was one. The thought only made me sigh harder.


    We were back at the ship. "WOO! Quite a haul, eh mateys!" Gack was looking mighty happy. I suppose his scary nickname did do him some justice.


    The fruits, in particular, were no doubt of top quality. They tasted amazing and after eating, we fell on the floor paralyzed. A fitting end. The old man was laughing from the corner along with the captain. They were eating the fruits too, but nothing happened to them. After a minute or two, he came close to me and whispered. "Told ya, it''s a scary place." I wanted to punch his teeth out.


    If I wasn''t paralyzed, I''d have literally demanded a duel with him or something like that. The paralysis lasted till the afternoon, and afterward there was only laughter. These pirates hadn''t learned anything. They were nothing but cheers and merry. I had to resign to enjoy this too. I couldn''t bring myself to hate them.


    Eventually, evening came and the waves drifted. We were back to our usual position. My mind swayed and a particular memory bothered me.


    "Say, old man, what if I told you that the undead were in pain?"


    "I''d believe you." He replied without looking at me and without a shred of doubt. Did he really believe me or was he just being nice?


    "Huh?"


    "I''d believe you." This time the reply was rather soft.


    I got the feeling that he knew something. So I didn''t really press him. I didn''t really feel like it either. Even if my theories were correct, would it really matter?


    "Do you think monsters have intelligence like us and can talk?"


    "I dunno. Never talked with one. But that''s not what you''re asking, is it?"


    I smiled and didn''t say anything. The first night I spent in this world, I''d learned a lot of things. And before killing that goblin, it really spoke human words. It could have been just because of this curse that I could understand it, but even so, it was painful. And that night, the undead of the siren thanked me. Maybe they weren''t what we thought of them. Maybe things were different. But in the end, did it really matter?

 Chapter 95 - An Ode To Desperation

    The night ended and another morning came. A few days went by like that. Every day was like a new adventure. To my surprise, I was enjoying my life again. (And then there was the day when we found the island of goblins¡­. The next day, I erased it from my memory.) Which is why I couldn''t let my guard down. After all, I knew how always bad things happen whenever I was content with my life.


    "Land ahoy!"


    At this point, I had no real expectations from this island. Just from a distance, I could tell, shit was about to go down again. Even the smell of the air was different.


    The island looked uninhabited; it had two mountains and a dense forest covering the entire surface. But from my personal experience, I could tell that no matter where we went, monsters won''t stop appearing, and the forest looked ominous. Did I forget to mention, I didn''t have even a shred of interest to venture within?


    The ship stayed away from the reefs at a fair distance and about ten pirates including me, headed to the island. I wasn''t part of the pirates and I didn''t want to be on this island. But they still forced me to come anyway. The old man stayed back at the ship. How the hell did the old man managed to always have the best outcome for himself though? I''d never seen anyone asking him to do anything. While everyone just had to make me do all sorts of chores.


    The island was covered in some sort of eerie fog near the top but maybe that was just because of the pressure up high. This island was bigger than the previous one, in fact it might have been even bigger than the one I was stranded one. Why do I have to come to this island! I had no intention of roaming around in this island but they dragged me out anyway.


    No matter how many days I spent in this world I just couldn''t get over my fear of monsters. I suppose that was only natural. But hey, at least I had company.


    "Look sharp lads. We''ve got company!" Literal company.


    Before even touching land we were outnumbered by incoming pelican like monsters. But unlike pelicans their beak featured teeth, which were sticking out.


    We started the day by fighting pelicans; not a great way of starting the day.


    "Lucky we. We found thro- I mean food even before heading inside," Gack said. Okay¡­? His slicing days were far from over. Not a single head were left unsliced. I felt kind of sorry for the monsters. "Listen up! We will divide into three teams of three. One of us will guard the ships and the rest will forage for food," Gack said.


    I suppose that''s only logical.


    The area we were was the beach and ahead of us remained the jungle. I wouldn''t lie, I was nervous at the thought of heading inside. "Wouldn''t it be-" I wanted to be the one who''d guard the ships.


    But he didn''t let me finish. "Marr, Hera, and Jelcor, ye three search for herbs and alike. Rokkan, Zing, and Sanax, ye three search for drinking water. Finally Brend, Jowy, and the newbie, ye three head inside the deep forest and scout the area. While yer at it search for fruits too!"


    My name isn''t even worth mentioning? I still tried to be persistent. "Hey isn''t-"


    Again I couldn''t finish.


    "AYE!" The pirates said in unison. I was the only sore thumb sticking out. No one paid any attention to me and Brend dragged me inside the forest whether I liked it or not.


    Gack stayed behind to guard the boats. Or more like, he wanted to slice up pelicans a bit too badly.


    Never thought I''d be back to the forest''s so quick. Why is my destiny filled with nothing but forests? Regretfully, I was yet to find an answer to this question.


    The forest reminded me of that day I spent inside the insect zone of the island, again. Just thinking about the leeches were enough to send shivers down my spine. However I was not alone this time. I had two comrades with me; although they were pirates. But nostalgia was definitely not something you''d like about these damn forests.


    Brend pointed across the distance. "Don''t you think that''s edible?"


    Before even venturing about one hundred meters we encountered potential food. "Looks like banana."


    There were a few banana like trees near us. The forest was not that dense where we were. So we went there and took a look. They were bigger than normal bananas. Probably everything in this world emphasized on size a bit too much.


    "These seem to be ripe. Daarc, be sure to carry them," Brend said.


    Wait, I have to carry them? When he went there to cut the stalk, the tree vibrated. At first I thought it was my imagination but soon it literally moved. It''s moving! "Brend get back!"


    I couldn''t believe my eyes. Why in the world would trees need to move? Well, I suppose being surprised at this point was only dumb of me.


    "Ye don''t have to tell me that!"


    "Hey other guy, get ready!" I said.


    "It''s Jowy!" The other guy or rather Jowy was kind of weird. He was all covered up even during such sunny-tropical weather. Even his face was covered, apart from his eyes. Somehow I felt a familiar vibe from him. His ears resembled that of an elves'' but maybe I was mistaken. Oh and he was also the same bow guy from before. Jowy had two crossbows on his back this time.


    For an instance the plant became lively (more like life taking). Vicious jagged teeth appeared on its face, if you can call that a face. It came towards us using its vines, like we were long lost partners or something. I for once didn''t want to take any part in that.


    Brend was running around throwing knives. But I couldn''t do much. Both of those guys were long rangers but I was the only melee fighter. So instead of waiting for those two to fall pray, I had to decide. I didn''t train for two months to cower at the last moment! With my sword unsheathed I charged.


    "I''ll back you up," Jowy said.


    With a nod I went for it. Although at first I thought it was fast, by the time I got close to it, it couldn''t even be compared to the undead. This plant monster was slow... very slow.


    With the first slash I sliced of the vines; most of them. It didn''t have any eyes but somehow it could predict our movements. Jowy continued to fire his crossbows. He was butchering the vines. Brend on the other hand had run out of knives.


    I leaned forward and thrust my sword through the plant monster. That should do it¡­. What the¡­


    The plant was still moving. It caught me with the remaining vines. I couldn''t pull my sword or even use my arms properly.


    "Daarc!"


    Yet again I acted irrationally. The old man taught me so much yet I acted like a complete novice. Damn it!


    "Keep him busy like that," Jowy said.


    Jowy''s arrows weren''t that effective but his aim was perfect. He shot through the plants mouth but the plant was still moving around. Then he shot close to the vines and I became free. The knife!


    I don''t know why but I always forgot about the knife. I unsheathed the knife; it shimmered a little. I plunged the knife deep into the monster; it was still moving. What is this thing? How is it still moving? But one thing was clear. It wasn''t an undead. The monsters in the last island couldn''t even compare to this one. Even calling this thing a monster might have been a compliment to it.


    I couldn''t get the sword out but the knife was relatively easy to pull out. I shoved the knife inside the monster again and again. Even I lost count of how many times I stabbed the monster''s mouth. After countless stabs it still moved. The damn thing was tough if nothing else. What was this, a last boss of some sorts? Then why the hell did it have bananas as prize?


    I could locate the source of the monster''s life force; the red glowing heart. I hadn''t noticed it before. But there was a red glow coming from inside its mouth. When I had stabbed the monster with my sword I missed it by an inch. This time I didn''t waste the effort and shoved my hand inside the monster''s mouth and stabbed the heart. It closed its mouth to stop me but I was stubborn like an old man, or maybe more. The teeth sank in and it hurt almost as much as the goblin''s bite. But it was too late, for my knife was inside its heart.


    The poor thing wilted away leaving the delicious fruit behind. I was skeptical though whether those bananas could be delicious or not. Maybe they had the same kind or even deadlier poison?


    "I didn''t know you were that brave," Brend said. Giving me a PR grin.


    What was brave about that? All I did was out of desperation!


    "Can I see that knife of yours?" Aren''t you supposed to be worried about me? Jowy said that without even paying attention to my wounds. For some reason, his eyes were fixed on the knife. "Where did you get this?"


    "A friend of mine gave it to me," I said. At least I consider her a friend.


    Brend was busy tending my wound as Jowy inspected the Knife.


    "Here you go," said Jowy. He gave it back.


    "So, what was it?"


    "Nothing. It just piqued my interest." People don''t do that just because something piques their interest. Don''t tell me pirates do these kinds of things even under extreme situations! I sighed, but I didn''t rebuke him.


    After that, we trod carefully. Brend picked up his knives and we marched on. My wound didn''t bother me all that much. It wasn''t deep.. It did hurt though.

 Chapter 96 - Island Of The Dead

    I was still skeptical, so I couldn''t help but warn them. "We should be careful. I''m getting the feeling this place could be full of those monstrous monsters." I Might have phrased it wrong, but I was pretty sure the other two knew where I was going with this.


    Brend looked at me with pity, as if I''d only stated the obvious.


    Jowy sighed. "Though I hate to admit it, I think you''re right." And I was glad for him to think that. Though Jowy probably pitied me a little too.


    As we moved ahead, the forest got denser and denser; luckily if we didn''t bother the trees they didn''t attack and there weren''t any large insects either. There were an awful lot of mosquitoes though. I didn''t mind the situation. As long as the undead or the goblins weren''t here, everything was fine.


    But as if to punish me even more, things began to change. Is it me or does this look familiar? The area looked darker than the rest of the forest as though the sun had set, yet it shouldn''t even have been noon. Yup, we were right in the middle of the damn stuff I never wanted to visit again. And yes, it was very familiar if nothing else.


    "What is going on?" Brend asked.


    There was a familiar scent in the air too; the scent of death.


    "Undeads." The word escaped my lips without my consent.


    "What! But it''s broad daylight!" Brend shot me the most stupid surprised faces I''d seen. Was he really being serious?


    "Which part of the world are you living in?" I said. Now, I pitied him.


    Jowy inspected our surroundings. "He''s right. This place smells ominous. We should head back."


    We nodded. There was no denying the fact that this place was bad news. We didn''t need to exchange words. But as we were about to go back, something changed.


    "Where did we come from again?"


    We couldn''t tell left from right. Every direction looked the same. The forest suddenly looked exactly alike. We were stranded in the middle. When looked directly behind, we couldn''t tell if that was the right direction.


    There were no birds, there were no animals. All there was were the undead and the monsters.


    "Didn''t we come from this way?" Brend said.


    Jowy pointed in the other direction. "I think we came from this way."


    We were in a serious predicament; we were lost. Although both of them kept track of the situation, we still couldn''t tell our location. What is going on? Is something messing with our senses?


    "Wanderer¡­"


    "What was that?" I said. Cold sweats went down my forehead. Oh boy. Please tell me it''s not what I think it is. Every single time I heard voices and that name, things happened. Bad things. Very bad things.


    "What? Don''t tell me you hear voices in your head or something?" Brend said.


    "No, but that sounded like¡­"


    "This way¡­wanderer," a faint voice said.


    If it was a voice only I could hear then there was a very high chance it could have been an angel. But if it was then it could only mean trouble for us. "There it is, again!"


    It must be¡­. It had to be an angel. But that also meant trouble for me. But at least that was better than being lost.


    I ran toward the voice. It was a very nostalgic voice. I''d heard something similar before. I could faintly relate that voice to that of Misrael and even Sisrael. So I took a gamble.


    "Hey! Wait!" Brend shouted and started following me. Jowy did the same.


    On my way, hundreds of undead roamed around in broad daylight; although they were in the shade so they weren''t vaporizing in the air. Something about this forest was different. The sacred forest in front of the village had undead in daylight too, but they never came near sunlight. But these undead were literally sunbathing and nothing was happening to them. They still couldn''t see me or the other two, and it was clear that in the past humans must have lived here. But for some reason, the undead looked humanoid yet not human. They were dead so I couldn''t blame them for not looking the part. But something about them felt different and I didn''t like it.


    As I imagined, within moments we arrived at a statue: It was still intact. Did I have a statue sensor inside of me or something?


    The air was flowing and the rotting smell was, minimum in this place. And so was the fog. I knew it. Yup, shit was about to go down.


    "Wanderer, I welcome you."


    "I didn''t expect to see one of your kind in an island like this!" I did but honestly I hoped to not run into one of them. Every single time I met one of them, only bad things happened. Granted they weren''t at fault but still¡­.


    "Hey! What are you talking to!?"


    "Shush, Brend. Let him go on," Jowy said. Jowy was a suspicious fellow. I had a feeling he knew something about me and the angels. But I decided to ignore it for the time being.


    "Before sunset, I plead that you leave this place." This angel was being rather sincere, even more so than Misrael.


    "Why is that? But before that, why are so many undead here? Isn''t this place uninhabited?" I asked.


    Meanwhile Brend seemed a little restless. Maybe he was weary of the heaps of undead around us.


    "It is, but in the past hundreds of adventurers have come to this place seeking power. The result is what you see."


    "That does make sense. What is this power you''re talking about? And besides, I thought Trerortra positioned you guys in places where undead roam around and are a threat to mankind."


    Brend was shaking but Jowy looked totally composed. Both of them were quiet so my conversation moved on without a hitch.


    "You are not entirely incorrect. You see, this place used to be a great city in the past. But as time went by, the inhabitants of this land used sorcery to artificially create undead for wars. But one particular undead had lost control, and wiped out the entire population. That was a very long time ago. And most of the city''s remains are hidden beneath the earth and sea."


    "That strong huh?" My face went kind of pale. If there was an undead that could move in daylight and lay waste to an entire city, then that only meant, shit was very bad. And I didn''t want any part of it.


    "I don''t know what yer talking about but hurry it up. This don''t look good." Brend was sweating more than me. Jowy on the other hand, stayed quiet and cool.


    I ignored Brend''s plea. "But what does it have to do with power?"


    "At the end of this forest there lies a cave. A cave where that undead dwells. Even after millennia, he still roams around and slays all who dare venture deep within. I have no power over him, thus he can move around even in daylight. And as he''s an artificial undead, he isn''t weak to sunlight. He won''t die but will be severely weakened if he comes under holy powers. Although I cannot move from this spot I can sense the great power emanating from that cave. I believe there lays a powerful weapon there. And that undead protects that weapon. Perhaps it was created to destroy the undead¡­"


    Maybe the creators of that undead had made it for that purpose but we didn''t have the luxury to go on a picnic inside the cave and confirm it. Honestly, if I ever met those creators, I''d smack ''em good. Though, I had no plans of venturing to the heavens just yet.


    The undead wasn''t good news and we still had no idea how we''d get out of this damn forest. "I see. Do you know how we can get back?"


    "This forest has a very dark aura which eludes all who enter; the fog is also partially responsible for the aura. The only way to leave is to close your eyes and travel straight north." She made it sound so easy.


    "But the monsters-"


    "I would provide you with my protection." It was a godsend. Then again she was a godsend, to begin with.


    "One last question. How did you know who I was?"


    "You have a fragment of her soul in you. My sister''s soul."


    "Sisrael, huh? I suppose I owe her much more than I thought." I kind of knew that. Sisrael really helped me a great deal. If it weren''t for her, Moire would probably not exist. And I had a feeling that my magic stemmed because of her.


    "Now leave before it is too late. Good luck wanderer. May lord Trerortra''s protection be with you."


    "Thank you." It was kind of awkward but I got the necessary info I needed. I must properly thank these angels one day. But no matter how I looked at it, they were probably the reason I was still alive, and yet¡­ I had no idea how I could do anything for them. "You two close your eyes and head north." I didn''t have time to explain anything.


    "Close eyes? That''s nuts. And what the hell were you talking to till now!?" Brend said.


    "Calm down, I''ll explain everything later." I tried to be as specific as possible, but under the circumstances, it didn''t seem likely that they''ll believe me.


    "Very well. I shall trust you," Jowy said.


    Although I hadn''t noticed before, the elf was not speaking like a pirate. He was fairly normal and trusted me too much; almost enough to make me suspicious. Then again, I was suspicious to begin with.


    We closed our eyes and headed north. There were groans and moans around us but we kept our eyes closed. It was not good for the heart. My muscles stiffened up in various instances but I kept going. Time slowed and I could hear leaves fall, the wind blow and monsters wanting to tear our flesh. It was almost like an eternity.


    The waves crashed against the shores. I opened my eyes and we were outside the forest.


    Brend couldn''t believe it. "Whoa, it worked!"


    "I knew it." Jowy on the other hand calmly analyzed the situation.


    This guy feels like trouble. Could it be? I still kept my suspicions at a minimum. I had better things to worry about.


    Gack screamed from the beach. He had a pile of pelicans near him. None of them had their heads. "What are ye three doing? Where be our fruits?"


    "This isn''t the time to worry about that. Are the other''s back?"


    "Nay, not yet."


    "Take me to the captain, quick!" We had no time to lose.

 Chapter 97 - Illogical But Worth It

    We hurried back to the ship. At first, they couldn''t believe us but soon their attitudes changed as both Brend and Jowy confirmed my words.


    "Undead? Are ye sure?" The captain wasn''t totally convinced.


    "Aye captain." Brend made it clear.


    It would be a great ordeal to get out of that fog-covered forest. So the pirates who were already inside didn''t have a chance.


    "I can confirm that there are indeed many undead in these lands," Jowy said.


    That''s odd. He''s been helping and trusting me all this time. His speech is that of a normal person as well. Who is he? I didn''t trust Jowy, but for the time being, I had to accept his aid.


    "But still who are ye? And how could ye understand the statue?" Brend didn''t like to be kept out of the loop it seemed. And he also didn''t feel like keeping the statue thing a secret.


    I didn''t have the time to explain everything to them. Well, it was more like I didn''t want to. "We can talk about that later. First, we need to get those six out of the forest before sunset. The undead here is not something you should mess with." Of course, I was just changing the subject. I wasn''t dumb enough to run back to that forest anytime soon.


    The old man meanwhile was busy fiddling with his beard. "But boy, this weapon you spoke of reminds me of the legend. Perhaps¡­" The old man didn''t finish. Apparently, he had other ideas. Ideas, I wanted no part of.


    "Let''s go!" We headed for the island. The captain was very understanding: but I didn''t understand him one bit. But apparently, I''d dug my own grave.


    Moreover, the captain didn''t want to lose any comrades. A total of twenty pirates descended on the island.


    What was the point of this though? Did they really understand the situation? I sighed in resignation as all my pleas went unheard of.


    "Listen up ye sea dogs! If ye don''t get back before sunset then we''ll leave ye. And remember; this forest is illusive. When ye think ye might be lost, then close yer eyes and head north!"


    "But cap-"


    "YARRR!!!" That was scary!


    "AYE!" No one had the guts to question the captain that much was clear.


    Everyone headed into the forest, myself included: though, I didn''t want to. The captain was rather something. He made every single one of the pirates behave like it was nothing. Was he really scared for his crew or was it because of the treasure? I wanted to believe it was the former.


    As we had larger numbers we were attracting more and more monsters: apparently, the trees wanted a piece of our action. The pirates were quite good with weapons.


    The undead, however, were leaving us alone. As for the weapons, I thought pirates would have pistols and stuff but this world was too damn outdated. The concept of a gun probably never even existed.


    Brend had stayed behind at the ship along with Bitey. Ah, how I miss my little cutie bunny! Being bitten to death by a cute bunny seemed much more favorable and desirable than being chased by the undead. Even that island full of carnivorous bunnies was better than this stench-covered forest. At least that forest had lovely man-eating bunnies.


    I got the impression that Brend had a history with the undead. He seemed awfully scared of the undead too. I couldn''t blame him though. I was scared shit to death too.


    The forest was getting darker and darker. Afternoon? Already?


    Time was flying away. So was our life expectancy.


    "Cap''n I see some tracks. They might have gone this way."


    "Yarr! We go!"


    "Aye!"


    The whole pirate accent was growing on me. I wouldn''t be surprised if I spoke like them after a few weeks either. Then again, I was already speaking almost like them at times anyway. Even I was surprised at my own adaptability. If I hadn''t come to this world, perhaps this trait of mine would forever have gone unnoticed.


    The fog also got denser. The rot in the air intensified. We are in the dead zone, aren''t we? I didn''t want to think about it. But at this point, there was no sugarcoating it. We were in for trouble and we knew it.


    "Look sharp voice. There be mateys."


    I had no idea what I just heard. "What?-"


    I asked but since all the pirates were looking at a distance, I looked too. There were four pirates there. They were together? But weren''t there supposed to be six?


    "Cap''n!" The four pirates were out of commission. They were too frightened and looked pale.


    But when they saw us, they lounged at us. They hugged the captain and the captain kicked them like babies, shoving them to the ground. Yet they still wore grateful looks.


    "Where be Jelcor and Hera?" the captain asked.


    "I was with them, captain. We saw a very dark cave and they went in; thinking there be treasures. I tried to stop them but they didn''t listen. When I heard them scream I ran this way and¡­" Marr paused.


    "Ye left them there!?" Gack screamed.


    This Marr guy was crying and looked frightened. I wanted to punch him but I couldn''t blame him. Anybody would run under that kind of threat. And it was the right thing to do so. Him being alive, was the proof of that.


    "Lead us there," the captain said.


    "But cap''n there is something there¡­" His eyes expressed fright like I''d never seen before. As tears rained down his cheeks he looked paler than ever as though he saw his own death.


    I remembered what the angel told me as well. "Captain, I don''t think it''s worth the risk. You remember what I told you, right?"


    "Yarr! I ain''t leaving behind anybody! Yarr!"


    He was serious. The chances of the other two pirates surviving were close to zero but he still wouldn''t leave them behind. It was now clear that he wasn''t in it for the treasure. My respect for him increased dramatically. But the chances of our survival declined dramatically as well. I didn''t like this one bit.


    "Old man, this is bad," I whispered.


    "Don''t worry. This might be even good for us. There''s the possibility that a mystic weapon could be there. Remember the scary island rumors I''ve been telling you about? If it is, then we might have better chances of getting it."


    Why is he so fixated on those things? But he might just be right on this one. According to the old man, this part of the sea was supposed to be home to scary monsters hence sailors would avoid these. But it was also rather likely that legendary weapons of old could be found in these places. So it was worth the risk. Maybe. Maybe not. But if there was one, then we''d or rather I''d be well off. But even so, the monster guarding this place was going to give us hell either way. If thousands got here before me and died, then I wasn''t foolish enough to think I''d have a better chance. I was dumb but I wasn''t that dumb. If this world taught me something, it was that anything could go wrong, at any moment.


    "Ye two quit scrawling around and move some legs!"

 Chapter 98 - Undaunted

    Marr led us toward the cave. The sunlight kept fading: we had about two hours before sunset.


    The intense rotted smell. The fog only interfered when someone tried to get out but didn''t do anything when people ventured inside; even fogs had class in this world.


    The undead didn''t attack us. There weren''t any undead in the direction we were headed. As though the undead themselves were running away from something. Just thinking about it, made my heart race.


    Do we really have to go in there? When we finally reached the cave, my heart throbbed. Even from the outside: the silence, the darkness and the rot made me sweat coldly. It was dreadful. I almost wanted to throw up. "Old man¡­"


    "I know. That isn''t an ordinary cave, and the thing inside isn''t anything trivial either. I think we should leave." Even the old man now felt it. The old man was strong and he was afraid. Which only meant one thing. This thing was bad, real bad.


    The thing inside was probably something we''d never seen before. It could very well have been even stronger than the Monarch we''d fought back in Moire: and I was in no hurry to find out. My heartbeat fast and my body leaked liters of sweat. The very presence was enough to stun me.


    "Yarr! We ain''t leaving just because of a monster or two. We will pillage this small cave. Yar har har har!" I couldn''t pick between fear and embarrassment. But in the end, I settled for the former. Was the captain really sane? "Ye two can run back if yer scared.. Yar har har har!!!" And he was annoying too.


    The old man looked at me and snorted in resignation. As scared as we were, we couldn''t run back now anyway, so there was only one thing left to do: move forward.


    The cave was quite dark, so we had to light a few torches. It had carvings. They looked quite old and I couldn''t make out anything; probably the messages of people who died there before us, warning us not to go inside. Their well-wishes were probably wasted on the likes of us.


    The ceiling was almost twice as tall as me and the cave opening was wide enough for six people to fit side by side.


    We moved forward, though I didn''t want to. The path was rather straightforward. For a cave that led to certain death, this didn''t seem to have much complexity.


    "Cap''n I don''t think-" Now even Gack had second doubts.


    "Yarr¡­ this place seems lifeless. Those two must have already fallen. But are ye telling me we leave our fallen behind?" But apparently, the captain still wasn''t convinced. I did respect him, but now all he was doing was being stubborn.


    "Nay, cap''n we''ll never-"


    "Then we march on!"


    I still couldn''t believe that they were pirates. Weren''t they supposed to be bad guys who didn''t care about anybody and looted everything? But these guys were too chivalrous to do any of those sorts. If anything they seemed more like knights in shining armor. Except they didn''t wear armor.


    We reached the end of the cave and the cave widened quite a lot. There was nothing there except bones. The blood, the guts, and even some of the bones were missing. Something ate the two missing pirates and it did a very thorough job. As for the actual monster, there was no trace of it. Even its presence was now gone.


    "So they were here," I said, stiffened with fear.


    "Not even single old weaponry? This was a waste!" Old man, why are you here again? The old man was relieved. Seeing his relieved face only made me more afraid.


    "They died huh? But I don''t see the monster anywhere. Did it run? Har har har!" Gack laughed.


    Hey! Don''t say that! Did this guy have a few screws loose? Given what we''d seen it was safe to assume we needed to run away yesterday, and yet none of the damn pirates seemed even the slightest worried.


    The room in particular was pretty well spaced, fit for a dancing hall. In fact, every human being who wandered here probably danced a lot, the dance of death that is. There wasn''t anything in the room apart from bones and some tablets. These tablets had weird writings. Even I couldn''t read them or so I thought. But when I touched them, something happened, as though my mind flew somewhere else. I couldn''t understand what was happening but someone touched my shoulder.


    "They''re probably just pretenders. I bet they never saw a single undead in their lifetime." Jowy whispered to me and made some distance. My sense came back. What was that? Some images flashed in my head. I couldn''t make out anything as they were too blurry. But one thing I could understand, "RUN!" One stream of tears ran through one of my eyes as I turned around.


    Rustle! There was some sound behind us. Too late?


    My voice shivered. My body stiffened up. I couldn''t move but I had to. "What was that?" I''d received some sort of memory from the tablets but I couldn''t understand any of it other than, I''d needed to run from the monster.


    The thing behind me really was something we should have run away from. Who cared about pride? Who cared about looking like a shameless prick? We could be ashamed all day, but we had to live on first.


    My eyes felt like they''d pop out. Calling it an undead would have been a very grave understatement, and perhaps even insulting. Unlike typical undead it had meat all over its body; rotten meat that is. The meat was covered in full plate armor and flowed out from the armor; the meat must have inflated or something. The large head was exposed. Strangely it had a dark purple glow in its eye sockets. It didn''t have any skin and the veins glowed in dark purple all over its body. What''s more, it was standing in between our exit. That''s why you should never say stuff like that! Damn it!


    "Ca-ca''cap''n what- what do we do now?"


    "Ye sea dogs get ready!"


    The captain was calm but the rest of the men were shaking like little babies. I couldn''t blame them. I didn''t shake but my heart was racing quite fast.


    "Daarc get ready! If push comes to shove save yourself." The old man came close. "We run the first chance we got." I knew what he meant.


    Grawrrrr!!!!

 Chapter 99 - The Undead Of Ancient Times.

    With a roar that sent shivers down my spine the monster charged. It was almost as tall as the ceiling (Twice as tall as me) and fatter than five men side by side; very thick indeed. The damn thing was definitely a monster capable of eradicating us, there was no doubt about it. It had a shiny sword on its baldric and a massive axe on its hands. But the way it licked its lips, only made my blood go cold. It wanted to eat us, and that was clear as purified water.


    It came towards us with blazing speeds. Given the size, that was surprising. The pirate who was in front was cleaved in two horizontally in the first swing. Oh boy, he was powerful.


    What? My blood froze. With just one swing? My sweet, sweet brain was going crazy and numb.


    The monster stopped in its tracks and ate the pirate in a matter of minutes. We were too shocked to even move, let alone attack: were we just spectators? It finished crunching on the pirate''s bones and then looked at us, with a grin. The damn thing knew its shit.


    All the pirates were sweating, some were crying and some had even given up just by seeing that. Jowy was right. These morons had probably never seen the undead in their lives.


    "Do-don''t give up ye fool!" Gack screamed but to no avail.


    Gack with a shivering hand, tried to attack the monster. His scimitar reached it. A clang resounded as the monsters casually brushed of Gacks attacks. The monster looked down on Gack and grinned. The color from his eyes drained, as though they were glass.


    Gack was flung from the side and he ended up kissing the wall. Blood gushed out. The trend continued. It was clearing the pirates one by one. The first one was surely dead but the rest I wasn''t too sure about.


    "He''s right. If we give up, we''ll end up just like him," Jowy said.


    Jowy was behind all of us shooting arrows. He was the only one who still had some sense left. This made some sense come back to the pirates, myself included. And they made a desperate attempt to escape.


    The pirates who charged ahead ended up dead, being sliced in half by the massive axe: the ones that tried to escape were flung and crushed against the walls. It was a mortifying sight. One by one everyone was meeting the same fate. But instead of eating them right away, this monster licked its lips again and again. It was taunting and playing with us.


    "Old man!"


    "I know!"


    The old man threw a gust of wind toward the monster. It had three eyes on its ugly face, and all three of them looked at us after some torsional movement. Its fangs were sticking out and the face wasn''t even remotely humanoid. As though an oversized head was placed on the shoulder of a small-sized giant. Its nose was just like an animal''s but the rest of the face resembled that of a demon''s. There wasn''t any skin on its face. So it looked more or less like an ugly mess of muscles.


    But one thing was for certain¡­ we definitely had its attention now.


    It came toward us in a blink of an eye. I could barely unsheathe my sword when it swung its axe. The old man intercepted with his normal sword and the sword broke in two. But he was successful in dodging the attacks. That man really was skilled. Then the monster looked at me. I lost the track of all sorts and only looked ahead; my vision fixed at the monster.


    I couldn''t even see the monster''s movement but my body somehow dodged the first blow. I fell on the ground with a minor graze. Compared to the pirate cut in half, this was definitely miles better.


    "Daarc, the knife!" Jowy shouted.


    I knew the knife could have been used against the undead but I just didn''t get the chance to even bring it out.


    The captain took the chance and got behind the monster. He, with his sword, charged. "Yarr!"


    He thrust through the monster but he couldn''t pierce through the armor. The monster''s mouth widened, as though it was smiling.


    "Oh, fuck!" The captain''s eyes opened wide and it felt as though he''d given up. With a flip, the captain hit the wall on the other side. Squashed. Splashes of blood were apparent. The monster resumed its gaze on me.


    I couldn''t move. What is this? I couldn''t move my muscles. It was as though my legs gave up, no my body had given up.


    The monster was just too fast. The monster was coming towards me. It was like that one horror movie which you actually find scary but sadly for me, this was no movie. Before the monsters could swing its axe, the old man got behind it. HE sliced its back with the mystic blade.


    Grawrrr! The monster screamed its lungs out. Did it even have lungs?


    The sword in the old man''s hand was shining. It was the same sword we found in the serpent''s stomach; the mystic sword. But the old man was using two of his hands and he couldn''t still keep the sword in air for long.


    The monster threw its axe on the ground and it made a heavy clang. The rust from the axe met the dirt below. This thing must have been alive for at least a few thousand years. But even the mystic blade wasn''t enough to kill it. But the monster looked severely weakened and got on its knees. The old was fast and that was good.


    But things didn''t go as well as he''d planned. The monster unsheathed its sword that was hidden in its baldric. Just how the hell could something like this exist? - That was the only question going through my brain.


    Although the sword appeared normal it had a fine edge; so fine that almost anybody could mistake it for a brand new sword. It didn''t look special but seemed to be better than most. It looked like a sharp new dull sword if that made sense.


    The monster swung the sword over the old man''s head. Though the sword was a normal-sized one, it wasn''t even flinching at the massive monster''s strength. The old man blocked the attack. But the strength of the monster was too great and he rolled on the ground to compensate. Skills weren''t enough when met with immense raw strength.


    Meanwhile, all I could do was watch. Yet again, I was playing spectator. But my legs wouldn''t listen to me. my body wouldn''t respond. I couldn''t even unsheathe my sword yet. Just what the hell was going on?


    There weren''t any more shouts other than the old man''s grunts and the monster''s groans.. Jowy amassed the courage to shoot some arrows but the monster''s armor made them look like mere toys.

 Chapter 100 - Unyielding

    The monster didn''t stop and swung its sword over the old man''s head and the old man blocked it. But this time he was right under the pressure. The old man was at his limit. He was leaking blood through his nose and mouth from the pressure.


    I- must- move!


    But my feet weren''t moving. I couldn''t will myself to do anything. Nothing was working. I slapped myself and forced my body to shut the fuck up.


    I know I''m in trouble. You don''t have to remind me!


    I took a deep breath, focused my thoughts, prepared myself for the worst, and went straight for the monster''s back. I thrust my sword through his torso. But alas! The sword broke in pieces. I didn''t care, my knife was in my other hand; jumping up, I shot it straight through his neck.


    "We-well done lad!"


    "Don''t talk old man!" I managed


    The monster eased its grip on the sword and the old man fell on the floor. Then it turned its head: the muscles spiraled sideways. It was creepy rather than scary. I was still attached to the neck by my knife.


    The thing looked at me and I froze. My eyes weren''t moving. Oh shit!


    It was pissed. I could tell that the pirates weren''t moving either. But being staggered wasn''t an option. It was move or die!


    "TAKE THE OLD MAN AND LEAVE! LEAVE!" I screamed my lungs out. I had a debt to pay.


    Although the monster looked at me, I looked back at the pirates. Only two remained standing and one of them was a scrawny guy holding a torch and the other was Jowy.


    Huh? That''s it?


    All this time the area was getting darker and darker but I didn''t care; I didn''t have that luxury, but now I knew why. There wasn''t anyone standing to even hold the torches. There just weren''t enough men to consider retreating: not anymore.


    At first, I thought that the knife would be enough to make the undead evaporate but it didn''t turn out like that. Although the knife worked fine on the other undead, this one was special. The knife was clearly hurting it but it wasn''t enough.


    The monster didn''t fling me around like the other pirates. It was curious about what I was doing to its neck. The enraged look on its face made clear that the knife was in fact hurting it. I was in for hell and I knew it.


    I tried moving the knife and with all my might I slit one of its veins; the monster roared in agony and made sure I felt the same. It screamed so loud that I felt my ears drums would rupture. And then, to my horror, it grabbed my leg and grinned.


    Time froze for a second.


    The monster threw me on the ground with just one hand. I bounced on the soil. "AHHH!!!"


    Blood gushed out from my mouth and nose. The impact was painful; very painful. I couldn''t breathe anymore and my ears rang. But that wasn''t enough. The monster''s neck was exposed and half of it had turned to stone. However the monster grinned and looked at me. Oh shit! Shit was about to go down, no doubt.


    It lifted its sword in the air and shoved it through my chest with both hands.


    Did it go through my heart or did it miss? I couldn''t tell.


    For a moment I couldn''t feel anything. I couldn''t believe anything. All I could think of was, "What just happened?" When the pain finally hit, I screamed so loud that my throat might have split.


    I lost all my ability to process information; all I could feel was the intense stabbing pain in my chest. My chest felt hot but gradually became cold. Everything was moving at a slow pace. Jowy was yelling in the background. My hands had already gone numb.


    The sword had sunk very deep into the soil; so the monster tried to pull it out with brute force. My chest felt like it was being torn open: it was. My knife was still sticking out from the neck of the monster. It was an undead; yet the fact that it could feel pain might have been an irony of the gods; not that there were any left, to begin with.


    "Boy." The old man grunted and tried to reach me with the sword.


    The left hand was touching the edge of the mystic blade that the old man was carrying. The old man was on the verge of his consciousness. He looked at me and tried to pass the sword to me.


    I knew what needed to be done. If was going out, I wanted to go out in style.


    With just my fingers I tried to get it. I cut my fingers but succeeded. My consciousness was fading by the moment but I just had to do that. So this is the last moment of Daarc green. Wasn''t my life supposed to flash before my eyes? It didn''t. Maybe that was a good thing.


    The monster''s sword was very deep in the earth, so it was pretty close to me. I had to move a little and it was beyond my pain threshold; tears were welling up in my eyes. Or rather falling from it at this point. As I touched the mystic sword, my body was filled with some strength, but it was welcome, however little it was.


    I focused. The sword glowed in response: it was almost as if the sword had a mind of its own. With the sword covered in my magic, I shoved it inside the monster as far as I could reach. It was taken aback by surprise and staggered. The sword went through its armor and then through its flesh, all the way to its heart. It was smoother than butter.


    Something was different. Because when the old man used this sword, it didn''t glow this brightly or cut this smooth. Or perhaps I was just going crazy.


    The monster looked at me with disbelief. What? Now it felt stupid or something? The moment the sword touched the monster, its appearance became semi-transparent. Its time was over and that was clear.


    Perhaps my holy magic did the trick?


    Grawrrr! It roared and pulled out the sword from my body; blood rushed to the opening and made a crimson display: the monster''s chest started to become petrified.


    The pain wasn''t here anymore, but there was a smile on my face. At least I got to repay the old man. I could feel nothing anymore, hear nothing.


    Everything became blurry and my time was up, but before completely going out cold, I saw Jowy jump on the monster''s neck. The moment he touched the knife, it glowed in fiery light; his hands were on fire and the other hand glowed in pale white, and soon the monster was also lit in epic white flames but there was also a gust of wind there to intensify it. That''s all I saw.


    I can''t believe that I couldn''t even beat an undead. How am I, even supposed to match that joker of an overlord?

 Chapter 101 - The Consequence

    Seagulls were chirping around. I slowly opened my eyes. The light was intense. The fresh smell of saltwater refreshed my memory.


    What happened?


    I tried to move my head. It hurt. I couldn''t move my body.


    Where am I?


    All I could see was the blue sky ridiculed with white clouds and birds. The sound of water was calming my soul and the refreshing air pressed against my numb body. I tilted my head a little after some effort. I was on the deck of a ship, an unknown ship. The mast was different; the sails were white instead of black, and without skulls. The boat wasn''t swaying much, so the weather was nice and even a novice like me could tell.


    "Row, row, row!" A flood of sound flowed in. There were people rowing the boat. It was a busy ship if nothing else.


    But if I was on another ship then what happened to the pirates?


    "Sir Denkaborkarere, he''s awake." A strong masculine voice declared from a distance.


    Wasn''t that the name of the old man? How the hell did he pronounce it?


    I''d heard the old man''s name come out of his own mouth. But this was the first time I heard someone else pronounce it. Frankly, I wasn''t a fan of the name.


    "Ah¡­ you''re up already? I thought you''d be dead this time for sure." An old and familiar voice said from afar. It was the old man. He was laughing. I couldn''t move but my passion to punch him had arisen from deep within.


    "Ol-old man¡­"


    "Don''t move boy. Your wounds aren''t even snitched up properly. The herbs and potions are barely enough to keep you alive let alone heal ya. " For a guy who delivered bad news, he sure sounded jolly.


    "Wh-what happened?" I couldn''t speak. Moving my jaws never seemed so taxing. So it kind of sounded like, "Whab hawend?"


    "Rest up, I''ll explain everything soon," he said.


    I could barely keep my eyes open. Although I had just regained consciousness, I couldn''t stay awake for long.


    As I fell asleep again, I heard the old man. "Don''t worry these are good people."


    In the course of the next few days, I came and went several times. But the people who took care of me made sure to feed me water to keep me alive. Or maybe it was potions. I didn''t have any sense of taste, so couldn''t tell.


    Wood''s creaking sound woke me up: it swayed a little but not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. For some reason I felt a little better and could actually for once, move my head, without passing out.


    I was placed on a bed of some sort and there was a wooden ceiling on top of my head.


    So I''m in some sort of cabin?


    There wasn''t much in the room apart from someone sleeping next to me in a chair.


    I''ve met her before. But where?


    I couldn''t remember. I had all sorts of bandages on my body. My shirt was unbuttoned. At least this time I wasn''t naked.


    Suddenly a small furry object appeared on the girl''s lap. It was the love of my life, Bitey.


    "Wo-wow you survived, little fella!" I said. Half of my speech was unrecognizable even to me, but that didn''t stop me from talking anyway.


    With a yawn, the girl woke up and caught the little rascal in her hands. "You wouldn''t believe Daarc, this guy ate all my lunch!" She was half asleep and her voice was kind of cute in a way.


    "I''m sorry. Who are you again?" I couldn''t speak properly but my speech was much better than before. At least I hoped so.


    She yawned again and spoke nonchalantly. "Did you hit your head too badly? I''m Brend! How could you forget?"


    Oh, that''s right.


    "Sorry, couldn''t remember." I had purposefully erased that memory from my mind anyway.


    "I''m glad I can actually talk with you. You won''t believe how worried we were," she said.


    She was smiling and the little rabbit was making cute sounds. If I wasn''t beaten up like this, I''d have surely cuddled with it. But something about that smile felt a little artificial.


    "What happened, Brend? Where am I?" I had loads of questions.


    "We''re in Habcomarcia, a trade ship headed for port in Jelosce."


    There was someone else here as well. He was a little far from the door, so I couldn''t see him.


    As I stared out, Brend noticed him too. "Jowy, is that you?" Brend asked.


    Jowy came inside the room. The door wasn''t locked or anything. Everything was made of wood, so locking wouldn''t have done much good anyway.


    "Hey, your accent¡­" I couldn''t finish. It took some time for me to notice but Brend wasn''t talking in her usual way.


    "Shhh! We''re not pirates here!" Brend came close and whispered in a rather forced way.


    Wait, what?


    I could vaguely understand what she meant, but just vaguely.


    "I''ll explain. You see, after you weakened the monster significantly, I killed it with the old man''s help and then we made it out before sunset," Jowy said. He was talking nonchalantly. There was no sense of pride from him.


    Wait you killed it? And you''re not even boasting? Just who are you?


    Then again he didn''t do it alone so it wasn''t that much of a big deal. Of course, we''d have ended up being undead food if he didn''t. But oh well. I had better things to worry about than be suspicious now.


    "Then¡­" I didn''t finish. I could guess what happened next.


    "Nine of us died instantly. The captain, Gack and Merr died two days after that." Brend continued.


    It was shocking news but not that surprising. However, their deaths were saddening, as I knew them, ate with them, and even voyaged with them. I let out a sigh.


    Was it my fault?


    Considering how many pirates were in there, at least some had survived. And that was a small relief.


    "And¡­?" I couldn''t help but ask. It would probably leave a scar in my heart, but I had to know.


    Jowy continued. "The crew of captain Dickeans disassembled and the remaining crew either left the ship or formed a new crew. The new crew is commandeered by Haikin, the helmsman if you''re wondering."


    So his name was Dickeans? He never even introduced himself to me!


    The fat dwarf -or not so fat since calling him fat would mean doom- became the new captain. "I actually wasn''t. Never thought he''d run for president," I said.


    "What?" Brend asked.


    I groaned. My head was aching pretty badly. "Never mind."


    "Ah, looks like everyone''s already here." The old man said from outside. He came in; two men came along with him. Just this once his timing was perfect.


    "Old man¡­"


    "Don''t force yourself boy. This is the captain of this ship, captain Gorassa. And this gentleman is his son, Cleisne Hook."


    What sort of name is that?

 Chapter 102 - A Trip Through Memory Lane

    "I''m Daarc, nice to meet you, two gentlemen." My speech wasn''t perfect but I could talk better than before.


    "Dark? What sort of name is that?" the young man scowled


    My thoughts exactly!


    The captain patted his son on the back. "Don''t say that Hook, every child''s name is preordained by their parents."


    I grinned on the inside.


    "Yeah, I''m painfully aware of that." Hook clicked his tongue and looked away.


    Everybody laughed. I tried to laugh but my chest reminded me that it was not ready for me to even talk let alone laugh. So I coughed and groaned instead.


    "I told you to take it easy, didn''t I?" The old man gave me the look.


    I did not like this new mode of the old man. What was he: A mother hen, all of a sudden?


    The captain introduced himself and after some talk, left with his son.


    On the other hand I was confused and overwhelmed.


    "Old man, how did you do this?" I said.


    "You mean how did I procure this ship?"


    "What else could I mean?" I looked at him with dull eyes. I didn''t have time for his annoying jokes.


    "Ha ha. Your sense of humor hasn''t improved huh? I promised them this." There was a gem in the old man''s hand. It was purple in color and was shaped like an oval.


    "How many of those damn things do you have?" At this point I wasn''t even surprised. If this old man told me he had a stack of gems hidden behind his beard or something, I''d have believed it.


    "Just enough." He hid it in his breast pocket.


    I can''t even begin to wonder how damn rich you are.


    I glared at him for a little while as he laughed.


    After that he left and soon Jowy left too. Brend however stayed behind.


    If I closed my eyes I could have fallen asleep again but I just didn''t want to.


    "Say, Brend. Do you feel bad about not being a pirate anymore?" I didn''t mean much. All I wanted was someone to talk to.


    "How do I put this? You see, I didn''t want to become a pirate. When I was a little girl, my village was destroyed by monsters and the captain rescued me. But since I was a girl, he wouldn''t let me on his ship. I was very persistent and in the end, he gave up and gave me this bracelet. But then again I think everyone knew¡­ well maybe. I don''t miss being a pirate; I just miss the captain. He was like a father to me. And¡­" She faked a smile and looked down and Bitey. I may have been trying to start a conversation but I never thought it''d escalate this quickly.


    I did have one of my questions answered though. Brend was a girl.


    And yet again, I can''t help but feel that they weren''t pirates.


    In which universe did pirates save villages instead of pillaging them? I suppose in this one.


    "I''m sorry," I managed.


    "Don''t be. It wasn''t your fault." Brend''s voice became low and there was sadness in her eyes. She was trying her best not to show.


    But I couldn''t help but be self-conscious. If only I''d warned them more thoroughly. However, the captain might have still not listened to me. After all, he cared more about his crew than treasure. Perhaps things wouldn''t have turned out like this if we weren''t on their ship. Perhaps.


    Seeing the awkward silence, she swiftly changed the subject. "By the way I changed my name and I''m going by Brenda."


    "That''s nice. So you''re officially a girl now?" I was just trying to act funny but I sure failed miserably at it.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Her eyes narrowed and her face became reddish. I might have stepped on a mine.


    I didn''t reply. I was smiling in an awkward way to hide the awkwardness. Meanwhile, my brain shifted to the little white furry delight. "Can I hold him? Can you give me my Bitey?" That was my best attempt to change the subject.


    And Brenda fell for it. "Actually this guy is also a she. And I took the liberty of naming her Biteria" Brenda puffed her chest (there wasn''t much of it though) and grinned hysterically.


    "Huh! Wha!" I couldn''t believe my ears.


    Had my life been a lie?


    The love of my life was actually girl? It didn''t bother me that much though. Who cared if it was a boy or if she was a girl? As long as I could cuddle her to my heart''s content, I''d be fine.


    "You should get some rest now. I''ll wake you up once it''s time for dinner." Brenda''s usual nonchalant attitude made its comeback.


    "Okay."


    From her words, it was clear that the noon had already passed. There were plenty of things I wanted to ask but the time just wasn''t right. Moreover, I felt very lightheaded. I decided to sleep. Within moments I fell asleep.


    ("The new Binge Zero movie, is out of stock already? Are you kidding me?" I blurted in frustration.


    "Daarc, can you go with Alicia? She says some boys are bothering her at school again."


    Mom shouted from downstairs. Being the oldest son, I had to do at least some chores. I''d already heard about how she was having a hard time at school or something, but I never did anything about it. Frankly, I didn''t care.


    "Alright." I sighed and went out anyway. This would work as a fine excuse for me to go out today too.


    Alicia was quiet all the way. The two of us headed out and reached the auditorium of her school. She was a model student. So a lot of boys wanted to date her. She had to say no and that resulted in harassment. And because she was popular, the girls were envious of her as well. And that led to some pretty screwed-up situations.


    "I''m scared." If an eleven grader tells you she''s scared, she''s definitely scared!


    "Don''t be. I''m here with you." It was just a figure of speech.


    She went inside. I was free from college assignments so I just waited outside.


    While I was waiting, I received a text from one of my friends saying that he found a DVD of Binge zero. I couldn''t help but rush to his house and snatch a digital copy. His house was near Alicia''s school, so it didn''t take long. I was coming back from his house when¡­ Beep!


    "Where are you? They are everywhere!" I received a text from Alicia. I couldn''t believe myself.


    What have I done; how could I forget the very reason I came with her?


    If you bought a juicer and couldn''t make juice with it, then what the hell was the point?


    I rushed to her school only to find her surrounded by bullies, and her, covered in paint. Her classmates were only watching the show; she was crying. I might have been a little blind till now. It wasn''t like I didn''t know how the world worked but this was unacceptable.


    My brain snapped; my heart raced. I punched the bullies so hard that my hands began to bleed; they fell on the floor and I kicked the little goodness out of them. Soon the teachers arrived and I even punched one of them. What the hell were those geezers doing all that time? How could they let these kinds of things continue on their watch? I was furious, to say the least.


    And that''s how everything went wrong. I always did have a short fuse, but this was by far the worst thing I''d done.


    Everyone''s families were called to the school. Alicia made it clear that I didn''t need to go with her anymore. I could tell that she was suffering more than before. But I could do nothing about it.


    The bullying got worse; her whole class was avoiding her and they all made fun of her in groups. I didn''t know what to do. Dad was long gone. So mom had her hands full as she was. Even so, she tried to help as best as she could. But it was too late.


    Nine days after the incident, Alicia Green committed suicide in her room and left a note. It read,


    "Dear everyone,


    Thank you for everything. I really love you guys. Thank you, mom, you helped me through thick and thin. Thank you Cicil and Erin, I love you guys. And lastly, thank you, Daarc. Please understand that I don''t blame you and I never will; in fact, I love you the most for what you did on my behalf. But I just couldn''t take it anymore. I''ll be with daddy, so don''t worry about me. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I really love you guys.


    Yours truly,


    Alicia."


    That''s when it all began and that was also where it all fell apart.)


    "Daarc wake up.. Dinners here!" Brenda''s voice woke me up.

 Chapter 103 - To Think Fish Tastes This Bad

    I woke up. I was glad to be woken up from that endless nightmare. Ever since that fateful day I''ve constantly had nightmares.


    Brenda looked at me with pity. She must have seen me in a disgraceful state when I was having nightmares.


    "So what''s for dinner?" I asked rubbing my eyes. I didn''t want to talk about the past anyway.


    She had a bowl and a spoon in her hand, which she put on a stool by the bed. She grinned, her eyes opened wide. "Rabbit stew."


    "Huh?" I couldn''t believe and my mouth opened wide, twitching.


    She burst into laughter and curled her hair. "I''m only messing with you. They caught some salmon today, so guess that''s fish curry." She chuckled some more. "But boy, you really have a thing for rabbits."


    Next time I''m gonna friggin punch you jerk!


    I panted. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Is Biteria okay?"


    "Here she is." She had Biteria in tucked inside her hair. How she did that was a mystery to me.


    Thank goodness she''s alright.


    "Come here lil''lady." I took Biteria in my hands. I could move my hands but only slightly. Any complex movement and I were going through a loop of pain.


    At first, she looked cute and stayed cuddled. The little devil was half the size of a typical rabbit but it was still just a baby. This made me wonder if this thing was a rare breed or something.


    But as soon as I let my guard down, she solidly engulfed my left hand halfway through. It didn''t hurt much but the bite was still very powerful. For once, I was glad it was just a baby. If it weren''t, who knew what could have happened with teeth.


    "Aww!"


    "Looks like she likes ya." Brenda Giggled.


    "I wonder¡­" Biteria did like me, but perhaps only my body but not me. Somehow I felt how girls might feel during those times. And I didn''t even know why.


    Brenda took her away from me. There were a few small marks on my hands. The little critter must have grown at least some teeth, still small though. Moreover it, itself had gotten bigger or rather fatter. What were they feeding the damn thing? It was still a baby for crying out loud.


    Brenda picked up the bowl and stared at me. "Alright then, can you eat or should I feed ya?" She had a very suggesting aura about her.


    "I think I can manage," I said. Who knew what she''d have done if I let her feed me.


    She giggled some more and handed me the bowl. She lifted my back and cushioned it with something soft like a pillow. My back didn''t ache much because of that. But moving around still wasn''t feasible.


    I never liked fish, especially fish from the ocean. To me, they had tasted absolutely horrible ever since I first ate my uncle''s cooking. I''ve been traumatized, eating his cooking. Ever since then, I never regained my affection for fish. I probably never had any, to begin with.


    Moreover, instead of actual curry, I was presented with curry soup. They are not the same thing.


    The next time I reach soil, I''m sticking to it!


    "Stop looking so lifeless and eat up already. I have other things to do too you know!"


    "You mean you have to work despite the old man paying?" I asked.


    She made a fist and looked ahead. "Hmph, that geezer only paid for ye and himself! Me and Jowy have to work our asses off to survive¡­"


    Your accent''s slipping though.


    She kept on complaining. But honestly, she didn''t seem that busy; especially since she visited me and stayed for so long. Was she worried or just remorseful? Either way, why? I didn''t ask.


    My face twitched, my mouth flinched, my body shook. I just didn''t want to ingest more fish, but I had to. It took me a while of agony to finish the soup but I finished it.


    After eating, I lied down, questioning the meaning of life.


    "I have to give to ya. I didn''t think you''d end up healing this quickly. Are you cursed or something? Do you know where I could get healing like that too?" She seemed genuinely curious but there was a hint of comedy in it.


    "Ha ha ha." I laughed sarcastically. I didn''t answer her. She might have been joking but she was right on the money. I was cursed. "By the way, how long was I out?"


    "Six days¡­"


    Only six this time?


    Truth be told, I might have been a little disappointed. "That''s it? Considering the trend, I thought I''d be under for longer."


    "What trend?"


    "Oh, nothing. Don''t mind me, just talking to myself."


    "Weirdo!"


    Yeah, I don''t want to hear that from a girl who pretends to be a guy¡­.


    She left with Biteria. She called me a weirdo but was still smiling. Was that mockery or was she having fun? Probably just fun, at least I hoped so.


    I tried to get some sleep. Sleeping was the only thing I could do which I didn''t want to. When you couldn''t move around that''s all there is to it anyway.


    It took me some time to notice the noise in the background. The flow of water, the crew''s chatter, the captain''s screams were soothing to the soul. Their fun banter was putting my mind to ease. I didn''t pay attention till now but they were all here. Light from the ship illuminated the floor and the ceiling.


    I''m not alone¡­!


    These last few months, my dreams of the past had eased up a little. Maybe because I was too worried about surviving. But for the last couple of days, I was having more and more dreams about my past. I wanted to forget those dreadful days.


    Why wouldn''t my brain give me a break? If my brain was a person, I''d have slapped it silly already.


    So the whole event happened only six days ago? Rest in peace guys. I don''t know why but I really liked you guys.


    I liked those pirates. They meant more to me than my actual family. Maybe it was because they were outlaws but they treated me as their equal. I didn''t like them at first but once I knew they weren''t so bad, I changed my mind. They earned my respect and affection. I really hoped they could rest in peace.


    I fell asleep.

 Chapter 104 - A New Beginning

    Yet again I dreamt about my past. The nightmare went on and I woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. The door was open and there was some light outside.


    My body was too broken but my heart ached. I needed some fresh air. No, I wanted some fresh air. I looked around and there was a stick next to the door. Somebody must have been considerate enough to put it there for me.


    My body was covered in bandages from the head to toe. My body had seen better days no doubt, but it was better than last night. The curse was very effective, indeed. Besides I had my first meal in a week. So I had at least some energy.


    Getting up with intense throbbing, I slowly got the stick and with it, got out of the room. My whole body radiated extreme pain. My chest burned. I could spot fresh blood through the bandages on my chest, but I just wanted to head outside: I just wanted fresh air. I held my chest with one hand and the stick with another. My hand felt wet but warm. I didn''t even care to look at my body anymore.


    With simple steps, I moved closer and closer to the deck. I was wrong. It wasn''t midnight; in fact, it was almost dawn.


    I walked close to the edge of the ship and stared at the same water in which I had fallen. The distant eastern sky still had stars and looked brighter than the rest of the sky. It reminded me of that day.


    "Don''t go too close now, who knows when you might fall," a strong masculine voice warned.


    I didn''t look behind. I could tell by his voice that he was the captain''s son. "Don''t worry. I''ve already been there once. This time if somebody comes behind me, I wouldn''t care who it is or what they want but I''d definitely welcome them with my solid fist first. I wouldn''t mind apologizing later but I don''t want to go through that ever again." I didn''t know why but I felt awfully talkative. My speech was back to normal too.


    Not ever again.


    I was not the same person I once was. This time, I wouldn''t blindly trust people just because they looked innocent!


    He chuckled. "Don''t know what you''re talking about, but are you sure you should be walking around with those wounds?" He was right. I ignored the pain, but it was still too great.


    I tried to change the subject. Of course, I couldn''t move around and it hurt like hell, but I had to. "Don''t let it bother you. Didn''t expect you to be here so early¡­"


    "Actually I''m a morning person so¡­"


    "No wonder¡­"


    We laughed a little. My chest had eased up but laughing brought back the sting. The guy was on the other side of the deck. He was none other than the captain''s son, Hook.


    And he thought my name was weird.


    The horizon was brightening up. The sea looked beautiful and I didn''t really care all that much about myself. Just this once I wanted to forget everything and just live the moment.


    I offered my prayers to Terortra about the pirates and to guide them to the afterlife. Maybe they''d reach him maybe they won''t. I didn''t know how this worked anyway. But one thing I knew, the sea king was real and he helped me.


    The sea was calm and there wasn''t any sound besides the water flowing. Everyone was probably still asleep.


    The sky was fresh and the smell of salt enveloped my nostrils from the start. It was a nostalgic feeling; a nostalgic feeling that I wanted to forget. There were birds in the distance and some clouds up in the sky.


    "Boy, what on God''s beard are you doing up here!?"


    Gods have beard?


    A few moments later the old man showed up. He came close to me and I kept my guard up. It''s not like I didn''t trust him, it was just I didn''t really felt the necessity to leave my guard down ever again.


    "Don''t fret old man. It isn''t good for your health."


    "I don''t need to hear that from you." He chuckled. But he wasn''t happy.


    I stared at the horizon. The sun was half visible. "I just don''t want to miss this view."


    The eastern sky was getting quite red. Just a few moments to go¡­.


    He joined me. "Never knew you were that type of person."


    I didn''t know either.


    "What type of person?" I asked.


    "Ha ha ha!" His sarcastic laugh filled the air around.


    That doesn''t answer my question you know!


    It finally¡­!


    The sun finally had risen. The water around the rising sun got illuminated in amazing colors. It was just breathtaking. I''d experienced thousands of sunrises in my life but this one had them all beat. I really was at a loss for words.


    I don''t know why -or maybe I knew but didn''t care about the reason- but the sun meant a lot to me.


    Whenever I saw the sunlight, my courage skyrocketed. My heartfelt at ease.


    I can''t believe I get to see the sun again¡­. I thought for sure I''d die.


    Back then at the cave, I was totally prepared to die. But I did have plenty of regrets.


    I stared at the eastern sky with a modest smile while my eyes leaked a few drops. The old man was here by me and I didn''t even look back. I couldn''t help but stare at the magnificence of the sun; the everlasting source of my courage. But my strength was all but gone.


    I fell to my knees. My body was already past the limit but I still had to see the sun. I just wanted to. I needed to.


    "Boy!"


    My vision weakened. "Old man, it isn''t anything serious, but do you mind carrying me to that hammock over there? I don''t feel like spending all the time in that cabin," I said.


    "Sure thing."


    He held me and acted as my support. I didn''t lose consciousness and walked alongside him. He made it easy for me and I lied down on the hammock. It wasn''t as comfortable as the bed back in that cabin but at least the scenery and my mood were better.


    My chest was bright red now but that didn''t stop me from admiring the sky.


    From the depths of the hammock, I watched as the whole sky fully lit up and soon there weren''t even the slightest traces of stars.


    "Rest up kid¡­ and uh- thanks." The old man scratched the back of his head and walked to the other side after giving me a potion. His gratitude felt a little awkward but I felt better hearing that.


    I drank the potion, closed my eyes, and fell asleep. It was pure bliss.


    Finally.

 Chapter 105 - Forgiveness Don’t Come Cheap

    I spent the next two days gradually gaining my strength and leeching off the crew. I was a burden and I knew it. My condition was improving but at a very slow pace. I could move around but my wounds weren''t actually healing all that well. The old man told me I needed special attention once we made port in Jello something city.


    But given the fact that I had a hole in my chest only two weeks ago, it wasn''t really all that practical that I''d do any fighting anytime soon. Actually, it did make me wonder though. How the hell did the undead''s sword miss its mark? And then there was another question. Did it really miss its mark?


    Where the hell did that thing get a sword like that in the first place?


    During that evening I thought about the future. I had a lot on my plate. The training, the betrayal, and getting strong enough. A lot.


    I don''t have much time remaining. Should I just ignore the elves and focus on my training instead? Or should I go to their lands and know the reasons behind his betrayal. But come to think of it, the bitch princess¡­.rather Beatrine was controlled¡­ could it be that he was too-


    It was plausible and I had to be rational about this. I had a tendency to lash out at times. I knew it but couldn''t do anything about it. But this time, I really wanted to change. I had to change. Or else, I''d go through this over and over again.


    "Daarc¡­" Jowy walked up to me.


    I answered from the comfort of the hammock. "Oh hey. What''s up?"


    "The captain told me that, we''ll be making port tomorrow. "


    I smiled. "That''s actually good news." That was a very good news. I was sick of seafood anyway.


    "Yeah, but I have a favor to ask," He said.


    Jowy was still on my suspicious list-if that was a thing. "That is?"


    "I heard you were headed to Alfeim¡­ would you let me accompany you?"


    "Why would you want to go there?" I asked. I never trusted Jowy. He was always supporting me and he knew things. Something about him was mysterious and that made me stay on the defensive.


    "Personal reasons." He showed me his face. His sharp eyes looked pretty dashing on his toned face: his golden straight and silky hair made me want to pummel him for a second. He also had a resemblance to a certain high elf I knew.


    "An elf!"


    He was an elf?


    I''d already suspected he was one. But even so, I didn''t have any proof. So I never really worried about it all that much.


    "Yes, I''m an elf. I hid my identity to protect myself and others." He didn''t take pride in being an elf, but that didn''t make me feel any better.


    My mood took a downhill. My attitude became rude. "Why were you on that ship?"


    "I was a stranded sailor like you too. They were really nice."


    I suppose that''s why you didn''t speak like those guys.


    "Back then¡­ was that?" If I saw correctly he might have used magic on the monster.


    "Yes, I used-"


    I didn''t let him finish. Something was bothering me from the moment I watched him use that technique he used to beat the monster. "Then back then¡­ why didn''t you USE THAT FROM THE BEGINING!" halfway through I started screaming. My wounds reminded me not to shout but I didn''t care.


    So that really was magic! I wasn''t hallucinating after all.


    I came to that conclusion without letting him finish. I was that confident. In reality, I just didn''t want to think about it before this. But if he had used his magic from the beginning then all that might not have happened.


    He lowered his eyes. "I couldn''t. I''m cursed. Every time I use magic, I run the risk of-" He paused.


    My voice softened a little. "You too huh?"


    He looked at me with an intense look. "That brings me to my next question¡­ Why do you have her knife? Lianne''s knife," he said. It wasn''t asking that question as a favor. He was serious.


    I could tell that he was more than just curious. But it didn''t faze me. "You know her?"


    "She''s my elder sister."


    She did mention that she had a brother, but¡­I suppose I shouldn''t show too much emotion. He''s an elf after all¡­


    "She was my friend. She gave it to me. But I think she said something about her late brother, and-"


    Instead of answering me, he dumped his questions instead. "Was? Did something happen to her!?"


    "That''s what I don''t know. That bratty prince betrayed me and threw on the ocean. Sorry, but I can''t take you because of that. I just can''t bring myself to trust you guys, ever again." I know I shouldn''t have said that but I couldn''t help myself, not anymore.


    "I am sorry to hear that. Forgive me for being rude." That was fast. I didn''t expect him to change gears this quick or to believe me on spot.


    "Tell me, why trust me this much?"


    He smiled. "Because that knife only responds to people it deems worthy. The knife chose you and Lianne had to oblige. That''s why I trusted you."


    I took the knife out (The old man had given it to me). "So this thing has a mind of its own?" It still seemed pretty ordinary to me. The only thing special was that it could harm undead. Maybe that was a very special thing indeed.


    He didn''t answer my question. "Here, this belongs to you." He gave me the sword that the monster was carrying.


    "Why the sword? Didn''t you deliver the finishing blow?"


    "Even so, you were the one who weakened the monster. Besides, I don''t use swords or more like I don''t like them." He looked down. Maybe I took it a bit too far. After all, he wasn''t the one who betrayed me. But he was still an elf and I don''t think I''d be able to trust elves anytime soon.


    "You should take it. It''s a good sword." The old man said from far.


    The old man was lingering everywhere. Was he worried about me or did he just find it amusing?


    I took the sword from Jowy''s hands.


    "This is light!" It wasn''t as light as the mystic blade but definitely lighter than my broken sword. I still couldn''t lift it properly though. My body was just too busted.


    Jowy looked away in the distance. "It''s the blade of Asce. That island we were on was once called Asce. It was an ancient civilization that went extinct. I once read about it back in Alfeim. I''m really sorry for what my fellow brethren had done to you. Please forgive us," he said.


    Show a little rage. I rejected your proposal. Aren''t you mad? Why do you look sad instead!?


    I was confused. "Yeah, the angel told me something like that too. And don''t worry about it. I''m not holding grudges but forgiveness doesn''t come cheap." Although I said that, I was still in rage. I wanted to pummel the prince as soon I saw him but I controlled my rage and tried to be as considerate as possible.


    He was a prince and I was a commoner. I had to think this rationally. I couldn''t just do whatever I wanted. After all, I spend two months on an island learning how to be patient in the first place. Wouldn''t it all go to waste if I just went out of my way and ended up starting a war between men and elves or something? Their relations were already as screwed up as it was, I didn''t want to screw it up even more.


    "I know you don''t trust me but can you tell me one thing? Why could you understand the angel without any artifacts? Who are you?"


    I took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, I suppose I''ll tell you one thing. I''m just a nobody who''s just trying to go home. But to do that I''ll need to beat someone who''s as strong as a god. That''s all. And all of this is just a side effect of that." I was being a little sarcastic but I couldn''t help it.


    He didn''t say anything anymore and left. I couldn''t blame him, and he couldn''t blame me.. The situation was pretty screwed from the get-go.

 Chapter 106 - Finally My Fish Eating Days Are Over

    The night came in swiftness. After dinner, I stared at the night sky one more time.


    Finally, I won''t have to stare at the sky from floating on a boat. I think I''ll have my fill of meat and veggies tomorrow.


    I didn''t really like vegetables but I didn''t care anymore. Anything was better than fish in my book.


    Lately, it''s been calm, too calm perhaps. And because of that, I couldn''t let my guard down. I didn''t know why but before everything got screwed I always got this calm period. These days I shiver whenever I get the feeling that something might end up happening just after this period.


    I sighed and closed my eyes. There wasn''t anybody near me which was good. I didn''t completely trust these guys but having the old man around did put me at ease. Enough for me to sleep on a hammock in the middle of the ship.


    "Boy, you up?"


    "Yeah."


    The old man came near my hammock and sat down. "We need to talk."


    "Yeah."


    "Got any better responses? You sound too senile!" he said. And just when I thought he was a good man with a good intention he had to rain on my parade.


    "Shut it old man. I was almost about to fall asleep when-"


    "Ha ha ha¡­ you shouldn''t sleep out. You''ll catch a cold." His smile disappeared. "Anyway, about the elf-"


    Cut me off halfway! Classic! I''ll cut halfway too!


    "You''re not going to suggest something stupid, right?" I scowled.


    "My family is supposed to be in Elicaane. It''s about three days away from Jelosce. We can easily get there on foot but Alfeim is surrounded by a massive forest. It is said that it could take up to months before ordinary humans could reach the capital without help from the elves."


    I grunted. "Good thing we''re not ordinary¡­" I was being irrational again.


    "Daarc!" He screamed my name but his eyes glared, "Don''t blame the whole race for one individual''s fuck ups." He was getting somewhere with this, and unfortunately for me, he was painstakingly right. And he just had to say it to my face.


    The old man was right. I couldn''t just judge all of the elves based on just one snotty brat. Besides, Lianne was different. I couldn''t hold a grudge forever. Sooner or later I just had to face the truth and move on. If I couldn''t then I wasn''t any better than those backstabbers.


    "Alright, alright. But are you sure? The way you''re talking means you want to come too. Don''t you have to spend time with your family?"


    "Ha ha ha. The wife was dead a long time ago and my two kids don''t like me, so I don''t think they''ll appreciate me being there." It didn''t take him a second longer to change the subject. "By the way, the kid is really kind. He gave you that sword like it was nothing but it really is a good sword. I think we should sharpen it after taking port tomorrow." He grinned. "And did you forget that I need to shove this sword in whose ass?" He had his fingers on the mystic blade.


    He didn''t let any sadness slip. He was good. Or perhaps just too old, old enough to conceal everything with words.


    "Don''t change the subject!"


    "Ha haha aha." The damn geezer really had a way with sarcastic laughter. But he wasn''t fooling anybody.


    "Why do you think they did it?" My question came out of nowhere.


    But the old man knew what I was talking about. He closed his eyes. "Sometimes when you travel with people for a long while, you think of them as something like family. I guess it happens to all of us. But maybe the captain of that ship was a fool like any other. He shouldn''t have done that." The old man wasn''t provoking me. He wasn''t belittling the captain either. He was just being overly opinionated.


    "I don''t-" I couldn''t finish. I wanted to say, I didn''t think so. I mean, that man literally died for his crew. Yeah, he was stupid but that''s why I respected him. "I think I''ll catch some sleep." Maybe sleep wasn''t a good way to distract myself, but I really didn''t want to think about the past anymore. I didn''t want to face this pain anymore. And yet, and yet, I couldn''t forget the pirates.


    My eyelids were quite sticky. I couldn''t keep them open anymore: more like I already closed them in the hopes of falling asleep so I could escape this situation. I couldn''t recall what the old man said afterward but I fell asleep.


    It got awfully chilly late at night but something kept me warm.


    ***


    "I CAN SEE THE PORT CAPTAIN!"


    "Captain on deck!"


    I woke up to find myself in the midst of chaos. The crew was running around wildly. The port was at least a kilometer away yet the people didn''t really seem that calm.


    Are you guys really traders?


    "What are you doing? Prepare for landing!"


    Wait you''re talking to me?


    I was underneath a blanket but something else was underneath it as well. It was Biteria. No wonder I felt so warm all night.


    Oh, my little bunny!


    Before I could grab her, she jumped and I lost the track of her.


    Damn it!


    I didn''t know what I had to prepare for. But I gathered my weapons and that was it. My armor was already lost. And most of my clothes were thrown away. Only a shirt covered my back and a torn pants on my bottom. As for my bags and items; they too were lost. So I didn''t have anything: no money, no items, and no armor.


    But I had hope. The hope of a bright new future. A future where I could eat anything other than those salty fish. And perhaps some not-so-torn clothes.


    Almost everyone on the ship was running around. What was so important? Weren''t we still ways off? I didn''t have the guts to ask so I just watched them.


    People were panicking and gathering their stuff. Crates piled up before I could wash my face. These guys were fast. I didn''t know much about how trade on shipyards worked but from just far away I could see hundreds of ships at the port. And from the looks of it, I couldn''t help but gaze in amazement.


    I saw the port from the ship. And I understood what was going on. The whole port was filled with sailors and the area was beyond crowded. The sailors on board were rushing to get their crates and goods to the town. Because the surrounding ships were doing the same. Competition was everywhere.


    The very image of a busy port.


    The mere sound was enough to put a thousand crying babies to shame. Yelling played a dominant role in the crowd too.


    When our ship finally landed, things became even busier. People shoved right past me and I wasn''t part of the ship anymore. They didn''t care about me, more like they didn''t have the time to. They had better things to worry about.


    "Boy, this way!" The old man grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pulled, letting go a second later.


    I followed the old man out of the port. I could walk but most of my body was still in shambles. Even walking around was painful. But walking around in a massive crowd was even more so. I almost got lost in the crowd too. Strangely the old man was considerate enough to keep me company in a way that I wouldn''t get lost.


    I preferred the salty breeze of the sea over the rancid smell of sweat around me. But I was glad to have left the sea.. At least I''ll get to eat something other than seafood.

 Chapter 107 - A Doctor A Day Keeps The Apple- Wait, What?

    "So, this is the city?"


    "Ain''t she beautiful?"


    "For once, I think you''re actually right," I said.


    We entered the city of Jelosce. The actual city was a little further inside a sturdy wall but even these outskirts were quite well built.


    Calling the city magnificent would have been insulting. The very structure was different from what I had seen before. The houses were made of bricks instead of woods and stones. They were perfectly aligned. All sorts of people were there: elves, dwarfs, beast-men, and humans. It wasn''t just magnificent. It was extra-magnificent.


    The walls weren''t high and there weren''t many guards. "What''s up with the walls?"


    "There ain''t any undead in this place. The only threats are the goblins. So you see." He chuckled.


    I couldn''t believe that such a town existed. No undead meant- no worries. People were going about their days like normal, without even a shred of fear: guess that was normal. If there weren''t any undead, which could only mean there weren''t any forests. Honestly, I was glad about there not being forests nearby. Although that was just an assumption.


    The old man was smirking beside me. He had been here before and it was clear. But I didn''t like that smirk. He was up to no good. "I need to visit an acquaintance. Here''s some spending money. Get that sword fixed and buy some stuff ya need. Consider it a little gift for freeing me from Terortra." He threw a little pouch at me. I caught it and it clanged like metals. "I''d see you at the Silverfang inn. Oh and see a doctor first¡­"


    "Wait; there are doctors in this world?"


    "Don''t tell me you thought that only the church had-" He stopped, saw my twitching face, and burst out laughing. "I-I can''t believe you were tricked into believing what the church says." He almost stuttered and fell on the ground as he laughed.


    Unfortunately, no one told me anything.


    It was probably my fault for assuming stuff though.


    "Anyway, go see a doctor. And if ya don''t believe me, go to a church." He kept laughing and left.


    Way to go leaving an injured guy on the streets alone.


    He didn''t really give me an opportunity to say anything and I didn''t want to either. The old man had done a lot for me. So much so, that I wouldn''t have been able to repay him although he was annoying at times.


    I better thank him later.


    I didn''t really have any way of rebuking him though. After all he''d done for me; it would have been great disrespect. That didn''t stop me from cursing him though.


    "Hey Dark going out?" Brenda was behind me. She pronounced my name in a rather weird way.


    "It''s Daarc!"


    "Does it matter? Is that money I smell?"


    It does to me.


    "Keep your paws off."


    She laughed it off. "Anyway, I''m heading out to see the town. Wanna come?"


    "No thanks." I declined.


    "I''ll see you at the inn then¡­"


    "Hey, what-"


    She left immediately with a smile too. I could see Biteria on her shoulder between her strands of hair. Biteria poked through her hair and looked at me with those almighty black eyes.


    What was she talking about?


    Just what were these morons thinking? I didn''t understand so I didn''t waste my time overthinking things.


    The first thing I needed was a thorough checkup. All this time, I was under the assumption that doctors didn''t exist in this world. I was a fool. But now I had to make sure these were actual doctors, and not some rip-off claiming to sell miracle medicine or something. After all, earth had plenty of those quacks.


    I did trust the old man to some extent but I wasn''t dumb enough to run around and believe everything everybody said. Not anymore.


    There were a lot of stores nearby. I had the undying urge to run to a street vendor and buy skewered meat first but I made my way to the doctor''s office otherwise known as a hospital: it took a lot of willpower, probably the most in my entire life.


    I had to ask a few people for directions. They mostly told me to head to the church instead of the hospital though. Some even said stuff like "that guy is insane." I had to take their word for it but I still made my way to the hospital anyway.


    The hospital looked nothing like a hospital. The place was black inside out. Every corner was crawling with darkness. I was second-guessing what I was supposed to do. But still went in anyway. Seemed like a very bad idea, but I didn''t really want to hear the old man''s nagging laughter and his complaints that I chickened out or something.


    When I went inside, a bell rang above the door and a man dressed in black came to greet me. The very theme kind of annoyed me. "Welcome. May I know why you''re here?"


    Somehow the guy''s tone irked me. "What do you think genius? To be treated of course."


    The guy looked skinny and tall; quite like me. His black squid-like hair complemented his black dress. But his glare was something else. Almost as if telling me that he was- up to something. "Oh thank you. That''s the first time someone has complimented me¡­." His accent was quite weird too.


    Should I feel sorry for this guy?


    I was having a dilemma. I didn''t know if I wanted to stay or if I wanted to run away at full force.


    "Anyway, come this way." His voice was kind of feminine- or maybe I was just overthinking it.


    In the end, I ended up making up my mind that I''d see this through.


    He took me to a chamber. It was darker than the rest of the place. I could barely see anything. After all the shit I went through, I still couldn''t get used to the darkness.


    "Sit here."


    I was still skeptical of what was going on. "Where? There''s nothi-"


    He forced me to sit on something. I figured it must have been a chair of some sort.


    Once seated, he started to chant something. I couldn''t move from the chair, as though something invisible was holding me down. Cold sweats started dripping from my forehead.


    Did I perhaps invite myself into weird shit again?


    I most certainly did.

 Chapter 108 - What Just Happened?

    "I see. You''re burdened with a grand curse."


    Why is this world so focused on that one word? Grand this, grand that!


    "You also seem to have an undeniable affection for bunnies¡­"


    This guy''s good¡­.


    I was immediately convinced of his skills. He must have been a world-renowned doctor! He had to be!


    "Two- no three broken ribs, and seven fractured bones in total. Most of them have healed though. The hole in your chest too has kind of healed. Although you must have had the goddess of luck by your side or was it the devil of luck?" He giggled to himself. What was this guy, a tape recorder? "Anyway, you were really lucky that the wound barely missed your artery. Or you''d have a wonderful time now. "


    The last part wasn''t necessary.


    "Can get rid of the curse?" I asked. I did like this curse. I had a use for it, namely to survive.


    The tone of his voice changed and he looked a little serious. "Why the hell would you want to get rid of it?" His voice had a hint of jealousy.


    "I mean-" I was just asking for the sake of asking. It wasn''t like I wanted to die just from a goblin''s bite or anything. If it weren''t for this curse, I''d have been dead a hundred times already.


    "Do you even know why you''re still alive even after this hole in your chest?" I did understand him and I agreed with him but I didn''t like this attitude. The guy was jealous of me and that was clear.


    "Aww¡­ aww-aww- hey, stop poking¡­"


    "You can see my point¡­" He was a thorough guy. He kept poking me in weird places.


    "Alright, alright. Stop!" I wiggled my arms around. (Only my legs were bound.)


    He smiled and backtracked. Oh, boy was this man annoying.


    "Can you heal me?" I changed the subject.


    "That''s easy!"


    I had to remove my shirt and he removed the bandages. Afterward, he applied some sort of liquid over my body. It had a strong smell. Probably some sort of disinfectant. The last thing I needed was to get infected. It did sting like hell though.


    He changed the bandages but before that, reapplied some herbs. I let out a sigh and relaxed a little. My body was still in serious pain. I had to chew on some cloth all this time so I didn''t end up screaming for my life.


    At least he knows what he''s doing- Or so I hoped.


    Next, he brought out some brown liquid in a glass. It reeked and looked like mud gathered straight from a mud puddle.


    "What is that¡­?" I asked.


    "Medicine," he said with a cynical but comical laugh.


    I was stunned. I refused and he shoved it through my throat without even the slightest of hesitation. "Bleewh! What- bleeuh!"


    It tasted worse than it smelled. The muddy texture¡­.


    The damn guy had an annoying smile on his face. I wanted to punch that face. I wanted to punch that face more than I wanted to punch the old man''s face.


    After a while I calmed down and gulped as much water as I possibly could before potentially puking.


    With a spinning head I asked what he did to me.


    "Don''t worry, that was just a health drink. It had all the nutrients you need to regrow and strengthen your bones. Given the fact that you''re healing system is already beefed up with the regeneration curse, I didn''t need to do much¡­" He almost sang the praise of his own drink.


    Still doesn''t really seem like that much of a curse to me though. And what health drink?


    Sister Ashlyne had said the same thing.


    "What part of that was healthy?" I glared at him with murderous intent.


    "Well, mostly half of it¡­" He answered with a straight face.


    "What about the rest of the half?" I couldn''t even begin to wonder what the rest of that stuff might have been.


    His face came too close to mine. His eyes were closed and he almost looked like a demon with the expression he wore: perhaps he was one. "Trade secret! Anyway, pay up. You now owe me five shiny silvers."


    "That much!"


    Was he serious or was he was just ripping me off?


    Five silvers were enough to keep me fed in luxury for a whole week. Before coming here I just eyeballed the pouch, not counting anything. It wouldn''t take a genius as to why there was so much sweat pouring from my face.


    Hope you didn''t cheap out on me old man.


    "The treatment I just gave you was worth more than ten but I''m giving it to you a discount since we had so much fun together. So pay up¡­." He rolled his tongue in a very misleading way.


    He wasn''t going to let me go without actually paying, so I didn''t really have the right to refuse; at least not while my body was busted to this extent. I grinned in a not-so-friendly way and stopped out every ounce of strength from leaking from my body, so I wouldn''t turn hostile.


    Calm down, Daarc. Calm down. He''s just a friendly doctor.


    It really took a lot of willpower to keep my rage in check.


    I forgot to count my money before actually coming in: I probably had enough to pay him but I didn''t know if I had enough to do anything afterward. I could just imagine the old man rolling his tongue and laughing this off sarcastically. I was literally screwed and I knew it.


    Relief swept across my face when I opened the small pouch and examined its contents. I paid him


    I sighed in relief when I saw that I had enough money. The geezer hadn''t cheap out me. Thank you, old man¡­ I''d probably never say that out loud though.


    "Do come again." He threw me- I mean escorted me out in a gentle fashion and I found myself back to the streets.


    Never!

 Chapter 109 - Ah, Lovely Meat! And My Trip To The Blacksmith

    I needed to buy some armor and sharpen the sword. This sword I had now, felt rather light despite its size and even looked brand new. According to Jowy it was an ancient relic, but how in the world was it still sharp? It made me wonder if it was really necessary to sharpen it.


    Why was so paranoid? I was impaled with this damn sword, so of course, I''d be.


    So the old man gave me this much money?


    The pouch had ten silver beauties and ten copper uglies left. That wasn''t really that much money but I had to make do with what I had; the so-called doctor ripped me off and I could feel that in my gut! This much money was good enough to live with comfort for roughly two weeks but it wasn''t enough to buy things like armors and all that. I could have always bought a cheap one though. So I didn''t have many worries in that regard. Besides, my armor never lasts anyway.


    But then again I didn''t expect the old man to give me money. Well, he was rich, so I didn''t know how to react to it. I''d still have to agree, just taking it without even saying anything might have been a little rude. But given the fact, how much he pissed me off, I really didn''t want to thank him in the least. But this time I made up my mind that I would.


    I went further inside the town. The town was paved using quartz. Roads were wide and blooming with activity. There were all sorts of shops everywhere. People were carrying bags and buying stuff; it was an even busier town than Moire. Thinking of Moire, that city was built rather nicely too. But I preferred this city as I felt as ease since I wouldn''t have worry about the undead of all things.


    Food stalls were looking straight at me: I was glaring straight back. I was literally drooling over the roasted meat on the street shops. Who cared about the incident only minutes ago? Who cared about all the problems my life had to offer?


    I needed a new start to my day. A new start with sweet juicy grilled meat.


    It''s now or never!


    I paid the stall owner and bought two full sticks of skewered meat.


    My first real meal in ages!


    Finally, I didn''t have to be guilty about eating rabbit meat or nauseous about eating fish. I could actually eat all the meat I wanted. As long as I had enough money that is.


    I talked as I shoved the meat through my mouth. "Ol''man do''yoknow wmhere I ''could fi''md a good weapon shop here?"


    "I couldn''t understand half of that but if you''re looking for weapons, I''d suggest making a visit to Calor''s shop. She''s got the best goods in town. But beware, don''t go hitting on her or her husband would start to hit on ya too, with a solid hammer that is." Halfway through, he started laughing. He was half-joking half teasing.


    He was an old man selling food on a cart with wheels. Unlike the rest of the stalls, his one wasn''t that fancy but his food smelled the best and I went with my gut feeling. After all, the gut wants what it wants.


    "Thanks for the info. Half of it wasn''t really necessary though."


    The owner laughed.


    I finished my meat and listened to him for a while. He was fun to be with. He told me various stories about his glory days. According to him, he was a grand adventurer. I couldn''t picture that though. I shared some of my stories too; not that any of them were worth telling. I told him about how I spent two months on an island only to be rescued by pirates. I didn''t go through much but he sympathized with me. It wasn''t like I went around boasting, but every once in a while I felt like talking¡­.


    I went toward the direction he''d pointed in. it led me straight to the massive store in the central. It was big, very big; so much so that our house (back on earth), the backyard, and the front yard would have fitted in. I was in awe seeing so many weapons and armor. There were various staff members and from the moment I walked in, two of them started to ask me questions.


    So this world has these sorts of places too, huh?


    "What is your choice of weapon, Sir?"


    "Are you here to buy armor, Sir?"


    "Come this way, we have great armor!"


    They were quite excited and started to promote their stuff a bit too much.


    Am I in the wrong world or something?


    I was wearing only a shirt, so they assumed I was here to buy armor. They were right on the money though.


    "Hey, you two!" A woman shouted from the opposite direction. She came towards us. "I''ll take it from here." Her voice was soothing. She dismissed the two in front of me. She must have been someone of higher-order in the store; maybe the owner? "Hi there. I''m sorry you had to go through that. Lately, those two have been at it with a bit too much passion."


    Tall, slender, and pale-skinned, the woman in front of me looked quite appealing. Her blue hair didn''t do her justice. I''d have preferred to have seen her as a brunette or even a blonde but that was just my preference.


    She smiled and from my perspective, I found her smile a little attractive.


    The inside of the store was very busy. The products were showcased on walls and some were even encased in glass. There were more customers than I could count, yet the service seemed too good to be true. "Yeah, I could feel that."


    "Anyway, what brings you here? I would assume new armor? Although you aren''t wearing any, so that must be the case." The eyeballed me and put up a PR smile. She knew her stuff; there was no doubt about it.


    "Actually yes. And I would also need some protective gear for my hands and feet."


    "How much is your budget?" She was fast and asked all the right questions.


    I have to have to buy some items too, so.¡­


    "I also have to sharpen this sword, so about eight silvers would be my limit."


    "Eight? I think I can provide you with some decent quality stuff, and that is the sword?"


    "Yes," I said. I handed over the sword to her.


    "Not bad¡­" She held the sword in her hand and admired it for a couple of minutes. "Not bad at all." Her voice hid behind her breath.


    She went to the counter and gave me a slip.


    A slip before even paying? Is something wrong with this store or with me?


    "Wait here. Let me get this to the blacksmith." She then went further inside to a room.


    I''d assumed that was the smithy. She came back and brought a man. He was muscular and big, something which always made me jealous about those kinds of people.


    He was taller than me and looked at me with rather serious eyes. "Where did you get this?"


    "In an island," I said.. I felt more intimidated than I should have.

 Chapter 110 - How Could She Be Married!

    The smith didn''t say anything past that but he looked at me with quite the wonder. He looked at my wounds too. As he left he looked at her. "Give him good equipment."


    "I was just about to," she replied.


    What the hell is going on here? Who is the owner? Can someone explain this to me?


    Unfortunately, no one did and the man went straight back into the smithy.


    "Groag, bring the latest two sets of armor and those two gloves and boots over there," the woman shouted.


    "Righty."


    A guy in the back answered. I couldn''t tell what was going around me anymore. The place was too damn crowded. People were really busy buying and selling stuff. But even so, it was a lively place. There wasn''t any chaos. I kind of liked it.


    "Try these on over there." The armors had arrived. She pointed me to the dressing room.


    I picked them up and these things were very heavy.


    How the heck do people wear stuff like this?


    Given my shitty condition, it was hard for me to carry them let alone wear them. But I was feeling much better than morning.


    It couldn''t have been that medicine, could it? Nah¡­.


    Once inside the room, I weighed the armor. The first one was heavy plate armor. It was shiny and looked stylish.


    I don''t think I could wear this even to save my life.


    I still tried it and failed miserably at the art of moving around.


    The next one was light armor. It was much lighter than the heavy one, obviously. But it was still heavier than the leather armor I bought back in Moire. It was probably sturdier too.


    I wore the light armor and it actually fitted really well. The gloves and boots were a good fit too. The woman knew her stuff.


    I could finally move around in armor, albeit light armor. It was a dream of my dreams. I know it didn''t make sense but I always wanted to dress up like this. But the armors were too heavy to try. Maybe my body had grown stronger after all the pounding it went through in the last three months. Or maybe this light armor just was too light.


    I came out. I looked like a prince if I do say so myself, which was a lie by the way.


    The armor was black in color, along with crimson hues here and there, and didn''t have a shine. It was more like a beefed-up version of the leather armor. Maybe it was made from sturdier fabric or something? It did make some clangs though.


    "Wow, you really look the part now," she said.


    I was dumbfounded. This shop messed with all of my senses. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean you look like a grand adventurer!"


    Yup, this world is definitely obsessed with that word.


    "You''re not wrong I suppose. But I wouldn''t call myself good let alone grand." I wasn''t rebuking her. In fact, I might have been a little prone to flattery every once in a while.


    "You must have very high standards then. It''s not often my husband suggests something like that to a random stranger," she said. She giggled to herself. "That really was a great sword."


    She was quite close to me. My face was burning up.


    "You''re MARRIED!?" But I had something else on my mind.


    Her cheeks turned pink when I screamed. The people in the shop stopped their work to stare at me for a moment and then went back to their day.


    What the hell do you mean you''re married! Well, I suppose leaving a beauty alone would be a shame to the whole world¡­. BUT!


    "Don''t look so disappointed boy. I was just a little lucky and early. Ha ha ha!" The husband came back like it was no big deal. He was the smith and now I could tell that he must have had a very happy life along with that body of his. If I wasn''t jealous before (Which I totally was), I was now. I most definitely was.


    "I wouldn''t call that a little lucky. Anyway, how much do I owe you? And how long will the sword take?" I tried to run away from reality by focusing on my goals.


    His brown beard was illuminated with a solid grin. "The sword will take a full day; it should be done before afternoon tomorrow. I''m still amazed you found something as grand as this one. In all my life I''ve never seen another sword like this. I''d love to know how you got it along with some ale but I can''t stop working now. What do you say we hit the inn''s bar at night?"


    At least he knows his stuff.


    He seemed nice enough, so I thought I''d indulge him a little. "I don''t drink, but I''ll be at the inn tonight. We could chat there I suppose."


    I was jealous of him but I admired the way he showed interest in me and my sword in particular. But that made me realize yet again, how many pirates lost their lives¡­ on that endeavor.


    "It''s a shame but I suppose you need to stay sober on the road after all. My lady will take care of the billing. See ya at night," he said.


    It sounded a little weird coming from a man. But I just smiled and waved.


    He left and I felt a dagger cleaving through my heart. It wasn''t like I had fallen for this woman or anything but I didn''t know how to describe the feeling. I wasn''t denying it though.


    "You owe me eight silvers. And since you already bargained before even seeing the goods, you don''t have the right to bargain anymore." She twirled her hair and said that looking straight into my eyes, giving me a sweet smile.


    I didn''t bargain though. I couldn''t say anything.


    Don''t say that with that face! I won''t be able to talk back¡­.


    And I couldn''t either. She had me right where she wanted.


    Well, I already set my targets anyway. "Alright, alright¡­"


    It was a win for both of us. "Don''t be sad, I''m not making all that much profit here you know¡­" She was a businesswoman; there was no doubt about it.


    You''re still making a profit, huh!


    I wasn''t sad because of the money or because she was married. I was sad because all of a sudden I remembered my times back with the pirates. It was short but fun.


    I paid her and was about to leave. "I didn''t catch your name."


    "I am Calor. And the big guy in there is Dileans."


    Big guy? Don''t tell me he''s¡­.


    "Nice to meet you. I''m Daarc."


    "Nice to meet you too. But that''s an unusual name."


    "I get that a lot." A lot, lot.


    After goodbyes, I went outside the store.


    Time really flies when one''s having fun, huh?


    I wasn''t having fun though.. It was more like torture for me.

 Chapter 111 - Straight To The Inn, Or Not

    It was a little past midday. I was hungry.


    Time for more meat!


    I made my way back to the stores. My body was moving without much effort and the pain was almost gone, but the armor was making little metallic sounds when I moved. Maybe some parts of it were made of metal? I couldn''t see any though.


    I tried food from three different stores but none of their food even compared to the food I had this morning. Without further ado, I headed to the place I''d eaten this morning and saw that the owner was in the middle of packing up.


    "Hey old man, wait!"


    "Oh it''s you! Wow! You really look the part now!"


    I can''t blame you. I know I look amazing!


    With my chest puffed high, I chatted with him while he made skewered meat.


    "The shop you suggested was really something. Thank you for that advice too."


    "You almost fell huh?" This geezer was felt similar to the old man. But at least this one had some sense of humor, albeit in a very weird sense.


    All of a sudden the mood spiraled downwards. "Let''s¡­ not go there." My face twitched a little but I controlled it right away.


    "I was about to head home. Age really is something ya know." He chuckled.


    "Good thing I caught you at the last moment. You wouldn''t believe how hungry I was. I tried some stalls but in the end, your ones were the best!" I held nothing back. He was good and I wanted him to know it.


    "Ha ha. I''m glad you like them¡­ the wife also used to like them¡­" He let out a chuckle with a tint of regret, and a sigh.


    I shouldn''t have pried but my curiosity took the best of me. "Used to?"


    "She passed away last year¡­" He looked at the ground and my heart sank a little.


    I should have known.


    Just how dumb can I be?


    "I''m sorry," I said.


    We chatted for a little while. He seemed a little down but as we continued talking he gradually became all lively again. After I finished the meal, I asked him about good item shops and he pointed me toward a shop close by. I thanked him again and went to the shop.


    Just like before this one was also very crowded. I bought a single potion and some herbs. After that, the search for the inn began. In this town potions weren''t all that super expensive but high potion or panora water were not even here for some reason.


    I was about to search for the inn when my memory jogged. I''d forgotten something important. Something very important.


    What about soap!


    I didn''t even know if this world had soaps or not. But there was only one way to find out.


    On my long journey of ''searching for the inn'', I stumbled across a platform and saw a girl robbing thugs in the alleyway. And I just happened to know the girl. Her name started with a B and I had better things to worry about. So I ran the other way.


    "Pay up honey. I did say there''s no escape didn''t I?" I heard some weird noises coming out of the alleyway so I put my fingers in my ears and started to hum my way out of it.


    I was too tired to move about but I had to.


    If I remember correctly the old man said we would meet up in the Silverfang inn.


    "Silverfang, Silverfang¡­ where are you?" I mumbled


    After a long search, I finally found the inn. Let''s not get into how long and how many people I had to ask for, for me to get here.


    Turned out, it was close to the entrance of the town after all. I laughed at my own idiocy and went inside. The inside was pretty and only two men were here along with a single waitress and one lady behind the counter. Both of them were quite the lookers but I suppose that was a given since their work demanded it. The two men were busy munching on their brunch.


    "Excuse me; I''m looking for a room to stay the night. I think my comrades will come soon if they haven''t already," I said.


    "Let me check¡­. I''m sorry but all the rooms have already been reserved. Just a while ago a gentleman booked four rooms¡­" The girl behind the counter gave me a solid PR grin. I didn''t like it one bit.


    Damn it!


    Wait, four¡­?


    It made me think about it. Brenda said something about meeting me at the inn and the old man convinced me of Jowy. I didn''t like where this was going. "That gentleman couldn''t have been an old geezer who looked sturdier than he is right?"


    "I don''t know about that but he was quite quirky¡­"


    I sighed. "Actually I''m one of his comrades¡­"


    "Your name would be?"


    "Daarc Green¡­"


    She looked at me for a second and her smile faltered a little but she controlled it anyway. I wished she''d just stick to her job rather than looking at me with such pity. "Let me check. Can I see your ID?"


    I searched for my things and it was probably was lost with my old things. "Sorry I might have lost it."


    "I see. In that case, you should renew it at the church or you could wait here until one of your friends get here."


    Damn! Not again!


    Somehow these things always happened to me. Even back on earth, it used to happen all the time. I''d always forget important stuff and regret it halfway.


    And why was this world so infatuated with IDs anyway?


    "Oh, Daarc." It was Jowy. The only person I didn''t want to see yet was glad to.


    "Hey."


    "Anything wrong?" He asked, acting all innocent.


    "I don''t have any ID, so-"


    Jowy talked it out with the girl. "Oh, this is our fourth friend." He understood things fast, too fast.


    The girl gave Jowy a suspicious look and turned to me. "Alright¡­. Please go and rest in the fourth room by the window on the second floor." She seemed a little weirded out by the whole incident. She tried to hide the awkwardness but some of it leaked anyway.


    "Okay," I replied.


    It was a weird turn of events.


    I guess personal identification is necessary no matter where you go.


    I went up and looked inside the room. But before, I had something else to do.


    "Thanks." It wasn''t like I trusted him or anything, but I couldn''t deny his help. I wasn''t some jerk like that.


    He didn''t say anything and just smiled.


    The room smelled like, something with fur had been living inside for a century, but there weren''t any traces of fur whatsoever. The culprit must have been pretty good at hiding the evidence. I would have complained but since I was on the verge of falling over, I stayed quiet and jumped right on the bed, after properly removing my armor that it. The bed was fluffy and smelled bad.. But I fell asleep without even noticing much of it.

 Chapter 112 - Interlude: Brenda

    Brenda Brown, the daughter of the village chief, was a naughty kid: she was nine and she knew how to scare people. She loved to play hide and seek. Whenever she saw new faces in her house she''d always end up playing hide and seek with everyone. It had more to do with not wanting to meet people than to actually playing the game. In short, she wasn''t good with people; or rather she didn''t like people. And what could be more fun than jumping in front of people you don''t like and scaring them to death?


    There were many reasons why she didn''t like them. Perhaps people were evil, perhaps they made her suffer? No, it wasn''t like that. In fact, everyone always treated her nicely, too nicely. And because of that, she was always teased by the other kids and that''s why she hated people, namely, the villagers. Yes, she didn''t have an actual reason and perhaps she was just being a brat, but she did love the villagers equally as well. She was hypocritical, too hypocritical.


    But life wasn''t so bad. She was teased but not bullied and she had plenty of friends. Besides, why would life be bad in this peaceful village anyway?


    "I heard pirates have entered the west village."


    "I heard those were a peaceful bunch, so don''t worry."


    "But they''re pirates!"


    Brenda didn''t know what a pie-rat was but she didn''t concern herself with the village gossips. Her birthday would come soon and so she was in a good mood. Besides, what could possibly happen to a peaceful village such as this?


    Days went by and nothing really happened. Brenda wanted to escape her bonds, she wanted more. Everything was peaceful and Brenda believed nothing would change this peace. She believed this peace would last. That''s why she wanted freedom.


    As if to prove the peaceful hypothesis wrong, two days before Brenda''s tenth birthday, a certain incident happened. Some people or rather some things that looked like people had come to the village demanding certain things. Of course, Brenda wasn''t old enough to understand anything. But when for the first time her parents insisted that she hid herself as a means of playing the game, she understood: whatever it was, it was serious.


    Brenda ran upstairs and hid herself in the attic. She heard muffles from downstairs so she used a small hole in the wood to pry into what was going on. But her heart wasn''t prepared to witness what she witnessed in the next few seconds.


    Scales, fangs, wings, and ugliness. There were demons in the house. Big scary demons. Brenda tried her best not to scream by covering her mouth.


    But she kept on looking. She could barely hear them but she could still understand: she had to.


    "I''ll be blunt with you chief, you give me all your food and we''ll leave the town. No one would be harmed." Its voice was coarse and didn''t have any other emotion than hate and rage: Perhaps a hint of greed with it.


    "That-that''s not possible. We negotiated for half! Besides, it''s already winter. If we gave everything to you, we''d starve to death!" Brenda''s father couldn''t hide his shivers or his uneasiness. He was a middle-aged man, forty- five or so. Her mother was younger- about thirty.


    "You don''t understand chief." The demon began as he grabbed Brenda''s mother''s head and lifted her up. "We want everything¡­" He chuckled in a not-so-friendly way.


    There were three demons inside the house; all of them chuckled as they saw the fright of Brenda''s parents.


    "Evay!!" Brenda''s father screamed but there wasn''t anything he could do against the three demons that were in front of him. But that didn''t stop him from unsheathing his sword. If he couldn''t save his wife, then dying with her seemed more practical. He cursed himself for letting it be like this. Sorry Brenda, He thought to himself and gritted his teeth for a battle he could not afford to lose and a battle that he''d surely lose.


    The demon sighed. "And I thought you were smarter than that." He took out his scimitar and used Brenda''s mother as a shield, before finally impaling both of Brenda''s parents in one fell swoop. It happened in a flash and Brenda''s father couldn''t dodge. Now both of them were clogged up together, coughing up blood as they gazed at the ceiling, smiling ever so faintly. Their last hope.


    Forgive me¡­us¡­ There last thoughts were unheard of.


    Even with her face covered Brenda squeaked and fell on the floor. She was a kid but she knew reality. She knew death.


    "Kill them all," the demon commanded. Then he looked up. "I''ll take care of the rat."


    The demon flew straight upstairs and into the attic, through the wood. Wood cracked and broke apart. Brenda''s eyes leaked but she knew she had to face this foe, or her parent''s deaths would go down in vain.


    But she was a kid who knew death; she was a child who knew the world wasn''t forgiving. She knew she was going to die here.


    "Oh, they did have a pretty rat. Maybe I''ll have some fun before ending you." The demon walked slowly and Brenda backstepped. She was about to be killed, and she knew it.


    Mom¡­.Dad¡­ She cursed destiny in her mind but that didn''t help.


    The demon was close, very close. It held its arms high and close to Brenda''s face almost touching it, and laughed sarcastically as it licked its lips. Brenda curled herself into a ball to protect herself.


    "He he he." The demon laughed in a weird way. "That''s not going to save you."


    But before it could touch her, the ceiling broke down and one man walked proudly. "Well look what ye have here. Yar har har har!"


    A man had made his entrance and with him came several others.


    The demon growled but before he could make a move his head was sliced off by someone from behind. A man covered in fur and he also had the head of a fox: The tint of red in his eyes displayed his lust for blood or rather severed heads.


    The demon splashed some blood and fell on the floor never to move again.


    "My lil, shining moonflower, ye alright?" The first man walked up to Brenda and whispered.


    "Moon? What is that?" Her voice shivered. She lost everything. But somehow still survived.


    "Ye. In that moment, ye shined like the moon."


    And that''s how she met captain Dickens.. A pie-rat: A pie-rat she was glad to meet.

 Chapter 113 - Surely Everyone Can’t Know Each Other, Right?

    "Yawn*"


    I slept like a log. The first thing I noticed was that most of my wounds didn''t hurt anymore. I hated to admit it but the doctor''s medicine might have been something more than just a health drink- but who knew? Surely, not me.


    I sighed. I couldn''t conjure up a better reaction.


    The room was dark but light poke through the window. I looked out. It was night and the whole city was lit up. Every house had at least one light. It was fun to stare at the lights. It reminded that there was still hope, there was still civilization. I was still alive.


    The sky shimmered as well. The stars were playing hide and seek with the clouds.


    Will it rain?


    The thought of rain brought back horrible memories. I had to focus on something else, or I''d drown in emotions.


    I put on my armor and headed downstairs. The wooden stairs made creaks as I walked. There was a familiar scent in the air. The scent of alcohol. And some murmurs.


    They must have already started drinking.


    But the moment I came down, my eyes opened wide.


    What is this?


    The place was flooded with people. Murmurs turned to chatter: Their chatter made a unique sound, but none of their words were distinguishable among countless others. It was like I was in the middle of the streets again of a foreign city. Bards sang in the corner and some dancers danced to the tune. Calling it lively would have been just an understatement.


    I looked around and in a corner, there were familiar faces.


    "What is going on here? There were barely two guys here this afternoon¡­" I said as walked close to them.


    I had to speak louder than usual. The background noise was getting in the way of my sanity.


    "This is what always happens to this inn at night. Everybody from around the town visit to drink. This place is very famous for the drinks you know," the old man said.


    With a solid laugh, he made me sit down. He ordered food and more drinks; he was already quite drunk. Brenda and Jowy were here too. I was still skeptical about Jowy though. But I had to make my peace with it.


    However, there were also two other faces here: namely, the man from the food stall and the owner of the weapons shop.


    Him I get but why is the food guy here?


    "I believe I should introduce you to our guests this evening," the old man said.


    How''s this evening? Even I can tell that were way past the evening mark¡­.


    "Nice to meet you two, I''m Daarc. I believe we''ve already met." I introduced myself first. Of course I''d met both of them in the city but I never had to time to properly introduce myself before.


    "Anyway, I''d go first. I''m Denkaborkarere. Nice to meet ya all. Although we already know each other." The old man let out a triumphant chuckle. He wasn''t first like he claimed but he was definitely more drunk that I thought.


    The old man from the food stall turned to me. "That''s right, but I didn''t know you knew this shitty old man with his shitty name! Denka-whatever my ass!"


    Actually I agree!


    I almost threw up the food trying not to laugh. It was hilarious, if nothing else.


    "Hey what is that supposed to mean, you hideous monster! Your name is no better!" The old man wasn''t taking that insult without uttering his own.


    What is going on here? Is that something worth fighting over?


    The food stall guy stood up. "Shut it ugly! I''m proud of my name! At least people call me by my name! Ha haaha." His laugh was forced and probably was used as sarcasm then an actual laugh.


    "Huh! Yeah right! Don''t ya know they call you Bonkarin the drunk behind yar back?" The old man stood up too.


    "HUH!?"


    "HUH!"


    "Don''t mind these two gentlemen, they are old acquaintances. I am Dileans and as you''ve said we''ve already met back in the store." The smith introduced himself.


    Which parts of them are gentle?


    It was weird to introduce yourself to people you''ve already met but that''s just how it was.


    "By the way Daarc, I''m interested in that story too. I''ve heard the gist from Jowy but I wanted to hear that from you¡­" Brenda said.


    Brenda''s voice became inaudible towards the end. She must have heard from Dileans about my story telling campaign....


    "Anyway, boy, you owe me a story!" With a serious laugh, Dileans started to pour his drink and focus on me.


    The two old men, duked it out with words. At one point their curses turned to sweet whispers and they spent the next hour discussing about the future of curry and its importance. I just didn''t get old men!


    "It all started¡­" I said my story, and obviously, I sugarcoated most of it like an ideal storyteller.


    I didn''t say anything about me being from another world or anything about the emperor. In this story, I was a lone adventurer who owed an elf for helping me out. I tried to help them and ended up saving a city. The elf got injured and we wanted to take her back to Alfeim. But I was betrayed on the way. I kept the rest, attached. I didn''t say anything about the god of sea though. Well, most of what I said was probably not lies. This made-up story had at least some truth present, no matter how shady.


    But at one point I just couldn''t bring myself to say anything about the fate of the pirates. The two old men had already stopped fighting a long time ago. Brenda had tears in her eyes. The pirates were really brave, or really stupid. I picked the former and stuck with it.


    Dileans must have sensed the atmosphere too. "Alright, that''s enough for tonight. But I can''t believe you were that brave. Hanging down the neck of that monster!"


    I was staring at the wooden table we were sitting at. It had cracks here and there. I tried distracting myself from reality but failed miserably. "I was desperate, not brave¡­" And that really was the truth.


    "Aren''t we all?" Jowy added.


    For a moment I had totally forgotten that Jowy was here, to begin with. He didn''t have much of a presence


    Dileans laughed, paused, and then added, "Are you sure you don''t want any drinks though? I could at least get you one drink you know¡­"


    "Sorry but I really don''t drink¡­"


    It wasn''t like I couldn''t drink in fact it was the opposite. I used to drink so much that more than half of my monthly budget was spent on boozes. But after a certain incident, I stopped drinking.


    I promised her that I wouldn''t.


    "Alright then, it''s getting late. The wife will start yelling if I get more late¡­" Dileans stretched his back and stood up.


    "Yeah, run home, boy. We don''t want your pretty wife to be lonely do we? Ya ha hah ah!" Old man Bonkarin ¨Cthat probably wasn''t his name- said.


    That kind of made me jealous though.

 Chapter 114 - What Is This, A Party For Drunks? Oh Wait-

    "Shove it, grandpa! I don''t want to hear that from you!"


    Huh? Who''s who?


    "I don''t actually get this¡­." Brenda said, raising her hand.


    She was quiet and sad but finally spoke up.


    "He''s my grandfather¡­ Well, at least I call him that," Dileans said.


    Suppose I''ll pretend not to be too surprised¡­


    Dileans looked like an adult who barely turned 30 but I was still confused at him calling the old man grandpa. Clearly old man Bonkarin didn''t really look much older than fifty.


    I pretended not to be too surprised. But I was still kind of jealous. "I see. I didn''t know¡­"


    "Anyway, see you tomorrow." Dileans gave me a chuckle and went for the door. Looks like he wasn''t going to pay for his drinks. And no one stopped him either.


    Dileans had left and now there were only five of us. Jowy, meanwhile was quietly enjoying his drink.


    "Suppose I''ll start heading home now too. It''s not like anyone''s waiting for me at home but at least I''ve got one. "


    Old man Bonkarin left right away as well. He had a grin on his face. It was probably aimed at the old man to spite him. I pretended not to see that. The old man on the other hand glared hysterically and just brushed it off like it was no big deal.


    Poor guy.


    I didn''t know which one I pitied more.


    But there were still five of us remaining. It''s because all this time I hadn''t counted my dearly beloved Biteria. She was hiding between Brenda''s hair as usual. But this time she wasn''t really peeking at us, rather she might have been asleep. There were soft purrs coming out from time to time. It was cute.


    "That reminds me, my sword will be done before tomorrow afternoon. Think we can leave tomorrow?" I said.


    The old man gave me the gist. "We''d have to procure some horses and we''ll have to surely spend three nights out."


    Given the fact that the world was shitty at night, it wasn''t much of a choice that we needed to spend the night out in the wild. But the mere fact that goblins roamed around in these lands, scared me.


    Jowy was still quiet, so the old man turned to him. "Hey boy, don''t be shy now!" With a wondrous laugh, the old man gave a slap on Jowy''s back. Yeah, he was definitely drunker than I thought.


    Jowy looked at the old man with sharp eyes and said, "I''m much older than you geezer!" Just how many drinks did that guy have, to say something like this?


    Wow!


    "Huh? What did ya say, boy?"


    The old man snapped and the two of them started yelling. I looked around to see whether we were gathering attention or not. But it turned out that the place was so lively that nobody paid us any attention. It was probably for the best.


    "That''s enough you two. Both of you are old!" I said.


    They stopped, stared at each other then glared at me. Oh boy¡­ They screamed in unison. "Shut it, little brat!"


    What the hell?


    Suddenly my expression disappeared. What was going on? Were they fighting over something as silly as age? Was that even relevant? But what''s worse, now they ganged up on me.


    "Give it a rest Daarc. These guys are too drunk to be reasoned with, hicc*," Brenda said. She had a blissful look on her face and her eyes darted around.


    "You''re one to talk!"


    All of you morons are drunk! I''m done; even that room covered in smell is better than arguing with these drunks.


    "I''m done, so I''ll be leaving. I''m out of money so please pay the bills old man, as you are older than me." I emphasized on his age and smiled.


    But then again I never actually ate anything apart from some biscuits on the table, anyway.


    "That''s right! I''m older than ¡­ Wait, what¡­?"


    "Good night."


    Before he could figure anything out, I made my way back to my room.


    When the hell am I going to get back to my world?


    It really was the only question that I wanted to be answered right now.


    I removed my armor and again jumped on the bed. It was so fluffy that I felt like sinking in, but to my regret, I fell asleep before experiencing the ultimate fluffiness of the bed.


    Purr! Purr! My sleep broke when a familiar soft creature purred on top of me. it was morning but the sensation was elite.


    "Biteria!"


    I was amazed. It was my dream to sleep with bunnies and now it had been realized. I always liked bunnies but for some reason, but I liked Biteria more.


    I just had to cuddle her. I couldn''t hold myself back, so I went close to her and shoved my face in her fur. As luck would have it, she woke up and bit my nose. My nose ended up with a tattoo of bite marks. It hurt, but it was worth it.


    "AWW!!"


    I screamed a little and eventually, she let go.


    Damn bunny! I still love you though¡­


    I got dressed while Biteria sat on the bed staring at me. What the hell was wrong with this bunny? Did she have no sense of privacy? Well, she was a bunny, so it was normal that she wouldn''t know that.


    I picked her up with my cold gloves and she did not like it. She jumped straight to my head and stayed there.


    Well, at least she isn''t biting me.


    I looked like a moron but I didn''t mind. My love for bunnies was much greater than my shame- or so I hoped.


    Once outside, the previous hypothesis proved wrong as everyone around me exploded in laughter. The group was at a corner and the inn wasn''t as crowded as last night. I was glad that the crowd was a little thinner than last night, if it wasn''t who knows what I''d have done. I wanted to crawl to a hole and stay there out of the embarrassment.


    "Well looky here!"


    The old man was the first to comment. When I sat down, Biteria jumped to Brenda''s shoulder and stayed there. Couldn''t she have stayed on my shoulder instead of my head? Was it intentional?


    "I was searching for you, little lady!" Brenda said.

 Chapter 115 - Fluff

    Brenda cuddled the little thing with her fingers and I was hoping Biteria would bite, but she didn''t. With great disappointment, I devoured the big apple pie in front of me before even realizing it. I was always a big eater but never actually paid attention to my surroundings when I ate. It was probably my greatest weakness.


    "That was for all of us, you know," Brenda whispered.


    Seriously?


    Instead of apologizing I puffed my chest and declared," I was feeling a little hungry. Thus I ate it. Don''t expect an apology!" My speech sounded all formal and majestic. Even I was surprised at what I said.


    They looked at me with seriousness and then looked at each other.


    Maybe I should have apologized? No! They laughed at me first!


    To my horror, instead of getting angry all three of them burst into laughter. If they had gotten mad, then it would have been fine with me but now I looked like an actual joker if I wasn''t one already.


    I finished my breakfast quietly and waited with patience. It had nothing to do with me being too embarrassed. Nope, not even a little¡­.not at all.


    The old man held his head in his hands. "Let''s get down to business then. It''ll be a three-day trip to Elicaane. We''ll probably get there before sunset of day three if we went through the Blackthorn forest."


    "You are aware that, that forest has an impossible amount of undead, correct?"Jowy said.


    "Yes, but that''s why we will go through that forest at day time." The old man flashed a grin. He did have a point. During the day, the undead weren''t much of a threat.


    "As long as you know," Jowy said.


    "But I thought there weren''t any forests nearby this city?" I asked. It was just my hypothesis but I kind of hoped for that.


    "There ain''t, at least not close enough to pose any problems but it''s still pretty dreadful." The old man looked a little down as if remembering a distant past.


    "Is there any special reason, it''s called a blackthorn forest?" Brenda asked.


    The old man chuckled. Damn, that geezer always bounced back quick. "Because the forest turns pitch black at night and there are thorns everywhere."


    "That''s so generic," she said.


    She was hard to please. It was a forest covered with thorns and looked black. What was so generic, about that? Would it have been more fun if man-eating sirens or bunnies were there? I would have preferred the latter though.


    "Alright, so the three of us would travel to Elicaane starting this afternoon?" I said. Remembering these city names was a chore though. Why would people think of these kinds of names to torment travelers? I had no idea.


    Brenda glared at me with discontent. "What do you mean three of us? Could it be that you can''t count?"


    That to be honest pissed me off as well. There are certain things you shouldn''t say to college students, and that was one of them.


    I grinded my teeth. And tried to smile. "Me, old man, and Jowy. Three!"


    "What about me! And Biteria!" Brenda whined.


    "What about you?" Then it finally sunk in. So that what she meant! I should have seen it coming. I had some suspicions though. "I don''t know what you''re game is but I don''t think you should come with us. We aren''t going for sightseeing you know! And besides, you finally-"


    "Huh! Don''t give me that. Why do you think I''m even bothering to come with you? Be grateful that I''m considering traveling with you." Now she started acting all high and mighty.


    I didn''t want her to come with us, as I didn''t want her to get hurt again. The pirates or rather the captain was everything to her. She just lost her everything. I didn''t want her to suffer. "I think I''d rather not¡­" I had a good reason to decline her. Besides, she didn''t have a good reason to stick with me.


    Why is she bothering with us? Wouldn''t it have been better if she embraced a normal life? I suppose I shouldn''t meddle with someone else''s business but...


    "Give it a rest boy, the more the merrier. At least we''ll have some extra food for the monsters." The old man laughed sarcastically.


    "Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" Brenda whined again.


    We all laughed and the breakfast ended like that. Nothing got resolved.


    The food was good but old man Bonkarin''s food was much better!


    "I think I''ll head out now. Where should we meet?" I said.


    "Meet at the north gate before as soon as you get your sword," the old man said.


    "Alright!"


    I dashed outside. Looked around and headed straight for the old man''s shop. Little did I know, two questionable beings were also following me. Also little did they know, that I''d already noticed a long while ago.


    One of them was a fluffy angel and the other, not so much. It took me some time before I noticed, but when I did notice, I started to dash at the right moment.


    Why the hell are they following me?


    "Why the hell are you running?" she yelled.


    I didn''t answer. Boy was this woman fast.


    She caught up to me. It was none other than Brenda. Biteria was hiding in her hair as usual. I tried my best to not be caught, but she was definitely a fast runner, no doubt.


    Damn it!


    Being caught wasn''t really that bad apart from being forced to come up with an excuse.


    What am I supposed to do now?


    "Gotcha!" She grabbed my shoulder without letting go.


    She wasn''t that angry; instead, she was smiling. I calmed myself and we started walking.


    Might as well apologize while I still have a chance.


    "Sorry," I said. My mouth twisted. And I had to look away.


    "Why?" She pondered with a smile.


    This woman is oblivious!


    I didn''t know if she was pretending to be oblivious or just playing coy with me, but one thing was for certain. She was having fun.


    "Nothing. Why are you here?" I tried to pretend that nothing was wrong. It was hard, very hard.


    "Same reason as you. For food!" She struck a pose.


    Didn''t you gulp down two plates back at the inn? I didn''t have the guts to say it out loud though.


    Brenda followed me like an apprentice yet again. There was no going around it. We continued walking and eventually reached old man Bonkarin''s shop. Wonderful aroma drifted in the air and made its way into my nostrils. It almost made my mouth water.


    "Old man, give me two of those sticks along with some sauce!" Finally, my enthusiasm was back.


    "Right away my boy!"


    He gave me my portion and I started to eat. Meanwhile, Brenda was picking what she''d have. Too indecisive if you asked me.


    But just as I finished my first stick, Biteria jumped on the old man''s cart and started to go wild. She was eating everything in sight.


    Oh no!


    "Stop her! We can''t pay for all that!"


    Money was the top of my concern. Each stick went for five coppers and I had just 29 coppers but in the heat of the moment, I couldn''t even begin to wonder the amount this little rascal would end up devouring. Brenda eventually caught the devil, but before being caught she ate more than seven full sticks of meat. It was just shy of 40 copper.. I was screwed.

 Chapter 116 - Searching For… Thugs?

    Biteria ate fast- was the biggest understatement of the day. The little devil really had a thing for meat. But then again it was carnivorous, to begin with.


    "I''m sorry! I-"


    Before I could come up with a reaction Brenda jumped into the fray. "Don''t worry Daarc. It was my fault and I too have money you know¡­"


    "But-"I was relived internally. I had little money and I didn''t want to waste them on the damn little bunny. I was most definitely tempted to though.


    "No buts!"


    She shushed me and I stayed quiet. It worked out for me anyway.


    We ate our fill and paid the old man.


    The old man was silently smirking at us. "He he, looks like you''ve got yourself a lovely one too." The damn geezer said something outrageous in my ears. Before I lashed out, he continued in a larger voice. "That little missy is quite something though. In all my days of adventuring, I never saw anything quite like that. I still can''t wrap around my head, on where all that food went. Look at the size of that thing and the amount it ate!"


    "Me neither," I replied. My voice was stale and I stared at him blankly. But he was right. The rabbit was definitely a walking talking nescience: I couldn''t understand it even if I wanted to. I still loved it and it didn''t talk though: I would have freaked out beyond repair if it did speak.


    Brenda for some reason seemed more than enthusiastic. If my eyes did me justice, then I''d say she was jumping around no less. "Hey daarc, let''s check out the back alley. I heard there are lots of thugs there!"


    My face twisted. How could she be so energetic while saying something so stupid? "Shouldn''t we avoid that?" I kind of knew where this was going. I did see a lot of things yesterday and I could picture what sort of future lay in my wait. I really wished I was wrong though.


    She pointed at me and grinned. "What are ye saying? That''s the perfect place to earn some booty!"


    I don''t like where this is going.


    I really didn''t. "Your accents slipping¡­" My voice didn''t show any enthusiasm. I had none.


    "You heard the lady, get going lad," Bonkarin pushed me forward, with a slap on my back. Was he trying to get me killed or something?


    What the hell are you doing you geezer?


    "See ya around, old man," I said. My face was plastered with a weird expression. It was somewhere between a grin and despair.


    I didn''t want to go but I had no choice. I didn''t have any enthusiasm either. Why always me?


    I can''t even have one peaceful day?


    Normal trouble wasn''t enough for her, so we had to go in search for more. Ah, what a world I was summoned to!


    We went towards the so-called back alley. It was the darkest part of the town. While the rest of the town was bright and clean, this area was dark and not so clean. Obviously, ordinary people didn''t come here often.


    "Are you sure, we should be here?" All of my senses tingled. I didn''t like this place and I didn''t care if I was labeled a coward.


    "Don''t worry. I''m very good at robbing thugs." She was awfully proud of the fact.


    She checked her knives and hummed something. Her humming wasn''t all that bad.


    That''s not comforting, you know.


    My sword was busted, so all I had was a knife. Made me feel safer, but I didn''t feel too comfortable.


    We walked around like we owned the place. There were a few guys dressed in all rags and stuff but they didn''t seem like the thug type. All they had on themselves were nothing more than rugs anyway. They were running away from us though. Did we look like thugs instead?


    It didn''t feel that bad though. Actually, it felt good that I was running around like this with a pirate. Maybe spending that week on the boat with the pirates wired me a bit differently. Or perhaps I just enjoyed the company.


    After strolling through the entire area, we didn''t come across a single thief or thug. I sighed in relief.


    "What is going on?"


    "Maybe they ran away seeing you." I chuckled.


    I don''t know why, but my laugh was audible. It had been a while since I had genuinely laughed. There was a difference between laughing and faking along with your companions. Never thought sarcasm would light the fire of my humor.


    "You have a pretty smile," she said.


    Hey don''t go hitting on me!


    "That''s not something a girl should say," I said.


    I wanted to remind her that she shouldn''t say that to a guy. He might take it in another way. In my case I didn''t think of it anything other than praise. But someone else might not.


    She rolled her eyes in disappointment and picked a pebble. "You don''t have the right to say that ye know!" And threw it far away up in the sky. I didn''t want to think about whose head it might have fallen.


    In the end, I decided to give up anyway. "Ha ha, you''re right."


    She was right. What gave me the right to control her life? If she wanted to do something, she was free to do so.


    We made a second round and finally ran into some thugs who were coming back from their daily hunt- I mean their daily business.


    Can''t believe I''m actually glad to see some thugs!


    Seeing us, their faces lit up with smiles. Chuckles filled the air. The few guys in rugs that were here ran away for their lives.


    These thugs just found new customers: us.


    "Lost are we? What do you say; we take you back to central? Of course, we''d need a little fee for accommodation," the large thug said, grinning ever so devilishly.

 Chapter 117 - Reversed? Are We… The Bad Guys?

    There were four of them. One was big- probably the leader and the rest seemed kind of generic. Never thought I''d meet generic-looking people. No distinct features and they looked quite alike. Maybe they were triplets or something. The big one among them approached us. He looked like a giant, probably a dwarf.


    "Really? That would be so wonderful!" Brenda said.


    I could guess what she was thinking but this was not an ideal situation. I wasn''t fully armed and the thugs in front of us didn''t really look all that easy. They doubled us in terms of numbers and their equipment wasn''t something to laugh at either.


    And did Brenda forget that I was still recovering? Surely she hadn''t¡­ right? Right!?


    "Looks like, the missy understands the situation. Come quietly and no one will be hurt. Ha ha ha." Before the big guy could stop laughing Brenda made a grin and approached them. She nonchalantly went towards the men. As if nothing had happened and she was just taking a walk.


    "Hmm, what are you doing missy? Are you abandoning that slump? Well, I wouldn''t blame you if you did. We will take much better care of you."


    All of them burst into laughter. It was clich¨¦ but then again, nothing in this world made sense. So I rolled with it.


    "Actually," she paused. Brenda had a smile on her face. A smile that didn''t really make me feel the least bit comfortable. A smile that told me all I needed to know. Things were about to go bad and I had to deal with it whether I liked it or not.


    This doesn''t look good. I quickly put my hand my knife.


    She kicked the man in the face in an instant. He fell on the ground the next second. The large man covered his face with his palm but Brenda kept on beating the shit outta him.


    I was blown away at her aerodynamics. How could a person move like that? With a confident smirk, she brought out her knife and knocked the guy unconscious with its hilt. The other three couldn''t decide whether to save their friend or attack her.


    "Daarc!" Brenda shouted my name.


    My mind snapped back to reality. I was daydreaming again. "Right!"


    I rushed and punched one of them. He covered his face and fell on the ground. They were surprised for an instant. But as my luck went, I got punched back by the other two. I groaned but held my ground.


    They were armed but instead of using my knife I evaded their attacks and knocked one of them out, slamming my leg in his guts. I didn''t want to kill them. Still, that should have hurt.


    Only one left. But the guy I''d punched before stood up. These guys were tougher than I''d thought.


    Give me a break.


    Two were on the ground and two were glaring at us with their knives. They really had a murderous aura now.


    "You ain''t getting out this alive bastards!" One of them screamed and that just pissed me off.


    "Who the hell are you calling bastard, you bastard!" Brenda jumped back and went toward one of them while I went for the other.


    With a kick that could break walls, I knocked out the thug. And this time made sure he stayed down. I kicked him again just to make sure. Or maybe that was just because my nose was stinging a little from earlier.


    As for Brenda, she was helped by an angel. That angel''s name was Biteria.


    Biteria had jumped ahead and landed on the thug''s face. As the thug couldn''t see, Brenda punched his lights out. And so, the thugs were defeated.


    With a villainous smirk, Brenda literally seemed like a real-life villain. Then again she was a pirate. Ex-pirate. "Alright then, hand it over! Everything! Even yer equipment! Do that and we''ll spare yer lives!"


    All four of them were tied, and I was busy admiring the little softball of fur in my hands while my nose leaked some red liquid.


    Why do we sound like villains? But this little angel is so damn cute!


    Something really didn''t feel right about this, but at this point, I really couldn''t complain.


    The thugs obliged. I felt bad for the thugs; they had to make a living too you know. They were on the verge of tears. Poor guys. We untied them and they were reduced to underwear. We didn''t turn them in as they vowed to never rob anyone ever again. I didn''t believe them but if we went to the guards then we''d be in trouble too. So it was more a safety measure for us.


    After robbing the thugs-I mean correcting their ways of life we went to the weapon''s shop. It was almost noon and my sword should be done soon. On the way, I wrapped my nose with a band-aid (Yes there were such things). My nose was swollen from those two punches.


    The thugs had only 17 silvers and 56 coppers. Brenda was kind enough to give me seven silvers. I didn''t really care all that much about money, so I didn''t complain. Besides, now I had enough money to buy as much meat as I wanted.


    "If it isn''t, Daarc! What happened to your nose?" Calor looked at me with questioning eyes. I did get similar glares from the rest of the customers but they went back to their business anyway.


    The shop''s clatter was one thing but I could clearly hear the smithy still running. Was Dileans still working on my sword?


    My voice was kind of funny. The nose was really giving me more than enough trouble. "Don''t ask. Do you think you can buy these from us?"


    Brenda showed her the things and Calor evaluated them carefully. "I think I can net you about seven silvers for them."


    We wanted to sell the equipment as fast as possible as they could have been stolen goods. Oh wait, they were¡­.


    Brenda didn''t want to compromise. "What! We should at least be getting ten!"


    "Anything above seven silvers and 50 coppers would be suicidal for my business," Calor said. She didn''t question us about where we got these things from but the gaze in her eyes indicated that she knew.


    "I''m willing to compromise to nine silvers and 70 coppers but no less." Brenda stayed firm.


    The two of them continued to bargain and after a long, long while they settled for eight silvers and 70 coppers. Looked like Brenda won but in the end, both of them were smiling and shook hands. Didn''t look like there was any bad blood here.


    While Brenda was busy counting her newfound fortune, I started to satiate my curiosity. "How long do you think before my sword is done?"


    Calor had a hand on her cheeks. She looked distant. "I think he''ll need some more time. He''s been at it since yesterday and yet he claims it''s not ready yet. I don''t think he''s worked so much on a sword so much just for sharpening."


    "I''ll come back later then," I said. I tried to chuckle but failed miserably. I couldn''t even fake a proper laugh?


    Better, thank him later¡­


    The guy must have really worked hard for me. It made me a little glad. The hammer clangs were reverberating even in the shop.. I really had to thank him when it was done.

 Chapter 118 - Who Knew Gardens Everywhere Would Be The Same?

    It was noon and now we had money.


    "What should we do now?" I asked. I for once was kind of excited. Was it because I now had money or was it because I did a bad thing? I wasn''t falling down some sort of rabbit hole now, was I? Was I!?


    "I''m the reason for your nose, so what do you say I take you to the doctor? I heard there''s a famous one here in this town." Brenda''s voice didn''t show the enthusiasm she had back in the store. Instead, she wore a serious expression and looked forward. It still felt weird whenever I heard her speak in the normal way.


    Maybe I was being picky but I liked her pirate-ish accent better.


    "No thank you. Herbs are enough."


    I was glad that she wanted to treat me but just the thought of a doctor made me remember that guy''s laugh and that muddy texture¡­ yuck. All my hair stood up and my body shivered once.


    I''m never going back there.


    "Then I''ll-" She paused. "How about I treat you for lunch? Anything you want¡­" She seemed concerned. Did she think I''d hold it against her if she didn''t make up for that punch? I wanted to assure her that it wasn''t like that, but I got the impression that anything I said now would just end up being backfired.


    "That sounds fair enough." I did feel hungry. So letting her treat me wasn''t a bad idea. Besides, this way she''d be able to save face too.


    If it was something that I wanted, then it was definitely the old man Bonkarin''s cooking. No matter how much I ate, I didn''t feel bored; not once. If possible I''d have eaten his cooking 24/7. But alas! Fate wasn''t that sweet.


    We went back to Old man Bonkerin''s shop. It didn''t take long and the guy never really moved from his one place. The food was excellent and it was cheap. What more could I have hoped for?


    "Back for more?"


    "Couldn''t get enough old man." And I meant that.


    "Looks like you''ve had some fun¡­" He laughed pointing at my nose. My nose''s swelling had gone down but his words brought back the sharp pain.


    Why were old men so difficult?


    I sighed and bought two sticks of meat. I didn''t know why but my love for meat had grown exponentially over the course of last three months.


    Bye, bye salty fish! Hello the wonderful world of meat!


    Hopefully I wouldn''t end up getting my arteries all clogged up with fat and all that.


    Brenda bought some for Biteria too. "You deserve this sweetie."


    "I didn''t know she was that brave. Jumping off like that," I said.


    I never expected Biteria to do anything for that matter. I guess I shouldn''t have forgotten that she was a monster.


    "I didn''t know either." Brenda held her close to me.


    I smiled, patting Biteria''s head as she finished off a stick of meat. If she didn''t have that stick I''d probably have gotten a bit a long while ago. It didn''t matter though. What if she was a monster? That didn''t stop me from loving her.


    "What are you two talking about?" Bonkerin looked confused.


    "Actually," I explained.


    We chatted as we ate. Normally I''d have sugarcoated a lot of things. But this time I kind of ended up exaggerating my lovely bunny''s exploits. At one point Brenda just sighed as my mouth blabbered on.


    "Interesting¡­ this might be a legendary monster!" Old man Bonkerin seemed confident enough.


    He wasn''t making sense, so I pounded some in him. "I''m pretty sure it''s just a meat-loving bunny. Don''t worry about it." Besides, half of what I just said was nothing more than just plain exaggeration anyway.


    He burst into laughter. I knew it, he was just joking.


    Right?


    Without much more chatter, we finished eating and as I was just about to pay: My body shivered. All my instincts told me to not even twitch one of my muscles. Something or rather someone was glaring at me. That''s when I remembered, Brenda was treating. I looked behind me and she was smiling. It wasn''t the smile of joy. If I stopped a second later, blood would have been spilled.


    Brenda paid and I let out a sigh of relief.


    "Where to now?" she said, pretending nothing was amiss.


    I thought for a few minutes. I didn''t really have anything else to do. "Old man, is there any place worth visiting in this town?"


    His suggestions were always on point. So it was best to just ask him than wander around aimlessly.


    I didn''t want to move around much but sitting around doing nothing, wasn''t my thing. It was an irony though. Back in my world, I''d always spend most of my time in my room doing nothing and here in this world all I''d been doing is, soaring outdoors. A near experience with death really changes you, it would seem.


    "Hmm¡­ you could visit the central garden if you want to¡­."


    "Where is that?" I asked. I didn''t have much passion for flowers but every once in a while it wasn''t so bad.


    "Over there to the left."


    "Alright, thanks!"


    Brenda didn''t have any complaints so we started walking.


    The old man was smirking rather wildly. "Thank me later¡­"


    What''s up with him?


    We went in the direction, the old man pointed in. We arrived at the garden and were amazed. Not by the flowers or anything but by the fact that nearly all the young men and women of this town were gathered here flirting with each other. Love is universal after all. I saw something similar back in Moire but not of this scale. All my anxiety came crawling back and I felt sick.


    "So, this is what you meant, geezer." My voice was under my breath.


    Brenda kept quiet and we walked around.


    However, it wasn''t just that, there were bards playing flutes in every corner. Women flocked around them. One particular bard caught our attention or rather Biteria''s attention as she ran off towards him.


    "Wait, you little devil!"


    I ran after Biteria and Brenda followed. When we got there, my eyes jumped to my forehead.


    What in God''s¡­?


    "Jowy, what are you doing here?" Brenda screamed.


    Jowy was playing his flute with his eyes closed. The melody was rather enticing. Even I felt something. Let''s not get there.


    The woman around him looked dazed and bewildered. To answer her question Jowy stopped playing and the women suddenly regained their senses. They were shocked at how or why they were here. Honestly, I was too.


    "What is going on?"


    "Yeah, why were we here?" The women were terribly confused if nothing else.

 Chapter 119 - The Legendary Sword Of Asce

    Jowy silently walked out of the confusion and the three of us or rather the four of us continued to walk. There was a fluffy eared little girl following Jowy around. She was more or less 14, so I didn''t really pay attention.


    Kids these days¡­


    "So what were you doing?" I had to ask. I didn''t care but the situation demanded.


    "When I asked the lord Denkaborkarere, he said I could play my instrument here without any interference. I love playing the flute you see. But I didn''t know there would be a crowd here." Jowy seemed innocent enough.


    What are you, an idiot?


    I almost chuckled.


    "He played you," Brenda said.


    I couldn''t hide my chuckle this time. Never thought Brenda''d have such a sense of humor.


    "Played me? What is that supposed to mean?" Jowy utterly confused looked at us for wisdom. Unfortunately for him, we weren''t that nice.


    "Nevermind. But why were they so enticed by the tune?" Brenda didn''t find the necessity to explain stuff to our thickheaded friend. Frankly, I didn''t either.


    "I don''t know. Even I didn''t know that my melody could have such effects. I''ve always been told my melodies were charming but I never thought it''d be like this. I haven''t played the flute in more than fifty years¡­ maybe my skills have changed?"


    How frigging old are you?


    If he was old, he should have been wise as well. At least that''s what my parents had always told me when I was little. But this guy might have been an exception to the core.


    But wait, if Lianne was older than this guy then¡­. I did not want to think about it.


    "I-I see. Anyway, let''s get my sword and go back to the west gate," I said. I most certainly wasn''t distracting myself from reality, no sir!


    It wasn''t all that late but by my guess, it was somewhere around three in the afternoon. So even if Dileans wasn''t done he''d probably be done soon enough.


    "Alright." Everyone agreed.


    The first thing I noticed was the absence of the metallic clang inside the weapons shop. After I''d given my sword to Dileans, no matter when I came, there was always a sharp metallic sound reverberating in the air. Now it didn''t exist anymore.


    I looked around. Dileans was chilling on a bench and his wife was blowing winds to him. I wouldn''t lie, that made me a little jealous.


    I grinded my teeth and contained myself. "Looks like you''re done."


    We went towards them.


    "Yeah, she''s all yours!"


    A staff brought me my sword: Dileans was out of commission. The guy really worked himself, no doubt.


    The scabbard of the sword was already quite worn, so they gave me a new one. It was ridiculed with various designs. But I liked the one closest to the hilt; it was a dragon eating the moon. In fact, the scabbard might have even made the sword fancier than it was. The pale silver look, really made me go wild with enthusiasm if only for a second.


    "Wow, this design is marvelous!" I had to admire it.


    "You''re not gonna open her?" Dileans was more concerned about the actual sword. I guess he was right, I should have been too.


    I unsheathed the sword and it pierced my eyes with spectacular vibrance. The sword shined just like the mystic sword but in a paler blue. In a second it had captivated me.


    This is beautiful.


    "Ain''t she beautiful?" Dileans was the only one talking. The busy store had gone quiet. No one dared to speak a word. Everyone knew, they were witnessing something grand.


    I feel like I''ve heard that line before but I have to agree.


    "Yeah, calling it beautiful would be a waste. This thing is beyond beautiful."


    Jowy looked over the sword. "Looks like you really are a great blacksmith just like you claimed to be." He touched the blade. "You''re refining work is top-notch."


    I didn''t expect such praises from him.


    But Jowy''s words kind of brought back everyone to reality and with audible stutters and clearings of throat here and there both the customers and the staff went back to their work. It was weird, really.


    "This is my life''s best sharpening work. I don''t think there''s another sword that could be as good as this one unless you end up finding the legendary mystic sword or something." He broke down in hysteric laughter.


    The problem is: I''ve already found that one too.


    I felt bad for hiding the fact but now I just had to roll with it. Besides, he''d probably end up crying if I told him I or rather the old man had something better than this sword.


    "I just don''t know what to say¡­" I really didn''t.


    The sword was so light and dazed with a brilliance that I lost my mind and couldn''t even bring myself to thank him. Would thanking him be enough? Should I pay him more? Should I do something else!? Basically, those questions were roaming around in my head.


    "Don''t worry about it. Just getting to work on this was my reward. Don''t you have somewhere to go?" Dileans was being modest, too modest.


    "In all honesty, this is amazing. But this sword is¡­" Brenda at first looked amazed but as she remembered something she became quiet.


    It was almost afternoon. The old man was waiting for me. But this sword literally blew my mind. It was wonderful and if I wasn''t mistaken, this sword was the second most beautiful sword I saw after the mystic blade. It really was a masterpiece. Which was why I couldn''t just take it and leave. I had to say something.


    I didn''t know what to say anymore. My head was spinning. "I don''t know if I''ll be back to this town or not but hope you see you soon. And thank you for everything."


    "Me too, kiddo."


    I know I''m younger than you¡­ but kiddo?


    "Take care, both of you," Calor said. I guess she didn''t know Jowy.


    They kept waving as we walked out. It was a little weird to be waved at, inside a store but such was life. I waved back. But I never felt so amazing. It was almost like I was high on something, which I certainly wasn''t. But I was glad to have met people like them.


    With haste, we reached the west gate. The old man wasn''t there.


    What the hell? Where is he?


    "He didn''t ditch us, did he?" Brenda said.


    I was beginning to process Brenda''s inquiry when we were interrupted by a peculiar old man. We knew him. He was dressed a little differently though.


    "I was tempted to but thought it would be better to travel in a pack rather than alone. More food for the monsters." As usual, his witty comments made me want to punch him.


    That''s not comforting you know.

 Chapter 120 - Life Outside And A Stowaway

    The old man came along with Bonkarin and a two-horse-driven cart: Bonkerin was driving.


    The old man had changed clothes and now he was in black and white clothing. They looked kind of like a suit but it was leather armor. It was definitely fancier than mine, no doubt.


    "Whoa! Where did you get that?"


    "You don''t want to know those," he said, showing his crooked teeth. He hid his head with a hat. I didn''t like that.


    I got up on the cart and Jowy took the reins. He was old enough, so I didn''t really mind. But then again I didn''t know how to drive a cart either.


    Things moved fast and before I knew it, the cart set off.


    "Take care ya hear!" Old man Bonkarin shouted.


    "You too, old man. " I didn''t think he''d show up but I suppose he favored friends over business.


    With hearty goodbyes, the journey to Elicanne began. It didn''t really feel all that bad to leave this town. I didn''t have any attachments here but I did have people I could call friends. And I certainly didn''t want disaster to fall on them. After all, wherever I went, things got bad, whether I liked it or not.


    I didn''t know what was to come and I didn''t care about it. But no matter what, I couldn''t forget that I had a demon to contempt with. But come to think of it, I never really heard people talk about the guy. I did come across one rumor though. If someone badmouthed the emperor in broad daylight, his lights would be snuffed before the next day. To a guy who bad-mouthed the damn rascal from day one, it was nothing more than just a rumor anyway.


    Green lands filled our peripherals. There were various types of plants, mostly grass, but fruit-bearing plants were here too. Large lone wood trees were also placed here and there. The God who made this place must have overused the greens a bit.


    There were no traces of monsters. Only wild animals roamed the area. I couldn''t spot any goblins nearby either. The breeze and birds up in the sky made an odd combo of sound. It kind of blended with the sound of the horses. I for once had no complaints with the sound.


    Maybe this part of the world wasn''t rotted like the rest. And that''s why I couldn''t help but feel like something bad was about to happen again.


    "Those look rather delicious."


    I looked out from the carriage. "Yeah," I said.


    There was grape-like fruit hanging from trees. They were red in color and looked rather delicious: probably poisonous.


    Wait, who said that?


    I was looking at the outside and suddenly found myself in a predicament. There was a high-pitched uninvited guest amongst us.


    "What are you doing here? Jowy stop the cart!" I yelled.


    The cart stopped but the situation didn''t improve.


    "What''s wrong?" Brenda said.


    "Don''t ''what''s wrong'' me! Can''t you see this girl!?"


    There was a young girl seated next to us. I never even noticed her.


    "I thought she was with you!" the old man said.


    Huh!


    "What are you talking about? Why would she be with me?" I said. Did I look like a pedophile or something?


    They looked at me like I was some sort of pedophile: they really did. My respect for them had drowned a long time ago but what was left now just sank to the deepest depths of hell.


    There was one particular reason that justified their thoughts though. It was probably because the girl had bunny ears. And I may or may not have said something about bunnies before. I''d just dug my own grave.


    "Umm, excuse me." Her voice was small and delicate. It was the same girl with the fluffy snow-like hair and ears that followed us in the garden: back then I didn''t even look at her twice. Did she follow us the whole time? If so, then how? How was it that I didn''t notice?


    "What are you doing here?" I tried to be as blunt as possible.


    "I liked his melody, so I-I thought I''d ask him to make me his d-disciple. And-" She curled her brown hair and didn''t look me in the eye.


    I wasn''t surprised, rather I was thunderstruck! What was the girl saying? She was too young to make that kind of decision.


    "I think we should take her back," I said.


    The girl couldn''t have been more than twelve. She looked back at Jowy who said nothing. Then she looked at me. "I don''t have any family in that town. Please, take me with you!"


    She revealed her colors. It wasn''t because she liked Jowy or anything; rather it was because she was alone. But I didn''t trust her. I didn''t want to. If anything, she just went to the top of my suspicions list.


    "This isn''t a charity! And the journey isn''t some picnic either!" I was just stating facts. I might have come out a little too hard but the outside world wasn''t for kids. And I knew that from firsthand experience.


    "I know and I won''t ask you to take me for free too." She paused. Afterward, she added, "If-if you want you can have this pendant. Before passing away mother told me to treasure it. Bu-but I''d still give you this, my only precious thing to you¡­" Tears welled up in her eyes and a few drops overflowed.


    Somehow I was made the villain in all that. This girl was good, she knew too much.


    "Do-don''t cry and please don''t say things like that¡­" I said and then I looked at the old man.


    Do something!


    "We are heading to Elicaane anyway. As I said, I have a family there. They might be able to give her some work there too. Only if she survives this three-day journey that is¡­" And the geezer broke into laughter.


    Useless.


    So in the end, it was decided. I couldn''t believe that I was saying stuff like that. "You heard him. You would only be allowed to travel with us for three days." I really didn''t want her to come with us, but it was decided for me. "You better take responsibility geezer." I cursed under my breath.


    The old man grinned and I knew him for long enough to know what he was thinking. He didn''t care even in the least.


    "You mean, to travel with you guys more than three days, I''d have to give you more than just my pendant? But I don''t have anything else¡­" Tears welled up again in her eyes and she was about to broke into tears.


    My eyes started twitching and I felt the urge to punch something but controlled it. "I''m not a hyena you know. Why would you even assume I''d want your pendant, or something else?" Of course, I was half grinning, half threatening.


    This time she ended up crying loudly. After all she was just a little girl.


    "Way to go Daarc. Look what you did." Brenda glared at me with blank looks. "There, there sweetie. Don''t mind that jerk. This journey is too dangerous. So it would be best for you to get off in Elicaane and stay there." She started to pet her like it was no big deal and they were long-lost sisters or something.


    "But-"


    "It''s settled then," Jowy said and we dashed forward.


    Look at him talking like its none of his business.


    I glared at Jowy. The cart moved on and eventually the darkness crawled over the world. We took shelter by a tree.. Somehow the region seemed somewhat familiar to me. Was I imagining things?

 Chapter 121 - The First Night Outside

    I gathered firewood while the old man and Jowy went hunting. Brenda was just wasting her time with the new girl. I didn''t even know her name.


    Was it really alright for us to let her stay? Shouldn''t we have taken her back?


    "Why are you looking all miserable again?" The old man was behind me. He had caught two birds and Jowy had a chicken on his hands.


    That was the first time I saw live chicken here. The only other forms I''ve seen till now were basically roasted or soupified.


    "Nothing¡­" I said.


    Whose fault do you think this is geezer!?


    The old man had probably noticed a long while ago but he just kept quiet to see the show. Sometimes I really doubted if he had any other goals than just living a fun life.


    We went back to the camp. The fire was my only source of comfort in the night. From the day I came to this world, almost all the nights were horrifying. But finally, I was with a group of people who weren''t complete idiots- or so I thought. Now, I wasn''t so sure.


    Most of the meat was fried and the rest were made into a soup along with onions (smelled like onions looked like apples) and mushrooms. Jowy scouted some wild berries that he thought were edible. I however only ate the meat and the soup. We had some dry rations but we saved them for later.


    "So, care to explain yourself?" I said.


    The new girl stared at the fire: For a good few minutes kept quiet, and when I neared the limit of my patience, opened her mouth. "My parents died a few years ago in a remote village far from here. I snuck on a ship and came to that town. But no one wanted me in their shops. They said that I would taint those places¡­" She didn''t finish.


    She was on the verge of breaking into tears but her voice showed no sign of weakness. If what she said was the truth then I couldn''t even imagine what she went through last couple of months. I didn''t believe her though.


    "Why would they say that?" I asked.


    "Demies and beastmen aren''t treated that well in these regions. However if she had crossed the ocean and went to Silverien, then she might have found a new life. Silverien values demihuman and beastmen supremacies. But they don''t discriminate humans as we do to them." Jowy educated me.


    But I wasn''t that surprised. Back in my world, it wasn''t that uncommon for humans to discriminate among their own races for color let alone another race.


    "I see. But I thought people didn''t really know much outside this continent," I said.


    So she''s been orphaned and discriminated. Poor thing!


    I felt sorry for her but my doubts still remained: I still didn''t believe her though. Even if she was telling the truth it still would have been rather risky for her to gamble like that. Or was she plotting something? I couldn''t wrap my head around it.


    The little girl went towards Brenda and sat beside her.


    The old man and Jowy both looked at me with wonder. "So, you believe there are places not discovered yet?" the old man said something which made me wonder its true meaning. That reminded me, from the day I came to this world I''d never seen any maps. I basically knew nothing of the world.


    "How much of the world is discovered. I mean how much do you guys know?" I tried to phrase my question as best I could.


    Jowy wondered for a minute, eyes closed. "I think I''ve traveled enough to say there are at least two continents as big if not bigger than the current one we''re in. This continent is called Destoa. Humans and elves are the prominent race. As for the other races, they''re minorities. The other two known continents would be Demonica- the demon''s empire, also known as Galbatia (nowadays), and Harbea, the land of all. Harbea isn''t known to many. There are a few small continents too."


    So basically the world isn''t mapped yet. "What about you old man? Got anything? Any maps to share?"


    "Nope. I got nothing for ya. But I can say one thing to ya, don''t go poking your nose where it don''t belong." Somehow the old man seemed kind of pirate-ish. It might just have been my imagination but honestly, for a second there he scared me. "Cause, you might regret it."


    Don''t worry. I''ve got enough regrets already.


    "We should remain cautious. This land might be undead free but the goblins might still roam about at night," Jowy said.


    I got the picture that they- or rather the old man, didn''t want to talk about it.


    "Yeah, I think that was the reason I felt uneasy from the moment I arrived at this place," Brenda said.


    All that scary talk made me forget about the problem at hand. But I didn''t really have the luxury anymore.


    "I''ll keep the first watch," the old man said, taking one last sip at his soup.


    Apparently, I couldn''t really protest.


    Yet again under the stars. Was it really a good idea? Maybe we should have just¡­ I suppose things happened for a reason. I sure hope this time nothing bad happens.


    The stars were shimmering far away from our reach. It was a beautiful scene, something that I never saw back on earth. There weren''t any clouds up. Last night there were so many clouds and tonight, nothing. My eyes felt heavy and I turned in.


    "Who''s there?" A female voice rang through my ears like some sort of stringed instrument.


    The voice was clear and darkness was everywhere: I couldn''t see.


    Was this a dream? How was I still conscious?


    To test my theory I started to scream. "I am Daarc. Who are you?" But my voice didn''t reach. It didn''t even come out of my throat.


    Did I even have a throat? I checked my body, but I didn''t have a body.


    What is going on?


    "If someone''s there." I tried to locate the voice but couldn''t. it felt like some sort of underground cave. Water dripped somewhere but the space still felt silent.


    "Please-" The voice disappeared and my consciousness faded.


    I slept and no one woke me. When I did wake up, I had a terrible headache.


    Was that just a dream?


    I couldn''t remember much from the dream, so I didn''t feel like thinking too much about it either.


    Nothing happened at night and morning arrived: I couldn''t have been more wrong. Something strange did happen.. Our rations were gone. Granted we had small quantities but still¡­ everything other than bread?

 Chapter 122 - Through The Grassland

    "Did something rob us last night?" That was the first thing that came to my mind.


    Brenda tilted her head and inspected the scene. "That shouldn''t have been possible. We kept guard all night, remember?" There were no footprints.


    Did something fly here or something?


    "But still¡­"


    When we looked around the first suspect was none other Biteria herself but she didn''t really seem like the culprit. To my eyes, she was innocent no matter what. Besides, her stomach was declaring all sorts of noises since morning to imply that she was hungry. Or was it all an act? Did make me wonder. Besides last I remember, Biteria was carnivorous. And we only had bread left. it did make me wonder indeed.


    "I''ll go look for something. There should be some more berries nearby. And if I find anything else, I''d bring it back," Jowy said.


    "I''ll help." I went with him. I still wasn''t convinced about Jowy but I couldn''t just ignore his presence forever. And what could be a better way of making sure he pulled nothing suspicious than spending time with him alone and getting to know him more?


    Just as Jowy said, the whole place was filled with many kinds of fruits. One particular fruit looked spectacular. It was red in color with purple stripes and had the shape of a pear.


    "I wouldn''t touch that if I were you, if I wanted to live that is." Jowy spoke nonchalantly. "But you''d probably still live."


    "What do you mean?" I said. I was just about to touch it and my hands were floating in the air.


    "It''s the most poisonous fruit in these lands."


    Was this common knowledge or something?


    My enthusiasm dropped in an instant.


    I wanted to eat it¡­


    I spent the next couple of moments sobbing inside. "Okay¡­."


    That had caught me off guard. It seemed beauty really was poisonous.


    "Why didn''t you guys wake me up? That way you guys could have had some rest and this might not have happened." I couldn''t help but ask. After all, they all had to stay awake and keep watch but why did they let me sleep all night?


    The green fields were endless. The grass was barely reaching my shoes: they were small.


    "Given your condition, I couldn''t muster up the courage to wake you up. It was my mistake. I never thought this could happen. I went to take a leak and¡­."


    For some reason I felt more disturbed by that than disappointed, but contained myself. However the problem remained. Even if it was stolen, there would have had to be foot prints. It wasn''t like the thief disappeared out of thin air, did they?


    But more importantly, why did all the important things happen when everyone started to take a leak? Was this some sort of divine omen or something?


    After searching for a while we picked the dullest berries. The bright ones were all poisonous. However, we couldn''t find any animals: edible animals that is. Their numbers were rather low compared to what we saw yesterday. Which meant, we might end up meeting our lovely purples friends up ahead. I most certainly didn''t want that reunion.


    "This is all we got," I said.


    We were back at the camp. I flashed our catch: a bunch of berries and some wild nuts.


    "I see. We''ll just have to keep an eye open on the road." Brenda didn''t look too happy with our find.


    I couldn''t blame her: I wasn''t either. "Yeah."


    It wasn''t much of a breakfast but it was definitely better than starving. And without complaining we all shared the berries and started the day of with some dried black bread: the worst kind of bread.


    Once again we set out on the road. The entire area was filled with nothing but grass and plants alike. There wasn''t much of a road either. So, we had no choice but to eyeball our way through.


    I had a very bad feeling about this grass. For the last hour or so the grass continued to become larger and larger as we went ahead. I really didn''t like where this was going.


    Grumble! Someone''s stomach made a declaration of starvation.


    I looked around and the noise was coming from the new girl.


    That reminds me, I haven''t asked her name yet.


    "What''s your name?" I said.


    The other guys didn''t pay any attention. They didn''t even care.


    "Ali-alis-" She seemed a little flustered.


    Ali alis? Is that even a thing?


    It didn''t make sense to me so I asked what did. "Alice?"


    She made her resolve. "No-no, its Alisa." She almost sounded like a baby.


    But that''s-


    It was a nostalgic name. I used to call my little sister Alicia, by Alisa when she was young. I called her that even when she got older to make her mad at times. She looked so cute when she got mad. But I guess she''s gone forever¡­.


    All the names in this world were more or less weird to me. But this one name made me reminisce about my past. It was a memory I never wanted to remember again. No matter how many days passed it always brought back the same heart-wrenching sensation I had back when I saw the body of my little sister hanging from the ceiling.


    "Ni-nice to meet you Alisa. I''m Daarc." But I buried my feelings and tried to be considerate.


    "I know, they already told me about you¡­"


    So I was the only one who was left out, huh?


    I didn''t really say anything else to her but I gave her two berries I was holding onto. They looked more or less like a typical strawberry with purple dots: hopefully not poisonous.


    Generally, I ate my meals right away but I still used to save at least one or two pieces of fruit if possible. Made me feel safer.


    "Thank you," she said. She sounded enthusiastic. Although it was painful to give up food, it was still satisfying to see someone so happy: kind of. Maybe?


    "Looks like we''ve got company¡­" Jowy said in a loud voice.


    I looked outside and there were at least ten goblins around us led by a massive Hob-goblin. However, these goblins looked greenish-purple and they had knives and clubs.


    I kind of saw this coming when I first saw this type of grass: the tall grass that could very well have reached up to my shin. Brought back unwanted memories. I really wanted to be wrong though.


    "Old man¡­"


    "Sigh* that''s not my name you know¡­"


    The two of us got off the cart and the rest of them stayed back.


    I suppose I didn''t really get to use my new sword¡­


    This situation might not have been all that bad. I had the geezer by my side and Jowy could always back us up. I didn''t feel afraid- not anymore. I most certainly hoped so.. My still shaking hands might have had a different opinion though.

 Chapter 123 - Reunion With The Lovely Purple Things?

    The old man ran towards the hobgoblin while I dealt with the normal ones. My sword was lighter and sharper than what I was used to. And my body felt painless.


    The swings were fast and swift. With every swing, I almost lost my balance and fell to my death. I wasn''t used to this sword at all!


    With an audible tick of his tongue, the old sliced of one of the arms of the hobgoblin. "Pay more attention to where yar standing ya moron!" His shout brought some senses back to me.


    I took deep breaths and corrected my footwork for the lighter sword.


    The ground was mushy and there was grass around. I had to take it all under consideration along with the weight of the sword and the weight of my armor. Why I hadn''t done this beforehand was a mystery to me. The old man was right, I really was a moron.


    I took another deep breath and controlled my breathing. With a calm demeanor, I sliced the goblin that approached me. The sword shimmered and I felt empowered. It cut through the goblin, like butter.


    This sword is amazing¡­.


    It really was. But I was still inexperienced.


    I cut them all, one by one: I was fast and now that I could move better, they didn''t pose much of a threat. I was still afraid of the goblins, even after cleaving every single one of them, my heart wouldn''t stop racing. I couldn''t forget that first day. I couldn''t forget that bite.


    But this time, after all this time, I finally won.


    What about-?


    I turned around. The old man was done too. The hobgoblin was standing on its feet without its head for a second, before blood gushed out and it fell on the ground. That looked quite ominous. This old man definitely was something else. I couldn''t hold a candle to him.


    "Wa-way to go old man¡­" My eyes were twitching.


    How the hell am I supposed to get to his level when I can''t even keep my footwork right?


    "Look out!" He shouted. The old man threw a gust of air towards me before I could react.


    What just happened? I thought so highly of the old man that I''d let my guard down?


    With horror and terror, I turned my head. Sweat poured.


    There was a goblin toddler behind me. That gust of air sliced it through.


    But I- how?


    Upon close inspection, this goblin was much smaller than the regular goblins and it wasn''t wearing anything; it only had a sharp stone in one hand. The poor thing was still alive. It screeched in pain and looked awfully humanoid.


    The old man punctured the goblin''s heart and it died shrieking in pain. "This one might have been a toddler but it was a mage species. These things mature way too fast. If I didn''t kill it, you could have ended up hurt." Regret was painted all over his voice.


    But what about me? How could I let my guard down in the monster territory?


    They say, history repeats itself. Today wasn''t an exception. I didn''t trust anything and I wanted to keep my guard up all the time. But in the end, it was all just talk.


    You have to take this seriously Daarc!


    But I also had something else to deal with first. I remembered the time back in Moire when these small things were sniping us. "Even the small ones are evil, huh?" It wasn''t a question. And I definitely didn''t want an answer.


    "Why would you think they are evil? Because they eat others?" Alisa had apparently come out of the cart and was now standing behind me.


    It was safe now that all the goblins were dead.


    I wasn''t prepared to answer her question though. Till now I never thought of it that way. "What are you saying? They kill innocents and-"


    "Are you sure? Are you sure they aren''t doing this just to survive? Besides, don''t you do the same to live?" Something about her voice was different. Maybe she was scared?


    I didn''t reply. I couldn''t. She didn''t say anything either.


    The old man snorted. "What do you know of goblins, brat!" Just this once, I saw his rage. The calm and careful old man showed off rage. I didn''t even know he had that emotion. "Just to survive?" He snorted again and for the first time ever didn''t laugh it off.


    Neither the old man nor Alisa said another word. Something didn''t feel right. It really didn''t.


    We didn''t cut the ears of the goblins or take their fangs. Rather we buried them here. It was something that the old man insisted. His reasoning, they''d turn undead and it''d take them a long time to crawl out from the ground. Otherwise, they''d just roam freely from just a few days later.


    Upon further, poking around, he told me in secret that goblins eat their dead and even try to mate with the dead. It disgusted me and I hated these things even more.


    "By the way, are they edible?" Brenda asked. Of course, she was referring to the goblins. And boy oh boy, was she dumb to even consider that question.


    The cart moved on.


    "If you want a poisoning. Yes," Jowy answered, as he made the horse go faster. I was glad Jowy answered. I didn''t know what I or the old man might have said.


    However, we did secure the knives and valuables such as coins. Why did the goblins have coins anyway? I surely didn''t know.


    We marched on. The mood felt terrible. Jowy and Brenda didn''t say anything and the old man just looked like he was in a foul mood.


    Alisa and Biteria were basically like rivals though. It was fun to watch them eyeball each other.


    A few hours later we arrived at a massive pond.


    Should I be happy about this? Is fish really worth it?


    I had a lot on my mind and I tried to be as guarded as possible. But the idea of eating fish made me forget about all my other troubles for a moment.


    "Jowy, it would be best if we stopped here for the noon." The old man looked around. There weren''t any monsters or even living things in the area.


    I didn''t see any dead things either.


    "I was just about to suggest that," Jowy added, as nonchalant as ever.


    We stopped by the pond. It was covered in shadows on one side and engulfed by the sun on the other.


    We set camp in the dark side and let the horses rest. Most of the trees here looked like wood trees with no edible fruits. It was a letdown. But the pond seemed to have some fish. I lived on that island for almost two months with the old man, so I learned fishing as a byproduct.


    Maybe I should give it a shot.


    Of course, all I was doing was running away from the harsh reality.

 Chapter 124 - The Horrifying Truth And True Determination: Old Man, You Rock!

    I and the old man made some fishing gear and we waited patiently for the fish to take a bite on the bait.


    Do I even want to eat fish?


    "What did you mean by goblin mages?" I didn''t look at the old man and he didn''t look at me.


    Humans couldn''t really use magic, at least most people couldn''t. And if goblins could, then wouldn''t that make them better than- NO. I didn''t want to think about that.


    Jowy and the others were still setting up the nitty-gritty of the camp. They were far away to not hear our little chatter.


    "Ever wondered why some of them look more like humans?"


    "I once heard a woman scream and then the guys I was with told me things." I didn''t want to think about it, and I didn''t want to remember those thoughts.


    The old man sighed. "It''s as you''d imagine. From your descriptions, I can conclude that your land was peaceful. But it isn''t the same here. People die all the time and some deaths are worse than others. Becoming an undead, or being a slave-" The old man paused. He didn''t want to continue and I didn''t want to hear the rest either. "To the goblins¡­" But he still finished.


    "But even if that was the case, wouldn''t it take a long time for humans to give birth-"


    The old man chuckled loudly. It wasn''t his sarcastic laugh. He was pissed. "Goblins take merry-making seriously boy!" He chuckled some more. "And it takes just four weeks to make a goblin baby." He glared straight at me. "But there are some abnormal goblins. You won''t see them out in the fields. The small ones kidnap women and take them inside their den, where those things are. What''s worse, once a woman experiences that merry from those abnormal things, she is lost forever. Humans, elves, demons- everything." There was pure horror in his voice. "Even if those women were given a knife to slit their throats, they wouldn''t kill the goblins or themselves. Why? Because just one night, and that is it." He was serious. "The abnormal goblins have some sort of curse on them that makes the women their slaves and there''s no way to break it: we call their children the goblin mages and some of these things have the potential to become the abnormal ones. It''s a nasty cycle." It was as if he was living through some horror of his own.


    I couldn''t look into his eyes anymore. "I see." I knew it was bad for women outside the city but this; this was much, much worse than I had ever imagined in the darkest of my dreams. "Can''t we just end them all?" It wasn''t a question.


    And the old man knew it. "Trust me, why do you think I''ve spent all my life being infatuated with mystic weapons?" He chuckled again. This time, out of amusement. "It''s not possible to eradicate their species." His voice went flat.


    I snorted. "To shove it down the prince''s ass?" I tried to make him laugh to alleviate this atmosphere I created. I didn''t like this mood. So I tried to change the subject.


    "Yes and no." His sarcastic laugh was back. "My wife was taken by the goblins Daarc." I don''t know if he''d ever called me by my name or not, but just this once, I felt like we were connected. "They took my wife. I searched and searched and after three months found her. But the abnormal was too strong and I barely made it out alive." He was almost in tears but those eyes were fierce. "I had to kill them all. All three of my half kids and my wife. I tried my best but she couldn''t be saved." He sighed. "DO you know what she said to me before dying?"


    "What?" I managed.


    "Kill our kids and end their misery." The old man pursed his lips and banged his hand on the ground. "Because she knew they''d turn undead. And the mystic blade''s-"


    "What are you two doing? Aren''t you done?" Brenda walked towards us. She probably didn''t hear us.


    The old man cleared his throat and jumped to the pond.


    "What''s wrong with him?" Brenda asked.


    "A lot of things," I said.


    Well, I suppose you really did have your reasons, geezer.


    The old man did eventually get up and sat beside me with a rod again. This time, he didn''t say a word and just looked like his usual self. I didn''t have the guts to ask anything.


    After an hour or so, our patience ran out, or rather, Alisa''s did, as she jumped in the river.


    "What the hell!" I blurted out


    "Relax, there''s no monster in there." The old man assured me but I still wasn''t so assured.


    Did she have a seizure-like the old man or something?


    Before I could come up with a proper reaction, she jumped right back up, with a large catfish.


    "How did you¡­?" I was sitting pretty for an entire hour and I got nothing. The old man didn''t get anything either. And this kid just happened to fetch a catfish out of nowhere?


    "Let''s cook this up," she said, salivating. And the fish was pretty big too, at least bigger than my arm.


    She didn''t answer my question and the rest of the party didn''t really say much about that. We just accepted it, just like that.


    It was hot, even with the shade. And the fire didn''t really help keep the temperature down. I was drowning in my own sweat.


    Hey didn''t I buy a soap?


    I looked in my bag. I had a bar of soap. I''d bought it for fifty copper back in Jelosce. "I''m diving in!" I stood up and struck a pose. I was about to take my first proper shower in three months.


    "What''cha got there boy?"


    I got rid of my armor and shirt. I puffed my chest, showed it to them, and jumped into the pond. I didn''t even wait for their reply.


    The water wasn''t as cold as I hoped but it was definitely better than nothing.


    The soap was decent enough. I hadn''t used one in like ages. My armpits were literally hell holes now, smelling worse than a frigging goblin''s mouth. So this was more than a godsend.


    Soon the old man and Brenda jumped in. The old man I understood but¡­ Brenda?


    She was down to her underwear but I was amazed at how shameless she must have been. Her body was covered in water as it reached up to her neck. "What? Why''re ye staring at me like that?"


    "N-nothing. Didn''t expect you to jump in like that. Aren''t you like-ashamed?" it was more of a request than an actual question.


    "Why? It''s not like I''m naked or anything. Besides I lived with pirates, remember?"


    "But back then, you were a guy, and now you''re a gir-"


    She sighed and cut me off. "Doesn''t matter. You don''t have the guts to try anything anyway. And besides, if anybody tries anything funny¡­" Her grin wasn''t comforting. Here I was trying to make her a little bashful about the situation and she just out of nowhere, insulted my manhood. Moreover, she had actually dived with a knife in hand.


    I dived in and used the soap nonchalantly. It was less effective than I''d hoped but at least I still had something.


    Before using it I had torn it in three pieces and shared with my comrades. I never asked about their hygiene and had no queries regarding them.


    "Old man, didn''t you shower already? You might catch a cold you know." I swam freestyle. It''d been ages since I last had this much enthusiasm for water. I did dive in with my knife too just in case but I didn''t worry about monsters at this moment as there were none inside the pond, at least I hoped so.


    "This soap thing works pretty good. I think I last used this ten years ago!" The old man started to laugh. Yuck!


    Brenda didn''t complain though. But now she did look a bit bashful. "I can''t believe my skin is so soft!" And I couldn''t believe she said that out loud.


    "It''s done," Jowy shouted. He removed his clothing and jumped in his baby suit. We all had at least some screws loose, but Jowy? He definitely had more screws loose than all of us combined.


    "Wh-Why would you come naked?" I glared.


    "I heard Brenda say something like you have to jump in naked and¡­" And he still didn''t get to the realization part. Just how na?ve was he?


    "I think you might have misheard me there." Brenda giggled. It wasn''t a hearing issue. This was a prank set up by Brenda and that was clear. The old man was enjoying himself. He didn''t even look at us anymore. I sighed and was about to head back up when suddenly out of nowhere, Alisa too jumped in- also buck naked.


    This day just keeps getting more and more¡­. I sighed.


    The shower was over and I was clean. I dried my pants. I had one extra so clothes weren''t a problem. And for once I didn''t smell like shit. I too had an enlightened look on my face as I stared at the distant almost afternoon sky.. And I sighed again, this time, out of satisfaction.

 Chapter 125 - Reunion? But Why?

    What the hell are these morons doing? I wondered as I stared at the guys from the top of the pond.


    They were playing in the water. While the old man drifted with the tide, Brenda and Alisa were getting water everywhere. They really knew how to create chaos out of everything. Jowy on the other hand was the black sheep. He couldn''t relax in the middle of it nor could he join the two girls. Poor guy.


    Hope you guys don''t catch a cold.


    But what pissed me off most was Biteria''s betrayal. She was with the two girls but not me. I glared with wrath but couldn''t bring myself to hate the lovely little bunny. Wasn''t she supposed to be my pet?


    Can bunnies swim?


    I was under the impression that rabbits were afraid of water but maybe that was because the sea had those monstrous fish. Biteria was swimming rather well, so I guess I didn''t know all as much about bunnies as I might have thought.


    The food was done and I was hungry, yet they thought playing was the best thing to do in this situation. But then again, I wasn''t really eager to eat fish either.


    It took them half an hour and some verbal straightening from me to come ashore. They all had this annoying grin.


    "Are you okay?" Brenda said.


    "Do I look okay?"


    She left without a word. She had an annoying smirk painted on her face. I had to admit, she did look kind of sexy with all the water dripping off her seamless body. No wonder she had to pretend to be a guy. Who knew what the pirates would have done to her. But that would have only been true if they were real pirates or something. Those guys felt more like knights than actual pirates.


    The last to get up was the old man and the first thing he did, was sneeze. He sneezed for a total of three times and then looked miserable. I kind of wanted to say, I told you so, but pitied him so much, that I didn''t.


    They got dressed and our long awaited lunch finally started. I was offered a bowl and a spoon along with the soup.


    I bet this''ll taste no better than the stuff I ate all these months.


    I ate so much fish in the last three months that just seeing fish was enough to trigger memories and my innate desire to not go near the fish.


    But my stomach grumbled at the aroma. The smell wasn''t bad but the texture seemed kind of gooey and I didn''t like it. But it all changed when I took a sip of the soup.


    Hey, this isn''t bad¡­


    "Who made this?" To my surprise, it did taste pretty good.


    "I did," Alisa raised her hand like a little kid and puffed her chest... "With some help from Jowy!"


    Then again she was a little brat to begin with. I remember seeing Jowy cook and Alisa play around. But considering she was just a child, what she said wasn''t a total lie.


    "Well done." I didn''t want to say it but I had to. The rest of them looked at me with wonder and a smirk. Had I really said something that wondrous?


    It tasted good, so the meal ended pretty fast without any remarks from anybody. The food was good and that was it.


    After finishing the meal we packed up and left. The catfish was pretty big, so half of it was smoked and kept as future food. I still didn''t want to eat fish but maybe this wasn''t so bad.


    "I think there was a village not far from here. I forgot its name though." the old man held his head in his hands and pondered.


    "Really? I suppose we''ll have a wonderful time." I said something stupid. It wasn''t like me at all but honestly, I wanted to escape all the damn troubles and rest on a proper bed.


    "Let''s hope it''s not annihilated."


    Yeah me too. I want to really lie down on a proper bed for once.


    Jowy gathered up the things and sorted our cooking ware. "It is very close to the sacred forest after all."


    "Sacred forest?" Suddenly my memory jogged.


    Jowy glanced at me. "You''ve heard of it?"


    "I think I have. That was the forest I-" Wait just a minute¡­. It can''t be¡­ but this scene seems familiar too. It can''t be¡­


    "What''s wrong, Daarc? You look pale¡­" Alisa came close to me and pulled my sleeve. It made me come back to earth. I must have been flying too damn high.


    "N-nothing. Let''s just hope it''s not the village I think it is." I really hoped it wasn''t the same village.


    They stared at me for a few seconds and we moved on.


    It was getting darker. It wasn''t evening yet but I could tell that it wasn''t all that far. Our clothes were hanging from the side of the cart. They''d probably dry by morning.


    As for the village, we would arrive later this evening. So we ¨C or rather I had time to ask questions. "Just for reference, how far is Moire from here?"


    "Hmm not that far. I''d say it''s about a five-day journey from where we are but if and only if we travel through an ominous mountain. And I tell ya, it''s not worth it." The old man chuckled. "As for the detour, it''d take about two weeks at the least. Why feeling Moire sick?" He grinned sarcastically.


    What the hell is a Moire sick?


    "No, not really." It was as though all the blood drained from my face. It wasn''t impossible but I never thought this would happen either.


    So it must be that village¡­


    I gulped and prepared myself beforehand.


    As the sun came crashing down, the environment around us filled with a familiar scent: a scent I hated with all my being. All my fears came true one by one, just like that.


    As predicted, we arrived at the village just after evening.


    Damn it!


    It was Dune''s village. The same village I''d forsaken. It was also the village that had fallen to ruin because of me. I felt immense guilt as I approached the village: I didn''t want to get in. Who knew what would happen this time¡­.


    "Let''s go." Jowy led the way.


    I really didn''t want to go, but I couldn''t just ask them to stay outside the village within the undead territory either.


    When we reached the gate we were greeted by Samel. He didn''t question us more than necessary. Once finished we were permitted to enter the village.


    "It''s good to see you again Daarc. And thanks." As we entered Samel whispered and went back up the wall.


    My heart tightened and it was hard to breathe.


    Thanks?


    How would I face her?


    I had a lot of questions but no apparent answers.


    "Are you okay boy? You''ve been awfully quiet since the afternoon," the old man said.


    "I-I''m fine."


    "Well you don''t look fine," Brenda said.


    "Leave me alone. Let''s just go find a place to stay," I said. I wasn''t fine and I couldn''t hide it.


    The village was lit up as usual. There were seven guards on top of the wall. Their condition must have improved since last time.


    I wonder how the village is holding up.


    There were a lot fewer people out, so I guess it wasn''t that great.


    We went on ahead and searched for a place to stay. Some villagers recognized me. They only had well wishes for me. They even arranged my stay in an abandoned house: as no one lived there, it was rent-free for the night too. Guilt welled up and kept on strangling me more and more. It hurt.


    It was an old house in a corner of the village, close to the wall. I couldn''t bear to talk to any of the villagers, so greetings was all I was capable of.


    It was as though my body went colder and colder by the minute and every cell of my body screamed in agony. I didn''t want to be here.. I didn''t want to bring another calamity to this place.

 Chapter 126 - The Village: A Night To Remember

    I was sitting on a chair inside the house while the old man went out. I just watched the fire burn below the chimney.


    I wonder how long that''ll last. How long do I have to suffer? How long do people have to suffer because of me?


    "Daarc, are you okay?" Alisa came closer to me and just stood there.


    "Yeah, I''m fine."


    She didn''t say anything. She just stood there. She seemed a bit too concerned about me today. What was she up to?


    Time passed and I tried to break the awkward silence. "I wonder when he''s coming back."


    "Worried about me are we?" The old man announced his presence with his sarcastic laugh and came in. Was he standing behind the door all this time? Probably not.


    He had a bag full of stuff. Probably groceries. Jowy and Brenda were busy in the kitchen. So the old man took those bags there. Honestly, if I wasn''t wrong this whole setup seemed kind of family-ish.


    However, the whole village thing was still weighing down on me. I didn''t meet Milai or visited Dune''s grave. I didn''t have the courage anymore. And I didn''t have the courage to see what became of the village either.


    "But that reminds me kid. This village doesn''t happen to be that one, right?" The old chose his words carefully. He must have had his suspicions.


    My lips didn''t move. I couldn''t say anything. I didn''t have anything to say, anyway. He must have picked it up from how I''ve been acting or he could have also surmised it from how the people were treating me. I guess it was stupid of me to assume he wouldn''t find out.


    Seeing my silence, he changed the subject. "Anyway, let''s get something to eat." But just this once, I really respected the old man, for not going there.


    Food was done and we ate. I ate but didn''t really taste anything. It was like I was eating nothing but mush. Even the pirate''s coco-rice was better than this. I couldn''t feel anything: nothing.


    Maybe I should take a walk.


    The idea of going out scared me. But staying indoors and rotting scared me more. "I''m going to get some air."


    "At this time of night?" Brenda said.


    The old man smiled. "Sure. Go get some air."


    "Yeah."


    None of the others said anything. Maybe they all picked up that something was wrong with me. But I was glad they kept quiet.


    I went out. It wasn''t midnight yet. The walls were lit up rather nicely. They must have really worked hard. Some people were still out. The village used to have an open bazaar two days a week. Today was a day of the bazaar as well. So some people were still shopping. The numbers were really low, though.


    There were a lot less people in the village: maybe two-tenth of the original. I didn''t see any elderly. And most of the kids were gone too. All because of me. But I had no choice.


    Damn it!


    I wanted to check the village with my own eyes. But, it still stung my heart to walk this road, this very same road.


    I went close to the wall. Someone on top saw me and I waited for him.


    "I didn''t think you''d come back." It was Samel. He must have seen me coming to the wall. He helped me get up.


    "Me either. How is it?" I tried to be cool. I wouldn''t blame them if they blamed me.


    "Lately it''s been a little quiet. There aren''t any raids at night and honestly, it doesn''t even feel like the stuff that happened just a few months ago was even real." He didn''t harbor any grudge for me. It made me feel guiltier.


    "I see. But I''m glad you guys got on your feet." I wanted to cry but held back the tears. Since when did I get this weak?


    "Yeah."


    Our conversation ended and I walked around. I knew four of the guards and the rest knew me. It was a little awkward for them to know me but for me to not know them but eventually we just talked and laughed.


    After a while, I got down and the pain from before eased up a little. But I didn''t forget even for a moment, that all this trouble happened because of me. But the moment I got down, Samel and the others stood above the wall and shouted in unison. "Thanks for saving the village Daarc!"


    I had no idea what they were talking about, but I didn''t complain either. Instead, I just waved. The guilt was back again.


    I guess I should visit him at least.


    I didn''t have the courage to face Milai. But I wanted to visit at least Dune and Sheila. After all, it really had been a long time.


    I made my way to the church and carefully examined the surroundings. The church was lit but I didn''t see people inside. And the last I remembered, Milai always used to be home before sunset to see me and Dune-


    My thoughts went blank for a moment. A faint smile crept on my lips.


    Those were good times.


    There were definitely more graves than the last time I came here. It was a little chilly and every hair in my body stood up.


    I haven''t had a cold since coming to this world, have I?


    It was weird but I never actually had any illness or disease since I came to this world. Maybe that was because of the curse as well. Or it could have been because of all the vaccines I took back at home. I didn''t know.


    The old man kept sneezing after climbing up from the pond though. So there was a chance he might have caught something. After all, he was the one who stayed in the water for the longest of time. Not to mention he showered twice. And maybe I caught something from him?


    I walked up to Dune''s and Sheila''s graves.


    I suppose I should have seen this coming.


    There were two new graves just next to them. I didn''t need to read the inscription to know who they were. I had at least some common sense.


    So this is what happened¡­


    "Forgive me Dune. I failed you again." Lamenting would get me nowhere. But I didn''t really have anything better to do. What else could I have done, cry?


    "Daarc?"


    I heard a distant but familiar voice and looked back. It was Milai. "I heard you were back. I kind of hope- thought you''d be here."


    She didn''t look sad. She had her gentle smile on. She was acting tough. She was the last person I wanted to meet.. After all, seeing me would only bring back all the horrible memories of her life.

 Chapter 127 - Milai And Tears

    "Hi. Long time no see." I faked a smile.


    So you came searching for me¡­


    "Yeah, it''s been a while." She was hiding it, but the sadness in her voice wasn''t fully concealed. It couldn''t have been. "What are you doing here? Have you found what you were looking for?"


    That was a very good question indeed. I never told her about me not being from this world. And I didn''t intend to either. Maybe she still thought I was searching around to find out who I was?


    "I''m with some people now. We''re travelling to Alfheim. Maybe some of my questions would get answered there." I tried to be honest, but even that hurt.


    "I see. I''m glad you found someone to rely on. Where are you staying?"


    I told her about the house. She smiled. She was only a step away from me.


    She''s lost weight?


    She''d been thinner than I''d last met her.


    "How''re you holding up?" I asked. Maybe it wasn''t the best question, maybe I wasn''t the best person to ask the question, and maybe I was just hurting her more. But I had to know.


    "It''s a little lonely, but I''m okay. I still have my aunt¡­" She looked away at the last moment and her voice trailed off. Her aunt was probably the last of her family.


    "I''m really sorry. I''m sorry for everything¡­ it''s ¡­it was all¡­. Sorry¡­" I couldn''t.


    "Don''t be. In fact I''m glad you were here. At least I had some hope¡­" she clenched her hand on her chest. "It was really good to see you. I have to go now¡­"


    "Yeah." That was all I say. I mustered up my strength to smile. I could have said something like, "They died because of me." or, "I''m the reason all of this happened." That would have eased my pain and some of the burdens. But it would have also screwed the person in front of me. She was barely holding in her tears. If I''d said something like that, then she would have just broken down. And besides, I couldn''t bring myself to say something like that either. Call me selfish, but I just couldn''t. I didn''t want her to hate me.


    Milai had left and I stood by the graves for who knows how long.


    When I came back to the house, everyone was asleep. But the old man was sitting on the table, looking all pretty. He was sipping some liquid. Probably booze.


    "Well, somebody looks wasted."


    The old man chuckled. "Yeah, well, somebody made me remember all sorts of shit today."


    He was referring to me, so I couldn''t just stay silent either. "So you got your butt handed to you by a goblin?" I made it sound as sarcastic as I could. But I was just rubbing it into him, so he would get mad me instead of thinking too much about the past. I at least owed him that much.


    "I did kill him a year later, but yeah." He burst out laughing. I did not expect that. "But yeah, I was young back then." He laughed some more. "But boy, if ya ever come across a goblin that is as tall as you and looks skinny like the little ones, I''d suggest killing it on spot, even if ya have to sacrifice an arm or two." He was serious, if only for a second.


    I had no idea how much age this geezer had under his belt. I still didn''t like his laugh though. But I nodded. This particular goblin, the one that could only be found in the deepest nests of the goblins, I didn''t want to come near it but if I ever did, I''d be sure to kill it. For the old man''s sake.


    "You two." Brenda came out, yawning. "I''m tryin to get some shut eye! So shut yer traps!" She almost sounded like the late captain.


    The old man and I exchanged glances and called it quits for now with a little laugh.


    The next morning came swiftly and we spent half of the day here. I took another walk in the morning. I walked around and talked with the villagers: I still felt pained, but I tried my best in spite of it.


    Most of the infected had died but some of them survived. After I came back from the forest, only few got infected. And after some time a priest came from the capital and apparently the priest made sure to spread my good name. I really didn''t know what to feel about that.


    So the villagers had nothing but praise for me. Those praises only made me feel more guilt. But one thing was for certain, I had to thank Beatrine, whether I liked it or not. She made this possible without even batting an eye about it. If she hadn''t sent the priest then maybe more have died.


    I came back from the walk and we prepared for our departure.


    "So that thorny forest you were talking about¡­" I began.


    "Yup that''s the one. Acchoo!" The old man sneezed.


    "But I didn''t see any thorns there¡­." Although I hated that forest from the bottom of my heart I never saw anything like a thorn. If it was there, I most definitely would have known.


    "That''s because you never went inside the actual forest. The one you went is called sacred. That''s a different forest. And the one we''re going to venture into is a lot further in. But there''s vast grassland between the two. So basically-"


    "Yeah, yeah I get it. Let''s move on." So basically, I didn''t want to think about it, no sir.


    The sun was up high but we still hadn''t been on the road. It was because of someone''s stupid cold. Namely, the old man''s. Damn geezer finally caught a cold and it was no joke. My worries were right on the mark. What''s worse he also refused to go to the church. And according to him potions only worked on injuries but not illnesses. For the first time, this whole thing made my head ache.


    His nose was running and he might even have a slight fever. This world didn''t have any medicine for fever and so he was just chewing on some herbs instead: in his own words ''herbs save life''. I didn''t know how effective that was, but he seemed much better than morning. And so we left late.


    The villagers waved us out. It wasn''t a pleasant feeling. After all, I was the sole reason for their suffering, and yet¡­


    The old man rubbed his nose. "Are you sure this was alright?"


    "Yeah."


    I hadn''t told Milai I''d be leaving today. It was better that I didn''t talk to her. In fact, she might have not wanted to talk to me either.


    But then there was a scream. There was a scream from a voice I really didn''t expect to hear again. "Farewell Daarc! I really hope you find what you''re looking for!"


    I looked back and it was Milai. She was waving by the gates. Honestly, I couldn''t really believe it. Just how ironic must my fate be? I waved back with tears in my eyes.. I couldn''t suppress them: not anymore.

 Chapter 128 - They Do Say, Third Time’s A Charm

    The grass was large and there were monsters everywhere but it didn''t stop us even for a second.


    Eventually, we passed the grasslands and neared the sacred forest: no purple thingies this time. But all my fears came alive when I saw those damn black, thick trees.


    The forest was thick and we''d have to go on foot from here on out. Which meant our troubles only increased more and more. The horses were set free as they would only slow us down. Hopefully, they won''t get eaten.


    "You okay?" Brenda said.


    "Ye-yeah." I couldn''t control my nerves. I''d been here three times already and yet I still found it nerve-wrecking. "What about the cart?" I asked the old man.


    "They''re properly trained. They''d go back to that village. And I''m pretty sure the villagers already knew that. And that''s why they also gave us such nice service." The old man chuckled. He and his theories! Yeesh!


    It did make sense though. But I still wanted to believe that the villagers were helping out through the goodness of their hearts.


    Something was odd about the forest though. I couldn''t see any undead nearby: none were here, to be more accurate. "Something isn''t right. Last time there was plenty of undead even during the day¡­" Of course at the time, the undead couldn''t see me but they were still roaming inside the forest.


    "Yeah, better stay on your toes." The old tried to be vigilant and look cool, but it all got ruined the moment he started to sneeze.


    With a lot of courage, I entered the forest. When I first left here that day, I never thought I''d be coming back. But here I was, for the third time, taking a stroll in a forest of death. It really was an irony.


    I had to tie some cloth on my face but the stench wasn''t as prominent as last time. Something was really wrong with this forest.


    We moved ahead and reached Misrael''s statue or where it should have been.


    "It''s gone! She was here! And-"


    Jowy shook me. "Calm down!"


    I took deep breaths and tried to regain my composure. But it was impossible. The rancid air and this sudden surprise were enough to stir me up pretty bad. "There was an angel here. She was the one-" I couldn''t think straight.


    "An angel?" Alisa pondered.


    We didn''t have time to explain things to her.


    "But if the angel isn''t here, then how come there ain''t any undead?" The old man was right. There wasn''t even a spec of the undead or the statue. In fact, unlike Sisrael, this one wasn''t in pieces; rather it wasn''t here at all.


    Something just wasn''t right. Was it possible to steal the statue of an angel?


    Jowy stood erect and inspected the surroundings. "Anyway, we have to move. We have to get out of the forest before night. There aren''t any undead, but we shouldn''t take any risks." He was right. We had better things to worry about.


    "Yeah."


    I grinded my teeth and cursed fate. There wasn''t anything I could do. I''d promised Misrael I''d free her one day and yet¡­ I couldn''t even keep one promise. Just how much of a failure was I?


    There weren''t any undead but the smell was as bad as ever. At one point Alisa threw up. Poor kid. I felt bad for her. Jowy carried her like a potato bag. She probably would have liked to be carried like a princess, but her fate wasn''t so nice.


    "Almost makes me feel bad about her," Brenda said under her breath.


    I heard that but didn''t really feel like replying.


    The dense forest thinned out and after a few hours of ruthless walking, and ruining our lungs we got out. We''d passed the spot where I first awoke in this world. But I just pressed on nonchalantly without worries. I wasn''t the same guy and I wasn''t alone either: at least that''s what I came up with to console myself. The goblins might have known that as well as there wasn''t even a single one of them today. Nothing: no hobgoblins, no normal purple ones, and even no undead ones.


    Just as the old man said there was an even bigger forest just ahead of the sacred forest. And it really was covered in thorns. Behind us was the sacred forest and ahead was the forest of thorns. In the middle, a small grass field, probably half a kilometer in length. We were sandwiched in between. It was already afternoon. The sunset made my anxiety skyrocket. The same was true for all of us.


    The grass was big and sharp. We could have cut ourselves if we weren''t careful. The old man coughed and sneezed more and more as the sun went out. It wasn''t comforting, since he was our lifeline.


    "I think it would be better to camp here." Jowy took the lead.


    We had reached the outskirts of the forest. Believe me or not, I didn''t want to be here. But there wasn''t anything we could do about it.


    I still tried anyway. "Couldn''t we set camp a little further back?"


    "It wouldn''t matter. You should know that the undead roams everywhere at night, so it would really be pointless," Jowy said. He was frank but precise.


    I sighed. There was no helping it.


    We set camp before the evening and made a large fire. Shivers ran down my spine as the very thought of spending a night in front of two forests crossed my mind.


    Would we really be alright?


    Eventually, darkness knocked at our door and night befell us. There were all sorts of noises coming from all around us. The faint groans that came from the forest were the most worrisome among all of them. However, we kept on the lookout for goblins and other possible dangers as well. But I still couldn''t see a single red dot in the darkness.


    What happened to the undead?


    It wasn''t like I was worried about those damn things or anything, but their absence was both a blessing and a curse.

 Chapter 129 - A Lion And A Gator? Lion-gator?

    The smoked catfish was grilled instead of made into a soup. It was decent- at least edible. But eating was the least of our concerns, in this foul-smelling place.


    Purr! Biteria was purring as she slept. She had her fill and looked too cute. She was on Brenda''s lap. My jealousy level spiraled up. Come to think of it, I''d actually forgotten about her all day thanks to my lovely thoughts of this lovely forest.


    I finished and kept the first watch. The environment was soothing. But whenever the wind blew, faint smell of rot and blood made its way into my nose. I was constantly reminded of where we were. It wasn''t good for my heart or for my lungs. But then again, was anything about these two forests good?


    The sky shimmered and there weren''t any clouds but something about this place made me very skeptical. The last time I came here, it was filled with undead even though Misrael was here. However, now that she was gone, there wasn''t a way to keep the undead here. They could have easily invaded the village, but there weren''t any signs of that either. In fact, there was not a single undead even at night.


    What is going on here?


    Around midnight the old man woke up and my shift ended. Nothing had happened till then. This only made me more suspicious.


    "Take some rest, I''ll take it from here," he said.


    "Thanks but, I think we should be extra careful. Something isn''t right about this place."


    "Yeah, I feel it too." He sneezed and wiped his nose. Maybe it would have been better to wake up Jowy instead.


    "You sure, you okay?" I asked, still skeptical.


    He chuckled. "Who do you think you''re talking to?"


    "A geezer?"


    He chuckled harder and went a little ahead. "But doesn''t that just make you a brat?"


    I went to sleep. I couldn''t care less about that geezer: he was good enough on his own.


    The three ladies were sleeping right next to Jowy. I lied down as well. As I closed my eyes I instantly fell asleep.


    ***


    "Who''s there?" It was the same voice. The same darkness.


    This time the dripping sound was much clearer.


    I tried the same maneuvers and just like last time, I didn''t have a body either. Was my consciousness floating around?


    "Someone- Anyone¡­." The voice was sad. I felt it in the air. Maybe there was no air, but even so, I felt it. I felt her sadness pouring inside me, her pain tearing me apart. "Save me?" The voice was barely a whisper.


    I didn''t know the girl. I didn''t know what this place was. But strangely, I felt something. I felt like I''d been here before. I felt like I''d heard that voice before. More importantly, it felt like I knew her.


    "I will," I said. Of course, I wasn''t going to help random strangers who''d kidnap my soul and asked for help, but strangely, this felt too real to be a dream. And she felt too familiar to leave alone.


    "Then I shall wait for you¡­. my savior." The voice faded.


    ***


    ROARRR!


    I woke up hearing a loud roar. Jowy and the others woke up too. My head ached and I felt groggy but I had a crisis to deal with.


    "What was that," Alisa said. Her long ears twitched and she wore an expression that instilled fear in me as well. "Som-something is coming¡­"


    "I don''t know, but whatever it was, it wasn''t good," Jowy said.


    The old man came running. "You guys awake?"


    "Yeah," Brenda said. "I''m awake now."


    "This ain''t good, I was taking a leak and-"


    Why does everything always happen when you guys take leaks?


    It wasn''t comforting to know that. Was taking leaks prohibited by the gods or something? Every single time? This couldn''t be a coincidence! Maybe we should have made a rule about when and where to take leaks.


    "Old man, what is that-" I couldn''t finish.


    There was something behind the old man.


    It was on four legs and had dark red, glowing eyes. And probably the biggest damn thing I''d seen all day, towering over even the largest of trees in the forest.


    "That is what I was getting at." The old man turned around and prepared his normal sword. But his sweats were glistening even in the dead of night, under the stars.


    The monster had two heads. One of a lion and the other, an alligator.


    "I don''t like the looks of that thing¡­" Brenda said.


    Sweat poured down my forehead and my legs cramped up. I couldn''t breathe for a second. I couldn''t tell if it was my blood that went cold or just our surroundings. But it was definitely freezing. "Looks should be the least of our concerns."


    I ran towards the old man and prepared for a fight. Jowy and Brenda positioned themselves behind us. Alisa was quivering behind them.


    "Think we should run?" The old man hissed.


    "Yeah, I''ve been thinking about that since the moment I laid my eyes on that thing... But, is that even possible at this point¡­ " Brenda hissed back.


    If the old man was considering retreat, I couldn''t even imagine what this thing was capable of. At the very least it looked as strong as the undead we fought back in the island where I got my sword, if not stronger.


    "Daarc, this isn''t something we should mess with. I think we should retreat for now." Joey whispered. He was far away and yet his voice reached me.


    If we all shared the same sentiment that there was no arguing over it.


    The old man was hesitant to fight too. Seeing him covered in sweat raised my blood pressure. Even I could feel the immense threat the monster posed. But strangely it didn''t seem like an undead or a typical monster. Something was different and although the monster stood far from us, it didn''t roar or charge. As if, it was checking us.


    "No!" Suddenly there was a scream; it was Alisa. Her face was pale and she shivered as she twitched.


    "Don''t be afraid. We are all here." Brenda comforted her.


    "But that''s¡­"


    I couldn''t relate if she had memories concerning lions or was it that she was just afraid of them.


    But this was the moment when the monster changed gears and started to groan. It was going to attack us and running away at this point, didn''t seem all that practical.


    "Old man."


    "Yeah."


    With my signal, he brought out the mystic blade and I bought out my sword. I rechecked my knife so that I could draw it in an instant if necessary. Although I was nervous about this monster, having the old man was reassuring.. Besides, I was actually not critically injured for once.

 Chapter 130 - Let There Be Rage

    The monster was circling us and we were left there to wait for it to attack. It was nerve wrecking. But there wasn''t any other way. We didn''t attack first as we were still thinking of ways to escape. It did seem like there was no escape, but that didn''t stop us from searching for one.


    Could it be, this monster¡­?


    "You there, you can understand me, can''t you?" I tested my luck. The others were looking at me with bitter eyes as though I was an idiot or something. I probably was one, so I couldn''t blame them.


    It wasn''t a sudden outburst. I''d thought this through and made a logical decision. It might have seemed pretty illogical though.


    There wasn''t any answer from the Lion-gator thingy, at least that''s what it looked like. "You are the one who killed all the undead here, correct?" I continued.


    Again there was no reply.


    The old man kept an eye on the thing and whispered. "You sure you want to do this?"


    "We wouldn''t know until we tried right?"


    It kept circling us and after a few more minutes roared. My eardrums almost burst. There wasn''t any way we could outrun it, out in the open. And, considering we didn''t have any horses, negotiations were all we could afford. If that fell apart, there wasn''t any other way but to attack. Basically, we were screwed.


    "Looks like we won''t get the privilege of escaping nor talking our way out of this," I cursed under my breath.


    The old man looked around, searching for a way we could escape. "Yeah, this is bad. I thought we could escape, but given that thing''s figure, it''d rip us apart, the moment we decide to turn."


    "I''m trying to talk to you, you oversized cat-lizard!" I screamed.


    It stopped, looked at me and my blood froze. If it wasn''t mad before, it surely was now. It roared again. "YOU DARE OPPOSE ME AND GET IN MY WAY! YOU DARE CONVERSE ME! YOU MERE MORTAL!!"


    Its voice was similar to that of Trerortra but filled with malice and anger. Only the lion head spoke. The alligator''s one only glared at me. But that was enough to convey that it, in fact was a higher being. After all it called me a mere mortal.


    "Yes, we get the dare part, can we talk now?"


    "Daarc, try not to piss him off too much." The old man went towards Brenda and the others. He understood what I was going to do.


    "IT WOULD SEEM YOU CAN COMPREHEND US ¡­ BUT¡­ WE SHALL HAVE NO WORDS WITH THE LIKES OF YOU. YOU CARRY A FRAGMENT OF THAT WRETCHED SNAKE IN YOU. THUS, YOU SHALL PERISH BEFORE OUR EYES AND WE SHALL CLAIM IT AS OUR OWN!"


    "So basically, you took her soul fragment. You killed her? You killed Misrael?" My voice came out placidly. I didn''t show any emotion. More like I was too shocked to show any. Of course, it was a baseless accusation but it seemed very plausible.


    I didn''t know what he talked about but he probably meant something about me coming in contact with Trerortra and getting his help. However, that would mean, this monster in front of was probably a God and he was the reason behind the statue''s disappearance. Meaning, my hypothesis was no longer a hypothesis but an actual fact.


    "DOES IT MATTER?"


    "Yes, it does!" My rage took the best of me. It boiled from the moment I saw Misrael''s statue disappear. And now like a volcano, it erupted.


    "THE DEAD NOT NEED ANSWERS. I SHALL SEE TO YOUR DEMISE!"


    "Aren''t you supposed to be a God? How could you!" It was just a theory but this monster could have been a former God: it had to be one. If so, then we could have come to a resolution. Even if I was angry I still needed to act calm. I hated it.


    "A GOD!" It laughed in a wicked way. "I''VE BEEN BETRAYED BY MY OWN KIND AND YOU''RE KIN. WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW! I AM¡­ NO GOD¡­"


    There was no reasoning with this thing. It wasn''t like Trerortra who still had some sense of will left. This thing was nothing more than a husk.


    "I have been betrayed as well! Even Trerortra''s been betrayed! Try to think this through!" I still tried to reason with him. Being overcome with anger would only result in further misfortune. And besides, this thing was supposed to be a God. If I didn''t play my cards right, we''d have a lot more trouble than we could chew.


    "DON''T YOU DARE UTTER THAT SNAKE''S NAME IN MY PRESENCE!?"


    In that moment its roars literally made me bleed from my nose and ears. Alisa screamed unrealistically before fainting.


    "Looks like negotiation''s failed huh?" The old man, grit his teeth and wiped the blood of his nose.


    "More or less."


    The monster made a cat-like pose and the very next second jumped. It attacked us with great speed. I couldn''t even follow it with my eyes. But my body retaliated and blocked its claws. The lion''s paws were heavy. The alligator-like head suddenly grew long and tried to bite me. The damn thing was already twice as tall as me and yet it could grow even more. This thing was big. This thing was trouble.


    I moved a few steps back; it was an involuntary response.


    Jowy shot some arrows but the monster evaded them and moved back. It was agile, and strong. Two things which made me shiver with doubt, and the fight exponentially tougher.


    Are we really capable of going against that thing?


    "We can''t move recklessly Daarc. That right there might be a legendary monster." Was Jowy a little slow on the uptake?


    "I think you''re a little wrong Jowy. This thing ain''t just any monster. It''s a grand one." I didn''t have time to be sarcastic, but that sure didn''t stop me.


    "Damn it!"


    "This isn''t the time for that talk!" Brenda shrieked.


    Jowy kept firing but the monster kept on dodging. The few arrows that reached it were bitten through by the alligator head. That thing was really troublesome, catching and devouring arrows like it did. But really, biting through arrows?


    There was fresh blood on its paws and when I looked at my hand, I was bleeding; it was my left hand, obviously. I didn''t even notice that my hand was hot: at least it was still attached.


    When did it¡­?


    I started to use Imbuition in full force immediately. Before my blade had a faint shine but now it was clearly visible as I channeled more of my mana.


    Old man did the same and he also launched some gusts. But the lion''s skin was too durable. It was merely scratched. The mystic blade shined with brilliance and when the old man covered the sword in his magic it looked like a hurricane had just started to circle the sword. If that didn''t work, nothing would.


    The monster was still waiting to strike. It repeated the same process of attack twice on the old man: But with the protection of wind, he was barely able to block and evade the monster. The old man, however, succeeded in striking one of its paws and ripping off three claws, making it weaker. With one strike from the mystic blade, the monster bled and glared at us furiously.


    Way to go geezer!


    Its bright red eyes glinted with intimidating anger. "THAT SWORD!!!"


    But then it realized that the two of us were the front-line fighters and jumped above us.


    "Oh no! Look out!"


    I ran with all my might but it reached Brenda first. But I was forgetting that Brenda was a veteran warrior and a pirate. She wouldn''t go down that easily- I consoled myself with that as I dashed.


    She used her knives like a skilled warrior and sliced the lion instead; it happened in an instant but the lion retaliated. Her knives broke down and she fell on the ground; Biteria jumped in front of the lion and stared the lion-gator down as it quivered. The lion was just too fast and it literally squished her beneath its feet. There was a splash of blood and my body stopped. But the lion didn''t.


    My mind went blank and I snapped. I screamed as loud as I could and charged like a maniac.


    They were my friends!


    Jowy''s arrows didn''t even reach the monster; it shifted its gaze to Alisa''s unconscious body. Before it could even move from the spot the old man reached the monster and blocked its claws.


    Its back was open. I shoved my sword from the back of the lion and I screamed, "Damn it! YOU PIECE OF FILTH! DIE!"


    I didn''t care if it was a God or whatever.


    I didn''t even consider them my friends and I didn''t want them to join my journey. But before I knew it, my heart had changed. I had changed. And now they were lying on the ground drenched in blood. It only made my heart beat faster and my blood boil hotter.


    My hands were freezing but my heart burned. They were my friends!


    This thing hurt my friends and now it had to die. That was it. I lost my sense. I went berserk.. I couldn''t help it.

 Chapter 131 - Let There Be Even More Rage

    It roared in agony and turned around. I lost my sanity and kept shoving my sword with one hand and brought out my knife with the other: neither did anything more than just grazes but at least I was doing damage.


    I didn''t care about my wounds. They weren''t a priority anymore. I laced myself on top of it and started skinning it as it jumped back and forth like a mad ox; its claws were sharp and half of my body was torn, but I was enraged beyond reason.


    I was bleeding and my whole body was in serious pain, I couldn''t breathe, I couldn''t even think and I didn''t care. Unforgivable! I''ll kill you!


    The other head was murmuring something and within a manner of seconds, a giant ball of ice descended from the sky and almost fell on me.


    "Look out boy!"


    I would have been pierced through if I hadn''t jumped at the last moment. But the ice didn''t do much damage to the monster. It might have had resistance to ice.


    It didn''t even occur to me that the thing was already dead, to begin with. After Trerortra had killed the gods, they became monsters like this. No wonder ice wasn''t as effective as fire.


    "VERY WELL HUMANS! YOU SHALL REGRET!" Winds surged beneath its feet.


    "Holy shit!" the old man screamed. He quickly threw wind blades and screamed again. "Get the hell out of there!"


    Jowy fired arrows one after the other, dressed in flames but they didn''t reach the monster. The fires were extinguished before even getting close.


    But I couldn''t move. If I could, I''d have done that already. The lion clawed me so hard, that I couldn''t feel my legs anymore.


    The winds rose up and up and when it fully encompassed the monster, its eyes glowed a bright red. Brighter than before. "BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU GET TO DIE AN HONORABLE DEATH!"


    What''s so honorable about dying?


    I couldn''t move. There was no escaping from it. So I had to accept it. "Sorry guys, looks like I won''t be able to travel with you anymore."


    I had regrets. Loads of them. But maybe the worst was that I got someone else dragged into this.


    The winds formed hundreds of translucent spears and slowly glided towards me. When all the arrows pointed at me, the monster said two words. "Farewell, wanderer." Those felt different than the words it spoke. Till now its words were masculine and full of malice. But these two words were feminine and left a different tone in my mind. It calmed me down before my inevitable death: the words came out of the gator.


    I closed my eyes. I suppose this is really it.


    Death, a thing I longed for, in my younger days. When Alicia passed away, I got frustrated every time someone talked to me or someone tried to correct me: whenever someone consoled me. Frustration turned to despair and before I knew it, I was alone in my room, fantasizing about my own death and how fun the afterlife would be.


    It really was an irony when I first came to this world. My long wish of being transmigrated and death were both answered in a swift motion. But then I realized: I wanted to live.


    It really was an irony.


    "Don''t just sit there ye moron!"


    "HUH?"


    It happened in an instant. But before any of the spears could reach me, a girl stood between. She was impaled, pierced, slashed but she didn''t move an inch. She just stood there, hugging me. She just stood there, covered in blood from head to toe. She saved me.


    Tears welled up in my eyes as I understood what just happened. "Why?"


    "Would you b-believe if I told y-ye that, my body mo-ved on its own?" Brenda tried to smile but lost consciousness and started falling. I caught her just before and gently laid her down.


    My sword was on the ground. I picked it up and started walking. It didn''t matter if my leg didn''t want to move. I''d just have to cut it and crawl if I had to. But they moved.


    ''This is my last light wanderer,'' I heard a faint voice but I ignored it.


    My body became rather light as though it knew what I wanted to do. I glowed in faint light. I didn''t know what it was, but it made me feel calm. However, my rage wasn''t so shallow.


    There were spears coming in my direction. I didn''t dodge but they only grazed my body. Not one reached me. As though they were missing their mark on purpose.


    "WHAT IS THIS! WHAT ARE YOU?"


    "You have no right to ask that!" My face twisted in anger and I didn''t know what to do anymore. My whole body trembled.


    I got to arm''s length''s distance from the monster in a matter of few seconds: I was fast. I shoved my sword at the center of the monster''s heart. I thought it''d be the chest. It probably was, as it groaned in agony. My knife was in my other hand. I used the knife to slice open its stomach. It screamed even louder. The screech made my ears bleed but I didn''t care. All I wanted was to kill the thing in front of me.


    Jowy was firing arrows the entire time and the old man was checking Brenda and the puddle of blood that was supposed to be Biteria.


    The lion was screamed and tore my flesh and that went on for some time. But it didn''t stop me from skinning it alive.


    Jowy''s arrows finally lit it on fire and the monster burned, unable to avoid it.


    With more and more groans, the monster fell on its stomach. Even now both of the heads were trying to bite me.


    "Cutting your head would be too much mercy for you." My voice didn''t come out of my mouth. It was as though I was whispering. I didn''t know why but I wasn''t overcome by rage. I was angry but my wrath was overcome by my desire to kill the thing that hurt my friend. My hands trembled, my body leaked, my heart raced. I was furious.


    It was a new thing for me. I never thought I''d trust another person after what happened. Slowly but surely I changed.. I didn''t know when it happened but I became fond of her and she saved my life. But now¡­

 Chapter 132 - Pain Often Comes In The Disguise Of Despair

    The monster''s groans gradually slowed. More and more spears grazed by, but my thrusts didn''t stop.


    The groans at one point stopped for good.


    "Daarc, calm down. It''s already dead!" Jowy shook my shoulder.


    "SHUR UP!"


    I didn''t listen. I kept thrusting my sword until I passed out from loss of blood and exhaustion.


    "Young hero. You have proven your worth. My other half may have acted on rage, but know that, we were betrayed by your benefactor and kin. We harbor great hatred but our love is infinite. Hate us, kill us, free us. The world is cruel and humanity itself is the root of all evil, not the gods nor the demons. But maybe only humans can amend. I leave the rest in your hands. Farewell. May you not end up a god?"


    "What was that?" My head hurt and I held it in my hands. I was lying on the grass and my whole body stung with immense pain. I could faint at any moment but there was a noise near me. Alisa was crying in the background. I looked around and both Jowy and the old man looked flushed. They had wounds and their faces were pale and emotionless. It was morning but the sun hadn''t yet risen.


    My memory came back to me. "What happened to them?"


    "She won''t make it¡­"


    To be honest I kind of knew that. But even so, it was too much for me to digest. It was like all the air from around me had vanished. I couldn''t breathe. "Can''t we take her back to the village?"


    "They won''t be able to heal her¡­ we need at least a high potion or an elixir. But I don''t think she would last till noon. It''s a miracle that she even made it past the night."


    "What about Biteria?"


    Jowy didn''t look at me. "There were no traces of her¡­"


    "You mean she''s still alive?" I didn''t want to ask it.


    "I don''t think so but-"


    I didn''t want to hear that either. So I asked the question I didn''t want to ask. "What about that thing?"


    "After you passed out the croc head came alive and revived the whole thing. It glared at us and your unconscious body. We thought we were goners but¡­ two massive bat wings grew, and it disappeared the very next moment. It left a gemstone and-"


    We didn''t talk past that.


    I was on the ground covered in herbs and I sat down with slow motion. That damn thing''s claws had cut my body like butter but the pain wasn''t even the least of my concerns. Brenda was lying in a bed made of all our sheets and Biteria was missing. Plus we didn''t have any horses. The situation was worse than anything I could have imagined.


    I forced myself to get up and moved closer to Brenda; I could barely crawl. The wounds from before were taxing enough, and now I had new wounds to contend with; it really was a miracle I could move at all. The others didn''t try to stop me. I wouldn''t have, even if they tried to¡­


    "There''s a good Priestess in that village. Maybe¡­"


    "Daarc!" It wasn''t a shout. The old man couldn''t bring himself to shout.


    My eyes watered. I didn''t know what to do anymore.


    "Is-that you Daarc?" Brenda''s voice quivered and there were traces of blood on her torn clothes. Her wounds were covered with herbs but I could see the depth and horror. There was a potion in my bag and I had just remembered that.


    I brought it out and held it in my hand.


    "Drink this!"


    "Save-it for yerself. I don''t think-I-I''ll make it. Ye need it if-ye want-to-live and make out-o- of the forest alive-"


    "Don''t say that!" I shouted despite my wounds. She stopped my lips and smiled. "After you-"


    I couldn''t smile back.


    "It was my choice." Her voice went smoothly and she fell asleep.


    I felt terrible. No, I felt worse than that. I didn''t know what to feel anymore. I just didn''t.


    "Calm dow-" The old man was here and he was trying to console me. But it just wasn''t working.


    Wait! Could it be that, this forest!


    Suddenly my memory jolted. "Old man! What are the odds of there being a statue in this forest!?"


    "Two statues back to back? I don''t think I''ve ever heard of such a thing that was nearby but there could still be a possibility."


    "But it would be very low. Think about it. There was a statue in the sacred forest. And if there was another one in the forest right next to it, even if that was true- wouldn''t that monster already have devoured it?" Jowy said.


    "Statue? You mean the one like in this forest you mentioned?" Alisa said.


    I ignored them: I ignored them all. I didn''t care if the possibility was grim. As long as there was a possibility I needed to aim for it. I just had to. "You''ll have to lend me your shoulder yet again old man¡­" I said. It was a request. I knew I could count on him. But I didn''t know if he was willing to let or not.


    "Ha ha ha, don''t worry, I''ll make sure you make it worth my while later." He laughed but there wasn''t any joy in his words nor were any sign of gladness; only sorrows and grief existed there.


    "Can I count on you with her, Jowy?"


    "Very well¡­" He said.


    I don''t know if it''ll work or not but this is the only option we have!


    We marched into the dark and gloomy forest, one step at a time. As its name suggested, it was covered with thorns; there were vines, plants, and even leaves which had thorns on them, everywhere. Even the small animals that were in had thorns. I didn''t see any undead anywhere near us which was a bad sign.


    Did that thing already pass through here?


    The forest was mild in smell and there weren''t many signs of monsters. Normally that''d make me happy but this time it was more like a curse. If there weren''t any monsters that only meant, that damn God was here. And if he was here then he might have even come across the statue. However, we didn''t know if there was even a statue, to begin with.. I grinded my teeth and looked ahead. When will this end?

 Chapter 133 - Fortitude

    My foot and hands were covered but my face wasn''t safe from the thorns. My armor and protective gears had claw marks all over and my body was definitely not in the best of shapes: I was missing a lot of skin and clothes too. I couldn''t believe that I could move around.


    The old man was carrying most of my weight but he too was injured. Jowy on the other hand was princess carrying Brenda. His strength was supernatural but I suppose that''s the merit of becoming a half-dead. But I never saw his eyes glow red at night. Maybe he wasn''t one? But if that were the case then how come Lianne was?


    I had questions but no apparent answers.


    "What happened last night? I don''t remember you being so busted up," I asked.


    The old man wasn''t that injured this badly last night. Something must have happened afterward.


    "Where do you think we were? There weren''t any undead but there were goblins, remember?"


    That explained their condition. Alisa was following us but something about her felt odd to me. She was sad and streams of tears ran through her cheeks yet she was relatively calm somehow. Maybe she was too shocked?


    We continued walking and I tried to sense the angel''s presence but I couldn''t feel a thing apart from the sting all across my body. The forest was dark like the ones I had seen before but unlike them, this one had fewer undead; there weren''t any goblins inside either. The undead that were around just ignored us. This gave me at least some hope.


    Maybe that thing hadn''t made it out here yet.


    The old man sat me down. We took a breather. "This is odd, if there were undead here, then how come they didn''t attack last night?" The old man thought hard but he didn''t have an answer.


    Jowy sat down but he still had Brenda in his arms. She was unconscious. "I think last night Damsel, the lord of ice attacked us. He was said to have been the God of ice, and according to some customs he had the strength of a lion and the heart of a crocodile. Although he looked rather different, I think he somehow kept all the undead at bay."


    "Well we at least knew he was a grand monster and that meant¡­ Wait, how did you know he was a God?" I didn''t tell anybody about that thing being a God.


    He kept the undead at bay? Huh! That damn monster! I didn''t believe it even for a second. God or no, that thing was a monster.


    "You were the one who said it, remember? So I surmised it was probably him." Jowy didn''t even bat eye.


    "Did I?"


    Something seemed out of place. According to the old man, not many people knew that gods were dead. But Jowy didn''t seem bothered by it. He''d traveled the world like us, so maybe he heard rumors before?


    I suppose I shouldn''t pry into your life any more than necessary.


    Jowy was always a suspicious character. But I didn''t let it bother me too much. After all, he was always backing us up.


    We continued. The path was thorny but we had to walk it. For the sake of our friend. For the sake of my friend!


    After walking for a few more hours we rested again. It was merely half of the forest. I and the old man were panting heavily. The rotten air was enough to set our lungs on fire, and on top of that the injuries were just too great.


    The old man''s wrinkles were visible. He might have been old but I never saw that many wrinkles on his face at once. "That makes half. Only half more to go."


    I grunted, hearing that. Brenda was way past her limit. For the last hour, she couldn''t even breathe properly. She didn''t have consciousness and yet she was groaning and breathing from her mouth. My heart pounded and it hurt. I didn''t know if it was from the lion''s claws or just my heart.


    "Is there anything-" Alisa said.


    "You can eat the mushrooms¡­"


    "I don''t mean-"


    I didn''t let her finish. She was just a little child and she shouldn''t have seen what she saw last night. Besides, we never had breakfast and now it was noon.


    "It''s okay," Jowy reassured her and handed over some mushrooms to her.


    She was just a little girl and we weren''t in the mood of eating. There was a person dying and all of us were heavily injured.


    However, Alisa wasn''t injured. She was munching on those raw mushrooms with guilt written all over her face. I knew what she meant. But I didn''t feel like talking to her about that.


    I watched her and felt at ease; at least she was alright. At least we managed to keep someone safe.


    "Daarc, I don''t think-"


    I didn''t let the old man finish. I knew what he was about to say but- "Don''t say that. Even if we can''t find the statue we should hurry to the city," I said.


    Things weren''t looking good and we didn''t have time. My body didn''t want to move but I forced myself. I got up.


    "You''re right but-" Jowy didn''t finish.


    "Can''t we make use of the potions?"


    The old man shook me by my shoulders. "Face reality! She''s beyond saving!"


    My eyes watered up again. In the deepest corners of my mind, I knew that but I just didn''t want to believe that.


    I know that¡­


    Brenda was impaled in various places. Her lungs were compromised and so were a lot of her other vitals. She was beyond saving.


    We resumed our journey and hoped for the best.


    "Brenda, Brenda. Hey Brenda!" Jowy suddenly stopped and started yelling.


    "What''s wrong Jowy!" I looked back in horror.


    "She''s falling asleep! If she sleeps now then¡­"


    "We need to hurry," the old man said.


    Even in that condition we ran and ran some more. It was more like a forced fast walk than an actual run though.


    "Daarc, guys¡­ stop," Brenda managed.


    We didn''t want to stop but that was it and we knew it. She was going.


    "What is it Brenda?" I held her hand in mine but they were cold.


    "Thank-you everyone. It was fun¡­. Sorry, Daarc, I don''t think I''d be able to go the moon anymore with you¡­" Her voice was smooth. She was forcing herself too much.


    "Don''t say that! I give you my word! I''ll take you there!"


    "Then-" She closed her eyes and didn''t open them. Her breath was gone: She was gone.


    My eyes leaked and I just stood there. Alisa cried her heart out. Our time was short. Very short.


    "Don''t cry lad. Let us pray that she would go to heaven." The old man patted my shoulder.


    What god! What devil! What heavens!


    This world is messed up!


    "Let''s keep moving. We should bury her after we get out of this forest. If we stay inside the forest for too long, she might turn into an undead," Jowy said.


    Jowy''s word brought reality back to me. Brenda was already gone but I didn''t want her to suffer for an eternity.


    We didn''t want to spend a single moment in this forest. Something bad would happen, something very bad. And we didn''t want that.


    I didn''t know how undead were made nor did I care but our dead friend turning into one was the last thing I wanted.


    We walked. My eyes didn''t have any light left. I didn''t know what I was doing anymore. I didn''t know what was happening and I didn''t know what I wanted. Just like that two more of my well-wishers left me from this world. This always happened. Every single time I got attached to someone, they''d leave me. Family, friends, acquaintances.. Everyone.

 Chapter 134 - One Last Goodbye

    It felt like we were walking forever. My feet moved on their own and didn''t stop.


    After several hours we reached a place where there was no smell, where there were no undead, and most importantly where there was a statue of the angel. Should I have been happy?


    But what good will it, do now? It''s all over¡­


    "Welcome Wanderer."


    I didn''t answer. I didn''t want to. But after giving it a thought I said something. I said something that I didn''t want to say. "Can you bring back the dead?"


    "I cannot."


    "Damn it¡­"


    "Daarc¡­" Jowy said but he didn''t come close to me.


    I didn''t pay any attention to him.


    The angel''s voice gave off an ounce of sorrow. Maybe it felt my pain? But how could it? "It is true that I cannot bring back the dead but I can arrange one last audience with her soul. Her soul hasn''t yet left this forest and soon will turn into an undead."


    "How''d you know and what do you mean?"


    "I''ve been watching over you from the moment you entered this forest. I will guide her soul to the heavens but first¡­" The angel''s statue glowed faintly and light started to escape from it.


    Is that so?


    I was glad that she''d send Brenda to heaven but¡­ I really didn''t feel much better. My heart still pounded and it hurt.


    The area beneath the angel lit up a second later and a fully white colored Brenda emerged from within. My eyes felt like they''d pop right out of my sockets.


    "What is this? How!" Alisa screamed.


    I didn''t pay any attention to her. All I was concerned with was the person in front of me.


    Brenda was there, covered in white. She was emanating a bright and warm glow. "We meet again, Daarc."


    I didn''t care how the angel brought her; all I cared about was that she was here.


    Her voice soothed my heart, she was¡­ beautiful.


    "Yup, good to see you."


    "Don''t cry. That was but a mortal shell and all of us will be reunited in the end anyway," she said, as she walked closer.


    My eyes leaked before I even noticed. And yet even after I had noticed, I couldn''t stop them. Not anymore.


    "I''m old but I don''t want to die just yet." the old man chuckled.


    Brenda giggled. That was the first time I saw her actual smile. Maybe she was reluctant to show it before.


    "I''m sorry Brenda. I-"


    "It wasn''t you''re fault Daarc. Please don''t ever think that it was. I did what I wanted to do. Did you forget being a pirate means being free? Besides, I''m going to be reunited with my family: all of them." She closed her eyes and smiled.


    "But you died because of my weakness. I couldn''t even protect you and-"


    She stopped my lips with her hand. It was warm and her aura glowed. They were transparent and yet I could still feel her warmth. "I was the one who wanted to travel with you, and it was my own weakness that has led to this. But it''s a shame I won''t be able to travel to the moon." She chuckled. "I know it was selfish but that wasn''t the only reason I wanted to travel with you, you know."


    "I actually kind of knew that but-"


    "That actually makes me feel a little uncomfortable you know¡­" She made a pout. She smiled and looked around a little... "Take care old man. And you too Jowy. Thank you for carrying my corpse."


    Jowy nodded.


    "Take care, young lady. And that''s not my name you know," the old man said.


    Brenda chuckled. Even in this god-forsaken land, and this horrible situation we laughed. We laughed and shed tears.


    Brenda closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts. "I don''t think I''d be able to travel with you anymore but I still wanted to see the moon again. But I''m sorry about Biteria, she shouldn''t have to die and-"


    "I''d make it appear! I''ll bring back the moon! You have my word!" I didn''t know what I was saying anymore. Maybe I was just making empty promises just to make her stay a second longer.


    Biteria was gone as well but the pain of losing a close friend was more devastating.


    "That makes me so happy Daarc. The moon means so much to me. It was my no- our family''s beacon of courage. Maybe one day you will know why, "she said then smiled faintly "Maybe not."


    Alisa was mourning with her face covered in tears. She couldn''t even speak. Was that the same girl who was so calm even moments ago? But at the last moment she looked up to Brenda. "I-I-I''ll never forget you!"


    "Me either, sweetheart." Tears welled up in Brenda''s eyes. "Thank you¡­. My friends. I''ll wait for you in the afterlife but don''t come too quick." She chuckled. "Oh and before I forget, make sure the new recruit doesn''t end up like me before reaching the city. Let her have a good life, she''s suffered enough," she added.


    "You have my word," I said. I chuckled.


    "Thank you, sis, and goodbye," Alisa said.


    Brenda was disappearing. The angel''s spell was ending. And so was my smile. I couldn''t believe I could muster up the courage to even attempt to smile and yet here I was smiling for her sake.


    "I hope you forgive me for this one last selfish act." She came close to me, kissed me on the forehead, and hugged me. I couldn''t grab her: I couldn''t hug her back. She disappeared. "Goodbye."


    I was left there with my arms hanging.


    Goodbye.


    "I promise I''ll bring it back! Even if it''s the last thing I do¡­" I clenched my fists, my eyes grounded. My resolve resurfaced.


    "I am sorry you''re reunion ended that way but I must warn you¡­" The angel began.


    I had almost forgotten about the angel.


    "First let me thank you." I bowed and showed her respect. I didn''t bow to just anyone; but, I bowed to her because I deeply admired her.


    "It seems Sisrael was right to bestow a fragment of her soul to you¡­"


    These angels were a part of Terortra and that was also the reason that they had so much power despite being a mere fragment. But in the end, they were just fragments and were limited. But even so, even if they were pained, they always helped me. They deserved my respect.


    "Thank you, I really mean it."


    "Who''s he talking to?" Alisa said.


    "Shh!"


    "You must now leave. There isn''t much time left¡­" The angel didn''t specify.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I cannot tell you that, but I must tell you one thing¡­ Lord Damsel is not the only one who has taken an interest in you¡­." It was like she pitied me. Maybe she did.


    "Thank you¡­"


    Although what she said was alarming, I didn''t really make a scene out of it. I calmly considered the possibility of her knowing something and decided to wait for the appropriate time.


    "Are you also the one who saved me last night?"


    "Yes... I did provide you with my magic upon my sister''s request. However, I wasn''t the only one. Hurry wanderer. You must leave this forest before...." The angel became quiet.


    "Really, thank you...all of you..." I really was indebted to these angels....


    However, I didn''t have the means to stay sane enough to be wary.

 Chapter 135 - Who Knew Dragging A Priest Out Of His House Could Be So Much Of A Drag?

    Tears welled up but I didn''t let them slip. We were left there to feel pain and sadness. The angel pointed out our destination and we followed without a word to each other. I didn''t have to explain anything to the guys. Alisa did seem to have a lot of questions but no one bothered to explain anything to her.


    With grief and despair, we got out of the forest before evening. However, my mind was made up.


    I have to get stronger!


    There was still some daylight left but the sun would sink soon and the city was still ways off. Besides, we had to bury Brenda as well.


    Farewell Biteria¡­ please don''t turn into the undead¡­


    "Daarc, I think we should stay under the stars tonight and bury her by that pond." Jowy pointed at a supposed pond far away. It was too far away for me to see.


    "No, we should make for the city. I don''t want her to stay in these parts where the undead roam." I was being selfish, perhaps too selfish.


    I understood what he meant but I didn''t like it.


    Perhaps Jowy understood it too. "Alright."


    We continued on. The old man was getting tired of carrying me, and Alisa was falling behind as she couldn''t keep up. But I didn''t care. We must reach the city no matter what- or so I thought.


    It took little time for the sun to sink. The birds up in the sky were a sign that we had reached a place where at least things were alive. But that was also a matter to worry about. If there were animals then the possibility of there being goblins were high.


    "Think we''ll make it before nightfall?" I asked.


    "I don''t think so. We might make it before mid-night though¡­" The old man said. He wasn''t too optimistic about it either.


    "That''s actually not that comforting¡­"


    The sky was mostly clear and soon turned dark. The stars shimmered through some rouge clouds.


    The old man carried a torch in his hand. The undead were here too but most of them avoided us and the one''s that did attack us were instantly slaughtered by our swords. We were in no condition to fight but that didn''t stop us from fighting.


    I was on my own feet now. I couldn''t afford to be protected, not anymore.


    Never again am I going to lose someone.


    Maybe I was making empty promises to myself, maybe I was just being stupid, but I wanted to strong. I wanted to be strong enough to stand on my own feet and to be strong enough to protect my friends.


    After hours of walking we finally saw the lights of the city walls from faraway. I chuckled at my fate.


    "Looks like we''re here."


    "Be on guard. The guards here are tricky at night," the old man warned.


    We did reach the city walls by midnight but it was closed and the guards wouldn''t let us in. The geezer was right.


    "State your names and business. Show us your identity or we won''t let you in!" There were shouts here and there. They were talking fancy about Identity and what not. But I got the impression that they didn''t want us in.


    The old man negotiated. "We are mere travellers. We got attacked by undead and our friend died. Could you please let us through?"


    This went back and forth for a while.


    After a lot of melodrama the doors opened and we went in. but we were stopped in the passage of the wall.


    "I didn''t know you were still alive old man." A man in his late thirties blocked our path. His voice was prickly and smug.


    "Is that how you talk to your father?" the old man said. His voice didn''t show any anger, rather, regret.


    "What father? I don''t remember ever calling you my father. Besides, why should I call a criminal that?" The man taunted. He was a tall muscular man and looked similar and bigger than the old man, but his attitude was nothing like the geezer. There were other people by him too. Probably guards of the wall. "So, what are you doing here at this hour? You of all people should know of the horrors of that forest at night." His tone changed a little. I saw him smirk. It was getting annoying.


    "You don''t have to tell me that boy-"


    The old man was trying to make him understand the situation but I had lost my patience. "We need to bury her first," I said.


    He chuckled, clearly not interested in letting us through any time soon. "Who the hell do you think you are?"


    My mind was already shredded to pieces and his words aided in me losing my cool. "If you don''t want a hole in your chest, then shut the fuck up and let us through!" I let out an exhale. "Or do you want this shoved through your ass!"


    I didn''t care if he was the old man''s son or whatever. We didn''t have the luxury to wait and let her body rot. I didn''t have that patience, not anymore. My vision was already blurry from a while ago. I didn''t know how much longer I''d be able to stay conscious.


    "What did you say!" The guys beside him riled up and they pointed their spears at us.


    I was about to bring out my sword too when the old man put his hands on his sword, glared at everyone and that was enough to convey his intentions.


    "Hmph, whatever! Let these guys through!"


    We were permitted to enter the city. Before passing through the passage the old man''s son said something. I didn''t expect it. "You''ve got guts¡­"


    I didn''t know if that was something I''d say to someone who just wanted to shove a sword down my behind.


    We entered the cemetery and forced the priest to come. The priest was already asleep so it was a drag to wake him up yet I didn''t care. First, we had to find him, and then bring him here: not to mention the guy really loved his sleep. It really was a drag.


    All of us were injured but burying Brenda was the top priority.


    A grave was already dugout. In fact, I saw five advance graves. Death was rather common here. And people readily accepted it. But that didn''t change the fact that it was still painful to see your close ones go.


    "We-we are ga-gathered¡­" The priest kept on stuttering. I couldn''t blame him. If someone had dragged me out of bed, threw cold water, and shouted at me for about half an hour nonstop in the middle of the night, I''d probably be in no better than shape. Actually, we might have ended up torturing the poor guy without even knowing.


    With a fist full of earth I bid my farewell. "Goodbye Brend¡­ Brenda. I''ll never forget you."


    The burial ended fast.


    After we buried her, it started to rain. It was clear even just a few hours ago, but I didn''t mind the rain. The rain wiped out my tears and I stayed like that for the next few moments. The three of them beside me were standing there as well. I guess we looked like fools. But I was okay with being a fool.


    Brenda was not just a comrade but someone I called my friend. She wasn''t perfect but she was definitely a good person, and she too had dreams. Was it really necessary for her to go like that? I didn''t know what emotions to feel. Should I have felt rage? Or should I have felt sorrow? I couldn''t decide. But one thing was for certain, I needed to become stronger. I had to become strong enough to stand on my own. So others shouldn''t have to die because of me.


    Ahh! Another one goes. Wouldn''t it have been better if it were me?


    I looked up at the sky: the rain had almost stopped. It was cold and there weren''t many clouds. So the rain was somewhat surprising. It wasn''t much of a rain and more of a drizzle though. I stayed like that and smiled. As though I was telling myself, "Maybe I really should have died."


    "Come with me," the old man grabbed my hand and dragged me along.. The others followed.

 Chapter 136 - Reality And The Forgotten

    The old man us took to an abandoned house. It was dusty and there wasn''t anything here that made it look livable. But I didn''t complain. It was for the best that I didn''t. I couldn''t think and my eyes weren''t moving. I couldn''t move them.


    "Here." The old man threw a sheet of cloth at me.


    It was probably for me to sleep under. The other two were in a separate room. I was given a room of my own. It didn''t have anything, not even a bed. I didn''t feel like sleeping, so I didn''t care.


    "Sleep it off. I know she was your friend and our comrade but that doesn''t mean we have to mourn forever. We have something else to accomplish; you have to accomplish it! And to accomplish that you''ll have to go through that again and again. So buckle yourself up!" His words were harsh but true. And yet, I really hated the old man from the bottom of my heart for saying that.


    And the things he said had happened before too, so many times that I took death for granted. This one hurt so excruciatingly because I was sure it wouldn''t happen again. I was too confident in my strength that I didn''t even consider others. Overconfidence brought my downfall. But even so, it hurt and I couldn''t help but feel he was being cruel.


    "Say, old man, am I strong?" It wasn''t a question and he might have noticed. I didn''t look at him. I didn''t need to.


    "You''re plenty." Now I had to look at him. I couldn''t believe my ears so I tried to do a double-take. He was smiling.


    That was the first time I saw him smile like that. It wasn''t his usual sarcastic smile rather, it was kind and gentle. If he had rebuked me, I''d have felt better but his smile and words only made me even worse. I didn''t let it show.


    "That''s not funny geezer." I tried to chuckle.


    "Yeah I know, brat." He snorted. "But wanting to die isn''t either. She gave up her life for you. Meaning she wanted you to live. Did that not go through your thick skull?" Again, the old man didn''t hold anything back. What was he, some sort of evil villain?


    "I know." Of course I knew that. But knowing something and accepting it, were two different things.


    "As I said, sleep it off."


    "Yeah." I didn''t have another response.


    "By the way, shove it down his ass? Really? Just how badly did you want to get beaten there? Did you not see how many they were?"


    I only smiled. Of course I saw how many of them there were. But I also had a good reason and the old man knew it. All of us were injured but burying Brenda was the top priority


    He smiled too. With a sigh, the old man headed out. "I''ll be out, if you want to get a drink."


    He left and I laid the sheet on the floor. I really wanted to have a drink right now. Who cared about empty promises anyway?


    I did. And that''s why I didn''t drink. Long ago after drinking a lot and throwing a tantrum inside the house Alisa made me swear that I wouldn''t drink. Of course it was just an impulse swear and I was drinking the very next day in secret. But when two weeks later, she died, something changed in me. I really wanted to drink but whenever I tried to drink, I almost always felt like throwing up. I always remembered that promise with Alisa and always ended up throwing the cans and bottles out. I had quit drinking¡­ I had to quit.


    I lied in the bed I just made, and thought about all the times I had with Brenda. She was like a close friend I always wanted but never had. She was kind and selfish at the same time. She was flawed and yet perfect in many ways. She was my friend.


    Before dawn, my eyes closed themselves and I fell deep asleep.


    ***


    "You are here?" It was that sad voice. But this time, something felt different. She was calmer.


    I was in the same place, the same place with the darkness.


    "What is this place, who are you?" My voice didn''t get out. Yet again, I didn''t have a body. I couldn''t see anything.


    And nothing about my body felt strange, though I didn''t have one. Actually, I may have been a lot calmer than I thought I''d be. In fact, I didn''t feel any emotions.


    "I am she who is called Shivalia. The world has forgotten I. this place is the realm of darkness." She offered the answers without a pause. I still couldn''t see her but I could imagine her voice was coming from directly beneath me.


    "Isn''t this world called something like that too? The dark realm?"


    "Yes, but-" Her words came to an abrupt stop. "This place¡­. Is the darkest in this world. The coldest¡­. The saddest."


    I believed her. I mean, I couldn''t see, so there was no reason for me not to. If it was dark enough for me to not see her then didn''t it mean this place was pretty dark? I guess that was self-explanatory.


    "How do I get out of here or how do I set you free? Where are you?"


    I didn''t know much about this place. In fact, I didn''t know anything about this place. I never told the others about my dreams and I never wondered about them either. A had a lot more on my plate than I could ever chew.


    "Once in, one cannot get out. You are not here. Someone else is acting as a medium for this audience. This shall be our last. Farewell, and though it pains me I shall say it. Please never come here." she wanted to be saved and yet, she didn''t want me to come here?


    Talk about being selfish. "Isn''t that a little too selfish?"


    There was no answer.

 Chapter 137 - New Determination

    After an eternity of nightmares, I woke up. Insects buzzed. I was in a room. It wasn''t the same place I slept at. Everything was dark, and it was midnight. Moreover, I was on top of a bed.


    There wasn''t anybody here in this room and probably there wasn''t anyone near the house either. I looked out the window and this was the only house in about a few hundred meter radius.


    What am I doing here? Wait, what was I doing to even begin with?


    My body was covered in bandages and not herbs: I''d been treated by a proper doctor. It was a good sign that I was treated but my equipment was nowhere to be found. The room had a table. Only a shirt and a note were there. I put on the shirt and read the note.


    "I''m leaving this note in case you woke up during the night. I have all your stuff and now sleeping peacefully in my own home. The one you''re currently in is the home of a friend of mine who taught me medicine. He''s dead if you''re wondering.


    You don''t have to do anything. Just stay put and I''ll come back the next morning anyway. Don''t do anything you''ll regret, Daarc.


    Denkaborkarere."


    I still can''t get used to his name.


    But what does he mean by regret?


    Why would I-


    My head hurt, I grabbed my head tightly. It wouldn''t stop throbbing. That''s when my memories started to jog. When I finally remembered what had happened, tears welled up and I cried silently. It wasn''t my fault- or so Brenda had said but I couldn''t stop blaming myself. After all, I was the one who told her about traveling to the moon and stuff that made her want to come on this journey in the first place. Maybe that wasn''t her only intention. But I was the trigger. And she sacrificed herself for me.


    Damn!


    I banged my hand on the wooden table. It creaked, my wounds throbbed. The outside was dark, but there were distant lights. They were probably houses. The one I was in however had only one light and that was probably downstairs. It took me a while to realize that I was actually up on the second floor.


    I came outside of the room. The doors weren''t locked.


    Who keeps a house unlocked which doesn''t have anyone but one unconscious injured man?


    My cheeks were still wet. Lately I''d been crying a little too much. Was I turning soft? Or did my emotions run a bit too wild? Perhaps a little bit of both.


    The main door was shut but not locked. I lost what little confidence I had in the old man''s decisions. I didn''t poke around the house and came outside.


    The outside was much cooler and much darker but the gentle wind pressed against me and it made me realize I was still alive. The pain in every inch of my body did a good job of reminding as well.


    The distant lights were houses. The closest one was at least three hundred meters away.


    I wonder if they are still awake¡­ probably not.


    I was answering my own questions. Life was tough and I made it worse. If I hadn''t- was the only question that was unanswered.


    I walked around. Walking in the middle of the night wasn''t something great but it was a habit I''d picked up in this world. I was in pain but it wasn''t unbearable; I must have been under for more than a few days. My cheeks and eyes were dry enough to jog my head and think rationally.


    I''m too weak and I need to accept that. I always have been. But that''s no excuse. I have less than nine months. If I can''t get stronger then it''s all meaningless. Lots of people are going to die from here on out but I need to¡­ NO! I want to get stronger: I have to! I know I can''t prevent death and I know I''m powerless but I won''t just sit around and watch another friend of mine get slaughtered in front of me. Never again!


    Who knew I''d be giving myself a pep talk in the middle of the night out in the open.


    The old man was quite skilled but his skills also had their limit, his magic too. I learned it the hard way. I couldn''t rely on him forever. But I couldn''t even reach his level, so hoping to transcend him and acquire greater power was still implausible yet not impossible. I had to do something.


    That night¡­. Something happened to me?


    That night my body moved a lot on its own. I didn''t know what I was going through and I didn''t know what was happening either.


    Can I do it again?


    I''d even heard a voice that night but I couldn''t really remember much of it.


    There was a tree nearby. Something was bothering me from the first day that I saw magic. The old man could imbue his sword and his body at the same time yet I couldn''t. I couldn''t even properly imbue my weapon let alone my body. Something was missing and I knew it. But what was that? Even the old man couldn''t explain how he did it. But then again, he wasn''t much of a teacher material either.


    I focused. I went through the same maneuvers that I used when I covered my weapon in magic. I tried it on my hand. Nothing happened apart from it getting hot, more like warm.


    Something is missing; but what? What did he do the first time?


    That''s right!


    It wasn''t that the old man was imbuing his body directly but he was imbuing his whole equipment, probably. Maybe that''s why his head wasn''t covered in wind.


    But that wasn''t good news. I needed to get strong and just imbuing my armor wasn''t enough, but it was one step closer to my goal. I tried it on my shirt anyway. Nothing happened.


    No one said this was going to be easy.


    I kept at it.


    I succeeded after trying for like half an hour or so. The shirt glowed and warm light emanated. The shirt''s soft finish had turned hard and it felt more durable. I was glad but not impressed. I tried it on my body yet again, and again my hand only got warm and nothing more happened. There was something that I didn''t know and I couldn''t even begin to wonder what I was missing.


    But then what was that back when I fought that damn god? Could it be?


    "Hey! What are you doing?" A voice shouted from a distance.


    It was the son of the old man. He had a torch in his hand.


    What''s he doing at this hour? Oh! Right. He''s a guard!


    "Just chilling around," I said.


    He didn''t see me cast magic, did he?


    "Where''s that light you had just a moment ago?"


    "W-What light?" I almost stuttered.


    Damn it! He saw¡­

 Chapter 138 - Calming Breeze

    Unsatisfied, he grinded his teeth. "Don''t play dumb!"


    "Sorry but I don''t know what you mean," I said. I tried my poker face as best as I could.


    "You son of a-" He came straight at me with a fist. He was close.


    "You''d hit an injured man? How brave!" My voice came out a little bit more provocative than I thought.


    He had a sword and he looked quite strong, so provoking him this way to get out was possible- and I had nothing better. Besides, I was already in a bad mood.


    He stopped, grinded his teeth again, and spat on the ground. "Tch! Just get the hell out of the town. We don''t need you to bring another calamity. I''ve heard rumors about you. No matter where you go destruction follows. Moire was the only city of men that wasn''t breached for the last ten years; until you happened to be there!" He pointed at me, pretty wildly.


    My eyes sharpened up. I knew he was right but I didn''t want to give in to his taunts. And were my stories famous or something? How did people know about me when even I wasn''t aware of?


    "That''s a rather bold accusation! What''s your source?"


    "That''s none of your business," he rammed his fist on the nearby tree. Lots of leaves fell on the poor guy. But that only fueled his rage. A rage that had nowhere to go.


    "Unfortunately, if it''s rumors about me, then it is my business." I sighed. I still didn''t know much about this world anyway.


    After glaring at me for a little while, he left: he didn''t even bother telling me anything. I didn''t really mind his words though. He was right after all. And trying out magic out in the open despite the old man''s warning was entirely my fault.


    The autumn air blew past me. it was a little cold but still pretty comfortable. This wind really reminded me of the journey at the sea. I did miss some of those days. But I had to move on sooner or later. Maybe I was being hasty.


    But one thing was for certain. I need to get stronger!


    ***


    The next morning the old man and Jowy came. Both of them had food in their bags. Plain bread wasn''t that enticing and didn''t taste even the slightest bit of goodness. But it was better than starving.


    "What happened to Alisa?" I said.


    If I remember correctly she-


    "The thing is-" The old man stopped.


    "She wants to come with us," Jowy said.


    "Huh? Even after seeing that?"


    That was surprising. I couldn''t understand why someone like her would want to come with us, even after seeing what she did.


    "She thinks if she wasn''t there then it could have been avoided. She thinks that Brenda died because she was behind her and clinging to her from behind, and-" Jowy didn''t want to finish.


    But wasn''t she unconscious?


    "Perhaps she hallucinated?" I said.


    I said what came to my mind. I wasn''t thinking straight but it was weird. Why would a child want to come along on such a dangerous journey? She must have had a reason- and I didn''t think she had a good intention.


    "Daarc." The old man finished Jowy''s sentence. Were they in sync or something? "She''s just a child what more could you expect?"


    "Common sense, what else?" I grinned.


    "Daar-" The old man was about to shout again.


    I sighed and didn''t reply.


    "So what do you suggest we do?" The old man said.


    Hmm¡­ I need to know what she intends to do and why she wants to come along... But I promised.


    "Don''t let her come¡­ I don''t know what her game is. I want to know it but¡­" But I couldn''t let her be harmed. "Besides, I already promised Brenda that we''d keep her safe. So not letting her come with us would be the best thing to do. Anyway I''d first like to know her reason then let her join-"


    "If that''s what you think then I won''t stop you but I wouldn''t stand for it if you endanger her life," the old man said.


    That was expected. He had a soft spot for kids and that was evident. But I wasn''t that soft and I had doubts beyond that of an ordinary man. And besides, I was thinking about the brat''s safety too. Did he even hear me?


    That girl seemed to know something about the monster. Maybe¡­


    It was just a hypothesis at the moment, and that''s why I needed evidence.


    "Never mind. But these breads are horrible. Jowy''s one''s are still edible but these-" I tried to change the subject. The whole stupid conversation was leaving a bad taste in my mind.


    "Hey! I made them you know! Have some respect!" The old man looked at me with a lot of mixed emotions.


    I chomped on the bread and stared at the old man blankly. "No wonder."


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    Me and Jowy laughed. Seeing so, the old man also laughed, albeit for different reasons. It wasn''t a situation for a laugh but we didn''t care. Why should we?


    The old man cleared his throat. "I know you just woke up but we need to leave today, as fast as possible." And out of nowhere he just dropped a bombshell on my head.


    "I assume it has something to do with my being alone in this house?" If things were okay, then they wouldn''t come to see me like this like I was some sort of criminal or something.


    "Something, like that," he said.


    "My stuff?"


    "I sent the equipment for repair and the sword is still with me."


    "What about the knife?"


    "I have it," Jowy said. He promptly handed me over the knife.


    "I suppose we should get ready then." I didn''t have any reason to stay in this city anyway. Brenda was buried and I had a pretty good reputation as the city wrecker so, I really didn''t have a reason to stay, and I certainly didn''t want to stay.


    "Alright then, let''s go get that armor first," the old man said.


    We went out. The pain was still there. But I didn''t care. There wasn''t even a point in caring anymore. It had to be done and I needed to grit my teeth while doing so. That was all.


    "By the way, there are rumors about me?" I started.


    Jowy just walked on and didn''t turn back. The old man winced but he didn''t answer either.


    "Might I ask why there are rumors about me?" I put a lot of pressure behind the question.


    Nervous chuckle filled the air and both of them walked faster.


    "Hey!!!"


    At one point they''d started to run. I did eventually catch up to them, but they never told me anything. I guess they were the reason behind all this rumors if nothing.


    The city was bustling with activity. It was a city in every aspect one would expect a medieval city to be. The buildings weren''t as fancy as Moire''s but definitely not bad. The streets were made of cobblestone as usual and felt weird to walk on.


    On our way, lots of people glared at us, particularly at me. I could imagine what could be their reason but it was still a little jarring. But then again, was me- my face, really that famous?


    We got back my armor and now it had weird fillings instead of a seamless body. I didn''t mind it though. If I didn''t look like a total bandit before, I most certainly looked the part now. My former prince-like armor was now reduced to a complete bandit one.


    Damn like I''ve got¡­


    "When are we leaving?" I asked. Now I had another reason to leave as fast as possible.


    "Afternoon," the old man said.


    I won''t get to recover my wounds huh? "So what now?"


    "Let''s go get the little missy." The old man led the way.


    "Alright."


    Alisa was at the old man''s abandoned home.


    When we arrived I was kind of surprised. The house wasn''t as dusty anymore and looked like an actual house for once.


    "Wow, you did a good job," the old man said.


    "Thank you." Alisa smiled.. I guess she really did deserve some praise if she could pull all of this up.

 Chapter 139 - Unsteady Future

    I spent the morning alone in a room. The old man went to the market alone. There would have been trouble if I had gone along with him. Meanwhile, Jowy was with Alisa in a room next to the one I was in.


    Ever since I came to this house, Alisa was staying away from me, almost as though she was avoiding me. Maybe I was just imagining things or maybe was she really afraid of me or something? or perhaps she secretly hated me for letting Brenda die? After all, Brenda died for my sake they were pretty close.


    Should I ask her? But that would make the situation awkward. In that case¡­


    I just waited patiently. My turn will come anyway. Eventually.


    The old man came back sometime later. He brought back a lot of stuff. Some of that stuff looked quite fancy, especially the slice of rib eye he brought.


    The geezer along with Alisa made lunch: I really wished Jowy was involved more than just supervising though. The odor was still pretty extravagant.


    "Eat well, this stuff was pretty expensive. Ha ha ha," the old man declared.


    "Yeah, it''s cooked well too," I said. The taste wasn''t anything worthy of jumping around but it was definitely better than what I was used to.


    Alisa puffed her chest in excitement. "Thank you for the compliment." This was the first time since all morning she interacted with me. Even if she hated me, she hid her animosity pretty well.


    Wasn''t the geezer the one who cooked this? Then why are you acting all high and mighty?


    "That reminds me, I heard you want to come along with us?"


    Naturally, act natural.


    "Ye-yes."


    Her stutters made me wonder a lot of things. But I maintained my composure. I had to know. "Why? I''m sure you already know that this journey would be very dangerous. "


    "I-know. But I want to."


    Interesting answer.


    "That doesn''t tell me why." I pressed on.


    The other two went pretty quiet. They were enjoying the food a bit too much.


    "I lied about me not having any work and all that. I just couldn''t stand that town anymore." She became embarrassed and hid her face behind her hands.


    So you already lied before.


    "Then your parents-" If one was a lie then there were possibilities of other ones being a lie too.


    "That''s- wasn''t a lie. I''m really orphaned. You see I''ve always had this grand dream of traveling the world. But now that my parents are dead that''s almost impossible for me." She made an innocent face but to me, that didn''t seem all that innocent.


    The other two weren''t as surprised as I was. I got the impression that they already knew.


    Again I''m the only one who''s left out, huh?


    "But that doesn''t mean-"


    She didn''t let me finish. "I''d do anything¡­ from cooking to washing. I''d do all sorts of work. So please." She begged and her eyes trembled.


    "I think we should let her come along Daarc. Or would you prefer the old man''s food?" Jowy said.


    Nice one! Who knew you''d lack so much common sense. And weren''t you the one who cooked!


    Though it seemed like the old man and Alisa cooked, I did see Jowy maintaining order in the kitchen. Meaning this food tasted good because of him. After all, I had the old man''s cooking for over three months. SO this kind of extravagant taste wasn''t something he could pull of and I knew that like second nature. Of course, they thought I didn''t know, so I didn''t say it out loud.


    I kind of knew both of the old guys were already fond of her. So I tried to get the information as a last resort. "But first you''ll have to tell me the truth."


    She tilted her head in confusion. Her bunny ears drooped. "What?"


    "What did you see in that monster? Why did you react like that?" I knew I was assuming a bit too much, but there was no helping it.


    She stayed silent for a few minutes. She looked down. Her tail twitched and I neared the limit of my patience. "I-I could sometimes hear monster''s thoughts¡­"


    "Just like the kid!" The old man couldn''t hide his excitement. I was excited as well but didn''t let it show.


    But his excitement seemed a bit too real for it to be real. Meaning, he already knew. The very thought made a sigh escape my lips.


    I see that''s why you two are so damn impressed by this brat and want her to come along.


    "Then how come you couldn''t understand the statue?"


    All that time Alisa acted like she couldn''t understand the statue and more often than not she''d made an offbeat comment about the things around us. At first, I didn''t really pay attention but as things went on, my suspicions just increased.


    "Actually I could but I-"She looked at the ground and toyed the ground with her feet. That was annoying and honestly, I was more or less pissed off by now.


    "Do all beastmen have this talent?" I still didn''t know much about this world in general let alone the beastmen.


    "No-no. I was special. And that''s why-" she paused.


    "That''s why?"


    "My parents are dead. I was supposed to die too and-"


    She didn''t finish.


    "Sigh* Very well. But you''d have to pick up your own pace. We can''t save your butt every time a monster shows up." Things weren''t looking too hot for me anyway. She had valid reasons for traveling with us. It wasn''t because she wanted to travel the world; rather it was because she had to be on the run constantly. And even with my tiny brain, I could surmise that much.


    "I-I''ll try my best," she said. Her hands cuffed her chest. She was determined. And looked kind of cute too. I always had a thing for everything bunny-like anyway.


    "Don''t blame me if you end up dead," I muttered. I didn''t want to say it but it came out anyway.


    My eyes had turned pretty lifeless when I said that. I shouldn''t have been able to understand that unless I''d seen the mirror behind the old man who sat right in front of me. I kind of regretted it. After all, she was just a kid.


    Alisa looked at me with genuine determination. There were tears in her eyes but she didn''t cry.. She reminded me, even kids could have iron resolves.

 Chapter 140 - An Eyewatering Farewell

    We finished our lunch and I went back to that room. I was still in my shirt so I got dressed in my armor. As expected a total bandit.


    I couldn''t help but remember Biteria and Brenda. Both of them were inseparable and annoyed me and, yet I liked them both. They were my companions and friends. And now they were gone¡­


    My bag was missing a few things and the ID''s and all that were among them. But I still had the seven silvers that I received from Brenda. They were precious to me.


    My sword and knife were pretty much intact. Actually, the sword was even sharper. The geezer must have done the part. And the knife was just like I left it, so it was pretty good too.


    Guess I''ll have to move on.


    After I sorted everything I met up with the rest of them outside.


    "You said something about Alfeim being surrounded by forests, how long would it take for us to get there?" I asked. I still didn''t know much about these things.


    "About two days."


    Two days huh? Will these wounds heal?


    "Any danger?" Maybe that was a stupid question considering everything in this world was ridiculed with dangers.


    "Not necessarily. The forest that surrounds the forest is sacred and don''t have even a single undead," Jowy said. He looked proud if nothing else.


    The forest surrounds the forest? Just how many frigging forests are we talking about?


    "Would we get horses or-"


    "We''d take camels till the forest and then release them," the old man said.


    "Camels?"


    "There is a short desert worth of a day and half of travel." The old man''s sarcastic laugh made a solid comeback.


    Why the hell are you laughing about there being a dessert?


    Groans escaped me without me even noticing.


    The old man wasn''t finished. He looked serious for a moment when he asked, "Alright. But Daarc, in these two months I''ve seen a lot of changes in you. What would you do when you get there?"


    "You''ll see," I smiled. I knew what he meant.


    I did thought about it before but even I was clueless about what I''d do when I get there. But I wanted answers, and those answers couldn''t be fulfilled if I couldn''t get there. Why was I betrayed? For what purpose? And why did they need to play victim? Those were the questions I wanted to ask and I was prepared to fight the entire nation if need be. And since he was a prince it wouldn''t have been incomprehensible to think that I''d either end up in jail or dead, but I still needed to know them. I just had to.


    "I could tell you one thing though," I said.


    "That would be?"


    "You''d probably at the least end up in jail." Well, if we were lucky.


    He laughed his ass off. I hadn''t seen him laugh like that before.


    "If you claimed to be a soothsayer then I''d have believed you, cause after what I''m going to do, I''d be surprised if they decided to keep me in jail rather than exciting me."


    "You mean execute, damn geezer." I was annoyed but he kept laughing.


    "Excuse me, elf here. Are you sure you want to say stuff like that in front of me?" Jowy said, raising his hand up like middleschooler.


    The geezer yet again laughed. It wasn''t much of a concern. Both of us had already decided what we''d do three full months ago.


    "Then it''s settled." I spread my arms towards the geezer.


    "Ya betcha!" He grabbed my hands and shook em'' like a mad man.


    Alisa was quite curious of what was happening. I didn''t want her to be executed or something but, I didn''t really feel obligated to tell her anything either. Even if I had told her, she probably would have decided to come along anyway, well, probably.


    We packed up and left before the afternoon and went to the outskirts of the town. Before leaving I''d made a visit to Brenda''s grave. The others had come along too. In this city, she''d sleep forever. If there was something like the afterlife, then I really wanted her to be able to go the heaven. According to the angel, she did go to heaven, so I could at least rest easy in that regard. But I really wanted to travel with her some more.


    "Farewell Brenda." Of course, there were no replies and I left with a smile on my face. A smile that took the most of my courage and will.


    The camels were pretty cheap and once outside the wall, I took a look up the wall. This wall wasn''t that tall, probably two meters at best. It was made from stones and did look rather sturdy though.


    There were three and a half people who had come to see us off on top of the wall. Although I couldn''t believe my eyes, the old man''s son along with his wife and two children came to send us off. They didn''t really say anything though, not until the last moment that is.


    "This one is Arc and the toddler is Evan." The old man''s son was quiet this whole time but at the very last moment, he looked sharp.


    There were two kids with him. Arc was at least ten while Evan really was a toddler. His wife was beautiful and I was just glad he got a good life here. I don''t know why but I kind of understood him and his love for his country. So the least I could do was get out of his way. The old man didn''t look back. The reason was his eyes being watery. He looked forward¡­


    At the moment of our departure Arc let out a scream.


    "Grampa! Please stay longer next time!"


    I didn''t know if the geezer met them this time or not but I was glad for him. "you sure you don''t want to stay behind?" I knew the geezer wasn''t going to stay so it was just a little tease.


    The geezer still had that weird hat. He threw it without looking back and the wind guided the hat to Arc.


    The old man lifted his arm in the air and made his horse move forward. He didn''t even look at me. I guess he couldn''t, not with that face.


    We did the same. He wasn''t crying but the look on his face wasn''t really smile material either. If tears and smile went together then that might come close to what the old man showcased. I really was glad for him.


    Goodbye Brenda.

 Chapter 141 - Through The Scorched Lands

    "This is the desert you talked about?"


    "Indeed."


    Apparently, we were in front of the desert but there was not even a grain of sand.


    It was about six kilometers away from the city and we were at the very edge of the green zone.


    What the hell.


    The temperature was high, resembling a dessert. But it was more like a brazen scorched land. Earth was shattered and there were cracks everywhere. No trees, no animals, no rocks, no nothing: at least not past this point.


    It wasn''t even noon and the temperature was above forty degrees, at least that''s what my imaginary thermometer told me. If it was this high, in the afternoon, I couldn''t even imagine how high it would be tomorrow, when we''d actually cross it. "How the hell are we supposed to cross this?"


    "Just like that." The old man covered his face with a white cloth. "It''s rather cool now, so we''ll cross the first half now and the rest tomorrow."


    This is rather cool for you?


    "Wait, we''re going to travel at night?" The thought of traveling at night brought back horrible memories.


    "Yup. Or are you suggesting, we travel in the blazing hot sun?"


    The monsters were a problem but he was right. Traveling at night was the better option. However, we were already tired, rather I was. And it hadn''t even been an hour since we started.


    We had three camels. Jowy and Alisa shared one. While I and the geezer had two for ourselves.


    It was kind of weird how there was a desert in the middle of nowhere just like that. "Why is there a dessert here, anyway?"


    It was hard to even breathe. But Jowy started talking like it was a picnic or something. He was totally unfazed. "I heard long ago, the goddess of water used to visit these lands and give us her blessings. The blessings were divine water. Some say this water could have easily cured even the most horrible of wounds. The goddess gave people so much water that a small pond formed and over the years, a lake. The water was said to have been as potent as a high potion: but that''s just the rumors. Little by little the small pond became a massive lake and everything flourished. But one day something happened and she stopped coming," Jowy paused. "And then this desert formed in place of that lake."


    "But that doesn''t explain why it became a desert though. Think about it. Even if the goddess disappeared-" Maybe it was me who wasn''t doing the thinking.


    Alisa ignored me and issued her own thoughts. "I wonder if something like that monster happened to her¡­"


    It probably did.


    I didn''t know why but Alisa almost seemed a little sad.


    "Anyway, like I was saying-" I started.


    "Yes, it doesn''t explain it and we don''t know." Jowy was being a bit too frank.


    The heat decreased as time passed: it was almost evening. The dessert glistened like a pond in the distance.


    Mirage?


    As the sunset, everything became too chilly, too sudden.


    Where the hell did all that heat go?


    By the time we saw stars, it was more than just chilly and it hadn''t even been that late. "How are we supposed to travel in this cold?"


    "What''s up with you? Why''re complaining so much?" The old man got irritated. But didn''t he know? I was injured. It was my job to complain. He looked at my face, sighed, and signaled Jowy to stop. "I suppose taking a break won''t hurt too much. We haven''t had dinner yet."


    "I agree. But Alisa''s already asleep so I think it''d be better if we didn''t wake her." Jowy stopped and so did we.


    How lucky.


    To think I''d be jealous of a little girl. She looked kind of cute though, with those droopy little bunny ears.


    We lit a fire by a date tree. At first, I thought there wasn''t even a single tree. But I was wrong. The dessert was about twenty kilometers in radius, and we''d only crossed ten or so: and there definitely were trees and cactuses. The lake must have been really big. And to think the whole thing was like a high potion reservoir, life must have been really fun back then. The high potions were really tasty in this world. If I had money, you bet I''d be downing high potions all the time.


    I couldn''t help but be jealous as I sipped my warm soup. I entangled myself in whatever warm cloth I had. It was friggin cold even with the fire.


    I never knew October could be so damn cold. From the day I came to this world, I kept track of the calendar. This world had the same year system but they didn''t have names for their months. The prominent month system of thirty individual days was a new thing, so not many ordinary citizens knew of it: at least not on this continent. Apparently, it was publicized about twenty years ago. But one thing shocked me the most. This new system was actually adopted by the Galbatian Empire more than fifty years ago. Almost at the same time when their new emperor, the demon lord Namcha, came to the throne.


    "Tell me, how come I never hear anything about the emperor?"


    "You mean Namcha Miallianes?" Jowy looked a bit puzzled.


    "Yeah? Or are there more emperors?"


    "Alfeime is also an empire." The old man began, he looked a bit serious. "But that- His name itself is a bad omen."


    Neither of them looked at me. They didn''t want to talk about the emperor for one reason or the other.


    I sighed. If those two weren''t willing to talk, then I couldn''t wring out anything out of them either.


    "Once-" The old man begun. I thought he wasn''t going to talk but he did. "He destroyed a town just for fun: at least that''s what he called fun." He chuckled in despair. "I was a fresh infantry back then¡­" He got quiet. "Let''s drop the subject."


    My blood kind of went cold. If I wasn''t careful something like that could have happened to Moire, too.


    And yet, it was kind of weird how the demons were the ones who were more advanced.


    "Boy, that soup is gettin cold!"


    For a second there I forgot about my soup altogether.


    But one thing was for certain¡­ this geezer was definitely a lot older than I thought.


    We finished our dinner, rested, and moved on. I was getting sleepy but we couldn''t stop. There weren''t any undead roaming about. That got me thinking. How come there weren''t many undead in wild areas such as these? "Old man, can you tell me something?"


    "It''s not like I''ve got something better to do."


    Talk about an attitude.


    "Why aren''t there any undead in places like these?"


    Undead in general were mostly found in forests and though some did roam in wild grass fields that were rare. The only time undead attacked cities or villages was when something else controlled them or perhaps if the forests were too close to civilization.


    "Honestly¡­ I don''t know. I think it has something to do with them wanting to eat your brains or something." The geezer smirked.


    It kind of irritated me.


    Jowy held his chin and thought for a minute. "I believe in ancient times these forests were battlefields. The bodies became nutrition for the trees and the souls became the undead. Hence the whole forest fiasco."


    Didn''t expect you to talk like that!


    "I think I read something like that once. But man, it''s freezing!" It was very cold no doubt.


    The old man snorted out the stuff he was drinking and laughed wildly. I couldn''t help but be somewhat irritated, again. If he wanted to laugh, he was free to do so, but why''d he have to waste precious water?


    I kept my mouth shut and we moved through the cold drylands. No monsters or undead for that matter got in our way.


    We stopped at late midnight to set camp. I almost fell asleep on the road and yet I couldn''t sleep when I lied down. Just what the hell was wrong with my body?


    "By the way," I began. "How come things were so bad between elves and men?" I had the representatives from both species, so this was one of those rare moments. With all the constant worries and dangers, and¡­ tragedies, I kind of forgot about it.


    "Well." The old man held his head in his hands. "Men and elves have been at war for over a century now. So I guess that''s why?" The old man questioned me.


    "Excuse me? At war? How? What?" If I wasn''t confused before, I was definitely confused now.


    "Men and elves have been at war for a long time. But it''s not what you think." Jowy looked at me, emotionless.


    "Long story short, it''s like a break. A long break. But things could go bad anytime. I think there''s actually a kingdom in between Destoa and Alfheim. And since most of the citizens of that country are men the humans demand that kingdom. But I tell ya, the king of that country is a literal piece of shit." The old man chuckled hard. "I think it was called Hell-something."


    "Hell? The country is literally called hell?" I didn''t buy it.


    Jowy cleared his throat. "That is why both countries are trying to take over the country in the middle and avoiding clashes with verbal feud. As things are, a full-scale war isn''t bound to happen in the next few decades." He looked at the sky. "But it isn''t far away either."


    I sighed.


    I guess it''s not my problem.


    The conversation died, but it didn''t feel like anything was resolved.


    But why a war over something so trivial?


    Well, I guess it wasn''t trivial for them. Food was always a priority. And what better way to secure more food than to secure more land? But really? People could afford a war in this kind of war when everything literally wanted to end life?


    The day ended just like that, huh? I wonder how things are looking for you, Brenda¡­ And Biteria too. I wonder how the afterlife is¡­. Oh, wait, I don''t wanna know just yet¡­


    It hurt and I had trouble forgetting. But it all felt distant now. Yet I still couldn''t stop my mind from remembering all the good times. The stars were bright. I always heard about people turning to stars. Never believed it though.. I wonder if I''ll ever see you again¡­ I closed my eyes with a bitter smile.

 Chapter 142 - The End Of The Dessert

    "Water¡­" A voice echoed. Something dripped. I didn''t have feet but there was nothing beneath me: it was like I was floating. Almost as though I was deep in water where there was so bottom.


    The darkness wasn''t so dark and I could vaguely make out a shape deep down. The shape was black in color and the area around it was blue. It was probably chained.


    "Water¡­" The voice called out again¡­.


    "What is this?" Again my voice didn''t reach. This place was different from that place with darkness. That place felt sad and lonely.


    This place felt lonely and desperate.


    "Water!" The voice called out again. "I hate it!"


    My consciousness faded.


    ***


    Woke up in the morning: lately, I had a lot of weird dreams, but it wasn''t time to be concerned about those things. The temperature was comfortable. The sun hadn''t risen yet. But there was a problem. I couldn''t focus. I needed caffeine. I used to pull all-nighters back on earth all the time. So it didn''t feel as horrible as it should have but even so, it felt like I could fall any moment. Besides, I always had coffee to accompany me during those days.


    The old man caught my swaying body. "Whoa, hang in there, boy."


    "Got any tea or coffee?"


    "Nada."


    Was tea or coffee even a thing in this world? I did come across something that resembled tea in a shop before at Moir¨¦, but ever since then, nothing.


    Perfect. This is gonna be a great day.


    The day started with the most wonderful of things. I couldn''t focus, and breathing was hard. Alisa was still sleeping and sometimes mumbling stuff like, "Stop, I can''t eat anymore." She was cute but I was jealous.


    Later Jowy woke her and we had breakfast. I felt a little better after eating, but keeping my eyes open was somewhat a dread. I couldn''t fall back asleep and I couldn''t stay awake either. It was the greatest predicament of my life.


    "I feel like I''m about to turn into an undead soon." And my voice sure felt that way too.


    "Be sure to take notes Jowy. We might finally solve the mystery of how one can become an undead."


    "Very funny old man¡­" I stuttered in more than one way.


    "I know right. Ha ha ha." The old man''s usual sarcastic laughter was back on track. Actually, it was worse than before.


    The sun rose, and our misery began: mine intensified. With every passing minute, my blood boiled more and more. I couldn''t feel my own body anymore. It was too hot. I leaked liters of sweat from all the pores of my body. I was rocking a white shirt and that was it. I wasn''t even in my armor. The weather was just too hot.


    "Look sharp boys. We''ve got a party up ahead." The old man''s chuckles made me focused a bit.


    "Huh?" I was barely clinging to my consciousness. Maybe the monsters knew that. That''s why they came to attack us now.


    Moving cactuses! Yesterday and last night we didn''t come across them. Maybe they only came out in extremely hot weather.


    There weren''t any other monsters around. Just cactuses.


    These looked a little different from the ones I fought back on the mountain path to Moire. Those had little slender needles. These had big thick needles. I could imagine what kind of fate lay ahead of me.


    Luckily, I didn''t have to suffer. Jowy shot them down before they could even come close. Maybe his skills with the crossbow were even better than Lianne''s. But that was probably because Lianne was versatile and she could fight on the front as well. The same couldn''t be said about Jowy: He was always behind us.


    The old man took some needles out and they were really big, almost as big as my arm and thick as my fingers. I most certainly didn''t want to get stung by those things.


    The geezer even took a cactus monster after clearing up all the needles.


    How would people use those damn things?


    At precisely mid-day we took shelter by some date trees. It was too hot even in the shade. Our water was almost drained. We were on the verge of collapse.


    Jowy used a hunting knife to slice open the cactus and draw out some water. He was also crafting arrows from the needles and dried wood. His dedication almost made me want to learn how to use a bow too.


    But that''s when it started. I started seeing water in the distance. There was so much water. I knew they had to mirages but my body wouldn''t listen to my mind. If it was a dried lake, then there was a chance, water was here- I thought that and that was only the fuel for the burning flames in my heart.


    The old man and Jowy had to hold me down or I might have run in the middle of the desert. Things weren''t looking good.


    Being seriously injured and dehydrated at the same time wasn''t fun. It nearly made me go insane. But perhaps I was already on the verge of going insane. When they sat me down for a minute it felt like my behind would burn but it didn''t and I fell asleep within minutes.


    ***


    "Sir I''m telling you. This is dangerous. Think about the consequence. What will happen if we fail?"


    "Shut up and do what you''re told! Do you have any idea how long I''ve waited for this?"


    "But sir!"


    "Don''t but me and get your ass working."


    I saw two unfamiliar men talking. They were wearing strange clothes even by Destoa''s standards. We were in some kind of facility. I couldn''t move or do anything. It was like as though I was watching a movie of some sort while being tied to a chair.


    Not this again!


    The man who seemed like the boss had a wicked smile on his face and somehow that didn''t sit well with me. But one thing was strange. They had pointy ears like Elves. But they didn''t look like elves. Elves had white porcelain skin, but these guys have black skins. Were they dark Elves or something? But come to think of it, dark elves weren''t part of the 13 races. So how come? Or more importantly, what were they?


    There were a lot of large tubes and pods. The pods were the size of a typical man. There were people in there and they were submerged.


    What is this place? Where am I?


    It was almost like those things you see in sci-fi movies. Come to think of it, this scene did seem like it was out of this world.


    But one thing drew my attention. It was a very large pod. There was something in there. Something very big: and I didn''t like that face. Its face was almost like¡­ almost like that thing from the island.


    Was this that island?


    The boss guy went closer to the large pod and rubbed it. "Just you wait, Lord Jamsau, I''ll fulfill my task and you''ll have to acknowledge me. Ah ha ha ha!"


    ***


    My sleep broke when someone shook my shoulder. "What happened boy. Did you get enough rest?"


    My world was going up and down. Are we moving? "You''re asking me that, after waking me up?"


    It was evening and the scenery had changed. "We''ve arrived at the entrance of the forest." The old man was behind me and the moment he said it, the camel stopped.


    "Wait, huh?"


    "We didn''t wake you up cause you were a little dull and very unconscious. Anyway, this is the entrance, we''ll camp here tonight. Hopefully, you''ll get enough rest to heal at least something." The old man burst into laughter again.


    Apparently, they''d carried me all the way here without even waking me up. I was glad for that. But then I learned all three of them, even Alisa were perfectly fine with the heat. They weren''t even fazed. Just how much of a weakling was I?


    It was afternoon, so Jowy insisted we head inside. With the geezer''s smirk and all that, I couldn''t really say no either. The forest was rather clean though and the smell wasn''t rotten. But then again, I couldn''t let my guard down.. Forests were scary.

 Chapter 143 - Resurrection

    The fire burned brightly. It was comforting but my mind was preoccupied with loads of thoughts. The three of them were facing me. I didn''t really pay attention to them.


    Ah! Another day passes. When will this end?


    "Daarc, I need to-" Alisa paused.


    "What is it?"


    "It was my fault," she said.


    My eyes widened. I didn''t expect her to say that. I really didn''t. For a moment my heart throbbed in pain as I witnessed her tear-jerking expression. She really was sorry.


    With resonance to my silence, she added, "She died for me. If I wasn''t there-"


    "It''s okay. She didn''t once blame you. And for the first and last time, you were unconscious. She died because of me! So don''t say that."


    She might have meant that as an apology but even so, it only hurt me. It reminded me of what I wanted to forget and yet again, my heart throbbed.


    She looked at her feet. She didn''t know what to say anymore; she was a child after all.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "What?"


    I didn''t reply, even I couldn''t comprehend why I''d said that but there was nothing more to say.


    We still hadn''t had dinner. The other two were cooking: bread. Monsters weren''t common in this place- at least that''s what Jowy told me. I didn''t believe him though. There weren''t any movements in the forest but I still remained vigilant.


    Soon my peripherals got triggered. What was that!


    "What''s wrong Daarc?" Jowy said.


    "Thought I saw something there," I said.


    I looked and saw nothing. There wasn''t any sound in the bushes either.


    Was I imagining things?


    "Could have sworn I saw something white there¡­" I muttered to myself.


    "Don''t worry. That happens to the best of us, but you can rest in peace. This forest is protected by Lady Imazael. She protects these lands."


    "An angel?" That name sounded a lot like the angels.


    "Well, she kind of is like an angel¡­" Jowy said. Jowy''s face became a little red and he looked at the fire instead of me. If I wasn''t wrong, I''d say he blushed.


    I didn''t continue the conversation and chomped on my piece of bread. It was tasteless but that was all we had. Cooked bread is still bread. Even that mush the pirates gave me wasn''t this bad. Come to think of it, that mush might have even been a little delicious. The heat must have gotten to me.


    I didn''t really care about Jowy''s preferences. And if it wasn''t an actual angel, it wasn''t that interesting a topic to me.


    "By the way, you guys know something about a Jamsau?"


    When I said that there was silence. Even moments ago the three were chatting but now they all looked at me with utter silence.


    "Where''d you hear that name?" Jowy said.


    "In a dream maybe¡­"


    "Don''t utter it in public." Jowy was insisting. He was serious. "And even if you dream those dreams, don''t say it in public."


    "Okay?" I got that I shouldn''t have said stuff in public, but did he forget that we were in a forest and there weren''t any public here?


    The old man drank the rest of the bread soup in one go. "Remember I said something about the god of underworld? That''s him."


    Okay so, this Jamsau guy was the guy behind all this drama? If it weren''t for him, all this fighting and all that wouldn''t have happened?


    "And, ah-" It was hard to say, more like embarrassing. "I had this dream where I was floating and it felt like there was something beneath me. I actually talked with one and that place was just dark. Something about being the darkest place and stuff. I saw another place where there was water everywhere but the voice kept saying ''water.'' Am I going crazy?"


    Both of the guys just looked at me without a word. Alisa looked a little skeptical but I couldn''t help but feel she knew something.


    "Once, in my younger days, I dreamed of a girl. A girl in darkness. She kept calling me to free her. But once she saw me, she said, ''you''re not the one.''" The geezer sighed. "Dunno if you''ve met that person, but I don''t have an answer for you."


    In the end, Jowy just kept quiet and the old man sighed. Neither of them said a word to me.


    "Excuse me?" I tried to get an answer.


    "I wouldn''t worry too much about the dreams. They were just dreams. The weather''s hot and you were tired, maybe that''s why?" Alisa was being awfully realistic for a kid. But maybe she was right.


    "The kid''s right, rest up." The old man was hiding something; there was no doubt about it. But I didn''t press on.


    After all, dreams were just dreams, right?


    God of underworld, huh? So that dream¡­ some kind of memory from the past? But how come I''m getting it now? Why me?


    There were also those other two dreams of darkness. What were they, who were they? I didn''t know and I didn''t have any way to know either. I could only wait and see for now.


    After finishing we went to sleep. Jowy insisted that guarding wouldn''t be necessary. So we listened to him.


    However, I stayed vigilant. I couldn''t trust Jowy to that extent, at least not yet. I kept on thinking about the world and my own world for once. Maybe my world was flawed but it definitely was much better than this world. At least I didn''t run the risk of being killed a thousand times a day. After midnight, I couldn''t keep my eyes open. Maybe I really was tired. But I still pushed on. I couldn''t let my guard down. I really didn''t want to.


    And as a result, woke up all groggy. I couldn''t shake the feeling of being terrified of the forest all night and fell asleep at the last possible moment before sunrise. I got enough rest yesterday afternoon, so it wasn''t that much of a big deal.


    But there was something on top of me. Something very familiar, so familiar that I was almost on the verge of tears.


    "Biteria!"

 Chapter 144 - Alfeime, True Magnificence

    I was amazed, thrilled, and above all, relieved. When the old man told me that she was missing instead of being a corpse I had a fleeting hope that she could still be alive, yet I couldn''t believe my eyes.


    "Oh Biteria," I grabbed her and hugged her tightly.


    The others were staggered but looked relieved as well.


    Biteria purred and gently clung to me: She jumped on my shoulder and stayed there.


    "It''s a miracle," the old man said.


    "There are no such things," I said. But I definitely appreciated this one.


    "How''d she-"Alisa couldn''t finish.


    "I don''t think we can know that as she can''t talk." I cuddled Biteria with one finger and she looked back at me.


    Please don''t bite.


    "Miracle or not I''m glad she made it," the old man said.


    "Yup!" Alisa jumped.


    But those eyes¡­ Biteria, you-


    Her eyes were trembling and the air was crippled with grief.


    I''m glad you survived but how would I tell you that she''s dead? And you ended up-


    Biteria looked around and she glared at Alisa for longer than she looked at the others. But she didn''t show any hostility.


    "I''ll make breakfast," Jowy said. "We can''t hunt in the sacred forest, so we''re limited to the bread."


    "Seriously? More bread!?"


    Cooked or not bread was bread. I couldn''t stand for more of it.


    There goes the idea of a hearty breakfast.


    What the heck was wrong with the elves- that was the question I was asking myself but I had to give in. There was plenty of food that taste better with time but not bread; it tastes horrible after a period of time. Combine that with bad quality bread and you have the aftermath of a tongue disaster.


    Breakfast was long and cruel. After breakfast, we decided to continue. The forest wasn''t thick and there weren''t any monsters. However, there were plenty of animals here and there. The deers in particular were quite beautiful: they were golden in color and had white polka dots; perfect for a delicious breakfast. I wanted to savor their meat. I was desperate for food other than bread. My saliva might have drifted past my lips and poked out. "Jowy, do you think we could-"


    He didn''t even give a chance to finish. He was dead set on keeping us from hunting. "No!"


    "I didn''t even finish!" I said.


    "You two don''t get distracted. We need to move quickly or we''ll have to spend another night in this forest." The old man was intent on getting out of the forest. After what he''d said, I felt the same way.


    Another night! Better run!


    I ran. I ran like I meant business, which I did. Jowy was up in the trees and he easily kept up. But the same couldn''t be said about the old man and Alisa. The old man was old, Alisa was a child, but that wasn''t an excuse for moving like turtles. My meaty lunch- I mean our food depended on our speed.


    My mood got significantly better. It wasn''t that I had forgotten about Brenda, but Biteria''s comeback strengthened my will and resolve. I was sad yet my heart didn''t grieve and my soul moved on. We needed to look into the future. Besides, I was yet to uncover the secrets behind the prince''s motives. And not to mention I had a frigging evil demon to contend with.


    I couldn''t stop now. And I had no intention of it.


    With the speed boost, we reached Alfeim in a matter of hours. We got there just moments later in the afternoon. It wasn''t evening yet. We even skipped lunch just to make it. So I was glad we did. But it had more to do with the lack of food than the lack of speed.


    "WoW!" That was my initial reaction. I had seen a lot of towns and read a lot of history but what I saw transcended everything. My brain couldn''t keep up with the details my eyes provided. "What is this?" I asked in awe.


    The city was blessed with beauty. From the houses to the roads, everything looked wondrous from the hill we were standing on. There were massive trees in among the houses and a palace was in the middle of the whole town: a palace made of glass or something similar.


    "Welcome to Alfeim, the capital city," Jowy said.


    My jaws dropped.


    Did he say the capital!


    "Weren''t we supposed to first reach- I think- Veneheime?" It took a lot of willpower to keep that name memorized.


    But the capital straight away?


    Jowy narrowed his eyes and looked sideways, crossing his arms. "Why would you want to go there if you can get here quicker?"


    "I had no idea you could come straight to Alfieme." The old man chuckled.


    "There''s a lot of things men don''t know and I hope it stays that way." He looked at us as if to say, ''this is a secret between me and you''. We all nodded. Jowy didn''t waste time explaining. "Anyway, this is where we part. Thank you for everything, all of you."


    "Thank you as well," I said. He was still a bit suspicious in my book but maybe just maybe, I trusted him a little more.


    "Take care young man." The old man went closer to Jowy, spreading his hand forward.


    "I''m still older than you geezer." Jowy grabbed the old man''s hand and shook vigorously. Elves were sensitive about their age, no doubt.


    "Farewell, Mr. Jowy," Alisa said.


    "I know I shouldn''t say this but I''ll say it anyway. Alfeim isn''t what it used to be, so refrain from doing anything stupid." Jowy warned us. That was polite of him to do so.


    But he should have figured it out that we weren''t going to stop just because of a warning.


    "See you around Jowy." I waved. He gave me a faint smile and waved back. For the record, all of us waved.


    The farewell was simple and we separated with smiles.

 Chapter 145 - Meat? Did Anyone Say Meat?

    Jowy left and we decided what to do next. His words were a warning and he meant what he said. But the same went for me.


    My mind was already made up. "First let''s get some food!"


    My mind was too narrowed to think, I want to eat and that was it. Who cared about worldly affairs such as revenge and stuff? All we needed to think- was about food.


    "Boy, do you have any clue what the elves eat?"


    "I''ve seen them eat plenty of times, why?"


    The old man sighed and led the way. Alisa and I only followed him in confusion. My dear Biteria didn''t leave my shoulder. My luck might have been really high, as she was yet to bite me all day.


    We headed for the market. The houses were mostly two storied, and they were made from baked bricks and they were plastered. They almost looked modern and yet something about those houses reminded me of the Mughal age. The windows were made from transparent crystals. The architecture was just ahead of the rest of the places I''d visited. Even the roads were made using bricks and plastered instead of marble or cobblestone. Truly a beauty to behold.


    The old man took me to the market and my throat clogged up.


    What is this?


    There wasn''t any meat or even fish. The only things that were available were green vegetables, vegetables, and some more vegetables. It was like I was somehow, back in the grasslands outside of the villages. Damn.


    "But I''ve seen them eat meat," I said.


    "They can''t hunt in the forest, so where do think meat would come from?"


    "They don''t raise cattle?" My voice was tiny and the answer was obvious.


    "They have better things to do. Still want to dine in an elven shop?" The old man had a smirk. He knew it all along. I really wanted to beat this damn geezer.


    "I''d take my bread," I said with great agony.


    However, the city was bustling with busyness. There were elves everywhere; I suppose I should have expected that as it was a country of elves. We were getting occasional stares but they weren''t hostile in any way. Hard to imagine men and elves were at war. It almost felt like there were no hostility between the two races, but I wasn''t that dumb either. After all, anything could happen when you''re dealing with elves.


    Alisa looked around with wanderlust but seemed more confused than fascinated.


    We went into a bread restaurant and bought plain bread; apparently bread restaurants were a thing in this world- not that I cared... The bread tasted good but it wasn''t something you can just chew on for ages. The provided soup didn''t go that well with the bread as it was filled with nothing but vegies.


    I didn''t get to complain though.


    "Elves are a racism free country, so I think we could even visit the weapons shop if we wanted to," the old man said. "And since we''re at a break on the war, they won''t harm us even if we were to act a bit too rude." I didn''t like that smirk on his face.


    "But I don''t see many humans or dwarfs here."


    "Humans wouldn''t be able to come here quickly without an elf''s help. And dwarfs don''t go well with elves. Besides, most humans are afraid of elves."


    I could imagine why people would fear elves. Elves were powerful and they were quick to betray others for their own sake. Of course, powerless humans would be scared of them.


    "They hate each other?" Maybe that''s why Dwarves and Elves had a bad relationship?


    "I wouldn''t call it hate but they don''t like each other."


    It was odd but I didn''t really need to worry about those things. "I see. Is there any magic shops? Since the elves can use magic and all," I said.


    "There are but they don''t permit humans in."


    The glee in the geezer''s eyes suggested that he spoke from experience.


    Being disappointed, I toyed with my spoon. "Is that so?"


    If humans aren''t permitted then this might be a problem. I need to know more.


    "I don''t like that look. Don''t go about doing anything stupid." The old man knew exactly what I was thinking but my mind was made up.


    I smiled. Even a geezer like that could understand me these days.


    Alisa was quiet. She didn''t talk much ever since we came to the town.


    "Is something wrong Alisa?"


    "Not really. This place reminds me of my village. We used to live peacefully like this," she said. "Ours was a much small village though. And it wasn''t as pretty." She went back to memory lane. She was awfully quite the entire time. Maybe Brenda''s death was weighing on her.


    "I see." I didn''t have any means of consolation for her.


    I didn''t say anything more. All my doubts against her were speculations, so I didn''t show even the slightest of hostility. Besides she even confessed that it was her fault, but then again she was just unconscious the whole time.


    Purr!


    "Wanna eat?" I held a piece of bread over my shoulder. But Biteria tilted her head sideways and gave me a firm denial. We needed meat.


    "Looks like she doesn''t like the bread."


    "That would be the case. Are you sure there are no sources of meat here?" I said.


    "The last time I was here, that was the case, but maybe things could have changed," the old man said.


    That gave me an idea. It was probably best to ask for a local to help- at least that''s what I thought.


    "Excuse me, miss!" I called out one of the waitresses.


    "Yes?" She came close.


    "Is there any place here where you can find meat?"


    She was flustered. Maybe I should have explained myself better. "Meat?" she said in shock and then added, "No I-I don''t think so. But I''ll check in with the manager."


    She left and we finished our meal. However, she didn''t come back. It was getting late and we were getting impatient. "Let''s go pay the bill."


    We paid the bill but before we could leave the manager came to greet us.


    "Good evening gentlemen. Please come this way," He said with a wide grin.


    He was a tanned man with long ears. Unlike the rest of the elves who were fair and tall, he was shorter and much darker. He would look human if he didn''t have those ears.


    We were taken to a room where we sat.


    All this just because we asked about some meat?


    "Now, what is it that I hear? Why did you propose such an act to my worker?" he said. His words were rough and his voice was quite deep.. I got the impression I might have offended him.

 Chapter 146 - Meat? What? Never Heard Of It!

    "What act?" It was safe to say, I was utterly confused.


    "Are you not the one who asked her for some meat?" he said.


    They might have misunderstood me. So I tried to correct him. "I think you are mistaken. We asked for a place where we could find meat."


    "You mean edible meat, correct?"


    What other kind of meat could I have meant?


    "Yes?" Now, I was even more confused.


    He stared at me for a minute, scratched his head, and became excited a little. "Oh! Excuse my rudeness in that case. There aren''t any places where you can buy meat in Alfeim. I had the wrong idea about you." He acted politely and then called the waitress whom I had asked.


    He said something to her and she apologized. I was quite dumbfounded. What was going on?


    Is this some kind of elaborate play or something?


    Maybe the elves fancied stuff like this?


    The manager saw us out of the establishment and when I was about to leave he whispered. "Don''t say meat in public, especially to women." I looked back and his eyes were full of seriousness. "It means¡­"


    I heard what he said. I couldn''t believe my folly. My ears heated up and my heartbeat rose. I couldn''t even face the waitress anymore. I left the establishment but said one thing before leaving, "Sorry." I meant that too.


    I was looking miserable and the old man was giggling, barely containing the sound. He knew it and I could feel it in my gut.


    "Damn geezer. You knew!"


    "Knew what?" He said, acting all innocent.


    He was pretending to be innocent but I knew he was not.


    "What are we talking about?" Alisa asked.


    I couldn''t say anything. He had me cornered. He knew I couldn''t say anything about it as it was too embarrassing. Besides Alisa was but a child. I could never have said something so indecent in front of her.


    "Anyway, we need to look for an inn. The last time I was here I stayed at Leaften inn. Wonder if it''s still open," He said looking at the sky.


    The geezer really knew how to change the subject. His smirk never vanished.


    "You can be nostalgic later. Let''s go," I said. I was a little pissed but definitely embarrassed.


    If she weren''t here, I''d have popped your bubble and beaten some sense into you old man.


    The old man took us to the inn. It was open and still in business. He knew the owner and we even got a discount. The sun had set and the stars started appearing. My room was on the third floor. The bed was soft and fluffy. There was a sweet smell in the room. It almost felt fruity in a way. I liked it. Even the color declared elegance. This particular Inn had wooden cabins but even a novice like me could tell that this was no ordinary wood. It was probably even stronger than concrete. Elves really were an interesting species.


    I came downstairs after checking everything. This place was miles better than anywhere else I''ve ever stayed in this world. Why wasn''t I summoned in this kind of place instead? But then again, I most certainly didn''t want to be summoned by the elves, no sir.


    It was night and we were just chatting downstairs.


    "We''ll head to the palace tomorrow." The old man poured a glass of wine.


    "Do you think they''ll let us in that easily?"


    "Don''t worry I''ve got you covered," He said.


    Yeah, I doubt that.


    Alisa cocked her head around. "We''re heading to the palace?"


    "This might get very dangerous, Iil'' lady. It would be best for you stay at the inn and wait for us." The geezer gulped down wine like it was elixirs or something. Actually, it did smell pretty good and even I was tempted.


    "Yeah that would be for the best," I said. I really wanted a drink but I controlled my urges.


    She smiled, as though she was saying she understood. "Nope. I''m coming with you." She didn''t understand shit.


    Should I comment on her resolve or pity her idiocy?


    "Anyway, I don''t see any of those gray small guys," I said.


    Suddenly a lot of people were staring at me.


    "What are you talking about?" The old man looked at me with curiosity.


    "Gray?" Alisa''s words didn''t reveal curiosity rather they indicated suspicion.


    The same suspicion that covered the rest of the people there. She knew something and that was clear by now. But we moved on from the topic.


    "Nevermind. I might be mistaken. It''s getting late. I''ll turn in," I said.


    Why are they staring at me? I thought elves turn into those things when they get old enough. So do they die quickly or something? If so, then perhaps it was rude of me to ask that?


    "Now? It''s not even midnight!" The old man''s sense of bedtime was pretty whacky. He already emptied one bottle and opened another.


    "Sigh* which part of I''m going to turn in early did you not get?"


    He didn''t protest. I was injured after all.


    "Good night Daarc," Alisa said.


    "Good night. And don''t drink too much Geezer."


    He just gave me a smirk. He was going to drink a lot, a lot-lot.


    I went upstairs, got out from my armor, and laid the sword on the ground. Biteria was still on my shoulder so I got her down to the bed.


    "I''m going out for a bit, so say here. It''s harder to move in armor, and the sword is heavy, so I''ll just keep them here. Watch over them, okay?"


    Can''t believe I''m talking to a bunny. But what a cutie she is!


    The door was locked and it looked like a good lock. But I didn''t want to part with my sword. Who knew when something shitty might happen again? I sighed and picked up my sword. Biteria stared. It was embarrassing.


    With my knife and sword, I jumped from the window to a nearby roof; it hurt like a bitch. I didn''t know what a magic shop looked like but it was for the best that I went in alone.


    Should I ask someone? No that would be stupid.


    I got down from the roof in an alleyway and walked along the road; everything was lit. The house looked marvelous. But my wounds were also spectacular. They reminded me that my rest was overdue yesterday.


    The roads were lit too. Honestly, if I didn''t know better, this whole town seemed kind of modern without any technology that is. I was impressed. Besides, it was clean and even the air smelled different in a good way. The town was in the middle of a forest, so there were trees here and there, strangely, not insects. Some trees were bigger than others. But one was so big that I could see it from about half a kilometer away. I walked there.


    It almost felt like a festival as I walked down the streets of Alfeime. Such a pity that I couldn''t really calm down and enjoy this situation.


    There were plenty of people out, and they all seemed kind of alike, but immediately one particular fellow caught my eyes. She was alone and she was looking distantly at an oak tree. I could never forget that pair of red eyes and that silky hair.. It was Lianne.

 Chapter 147 - An Old Acquaintance

    "Is this tree precious to you?"


    I walked up to Lianne before she could notice. It was as though she was in prayer. She was hidden inside a cloak but I could never forget her.


    She looked sad. I still couldn''t see her face but her eyes were enough to convey the feelings.


    "Hmm! Daarc! But they told me¡­!" She looked like she''d seen a ghost. Her eyes almost popped out but something about that made me ease up.


    Told you? So it was that brat after all. But I shouldn''t let my guard down.


    She was startled and I couldn''t make much sense of what she said. But she quickly composed herself and started talking slowly. "Th-they told me you fell in the sea during a storm!"


    That made sense. I did fell in the ocean and almost no one could lie about that. However, how I fell down was a different matter. "Yeah. I didn''t think I''d survive that either."


    "But I''m glad. I really am!" She clenched her hand on her chest.


    There were tears in her eyes. Were they real or were they just for show? I wanted to believe her. "Anyway, come with me. I''ll introduce you to the Emperor and my father."


    She''d take me even at this hour?


    To say such things she must have been the daughter of a high-ranking noble or something. In that case, I could ask her to do something else. I thought about it.


    "That can wait. I''m here with two comrades. We plan to visit the palace tomorrow." Things actually did turn out better than I thought.


    Let''s see your reaction first.


    I was testing her. I tried to test whether her happiness was real or fabricated. But I really wanted to believe her.


    "In that case I''ll tell his Excellency to prepare a banquet. After-"


    "There''s no need. I wish to surprise the prince you see."


    I smiled to conceal my immense hostility. My brain panicked and I didn''t know what I was getting myself into. If she was really in on it, then the information would be leaked and I''d know. It was a stupid and totally oblivious plan but I went for it.


    "I see." She grinned and I could see the outline of her cheeks and lips. It was lovely. There were dark spots beneath her eyes. But her smile still amazed me. "This oak tree is said to grant wishes if one''s heart is pure and true. I believe it works!"


    I couldn''t pick among, be startled, charmed, or perhaps dumbfounded. She was beautiful and mature. Yet something about her felt a little childish. Was I going senile or something?


    "Really? Has your wish been granted before?" I asked. I was only humoring her. I wasn''t really interested in this kind of stuff.


    The answer was immediate. She didn''t even hesitate for a second. "It has now. I got to see you again. There were so many things that I couldn''t tell you. But let me say one thing, thank you." Her eyes trembled and tears welled but she held them. She was strong, so I never thought I''d see that side of her.


    Wish huh? Then how about¡­. Please give me the power to protect my friends so I never have to see them die like this and let me go home¡­. Who am I kidding it''s not like-


    For a second there I took the stuff seriously. And then chuckled at my own idiocy.


    "Hmm, what is this?" She came so close that I could feel her breath but I stayed sane. She smelled good. It wasn''t something to get worked over but I was a guy after all. I couldn''t control my heartbeat. I sweated, eyes perplexed. It took a lot of will to control my urge to hug her. And I didn''t even know why.


    "Why are you always covered in bandages, every time I see you?" She giggled.


    She laughed at me. But that wasn''t the laugh of pity: it was the laugh of relief. She took a step back and I sighed in relief. One more minute and I might have actually snapped.


    "I''m getting glares. Maybe she doesn''t want me near you?" Lianne held her chin.


    What?


    It took me a moment to realize but there was a weight on my shoulder.


    When did you?


    "I didn''t know you kept animals. Are you saving her for a snack?"


    "N-no! Why would you think that?" I cried out.


    I got some glares from around me but I ignored them.


    "I''m just joking. Calm down." Lianne chuckled.


    I left another sigh in relief. Lately, all I''ve done were nothing but sighs. But she carefully observed Biteria.


    "How did you know it''s a she?" I asked.


    "Intuition." Her usual poker face was back on.


    Seriously? Do you mind sharing with me some of that intuition?


    Lianne''s expression changed. "But she''s-"


    "I know," I said.


    I had long known what had happened. Back in that forest Biteria went close to the verge and came back a half-dead. She wasn''t an undead and she definitely wasn''t alive either but¡­ she was my Biteria. I knew it from the moment I saw her. I just knew it.


    "You knew?"


    "Yeah, from the moment she came back," I said. Biteria''s eyes were black before but now they were crimson. I think all of us knew from the moment we saw her. But no one really said anything.


    "If you trust her then I won''t ask questions," she said. Lianne was very understanding and I knew that from the start. But it could still have been an act.


    I didn''t know how normal undead were born let alone the half-dead ones. But I didn''t really care all that much. My precious pet was back and that''s all I cared for.


    The two of us wandered about in the city. My wounds didn''t throb as much. Maybe company was all I needed. But I didn''t let my guard down, still.


    It was getting late but the crowd hadn''t died down just yet. There were lights everywhere and of all sorts of colors. They were beautiful.


    Most of the people were in pairs though. And there weren''t any elderly or kids around. It was a little daunting.


    I decided to give the earlier plan a shot. If she was a high-ranking noble''s daughter then she could help me out. "Is there any magic shops around here?"


    "You want to see one?" Lianne looked more enthused than confused.


    Naturally, act natural¡­. "Yeah, I was always interested in magic, so-"


    "I''ll take you to one, as a token of my appreciation."


    Yes! I wanted to roar in excitement but kept it all inside.


    "Thank you," I said.


    "You''re welcome."


    We walked a little and arrived at a place. The sign claimed to be a magic shop. I could read the elven language pretty well. It was weird but convenient. The curse wasn''t so bad. At times I hated it and at other times, I really felt blessed.


    However, the sight of the shop brought back memories. It looked exactly like the doctor''s office back in Jelosce.


    "Are you sure?" My eyes twitched, my face sweated.. I did not: want to go in.

 Chapter 148 - Knowledge Is Magic

    "This place isn''t the best in town but he''d be willing to talk to you without much whining," she said.


    It took a lot of guts and mental prep for me to take a step. I couldn''t even begin to wonder what she meant but we entered anyway


    With an audible gulp I entered the shop but it wasn''t dark inside. There were lights- rather candles.


    I didn''t walk into a horror scene did I?


    "Welcome, lady Lianne. But who is that beside you?" an eerie voice whispered.


    I could barely hear that but I knew this shop wasn''t normal. I sharpened my eyes and prepared myself.


    Don''t tell me she lured me into a trap!


    "He''s my guest. He wants to know more about magic, so I brought-" Lianne took off her hood.


    "So you brought an outsider into our sanctuary? You are aware that we have rules-"


    "Yes," She said.


    I couldn''t see much but from what I could tell, the two elves stood there in silence. One was Lianne and the other, I still didn''t know.


    "Sigh! Very well," the voice suddenly became manlier.


    He came out. Wrapped in bright clothes, he looked too fat to be an elf. Was he camouflaged all this time or something?


    Wait, why is does he look like that, and what''s with his clothes?


    We stared each other down for a moment and then he initiated the conversation.


    "So, what did you want to know boy?"


    That voice does not go well with that body!


    I didn''t let down my guard but for the moment I trusted Lianne. At the very least this wasn''t a trap.


    "I want to know about the elements," I said.


    There were various things I wanted to ask about. But I needed to understand the basics first.


    "It seems you''re well informed. There are various elements. So much so, that we don''t know all of them. However the most prominent are Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire."


    "What about Light and Dark?"


    "Where did you hear about them?" He looked at me with more than just curiosity.


    "I''m asking the questions here."


    "And I ain''t answering if you don''t answer me."


    I sighed. I was the one being done favors so I tried to open up. "I saw someone use holy magic."


    "Really? That''s rare!" Lianne said.


    "What you saw was a very rare occurrence. You don''t usually see holy magic at least not among living beings, even elves¡­. However, many angels and gods were said to have holy magic. Personally, I only ever saw one." He glared at me. If he was that suspicious just by hearing I saw someone use it, I couldn''t imagine what he''d do if he learned about me using it. So I kept quiet.


    "What about dark and the relations between elements?"


    "Dark magic or shadow element is even rarer and only three beings in existence have said to process that element. The lord of all Terortra- although he was said to have been the god of light, the God of Underworld Ashirnae- also known as Jamsau the eradicator, and the emperor of Galbatia, Namcha Millianese- the devourer of worlds. As for their relation, they are weak against each other: holy and shadow that is. And as you''d expect fire is weak against water and wind is weak against fire. But earth and water don''t have any terrible drawbacks. "


    Holy hot chuckles! What''s with the names!


    Were people in this world really crazy, or was I going mad? Both!?


    "I did saw someone use ice-"


    More like something.


    "That''s a culmination of wind and water. In rare cases, people could have multiple affinities. And those people could conjure up stuff like that." The guy was dishing out facts like he was lord googl* himself.


    I was learning a lot of things. But how much of it was credible was still to be seen.


    "I see. But I didn''t know Terortra possessed shadow element as well," I said.


    It was kind of surprising as he was supposed to be the god of light. I always had high opinion of Trerotra. So I felt kind of proud.


    "He possessed all known and unknown elements. It is said that he was the strongest because of that," Lianne said.


    "I didn''t know that." I did know he was the strongest but even so, it was new to me.


    "Is that all?" The man wanted to wrap this up.


    "Oh no, not even close. I haven''t even started yet," I said.


    The man sighed. Lianne sat down on a nearby chair. "And I was hoping to get some sleep now. Very well boy. Lay them on me," he said.


    He sounded a little weird but I went with the flow.


    "That I will!"


    Now we''re on the same page.


    "I''m not following this conversation," Lianne said looking awkward.


    I thought for a moment, cleared my mind, and composed my questions. "First, how do you cast a spell? Second, how do you imbue your own body with magic and last," My voice became as serious as it could sound," How do you kill something that''s transparent?"


    "I''d assume the last one gave you quite the trouble, huh? But that''s the easiest. If you possess either holy or water element you can stab through something like that, if you can channel your magic through the weapon; or you can even surround the thing in your magic aura, but that''s a little tough. However, if you''re normal and don''t possess exceptional magic like holy you can just cast spells like fire or thunder and stuff. That works too: it''s not very efficient and the thing might still be alive. Not that you''d be able to do it. Chuckle*


    "That brings us to the second question, and the answer is you don''t. It happens naturally when you''re ready. In fact, everything about magic is natural."


    How the hell is magic natural?


    I was not impressed so he continued. "Anyway, to cast a spell you must first possess magic. So you won''t understand even if I told you. Now get lost." He shrugged his coat and turned his back on me.


    "I see. So you don''t know either." I was pissed and wanted to piss him off as well.


    If you''re not going to tell me, then the least I can do is provoke you.


    It was a fun tactic. I always found that reverse psychology worked best under some extreme circumstances.


    "Say, what?" I could hear his grunts and frustration. He must have really wanted to get some sleep. But I wasn''t going to let him go just yet.


    "If you knew, you''d tell me, right?"


    Let''s see how much your desire to save face is.


    It was awfully rude of me and I was definitely being a jerk. I knew that. But to live in such a world, you''d really have to be a jerk. Otherwise, you''d end up dead.


    "Daarc that''s very rude," Lianne whispered.


    "Tch! Smart brat! Assuming you possess magic, the only way to cast a spell would be to focus. Suppose you have ice magic, to throw a block of ice to your enemy, you''d have to cool water with wind, as your extra detachable arm and then throw it after materializing it," he said in annoyance.


    "Wh-what?" I knew magic was weird and stuff. But this stuff he said was even weirder. Suddenly I fell into a sea of weirdness.


    "This is what I meant boy! In short, it''s all about visualization!"


    Surprisingly it made sense. Never thought he''d be actually useful. "Ah, is that so. Thanks, old man!"


    Thinking back on it, the stuff science couldn''t explain was always said to be magic. If condensing water with wind could produce ice, then I could understand how things could have been possible. But just because I could understand it, didn''t mean I could do much with it.


    "Who are you calling old? I''m only two hundred and seven years old: brat!"


    "And I''m only 20!"


    "Oh!" He stared at me as I said something unbelievable.


    Lianne stared at me as well. Did I say something that shocking?


    "Alright last question-"


    "I wonder how many last questions I have to answer tonight¡­." The guy mumbled.


    I smiled bitterly and finally addressed my existence. "What about summoning magic?"


    His eyes narrowed. "There are some other types of magic which we call special magic. These cannot be obtained just by training or having natural aptitude. You can get them only if something like a god gifts them to you. But someone can regift that magic and you can obtain it from them. But the quality would be terrible. Summoning magic is special magic too, but it also requires vast sacrifices to work."


    It didn''t answer the questions I had but this guy was definitely informative. His attitude might have been a little crude but at least he tried. I smiled. "Anyway, really appreciate the help."


    Lianne headed out first.


    "What about chanting?" I stood by the door.


    He sighed, he sighed hard. "Didn''t you say last question?" He sighed again. "It just helps with the visualization. Now get lost." But when I was about to pass through the door, he came close and whispered something in my ears. "I''d stay away from the lady if I were you.. It''s better for humans to not get involved in our business. Especially humans who reek of mana¡­"

 Chapter 149 - Night Before The Imminent Execution, Well, Probably

    We got out of the shop. As the shop owner was Lianne''s acquaintance, paying wasn''t necessary. But his last words were a surprise, even to me. Why would an elf warn me about an elf? It didn''t make sense. And he probably noticed that I could use magic.


    "I didn''t know you were that young," she said. She was a little embarrassed and I couldn''t even begin to wonder why.


    "You don''t happen to be that old too, right?"


    "Oh, you want to know my age?" Her voice became a little charming. She was just teasing. "Anyway, did you get to know everything you wanted?"


    So you''re not going to tell me?


    "More or less." I looked up at the sky. No matter where I went, the stars always followed. They were probably the only thing in this world that didn''t leave my side. But they always did disappear during the day. But at least I knew they were always there. "Alright then, I suppose I''ll head back to the inn."


    She smiled. "I guess I''ll see you tomorrow."


    "Good night," I said.


    I left and she went different ways. I made sure to keep my peripherals on overdrive. I couldn''t let down my guard. The streets were quiet and there weren''t many people out. It was really late.


    Eventually, I made it to the inn and nothing happened. Nobody followed me. Honestly, I was disappointed. I kind of wanted to beat up some elven thugs. Maybe I really turned evil.


    I went in by the front door. It was way past midnight, so I didn''t think that the old man would be awake. But he was. He was still sitting at a corner and was drunk as hell like a mad drinker. He probably was one.


    "Took ya long enough boy!"


    "Didn''t know you were still up," I said.


    "Hicc* what''s your excuse! Hicc*" the elven wine smelled different than typical booze and the old man himself warned me not to drink more than two shots. I didn''t drink anything though. But there were at least eight whole bottles stacked close to the geezer. Was he swimming in grief, worried about me, or just drinking one final drink before an imminent execution? I couldn''t decide. I didn''t want to.


    He tried to get up. But he threw up and made a mess. One of the staff came to clean it up and I took him to his room. He lied down on the bed and I was about to leave.


    "I think tomorrow will be very rosy. But are you sure?" He was delirious but his tone was kind of serious. I couldn''t take him seriously though.


    "Yeah," I said.


    I left and went downstairs to apologize to the owner. He was still there. He was there even when the three of us chatted. The guy must have worked extra hard.


    "Sorry about that, if we need to pay extra-"


    "That won''t be necessary. Sit down boy," he said.


    And just like that, I had to sit down like a bad boy who just caused a ruckus.


    The owner was a slender man, didn''t look a day older than twenty but I could tell that he was much older just by his conduct. If I had to say something I''d say he was elegant.


    There wasn''t anybody left other than the staff and me. All the guests had either left or went to their rooms.


    His words weren''t harsh but I got the feeling that he''d rip me to pieces if I''d said no.


    I sat down and the first thing he said blew my mind.


    "Okay then, let''s hear about those grey things you mentioned before."


    "You were listening huh?"


    "Get to the point boy!"


    "I met one, in a forest far from here," I said. My mouth moved ferociously. This owner was definitely intimidating if nothing else.


    I was serious and there weren''t any reasons for me to lie. Besides, I wanted to know the reason behind all those stares.


    "They are our elders. They were chased out of the country a while ago. If you want to stay alive in this country then don''t go about asking about them," he said. He turned to his glasses.


    "I-I''ll remember that."


    So that''s why-


    He seemed to know much and I thought it was worth a shot. "By the way, how is the prince of this country?"


    "Which one are we talking about?" He didn''t look at me and wiped a glass.


    "Let''s see. Looks like a kid and has blue eyes. Does that work?"


    "That''s like the most generic description I''ve ever heard. But yeah, I know him. Never met him though. I heard he''s hard-working and very respectable. But he isn''t an official heir. He''s adopted."


    "Adopted?"


    "Now go and get some sleep." He sighed. "I''m guessing you three will pull something ridiculous tomorrow. I''d warn you but I guess humans have short lives anyway." I didn''t know if I should have been sad at these words or scared to shit?


    I had questions but it was late. And I had a lot of stuff to do tomorrow. "Right," I said.


    I''m getting the feeling that I don''t have a choice here.


    It was hard to tell but he looked sad. Maybe it was just my imagination. "Take care of the geezer." His voice was calm and flew by like a breeze.


    "I will." Honestly, I didn''t know why this man even cared about the geezer, but one thing was for certain, tomorrow was definitely going to be something.


    I went back to my room.


    The door was open.


    But I locked it from the inside!


    With the knife in one hand, I entered the room with diligence, but it wasn''t a thief, it was Alisa.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Alisa stood up. "I couldn''t sleep, so I came here. I thought talking to you would calm me down but-"


    "I needed to know something so I went out." I put back the knife. "I see. But how did you come in?"


    "I asked for a key at the reception and the good-looking guy gave one to me." She chuckled.


    She was a bit too- cheerful. They were all good-looking but the owner was probably the most handsome.


    So much for security¡­.


    She came close and sniffed my clothes. Startled, I took a step back.


    "You reek of a woman. Who was she?"


    I didn''t know demi-humans could do that!


    "An old acquaintance. Didn''t think I''d meet her again. Anyway, it''s getting too late, you should go back." I was more than just surprised but I kept my cool.


    "Okay."


    I tried to convince her for the last time. I didn''t want her to be dragged into our problems. "But are you sure? You could end up losing your life."


    "I don''t know about that but I think it''d be worth it. Maybe one day I''d return the favor." She was being awfully distant.


    At the very last moment, her voice changed a little. It was subtle but something about it didn''t feel real, as if she was a different person. Probably because she was still up. I mean, it''d be dawn soon and she was still walking around like it was no big deal.


    "Good night Alisa," I said.


    She looked happy that I called her name. All the awkwardness vanished with her radiant smile. She signaled me to sit down on the bed while she stood next to me. I was planning to turn in now anyway, so I sat down.


    She came close.


    "What-?" She didn''t give me a chance.


    She kissed me on the temple and ran away saying, "Thank you for trusting me."


    If there was a mirror there then I''d bet my face would have looked like a red tomato. Being kissed by a bunny was a lifelong dream of mine.


    Never thought it''d come to fruition like this!


    I was faced with a dilemma. One part of me wanted to trust her completely and another part of me doubted her with all my might. I couldn''t shake the feeling that she was hiding something. But for the time being, I trusted her.


    ***


    Lying in bed I lifted up my palm. It was awfully late but I really wanted to try something. I closed my eyes and imagined light. A stream of light. When I opened my eyes, I saw white streams of mist. Maybe they were light? They did glow but not how I imagined it and when I touched them, they just disappeared. I still couldn''t do the visualization part, I guess.


    I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes again: there went my shot of actually using magic.. But Biteria was here with me and I was glad that she was.

 Chapter 150 - Finally I’ve Found You

    Knock! Knock!


    "Daarc, you alive?"


    "I am now," I said.


    My head hurt and most of the wounds stung.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have run around so damn much yesterday.


    I came outside. I was groggy as hell. I really needed some coffee.


    There was water and I washed some of my wounds along with my face. Most of my wounds were in the process of healing.


    When will I be free from these bandages?


    My body was already covered with scars and that wasn''t something I was proud off.


    After washing myself I put my armor on and went inside.


    "How long were you planning to keep us waiting? It''ll be noon soon, you know."


    Judging from the looks of the sun it was close to ten. But in this world that was more than late.


    We ate our breakfast. The old man looked to be in full health; last night''s booze wasn''t enough for him to get sick just yet. Alisa on the other hand looked happy and Biteria smiled as well- probably.


    "Here." the old man handed me a bag.


    "These are?"


    "Bread and potions. You better drink one now. We don''t know what might happen."


    I got the picture but I still didn''t want to eat more bread. I sighed and drank the potion instead.


    The owner offered me some sort of hot liquid. It tasted somewhere in between black tea to green tea. I liked it. And it made me come alive a little.


    Breakfast happened fast and we were back on the road before we knew it.


    On the way, I filled the geezer in on the stuff that happened last night. At first, he glared at me and was literally about to hit me. But eventually, he gave up.


    "In that case, we could expect an ambush. Better make it flashy¡­" The old man sighed.


    I looked around in awkwardness. We were dressed differently from the crowd, so it would have been easy for the authority to spot us and obviously put a stop to us. So he was probably about to do something pretty big.


    "But if she could get you into a magic shop¡­" The old man didn''t continue.


    We went for the palace in the center of the city. It was big and bright and made of crystals. Yes, crystals- all kinds of crystals: at first I thought it was glass but it wasn''t. The top tower of the palace even had a large diamond. Pretty much like that one movie I watched with mummies.


    All the castles I had ever seen before paled in comparison. It was just simply breathtaking.


    How friggin much is this stuff even worth?


    As we got closer to the city, the old man wore a smile I''d never seen before. It was a sinister smile.


    He''s not going to barge in, is he?


    The old man twisted his knuckles and then this neck. He was about to do something obvious. Well, it''s too late to back down now.


    Before my fears came to fruition, the massive double door opened and there were a bunch of soldiers along with two faces that I could never forget. One was Lianne and the other, an elf with two blue eyes. The eyes that I saw before falling down from the ship. I''ve finally found you!


    We walked in. I was glad the old man didn''t get to pull anything. Araan and Lianne were just standing there. Meanwhile, I was keeping myself sane, so I didn''t end up doing something stupid.


    The two of them had a unit of fancy soldiers by them. The soldiers stood in unison.


    So, she was in on this after all?


    "Oh, Daarc! I didn''t think you''d make it! But I''m really glad!" Araan briefly bowed his head. His immediate surge of excitement managed to surprise me. I had not- expected that.


    Are you?


    Araan started off the conversation with too much sympathy. I couldn''t get a grasp on whether he was being controlled or being serious. He wore a gentle smile. "Lianne said there was a surprise waiting for me at the gates but I never thought it''d be you!" He looked at me with awe.


    Me either.


    I stood there with a stupid look on my face, dumbfounded. I was half confused, half amazed.


    What the hell?


    I knew he wasn''t the gentle guy he claimed to be and that was clear but another thing was clear as well. Lianne wasn''t in on it- at least that''s what I wanted to believe. I wanted to trust her. I wanted to trust the person who saved my life.


    "I couldn''t believe my eyes either. When you told me that he fell in the sea, I felt like my heart would stop-" Lianne paused. Her eyes glistened. "But I''m glad he made it."


    Araan walked up to me and examined my shoulder. "By the way, what is this creature?"


    "Oh right, you two don''t know her name yet. This is Biteria. Biteria, that''s prince Araan and I believe you''ve already met her, she''s Lianne," I said, as I pointed my fingers at them.


    "He''s serious, huh?" Araan whispered.


    "Shh¡­" Lianne whispered something.


    Did these morons not consider that I was hearing them? Or was this intentional?


    "That one huh?" the old man whispered.


    I didn''t reply and only smiled.


    Just what the hell is this?


    Why the hell were we all whispering?


    Lianne was also smiling. In fact, we all were smiling. Alisa was close to bursting into laughter herself.


    The situation got more and more awkward by the minute.


    "Come on in, I''ll introduce you to, lord father." Araan offered an audience with the king.


    The king? What''s he plotting?


    We were actually there to see the king too, at least the geezer was. Apparently, he was about to do something very reckless to a certain prince, so he wanted to make sure that all was according to his plans.


    I really hoped he wasn''t going to pull some fast one on us and try to kidnap the king of all people.. I really hoped.

 Chapter 151 - Is It Me Or Are There Too Many Jowys?

    We didn''t want to waste time. Now that I''d met him, I needed to get him to somewhere private, to know why he did that. And why he apologized before shoving me down. However, with the king in the picture things didn''t look too hot for us. More like for me. I still didn''t know what the geezer was about to pull, so my heart was doing its duty: the duty of freaking out.


    I kept my motives and uneasiness hidden. I pretended like I fell from the boat. Besides, no one would have believed me anyway. And it was too late for revenge; all I wanted were some answers.


    But I sure wanted revenge, there was no doubt about that.


    ***


    The palace was genuinely beautiful. Almost everything was made from crystals from the walls to the furniture but all of them weren''t see-through. The most frequent color was deep blue. Most of the walls weren''t seamless: there were various patterns and designs. If my eyes didn''t lie then I''d say the palace was at least ten stories high.


    However, we went through a place that totally eclipsed even the palace''s beauty.


    "How wonderful!" Alisa jumped around.


    "This is the royal garden," Araan said.


    "It''s as beautiful as I remember," the old man said.


    "Oh, you''ve been here before?"


    "Yup, about twenty or so years ago." The geezer kept looking around like he had tons of memories and all that.


    It was a gardener''s wet dream. I didn''t like gardening all that much but the sight managed to sway even my heart. Roses, violets, wisteria, orchids, and so on were basically calling me to sniff at their wonder. However, the one that stole my sight was the crystal roses. Even the vines were made of white translucent crystals.


    "Are those organic?" I asked.


    "Everything you see in this garden is, even those," Lianne said.


    Really? But how could crystal have life? Wait, it could silicone based!


    All the life I knew was carbon-based. But finally, I saw something which wasn''t. The rose was presumably silicone-based. I couldn''t think of another explanation. But then again, this world blew my expectations from day one. And there were hundreds of things I couldn''t even hope to understand. So this was plausible.


    "Biteria!" Alisa screamed.


    Biteria had jumped out of my shoulder and ran into the garden. She didn''t even look back. I was too busy examining the roses that I hadn''t even noticed.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll ask the castle guards to secure her. I''ll also make sure no one hurts her," Lianne said.


    "Much appreciated," I said.


    Biteria jumped in the bushes and we couldn''t see her anymore. I trusted Lianne, so I didn''t worry too much¡­ for now. But honestly, what was wrong with this rabbit? She wasn''t much different from before but somehow something just didn''t feel right anymore.


    We kept moving. There were paintings in the hallway. To me, they all looked the same. Elves were a very similar-looking race. If Lianne was a guy, I wouldn''t have been able to tell the difference between her and the rest of them. However, the prince had one differentiating feature: blue eyes. The paintings however all kind of looked like Jowy: dignified versions of him that is.


    Guess all elves are lookalike with some variations.


    There was one picture among them that looked a bit different from the rest: the picture of a beautiful woman. But then again even she had similarities with the others.


    ***


    We arrived at a corridor with two massive stairs spiraling upwards. They were long and reminded me of how much, my legs would suffer.


    I have to climb that? I sighed. The old man didn''t seem to lose heart even for a moment.


    Once we got on the stairs, they started moving on their own.


    "Ah! Hah! What is this?" Alisa screamed.


    The stairs were also made of crystals; they glittered as the staircase spiraled up.


    Araan explained things as we went up. "This is our treasure. Naturally, outsiders won''t be allowed to use this but since you''re Daarc''s companions, you''re welcome."


    "How is this achieved? Through magic or machinery?" I pondered.


    "I''m sorry Daarc, but that''s a national secret."


    Yeah, right! It didn''t bother me. Escalators weren''t anything fancy, at least not to me. But it did intrigue me though.


    I glared at the prince when he wasn''t paying attention to me. My subconscious was very alive and wanted to rid this world of the prince, but my sanity kept it from happening.


    When we got to the top, I looked out through the veranda and we were at least ten stories high; the town looked marvelous and the people like moths. The palace really was massive. Next, we were taken to a massive door. Everything in the palace seemed gigantic. Was it some sort of fetish to enlarge things? Did size matter that much?


    There was a massive shout in the elven language and the herald declared our names and that we were coming in.


    How did they know of our visit and names?


    It seemed information traveled rather fast in Alfeim.


    That was a very pressing question but we went in anyway. With a solid creak the door opened. The inside was bright and the walls were made from golden crystals. There was a floral scent in the air and the atmosphere was welcoming.


    "Welcome the savior of my son and his companions." A voice from the throne greeted us in a loud voice. The place was quiet, so the voice reverberated a little.


    We were barely inside the room and we didn''t even get to bow.


    So, he''s the king? He sure doesn''t waste time, huh?


    A little further in, all of us bowed. The whole room was full of elves. They all looked important. However, there weren''t many guards. To me they all looked like Jowy though; they even had matching clothes.


    Is it me or are there too many Jowys?


    Even the king resembled Jowy.


    "I am glad that you survived. I have heard a great many things about you from my son and daughter." The king himself looked like Jowy, except for the fact that he looked like a Thirty-year-old instead of twenty.


    Jowy was pretty old himself, so I guess that meant his father was even older. Actually, I for once wasn''t jealous of living long, at least not whilst I was still in this world.


    Wait, what did he say?


    "Daughter?" I was utterly confused. It took me a good second to put it all together. But when I did, sweats poured.


    "Hmm? Hadn''t she told you? Lianne?"


    Unfortunately, she didn''t give me the privilege of knowing. Wait, doesn''t that mean, Jowy is also a prince? What the-


    "Lord Father, I didn''t think it was necessary-"


    Suddenly a lot of stuff became clear. Especially the Jowy lookalike syndrome.


    The king sighed. "Anyway, I am glad you made it. We sent search parties for you but they never found anything. After one month, we didn''t think you''d made it. "


    This guy is surprisingly thoughtful. Is this an act?


    I was kind of staggered by the fact that all the elves I had met were nothing but royalty. It was a small world, or was our fate intertwined? Was that even possible?


    "You''re majesty, are all these people you''re family as well?" I asked. I was quite curious.


    "Yes, you did well to recognize that," he said.


    I wouldn''t call it recognition.. They all look the same.

 Chapter 152 - A Pirate You Say!?

    The people inside the room didn''t look much different than the pictures on the walls but they did have some differences like: some had thick eyebrows, while some had thin: some had thick hair while others had curvy. That was basically all the difference.


    "What the hell are they talking about?" Alisa whispered.


    "Shh!"


    Alisa was abruptly silenced by the old man. It was evident that she couldn''t understand the language but I didn''t even notice any difference in speech: not once.


    Was this the reason she was so quiet from the moment she got into Alfeim?


    "Hmm, is something the matter?" The king looked at us with kindness. I still couldn''t differentiate if this was an act or not.


    "No, you''re Excellency, she can''t understand the old elven tongue so," the old man said.


    "Oh? Pardon. I didn''t realize that I''ve been talking in the old dialect.¡­ You. Where have I heard your voice before?" The king pondered.


    "It''s been a long time, kind Grabbizzo." The old man bowed again.


    That''s a fancy name.


    The king thought for a moment before blowing my mind. "Aren''t you that pirate from Honkihote?"


    Pi-pirate?


    "Pirate? Didn''t you say you were a sailor?" I said. Was I surprised? No! I was flabbergasted!


    I was startled beyond compare.


    The old man¡­ a pirate?


    "Aren''t they the same thing?" The geezer chuckled silently.


    How would they be the same thing?


    He liked the stuff the pirates fed us and he even told me about how he used to party like the pirates. I could finally see why. This geezer was a bag of mysteries.


    "I doubt that," I said. But I still calmed myself down. This wasn''t worth the commotion. And besides, I didn''t really care about what he did in the past anyway. It''s the future that mattered and judging from that smirk of his, I was not so sure anymore. Did we even have a future?


    The old man unsheathed his sword and I could guess what would come next. He didn''t talk like a pirate, he didn''t walk like a pirate and he never behaved like a pirate- well maybe sometimes. So it was a hard thing to swallow even more than the whole thing about Jowy and Lianne being royalty. But it didn''t matter.


    "That sword¡­ So you''ve succeeded." The king smiled and looked at us from this throne. "Finally, a legend class blade." He was definitely excited if nothing else.


    There was some uproar in the room. Whispers of all sorts were audible. One particular whisper drew my attention.  "Isn''t this bad, do you think Vronine would just let that feeble man slap him?"


    I could speculate what would happen next but I didn''t know what our future had in store. So I just rolled with it. It''s not like we had something to lose other than our lives.


    The geezer flashed a smile and looked dead ahead. "As promised you''re majesty. I believe you''ll also keep yours-"


    "You''re still stuck on that? That was just a joke old man, get over it!" A Jowy lookalike from a corner came in front of the throne. He was exactly like Jowy, except he was a little taller and his hair was wavier. His muscles looked a little puffier too. Okay, so maybe he didn''t look exactly like Jowy.


    "What is going on?" I whispered.


    "That''s the prince who laughed at me when they learned about my family''s treasure hunts. But a promise was made that if I could find any mystic weapon then I''d be able to slap him once."


    "Talk about a wild deal!" I said aloud.


    The old man gave me a stare but he didn''t say anything. The princes all stared at me too.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have said that aloud.


    "Silence, Vronine, elves do not break oaths." The king stood up.


    "Hmph! whatever father. But I won''t stay quiet. If he dares put a finger on me, then I''ll have him executed."


    The crown prince sure seemed to be full of himself. Were princes even allowed to be able to talk like that?


    My knowledge basically stemmed from historical dramas, movies, and games. And in those things, princes were basically buttering up their parents to get better chances at the throne. But I guess since this guy already had dibs on the throne, he was saying anything he pleased? Or was it that I was missing something else?


    "Why is he talking like that to the king," I whispered.


    "He''s the crown prince and has all official power. The emperor is in name only," Lianne whispered.


    I didn''t think she was listening but she was. Lianne didn''t seem all that hung up about hiding her identity and behaved normally. I couldn''t really picture her the same as I did before. I really couldn''t. And yet, I couldn''t really say anything to her either.


    Damn! More politics!


    It was like we were watching a family quarrel with popcorns in our hands except there was no popcorn. I wanted to eat some too.


    "We can discuss that at a later date. First comes, the celebrations." The king clapped his hands. I guess he didn''t want to do this in front of us.


    Two soldiers came in and the king gave the order for celebrations.


    "Very well then you''re majesty." The old man clicked his tongue and sheathed his sword.


    "Let us continue this discussion tomorrow." The king smiled.


    We were led to a waiting room. I guess the geezer had more than enough patience. I guess wisdom came with age and the geezer was pretty wise too. So maybe this was okay.


    We could only play the waiting game now though. No matter how strong we were we couldn''t just force the elven royalty and, I and the geezer definitely knew that.


    ***


    If I wasn''t wrong, this might have been the guest room. There were a lot of cloths hanging here and there and all of them had embroidery- in golden threads that is.


    "Old man-"


    "Yeah?"


    Something was bugging me from the moment I knew of their identity. "Then you knew Jowy was a prince?"


    If all the princes and even the king looked like Jowy, then surely this would have been obvious to someone who had previously seen a prince or met the king?


    "My memory has gotten a lot weaker in the last few years so-" The geezer tried to run away as usual.


    "Stop making excuses, damn it!"


    "Well- I would you look at that-" He tried to chuckle his way out.


    "Answer me, geezer."


    He finally gave up. "I did. From the moment I laid my eyes on him, I knew." He actually gave up a lot easier than I thought. Maybe even he was a bit shaken from all this. "But yeah, I was kind of surprised too when we met him that day at the deck." He started his sarcastic laughter. "I almost drew my sword."


    "What is going on?" Alisa pondered.


    You can understand gods and not elves?


    I didn''t understand what she didn''t understand but I didn''t really want to explain everything, and yet, weirdly, I was still giving her the gist. Was something wrong with me?

 Chapter 153 - Huh? What Do You Mean, He’s Not Jowy?

    Alisa was poking at the golden cloths. Kids these days. I was kind of like that too at that age. So it just annoyed me.


    Lianne and Jowy came inside the room after a solid knock.


    "It''s good to see you guys again," Jowy said.


    I contained my hostility. "I didn''t know you were a prince."


    "I thought you knew. Assuming you knew Lianne." He acted innocent, as usual.


    "Unfortunately I didn''t, your highness," I said. My voice was filled with sarcasm. I grinded my teeth and glared at him.


    "Please don''t call me that Daarc. I may be a prince, but forever will be your friend." My expression softened and he took a seat.


    We were already seated and I never felt the urge to get up and greet them. Maybe it was being rude, but I didn''t really care.


    The old man walked closer to the duo and sat down.


    I looked away. "So, what brings you two here?"


    "The banquet would be ready soon. Please dress yourselves," Lianne said and clapped her hands.


    As soon as she finished a group of maids entered the room with frivolous clothes. I never liked fashion so they were always pointless to me.


    "So, any news about Biteria?"


    "She''s been reported to have been seen in the royal bath, the kitchen and the garden. We couldn''t catch her, at least not yet." Lianne''s brows drifted about. She might have been a little annoyed.


    Sigh* that rabbit! She''s doing whatever she pleases!


    "Don''t worry; she''s just having some fun. She''ll come back before you know it,"Jowy said.


    I sure hope so. Oh Biteria, where are you!


    "Alright then, I''ll leave you guys alone. Would you mind joining me, Alisa?" Lianne said. I never knew she and Alisa were acquainted. Just what the hell was going on when I wasn''t looking?


    "Would you mind waiting for me?" Alisa smiled.


    "Of course."


    Lianne left the room and soon Jowy left too. The maids followed them out. They were pretty considerate if nothing else.


    Now we were alone.


    "I thought you two were going to beat up a prince or something," Alisa said.


    Huh? What did she say?


    "What made you think that?" I chuckled to myself.


    I was surprised. I didn''t expect her to say that.


    "I''m old enough to understand you know. Besides, the way you looked at the royalty and the aura you gave off-" She paused and flashed another smile.


    "What aura?" I asked.


    "Sad and the aura of hate," She said.


    What the hell is wrong with this brat?


    I didn''t reply but she added further questions. Apparently, the brat might have been sharper than I initially assumed. "So you were with her last night?" she said looking down at the crystal floor.


    How high were we?


    "You have a bad habit of sniffing people, don''t you?" I said.


    Were all beastmen like this?


    "Last night? Daarc care to explain? You still haven''t told me how you met her or how you got outside." The old man''s eyes were closed and he grinned.


    I had told him about my little adventure out. But I never told him about how or why I had gone out. He didn''t really press on me before as we didn''t have time. But now things weren''t looking too good for me.


    I didn''t really have many excuses so¡­"Excuse me! Can I look at that shirt, please?" I ran outside.


    I didn''t want to complicate things even further. Alisa ran with me. She had a satisfied grin. If she wasn''t a kid, she was in for a serious head butt. I ran towards the maids while she ran towards Lianne. I could see the grin on Lianne and Jowy''s faces too.


    I''ll remember this, brat.


    ***


    When the time was up, and we headed to the ballroom, I was yet again marveled. The ball was massive and had lots, and lots of people: in this world''s terms, it was grand.


    And with every passing moment disaster came closer and closer- I could feel it in my gut.


    I won''t have to dance, right?


    We were basically two stories above the ground. Everyone was chatting around and most of them wore masks that covered some part of their faces. They hadn''t yet started eating or drinking yet.


    Two massive stairways spiraled together and glimmered as we came down. These weren''t automatic. But as soon as we got on the stair, everyone stared at us.


    I get the feeling that something weird is about to happen.


    The old man was dressed in white, while me in black. Alisa, on the other hand, picked red. Although these clothes looked like suits and party dresses, they weren''t. The cloth, in particular, was very soft, and easy to move in. Plus there were way too many frills for my taste.


    "Is it me or is everyone staring at us?"


    "Pretend they are all overgrown carrots and you''ll be fine," the old man said.


    "Easy for you to say."


    Does it work? Hey! It''s not working, geezer!


    I had to watch my feet so I wouldn''t trip. I was so nervous that I could fall down the stairs in a heartbeat. My throat clogged up and I couldn''t breathe, but I had to move.


    "Hold my hand or I might fall," Alisa said, spread her arms, and moments later she tripped. I grabbed her arm and she balanced herself.


    I didn''t blame her as it could have easily have happened to me.


    I got down along with the old man and Alisa. It was bright: so much so that I could barely look around. My eyes however soon adjusted themselves. The floral scent resembled that of the throne room. But we were still the crowd''s attention. It was marveling and scary at the same time.


    Suddenly, there was a solid pat on my back I looked back and there he was, Jowy. He was dressed in rather flashy clothes.


    "Ah, Jowy! Where were you? I''m so stoked at this," I said.


    There was excitement in my voice but the nervousness was definitely more prominent.


    "Hmm?"


    "Your majesty, pardon his insolence, he''s still a little confused about your appearances." The old man bowed briefly.


    His words were hesitant and my heart went berserk.


    Majesty? You mean this he''s not Jowy?


    "Ha ha ha, I get that a lot. Don''t get too worked up over it." The king laughed haughtily and reassured me. Then he raised his voice and declared," Gentlemen, this is the man who has rescued two of my children and he''s also displayed great valor in battle. I hereby declare him a friend to the throne of Alfeim."


    There was a round of applause. I was dumbfounded but I kept my sanity.


    All this is a political ploy. Don''t lose your head over something like this.


    I had to do a lot of mental prep for me not to lose my cool.


    "Kid, this is bad, now we won''t be able to slap the prince," the old man whispered.


    You were still hung up on that? You really want to get executed, don''t you?


    "Let the banquet begin!" The king declared and then looked back and said, "Please enjoy the affairs." His look wasn''t that of kindness. There must have been some sort of deeper meaning to it, but we didn''t have the luxury of pondering in such thoughts.


    With the king''s signal, music began playing. Flutes and harps were the main attraction. Although most of the instruments were primitive, the sound that came out was soothing to the soul. I could listen to them all day.


    This is not that bad.


    "Daarc!"


    I was called out to meet a bunch of people; they were the princes. Again they all looked like Jowy.


    Is my brain going rogue on me?


    The two of my companions patted me on the back and bid me farewell.


    "I''ll go over there and stuff my face with pudding," the old man said. He frowned and looked grumpier than usual but strangely, he didn''t look that disappointed. Maybe he knew.


    How much did you want to slap the prince, huh?


    "I c-can''t deny my affection for cakes-"Alisa''s eyes darted around. Her cheeks turned slightly pink. Her breathing had also become a bit more rapid.


    This world has cake and pudding?


    That again reminded me, that I still didn''t know enough about the world. It also reminded me that I was surrounded by weirdoes.


    Both of them left abruptly.


    And you guys are supposed to be my comrades?


    My luck is quite something, huh?


    Here I was, being all sarcastic about myself. I sighed and stood in front of the princes.


    "I am-"


    They all introduced themselves. I couldn''t pick up a single name among them. My brain was overloaded by their similar vibes. I couldn''t even follow the conversation. All I could do was smile.


    Smile. Smile and wave your head.


    "So you see that''s how this country had come to be and we''re here ever since."


    One of the princes proudly explained how Alfeim was formed and how the royal family came to be. I only nodded as everything went over my head.


    "But things weren''t always this peaceful. We went to war ten-"


    I hadn''t picked up anything: nothing. "I-I see. I see."


    "I need to borrow him for a minute." I got pulled away by an unknown girl. She had a mask on, that covered half of her face. The Jowy lookalikes grinned. They flashed a thumbs up to me almost saying good luck.


    What the hell?


    I was taken to a corner.


    I''ve seen her before. I know her.


    "You looked so miserable that I couldn''t help myself."


    "Lianne?"


    "Yes?" She chuckled at my confusion.


    It was the first time I got to see her lips. Normally her eyes were the only thing visible but this time her eyes were hidden behind the mask but instead, her lips were free. She wore a light pink dress overflowing with embroidery of crystal threads. Her hair flowed freely, but a crystal tiara added more depth to her charm.


    "You look beautiful and thank you," I said.


    "You''re welcome. And thank you as well."


    We laughed together: it took a minute to stop. If she hadn''t come to my rescue then I didn''t know what I''d have done. But even so, even amongst all that laughter, I couldn''t let my guard down.


    Our reunion was short. "Lianne there you are!" Araan called from a little distance.


    "Is something wrong?" Lianne asked.


    "Father''s looking for you."


    "Alright then, I''ll see you later Daarc."


    She left. It was strange. Even after spending all that time, I still couldn''t fully understand this girl. Or maybe I was too thickheaded? I did want to understand her though.


    But Araan didn''t leave.


    Now the two of us were alone. The crowd seemed, faraway. And with the background music, nobody would be able to hear our words anyway.


    "But I''m really glad you survived Daarc," he said. He wore a gentle smile: a fake smile.


    Should I try bluffing? He doesn''t look like he''d show his true nature anytime soon.


    "You can drop the act now," I said with my poker face.


    "What are you talking about?" With an innocent stare, he said.

 Chapter 154 - Old Friend: Nostalgia Always Hits Different

    Araan looked dumbfounded.


    He didn''t budge.


    He was good.


    "Let me phrase it a little differently. Why did you apologize back then and why did you do it?" My eyes sharpened. If the people weren''t there, I''d probably had drown my knife. We weren''t allowed to carry weapons but I insisted on the knife. They didn''t stop me either. More like I''d have gone ballistic if they had.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about Daarc¡­" He closed his eyes and faked an awkward smile.


    Unsatisfied I continued to press my luck. "That reminds me, I haven''t even caught your name yet." My voice shivered with seriousness.


    If I can''t get definitive answers then might as well figure out more.


    I was under the impression that he might be under the control of that demon. And I really didn''t know that demon''s name.


    "Perhaps you forgot? I suppose that was a long time ago¡­ I am Araan Asprian, eleventh prince of Alfheim. Pleased to meet you." He bowed in a noble manner and flashed another innocent grin.


    He wasn''t intimidated in the least. Araan''s eyes so blue, yet so innocent. I couldn''t even bluff anymore.


    What the hell am I supposed to do now?


    "Anyway, I got to go now." A smile returned to his face. "Please enjoy the party." Araan left abruptly.


    He had no idea? Or is he just playing me to get my trust back and then backstab me?


    My mind was filled with questions but no answers.


    ***


    A figure approached me. "There you are." The voice was callous and not too forced.


    He was dressed in black much like me but wore a mask similar to that of Lianne. His voice was familiar yet I couldn''t remember.


    Come to think of it, most people were wearing masks but not all. There were people like me who were just wearing suits and no fancy masks. What was with this mask deal anyway?


    "Come with me." His voice was nostalgic and I couldn''t help but follow him. I had my doubts but I kept my hostility to a minimum.


    He led me to the veranda on the opposite side where there were fewer guests. I felt something in him that made me trust him. Was I going senile or something? It''s not often I trust someone from the get-go- at least not anymore.


    When we got out to the veranda I looked out and everything was so bright. The ballroom was bright but the outside was brighter. It was only noon after all.


    "It''s been a while Daarc." He removed his mask.


    A shock went down my spine. "Gorgan?"


    It was Gorgan- the holy knight who fought with me back in Moire and my friend. But how did he get here?


    "Yes, it''s me."


    "How- when-"


    I hugged him on impulse. I couldn''t explain but my chest became warm and an expression appeared on my face; I believe it was happiness. Even I didn''t expect myself to hug him. I might have been dying to meet someone I could trust in this world of deceit.


    "When asked about you, the elves only made vague reports. That''s why my lady had sent me for reconnaissance. I got here only one week ago."


    "Well, I was here, yesterday. In any case, I''m glad to see you again." I said.


    "What happened?"


    I was glad to meet him but the situation wasn''t all that welcoming. "Are you sure, you want to discuss that now?" Besides, I couldn''t just say that the prince of the elves betrayed me in the palace full of elves anyway.


    I put my hand on the terrace fence and looked outside. The gentle breeze pressed against my skin.


    "You''re right. Head back in, before anybody suspects you. Remember, this country isn''t what it claims to be. I think they might try to monopolize you."


    "You think I don''t know that?" I muttered to myself.


    Monopolize me? They tried to kill me!


    But yeah, he was right. Friend to the throne? If that wasn''t a political ploy, then I didn''t know what was.


    "And if you should leave this place I''d recommend leaving this continent. There''s a war brewing and I don''t want you to be a part of it," he whispered. The last part of his speech was kind of new though. A war? I didn''t know what he meant but I didn''t have time to worry about either.  "But I didn''t expect the elves of all people declaring a human as a friend of the throne though." He chuckled.


    "Me either." I made my way back.


    The banquet was going on full throttle. The guests were enjoying themselves. But no one was dancing. What kind of banquet, goes on without a dance?


    Suppose I shouldn''t be saying that. Well as long as I don''t have to, I''m cool with this.


    I searched for the two of my food fiend comrades but I couldn''t spot them in the crowd. So, instead of making a scene, I strolled around naturally; if you can call cutting through people like it''s none of your business natural, then yes. A lot of guests greeted me and introduced themselves. Almost all the guests were elves and unlike the princes, they had diversity: I did the same. I learned a good many things about Alfeim. Apparently, Alfeim was the largest country in this continent: it also had sub countries. It wasn''t an empire but often referred to as one, since this country was so damn big and had a lot of influence. However, the most shocking discovery was the mention of a demigod. "You see, Lady Imazael protects us from all sorts of calamities."


    Jowy had mentioned that name too.


    I wanted to meet this demigod. But apparently, I had bigger stuff to worry about. It was more like I was scared to meet gods at this point. All the gods I''ve met till this day were nothing more than just overgrown monsters.


    I moved on and resumed my search.


    ***


    There were wine, ale, and rum barrels all across the room. Waiters were running around in the midst of the immense crowd, meeting the demands for alcohol. I wasn''t surprised; if I were drinking I would have drunk more than most of the guests. I really wanted a drink: And all the dangling drinks in front of me weren''t helping.


    After a long while, I had to give up and sit down. I couldn''t find either one of them. Things weren''t looking great. I was alone in the presence of hundreds of strangers.


    I sat down on a chair close to a long, very long row of tables that ran across the room. However, there were intersections for people to get across to either side. People were mostly gossiping, as though they were preparing themselves for something.


    "You don''t look like a grand adventurer to me," a voice said.


    Trust me, I already know that.


    My thoughts ran wild before even looking up.


    A guy stood in front of me wearing a nonchalant smirk. He looked like Jowy, but I recognized him (somehow). Either he was the king or a prince. But since the king wouldn''t talk like that, I took a guess. Besides, the king wore different clothes.


    "Never called myself that," I said.


    I didn''t stand up as he sat down as well.


    "What made you go on this journey?"


    What the hell is he talking about?


    "Necessity," I said.


    I gave an honest answer. I didn''t know what he was asking me but that word slipped out of my lips.


    "Makes sense." He closed his eyes for a second. "Elves are cunning creatures but we value family above all."


    I didn''t know how to react to his words so I kept quiet. The crown prince? I recognized him. He was the guy, the geezer wanted to slap. Probably.


    "Can I look at that knife?"


    "Sure," I said.


    I gave him my knife. I knew something would happen next, so I gritted my teeth and waited for him to explode or something.


    But he gave it back.


    "It belonged to our youngest brother, then it was passed on to Lianne who is the current eldest princess of the house of Grabizzio, and then to you. I suppose that makes you our brother then. Father might have made you the friend to the throne but you''d forever be a brother to me for saving my precious sister. Thank you. I plan to change this country, hope you''d lend a hand from time to time. I''d do the same to you if you ever need my help." He bowed his head for a fraction of a second and then got up to leave.


    Then the youngest was already dead? And wait, did he just try to recruit me?


    "Give my apologies to the old man; I didn''t mean to insult his lineage." He left immediately. His conduct was surprising.


    But considering the elven house was full of deceit, I didn''t let it bother me too much. However, I was glad.


    Maybe all this was just a ploy, maybe everyone was just pretending, but still, it felt good. It felt good to be wanted.


    There was orange juice on a tray. I took a sip and put it back right away.


    This is not orange juice.


    With a horrified persona, I ran away. The salty aftertaste on my tongue was proof that I made the right choice. As I ran, I located Alisa.


    Oh, finally.


    "I''ve been looking for you, you know," I said.


    "Actually, I didn''t know that."


    My eyes twitched but I calmed myself.

 Chapter 155 - Dance? WHY!?

    "Where''s the geezer?"


    "Ohar thever," she said, stuffing her face with a large slice of chiffon cake.


    The cake piece was too big to go through her mouth, so most of it ended up stuck to her cheeks and nose. It gave her a unique look of different colors. She really likes cake, huh?


    I held back my immense urge to hug her tight. After all, who wouldn''t love to hug a bunny girl stuffed with cake on her face?


    I went toward the direction she pointed in and without a doubt found the old man. However, unlike his claim, he wasn''t shoving down pudding; instead, he was chugging down booze.


    Damn geezer.


    "I thought you were going to eat pudding?"


    "They ran out," he said.


    His tone was sad and he looked grim.


    "Oh!"


    You mean you finished all of them?


    I didn''t know whether to be surprised or amazed. Either way, he was something.


    "Don''t drink, too much and I- well spoke to the prince- or rather he spoke to me."


    "What''d he say?" That piqued his interest. His eyes sharpened up.


    I didn''t know which prince he thought I was talking about but I figured he knew. "He didn''t mean to belittle your lineage- or so he claimed," I said.


    "Huh! Too late," With a heavy tone, he said, chugging down an entire mug of ale. That guy was something else, drinking around in broad daylight. Then again, everyone in the party was doing the same. "I wasted ten good years of my life for this crap. The least I could do is making them go broke for alcohol."


    Should I be sad or mad?


    Maybe both?


    "Huff*puff* there ¨C you *huff* are. Found you," a Jowy lookalike said. He was panting a bit too much.


    "Catch your breath first," I said.


    "Th-They need you at the center."


    His voice sounds like Jowy''s. Could it be¡­?


    "You''re not Jowy are you?" I was still skeptical of the whole situation.


    "Who else would I be?"


    Okay, it wasn''t a Jowy lookalike, rather it was Lord Jowy himself.


    "Guess I''ll go." They were probably going to pull another political ploy. As much as I hated to be used like this, I didn''t really have too many problems with it either. "Later old man."


    I walked with Jowy.


    The old man raised his voice and said, "Good luck!"


    Luck wasn''t my forte.


    What am I going to need luck for?


    "So, what is it?"


    We talked as we moved ever so close to the center.


    "What do you mean? You''re the guest of honor." Jowy was speaking like everything was obvious. But unfortunately, it wasn''t.


    "I know that much but why do I have to go to the center?"


    "To dance of course," he said.


    Huh? But I can''t dance! I like watching it but I''ve never danced! Don''t tell me, I brought this on myself!


    Saying I couldn''t dance would have been misleading. It was more like I didn''t have the capacity. Whenever I tried, I always ended up tripping or stepping on toes. Neither of which was forgivable on such a stage.


    "Is it bad, that I can''t dance?"


    "For reals?" Jowy couldn''t believe that. He was so shocked that his accent went all weird.


    "Yes, for reals"


    "It''s not that bad, people are only going to laugh at you, nothing more," he said looking away. Now I was seriously starting to doubt whether this guy was Jowy or not. I mean, was Jowy always pessimistic?


    How''s that not bad?


    I went into the center and a girl dressed in light pink waited for me. However, unlike before, she didn''t wear any masks. This was the first time, I''d seen her face; and yet I probably wouldn''t forget this face for as long as I''d live. She was not just beautiful but breathtakingly so. I couldn''t even look away. Jowy, Araan, and all the rest were lower priorities now. The person in front of me had stolen every bit of my gaze and I just couldn''t look away. I went on stage, with my eyes fixed on hers.


    I couldn''t dance? Didn''t matter.


    "Is something wrong? You look so dazed," she said.


    "You''re just too beautiful that I couldn''t look away," I said peeking deep in her crimson eyes. She was probably the most beautiful girl I''d ever seen- at least that''s what my eyes were telling me.


    "Is that so?" Her cheeks widened and a red glow flashed.


    "Yup, exactly so," I said.


    She giggled.


    "I''ll be honest with you, I can''t dance." I spread my arms towards her.


    "Don''t worry; I''ll walk you through every step." She grabbed my hand. They weren''t cold anymore.


    She wasn''t some unknown girl but rather she was the one who rescued me time and time again; it was Lianne.


    "I know," I mumbled.


    We began when a different tone began to play. It was a beautiful melody. My body moved on its own: and almost crumbled more than a dozen times. She led me with every step.


    "Now take a step back," she whispered.


    I followed her whispers and we danced. It was slow and I almost stepped on her feet a dozen times but she didn''t lose patience and I thanked the heavens or rather Terortra. Trerortra was the only God I prayed to.


    Lianne was close and I could hear, feel, and appreciate her. She was my savior and she was also the most beautiful girl to me. And boy did she smell good. This is when I realized, I might actually have feelings for her.


    In time, I picked up pace and we moved elegantly on the shiny crystal floor- or rather she did. I on the other hand mostly lagged behind. Turned out, dancing was a rhythm game after all: a game I sucked pretty badly at. The only thing I needed to look out for was that I didn''t step on her feet and yet, why was it so damn hard?


    All eyes were on us. But we didn''t care. We only had eyes for each other. I also had eyes for her feet but oh well.


    She was a patient one indeed. We span together. Time slowed down and the lights became contrails. It was like time had stopped entirely as I couldn''t get out from her endless gaze. Honestly, I wouldn''t have minded that.


    Our dance came to a fin and we bowed to the crowd; it was tradition. A round of applause followed and along with a different tune, everybody started to dance. I took a break as I was drenched with sweat. Lianne took me to the veranda and we caught our breaths there.


    For the first time I felt that life might not have been all that bad. I was probably mistaken but as I was glad to enjoy my time with her.


    It wasn''t that bad after all.

 Chapter 156 - Grand Execution?

    "I didn''t know you were the princess," I said. I finally confessed. It''d been eating me for quite a while now.


    "I may be a princess but I never really wanted to be one. Traveling around the world and searching for the meaning of my life has been my primary goal," she said.  She looked distantly into the horizon. The wind pressed and refreshed us. The smile never left her smile. It was blinding.


    Meaning to life, huh? I wonder what the meaning of mine is.


    "Tell me, how come all of you are cursed, and not Araan?" I knew the answer to that but I wanted to hear it from Lianne''s mouth. Or more like I didn''t have anything else for a conversation.


    "You''ve noticed? I must say, you''re quite the adventurer now, huh?" She giggled. "When I first found you, I thought you must have been a poor soul, lost in the dread called life."


    You weren''t too far off the mark.


    "I''m sure I still am." I tried to chuckle but the sound never came out.


    "No. Now you''ve really become great." She paused and then grinned, "A grand mage cursed our lineage a thousand years ago: he was more like a saint though but¡­" She paused.  "Araan is adopted nobility: he''s our half-brother. " She looked away. "That''s why despite being the youngest, he isn''t treated as one. On that note, Jowy-" She paused. "Let''s not talk about that."


    So that''s why the crown prince thanked me for only his sister.


    I knew Araan was adopted but I didn''t know he wasn''t treated like family. I should have expected that though.


    "There''s no way to lift the curse?"


    She flashed her blinding smile at me. "The grand mage is dead for a long time now. So I don''t think so."


    She just tried to cheer me up instead by smiling but it only made me feel worse. Maybe I shouldn''t have asked that. "That''s a shame. "


    Maybe that''s why they all look the same too?


    "What about you? How''s your progress? Have you found any clues about returning home?" She looked at me and smiled.


    I really liked that smile.


    Oh, she doesn''t know.


    I hadn''t told her about all the stuff about defeating the emperor and all¡­ "I need to become stronger and defeat the emperor. Only then can I return home or so my summoner said. "


    "Then you''ll have to train very hard if you want to even last a minute on the stage with me," The king said as he came forward. His voice was sturdier and his presence was as intimidating as it gets.


    Jowy and Araan were right behind him.


    I forgot that Alfeim was said to be an empire as well. So the king was actually the emperor himself. How that I had said something outrageous, my dried forehead became wet once again.


    I''m not going to be executed or anything, right?


    "That''s right, if your task was to defeat father then you''ll have to become very, very strong," Lianne giggled. She clearly thought it was a joke. "I don''t doubt you though. You''re always free to try."


    The emperor laughed too. ''Wait, you''re not mad?'' "Might I ask who your summoner was?"


    "I''m sorry but I cannot tell you that. I hope you understand," I said.


    I don''t want to complicate this any further. Let''s leave this at that.


    But this complicated it more than I thought and in the end, I might have created the opposite effect of what I wanted.


    "Of course I''ve heard rumors about you and know that you have a connection with the demon emperor." His eyes sharpened and he looked straight at me, "Did he put you to the task of ridding me from this world?"


    So he was wary because of the rumors?


    That was a valid question. If I were in his shoes I''d be pretty suspicious too. But I had nothing to do with him.


    However, I was intimidated. The whole atmosphere changed in a matter of seconds. My head started to become all fuzzy. Everything looked washed out and out of proportion.


    Did I cross the limit of my body again?


    No, this was different.


    Someone was laughing in the background. It was a clear laugh. I was about to pass out and I knew it.


    "No, he did not. What would I gain by kill-"


    I blacked out.


    They''d probably hang me of suspicion. What the hell did I come here for anyway?


    I could make faint murmurs but then everything went silent. I couldn''t think, I couldn''t feel. It was like I was in a void of some sort.


    ***


    I opened my eyes, I saw a ceiling above my head. It was made from streamlined crystals. A crystal chandelier hung from it and glistened. The room was dark but it kind of glowed. Meaning I wasn''t captured or thrown in the dungeons. But I couldn''t ignore the possibilities.


    I moved around and confirmed the condition of my body. Everything was normal but my knife was gone. Even with the suit, I was carrying my knife. The sword''s possession was given to Jowy for safekeeping.


    This isn''t looking good. I need to get out of here.


    It was dark and I couldn''t see properly. Then a door opened.


    "Already up?"


    A voice echoed from the door and light crept in. I didn''t even have to luxury to look around. It was the emperor.


    "That was a bold thing you claimed in front of father. Even I couldn''t beat him you know, and I assure you, that I surpass almost all the warriors in this land," he chuckled.


    He wasn''t the emperor; rather he was the crown prince, most probably. After spending a day in this palace I''d really become confused. I''d probably go mad if I stayed here for longer.


    I couldn''t answer. What could I have said? If I had said the truth then, I''d probably be in more suspicion. So it was better to go along.


    "How about it? Wanna spar sometime?" he said.


    "Maybe¡­"


    His red eyes reminded me of their fate. "The banquet is over and your comrades are waiting in the guest room. It''s afternoon but you should get some lunch. If you feel like you can move around, then head there. And here." He threw something at me. It was my knife. "Don''t worry. We still owe you big time. I''ll make sure no one even touches you."


    "Thanks," I said.


    "You''re injured to I''d suggest resting a bit." He left with a smile, I didn''t know why but he seemed different from the rest of the people. I wasn''t treated as a criminal.


    What is going on?


    I couldn''t understand what was going on but I couldn''t just stay here either. My head was still aching; after a while, it subsided. I got up and checked whether I could move or not. I could.


    I came out of the room.


    Did I blackout from fatigue? But, why now?


    There was a possibility that the party wore me out, but could it have been something else? I couldn''t really think of anything.


    Everything was made of crystal yet the hallway was dark. There wasn''t much light for my eyes. But I could make out shapes and there was some light coming out in the distance.


    Why did I pass out anyway? It wasn''t like- that juice? But-¡­


    I followed the light. Now that I thought about it, even the room itself was dark too.


    What is going on? Night? But didn''t he say, it was just the afternoon?


    When I reached the light, my eyes failed me. I couldn''t see for a moment; everything flashed and then went dark; the back of my head hurt.  I fell on the floor with a solid thud. "I knew you were dumb but oh well." It was a feminine voice. A voice I hated.


    ***


    When I came about, there were piercing lights everywhere. It was too damn bright. With my hands shielding my eyes I opened them. My ears were ringing from the cheers in the crowd.


    Crowd? Why''s there a crowd here? Where am I?


    I could see vague shapes in the distance. I was in some sort of amphitheater. Elves?


    There were elves in the audience seats. They were cheering and the crowd was roaring. The sky was black, as it were night. However, my surrounding was lit as though day. Magic?


    The ground was covered in black sand. Or rather blood¡­. Cold sweats ran down my whole body. What if¡­ just what if?


    Before I knew it the crowd went silent as a single voice descended to the floor from above.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today I bring you delighted news. It''s been a long while since we have witnessed an execution of the high order, but that all ends today. Today we shall witness the grand execution we have all been craving for." The crowd roared even louder.


    He was like a commentator or maybe he was one. His voice reached far and wide. Maybe he had some form of amplification magic. Upon finish, the crowd yet again roared.


    Grand execution?

 Chapter 157 - Fool Me Thrice, Shame On The World

    I looked around. My vision was yet to adjust itself but I saw the royal camp. The lights were artificial, this was night. The emperor and the princes; even Lianne were there. They were atop the audience seats, glaring at me.


    So they were all in it?


    Araan had a wicked smile on his face, but Lianne and the others didn''t. They seemed pained. I could vaguely see tears in her eyes. It didn''t take a lot of processing to understand what I''d gotten myself into. They were about to execute me.


    "This man was declared a friend of the throne but!" with his emphasis on the word ''but'' the announcer continued, "He has betrayed us by slaying the crown prince!"


    "What?"


    I couldn''t believe my ears. The crowd rebelled in severe anguish: they wanted me dead immediately.


    The crown prince is dead?


    I knew they''d frame me for something like attempted murder of the emperor or something but this was much more extreme. Even I was shocked now.


    "What do you mean by ''what''?" he ridiculed me and added, "You killed him, we found him dead with your sword and knife!"


    I checked my belt. My knife wasn''t there and my sword was supposed to be in Jowy''s possession. I was wearing my usual shirt and that was it. Meaning, I''d been had: again!


    Could it be, he had betrayed me as well? But wasn''t the crown prince his own brother, and weren''t we comrades?


    "I-I was in my room and- and then."


    "Don''t pretend to be innocent, we know!" The announcer had hatred for me in his eyes. "Not only did we find your weapons there, we also found you unconscious by his dead body. As for punishment our lord Grabizzio, the kind emperor has deemed you worthy of dying by ToaBe: the beast of despair."


    "But that''s-"


    He didn''t listen to me, nor did anyone else. Everyone was against me. I was betrayed yet again. And I was alone. "Tell me one thing. What happened to the other two?"


    "There off no concern to you anymore." The announcer smirked devilishly and his expression grew dark. Veins popped in front of his forehead. But that gave me answers. If he was unwilling to talk about it, it meant he didn''t know about them.


    An iron door opened in the opposite direction, followed by a metallic clang. It was big and then a roar followed. It was a bone-chilling roar.


    "Of course, his excellency isn''t without mercy. Thus he gave him the blessing of retaining this sword." He threw a sword at me, aiming to cripple me, but I dodged.


    "This is dull!" I picked it up, it was rusted too.


    "Yeah, so?" He jumped out of the stage and a wall made of steel arose within the stadium. Another roar of the beast followed. With the dull sword in my hand, I turned around.


    Roar!


    It was a lion, with an alligator''s head attached: it looked very similar to the one that attacked us.


    What is it doing here?


    It was smaller and looked enraged. Of course, it''d be. After all, I was one who stabbed it so much that I passed out from exhaustion. But if it was some sort of controllable monster then Jowy, must have known it from the beginning. On the other hand, it was supposed to be a grand monster. So it couldn''t have been possible. I doubted it was the same one. I squinted my eyes. I still couldn''t focus.


    "Hey, you! What are you doing here?" The monster didn''t respond. And its eyes looked awfully yellow and cold. Moreover, the skin looked weird.


    Something was different. But one thing was now clear: the monster in front of me wasn''t the God that attacked us.


    And yet!


    "Jowy! You''re out there aren''t you!" I screamed.


    "Yes, what is it, Daarc?" He answered just outside the wall. He was behind me this entire time?


    He was calm and looked sideways.


    "Why? And-"


    "But of course I have my reasons. Why else did you think I didn''t use the full potential of my magic that night?" I hadn''t asked him about that. He answered it of his own volition. He said something that literally shook me.


    "But, Brenda¡­" My voice quivered.


    "The goal was only to cripple you and that was it, but it was a tragic incident that she died. I wanted to take her to bed at least once," he said banging his hand on the wall. He was serious. Those eyes, those pale crimson green eyes¡­. He was serious.


    "Ho-how can you say that with a straight face?" The earth beneath my feet shook. It was as though the whole world had turned against me. Was it because of the monster? Was it because of his words? I didn''t know. I didn''t know anything, not anymore.


    "Why not? But shouldn''t you focus on what''s ahead?"


    I looked behind. The monster was eyeballing me. "Was Lianne on this too?" I raised my sword.


    "That girl has issues of her own. So I wouldn''t count on her too much," he said and started walking.


    "I see. So the whole damn family was corrupted from the beginning. And since the crown prince was the only one sane, you joined hands to get rid of him. And since I was the perfect cover, it all went according to plan, correct?"


    "You''re pretty smart, huh? But let me correct one thing for you, I don''t give a f*ck about this family. All I want is the throne and soon I''ll have it." His voice became hoarse. "No matter what!"


    The throne? I guess he had his reasons too. Everyone had their reasons. I was the same. But we were different. I was different.


    "Is that so?" I couldn''t help but chuckle at fate. Fate really was cruel. To think I''d be betrayed not once, not twice, but thrice? How gullible was I?


    I dashed forward. If I couldn''t depend on anyone, then I''d depend on myself and carve a path.


    However, there was a soft whisper, "Don''t die."


    Why would he care if I ended up dead? That backstabber.


    ***


    The lion was already in the center, eyeballing me.


    This sword is dull but I could sharpen it with my magic, but if I do that, then they would know.


    If people actually knew I could use magic they''d be even warier of me. I tried to think of a way of how to get out of the situation without magic while they were still underestimating me. But if Jowy betrayed me, then there was a possibility that they might already know.


    I thought about it and decided against not using magic. The old man was cunning and that''s why I didn''t need to worry about him. Besides, my troubles were a bit more severe than his.


    I knew the geezer wouldn''t betray me. But what just happened, I couldn''t be so sure.


    The monster in front of me looked smaller and less fearsome than before. I could feel that it wasn''t the same monster. This was more like a chimera than a god. But then again I never saw chimeras outside of games, to begin with. So I didn''t know better.


    My heart was already on the brink of collapse and I hadn''t even recovered from the last time I fought. Then there was the problem of equipment. Armor aside, I needed a good sword.


    The fake liongator dashed around. It wasn''t attacking me. Was it being cautious? What''s the point of being cautious against a wounded, worthless man?


    "I should have known, from the beginning. I was too absorbed in self-pity and wanderlust. I was too engrossed in friendship. But reality is hard. Everyone is born alone and must die alone." I hissed as I glared at the monster: the monster circled me and glared back. "So, from now on, I don''t care if you''re the emperor or a God: I''ll kill you without mercy if you betray me." My voice was hoarse and I brimmed with hate. I''d never felt so much hate in my entire lifetime. Even when I fell from the ship, I wasn''t even half the angry I was now.


    The crowd went silent.


    My mind was made up. I charged in like a foot soldier who sought death. The liongator lifted its paws and clawed my chest. It didn''t even reach as I was channeling my magic to my shirt: the crowd was in awe. My shirt and sword glowed. Who cared if they saw? Chances were, they knew already.


    I would slaughter the royalty, my mind was made up. if I was going to die trying, so be it.


    I don''t want to be betrayed anymore.


    So the only way to stop that was to show them an example of what''ll happen to people who would betray me.


    In the end, I''m no different from them¡­


    It was either kill or be killed. And I had no intention of dying.


    I didn''t budge, I didn''t fall down. I stood firm. I bled from the impact on my wounds, but I stood.


    With one hand, I thrust the sword deep. There was a metallic clang and then the sword went in. Though the color was similar to the God I fought before, this one definitely was made from crystals.


    I was right¡­


    "I SWEAR BY TRETORTA, I SHALL END ALL WHO HAVE BETRAYED ME!" I screamed and the crowd stayed silent.. In a moment''s notice panic could have swarmed the amphitheater.

 Chapter 158 - The Tables Have Turned?

    Though dull, the sword went in smooth. The lion clawed my face, my chest, and my legs; but, nothing happened. It''s rotten, cold blood spewed on my shirt, and face but I didn''t care. My vision remained firm and straight. After severe agony, it fell on its knees. It groaned. I wasn''t even the least surprised to see this crystal monstrosity move. Who cared!


    But it changed shape and became a solid chunk of crystals instead. It died? That easily? This wasn''t even worth the trouble. The God I fought that night was a hundred, no thousand times stronger than this thing.


    There were all sorts of whispers in the crowd. I looked back and the people closest to the walls jumped back in fear. What were they so afraid of? I didn''t want anything to do with bystanders. My beat was with the emperor and his scums.


    "What''s wrong, emperor! You''re not scared are you?" I snorted. I knew I was going to die here. There were just too many of them. I already knew how strong Jowy and Lianne were. Just imagining how strong the emperor might have been, gave me depression. And to cope with that, I just shouted and tried to stay sane.


    He jumped from the top of the royal camp; he broke through the wall like it was nothing. Along with him descended all of his children, apart from Jowy and Lianne. However, there was an extra one among them. He was in black and I recognized the mask he wore.


    "Ha ha haha. Aha haha!" My mind broke and I burst into laughter. "I''m not even surprised anymore," I said.


    Gorgan came for me. There was no mistaking it; I could never forget his spear.


    "I know I won''t be able to even keep up with all of you, but please be aware that you won''t get away unscathed," I said, while I laughed at my own fate. I beheaded the ground kissing monstrosity''s dead head (top of the crystal) with one hand and glared at the rest of them.


    "Is that all? Bear in mind that I really thought of you as a friend of my children. I thought you were a destined hero. But I was wrong! You were after my family! I will shred you to pieces and feed you to the fish," The emperor made a fist and then declared in anguish.


    I grunted and glared. "Fish? How fun! You can quit playing all innocent now."


    "Don''t talk rubbish. I''ll end you right here right now!"


    He jumped forward. His sons stayed back. That damn emperor was faster than the fake liongator or even the God. He had two swords in each hand. His swings were faster than the eye could see. Naturally I couldn''t even block them let alone dodge. My shining shirt gave me protection but even so, I was being shredded: literally. The emperor was a man of his word after all.


    But my hands made a fist as well. It wasn''t like I''d just sit back and let him attack all he wanted. I swung my sword but he dodged it: it was an obvious ploy but now there was distance between us. One of the princes handed him a longbow. He took his aim.


    "Oh how brave!" Seeing how futile it was, I tried taunting. My chances were slim but I wasn''t going to go down without a fight.


    "I have no mercy for you. You have killed my son," he said.


    They were spewing nonsense from a long while back. Were they the same people who made me feel blessed this morning?


    "And you think I was capable of that and got out unscathed?" His eyes gave off doubt. For a second I saw him waver. So I pressed on. "Don''t you think it''s odd? I''m this wounded and yet your son died by my hands but I didn''t receive any new wounds. Even the old ones never reopened. Don''t you think this is even a little odd?"


    "My son was the greatest warrior after me in this land. And yet he was found dead being stabbed from both sides," He wavered. "And there was no sign of struggle¡­"


    "You''re just realizing it now?"


    Just what the hell is wrong with these people?


    "Oh¡­! I thought you''d finish him for me but I guess we need to make our move now, don''t we?" A voice intervened. It wasn''t a pretty voice rather a mixture of a man''s and a woman''s. A very ugly voice.


    "Wha-what is this? I can''t move!" The emperor couldn''t move. The princes looked dumbfounded. Yet again a familiar scent floated. It was her.


    "So, Bitch, it was your plot yet again?" I said, chuckling a little.


    "I did tell you that, I''d sort things with you, remember?" It was that demon. "Oh and please try to be a little more polite. I do have a name you know."


    "My memory is a bit hazy. All I remember is you being bitchy and nothing more," I said.


    The thing glared at me. It wasn''t happy.


    "Araan what are you doing?"  One of the princes asked.


    She wasn''t Araan anymore: both of the eyes were pure red. She went close to the Emperor and monsters appeared in every corner of the amphitheater. The people panicked and ran wild. There were monsters behind the princes as well: mostly goblins. So they were busy with their own shit.


    In one fell swoop chaos descended.


    Roar! A roar came from behind me. It was the undead of a tiger. What was it with this world?


    And were elves just pure morons? Didn''t they consider the possibility of something like this? Why the hell did they have to have their fun in the middle of the night?


    But before the undead of the tiger could even get close, it was stabbed by a spear but not just any spear. It was stabbed by Gorgan.


    More monsters appeared and his back hit mine.


    "What are you doing," I said.


    I was ready to skewer him in a moment''s notice.


    "Didn''t I tell you? I''ll forever be your friend! And what sort of holy knight betrays his friend? If I wanted to do that sort of stuff, I''d rather have been a dark knight instead."


    He marched forward and dealt with the monsters behind me. I didn''t buy it. He was in it for my throat just moments ago. But the main problem remained in front of me.


    "Why are you doing this?" The emperor tried to get out of the paralysis. He used his magic. It was infective.


    "Hmm, why I wonder?" Araan was just an apple''s distance from the emperor. "Sorry lord father but this is it." It was as if he was singing.


    "You''re not Araan are you? He''d never-"


    "Oh I assure you, I am the Araan you know." His one eye became blue and the other remained red. Both were there.


    I chuckled. I should have known. Of course they were in this together. "You two are in this together?" I said.


    "But of course. When I went to kill the prince that night, I felt malice within him and I was also disturbed by a certain someone, thus I refrained from doing so. When I met with him later that night, we made a pact and the rest you know-"


    "You bitch! I knew you were a bitch but didn''t think the prince would be one too!"


    There were more and more monsters incoming and they were just manifesting out of thin air. Not just small goblins but even hobgoblins and goblin mages.


    Veins bulged in the forehead of the emperor. A fiery aura surrounded him and it was clearly visible. I could even feel the heat from a distance. "Argh!" The emperor roared and was almost free. "I suppose my anger was dumbfounded and misguided!"


    A wave of fire almost disintegrated all the smaller goblins around us without harming us even a little.


    "I shouldn''t have expected any less from the emperor of fire. You really do live up to your name. To think even ten years'' worth of manabinding wasn''t enough to confine you!" Araan chuckled haphazardly.


    At that moment a pillar of flames appeared around the emperor and he broke free. In a split second he cut Araan but he dodged it at the last moment. Araan escaped with a loss of an arm. I''d say he got out easy.


    At this point everyone was basically just ignoring me.


    "Rgrh!" Araan screamed in pain and clenched his shoulder. It felt good. But the situation wasn''t good for me either. We were surrounded by monsters and every single one of them were my enemy. They betrayed me and tried to kill me: I tried to kill them. I didn''t care if they were manipulated or not. But they were my enemy.


    "Well, you reap what you sow." I glared at Araan. I wanted him dead.. That was it.

 Chapter 159 - You Reap What You Sow

    Araan looked more than pissed and glared back at me. I wanted to laugh at his smug enraged face. But before I could do so, he brought out a knife. It was my knife.


    "So you-"


    "Who else could it have been?" He played with it while controlling his urges to scream from the pain.


    It was awfully comical if nothing else.


    Before he could regain his composure a volley of flame arrows descended upon him. They came from the sideway.


    "Lianne?"


    Lianne was there and the fireball had pierced the wall. If the wall was that fragile then what was the point in evoking it?


    Through the new-made hole, came four individuals: Lianne, Jowy, the old man, and Alisa.


    They came rushing to my side.


    "Jowy!" New rage boiled within me.


    "Forgive me for the act but if I hadn''t done that then things wouldn''t have gone so smoothly and we''d have never been able to get that confession from them," he said.


    I grinded my teeth but when I saw the old man, I controlled my anguish. "I''ll deal with you later."


    Act or not, what he''d done was unforgivable. Because of him Brenda-


    "Forgive me as well, lad. If I hadn''t gone along with their plan-"


    "Save it for later, old man," I said.


    Araan was flying above us. He had a smug smile. What did he found so amusing in looking down on us? We were outnumbered by monsters and they had the upper hand but we had our own counterattacks.


    But that''s when I realized that most of the princes were on the ground coughing up blood.


    "For-give¡­me," the emperor said.


    His mouth foamed and with a gush of blood as he fell on the ground.


    I wanted them dead. Some part of me was happy because of that; but I felt guilt, severe guilt. These people didn''t betray me, they were betrayed themselves. And yet I was happy to see them fall. That was the first time, I felt genuine hate. Hate of oneself. I hated my own self.


    "Father!" Lianne cried out.


    Both of the elves rushed to their father''s side. Some of the princes had died while some still managed to crawl around. Some soldiers made it into the arena but they were instantly slaughtered by the monsters.


    "Old man, can you shot up, that high?" And yet, my voice came out flat, as though I was on some sort of picnic. I guess the geezer''s presence did help.


    "Sure thing," he said. He shot a wind blade straight for Araan and it grazed him. His smug face became twisted in anger.


    "It''s no use. I''ve already killed most of the royalty. This country is finished." But his ego still remained. What the hell was wrong with this brat?


    "Why?"


    "To be the next emperor of course. " Well, that was obvious.


    He laughed with a terrible attitude.


    Lianne and Jowy both shed tears. "How could you do this to father?" Lianne screamed.


    "Father? Why the f*ck would I think of him as one? Did any of you ever think of me as a brother? All because I had a commoner as a mother, I''d been ridiculed all my life. I hated all of you!" Araan screamed at the top of his lungs.


    I guess he really did have his reasons after all. Did they make me want to pound him any less? Nope.


    "But I always considered you my brother." Tears streamed down Lianne''s cheeks.


    "Unfortunately, I didn''t. And how is that monster still alive? Even whale-killing poison not good enough?"


    The other princes were writhing in agony. They''d probably die.


    "You couldn''t defeat him, so you ended up poisoning him?  And the rest of them too? You might be an even bigger bitch than the one controlling you, huh?" I couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Say what you will Daarc, but All of you will die here! Ha ha ha!" His sarcastic laughter reached far and wide.  "I''ll declare myself as the new-" His laugher came to an abrupt stop and his face grew awfully pale. "What are you saying? We-we had a pact? And demons-!"


    He went a little further up.


    The old man let out a chuckle. "Looks like he was duped as well."


    "Must be fun being him." A reply shot out of my lips. I didn''t know what I was saying anymore.


    A second later Araan fell on the ground, twisting his lower half upside down. He screamed in pain and agony: but his voice didn''t get out. Only blood and his tears flowed out. Then descended the red-eyed bitch.


    "I think you must have been mistaken. I''m only half-demon so-" The demon didn''t finish and giggled instead. "So- I''m not bound by demonic promises."


    How disgusting¡­


    Araan tried to bring out the knife while casting a spell.


    "Oh, and would you mind slitting your own throat for me?" The half-demon reached out to Araan in a seductive voice from above.


    "N-no¡­ way!" said Araan.


    He coughed some more blood, looked at us miserably. The hand he held his knife came closer and closer to his neck on its own. The knife too came close.


    "Sav-save¡­me, sister, l-lord brother¡­. Father!!!"


    Lianne and Jowy didn''t even look at him. They were grieving by their father''s side.


    Then he looked at me, "Daarc."


    He faked a smile and begged but it was too late. He''d die a dog''s death. And yet¡­


    "My son¡­" Amidst all the confusion, chaos, and dread the emperor still spread his hands for his so-called son. The rest of his kin was writing in pain and despair on the floor but even so, he spread his hand toward this sorry excuse for a comedian. I almost felt pity for the soul. All of them.


    "Old man got any potions?"


    "You''re not planning on giving it to that brat are you?" The geezer chuckled.


    "Hell no!" Even I wasn''t that stupid.


    "He he. Figured." He tossed a bottle of potion at me and I gulped it at one go.


    And then he tossed another which I tossed to Lianne. "Do whatever."


    "I''ve been tired of carrying this stuff for you." The old man handed me my armor and sword. I took my knife from Araan''s cold hands. "A little late, don''t you think?" I mumbled.


    ***


    The half-demon still stood above and glared at us with a grin. "How callous of you to ignore me¡­"


    It was more like she was giving up time to sort our thoughts but, oh well.


    "So, you have fun playing with people''s emotions like this?"


    "Oh! You do understand me," she chuckled.


    Sorry, but I''m not interested in understanding bitches like you.


    "Is that so? I don''t understand one thing. Why do all this?"


    She played with her pinky. "I don''t know. It just seems so fun. I''m bored you see. I''ve lived more than a few hundred years and-"


    "Unfortunately I''m not looking for a history lesson. Get to the point!"


    "Rather demanding for someone who''s about to die. No wonder she likes you."


    She?


    "Anyway, this is pretty fun. If I succeed in killing you, I''d have all this land to myself and I''ll have all sorts of fun. But if I fail, I could always run back to lord Namcha and say it was all to train you. Quite a plan huh?"


    She was right, it was a complex plan. But instead of glaring at her, I smirked. "About that half-demon thing¡­ so your mother was a bitch? Or was it the father? How hard it must be to have a father that would be a bitch¡­ perhaps he didn''t even have balls?" It was hard to come up with proper curses. I really needed to work on my taunts.


    I could see her veins pop up on her porcelain forehead. She looked pretty humanoid but she wasn''t one. She was probably the second most beautiful woman I saw on this world but what a waste!


    She began to shake and her hair turned pure black as she grinded her teeth. I could hear it.


    She snapped, I had taunted her for quite a while and that was the last straw. But my mind was already flooded with rage too. The only reason I kept talking and provoking her was to keep myself sane. I couldn''t say it wasn''t working, though.


    Her face grew teeth- or rather her perfect teeth grew jagged; now she seemed more like a demon.


    "I feel bad for my lord but ending you is the best choice." She lifted her hand and cut it with my knife on her own accord: the hand fell on the ground. Her blood was black. The detached arm twitched like a lizard''s tail and grew with rapid pace. In a split second the arm became as big as an elephant, sucking all the dead bodies in- ignoring the living- and then exploded. All sorts of sticky fluid showered us.


    "Gross!" Alisa whimpered.


    "Why did you bring her?"


    "You''d suggest I left her in the hands of the elves?" the old man said.


    "Good point¡­."


    But something from that stuff emerged. It wasn''t a feeble monster. Rather it was the compilation of all the fallen princes, the dead soldiers, and the monsters. In its core lay the body of Araan.


    It was a monster of horror and sorrow. The emperor''s body was safe thanks to Lianne and Jowy. But the thing in front of us was definitely something straight out of a horror movie.


    "Didn''t think I''d see another chimera in life." The old man was speechless for a second but he talked anyway.


    Wait, this thing''s a chimera?


    The monster in front didn''t have the body of a lion and the head of a goat. But if the old man called it a chimera, then there was no reason for me to not believe him: it was a chimera.


    "That''s bad," Gorgan screamed.


    "WE know that already."


    It wasn''t just a monster. It was terror incarnate. The princes'' body color changed and the monster moved slowly. It had a lot of heads and arms. The princes no longer resembled the living and the body was much, much larger than all of them combined.


    This day just keeps on getting messier and messier.


    The problem was, it was nighttime, to begin with, so we couldn''t really count on the sun either.

 Chapter 160 - The Newborn Monster

    The old man threw blow after blow but they didn''t even scratch the monster. It was on a whole different level.


    "Take Alisa and run. It won''t do us any good if all of us end up dead."


    "Like I''ll let you!" The demon flew by me in an instant and was about the stab Alisa, but the old man shielded her by blocking the demon with the mystic blade.


    "That sword!" the demon ran back up.


    What kind of monster was she? She was way too oblivious: however, the newborn monster was not.


    I bit my lips and made a decision. "I''ll leave her to you old man! And don''t die or let her die! Or else I''ll kill you!"


    "You got it boy! And how''d you kill me if I were dead? Not that I plan on dying anytime soon." He chuckled.


    I grinned.


    This new monster had way too many arms and weapons; ranging from shields, swords, spears, bows, and axes. Even among the elves, magic was sacred and they couldn''t use it nonchalantly. But the monster had lost all reasoning and cast spell after spell. Fireball, thunderbolt, and even icicles, all came towards us. How was this thing, that just came alive a few minutes ago cast spells when even I couldn''t? It gave me anxiety and pissed me off. I was more pissed at myself for feeling inferior to a friggin monster.


    I charged in; Lianne and Gorgan followed. Up-close, I slashed it with my sword; the sword went in but I was flung back a couple of meters by a battle axe. That axe made the wound on my chest open up a little. Before I got up, Gorgan had stabbed the beast multiple times and Lianne set it on fire. But the thing was still moving.


    It wasn''t undead?


    "Holy''s effective, but I''m not proficient enough!" Gorgon sulked.


    "Weren''t you a holy knight or something?"


    "I have more skill with the spear than with spellblading..." He paused. "I think that thing could just have more resistance than typical undead." I guess he was just being modest.


    He was supposed to be the youngest holy knight if I remembered correctly. And I, even so, saw him fight up close and yet he was having trouble. But if holy was working and it was still moving then that meant this thing was something similar like that thing from the island.


    Jowy shot a volley of arrows; they landed on the monster and none of them pierced.


    "Use magic, you idiot! And aim for Araan," I screamed.


    It was just a hunch but I said it anyway.


    Jowy listened to me and shot another volley, this time straight at Araan. I didn''t waste the opportunity and dashed forward. Spears and swords swung from sides but I jumped and shoved my sword deep into the long-dead prince. Every head screamed, even Araan''s as though they were still alive; but, they were not.


    "Ahhh! It hurts. Daarc!" A mutated Araan''s voice screamed.


    It fell on the ground. Only to stand up a second later. Damn it! All of us took a step back.


    The damn half-demon stood atop us and giggled. "I already saw you two fight together, remember? It was only natural that I''d take necessary steps to make this more entertaining."


    I hated that demon, there was no doubt about it.


    The monster twitched and grew darker. It looked more ferocious and every single head became mutated. They now stopped resembling humans or rather elves.


    Lianne encased her sword with fire. "This doesn''t look good."


    Even after stabbing Araan it still moved. My hunch was wrong.


    We were out of options. I didn''t know what to do anymore. That''s right! I remembered what I learned last night. To cast magic one must first visualize it. If the monster in front of me was an undead then holy was probably the most effective element. My attacks just weren''t reaching deep enough and Gorgon wasn''t that reliable with magic either. So the only option was to try and cast a spell.


    It''s worth a shot. "Buy me some time!"


    "You got it." Jowy shot another volley of arrows while Lianne and Gorgon charged. The parts of the monster that caught fire or came into contact with Gorgan''s blade fell off and melted. It wasn''t that Gorgan didn''t have enough skills, rather the monster was just too monstrous.


    But I didn''t know-how.


    I tried to circulate my mana and closed my eyes for better concentration. I couldn''t really imagine it. What was I even supposed to imagine?


    "That''s right. That''s it. Focus. The same light that burns in me burns in you. The light of Trerortra!. Rise up¡­ Daarc!"


    It was the same voice that I heard back on the island when I first used magic.


    So it was you Sisrael.


    I grinned. With my eyes closed and a smile, I might have looked like a comedian but I couldn''t help it.


    Even in death, you continue to guide me.


    I imagined a white sun enveloping the earth: the sun was my courage and it was also holy in my book. That was the best I could conjure up. I opened my eyes, held my hands in front towards the monster, and concentrated with all my might. White mana began pouring out of my hand and gathered over the head of the monster. At first, it was shapeless but within moments the shape became rounder and I felt faint. All my strength was being drained but I had to do it.


    Looks like this is it. Never thought I''d be able to pull it off though. What should I call this? I know¡­. "Starfall!" the ball of light was about a meter in radius. It expanded rapidly and descended upon the monster. Lianne and Gorgan backstepped.


    Never thought calling out names would be so embarrassing¡­.


    I always wanted to try it but now that I did, I never wanted to try again. Ever.


    The light enveloped the monster and its flesh started to melt. The light was blinding yet I didn''t close my eyes. It was working.


    "Gorgan now!" with my signal Gorgan sped up and stabbed Araan again. This time everything melted.


    "It''s warm¡­ this light¡­. It''s warm" Lianne closed her eyes and a stream of tears fell. "Farewell, my brethren¡­"


    I looked around the half-demon was still hovering above us. "Wow, you actually pulled it off. I can see why she chose you¡­"


    "That stuff is getting old. You don''t know jack shit about me!"


    The monster fully melted and now the light disappeared. All my strength vanished as well. I couldn''t even feel my mana anymore. It was hard as it was but now it was even harder.


    "Here, and don''t go around casting that nonchalantly. You could have just used it on the demon and we''d have won!" The old man threw a potion at me and berated me.


    I only grinned at him. I was too tired to get angry.


    I took a sip from the potion and pointed my sword up. "You''re next!"


    Her arm had already grown back but she looked weak and pathetic. That''s when things turned around. It wasn''t over. Her red eyes turned black and her white skin became muddy. I had seen that before. I knew things were about to get shitty. She became bigger and descended to the floor. Her clothes had torn but now she didn''t resemble a living being rather, something sinister. Even now she looked humanoid: and very much like that monster from the island. She didn''t have extra limbs or eyes.


    Was that supposed to be a joke?

 Chapter 161 - Death And Dreams

    There were leftover axes from the other monster; the half-demon picked two up.


    "Now that I''ve become this. I have to kill you and rid this world of this memory." Her voice warped and now flowed broken: but her giggles still came out like it was no big deal. She stopped making sense a long time ago. But somehow I could understand her. This curse was rather convenient.


    She screeched so hard, that my ears ringed. Then came for me at blinding speeds. It was fast but not as fast as the emperor. Blocking was out of the question, so I dodged the first axe but the second one dug a deep wound on my left shoulder. I was surprised that my arm was still attached.


    "AHH!" With a scream, I fell on the ground a few steps back.


    "Daarc!"


    Alisa screamed. But now the monster had her eyes on the little girl. My vision was failing. I was about to lose consciousness again. But I didn''t want to. I wanted to keep fighting.


    If I lost my sense now then I would regret it forever.


    "Arise!" The damn demon commanded and an undead warped to existence. It almost looked humane, and yet, like a demon or perhaps a goblin?


    "That''s-" The old man stuttered for a second. "That''s an abnormal." His voice was awfully stale.


    The half-demon pointed. "Deal with them." The abnormal went straight for Gorgan and the geezer.


    The old man and Gorgan were pretty much pinned with the monster.


    I was leaking and yet I couldn''t move. I was paralyzed just like the emperor. And so were Jowy and Lianne. This was bad.


    The demon grinned and chuckled disgustingly and glared at Alisa.


    "Hey! Your beef is with me! Leave her out of it!"


    She went for Alisa; Alisa remained frozen stiff in fear.


    "I never thought you''d side with the gods¡­ But, who''d have thought you''d bring one here of all places¡­" The half-demon screeched.


    "A god?" My lips moved. My body didn''t.


    I couldn''t move, even when I channeled my magic, nothing happened. She was about to hit her with the axe and I had to watch that.


    Is there nothing I can do? Am I that powerless?


    I tried one last time. I channeled mana to my whole body. My body became hot and nothing happened.


    "Damn it!" Jowy screamed and wiggled around. Lianne squirmed too but it was to no avail.


    Damn it!


    "Daarc." Alisa''s eyes glimmered as she looked at me.


    It reminded me of my own sister. She looked just like that when I used to snap. I already lost her I couldn''t lose this girl too. Besides, Brenda told me to protect Alisa.


    But how am I supposed to? I used all my magic and now I can''t even focus. I can''t get out! I can''t!


    Tears welled but they didn''t flow. The demon had gotten quite close to Alisa and now Alisa was on the floor. It chopped off one of Alisa''s fingers and Alisa screamed.


    It hurt. "STOP IT" My vocal cords felt like they''d tear.


    If I let this happen, then I''ll regret it for the rest of my life. If I don''t do this now I''ll regret it for as long as I''ll live. If I don''t do this now it would be worse than dying. I won''t see another death!


    I let loose all my remaining magic on my body. There wasn''t much but it was enough. I poured every ounce of mana. My body became so hot that my blood boiled. I coughed up blood and my whole body almost exploded. But it gave me new strength. I didn''t know how long it''d last but I had a shot at changing destiny.


    A faint glow of light escaped my skin. It was almost like a tongue of fire: kind of like that night when that liongator attacked us.


    With my newfound strength I severed the strings of fate and escaped the paralysis, but my blood had boiled too much and now I was barely able to move.


    If it came to this then what was the point? Move! Move! If you don''t want history to repeat itself, then move!


    With willpower alone, I took a step. All this time the monster was savoring its victory over Alisa and didn''t kill her yet. It had cut off three of her fingers one by one and she screamed in pain. But I didn''t stop.


    I took another step and shoved my sword in her back coated with my mana; it went right through. The half-demon was too conceited to think that nobody could break free of her control. Did she already forget about the emperor?


    "YAAA!" That bitch screamed, my ears bled and she cut of my left arm completely. The arm fell on the ground and I stood there in shock for a good two seconds. It hurt so much that I thought I''d die.


    I was going to die one day anyway.


    "Arghh!" I screamed but I kept shoving the sword down. It didn''t take long but the bitch vaporized and I fell on my knees. The sword fell on the ground with a clang.


    I coughed up some more blood. Everything was red; both the world and me. With one hand I covered my now severed arm and tried to get back up to see Alisa but I couldn''t move. My body had given up.


    "Daarc! Hang in there!" The old man screamed as he pulled out the Mystic blade out of the abnormal''s corpse. Ironically Gorgan was piercing the abnormal with his spear too. I guess those two made a good combination.


    Too late old man.


    I wanted to chuckle but threw up blood instead.


    The amphitheater was free from people. They were either dead or had gotten out. I didn''t care either way.


    "Damn it Daarc!" Jowy said.


    Why are you concerned?


    Was he trying to be funny? If so, then it was not funny. I didn''t give a damn about his reasons, but he betrayed me and that really hurt.


    "Tell-me¡­ one thing J-Jowy¡­ why didn''t you use magic then?" My mind was going blank. I had to keep it focused. My legs shook and I was about to fall at any moment. Even being on my knees wasn''t helping.


    "If I had then things wouldn''t have worked this way. I''m evil you see. I knew everything and yet¡­ and yet¡­"


    "I-If that''s the¡­ case then why¡­ are you c-cr-crying?"


    He really was crying. The same Jowy whom I thought betrayed me, was crying.


    But In a split second everyone''s faces warped.


    There was something behind me.


    "Argh!" All of a sudden, I was stabbed from behind through the heart.


    I was too weak to even scream. "It hurts¡­"


    Who said that? Me?


    "You didn''t think that would be enough to kill me did you." The half-demon was yet to die. She was missing an arm and a leg and half of her face, yet she was still alive; if that was living. "Wh-what are you doing!" She was surprised when she saw my tenacity.


    I used my right arm and had grabbed her: who cared about blood loss at this point, anyway?


    I channeled my magic to my arm and I was probably going to lose it too for doing so but I didn''t care. She trembled.


    "Old man, if you will. Shove that sword through me," I said.


    I was going to die anyway, either from blood loss or from overuse of magic. Probably both. Even my heart didn''t beat anymore.


    What a day.


    "But Daarc-"


    "Hurry! You and I both know¡­."


    He came close to me, pointed his blade, and covered it with magic. The bitch behind me was only supposed to be hurt by holy or water magic; in that case, there was only one option. My blood still contained my magic, and I''m sure the old man knew that.


    "Farewell," he mumbled before piercing me through and striking the bitch behind me. She was finally crumbling for good.


    "Angh!" I clenched my teeth and contained myself. It was painful. I was going to die.


    "Don''t think it''s over just yet. Our lord is so strong that you can''t even imagine!"


    "I''m pretty sure I can but that''s not a concern for you anymore." My voice didn''t shiver anymore. I''d accepted my fate.


    "Ha hah ahahah!" She laughed and soon fully turned to ash. Even as she crumbled she whispered. "I''m glad you¡­ made it Daarc. Thank you¡­ never thought this day would come." I couldn''t believe my ears. Was this the same demon who just did all of this? Just who were these demons? At the last moment, the voice felt so nostalgic¡­.


    Lianne had tears in her eyes but she didn''t say anything. Alisa had gotten up and she was crying. Gorgan didn''t look at me. He probably couldn''t bear to see me that way. I didn''t want to see his back before going out though.


    I was barely alive, but not for long. This was it and I could feel it. My heart had stopped beating and my once boiling blood had gone cold. My arm didn''t hurt anymore and I couldn''t breathe. My sight had almost disappeared and my hearing got distant as well.


    This really was a weird curse if nothing.


    Alisa glowed.


    "So you were a God, like she said?" It was my voice yet, it didn''t feel like mine.


    "Yes. The demigod of Ice to be specific. But I can''t produce snow let alone ice. What an irony¡­ right?"


    "I can see why you apologized now¡­"


    "I told you it was my fault. That monster came to get me but when it saw you, his rage took over and you know the rest."


    I tried to chuckle and threw up blood. I coughed. How was it that my body still functioned?


    No wonder this was called a grand curse¡­


    My body finally crumbled and I fell on the ground. It didn''t hurt. I wanted to sleep. It would be a long sleep and I might never wake up.


    "Can''t we do anything?" Someone was crying.


    "It''s too late." It was probably the geezer''s voice, but I couldn''t differentiate anymore.


    Before my head fell on the ground and my eyes closed, I saw Biteria jumping towards me; a set of footsteps came my way as well.


    You little devil. Where were you?


    "Fare-well¡­ everyone.." I fell asleep one last time or so I thought¡­.

 Chapter 162 - What Is This Place? Am I Dead?

    Too bright.


    I couldn''t keep my eyes open. It took me some time but I finally woke up and found myself in a very bright space. My eyes adjusted. I was in a room. The room resembled my own. In fact, it looked exactly like mine.


    "Where am I? Am I, back home?"


    It was too quiet. Not a spec of sound. My voice echoed: there was no reply.


    The air was stagnant; no smell.


    Is this even air? Am I breathing?


    My mind was confused.


    What happened to the old man, to Alisa and the rest of-?


    I picked myself up and ran downstairs.


    Was my house always this clean?


    "Mom!"


    "Sisilia?"


    "Jacob!"


    Nobody answered. No one was here.


    This doesn''t look like my home¡­ Wait, the outside!


    Is this a dream?


    Or was everything else a dream?


    I got out of the house. It was even brighter. I couldn''t see properly yet I knew exactly where things were. The neighbors, the cars, the roads, the mail posts, and even the signboards; I knew everything and where they were.


    The light was blinding yet it didn''t hurt. In fact, my whole body moved with ease. I couldn''t feel anything.


    I took a walk. There was no one out. Not a single car was running.


    Am I¡­ dead?


    It would only make sense if I was. I suffered way too much and death didn''t seem that bad. Besides, that world was cruel and full of suffering, yet was my world really all that better? So death was practically a win-win for me. But it was kind of lonely.


    At least I didn''t have to moan about my injuries. And strangely, I felt calm.


    I followed the road. I don''t know why but I felt like walking. It felt good. It was like someone was calling me.


    I reached an unknown place. Till now everything looked normal apart from not having any people at all (I was aware that wasn''t normal). It didn''t look like a crude place from my memories: rather, it was a place of sublime beauty. There weren''t any houses, there weren''t any cars and there certainly wasn''t any technology. All that lay before my eyes were a single river and endless field of grass, ridiculed with dandelions and sunflowers.


    Was someone trying to be funny when they made this place?


    They must have done a pretty good job cause, I chuckled without noticing.


    A river- more like a small ocean, as I couldn''t see the other side- flowed in front of me, down the hill. It was a small hill. There was someone down there watching the water flow.


    Finally! Someone!


    I rushed down, it was a godsend. Somehow she seemed familiar and after reaching her, I knew why.


    "Sisrael?"


    "Wanderer," she said. Yup, she really was a godsend: literally.


    She had a gentle smile. She wasn''t a statue anymore or transparent; rather she looked like a normal girl with blonde hair. Her golden eyes locked onto mine.


    "But you''re-"


    That''s right, I''m dead. It all makes sense now.


    I didn''t want to think about it. But there wasn''t any other explanation for what was going around me. It was kind of hard to believe though. A corner of my mind still hoped to live. I wanted to smack that corner.


    "It is good to see you again wanderer. I have been keeping an eye on you from within you."


    How can she say something like that with a straight face?


    That thought was rather disturbing but deep down I knew it. I knew she lived inside me, if only by a fraction of worth. If it wasn''t for her, I''d already been dead a long while ago. But then again, I still died.


    "Beautiful, is it not?" Her gaze was on the river.


    "Yes, it is." I sat down.


    We continued watching the river flow. It was more like an ocean- pretty big and wide- than a river. I couldn''t see the other end yet I knew it was a river.


    Why did I think of it as a river?


    But the flow was one way and quite like a river: maybe that''s why?


    Time passed by and I didn''t feel anything of it.


    Oh well.


    There we were just the two of us but I didn''t feel like asking anything. Both of us were dead; so, knowing mortal affairs weren''t a top priority. My body didn''t hurt for once and I finally could relax. These past four months were like hell.


    But was it really that bad from my own world? What''s better, getting shunned or sliced up?


    Honestly, I had no idea but probably the former.


    After a long while I felt the need to know why I was there. I wasn''t fully convinced that I was dead. It was a fleeting hope of a mortal being. My mind was still spouting nonsense about this might be a dream or it might not be the afterlife. But some part of me had already accepted the outcome. If I hadn''t then I wouldn''t have been able to remain calm.


    "What is this place?" I asked.


    "It''s a place where the souls of all the living dwell. You see that river? The water there, are the souls and as long as that stream keeps on moving, life will continue to flourish."


    So this thing really is a river?


    "The- wha-"


    "Why you''re here?"


    Just at that moment, I could feel the tremendous pressure of the air. This was a sacred place and I being here wasn''t comforting. I wasn''t a bad guy at heart but I''ve done countless questionable things in my life.


    "This- this an important place and I could taint-"


    She understood my uneasiness. "We have no power over that stream. We can''t even touch it."


    That calmed my nerves. It was a strange feeling, to get worked over something like that even after you''re dead.


    "Did you save me that night? When I fought that lion croc thing?"


    She giggled a little. "Yes. I had borrowed the powers of my sisters and my own. One of your companions also provided with her magic supply. But even with all that, I didn''t expect you to win." I really wished she didn''t say it out loud though.


    Still, I was glad. "Thanks." I really owed her. "Then this place is heaven?"


    "No, this is the buffer zone between the heavens and the mortal realms."


    Realms? I guess she was referring to the fact that there were more worlds. I guess at this point that wasn''t surprising, considering the fact that earth and this so-called dark realm weren''t the same worlds.


    "But I''m dea-" I couldn''t finish. The flickering hope in my heart burned brighter. And finally, there was a beat. My chest felt warm.


    "Are you sure?"


    That made me wonder. But the fact remained. If this wasn''t hell or heaven then I might not have died just yet.


    "You mean I can go back?"


    "I don''t know. I am but a mere fragment of my former self. It is up to you what you should decide." She looked up in the sky and flashed a satisfied grin. "But it is time for me to reunite with myself."


    My body gave off a faint glow and that''s when I knew, I was the one holding her back.


    "You mean you''re leaving me," I said.


    It was wrong but I didn''t want to part from her. When she shared a fragment of her soul with me, somehow it made me feel loved and cherished. It was wrong but, I wanted it. She gave me hope, magic, and above all a meaning to my life. She gave me the power I needed to overcome my trials and save lives. I really didn''t want to part from her.


    "Yes. For it is time for us to part."


    "¡­" I stayed quiet for a minute. "What is wrong with this world?" I said with tears streaming down my face.


    "A lot; so much so, that I can''t even begin to describe what terrors lie in wait for you." She chuckled. That was the first time I heard her laugh.


    She grinned. Her beauty shone brilliantly.


    That''s not something you should say to a near-dead guy like me.


    I laughed in an awkward tone. "Can I meet a god whilst I''m here?"


    "It is not possible for they do not exist anymore. They were all-"


    "Killed by Trerortra?" I interrupted.


    "Yes."


    "Well, I kind of knew that. I was hoping one or two might have survived. But then again, they never died and became those monsters¡­" I sighed. "The demigods-"


    "They reside on the dark realm, hence they were spared. They try to make the world a better place but they can''t: not with their powers," she said. "But I suppose there are still three gods in existence who have sanity remaining. How much so, I do not know."


    "I see. But I think it would be better for me to accept death." I too looked up the sky. There were no clouds and it was painfully white. I really missed the blue sky.


    I had already thought about it. Nothing waited for me back home. I didn''t have a family- not anymore. On the other hand, in the dark realm, nothing but suffering and betrayals awaited. So death really was the better choice.


    "Yes, it would be easier for you to receive death and move on. But is that what you really want? Will you abandon millions?"


    "What do you mean? I-"


    "I know," she smiled; she closed her eyes.


    "There''s no going around you huh? I don''t like this world and I never will. But even in a world like that, I found people who believed in me and gave me courage. I got betrayed over and over again, though." I chuckled. It had been a long, long time since I last laughed, at least an honest laugh. "But even so, I can''t bring myself to hate this world. It just-"


    "That''s okay." She reassured me. It was nice to talk to someone who could understand. "I know how kind you are."


    "Is there any way to save that world and end all that?"


    "I do not know of such a way. With lord Trerotra''s wrath, everything fell apart. But everything was broken, to begin with. It was lord Trerortra who held the world together and yet¡­ the world betrayed him¡­"


    I heard it many times but something about it still bothered me. "How did that happen? Why would people betray him?" I asked despite knowing people''s greed and lust for power.


    "The god of underworld orchestrated everything: though men betrayed him first, so maybe he was justified." She let out a faint sigh. "If you''re asking for a way then, I''d suggest you not even try. You''d only waste your life and feel hopeless. Countless people have tried and failed over the course of ten millennia. That world has so many problems, that even if you spend your entire life span, you would not be able to save it," she said. "Instead, focus on the people. They say the people are the world."


    She let out a loud sigh. She was serious and I was too.


    "Even so, I''ll try." I knew I wanted to save the people. But if the cycle of death continued and the world just continued to be what it was, then at one point, everything would crumble. "I''ll save both: the world and the people."


    "Interesting answer." She smiled. "You see the god of underworld Zamsau or you may know him as Ashirnae was an evil one: but he wasn''t like that before the betrayal. He pretended to be a benevolent god and gave humanity mana after the humans betrayed him. This mana was the root of everything. Humanity''s greed excelled and different races were born according to the different levels of desire. But perhaps-" She paused. "Perhaps it was men, who were the evildoers."


    "So in the beginning, there were only normal humans¡­" It made sense. In a world of magic and monsters, that was the only thing that made sense. She had no reason to lie, so I believed her at face value.


    "Yes, back then there was no mana, there was no undead and there was no suffering. That was over ten millennia ago."


    I thought for a second. I made my decision and grinned. "I suppose then to rid this world of all its problems, we''ll just have to destroy all mana: we''ll just have to get rid of this Jamsau guy." My body glowed and I was being called. It wasn''t the pale glow till now; it was a vibrant shine. "Looks like my times up."


    "That''s an interesting view indeed. But in time you''ll know how futile it is. And the god of the underworld cannot be defeated by mortal means. You''ll have to become a God yourself if you wished to kill him. However, I pray that you succeed. May lord Trerortra''s protection be with you always." She smiled at me. Her smile was as brilliant as the silver moon. "Farewell wanderr- no Daarc. We won''t meet again."


    Become a God? Me? It almost sounded comical to me, the guy almost died while fighting a dead god, becoming a god? It really was funny.


    "You mean we''ll meet again in the heavens then, right? Assuming I go there, that is. I''m a very bad guy after all," I giggled.


    Sisrael smiled as my form started to dissipate.


    "Good luck."


    "Goodbye, Sisrael."

 Chapter 163 - I’m Not Alone?

    Drip!


    Water dripped from the ceiling, down to my face. I woke up with a terrible sting on my shoulder.


    I had been in a similar situation before, but this time the ceiling was made of rock. And instead of a door, there were metal bars.


    Is this some sort of prison?


    Never thought I''d miss that boat of all things.


    I groaned as I tried to move: I couldn''t. I lay on a black crystal floor covered with soft fabric.


    "Looks like he''s awake."


    Someone was there in the next cell. It was dark and pyres burned. I couldn''t see his face but his voice sounded younger than mine.


    As more and more of my senses came back, the pain increased, and gradually I could hear the pyre''s burning and distant murmurs.


    With some more moans and groans, I tried to sit up. My body was mummified; the bandages were everywhere with the exception of my face. To no one''s surprise I was missing a precious thing; an arm. My fuzzy memories came back to haunt me.


    So all of that was real¡­


    "I wouldn''t move in that condition if I were you," he said.


    "But you''re not me." I sat up. It hurt more than I thought it would.


    How the hell is this damn body still kicking?


    "Good point, ha haha ha." He chuckled.


    I couldn''t see his face nor could I see his clothes. But he was definitely younger than me. I got the feeling that someone else was there with him but I couldn''t see anything.


    There were other cells around us but there wasn''t anybody in them- at least, I didn''t see any. "Is this some sort of dungeon?" Even if it was, shouldn''t there have been guards around? Or was this place abandoned? That didn''t seem likely though.


    "Yup. Just like the ones you''ll find in Dungeon Crawlers and such," he said.


    "What did you say?"


    "Oops. Sorry I didn''t mean to say that. It''s only natural that you won''t understand that." He tried to sound apologetic but it only made my suspicions skyrocket.


    I took a gamble. "No, that''s not what I meant. Aren''t those games? Are you from earth! Hey! Hey!"


    That was my first real encounter with a fellow earthling. If he knew Dungeon Crawling games then he must have come from earth. Just thinking that made me overexcited. However, that did come at a price; my body writhed in pain because of my sudden over-the-top emotional outburst.


    Oh damn! It hurts!


    "Calm down bro. I am." I waved his arms around gently, to soothe me. Strangely it only pissed me off.


    But I did try to be calm- calmer.


    Come to think of it, the emperor did mention things about summoning a lot of people.


    "That''s awesome. Well, that clown of an emperor did mention something like that but-"


    "Oh, you''ve met him?" Now HE got excited.


    What''s with the gasps?


    The guy sounded like he just found the lost city of Atlantis. Who knows, it might have actually existed in this world. "You haven''t?"


    "I''ve never met the guy. I was sent a lackey and here we are," he said as he chuckled in disappointment. I didn''t know what he was so disappointed about but this sudden change of attitude didn''t sit well with me.


    I could see much better than before. His face was still a little blurry but his outline struck me as a teenager. There was a clear shadow beside him in the cell next door.


    "You mean that person behind you is a demon?"


    "Bingo." He giggled.


    I tried to hide my hate. I hated the demons and that was something I couldn''t rid myself off. "What are you doing here?"


    "Straight to the point eh? I don''t mind though. I may or may not have tried to smooch someone." He fidgeted a little.


    Say what?


    The way he said something so sensitive in such a nonchalant and bashful way, clearly conveyed his character. I had a weirdo on my hands. "So, you''re mentally disturbed?"


    Anybody in their right mind wouldn''t be that low, would he?


    "Why would you think that?" He took a step back in shock. The guy actually had quick reflexes.


    I ignored his reaction and kept asking questions. "Anyway, what do you mean by a lackey? They didn''t try to take you to the Galbatian empire?"


    "I was actually summoned there, so-"


    "Oh!"


    If he was summoned there, then things might have been even harder for him. I was feeling more than enough empathy for him. I hadn''t been summoned to that place, yet I suffered so much. I couldn''t even begin to wonder how much this guy suffered and went through. My opinion of him increased dramatically although he might have been a womanizer.


    There were footsteps. Cold brazen footsteps approached from a distance. The sound came from above us. Were we underground?


    They came closer and closer and finally, I saw some proper lights. These lights didn''t come from pyres or lamps. They came from a single woman. Holy light was emanating from her entire body.


    Who is that?


    "You were right, my lady. He''s awake!"  Judging by the voice it was Jowy''s.


    "You''re the emperor now, try to talk like one." The woman said in a soft but clear voice. Her voice echoed throughout the dungeon although she hadn''t spoken in a loud voice.


    "Yes, my lady."


    "That''s what I meant to change!"


    What were they going on about? Here I was covered in wounds and they were worried about how they addressed each other. What a world!


    "Daarc, this is Lady Imazael. She was the one whom I mentioned in that forest." Jowy was as nonchalant as ever. And he didn''t even bother to say hi and just went on with it.


    "I wanted to meet you sooner, but circumstances can be quite a deadlock," she said.


    I didn''t know who she was but her appearance led me to believe she must have been someone really important. It was possible that Jowy had a crush on her as well, judging by the way he stared at her longingly.


    And glowing clothes? This world certainly had weird shit if nothing else.


    I couldn''t blame him for having so. She was beautiful and really so. Her bright blue dress complimented her pale blue eyes and hair. Her skin looked finer than porcelain.


    "So, this is your crush?"


    "WH-wha-what are you saying! Show respect, she''s-!" Jowy was flustered. That was the first time I''d seen an elf showing that much emotion all at once.


    It was just a joke dude. Get a grip!  I couldn''t say it out loud though.


    "I am Imazael, the demigod of water. Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    A demigod? Her?


    I didn''t doubt. She seemed to fit the bill. "Is that why you''re glowing?"


    "You could say that." She chuckled.


    For a god, she appeared fairly human. If they hadn''t told me, I''d probably dismissed her for royalty rather than an actual god.


    "What happened after I-"


    I didn''t finish. My mind kind of went blank. I feared the bad news that waited for me.


    "We subjugated all the monsters and then-"


    "And?"


    Jowy didn''t answer. He looked away¡­


    "Your companion, the little girl, fled" Imazael answered.


    "Alisa," I sighed in anguish.


    "We tried to stop her but we were unable to do so."


    Well, she herself was a demigod after all.


    I took a deep breath and met Imazael''s gaze. "So, you were the one who healed me?"


    "Yes. That is correct. That reminds me; don''t try to channel your magic directly on your body."


    "Why is that?"


    "Because next time you won''t get out unscathed. And most of your internal organs are already damaged so, even with the ability-" She paused. "Next time, you won''t survive. At least I will be powerless to save you."


    I didn''t want to know that.


    "Did she say anything?" I asked. "Did Alisa say anything?"


    I didn''t want to ask that but I- asked. Some part of me considered her- Alisa, my friend: more like a little sister. Maybe I was just using her as a replacement for my own dead sister. But¡­ but maybe just maybe that wasn''t the case.


    "She left two days after the incident. Now it''s already been a full month. She didn''t say anything to me," Jowy said.


    "A month!?"


    "Yes."


    I took a good look at my body. It was healed to some extent and most of the wounds had already sealed. I looked more than enough skinny. But even so, I could move around¡­ But the pain was definitely substantial.


    "You won''t believe how hard it was to feed you potions while you were unconscious. You are alive only because of the potions. If they weren''t given to you, you would have starved to death, even with my lady''s healing." Jowy paused for a moment. "Sometimes I even had to mouth¡­" He trailed off, clearly embarrassed.


    My body shivered once.


    Did you really need to tell me that?


    I tried my best to delete the thing he just said.


    Rest in peace, memory.


    "What about the old man?" I chuckled to hide the uneasiness.


    "He left for his homeland. However, he did leave a note for you." He gave me a note through the bar.. I took it and kept it in my hand.

 Chapter 164 - The Aftermath

    Now that I had most of the other stuff settled, I tried to assess the current situation. "Why am I here?"


    I addressed the most pressing question at hand. It was weird for a hero such as me to be treated in such poor magnitude. I did know I was no hero though. But then again considering how they treated me in front of their people, it wasn''t all that surprising.


    "We- we couldn''t disclose that Aa-Araan-" Jowy stuttered.


    He couldn''t look me in the eye.


    Imazael patted Jowy''s shoulder and came forward. "We couldn''t tell the people that a prince tried to murder his own father."


    "So, you framed me?"


    "Yes. But only you. That''s why your companion was forced to leave the country," She added.


    Now I''ll be hated for something I didn''t do? Perfect! What else can you do to me!


    "So, what now? You''d execute me?" My voice rose significantly. I was excited and that wasn''t good for my health.


    "Not quite."


    Jowy spoke up. "Actually you''re already dead: at least to the general public. "


    "Is that so? So, what are you plotting? Is it an irony of fate? You said you''d be emperor soon and here we are!" I ignored my pain and asked.


    "It was my prophecy. I had seen in a vision a hundred years ago, that Jowy would be the emperor. But he was too weak, that''s why I suggested he take a journey. And that''s how he met you," she said and smiled faintly. "And though some things didn''t change, fates have changed for more than one individual."


    "So, you guys knew everything?"


    If they did know then how could they pretend to be normal and let it all unfold? That was just- just unfair.


    "Not all of it. I didn''t know that most of my family would perish and I didn''t know Brenda would die either," Jowy said, looking down on the floor.


    "But that night you didn''t use your full potential. You''re the one who said that!-"


    I was cut off by Imazael. "Did he forget to mention that he needs a lot of dead bodies around him to cast actual spells?"


    "Huh?"


    "I use a limited style of magic. Unlike you, I can''t manifest my own soul and use it as magic. I need the souls of people who fell by me in numbers greater than ten to cast a single spell." Jowy''s eyes sparkled. "Naturally all I can do is, produce meager flames and nothing else, without sacrifices. My curse is weaker than Lianne''s. Hence my eyes aren''t as dark as hers." It was as though tears fought against his will to fall. But in the end, his will won and not a single drop leaked. "And that''s also why I couldn''t use magic like her."


    "And you expect me to believe that?" I wanted to chuckle but after seeing his face, I couldn''t.


    "Think about it. What happened to your body after you cast that spell? Could you cast one more?"


    "I see." He was right. After just one spell I was spent. Even the old man couldn''t cast more than three or four wind blades. Meaning, he did have a point. And yet, I still didn''t want to believe him.


    Fate was really a fickle thing. All I could do was laugh at it.


    "But I must say I''m really thrilled to meet someone like you. You have almost infinite potential in holy magic. Lord Trerortra himself has given you this blessing. It is really a rare thing to see." Imazael was excited if nothing else.


    "I guess so."


    Or it could have been Sisrael as well. After all, she shared her soul with me.


    But then again, Terortra did say good things about wishing me luck and all. So it was very much possible.


    "You can use holy magic? That''s so cool. Almost like a paladin!" I had almost forgotten that the cell next to me wasn''t empty.


    Now that we had light, I saw their faces. He really was younger than me; almost like a high school student. He had a good face and looked skinny like me; a little shorter than me though, but definitely more handsome.


    The other guy had his eyes closed. "You can keep your fetishes to yourself.  Can''t you see they are having an important conversation?" For a demon, he seemed courteous. He was even taller than me and definitely much more muscular. He did seem somewhat humane apart from the horns. Even his skin was strangely human.


    "That reminds me, why are they here?" I asked.


    "They assaulted Lady Imazael-" Jowy said, bitterly. Judging by his tone, he was really pissed the two.


    "You mean HE assaulted her-" The demon said, pointing at the guy.


    "Hey! It was just a kiss!" The teen refused. But then again, trying to kiss someone he just met for no reason at all without any consent? He definitely deserved this if nothing else.


    Imazael cleared her throat. "Gentleman let''s not get carried away too much now." She looked straight into my eyes and smiled. "You will be freed and accompanied by elves out of Alfeim. After that, you can travel the world or seek greater strength."


    "First, I don''t want anything to do with elves. Second, seeking strength is pointless now. With my arm gone, my strength has halved. And third, get me the hell out of here and bring me my things." Okay, maybe I was demanding way too much. But Jowy at least owed me that much.


    "Although it''s true that your arm is gone but as long as you possess the will to get stronger, you will-" she said.


    That sentiment pissed me off. My left arm was gone and they were being philosophical. "Anybody can say things like that, but how much of that is true?"


    "Depends on how much you want it to."


    "Get some good rest. We will release you tomorrow. But I must say that curse really is something. I didn''t think you''d survive this time," Jowy said, ignoring everything else.


    "Now that you mention it¡­"  My stomach rumbled in agony.


    He got the hint. "I''ll tell someone to bring some food."


    "Umm¡­ Excuse me! When do we get to leave?" The guy in the next cell raised his hand. Was he in kindergarten?


    "Let me think. How about never?" Jowy had an intimidating face. However, he soon burst into laughter.


    They laughed and left: but I got the nagging feeling that Jowy was serious. Before leaving that woman left me a present.


    "I found her chewing on some roses, in the garden. Please don''t let her run wild like that," She said.


    "Biteria!"


    I hugged my lovely rabbit. But as I did so, my body throbbed in pain.


    Bad idea! But I''m glad¡­


    Some time passed and I opened the letter from the geezer.

 Chapter 165 - New Resolution: I Will Not Back Down

    "Hey boy,


    If you''re reading this then that means you haven''t kicked the bucket just yet. I wanted to stay in the country a little longer but things got a little wacky and I had to take my leave. I''m really glad you made it. I''m also sorry about Alisa. I intended to take the poor soul back to her own homeland and wanted to travel with you some more. But I''ve grown too old. Maybe it was for the best but who knows. The gods don''t exist anymore, so I don''t know. But what I can tell you is that before leaving, she said a few things. This might seem weird in a letter to have someone else''s thoughts but why should I care? She said, "Please tell him, that I really wanted to travel with him. It wasn''t because I wanted to see the world or anything like that. It was because I wanted friends; friends that would rely on me and I could rely on them. I wanted to share our good and bad times. But all I brought were bad times. Forgive me. And goodbye."


    I don''t think she was a bad girl, rather she was just misunderstood. But now she''s never going to be understood. Anyway, this is where we part as well. All your equipment is with the beautiful princess. She was really nice to me. And no matter what anyone says, I''d still trust her. The man from Moire is with me and he''d take a ship from Jelosce instead. He still can''t trust the elves and guess what- neither can I- ha ha ha, apart from the little missy that is. As for your hand, you might want to ask the dwarves for help. They might be able to make something for you. They live opposite of where you came from if you''re wondering.


    These past three months were fun. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have gotten out of that damn snake and perhaps I''d never have had my revenge. Thanks for everything brat. You really were a handful.


    Take care. Hope to meet you soon in the afterlife. But not too soon.


    Yours truly,


    Denkaborkarere."


    "Did he really have to write all that and even include written ''ha ha''s? That damn geezer!" Even his writing was sarcastic yet somehow it made me feel a little warm.


    "Hey! Bro, are you crying?"


    "Shut it!"


    Tears streamed down. My emotions were aroused and I didn''t know what to feel.


    "But bro, I''m really jealous of you. You''ve had so much fun and all I''ve had are overpowered skills: all I''ve got are no real sense of accomplishment."


    I wiped my tears. "What? What are you talking about?"


    "Well you see, my role was that I get stronger and challenge the emperor. But turns out, each of us summoned are special and we have a shot of obtaining broken skills but these skills are based on luck. My skill was instant mastery. So, no matter what I touched I was a master of it be it a weapon or musical instrument. Because of that, I couldn''t get to enjoy the hunts and even undead would run away from me because of this guy."


    Somebody give me back my pity. I want to smack this guy!


    In a single moment I lost all the respect I still had for the guy. Suddenly I felt like an idiot.


    Shou-should I have just gone to Galbatia, when they offered?


    My mind gave me the answer before I could even ask.


    No! She killed Dune! I''d never-


    My decision wasn''t wrong. I reassured myself.


    This was the right choice. I shouldn''t regret it even for a second!


    "But you''ve had challenges and that''s the way to live life!" He continued, excitedly.


    I wanted to pop the guys bubble but it was best that he remained ignorant. Telling him my story and earning his empathy wasn''t something I was interested in anyway.


    I kept silent and he continued. "I came to this country to challenge the head prince. Then I heard that someone defeated a monarch but also almost killed the emperor then died. I was like, ''wait, what?" He chuckled. "It was kind of odd. No matter how proficient I was with weapons, I couldn''t really hope to even match a monarch- at least not yet, yet someone just pulled off two impossible jobs and then died. Like did he really have to die? I was really shocked you know. So I sneaked into the palace. But when I saw the lady I lost my cool and-"


    I sighed. I didn''t know whether I should have pitied him or not. "And you ended up here?"


    "Yup. And since I met you it wasn''t all that pointless. Two weeks have passed." He gave me a toothy grin.


    I did not like this guy.


    I didn''t have time to humor his disappointment. "Tell me, how many were summoned?"


    "Eight, but including you, 9 I guess? I actually never heard of you till now. Are you sure you''re a summoned?"


    I reminisced. The demon in that forest did say something about me being candidate number nine. "That''s a lot of people but I''ve only met you in my entire journey. And yes, that joker did say I was summoned."


    "That''s because three of them died the same day. Two died some days later and the rest are scattered throughout the world," he said.


    "No wonder." But then it clicked. What did he just say? "They all died? All five of them?"


    "Yup. They were too weak and two of them couldn''t even withstand the summoning."


    He wasn''t sad or even a bit angry. He was amused. This guy really was a weirdo. "Now to my question. You''ve met him, haven''t you?" he said. His voice changed and he became serious.


    "Who?"


    "That big serpent! I saw him from above the ship." He grinned.


    "What makes you think that?"


    "Call it intuition." His grin widened.


    "Yeah, so?"


    "That means you already have one of these, right?"


    He showed me a shield. Just seeing its glow, I knew. It was a piece of mystic equipment from the legends.


    Wait, where the hell did that shield come out of?


    He must have had some sort of magic bag or something. I sighed. How come he had to be so damn lucky?


    "Yeah," I said.


    "I knew it! Unlike the rest of those idiots, you actually are a decent fella!"


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t worry but by decent I mean you have a shot. I wasn''t judging your character or whatever." He tried to reassure me.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t so reassured. "Whatever," I said.


    "Well, that explains how you did it. But I did learn that you weren''t the one who singlehandedly killed the monarch and the emperor."


    "Are you dumb? Even with all my friends, it was more than life-taking-"


    He grinned my way. He knew. I didn''t say anything.


    "Purr!" Biteria jumped on top of my lap and purred before lying down.


    "That''s a nice rabbit you got there. "


    "Thanks for the compliment." If it was about my lovely bunny then any and all compliments were welcome.


    ***


    Food came for us later. Biteria jumped before I could react. I managed to secure half of the food before she could devour it all.


    Lianne didn''t come to visit. Maybe she wasn''t allowed or maybe she didn''t care.


    "By the way, do you ever feel like returning? I mean, the monarchs gave us a chance of whether or not we wanted to leave."


    "If I wanted to, I wouldn''t be here now would I?"


    "True: you''d be dead already." I guess he knew the answer to his own question. "Remember the two that died later? They both wanted to return. You can guess what happened next."


    He really had an annoying personality. The demon on the other hand was rather quiet. He never spoke unless necessary.


    "So, why didn''t you leave?" I was just curious.


    His grin disappeared. "If I said something like to save the people, you wouldn''t believe me, would you?"


    "Nope. Not at all."


    "Instant rejection!" His head dropped. He recovered immediately. "I really like this world. I always had a thing for fantasy! And besides, those guys would have just killed me if I said otherwise."


    I didn''t know what to say. Maybe if I had a broken skill like his, I''d have agreed. I probably wouldn''t have though. "How many Monarchs did you meet?"


    "Most of them, and you happened to kill the one I had a crush on." He glared at me for a second and then burst out laughing. "I''m just kidding. She was out of my league. Too weird."


    Suppose I''ll sleep now.


    I lied down. It hurt. "Night."


    He sighed. "It''s more like evening, but yeah, night." I had no idea how he knew it was evening, but I didn''t really care.


    The pain faded and I fell asleep


    ***


    When I woke up my cell''s doors were being opened.


    I got out. It hurt to even stand, but even so, I didn''t want to be in a cell.


    "Bye then bro. I''ll see you later in the world."


    "Later, and the name''s Daarc."


    "Well your person''s dark too. So that''s a fitting name. I''m Dick, and the quiet guy''s Servesta."


    "Well your name kind of fits too, huh?"


    "I get that a lot." He closed one of his eyes and grinned. I wouldn''t have called it a wink though. "I''m guessing they''ll let me out before this week ends. Of course, they wouldn''t be dumb enough to cause an issue when their strongest manpower was absent or rather, dead."


    I just waved.


    Two guards escorted me out. I was only wearing pants but my body was too covered with bandages to worry about aesthetics.


    As I climbed up the spiraling stair, I reminisced about my life. When I came to this world, I had nothing. I had no knowledge and no power. I gained everything and lost all of it at the same time. I lost friends; I lost comrades and I lost my own body and soul. But I didn''t lose hope.


    But now I have my pet rabbit and I have my resolve. I know what to do and I''ll do it.


    Even if the world itself betrays me, I''ll still keep going.

 Chapter 166 - Ah, What A Body!

    I was in an underground prison: the spiral stairway led up. With every step, I felt freer and freer, and more and more pain along with it. I really wanted to get out of this place, so bearing the pain wasn''t a big deal.


    Once I got out, I saw the capital and the palace: It was a little past morning. The prison was on the other side of the city from where we had entered. The calm breeze pressed on my skin and I witnessed the capital''s beauty. No matter how I looked at it, the elven capital really was beautiful.


    And so the storm passes.


    I was silent. I didn''t know what would have been good.


    My dear bunny rabbit followed me and was now on top of my shoulders. It was lighter than I remembered. Come to think of it, I was lighter too.


    My body swayed and it was hard for me to maintain my balance, but not impossible. I guess missing an arm had way more complications than just less power.


    The guard that escorted me out handed me a bangle. I recognized it. It was Brenda''s.


    "Where did you get this?"


    The guard was kind of slender and looked rather skeptical. He probably didn''t trust me. And I didn''t know how much he knew either. He might have even thought I killed the emperor. "Lord Jowy had given it to me. He instructed me to make you wear it and escort you to the palace." His voice was calm and so was his demeanor. But strangely I got a little hostile vibe from him.


    So that was your plan¡­


    The bangle could change one''s appearance. It made Brenda a guy. I wonder what it''d do to me: would I look like Brend? I didn''t know who had possession over Brenda''s things and I hadn''t asked either. And now I knew.


    I was tempted to leave the damn place as I was. But they had all my equipment, so I had to go.


    The guard was cautious around me. I couldn''t blame him. Maybe he was a trusted guard of Jowy''s.


    But I can''t go on like this, now can I?


    Reluctantly, I put on the bracelet. Its jewel shined brilliantly and covered me in an eerie light. I''d seen Brenda use this before but now that this was happening to my own body, I felt a tingling sensation all over.


    The guard stood there, with a hand on his sword. He was ready to slit my throat at a moment''s notice. I didn''t let my guard down either. If he came for me, I was ready to counter.


    My proportions started to change. My height shortened and my chest puffed up. My hair flowed down freely. My body felt weird: and a little more sensitive in certain parts.


    Did I just turn young?


    The guard was more surprised than me. Jowy must not have told him about the bracelet''s powers: But then again, I didn''t know about it either. I looked around at my body. And I wasn''t just wrong, I was dead wrong. I didn''t turn young, no sir. I  turned into a woman!


    I really turned into a woman! I was only wearing a pant, so my top portion was pretty exposed. However, since I was covered in bandages only the outline could be seen. But since the proportions were different a lot of the bandages were loose and a fair amount of skin was exposed.


    Just what the hell!


    What the hell indeed.


    The first thing I did was poke my chest to make sure they were real: they were. Rather bouncy too: very sensitive.


    Should have expected that I suppose.


    Amazingly, I didn''t feel a lot of emotion regarding my body. It felt a little natural: too natural. Maybe the bracelet could change one''s mindset of what''s normal too?


    The guard''s expression kind of changed. He looked sideways, casting glances at me from time to time. He was kind of flushed.


    I stared at him blankly. "Can I get something to cover my top, like a shirt perhaps?" I was surprised by my voice. It was surprisingly feminine and soft.


    Am I allowed to find my own voice soothing?


    It wasn''t like I was embarrassed or something but I wanted to maintain etiquette. So I had to ask for clothes.


    "O-of course." The answer was immediate.


    Hard to imagine it was the same guy who had a handle on his sword just to slit my throat even a moment ago. He didn''t have anything at hand, so he gave me his shirt instead.


    How chivalrous? Did he forget that I''m a guy?


    I still stared at him with a dull look. "Oh, thanks."


    "You-you''re welcome!"


    "Okay then, lead the way." The shirt wasn''t a great fit but I didn''t have much of a choice.


    I didn''t understand his reason. Elves generally never showed too much emotion, so maybe he was weird. I''d seen Jowy act around women. He never showed any weakness. But maybe that was just an act as he definitely showed enough around that demi lady.


    The shirt was a little too big for me: it made me look a little weird by the grace of gravity. The guard on the other hand had something underneath so he wasn''t shirtless.


    Biteria now hid behind my hair. I could get how Brenda felt. The little devil tickled me so hard, that I had a smile on my face unconsciously.


    Standing was tough alone, but now I had to walk around. And not to mention I had extra weight on my chest. Even my downstairs felt weird.


    Come to think of it¡­ it didn''t just feel weird. There was no downstairs to begin with. I didn''t have the luxury to take a look but I could feel it. I didn''t have my family jewels between my legs anymore. Just the thought of it made tears well up in my eyes.


    They will grow back!


    I didn''t know if that was true or not, but I most certainly hoped so. If they didn''t, Jowy would have to bathe in his own blood.


    ***


    The town was bustling as always. Traders were shouting prices. People were running around buying. But the greens were all I saw.


    How do they live off just vegetables?


    "Lady Daarc, would you like to secure clothes first?"


    Lady Daarc? What the hell!


    It was weird being called that. "Just Daarc is fine. And no, I want to get out of this place as fast as possible. So-"


    "But are you sure?" Something about his gaze indicated about the people around us. Till now I hadn''t really paid any attention. I never had to. But I''d almost forgotten that I had a different body and it might have been a little stimulating with the drowsy shirt and somewhat exposed chest.


    I took a good look around me and turned to the guard. "Yeah, maybe you''re right. Let''s go get some clothes first." My voice shook with nervousness. Biteria poked out in confusion.


    Apparently, everyone was staring at me like I was their long-lost lover. I didn''t understand why people were staring at me like that: even girls. I really couldn''t understand. Weren''t elves supposed to be elegant?


    ***


    We walked into a clothes store. I''d have preferred to buy armor but the guard was paying, so didn''t have much say on the matter. The shop had a variety of clothes. They all looked beautiful and that was it. I never understood fashion so I couldn''t really tell.


    "Is there anything to your liking?" The guard inquired, eyes glimmering.


    That was a very loaded question. I gulped and prepared to answer. That''s when the store attendant spoke up. "I-I think this dress would go nicely with the lovely lady!" Her voice was loud and nervous. What was wrong with people today?


    I looked at the dress. It was a black dress. Kind of like those traditional clothes of Southern Asia. Come to think of it, most of the elves wore a blend of traditional and somewhat modern clothes.


    This one had embroidery of different things. Most of the threads were either made from crystals or gold. It looked beautiful alright, but something troubled me more.


    How frigging expensive is this thing? And how do you put it on!


    "It might be a little over bud-" I was more worried about putting it on, by the way.


    "Why don''t you try it on!" The guard was pretty assertive. Was he dumb? This thing was bound to cost at least a small fortune, and not to mention I was a guy!


    "Are you sure, we can afford this? I don''t have any money, remember? I could only pay you back when I get my things back¡­ but," I whispered.


    He nodded and the attendant showed me the changing room. Apparently, he didn''t seem to care about money.


    I went into the dressing room. It had a mirror and I finally took a good look at myself. Biteria had jumped out before I went in.


    Honestly, I couldn''t blame the lookers. If I didn''t know it was me, I''d have fallen for myself as well. And I didn''t use that term loosely.


    My eyes were pure black and so was my hair. My features were a little different from when I was a guy. My slender build as a guy translated rather well in this girl form. By chest was modest and they went flawlessly with the body I had. My skin seemed softer and more pinkish. Even my ears were a bit pointier: not as much as an elf''s though.


    But my muscles were gone. Instead, now I had a flawless body, even the scars were gone.


    Never thought I''d admire my own body¡­


    And then I looked at the dress, instantly realizing the fatal mistake in my judgment.


    How the hell do I put this on?


    I trembled in nervousness.. Sweat drifted from my forehead, swam through my cheeks, and fell on the floor.

 Chapter 167 - Just How Beautiful Am I? Did I End Up In The Wrong World?

    I took a gulp of courage, a deep breath, and poked my head out. "Umm¡­ miss, could you come over here please?"


    Luckily the attendant was nearby and she came inside. I sighed in relief but the problem wasn''t over yet.


    "What is it, my lady? Is the size not fitting or is it not to your liking?" her eyes trembled. And she was addressing me with a lot of respect.


    I didn''t really want to complicate things and so tried to explain. "I can''t seem to put this on. Can-can you help me?"


    "O-Of course!"


    I didn''t need underwear for the top portion of my body, as the bandages had me covered and when I told that to the attendant she gave me a big no-no. She tried to peel the bandages but they hurt too much. She even grieved about my left arm. And then she proposed to get me in a shower. Although I survived a month in a cell, my hygiene was kind of messed up.


    Should have seen this coming.


    I didn''t have the guts to smell my odor. "Ye-yes. Please lead the way." I also didn''t have the guts to say no to her either.


    There was an attached bathroom with the dressing room.


    Is the women''s room always this fancy?


    But things changed when she saw my underwear down there. "Umm¡­ I can explain?"  I couldn''t explain. I didn''t have any excuses.


    She smiled. I knew that wasn''t the good kind of smile. But she didn''t say anything and brought out panties. "I think this would be better suited to your figure." Oh lord, I did not like that smile.


    It''s not a fetish, please believe me!


    "Ye-yes. Of course!" I forced a pretty smile: I was so not dying inside: definitely not dying inside. Okay?


    Things were awkward and we both had this weird smile plastered on our faces.


    It took almost an hour to shower and it helped a great deal.


    After the shower, she dried my hair with a bit of warm wind magic.


    But when I put on both of the undergarments, I felt more than just weird.


    How the hell do women move in these things!?


    With her help, I put on the new dress. I''d rather not get into the details of how everything else went.


    Most of my bandages were removed and the skin had healed. The few that remained got covered inside the dress and it didn''t seem that bad. I was surprised at how resilient my body was to pain. Even after roaming around in such a condition, I didn''t really feel all that bad. But a month was a long time, possibly the longest for me to go without receiving new additional wounds.


    Only eight and a half months to go, huh?


    I looked at the mirror and, honestly captivated myself. I looked pretty good: too good. Way too good? I didn''t know what to feel anymore.


    Even the attendant was blushing. But then again, she was always blushing around me. Did elves have some sort of way to tell who was beautiful and stuff? Because no matter how you asked me, I''d always say they all looked the same. And besides, I was a human. Plus the elves had a bad relationship with humans. SO what was the big deal!?


    "You look gorgeous my lady." The attendant burst into praises. It was like that earlier underwear incident never happened. Honestly, I was a bit glad she forgot.


    "You can just call me Daarc."


    "Yes-yes my lady- I mean lady Daarc!"


    I think I might have ended up complicating things even more.


    ***


    I made my way out and met the guard. The guy almost jumped at his feet when he saw me. Were elves capable of displaying such emotions?


    Ignoring his show of passion I went closer to him. "What do you think?" The least I could do was to be considerate. He was paying after all.


    "You look wonderful!" I guess he wasn''t that bothered by waiting a full hour and a half. But then again elves lived long lives, so they probably had more patience than me anyway.


    "Thanks for the shirt and now this too¡­" I tried to maintain a smile.


    The guy gave me a standing bow with a smile. Everything just seemed, a little, easy?


    We paid them or rather the guard did. The attendant gave us a discount. She even waved us out. Were one-handed women popular or something? That was the only thing I could think of.


    The guy really didn''t mind buying the expensive dress for me. Maybe I misjudged him.


    Do girls always get free things like this?


    But I wasn''t going to take it for free. It cost forty silvers and I had about as much left in my bag which was in the palace. So I decided to pay him back as soon as I got it back.


    Maybe the gold embroidery wasn''t gold after all.


    I was getting, even more, stares now. Biteria now proudly stood on my shoulder. It was wearing me down (the stares). But I had to move on.


    Never thought girls face this every day.


    I felt pity for all the girls in the world. But if they could live through all this, then wow, girls must have been much stronger than I gave them credit for.


    ***


    Eventually, I came to the palace. It looked as spectacular as always and we took the escalator like before. But I remained vigilant. I didn''t have any weapons but I still couldn''t let my guard down even for a second. But then again all the guards gave me similar glances just like the one with me. Something was wrong with this country and it wasn''t me.


    Could it be that they all have a thing for one-handed woman?


    Glad I didn''t ask it aloud. Because I had no intention of knowing.


    But it all changed when we entered the throne room. The guard had entered along with me. Maybe he was one of the higher-ranked officers of the army?


    The throne room had a lot of guards this time. Lianne was here too. On the throne someone I knew sat. I already knew it from before. It was Jowy. But what shook me the most was his reaction. His jaw almost dropped when he saw me.


    "Ho-how beautiful!"


    "Indeed." Even Lianne looked captivated. In fact, all the elves in the throne room stared at me with awe and longing.


    Is something wrong with the world? Did I perhaps come to the wrong world?

 Chapter 168 - Mo-Mother, You Say!

    Things were going out of hand. "Umm¡­. Calm down?" I tried to think of a logical way to confront this. But I couldn''t come up with anything.


    Have all of them gone mad or this is a different world?


    "Is- is that you Daarc? Is it really you?" Jowy stood up in confusion and awe. "Are you sure it''s you Daarc?"


    Did you even hear what you just said?


    "DO you want me to punch you, your majesty?" I was kind of ticked off.


    He cleared his throat and sat down again.


    Lianne came closer to me. "How-how is this- how can this be?" She was touching me a bit too much.


    "Calm down. Why are you so flustered?" That really was the question. Ever since I turned to a girl, every single elf I saw, showered me with respect and even these guys.


    "You-you look almost like mother!" Lianne couldn''t hide her emotions. I really didn''t think elves were capable of this much emotion all at once.


    "Come again?"


    I didn''t have time to react. She hugged me tight, tears in her eyes. Everything struck me as weird. I looked around and most of the guards were displaying similar vibes.


    The hell?


    Jowy came over "Can-can I get a hug too?"


    "No thank you." My voice went flatter than I intended.


    Someone cleared her throat. I looked for the source. It was Imazael.


    "You look like the sanest. Care to explain?" I asked.


    Imazael seemed casual, like she didn''t have a care in the world. Maybe she didn''t.  "Elves are quite a fickle race. Normally they don''t show much emotion but when that emotion is stored for a few centuries, they tend to get like this."


    My eyes twitched: my teeth grinded. "You know that''s not what I meant, right?"


    She cleared her throat again. All of this was seriously starting to piss me off. "You seem to resemble the late empress."


    "Say what?" My jaw dropped. Lianne mentioned something about her mother as well. The whole day was full of shocks but this was probably the most shocking. "Seriously? I don''t even have ears like¡­"


    That''s when I realized. Among all the Jowy lookalike pictures, there was a picture of a beautiful girl. But I was too tensed to remember the face. And last I remembered, she did have smaller ears than typical elves.


    "Your ears might not reflect on the elves but you do bear a striking resemblance. And her Excellency also had small ears you see. Besides, black hair is considered sacred in Alfheim."


    Sacred?


    I looked around and sure enough, no one''s hair was black. But my hair was black when I was a guy too, so how come they never treated me well?


    Wait a sec¡­


    They had treated me well. They even threw a party for me. And the first prince even wanted me to be his brother. Meaning they were basically telling me to get married into the family.


    If a certain somebody hadn''t betrayed me, none of this would have happened. So basically, everything was set for me the moment I was born with black hair? Then they the hell wasn''t I born an elf? They would have treated me like I was some sort of god or something!


    But was this coincidence supposed to be funny? Cause it certainly was not.


    I tried to take off the bangle but Lianne didn''t let me. She was still attached to me. "Just a little longer. How I''ve missed you so¡­"


    She buried her face in my chest. I would have appreciated it if she''d done it while I wasn''t a girl. But I couldn''t deny that I kind of liked it. It did tickle a lot more than desired though.


    I sighed, cleared my throat and everyone in the room regained some of their composure, at least on the outside. Lianne still stood rather close to me.


    "Anyway, I''d like to leave as soon as possible. So would you mind returning my stuff?" I had to be blunt. I had no intention of staying in this place.


    Jowy walked around. He seemed kind of tensed. Something was wrong. "Of course. But there are some things that we need to cover first. Why don''t we meet father?"


    "Father? That dude''s still alive? Then how come you''re the emperor?" I didn''t feel like sugarcoating my emotions any longer. I didn''t care if he was the emperor. I''d done enough caring.


    "Acting emperor, to be specific. Come with me." Jowy walked out.


    I followed Jowy. He acted all serious but it all got ruined as he kept on stealing glances at me. Lianne didn''t leave my side while the demigod followed us. Honestly, it just felt weird.


    Here I parted from the guard. He wished me luck and left. I didn''t catch his name. I didn''t even get to thank the guy properly. Maybe next time I ought to treat him a little better.


    ***


    The elven palace was pretty big and everything was made from crystal. There were even living organisms based on the crystals too. I had a lot of questions but I kept my mouth shut. The less I knew the better. That way I won''t be dragged into more trouble.


    We walked down a corridor and there were loads of pictures. I carefully examined one of them. It was the empress''.


    My eyes twitched. Biteria poked out, looked at the picture then at me, and then back at the picture again. I could understand her confusion. If I had pointier ears, I''d pretty much be considered the empress by now. It was like I was literally looking at a mirror. Actually, I might have looked a bit younger than the picture.


    I sighed again. Everything was wearing me down. I needed to rest.


    We arrived by a large door. It was probably the emperor''s chamber. Jowy knocked, asked for permission and we went in.


    If these morons are reacting like that, how the hell will the emperor react?


    I steeled myself and went in. But my fears were dumbfounded. The emperor didn''t react. More like he couldn''t. He was unconscious. There was a doctor in the room and he was probably the one who permitted us in.


    "I''d assume you have a reason to bring me here?" I didn''t see any reason to be here.


    If the emperor was unconscious then I didn''t have any business with him. He looked awfully pale, and he was also sweating in buckets.


    "La-lady Anasia!?" Apparently, the doctor recognized me. He was wrong though.


    That''s a pretty name¡­. But stop calling me that!


    "He is not our mother. This right here is the person we talked about. Currently, he is wearing the bracelet of Arcs," Jowy explained.


    I had no idea if this bracelet even had a name or not but it didn''t really matter at this point anyway.


    The bracelet had a name too, huh?


    The doctor didn''t look convinced. "My apologies. But he looks just like-"


    I tapped my feet in annoyance. "We get it. Can we move on?"


    So this guy knows.


    If the doctor was someone qualified enough to cure the emperor then had to be pretty good or at the very least, someone important. He even knew about me.


    "Right, I brought you here to see if there''s anything you can do about father," Jowy said something. It caught my attention. But the way he said it, made me weary.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ll explain. You see, I can manipulate water and I could use healing medicine in an efficient way to increase the potency. But I can''t really control the holy element. You on the other hand can do that. The emperor was heavily poisoned and there is also a curse that binds him. Healing won''t do much as he''s a half-dead. But maybe the holy element could do the trick." Imazael was right behind us. "And compared to Lianne his curse is much weaker so your powers will be more effective for cleansing."


    "And what if it backfires? You do remember holy is like poison for the undead right?"


    "In that case, we''ll accept the outcome. But he is not an undead. He is a half-dead. So we''re counting on his living side." Jowy butted in.


    Jowy''s no-pressure dialogue wasn''t really helping.


    "Not quite." Imazael tapped my shoulder. "If the mana is pure enough, it won''t harm him." Of course, she was referring to me but I couldn''t help but feel like a goat. "Besides," she whispered. "As long as you don''t intend to harm him, it should be good."


    The last part really had me worried. So what if, I did intend to harm him? A lot of these things could have been avoided if the damn emperor paid more attention to his brats in the first place. He even made stupid decisions and trusted his family a bit too much. So I did resent him a little. And what if that resentment made me harm him too?


    "Really?" It wasn''t a question. It was more like I declared my doubts.


    "Believe me," Imazael said.


    Trust me; I don''t believe you one bit.


    I had to come out clean. I didn''t sugarcoat my thoughts. "Sorry but I don''t believe you. However, I do have some respect for this man if not pity. Even after all that he stretched his hand to Araan. That took some serious guts." I did respect the man if only a little.


    They looked away. I could get their feelings but that didn''t mean much to me.


    "Even so, please¡­." Lianne pleaded from my side.


    "Fine. Don''t blame me if I''m not pure enough," I said under my breath. I reached for the emperor, my hands above his chest. "Here goes nothing." I made up my mind.


    They could have killed me if they wanted to. But they didn''t. Because of this?


    I didn''t trust them anymore but I couldn''t just doubt every single one of their motives either. I had to move on.


    And if wanted to do something, I was going to see it through all the way.

 Chapter 169 - Consequences Are There For A Reason

    I focused my breathing. I didn''t know if I could pull it off or not but I still tried. It was easier than making mana go all ballistic in my body after all. I poured a small amount of mana in my hand and made a small ball.


    This was surprisingly easy, now that I was calm.


    Holy was basically like poison for the undead yet, they wanted me to try it. It was like they were telling me to kill their father. Did they know that? However, I didn''t have time to waste. They had already framed me, so it wasn''t something to worry about anyway.


    Guess I''ll just give it my best shot.


    I tried my best to not think about harming the emperor and just cleansing him. I still didn''t know what I was cleaning though.


    The small ball went into the emperor and he writhed. Probably in pain. Jowy and Lianne looked pained themselves. Imazael had her eyes closed while the doctor didn''t say anything.


    I''m not harming you¡­. I''m not harming¡­.


    Suffice to say, it was hard for me to imagine not harming this guy.


    Too late to blame me now.


    The light disappeared and the emperor stopped moving. Lianne''s eyes were wet.


    Looks like I failed¡­


    But just at that moment, the emperor opened his eyes. I gulped.


    This guy might be worse than even those monsters. How monstrous is he? Calling him a monster might be an understatement.


    He looked at all us but when he looked at me, his eyes opened wide. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. I just looked at him with blank stares. "Before you open your royal mouth, let me say something. I''m not the person you think I am. I''m the guy who you tried to kill. You know the one who supposedly killed your sons. I''m Daarc." That came out weird but I didn''t regret it. Besides, I didn''t want him to get all clingy with me.


    He immediately tried to sit up straight but the doctor shoved him right back down.


    "My apologies. I was overcome with emotion¡­" I didn''t know what he was apologizing for. For the whole fiasco, he caused a month ago or because he mistook me? He didn''t clarify.


    Lianne and Jowy went closer to him and sat by his bed. He was a tall man but his bed was pretty big. Well, he was the emperor after all.


    "Alright then, if that is all, I''ll leave." I turned around, prepared to leave.


    Lianne grabbed my arm. "Don''t." The girl was really fast on her feet. Maybe she''d inherited it from her father.


    "What now?"


    "Please."


    I sighed again. The whole day was full of sighs.


    "Please let me apologize to you for everything. If only I was more vigilant¡­" The emperor started to curse his own idiocy. Did I really have to sit through all this drama?


    I had a mission. A mission to get strong. And I was also missing an arm. So I didn''t have the luxury to seat around, watching dramas.


    But I couldn''t bare myself to leave after this either. I might have turned a little soft.


    "Forgive me." The emperor still sat up and bowed his head. Given the fact that he was an actual emperor and still bowed his head to me made me feel a little bad. But after what he and his family made me go through, I didn''t feel too bad. Actually, I felt sick.


    "Don''t worry about it. Next time, pay close attention to your kids." They were betrayed too, so I didn''t press it too hard. I wasn''t an inhumane monster after all, not yet.


    I didn''t have a father throughout my childhood. My dad died when I was seven. So I couldn''t really understand what he was supposed to look out for. But I still acted all high and mighty. So it was kind of hypocritical of me. And it was ironic that I actually knew that.


    "How many of you died?" I asked Jowy. Maybe it wasn''t the best of times but I didn''t want to be too subtle about it. The emperor had to know this stuff too. He had to know how much he fu*ked up. He could have easily extinguished the sparks before they could become the fire. He had the responsibility to know.


    "Seven of our brethren survived including Lianne and me."


    I paid close attention to the emperor. He had spaced out. He couldn''t believe what he heard. Maybe this time he''d try to be a little more careful.


    "Fair enough I suppose. Anyway, I''d like to get back my things now." It probably wasn''t the best of times but I really didn''t want to stay here longer than I needed to.


    Seven was still a large number. Back then I saw loads and loads of corpses. And what was worse, some of the corpses weren''t even recoverable. I was partly to blame since I turned them into dust with my magic. But then again, I couldn''t really let that undead monster run free now could I?


    "Of course."


    "I''ll lead you to your room."


    Jowy didn''t deny it and Lianne tried to steer me towards a room.


    "Which part of ''I''m gonna leave right now'' didn''t you understand?" I made myself clear.


    Lianne didn''t even bat an eye. "None of it actually. You''re injured and need more attention. You''re pale and need nutrition. The least you could do is, spend the night eating good food."


    I knew she was right. But I didn''t want that. "But-"


    "And besides, it would hurt¡­ if you left now." The last part of her sentence was barely a whisper.


    I didn''t owe her anymore. At least I thought so. But I couldn''t deny the fact that I might have had the greatest role in her family''s tragedy. So, I didn''t complain too much. "Only tonight. Tomorrow I''m leaving."


    A smile returned to her face. She really did look great when she smiled.


    Before I could get out, Jowy stopped me. Now I was really mad. "What now!"


    "Thank you¡­"


    That caught me off guard. I was expecting an apology not a thank you. I tried to formulate a response. "Uh¡­ You''re welcome." I took a deep breath and tried to not look awkward. "By the way, Jowy."


    "Yes?"


    "These will grow back right?" I was pretty sure he already knew about it.


    "I''m actually not sure. But theoretically-"


    "You little-"I tried to dash at him. How could he make me wear something like this without actually checking it?


    Lianne grabbed me before I could lash out and just dragged me out.


    Imazael smiled as well. She was by the door.


    "Good work. I didn''t think you''d pull it off though," Imazael whispered.


    Thank you for the confidence boost.


    ***


    Lianne took me to the same floor where I had previously stayed and got dressed for the banquet. But we entered a different room. It was a single room and had pretty much everything someone needed for living: from a bed to an attached bathroom. Rather fancy.


    "I''ll go get your things. Try to relax."


    Not happening. Not while I''m here.


    I couldn''t relax even if I wanted to. And how could she talk about relaxation when she literally dragged me here?


    Lianne left.


    There was a window. I looked out. The sun was on the west horizon. It was afternoon.


    Was it really alright for me to stay here, after everything¡­?


    I sighed. Things weren''t looking good for me or my jewels.


    Guess, I''ll just have to trust in my luck. My dumb shitty luck.


    Lianne came back and she had three bags.


    Well, that was fast.


    "Ummm¡­ Why do you have so many things?"


    She handed me a letter, smiled and left. She didn''t even say a word. The letter was addressed to me and when I opened it, I was shocked yet again.


    How many frigging letters did you have to leave me, geezer?


    "Hey kiddo,


    If you''re reading this, I could surmise that you''re good to go. Anyway, as promised I left everything to the little missy. I took the mystic blade with me though.


    ¡­ (Nothing on the first page)


    ¡­.. (Nothing on the second page)


    Just kidding! Don''t look so down. It''s all there. Even I know when to quit. And don''t worry about my mission. I''ll find some other way to kill the goblins.


    Ha ha ha. Brenda''s things are there as well. I personally left some things too. I''ll leave a detailed note describing some of their functions. I even left you an awesome gemstone: you can fetch a good price for it. Jowy has something for you too. It was something the Damn monster left for you. He kept it, telling me, it was important he kept it from you until it was time. If he plays dumb, beat the shit out of him and take it by force. You at least owe him that much.


    Oh and before I forget, I have a friend named Travador in Dracona. It''s in Dwarvan lands. If you decide to visit, give him a greeting from me. He''d be sure to help you: he''s the best one-handed swordsman I know.


    I hope you achieve your goals and give that good-for-nothing demon a run for his money.


    Anyway, I get it that now I''m just being a little annoying so I''ll stop. Good luck and have fun. Ah ha ha ha. And don''t forget to visit.


    Yours truly,


    Denkaborkarere."


    I started laughing. The geezer was really something. If someone saw me, they''d probably think I''d gone mad. Maybe I was a little.


    I took a look at the bags. My sword, armor, knife, and most of the stuff were here. Brenda''s things were here and the old man also left me some things with notes. There was money here too.


    I never did get to thank you, old man. Maybe I''ll visit Elicaane one of these days.


    There were just too many things. I really needed to thank that geezer.


    It was nostalgic and I smiled. I took out the mystic blade and looked at it.


    He even left this¡­.


    The sword shimmered and I''d nearly forgotten how light it was. The geezer had always complained that it was heavy, but to me, this was light. Maybe it had recognized me as its owner or something? Could swords even do that?


    I put it back and lied down on the bed. The bed was soft. The sunlight faded by the minute and small lights illuminated the city. I could see even from the bed. It was kind of amusing.


    Best one-handed swordsman, huh?


    I chuckled in a defeated tone and massaged my missing arm.


    Guess I''ll believe you geezer.


    My stomach grumbled. I looked into the things and found bread: old bread without mold. Elven bread was supposed to last at least a decade after all.


    Even after all this time I have to eat bread?


    It was better than starving.


    The moment I pulled out the bread, Biteria came out of my hair. I''d actually forgotten about her altogether. More like I just ignored her.


    I ate and Biteria devoured. Did she always like bread this much?

 Chapter 170 - Relaxation? Yeah, Right!

    A maid came by at night with my food. Lianne came with her. I could guess what they brought me.


    Pure vegetable soup.


    "I have to apologize for the lack of taste but you probably know why."


    I kind of did. "More or less."


    I tried the soup. It wasn''t bad. It was probably the best vegetable soup I''d ever had: fit for royalty. But I did miss the meat though.


    Dinner was over and the maid left. Biteria stared at me with trembling eyes. I still had some bread left in the bag, so I gave them to her. She started to devour them nonchalantly.


    To think you didn''t even go near bread a month ago¡­


    My bunny''s preferences evolved without me. She grew up too fast.


    Lianne had stayed behind. She stared at the city through the window. "You really look like her you know. I know you''re not her but I can''t seem to not get comfortable around you."


    "Well, I wouldn''t blame you. I wouldn''t." I stared at the ceiling. The crystal chandelier glittered. "But this is only temporary. And I''m just a human."


    I looked at Lianne. A smile surfaced. She looked back. Her eyes glittered like the blazing sun. "Thank you." I guess she didn''t care if I was a human.


    I didn''t know why but Elves thought of humans as lowly creatures. Maybe it was because humans possessed less mana or maybe because we lived short lives? I didn''t know but the root of this silly war between the two nations wasn''t the lack of food, rather it was to prove their superiority. Just plain stupidity, if you asked me.


    "You''re welcome."


    We didn''t talk much. There wasn''t much to say. I felt responsible for coming here. If I hadn''t then this might not have happened. But it was only a matter of time. Maybe that was why no one blamed me.


    "Are you sad because of your siblings?" It probably wasn''t the best thing to ask, but at this point, why should I have cared?


    "It would be a lie if I said no. but I don''t hold you responsible. I think it was fate. And holding you responsible would be unfair to you. After all, you never had any evil intentions and only acted in a way to help us." Her smile stayed. "I found out that Araan was planning it¡­"


    "You did?" I didn''t act too surprised. I needed to know more.


    "Yes. That''s why he cast a curse on me. I could see everything, feel everything but couldn''t do anything. Only at the last moment did the curse broke and¡­." Streams of tears rolled down her face but she was still smiling. "So it was my fault¡­. Too."


    I got back up and went closer to her. "It wasn''t your fault." I hugged her. She was warm. She hugged me back.


    "Thank you¡­for everything."


    I didn''t say anything. We stayed like that for a few minutes.


    ***


    Lianne left and I was all alone.


    Or I would have been if Biteria wasn''t here. The whole day, she made so little noise that I sometimes even forgot about her. I patted her head and she settled down next to me.


    I was fully conscious and didn''t want to let my guard down. I kept both of the swords and my knife close.


    Even if someone tried to sneak up on me, I should at least be able to counter. Should I keep this bangle on?


    I was in a dilemma about my bangle. But in the end, I kept it on.


    The things Lianne said kind of bothered me.


    If she knew everything and still couldn''t do anything, how hard might it have been for her? Jowy went through something similar as well¡­.


    It was tragic but I didn''t want to concern myself with the past. I had a future to look up to. And a present to confront with. I had to move forward.


    Time went on and it was more or less midnight. I was too weak, so it wasn''t really feasible to stay awake for long. So although my mind was still cautious I had to sleep. I fell asleep rather quickly too.


    ***


    The next morning I woke up with terrible hair. I didn''t know what to do with the hair.


    Is this what they call bed hair?


    I never had to worry about it before.


    I took a shower. Cleaned my body. Surprisingly my nude body didn''t stimulate me as I feared it would. It was like looking at my normal self: but it was my own body to begin with.


    Does this bangle have some sort of mind-changing properties?


    I tried wearing the armor but it didn''t fit. And I needed to be disguised while I was in Alfeim, so I couldn''t take off the bangle either. The dress was fancy and made me stand out more than necessary. But in the end, I still needed to wear it.


    Strangely from this morning maids were flooding my room. Of course, I never gave them permission to get close to me but I still kind of felt like a piece of art being showcased on an art gallery or something.


    Do I have to wear this all the time?


    It wasn''t uncomfortable but made me feel weird. I don''t think it''s possible to describe this feeling.  I did manage to wear it alone this time though.


    I picked up things and a maid led me to the throne room. About a dozen or so maids followed me, even some guards followed me. And when I passed by the guards on duty, they even gave me salutes.


    I felt weird, very weird.


    But on the way, I stopped by a monument erected in respect to the fallen princes in a small garden-like terrace. I was the main reason behind their disintegration so I felt kind of bad. But that was all the emotion I had.


    I was surprised to see Araan''s name on the monument along with the other princes.


    Guess the emperor might have really liked that brat.


    I sighed. "Farewell Jowy lookalikes. Hope you can rest in peace." For a second there I actually forgot that I had nearly a dozen or so followers.


    "How rude!" Someone yelled nearby. I knew I was rude but I didn''t care. There was a young girl down the hallway and she looked at me with menacing eyes. "You-you''re not her!"  But once my eyes met hers she ran away, pale as paper.


    She looked kind of like Lianne but I guess elves were just similar in appearance so I couldn''t really tell if she was Lianne''s sister or not.


    I ignored all that and went to the throne room with the maid.


    The rest of my followers just stayed behind the throne door.


    ***


    Yet again I was faced with more surprises.


    Everything just keeps on getting better and better.


    "Wh-who is this lovely lady!" Dick and his demon companion were here. Dick came rushing at my side held my hands and gasped. "It-it is an honor meeting a lovely lady like you! I''m Dick Miggins. Call me Mig!"


    They already let you out, huh?


    "Hey. Long time no see. I think I''ll call you Dick instead. Seems to fit your persona better." I spoke nonchalantly.


    His smile disappeared.


    It just had to be you.


    "Daarc." His face twitched and his smile warped. Poor guy.. Well, at least he recognized me.

 Chapter 171 - I’m Free, Kind Off?

    I couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Hey don''t laugh!" The poor guy picked himself up but melted a second later. "On second thought, keep on smiling. I really like that smile." Dick flashed a lady killer smile at me. What the heck was wrong with this kid?


    Jowy cleared his throat.


    The demon with Dick pulled the kid away from me in an instant and apologized on his behalf. Were demons really capable of something like this?


    "Hey! Hey, what are you doing?" Dick cried.


    I looked at Jowy with blunt eyes. "Care to explain?" I didn''t bow. Didn''t feel like it.


    Jowy didn''t seem to mind. "We thought it''d be best if you went with them since you don''t want elves escorting you."


    I wanted to travel alone for a while. Dragging others into my journey always ended up in tragedy.


    "I have no objections!" Dick screamed.


    No one asked you!


    "But I do. Why should I travel with him?" Traveling with the guy would have been very advantageous for me. He knew a lot of the things I didn''t. But I didn''t like the look in his eyes. And more importantly, I didn''t like him. Did I end up growing a womanly intuition?


    Dick squirmed and writhed. This guy had issues.


    Jowy sighed. "Anyway, they are heading back to Demonica. On their way they''d pass Dwarvana. You are headed for the latter, correct?"


    The old man mentioned the dwarves in his letter. I gave it a thought but never made up my mind. "How''d you know?" I looked around the room. There were more soldiers than before.


    Dracona in the Dwarvan lands if I remember correctly. Then Dwarvana is the capital?


    "Forgive me but I had to take a look." Jowy sighed again.


    I glared at him. "I see. So you''re an expert voyeur as well. Anyway, I don''t have much to say. If that''s all then I''d like to leave. I have all my things and I only promised to stay a day." I looked at Dick and sighed. "Looks like I''m stuck with you for the time being." Dick was a dick. But he was still someone I could trust more than the elves, at least for the time being.


    Maybe I was deciding way too hastily but I could always ditch him once I was out of Alfeime anyway. So this wasn''t that bad.


    Dick flashed a smile. Normally I wouldn''t have had a problem with him. But I could barely stop my urge to slap him whenever he came close. The guy didn''t have any pure intentions. And I could feel that from a mile away.


    I didn''t see Lianne or Imazael here. Maybe they had their own things to do.


    "I''d have liked to give you some things on your way but as you are, you probably won''t accept them," Jowy said.


    "More or less."


    "But I do have something in my safekeeping. I believe you know." Jowy produced something from within his sleeves.


    The old man had mentioned something like that in his letters as well. I wasn''t planning on beating Jowy though. "Yes. I think I know what you mean."


    "If you wish I can give it to you. However, know that it''s something that might end up causing you more harm than good. It would be better to avoid it for the time being, as you are¡­"


    "What the hell are they talking about?" Dick was whispering things to his friend, the demon. The demon on the other hand never really spoke much.


    "I''m afraid I''d have to bet on that good part then," I said. "Or do you want me to beat your ass?" I pulled up my poker face. "Because I sure hell wouldn''t mind beating the shit out of you."


    Whispers floated around and I got the impression that the guards and nobles in the room weren''t pleased to hear that. I guess I might have overstepped a little.


    They only looked away when I said that though. I guess I could get away with almost anything as long as I had this form.


    Dick chuckled uncontrollably but held it in. It made me want to chuckle too.


    Jowy smiled and tossed something at me. "I thought you''d say that." He actually didn''t mind. What was wrong with this guy''s pride? Did he even have any?


    I caught it.


    A crystal?


    "This is?" It was like a crude azure crystal. But something about it felt unstable. Like it had some sort of tremendous force locked inside which wanted to get out the first chance it''d get.


    "That monster left us this, that night. I don''t know what it said but I can tell you that, this thing isn''t something humans should wield. It''ll corrupt you." Jowy was serious.


    You don''t say¡­ what did the monster say that night anyway? I couldn''t remember much from that night''s incident. The monster said something and left this crystal. Maybe Alisa heard it¡­ but¡­


    But Alisa wasn''t here anymore.


    "Thanks for the warning. I''ll keep that in mind." I quickly hid the crystal- or in better terms- the gem in my bag. Meanwhile, Dick had his jaw hanging. "What?"


    "Stone¡­I''ve never seen one that big¡­" He was basically talking in gibberish.


    Irritated, I asked again. "What!"


    "That''s a divinity stone- a physical form of a god''s mana. How the hell did you get one that big!?" He passed his shocked period and started the overexcited one.


    "Calm down buddy. That''s none of your business." I didn''t feel inclined to share every little detail of my life with him. "Anyway, what do you mean it''s too big? This thing''s barely the size of an egg!"


    "I wanted to give you a similar speech about that''s none of your business but seeing your face makes me melt!" He giggled in excitement.  My initial assumption of the guy crumbled down even lower. "Okay take a look. I bought this baby for a good hundred gold. I assure you that''s a mighty fortune."


    There was a ring on his index finger. The ring had a small red gem, the size of a sesame seed. This thing cost a hundred gold!? "Seriously?"


    Hundred gold meant literally ten thousand silvers. Which was two hundred thousand meat sticks!!!


    That was a lot of money!


    His eyes rolled around. His higher functions must have stopped working with the shock. "Now think how much that''ll fetch!"


    Honestly, now I was going crazy. But with a clear of throat, I tried to maintain my sanity. "Unfortunately I''m not selling it. It''s getting late so let''s get this show on the road. And I''d like some more details on the rock. See ya later Jowy." With that being said, I turned around. I knew I wouldn''t be able to leave soon if things kept on going like they did. I had to take drastic steps. And step number one was to leave the castle.


    "Wait!!" Imazael''s voice prompted me to stop. I looked back and there she was, covered in sweat. Honestly, if I wasn''t a girl right now, I might have felt a lot of emotions behind my legs right now.


    "Whoa!" dick''s mouth was open and he was about to start running.


    But his demon friend grabbed him before he could do so. "Not this time."


    "Yeah, what?" I snapped back to reality.


    "This, take this with you." She threw something at me.


    I grabbed it. It was a pendant. It wasn''t like I was a girl or something. Oh wait, I was. With a sigh, I turned around again and just waved. "Later."


    "Farewell Daarc. May the gods be with you!"


    "You mean the Demigods right?" I smiled and walked out.


    I thought Jowy''d try to stop me, but he didn''t.


    The double door opened and we left the throne room.


    Before leaving I could swear I heard Jowy whisper, "May we meet again."


    Sorry, but I don''t wanna.

 Chapter 172 - Loose Ties

    Just outside a pair of crimson eyes awaited me.


    "What are you doing? And why are you dressed like that?" I flared.


    Lianne was in her usual armor. She looked just like when I first met her. "Oh! Isn''t it obvious? I''m coming with you!"


    "Who is this lovely lady?" Dick said stuff but we ignored him.


    I guess he never met Lianne.


    "Really? Unfortunately, it wasn''t all that obvious. Anyway, as I told you before I don''t want anything to do with the elves. So begone!" Towards the end, my accent shifted and I got a little embarrassed.


    What the hell did I just say?


    Lianne started giggling. The embarrassment intensified. "Anyway, it''d be better for you if an elf led you out of the forest. I''d only trouble you for a few days."


    "I have no objection if that lovely lady joins us," Dick declared.


    I sighed. According to the old man, it could take up to a month to travel around Alfeim if one didn''t have an elf with them.


    Think about it. One month of wasted time or traveling with an elf.


    The decision was simple enough. I had to accept her help. And if it was her, then it wasn''t all that problematic. She was probably the only elf that I still somewhat trusted. But I kind of boasted a bit too much in front of Jowy, so this really felt odd. No embarrassing even. "Alright. And thanks¡­" I looked away. She was doing it for me and yet all I did was refuse her.


    She smiled in response and we left the palace. Dick was kind of jumping around in excitement. Well, that was a teenage boy for ya. I never did get to see the guard though. All in all, I was somewhat annoyed.


    And then there was the problem of carrying three separate bags. The bags themselves weren''t that big but they sure were packed. The stone and the pendant, along with some money, were in another small purse-like bag which I kept on my waist. It was actually a fashion choice for girls around here. But every step felt like I was taking my last.


    But as if the demon guy sensing my troubles took the three bags away from my back and just walked by me. I had both of my swords and the knife hanging by my waist, so it was all good: my normal sword and the knife were definitely attracting attention but surprisingly the mystic blade wasn''t. Maybe it was because I was still using the geezer''s rusty scabbard.


    But really, this was helping me? Of course, I didn''t trust him but my back did feel a lot lighter. And since the other two didn''t really make a scene when this happened, I tried to stay calm about this too.


    ***


    We walked around the capital and I had all sorts of eyes on me. I was walking with a literal princess by my side and still, people stared at me. I was feeling more and more self-conscious¡­


    "Umm Lianne?"


    "Yes?"


    I tried to make sense of stuff. It was normal for the people at the palace to be shocked. But what about the people outside? Did they know the empress'' face as well? "How come I''m getting so many stares? I get it that you guys know my face but what about-"


    "You see, every elf knew my mother apart from kids. So they are probably finding you a little shocking to fathom." My worst fear materialized. "Besides, mother always did like her occasional sneak-outs." Lianne giggled.


    I really was famous. But the empress occasionally used to sneak out? Well, that was news. The bad kind, for me.


    "I wouldn''t call it shock. It''s more like they''re worshipping him." The demon with us spoke after a long while.


    He had covered his horns with a large hat. He looked like an overgrown man on steroids. I''d say he was human-ish. His deep voice left a deep impression in my head.


    "Never thought I''d hear you say anything¡­." I said. "But thanks for the bags."


    He didn''t reply but nodded. The guy was really quiet. The same couldn''t be said about his companion though. Dick was literally hyperactive around the two of us, like a dick. He was jumping around, making weird jokes, and flashing all sorts of smiles. We flat-out ignored him.


    "But I think it would have been better for me to travel as a guy instead." I felt more and more self-conscious by the minute.


    "Actually, we''d have to kill you in that case. The people take crime very seriously in Alfeim." Lianne said it nonchalantly and with a smile.  I controlled my twitching eyes and we kept walking. I tried to conjure up a smile in response but failed miserably.


    Lianne scary¡­ Lianne scary¡­.


    My body didn''t hurt as much and I didn''t get tired either. I guess the pain from yesterday was just placebo, or it could have been because I had to drink nothing more than just potions for a month too. The mere thought that sent shivers down my spine.


    And thanks to staying nearly dead for a month, it gave me a bad case of constipation. I really wanted to die at this point.


    Ever since the incident in the forest, Biteria had become awfully quiet. She didn''t purr much nor caused any trouble for me. At least not as much she used to.  Maybe it was because they didn''t feed her meat for a month. Did she turn soft after transforming into a vegetarian?


    In that case, I won''t feed you meat anytime soon.


    "Ah, my cuddly little bunny-wunny." I poked her with a finger. She was on my shoulder. It didn''t even take her a second to make a firm bite. Pain shot through my finger like a missile. My face twisted. I barely controlled my scream. The damn thing had grown teeth. I might have been a little mistaken¡­


    No meat for you¡­EVER!


    ***


    It took about two hours before we got to the edge of the town. There were guards here. They recognized Lianne and me. They even bowed to me. It felt weirder and weirder.


    I did meet that guard though, the one who gave me this dress.


    "Hey, I didn''t catch your name."


    He gave a gentle bow and then looked at me with wondrous eyes. "It is Humpere, my lady."


    "Didn''t I tell you to call me Daarc? No need to be so formal. And I think I owe you forty silvers." I searched the bag and before I could take out the money, Humpere stopped me.


    "That won''t be necessary. I was the personal guard of Lady Anasia. Just seeing you again is payment enough for me. And I could never call you by your name. I couldn''t bring myself to. I-I know you''re not her and yet I can''t bring myself to not respect you like her¡­." His voice declared sincerity. I couldn''t help but have some respect for the guy.


    No wonder he had so much respect for me.


    "Alright. Thank you Humpere. Thank you for everything." I smiled. I couldn''t give money to the guy after what he just said. So I could only smile and leave without another word. "Let''s go."


    "Please take care," Humpere said.


    I didn''t look back. I didn''t need to. It might have been a coincidence or maybe not. But I did like how I was treated by the people around me. I probably won''t get that kind of respect for the rest of my life. I didn''t deserve it either. But it sure felt good.


    But as I walked out the city gates, my worst fears came crawling back.


    The forest was in front of us. The sun was in the middle of the sky. My new journey began by getting inside a forest yet again.


    Awe man. Not again!


    I wasn''t alone and it was daytime, but I really didn''t want to be around any forests, ever.

 Chapter 173 - There Are Such Things As Peaceful Forests? How? Why?

    We camped somewhere inside the forest. According to Lianne it''d take about a full day of travel to cross this forest. Once we''re out, we''d be in Helsing''s territory. Till now I''d never heard of a country named that. "What kind of country is it?"


    Wait, didn''t the old man mention something about a country named hell something?


    "It''s a neutral country. Some demies live there too." Lianne dropped some wood on the fire. It''d be dark soon, so we started setting things. "Though maybe it has incited some sparks within us." She chose her words carefully.


    I sighed. "You people and your war." I didn''t want to be the guy who only complained, but unfortunately, I was that guy. "Is waging war over territory really necessary?"


    "When your family and the people you know die of hunger around you and you see the nation next to you prospering without issues, that''s when you know, it''s war or death." Our demon friend bestowed his wisdom upon us.


    It pretty much shut me up and Lianne too. I didn''t know what sort of past he''d gone through, but one thing was for certain, he wasn''t some good old two shoes.


    ***


    This forest didn''t have any undead- or so Lianne claimed- so we didn''t need the fire for that. But lately, it got cooler and cooler during the nights. So a fire was essential.


    Come to think of it, Jowy had claimed that too when we first came to Alfeim. Though at the time I had no idea that I''d be going straight to the capital.


    "Hey, are you sure we''re not allowed to even fish?" Dick complained. He sat on a log complaining from the afternoon. All his enthusiasm disappeared when he learned that we won''t be able to hunt. Apparently, he thought, because he was a prisoner that''s why he was only getting veggies. But when he learned that everyone in Alfiem were pure vegetarian, his heart had cracked like glass. And now those cracked pieces got grinded by the fact that we couldn''t even hunt. "At least I get to sleep with ya tonight." It didn''t stop him from fantasizing though.


    It just had to be a pervert.


    I sighed. The guy was clearly a harmless pervert. He didn''t have the guts to try anything funny, at least not yet. But if he did, he''d be pretty much dead. Women can be scary when they''re mad. I learned it the hard way.


    The demon with him was rather courteous and quiet. I wanted to know more about him and the demons but he wasn''t talking. "Hey, big guy, I forgot your name."


    "Servesta." He didn''t look my way. He wasn''t even the slightest interested. Maybe my earlier comment had ticked him off.


    But I did appreciate the fact that he was carrying my stuff.


    It was better to not poke around. Biteria fell asleep before the sunset. Half deads didn''t need sleep but this one slept like crazy. Lianne on the other hand, looked, as usual, not a trace of fatigue.


    "You should rest. Your wounds haven''t fully healed yet." Lianne smiled at me.


    Don''t tell me, this is why you came along¡­ "I will."


    The beds were separate and I made sure to declare my hostility to anyone who''d try anything funny during the night. Lianne and I would sleep on the west side while those two would sleep on the east.


    ***


    Wood creaked under the fire and it all felt so nostalgic. I looked up at the sky. The trees blocked the lights. And there were clouds as well. Not the best night to enjoy a moonless night: eternal moonless night.


    Lianne went out to gather water. The girl really was talented.


    "You know I was pretty surprised when I came to this world. Never thought I''d be summoned by a demon. I mean I always dreamt of otherworldly fantasies but this¡­ this is pretty fantastic." Apparently, Dick was right next to me.


    When the hell did you get this close?


    "I was pretty surprised too." I tried to confine my rage. I was just a breath away from slapping him hard.


    How''s my strength in this body?


    I didn''t know how strong I was in this form yet. I didn''t have the time to figure it out either.


    "By the way, what say you and me return to Demonica. I bet they would treat you nicely. I mean you''re probably the third strongest of us. Me being the second." He winked.


    "SO there''s someone stronger than you? Hey! You don''t know how strong I am!" I don''t know why but his nonchalant strength meter had ticked me off pretty bad.


    "Even if you were, I don''t think you are anymore." He looked at my arm and reminded me. I massaged my sleeve and smiled. I didn''t have a response for that.


    Actually, I really missed my arm. Maintaining my balance was much harder without it and then there was the problem of occasionally forgetting that I didn''t have my left arm anymore.


    He tried to change the subject. "Anyway, about that stone. Would ya mind giving me half? I mean I''ll give you plenty of money!"


    "What the hell is this used for anyway?" I knew what he was getting at. But I didn''t feel the need to let him have it.


    "Hey! That''s not what I asked!"


    "Well?"


    "Tch! It''s used to boost your powers. But only temporary. That thing can make you go crazy too. It takes my all to control even this tiny thing. You''d pretty much be overpowered the moment you try to use something that big. Obviously the same goes for me."


    Then why the hell did he want it?


    In that case, I better make sure it doesn''t fall into your hands at least.


    "Too much free information. Alright, I''ve made up my mind."


    He looked at me with hopeful eyes. "Then-"


    "Not selling. Didn''t I tell you before? Besides, why would you want it, if you can''t control it?"


    His eyes dropped and he got depressed. "Why would you care!"


    Yeah, I do care.


    "Hey don''t start pouting. It''s not like you''re a little girl."


    He was like one of those relatives who pouted because of the slightest of things.


    "Speaking of girls. How did you land yourself that beautiful elf? She''s so damn perfect!" He whispered with a lot of passion.


    "Fate I''d say." I reminisced about how I met Lianne and how she saved my life. Back then I really was lost.


    "I don''t know why but somehow you make me jealous." He almost hissed.


    "Well, the feeling''s mutual."


    "Can I touch them?" He caught me off guard.


    I was dumbfounded for a minute. What are you talking about? "Huh?"


    A wide grin appeared on his face. A very wicked one. He lifted his palm and wiggled his fingers in swift motion like was squeezing something. I got the picture and whispered back. "Of course! If you want a hole in your chest that is¡­." I had a smile on my face too. My mood swung in the opposite direction and I was shaking with anger. I clenched my fist so hard that my fingers started to hurt.


    Sweat poured from his forehead and dripped of his face. "I think I''ll pass." He got up. "See ya tomorrow."


    I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down.


    ***


    Lianne came back and the two of us were pretty close.


    It was awfully quiet. I never thought the forest could be this calm. This was probably heaven compared to the other forests I''d been through. Lianne''s work was complete and now she lied down as well. "When I first met you, I thought you''d end up dead on your own. That''s why I asked you to come along with me. There were no other hidden motives."


    "I kind of knew that¡­. but I hoped there''d be some other motives you know."


    "Like what?"


    She looked at me and I met her gaze. "Hmm¡­ something like, this guy is really handsome. Why don''t I invite him to my party or something like that!"


    She giggled hard. I looked away in embarrassment. I might have said some strange shit in the heat of the moment. Did something happen to my head after transforming?


    How the hell am I going to get out of this one?


    "Well, you are handsome for a human and very young too. Maybe I did think that subconsciously?"


    You don''t have to try that hard to console me¡­.


    I tried to laugh it off. But it was still kind of lightening. I felt better. Hotter even.


    Now there was awkward silence between us. I sighed and looked straight at her eyes. "Thank you for inviting me. You saved my life and I''m grateful."


    "You''re welcome. You saved my life as well. So now we''re even." She smiled. The fire wasn''t that bright but her smile illuminated my world. It was strange how I could tell her expression when I couldn''t even see her lips. Her eyes really had a way to deliver emotion.


    "Hey hey hey! Don''t go flirting around when I''m tryna sleep!" Dick was shouting and cursing his fate from the other side. Poor guy. I only felt pity for him now.


    Lianne and I giggled. "Suppose we should sleep."


    "Yes. Good night Daarc."


    I closed my eyes. It was reassuring that I had company. But my past traumas didn''t leave me. They hunted me down. I had friends back then too but people always ended up hurt because of me. I nodded off.


    ***


    Spears of ice are falling at me¡­. I''m going to die. What is this!


    Someone is in front of me¡­. Oh no, Brenda!


    "Brenda!"

 Chapter 174 - Farewell Forests, Hello Again, Green Fields Of Death

    I jumped awake up and it was morning. I looked around and everyone was in the midst of cleaning up. They stopped in their tracks and stared. "Oh, no worries. Just a nightmare." I smiled. I might have frightened them a bit.


    "Look, dude. There''s no need to hide it. We all have our demons." Dick for once, tried to be sincere. It still got ruined by his next words though. "Why don''t you clean yourself up? How about a shower? I saw a pond nearby. Maybe we could even shower together!"


    I sighed. He was the same pervert he was yesterday. "I''ll pass."


    Lianne was behind me. She looked at me with a lot of confusion. I couldn''t really blame her though. She didn''t even know the name of the girl I just screamed the name of.


    "Someone, you knew?"


    "Yeah knew¡­." I didn''t want to think about it.


    "I see."


    The conversation didn''t go anywhere and we resumed our journey. Things went smooth for the next couple of hours.


    "We should be close to the edge by the evening." Lianne was basically up in the trees. Just what was up with Elves and trees?


    "You mean we have to spend another night here? I don''t want more fruits! I want meat!" Dick started dashing. It kind of made me chuckle. I did the same thing when I first came here.


    We picked up pace and navigated with good speed. Lianne led the way and we followed. We had more bread for lunch and the day came to an end near the border.


    I never thought I''d be willingly sleep in a forest of all places.


    We could have camped outside of the forest but in that case, we''d have to account for the monsters. Everything about this forest was the opposite of what I thought to be the norm. Maybe I was the weird one? Probably not.


    "You''re not going to wear the pendant?" Lianne was making new arrows.


    The pendant was in the little pouch on my waist. I brought it out. It was made out of some sort of silver and yet, not exactly like silver. It shined a lot more than silver. "I don''t know. Where would I even wear this?" It had weird patterns and kind of looked beautiful.


    "How about-" Lianne came rather close to me. Honestly, at this point, I was used to our little interactions. "This?"


    My hair was flowing freely this whole time. But now, she tied it and made a small comb. And the pendant hung from the back of the comb. I had no idea what sort of fashion this was, really.


    "You look beautiful!" Dick was squirming around, as usual. Anything with a good face was beautiful to him, so also as usual, I just ignored him.


    Servesta gave me a thumbs up. I gave him a thumbs-up as well. I had no idea where this was going.


    "Is there any point with having this?" Why did people wear pendants anyway?


    "Who knows? I''ve lived a long time but I never really got any gifts from her." Lianne flashed a smile and looked at me with awe. I guess she was referring to the demigod.


    Come to think of it, the empress also had this sort of hairstyle.


    This doesn''t happen to be¡­?


    No wonder.


    "Wait, how old are you?" Of course, I was curious.


    Lianne smiled and looked away. She never gave me an answer.


    We had dinner and another night ended without any trouble. I didn''t have any nightmares.


    ***


    This time I had to bid farewell to Lianne. She''d been a great help but I couldn''t rely on her forever. I couldn''t burden her to that extent.


    I knew that but I still didn''t say anything to her and she didn''t say anything either. That was kind of odd too. She was supposed to head back when we neared the border but she never went back. At first, I thought it might have to do with the fatigue and she''d return the next day- namely today. But half-deads didn''t necessarily need sleep and that was their specialty.


    Something wasn''t right and I had to address that. "Lianne? Weren''t you going back as we cross the border?"


    "Yes, but I thought I''d accompany you a little further. And we haven''t even reached the border by a long shot. You do realize we own the next country as in, Helsing, right? Well, at least we''re ruling it despite the ongoing war." She was speaking as though it was obvious.


    I was as confused as someone playing chess for the first time. "What do you mean own? I thought it was a neutral country and wasn''t it supposed to be something both men and elves wanted?"


    "Technically, the war is still ongoing but we''re the ones running it from the shadows and that''s why this break. Of course, men know it too, but at this point, they can''t do anything about it." She smiled and moved on ahead. "Well, now you know why."


    Is it me or are elves the bad guys?


    "Hey! Don''t ignore me¡­"


    She still did. The other guys moved around as well. No one protested. Did my thoughts even matter?


    I suddenly remembered the contents of that book I read way back when.


    When elves are cornered they could be worse than demons. I didn''t know how true that was, but one thing was for certain, elves couldn''t be trusted casually.


    I sighed and tried to persuade her some more. "You know, whoever teams up with me, always ends up hurt. Sometimes dead even. So maybe-"


    "You do realize you said that exact same thing when we met too right?" She was annoyed. Her eyes narrowed and I had to take a step back.


    Why was she getting mad? Shouldn''t it have been the opposite?


    Dick flung his arms around me. "You don''t say stuff like that! You should say ''I''ll protect you even if it costs my life!" It was like he was painting the sky with his hands.


    I elbowed his stomach and he fell on the ground writhing.


    "Next time, there would be a hole there."


    The very next second he started chuckling and got up.


    I was more angry than necessary. I''d have to re-evaluate my trust towards Lianne.


    ***


    We were out of the forest. I saw the fresh sky in months. There were some clouds in the horizon but they were mostly white. The sun shined and my eyes hurt when I looked up. Maybe looking straight at the sun was a bad idea.


    "We should come across a village before the evening." Lianne still led the way. She was basically the leader of the group. We only lagged behind. The only one who looked like nothing had happened at all was the demon and he was carrying all our bags too. How sturdy was this guy?


    Over the course of the last few days, my high opinion of Lianne changed drastically. I still didn''t know whether I could trust her or not. But since she''d saved my life again and again I leaned more on the trusting side.


    But then again every time she looked at me so longingly, I felt weird. Like really weird. How many times did I have to remind her, I wasn''t her mother?


    Sigh!


    ***


    Our lunch took place exactly when the sun was right above our heads. It was midday. For the first time in a month, I had meat. "Ah! Living is really great!"


    Words were pouring out of my mouth but I didn''t really know what I was saying. The roasted bird in my mouth had all my attention. Who cared about language comprehension anyway?


    "Chew your food at least. What''s the difference between you and Biteria?" Lianne sighed and mentored me in every step. Was she my mother or something?


    Biteria and I were in sync. We ate everything; more like devoured while the others couldn''t even finish half of theirs.


    "Chew at least!"


    What are you, my mom? Even my mom didn''t use to say stuff like that you know!


    Of course, I didn''t have the guts to say that out loud. "Anyway, now that we''re out in the open again, it''s okay for me to remove this, right?" Being a woman had its perks but I liked my original self.


    "Actaully-"


    "I don''t like that look on your face." My heartbeat rose, sweat poured and I gulped. Lianne was about to say something outrageous, I knew it in my bones.


    "Helsing is part of our empire as well. And there are elves there. So I don''t think-"


    I sighed and looked down. "I get it." She just wanted to see more of this face, no doubt.


    Looks like I won''t be able to get this off anytime soon.


    Dick''s silent giggling didn''t really help me feel better either. At least I had Biteria, who was still trying to bite me despite everything.. I made sure to not feed her meat, so I guess this was just her revenge.

 Chapter 175 - One Step At A Time

    Once we were in the open field I''d tried to run and make sure my body wasn''t going to crumble under pressure. It didn''t. Everything felt natural but the lack of the arm bothered me a lot more than I thought. I forgot on more than one occasion that I actually didn''t have an arm.


    "By the way, did I mention that I know a guy in Galbatia, who could heal that arm of yours and give you a new one?" Dick smirked. He was up to something.


    "This isn''t a ploy to get me there, right?" I asked, skeptical.


    "No, no, of course not." He tried to act all serious. "I mean, all you''d have to do is sleep with the guy for a night but-"


    I sighed. "Pass." I passed him and walked faster.


    "Oh, come on! That was just a joke." He chuckled and came after me.


    "Yeah, I don''t care." I still had my pride, my needless, worthless pride. But there was something in the distance. "Lianne, can you let me handle this one?"


    Lianne had already drawn her bow. "Yeah sure. Don''t overexert yourself."


    The thing far away was a goblin. A lone one and pretty small too. I didn''t know how this body would have held out in a real fight but this was my chance to find out. Besides, I still didn''t know how much I could accomplish with just one hand.


    When the goblin spotted me, it groaned and hid within the grass. This one was good. And a second later, a fireball came towards me. This one was very good.


    I dodged the fire and located the little thing. My body moved faster than I anticipated, and I almost fell to my death yet again.


    Calm down!


    "Pay more attention to where yar standing ya moron!" I remembered the words of the old man and calmed my nerves.


    The goblin scrambled and hid in the grass again. Since when did single goblins give me so much trouble?


    This one''s a mage type, huh?


    "You good?" Dick yelled.


    "Mostly." I still kept my eye out.


    And as if to live up to its name, the little purple thing jumped up in the air and tried to bite me.


    "Poor choice." I slashed it with my sword and it writhed before going cold.


    But this achieved two things for me. First, I was nowhere near my original fighting capabilities, and second, this body needed a lot of getting used to. But one thing was for certain, I still had my original skills and experience. I could fight.


    Which meant- I can get better.


    ***


    Sometime later, I tried to poke the crystal. It was on my mind for a long time but I never really got around to it.


    No one was around me. They were too busy setting up camp and all that.


    "Hey, Dick. How do you use this thing?" I opened the cloth and tried to touch the gem. It was oddly cold. But it did look fairly normal.


    "DON''T TOUCH IT!" Dick screamed furiously. It almost sounded like a shriek.


    I quickly covered the crystal with the cloth but now it felt like the cloth was cold. It wasn''t freezing but it was cold and so was my finger.


    "What?"


    "Remember when I told you, people go crazy when they touch it?" He walked towards me. "So, if you really want to use it, please use it in situations when you think you can kill everything in sight without any worries. Unless you want to kill us all-" He had a very annoying smile on his face.


    But I did understand him. "Alright." And so, my poking session ended in failure. "But how come you''re wearing one?"


    "First of all, this is small. Second, when this glows, that''s when things go bad. And third, how many times do I have to tell you, yours is too damn big!"


    I didn''t want someone named Dick to tell me that. With a sigh, I just stared at him blankly and a second later he realized what he just said.


    But the guy just chuckled away to the campsite, setting things up.


    ***


    We arrived at a village by the afternoon. On our way, we fought some goblins. Lianne sniped them from far away, so none of us got to exert ourselves. Dick was pretty unhappy that he didn''t get to show off his skills though. I actually wanted to see what he was capable of.


    The village wasn''t all that big and the walls were made from wood. It was probably more of a makeshift village. We went in. the houses were all made from wood. The road was pretty rough and the place looked kind of bland. No one had any smiles on their faces and they all looked troubled: gloomy.


    "That''s strange. I didn''t think there was a village here. The one we were supposed to enter was a little further down the road¡­" Lianne pondered with hands on her cheeks.


    But before I could think we heard some shouts.


    "Who do you think you are!"


    "Cut it out already! You''re no hero! And your father''s a loser!"


    "Face it! You''re dad''s dead! He ain''t coming back!"


    "Loser!" "Loser!" "Loser!"


    Kids were yelling at a distance. Judging from what they were yelling I was sure someone was getting bullied.  We walked towards the sound. A kid was surrounded by a bunch of other kids. The kid in the middle was scrawny and the brats around him were all bunch of fat morons. Most of them were wearing rugs though.


    "I guess there are pigs like that no matter where you go."


    "Boys will be boys¡­ let them handle their shit." Dick chuckled.


    "Unfortunately, I hate those kinds of boys who prey on the weak!" I glared at Dick. My anger was misguided and he meant no harm. But bullying was a horrible crime in my eyes. My sister suffered for it and so did my whole family. I hated bullies.


    "Hey, you!" I shouted on top of my lungs and walked towards the brats.

 Chapter 176 - Since When Did Dragons Start Falling From The Sky?

    I walked towards the kids. I was pissed and stuff was about to happen. But something else happened before I could reach.


    "Get away from here you mongrels!" A girl, younger than me, came rushing at the boy''s side and the fat brats all scattered. I breathed a sigh of relief.


    Looks like my help wasn''t needed.


    I turned around and came back to my companions.


    "That was something," Dick said.


    "Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes.


    I looked at the boy with my peripherals. The boy and the girl both were staring at me. I didn''t do anything so I didn''t really pay much attention.


    "Anyway, let''s look for an inn." Lianne moved on ahead.


    "Yeah."


    We followed her.


    "So you don''t like bullies?" Dick tried to get near me. For the last couple of days, the guy had been rather persistent.


    When the hell do I get to take this thing off?


    "You''re telling me you do?" I raised a brow.


    "Not really. But I never got bullied in my life. Well, it''s more like no one had the guts to bully me. Whenever someone tried to, I protested so hard that they bled tears." He gave me a smirk.


    "Bled tears? You mean, you punched them straight?"


    "Wow, you really understand me!" He made a surprised face. It was definitely intentional.


    I didn''t reply. The guy really was something. Actually, he reminded me a bit of my old self. And that was enough to piss me off without notice.


    Lianne asked some people on the street and we found an inn before long. It was expensive for a shabby place such as this but we didn''t have much choice. Dick and Servesta took a double room while I and Lianne took singles.


    ***


    I unpacked some of the things and rested on the bed. My wounds were looking better. I''d be fully healed in a week or so. This is comfy¡­ something about the people''s expression still bothered me though. And by the looks of things, this village was pretty new. Something was amiss. But, I fell asleep before long anyway.


    ***


    What is this? Am I flying?


    I was in the sky. It was night and there were clouds. I couldn''t see my body but I could see distant lights.


    Unlike the last few times, this time I felt like I had a body but it also felt like it wasn''t mine. Besides, this time I was literally flying through the clouds.


    Why can''t I move?


    I couldn''t move my body but the view moved on its own. This body probably wasn''t mine.


    Apart from the wind, there was some sound of breaths.


    Is this breath mine?


    I could even smell. But it was different. I could feel a lot of the things I could never feel before. I could hear the flaps of wings too.


    I have wings?


    Finally, the clouds cleared and I could see something down below.


    How high am I?


    It felt like a dream but too real to be one. The ground had lights and small houses.


    Are those peoples? Wait I know that place. I know that kid¡­. What''s going on?


    ***


    "Daarc! Daarc!"


    I abruptly woke up and found myself surrounded by my companions. My head throbbed and I couldn''t even sit down. I groaned and stared at them for an explanation.


    I didn''t lock the door?


    "We are under attack. Let''s blitz." Dick had sweats all over his face.


    "Wha-" I couldn''t understand what they were saying.


    "A dragon is coming," Lianne said.


    Servesta''s eyes were closed and he looked tensed as well. "More like it''s already here."


    And just a second later there was a massive sound as though something just exploded. I looked at the window and everything was too bright.


    Oh no!


    There was another source of light in the room. My bag glowed in azure light. Dick''s ring glowed as well.


    "You know what that means." Dick smiled and glared.


    "Another one of those monsters, huh?" It wasn''t a question. I didn''t know why or how I came to that conclusion but at this point, anything seemed possible.


    And that feeling, that dream I just had now, this was the only conclusion I could come up with.


    I took a deep breath and picked up my sword.


    If I can avoid using the mystic blade then maybe things won''t end up like last time. And besides, I don''t have Sisrael''s fragment in me anymore.


    And then there was the thing of me being severely weak. I had to avoid a direct confrontation at all costs.


    It was most possibly a grand monster. I didn''t know what a grand monster might be doing in a village like this but something about the dream I just had made me nervous.


    What if the dream I just saw¡­?


    "We need to leave, now!" Dick was very serious, there was no doubt about it.


    Lianne helped me with my things and we got out of the inn. Biteria hid inside my hair. It was different than being just on the shoulder. It tickled.


    How the hell did Brenda live through this?


    The whole village was on fire and a massive roar broke the silence. There was something in the sky, something big, very big. It was a massive reptilian creature. I didn''t know if it had any color or not but it looked pretty black.


    That thing''s a dragon?


    It looked more like a giant snake with wings than an actual dragon but maybe that was how they were supposed to look like?


    "What do you think we should do?" Lianne looked at me. What did she expect?


    "Runaway, of course! You want to fight that thing?" Dick answered on my behalf. If our op protagonist thought we should run, then it was evident that we ran.


    Runaway? Do we even have the luxury to do that?


    "AHHH!!!" A scream brought me back to reality. Something or someone was screaming in the distance. I squinted my eyes and it was the same brat I saw three times today. "How dare you! First, you take my father! Now my mother! Even my sister! How dare you!"


    He was right next to a woman: the same one we met earlier. There was blood everywhere. The kid couldn''t have been older than ten but he had a longbow. The bow was probably taller than him. He sat it down and pointed it up.


    It won''t reach.


    But if it did, that would have been more problematic. "Hey kid stop that!" I ran. I had to stop him before he got the dragon''s attention. If he did then he was as good as dead.


    The dragon however wasn''t sitting around doing nothing. It was flying in circles and lighting everything on fire. It was more like he was floating than flying. The wings barely flapped.


    The boy shot three arrows before I could reach him. The first two missed but the third one infiltrated the corner of the dragon''s eyes and bounced right back out.


    Oh boy.

 Chapter 177 - This Isn’t Cheating? RIGHT!?

    The dragon rotated its head and spotted the kid. Smoke came out of its nostrils and mouth. The atmosphere felt heavy with extreme pressure. It flew towards the boy in slow motion and fires descended from the heavens. I didn''t have any way to protect the boy or myself. But I had the crystal. It belonged to a god of ice presumably. And from what I could tell, my bag was more than just cold.


    This thing will make me go crazy huh? Well, it''s better than dying¡­.


    If Dick was right, I could use the crystal to make ice like that monster. I betted on that possibility.


    The boy gave up all hope, fell on his knees, and looked up at the sky: Why the hell did he even bother if was going to give up halfway?


    Everything was moving too slow. It was like I had an eternity of time. But then again my body moved slowly too. So the eternity wasn''t really helping.


    There were screams from behind me.


    "Daarc! Get back here!" Dick yelled. "Do you want to die!"


    Too late.


    I reached the boy a second before the fire reached. My hand was already inside the bag. When it came out, the glowing stone encased my body in a pale blue light and I focused my mana.


    Only a second!!


    But just a second was enough. I could feel the heat. I smiled bitterly and held my hand above my head.


    Here goes nothing.


    I closed my eyes and focused as much as I could. This was a risky gamble and I didn''t know if it''d work out or not, but this was a gamble I was willing to take.


    ***


    And then everything went cold, as though time itself had stopped. I opened my eyes but they didn''t open or maybe they were already open. Either way, I couldn''t see anything.


    "We meet again¡­"


    I recognized the voice. It was the same voice I heard when I fainted that night. It was the voice of the monster that killed Brenda. But this voice was calm and feminine.


    "You!" This wasn''t the time to get heated up and I knew that. "What is this place! Where am I!" But I couldn''t help it.


    "You are inside your own body. This is a mere projection. I am talking to you by the stone you hold. Our time is limited."


    I couldn''t see anything and the voice was all around me. I couldn''t pinpoint it.


    "What do you want?"


    "Revenge!" Its voice sounded more like when I first encountered it. "We want revenge!" Even just a second ago it was calm but now it was more or less like when I fought it.


    "WE?" Didn''t it start with ''I''? I guess both heads had their own stuff going on.


    So this thing is made of two parts? Should have known that I suppose.


    "However we''ve come to the realization. We cannot kill you: not yet. But you can¡­" Now it talked in unison. I could hear a feminine and a masculine voice at the same time. They were in sync.


    I looked around for the source but my eyes failed me and the voice echoed everywhere.


    Is it really inside me?


    "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "IN time you will know. But for now, you shall survive. And to that, WE shall lend you our powers. You must survive and then¡­ end all this¡­."


    I didn''t understand. I couldn''t. "Wait I don''t understand¡­.. What is going on? What are you talking about?"


    "For millennia have we walked on this land in this vestige of a monster. Though we hate that wretched snake, we have come to hate ourselves. You shall end it for us. So you must live. We don''t have much longer. Farewell¡­."


    "Hey wait!"


    ***


    A scream woke me up. Someone was crying near me. I looked down and it was the boy. "Lady, are you okay?" He looked like an ugly mess.


    I was standing with my arm up. I looked up and saw a dome of blue. It wasn''t mere ice. It was pure crystal. I could see traces of fire raining down but they couldn''t melt the crystal ice. I grinned. "I''m fine¡­"


    "But your hand¡­"


    I took a good look at my right hand. I could see the veins and arteries. They all had an azure glow. I suppose I might lose this one too¡­ however something was different. I actually had a left arm. It was pure crystal but didn''t feel cold or odd. I tried moving it and it moved!


    I couldn''t help but chuckle.


    I don''t even care about what the hell is going on anymore.


    The barrage of fire ended and I tried to move my arm. I didn''t have too much hope but I moved and somehow I could still feel my right arm. The crystals in front of me reflected some light and I could see my reflection. My eyes, hair, and whole-body glowed azure. I could feel power surge within.


    This is¡­. What Dick talked about?


    I laughed again and tried to dismiss the crystals in front of me. They all disappeared.


    Wow! It works!


    It worked just like my holy magic, if not better.


    "Daarc!" Lianne shouted and rushed to me.


    "I didn''t know you could do that!" Dick yelled in surprise.


    "Me either. But give me a status report."


    Dick had a shield on his hand. It glowed just like the mystic blade.


    It didn''t take a second for me to yell stuff. "You idiot! Hide that damn thing!" He immediately hid the shield behind him without a doubt. I couldn''t see the dragon anymore so I had to ask them. They all looked at me with pitying and twitching eyes. "I see."


    I turned around and met two massive black crystalline eyes. Finally, I could see its color. It looked blood-drenched. "I''ve seen clich¨¦s like this but never thought I''d see one in my life- at least not like this..." I gulped and looked carefully. I could actually see better. What is this? Even my senses were enhanced. My whole body still radiated a faint azure glow. It was like I was using Imbuition on my body but it didn''t destroy me like last time.


    Is my body going crazy because I''m about to die? The crystal!


    My hand was still glowing. It was in my hand.


    I see.


    I noticed the bleeding lady near me. Something about her felt odd. She was still alive and I could even hear her breath.


    How is this possible?


    "Lianne, I think that woman is still alive. Take her and leave¡­" I shifted my gaze to the monster in front of me. "I have an idea."


    The dragon didn''t roar and I could see its spiky teeth. A single one of them was as big as my long gone arm.. The damn thing was pretty much the size of three school buses side by side.

 Chapter 178 - Are All Dragon God Monster Thingy Like This?

    "Ha ha ha¡­hi?" I tried my best to retain my composure but my beating heart- more like blitzing heart- and sweat glands wouldn''t let me.


    The dragon released a massive breath. It would have been better if its breath wasn''t as hot as the dessert.


    He then smelt me.  "You reek of us!"


    Wait, what?


    Was this dragon a pervert of some sort?


    I didn''t say anything so the dragon continued. "Back then, that was Damsel''s. How- how did this happen?" The voice was deep and filled with malice. But he seemed so calm now


    For a second there I thought it''d go berserk if I tried to talk to it. But my fears didn''t come to fruition. I didn''t know why but this felt easy. Like someone suddenly flipped the difficulty level from Nightmare to normal mode. If that were the case, why couldn''t they do it sooner?


    "I met Damsel. They gave this to me." I figured it was the best way to deal with one of these things. The monsters were too monstrous. Last time someone had to die for me to live. So this time I tried to think rationally and act as docile as possible.


    "They gave it to you?" He let out another breath. "I see. I heard that a mortal afflicted with that wretched snake killed one of our own but it seems I might have been mistaken." As it talked smoke raised from its nose holes.


    This thing is definitely trouble.


    I was kind of confused at what this guy was saying but I didn''t let it show. After all, I didn''t know much to begin with. But one thing was clear; Trerortra''s name or his sword was something that would not exist in my reality for the next couple of hours or so.


    "Back then, I saw from your eyes¡­ Got any idea why that happened?" So I tried changing the subject.


    "It seems you are connected to us. To our souls. You possessed a fragment of that snake but now your soul is turning like his¡­."


    Huh? You mean I''m turning into a snake? Hey! You''re a snake too!


    It was not comforting. Personally, I didn''t really like snakes all that much. And now I was turning into one? And not to mention, something that big?


    "What do you mean?" I tried to keep up a smiling face but I couldn''t maintain it. I was freaking out inside.


    He didn''t feel the obligation to reply. His attention was on the kid behind me.


    The kid was by the lady''s side and shivered. I could hear his shivers. He was leaking through not just his eyes but some other places too.


    "Why did you destroy this village? I believe you destroyed the last one as well¡­" This village was new. So I assumed he was the one who destroyed the last one. Since the damn thing wouldn''t answer me I tried to ask something else.


    "I did no such thing! I only flew above when a mere mortal attacked me! I had to show prejudice! That thing over there smells the same as the one who attacked me. Bring it to me and I shall spare these vermin!" No wonder it was glaring so much at the kid.


    You did no such thing, huh?


    He was spouting nonsense and ordering me around. One life for the whole village- it wasn''t a bad deal. It was just, I didn''t like it.


    "Sorry to say but I can''t do that. You see you already killed his family and only he remains. Don''t you think he would be better off living his life alone? I mean that sounds like a good punishment. You should know that."


    I tried to steer him in another direction. I couldn''t beat him as I was and that was clear. But that didn''t change the fact that I had to contend with all this. I couldn''t just let someone die in front of me like that. It was just cruel. However, I couldn''t piss him up too much either. So I lied about him being alone. The woman on the ground might survive. So I had to keep the boy alive.


    "YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME!" It howled and my ears hurt. But I was accustomed to loud screeches and didn''t really care.


    Naturally¡­ act natural¡­.


    But at this point, acting natural seemed more like a joke.


    "So you want to end his misery in an instant? I suppose that would be more merciful. You are a god after all." I still had a smile on my face.


    This is a bad idea.


    He let out another breath and rose up, flapping his wings. "It seems you do have some intelligence. Remember well mortal, next time we meet, you will die. I am only letting you go this time in respect to my brethren''s wish. And you were wise to hide that vile sword and shield from me¡­" A wicked noise filled the air. He was laughing. And he knew I had the sword. Maybe I shouldn''t have taken gods lightly. "Next time, will be your last, apostle of Trerortra!" He broke the sound barrier as he flew and it made a very painful boom.


    Brethren''s wish huh? What a joke.


    But Trerortra''s apostle?


    Apostle!!


    Yet, again I didn''t really know much about the world to even draw a conclusion.


    The stone stopped glowing and my hand became numb. In fact, all my senses were duller than they''d ever been. I could still move it but I needed rest. I fell on my knees and sweated like crazy. My crystalline arm dispersed.


    I suppose I should have seen this coming if nothing else.


    Well, at least my right arm still worked, for now.


    "How-how were you able to talk to that thing?" All this time Dick was playing spectator. But he did a good job at it. At least he didn''t do anything funny.


    "You mean you can''t?"


    "Hell no!" He was glaring at me in disbelief. The poor guy was disappointed, angry, and frustrated all at once. Never knew he could show off so much emotion other than pure perverseness.


    "Ohhh?"


    "You were right, she''s alive!" Lianne said. It took her long enough.. But I guess, this was necessary to prevent that dragon god monster thingy from turning them into ash.

 Chapter 179 - Wait, You’re Not Going To Throw Parties For The Savior?

    "So you''re telling me you can understand everything? Even monsters?"


    I was back inside the inn and now being interrogated by Dick. More like he was just shouting to hide his pain and jealousy.


    "More or less." I tried to be humble about it. If Dick couldn''t understand all languages that meant he was going to be very jealous of me. So the least I could do was be humble.


    "Hey! Don''t be so nonchalant about it! That''s a rarer than anything I''ve ever heard!" Dick was freaking out. It was out of character for him. "And doesn''t that mean you have more than one power?" He looked at me with surprise. "You can already speak with them and you can swing around the mystic sword with ease, like its nothing even with just one Arm." he was looking at the distance. But we were in a closed room, so this seemed more comical than anything else.


    I guess my humbleness had the opposite effect of what I intended for it.


    I can''t tell him I have regeneration, now I can i?


    I could but, it would have literally freaked him out more than he already was.


    "Dude calm down. You''re supposed to be a pervert, not a guy who freaks out every two seconds!" I tried to calm him down.


    "Both of them sound just as bad though," Dick mumbled. The guy sure had brains that were for sure. "If you have no idea how long it took me to get this thing." He showed me his second ring. He had three rings on his left hand and I already knew one of them.


    "This? I assume some sort of translation device?"


    He didn''t reply but his sulks conveyed the feelings just fine. But looking at it, I realized he was actually using two separate rings just for translating the demon tongue and the human tongue. He knew nothing about the elven tongue or the dwarven tongue. And that''s where his demon buddy came into action.


    Poor guy.


    We were in my room. Lianne and Servesta were here but they kept quiet. Lianne could have known from Jowy but Servesta shouldn''t have. But he was always a quiet guy, so I didn''t really worry too much about it.


    "Anyway, we should leave this place as soon as possible. The dragon might have come for the boy but it changed targets to us. So it would be best for us to leave." I still had the sinking feeling that the dragon might have come to this village because of me. But it was just a feeling.


    "That reminds me, why''d you tell me to hide my shield?"


    "You do realize that Trerortra and the rest of the grand monster hate each other, correct?"


    "No? Why was I supposed to know that? And what the heck is a Trerortra?" Dick just waved around in confusion. More like he threw a tantrum.


    Seriously?


    I stared at him, blankly. He knew about the world serpent but didn''t know his name?  "I''m surprised how friggin ignorant you are. Anyway, don''t show any grand monster a piece of mystic weapons.  They''d rip you apart. "


    "Noted. You know I''m really jealous of you!"


    I got that impression the moment I met him. "Yeah, I know."


    "Damn! You even know that! Shit!" He banged his hand on the door and made a hole in it. "Sorry about that. It was always like this you know. No matter what I did, I was always second best. I could never be the best. Even in this world, I''m not the protagonist." And now he started sulking. Was this guy pregnant or something? What was up with these mood swings?


    We don''t know that yet. Who knows if you''ll manifest mysterious powers all of a sudden¡­ and be deemed the protagonist?


    I don''t know why but he seemed more like a protagonist than me anyway.


    He apologized but it kind of ticked me off. "Trust me kid, you don''t want this. And for the record, I''m more jealous of you than you are of me. So stop whining." Maybe I was the one whining. "Anyway, Lianne, when can we leave? Lianne?"


    Lianne''s full focus was outside the window. "Right now would be a good time."


    Servesta peeked out. "Looks like they''re here."


    "Who exactly?" I was the only one who was out of the loop.


    "The border guards. It was faster than I''d thought. We need to leave now." Lianne seemed a little worried. "But I have to say, our guards really are something, aren''t they?"


    Why the hell are you looking proud?


    "Aren''t you a princess? Couldn''t you do something?" I said.


    "It''s best to avoid trouble. But if it comes down to it, I could mediate things to some extent. Even so it might take days to settle this. And I was under the impression we didn''t have the luxury of time¡­"


    I sighed. Biteira poked out: was she in my hair, all this time? I pressed her back in. If she could live through all the fuss till now, she could live through the rest. I still didn''t understand how she could live inside a comb of hair though. could she shrink herself down or something? "Alright then, let''s get out of here."


    "Didn''t we save the village? I mean shouldn''t they throw a feast for us?" Dick said something and we stared at him.


    "This isn''t a game you know. You don''t just save people and they throw parties for you. Besides, who knows how many died? And for the record, I talked with the dragon and people saw that. You do know what that means right?" I tried my best to get him up to speed. Maybe he still thought of this world like a game?


    Honestly, I wanted a party though. I mean, I was exhausted, and I really wanted a bit of a rest. And what could be more relaxing than a party?


    Bad idea I guess.


    "No?" He still didn''t seem to get anything though. This guy was hopeless. I guess he played way too many RPGs and lost track of reality.


    "You''re a lost cause." I sighed, picked up my things, and got out through the window.


    There was a crowd outside. The moment we leaped out of the building they spotted us. I was still exhausted but we didn''t have time to rest.


    Can''t I even catch a break?

 Chapter 180 - Are Kids Supposed To Be Like This

    We were atop the roofs and running around. Some guards were following us through the roofs as well while others were on the ground.


    "These guys are very persistent."


    "They are one of the finest of the country." Lianne definitely was proud if nothing else.


    We were literally running and they were one or two houses behind us. As Lianne said, they were good, very good.


    "No shit."


    "Yes, shit!" Even in this situation, Dick had the pleasure of being a dick and trying to be funny.


    "Shut up!"


    My hand was still numb. If I had to fight in this state, it would have been better to just surrender instead.


    Just this once I was glad we had the big buy with us though. He was a demon but he was a demon with style. He was singlehandedly carrying all our stuff, running faster than us, and not to mention he wasn''t complaining either.


    "At this rate, we might have to traverse through the sewers," Lianne said, dead serious as always.


    "Yuck!" Dick yelled before I could. But the feeling was mutual. I did not want to be near the sewers, no sir.


    "Hey, over here!" I heard a shout, but it was barely like a whisper. I recognized it.


    "Guys." I signaled the three of them and they followed me while I followed the sound.


    They didn''t question me and just followed my lead. I guess they trusted me more than I thought. Why so, I didn''t understand.


    Before long we were above an alleyway and we jumped down. It was dark. The pursuers stopped right before the alleyway and looked around. They couldn''t find us and went ahead. I guess these pursuers weren''t really the best this country had to offer, after all.


    Or maybe I was just too used to experiencing scenes like this in the movies.


    Relieved, I caught my breath.


    A brat popped out of nowhere. "Hi, lady." He lifted his hand like the little kid he was. He hugged me tightly. For a second I was spooked. "I love you so much! Thank you for saving me, and my sister." He was very excited but didn''t make too much sound.


    I didn''t feel any malice or lust in his approach so I refrained from hitting him. After all, his face was pressing against my very sensitive spots.


    "This kid¡­" Dick grinded his teeth. "You lucky¡­you." He held back his curses. This might have been a record for him.


    I got straight to the point. "Anyway, thank you kid. Do you know a way out of the village without being seen?" I didn''t know why but I got the feeling his kid knew his way around. And given the fact, I busted my ass trying to save him, I could at least demand this much.


    "The name''s Bene. Nice to meet ya. And yeah, I can lead ya there. But I''d be needing a kiss." He puffed his chest and presented himself. Even for a kid, he was bold. Hard to imagine this kid was being bullied just a few hours ago. Also, his dialect seemed awfully like the old man''s. Maybe the old man was from a village like this too?


    "The guts of the kid. Let''s strangle him!" Dick made a fist and finally snapped. This was probably his limit.


    But it was kind of commendable he could hold on for this long.


    I almost chuckled. I didn''t know why but this felt awfully comedic for me.


    But I still tried to mediate things. "Don''t worry. He''s not as evil as he looks to be." Of course, I was talking about Dick. "Anyway, my name''s Daarc. Nice to meet you too. Now lead the way." We didn''t have time to waste.


    "Daarc? Is that a foreign name? I''ve never heard of it¡­" He pondered for a minute. I didn''t know how to respond. "Anyway, first comes payment. A kiss!"


    "Hey don''t be greedy. We saved your life!" Dick was prepared to punch this kid at a moment''s notice, so Servesta had to hold him back.


    I ignored Dick. Bene was a kid and how much harm could a kiss do? "Sure."


    I kissed his forehead and his face instantly turned red, flushed as it gets.


    "Thi-thi-this way." He was breathing hard and shaking. I guess he wasn''t expecting me to actually kiss him.


    "Are kids supposed to be like that?" I asked aloud.


    Dick puffed his chest and declared his superiority. "You''ve seen nothing. When I was young I used to do this for a warm-up." Was this supposed to impress me?


    I''m not even gonna imagine what you did afterward.


    "Let''s hope he doesn''t end up being like you." Lianne eyeballed Dick and just went on ahead.


    Yeah, me too.


    ***


    The kid led us through the alleyway. There were guards running around. But they didn''t see us. This kid was good.


    We were almost caught seven times and it took a lot longer than I thought. But I was glad I didn''t have to walk through the sewers. Really, really glad I didn''t have to go through that experience.


    And before long we got out of the village unseen.


    "Whoa! That was close." Dick sat on his behind on the solid ground.


    I had my hands on my knees. Who knew this whole thing would be so endearing. "Yeah. Very."


    "Alright, lady. Goodbye¡­" Bene played with his toes looking down.


    I guess this was far enough.


    "But first. What did your father do? The dragon was telling me he attacked him or something¡­"I was actually wondering it for a long while now. How or why would someone willingly attack a frigging dragon, in the first place?


    "That''s a lie!" He shouted but then calmed down again. "The dragon killed our goat. It was hunting¡­ but then it ate my favorite cow. I loved it. My father loved it too. He was an expert hunter himself ya know. He fired off arrows to scare off the dragon but we didn''t know it was that ferocious¡­" His eyes glittered.


    Scare off a dragon, huh?


    I wanted to chuckle at their stupidity but after seeing the kid''s face, I refrained from it.


    "Both of you were pretty brave. But next time, think more about what''ll happen to your family if you die fighting things like that." I got on my knees and patted his head.


    Tears streamed from his eyes and fell on the floor. I couldn''t bring myself to belittle his father. He might have done something stupid and others had to pay for it, but the kid didn''t do anything wrong. After all, kids couldn''t pick their parents.


    He hugged me again.


    "It''s okay." I hugged him back.


    The others didn''t say anything.


    "But how did you talk with it?" He wiped his tears. Snorts oozed through his nose. It was kind of disgusting but I tried my best to maintain my composure.


    "Well let''s just say it was magic."


    "Whoa! Magic!" He looked too energetic. Lianne patted my shoulder, signaling me it was time. Even the kid understood. "Goodbye, lady."


    "Take care of your sister. Bye¡­" It was short but I kind of liked the kid.. We were kind of similar as both of us lost our fathers at a young age.

 Chapter 181 - The Color Deepens

    Everything was settled and we left. The night was long and I felt sluggish.


    "You were almost like a mother. Honestly, you remind me of my own mother. You even look like her." Lianne''s eyes were lit up. I had a feeling she was about to say ''maybe you are her'' or something like that. I was glad she didn''t.


    I sighed. I might have ended up ruining my own image.


    It seems this thing does change one''s mindset after all.


    Or maybe I''d just gone a bit too soft.


    Dick was awfully quiet. He was more of a girl than actual girls: the way he pouted and all. Maybe he was just acting cool back inside the cell, and this was his real self? I couldn''t really tell.


    "We should walk some more and camp near the woods," Lianne suggested.


    "Near the undead?"


    "The undead would keep the soldiers and monsters away. And the fire would keep the undead away. I think it''d be for the best."


    I sighed and agreed. I didn''t have any means to decline her offer anyway.


    ***


    The moment we got near to the probable camp site, miasma drifted in my nose. "I''ll never get used to this damn smell."


    Lianne surveyed our surroundings. "It''s proof that we''re still alive. Anyway, I''ll keep the first watch. So the rest of you, catch some sleep."


    "Sorry about that."


    I''m still relying on her too much, huh?


    "No need to worry."


    I lied down. Dick and Servesta seemed a bit too quiet. Servesta I could understand, but Dick too?


    "Anything wrong?"


    Dick looked at me, then the sky and then at me again. He made the motions of saying something but no sound came out. He sighed and finally talked. "How did you not lose your mind back then?"


    Oh so, that''s what''s bothering him.


    Only the wood in the fire made sounds. It was as though the world was quiet tonight. The low groans in the distance didn''t bother me as much. Was I getting accustomed to this or something?


    "I met the god you know. The one this thing was from. I fought them and almost died. A friend of mine died protecting me¡­" I didn''t want to remember it but my mind never really let me forget. "And because of her sacrifice I won. I won and¡­ got this." I couldn''t really look up.


    "Brenda?"


    "Oh you remember." I chuckled. "I don''t usually talk in my sleep."


    "That still doesn''t explain why you didn''t lose your mind."


    "Are you telling me it would have been better if I had?" I made a smug face and laughed. "I don''t really know. I really hated that damn thing but honestly it was the reason I survived. We survived. It was also the reason my friend died. I don''t really know what to feel and what to think."


    Should I even use this power?


    I really didn''t know what to do anymore. I had power but I also had responsibilities. And I hated the creator of this power. But one thing really struck me odd. Okay, maybe more than one thing. But I never got the chance to ask about them.


    "Looks like you have your own problems. But you really are the protagonist huh?" He sighed again and looked at the stars. I looked at him with questioning eyes. "You even met a god already. I haven''t even met all of the monarchs yet let alone gods. And you even survived them." Was this guy really serious?


    I chuckled. I couldn''t believe what this guy was saying. Did he really not know about the gods?


    "Trust me, you already met one."


    "Religious I see. Anyway, good night." Dick chuckled.


    I smiled. It was better that he didn''t know about the gods. I wanted to spare him of the drama.


    ***


    I went closer to where Lianne was.


    "Can''t sleep?"


    "Well, been thinking about some things."


    "I''ll be happy to listen." She smiled faintly.


    The other guys were probably asleep so I could talk to her frankly. Though at this point, my trust in her began to waver a lot. I guess trusting the elves weren''t really something I could manage after all.


    "That dragon called me an apostle. The apostle of Trerortra to be exact."


    I sat down and Lianne just surveyed the surroundings. The faint smell of rot kept my senses sharp. The distance red dots kept me on edge. But strangely I didn''t feel panicked in the least.


    "Yes, the king of the sea''s name did come up in your conversation."


    Though Lianne couldn''t understand the dragon I guess she could at least understand me.


    "That dragon also said I - my soul was turning into that snake''s, meaning like Trerortra''s. Not to mention, he even sniffed me." I chuckled.


    Lianne giggled. "I''ve heard that in ancient times gods chose mortals who had the potential to obtain divine powers and eventually become a god. Well, it''s just a legend anyway." She sat down right next to me. "Maybe you''re becoming one of them?"


    I was just avoiding this whole thing. Lianne was right and maybe I really was becoming something like them. After all, I housed a fragment of Sisrael who was a fragment of the strongest god Trerortra himself. So maybe this wasn''t implausible, but it sure didn''t mean I was accepting it openly.


    "But I said, it''s just a legend and no mortal has ever achieved godhood before, at least not to my knowledge. So don''t worry."  Lianne reassured me.


    I smiled. I didn''t know why but I was glad to have talked with her.  I yawned. "Better get some sleep."


    "Good night."


    "G''night." I moved towards the bed that I made myself.


    ***


    I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But all sorts of questions came flooding in.


    What are the gods? Why would that thing want me to live? And what did it mean that I was connected to them and turning?


    I had so many questions but not a single definite answer. Of course, Lianne''s legend did give me clues but I still had questions.


    And where the hell is that rabbit?


    Biteria was always hunting in the night. Honestly, at this point, I''d given up on her. She had a mind of her own and enough intelligence to outsmart Dick. So she''d probably be alright.. Well, probably.

 Chapter 182 - On To The Next Forest!! Wh-WHY!?

    We continued onwards through the forest, starting in the early morning. It smelled like hell and there were undead everywhere. It was in the middle of the day but the undead were still running around, playing hide and seek in the shadows.


    But when they came close to us, they were blown to pieces by Lianne. It was day and they were still coming for us, so I guess there weren''t any angels in this forest.


    Dick never really showcased any of his skills. Come to think of it, I never even saw him with anything more than a shield to begin with. He''d irritate me, so I didn''t bother to ask. I''d figured he would fight with something eventually. But the time never really came. The big guy however swung a large broadsword when needed. At least he was reliable.


    I was getting impatient. "How long will it take for us to reach the border?" I was the slowest in the group because of my injuries, so I wanted this to be over as quickly as possible.


    "I think about twelve days if we went through the capital," Lianne said.


    "What about if we didn''t go through the capital?"


    "About the same time¡­" She didn''t even bat an eye at me.


    And here I was, huffing like a patient with asthma.


    If it took the same time then maybe it would have been nice to visit the capital. The armor I had, had way too many holes and cracks. Plus it didn''t even fit in my current body. And I most certainly couldn''t fight in these clothes. Though the clothes themselves were still pretty tidy despite the gruesome surroundings. Maybe these have some sort of protective layer? "I need to buy some armor too. Maybe it''d be better to travel to the capital¡­ But are you sure I can''t take off this thing yet?" I was beginning to doubt her intentions. No matter when I said, I wanted to take the bangle off, the answer was always no.


    "You really want to get executed that badly?"


    "Never mind." I was still out of my breath. So walking took a lot of effort.


    The way Lianne and Dick giggled at each other made me doubt them even more though.


    "So how long would the capital take then?" I changed the subject to get the idea of me dying out of exhaustion out of my head.


    "Five days?" Lianne herself wasn''t so sure.


    "Was that an answer or a question?" Was she deliberately trying to confuse me? If so, it was definitely working.


    Five more friggin days!?


    "I actually don''t know. You see, the town moves around a bit. So it might take five or even seven days depending on the time of year." Lianne stopped and thought for a second.


    "Moves around? As in a city moves around?" At this point, nothing really surprised me that much.


    I stopped too. I really needed a bit of air.


    "You''ll see when we get there."


    ***


    Walking through forests or fields of grass wasn''t easy. My body was mostly healed. All my wounds had closed up. But the fatigue and weakness remained. Walking around all day was cumbersome in its own right. And when everyone in the group was clearly a lot faster than me, just keeping up with them, demanded a lot more than I could offer.


    "What the hell is wrong with this world?" I huffed and puffed in front of the fire. The day had eventually come to an end.


    We were out of the forest by the afternoon and made significant progress.


    Insects chirped in the background. The stars poked from the heavens. There wasn''t a forest nearby so I didn''t really feel all that on edge. But the cold was too cold.


    "I wonder that sometimes too," Dick said. He munched onto his skewered meat and ate a bite. "But it''s not that bad. I mean there are no pollution, no civil unrest, no terrorism and stuff like that."


    "You haven''t seen anything yet¡­" I mumbled. My voice shook as I shivered with the cold. Even under a blanket, things weren''t looking too hot for me. "But at least our world doesn''t have goblins."


    On the other hand, Servesta was shirtless. The guy didn''t even flinch in this epic cold. According to him, this didn''t even get close to the place he was from. If this wasn''t cold enough for him and he had to stay shirtless, I wondered what kind of life the guy actually had. Actually, cross that, I did not dare wonder.


    Lianne wasn''t as bold but she was now enjoying the evening breeze atop a tree.


    Seriously, what the heck is wrong with the world?


    "But I have to say, I do miss the games and the shows." Dick sighed. "And maybe a little bit of my family."


    I actually hadn''t expected him to say that kind of stuff. I never took him as a family guy anyway.


    "What was that!" It was as if I saw something in the distant grass. But as I looked carefully, I saw nothing, not even the grass moved.


    "Nothing." Lianne looked around but according to her, there wasn''t any danger nearby.


    Biteria poked out and sat on my shoulders. Lately, she never made much fuss. And whenever I thought that she proved me wrong. The moment I tried to pat her, she jumped off and leaped onto Dick.


    This won''t end well¡­.


    Dick screamed as Biteria devoured his food right in front of him. "No! NO! NO! My meat!" He whined like a little kid. I chuckled and he glared. "What the hell is wrong with this thing? Can''t we just roast this thing and eat it?" He held Biteria in his hand and glared at me.


    Bad idea.


    "I don''t think you want to do that." I pointed at Biteria.


    A second later Dick screamed again. This time out of pain. Half of Dick''s hand was now inside Biteria. And now that Biteria had grown teeth, I couldn''t even begin to wonder, what kind of trauma the guy was going through.


    Suddenly a demonic sound echoed throughout the empty fields. Lianne jumped from above the tree and looked around, with her bow drawn. I placed a hand on my knife as well. The sound was close and it really surprised me. When I actually saw the origin, I was more than just thunderstruck. It came from Servesta. The guy was actually laughing. Seeing us like that, he stopped though. I wanted to apologize but Dick''s dancing made me laugh instead. Even Lianne laughed. Seeing so Servesta laughed again.


    ***


    The next morning we packed things up and were back on the road. "Do we really have to walk like this for four more days?"


    "Actually, we would have bought horses if something like that didn''t happen yesterday," Lianne said, giving me a cold glare.


    It''s not like it''s my fault!


    Okay, maybe it was partially my fault. But I sure wasn''t going to apologize for it. "I suppose that does make sense. Is there any villages nearby?"


    "There are some but reaching them would¡­" She thought something for a moment. "I think it would be best to travel by foot. We have to cross one more forest on the way. And it''s very large."


    "More forests, yay!" My voice didn''t show enthusiasm. I hated forests and rightfully so.


    I sighed and looked at the sky with tearful eyes. Why was my fate so full of forests? That was the one question I really wanted to ask someone but it was so stupid that I never asked.


    "Rumor has it that this forest has a millennia-old undead in it." Lianne glanced back. She seemed almost like a normal girl. A very frightening normal girl.


    I gulped. "And there''s no way around it?"


    "It''ll take two extra weeks to go around it."


    "I think It''d be better to take the detour rather than going in that forest." Not going near forests was my top priority.


    "Are you sure? Cause then we''d be in the snowy mountains, walking through the snow. And since it''s almost winter, you know what that means right? White everywhere. Your feet will drown. Your bones will shiver and you won''t be able to feel your feet. Maybe you''ll even lose your remaining limbs." Lianne giggled. Never knew someone could be so frightening. "Besides, no one has actually seen the undead." She was talking almost as though she wanted to see that undead.


    "Snow! Did someone say snow! I wanna go!" Dick yelled in the background but we ignored him, as always.


    "You mean no one lived to tell the tale."


    Lianne giggled. "I knew you''d understand."


    I knew how things like this went. I had no intention of taking any part in it. "Why do I get the feeling that you''re enjoying this?"


    She grinned and walked straight. "Besides, I need to know if it''s true." She said it to herself but I heard it. Maybe she intended for me to hear it. I didn''t press her. I knew she wouldn''t tell me anyway.


    But one thing was for certain, she was doing this for some other reason. I just couldn''t pinpoint yet.


    "Alright lovebirds: you two done?" Dick was annoyed. Maybe all the ignoring finally made him snap.


    I gave him a satisfied glare and we were on our way.

 Chapter 183 - Was This Reunion Really Necessary?

    Three days passed since we left the village. On the way, we passed through fields, swamps, and even abandoned villages. Death really was everywhere.


    Spending nights in empty houses, while staring at the ceiling was a reminder, anything could happen in this world. Entire villages could be wiped out and people could die even in the cities. Nowhere was safe and nobody was exempt from it.


    This really is a cruel world.


    It was a sorry sight, and this world was cruel: but it was the truth. I should have known.


    As we marched through the lands, monsters obstructed our path here and there. They were too used to eating humans. So every time they saw us, they always came at us in packs. The monsters weren''t particularly strong and there weren''t too many undead. The only problem was the goblins. But occasionally something called wyverns attacked us.


    These wyverns were roughly the size of small cars and they could spit small fireballs. They were powerful but our op protagonist and master sniper took care of it all, on their own. My input was unnecessary.


    At this point, I did felt like extra baggage though.


    I did practice some magic though. Lianne taught me how to easily manipulate mana and for the most part it was good. My element was holy but I could create light and heal minor scratches too.


    Sadly my mana capacity was rather low and casting twice or thrice a day drained almost all of my strength. So I couldn''t use magic nonchalantly, at least not like Lianne could


    ***


    However, on the fourth day, something unexpected happened.


    "Is that a guy? Or a girl?" Dick spotted someone inside a swamp: it was midday and very sunny. The guy was stuck in the middle and half of him was not visible. He didn''t move and looked at us with extreme puppy dog eyes. Sadly he didn''t possess the charm to charm us.


    "I think I know the guy." I sighed. I really didn''t want to though.


    "Oh, that''s right. The guy from the guild!" Lianne remembered as well.


    "You know this guy?" Dick said.


    I knew the guy. It was the same cross-dresser we met back on our way to Moire. His makeup was unforgettable, and so was that lap incident. Just how could I forget?


    They had helped us for a price. "He saved us back when we first encountered the demons. That reminds me there were a few who gave me too much trouble. I think one''s name was Brathuj¡­" I could never forget that name. That demon imitated my sister''s face. Memories came flooding back in. "Know anything about it?"


    Dick scratched his chin and then raised his finger. "Oh yeah there was one named like that. You killed two of them right?"


    "Hmm?"


    Two of them? Meaning there were more?


    "I mean they are three of them or rather were. The eyes and mouth¡­ ah¡­" Dick couldn''t really say anything. He was clearly uncomfortable. I couldn''t blame him. After all, when I first saw the demon I felt like puking.


    So there''s one more. Looks like I still have a shot at knowing some things¡­


    Servesta still kept quiet. In fact, he had his eyes closed. I guess talking ill about demons didn''t sit well with him.


    "Umm excuse me¡­ if it isn''t too much trouble, could you please rescue me? I seem to sink more and more." The man or rather cross-dresser raised his hand from the swamp and he really was sinking. His voice was shaking a little too.


    "Do we have any way to save him?" I said. We weren''t obligated and I didn''t see any reasons other than humanitarian ones. But they had saved me before, and I guess that was as good a reason as any. "Let''s save him I guess."


    "Servesta if you will?" Dick grinned, proudly.


    Servesta sighed. "Alright." He held his hands above his head and began to chant something. I couldn''t follow. "Tangle!"


    A golden thread spiraled towards the cross-dresser and tied him. Now Servesta started pulling.


    However, it kind of struck me odd. "Can you make that thread invisible?" If he could then that would be like that half-demon.


    He looked at me with curiosity. "No. Only Lady Thamas could do that. But I believe you killed her."


    Servesta didn''t seem to harbor any ill feelings against me, so I didn''t say anything about it either. "I see."


    Her name was Thamas? Where did I hear that name before?


    I might have heard that name before but I couldn''t remember. The name did feel nostalgic. Was it possible that I was missing some of my memories? Because I''d always had this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. It was plausible but I didn''t have proof.


    The cross-dresser was pulled to the shore and he was covered in mud. The moment he came ashore, he lied down on the ground and huffed. Servesta undid the magic if it was magic, to begin with.


    "Handy, isn''t he?" Dick flung his arms around Servesta and flashed a smile. He wasn''t as tall as Servesta so his arms didn''t really reach all that well.


    "Yeah, but what was that?"


    "That was a special class magic. Thread binding: Tangle," Servesta reported.


    "Special class huh?"


    I remembered what the guy back in the magic shop had told me. This kind of magic wasn''t something anyone could just, learn on their own. I was definitely interested though.


    "Yeah. I can''t really use much magic but honestly, I would have loved to learn this one." Dick looked up in the sky and reminisced. I wanted to punch him.


    But I restrained myself. "What kind of magic can you use?" I had to know more about him. He was summoned to this world like me, so maybe I''d have to work with him in the future as well. So it was better to know- I justified my reasoning with this.


    "Can''t you tell?" Dick held his hand against his forehead and showcased his ring. It was almost like he had some kind of power ranger complex.


    "No?" I furrowed my brows.


    He sighed and resigned. Why was this guy so frustrating?


    "Umm excuse me? I''m terribly sorry but could you help?" The cross-dresser spoke in a very weird manner. His voice didn''t seem all that manly at all. It was in the middle of a man and woman''s voice. Just what the hell was he trying to pull?


    He was speaking normally when he was stuck, so why did he have to speak like this now?


    "Didn''t we help you already? What more could you want?" I sighed. He helped me in the past and I had just repaid him back with coin, or rather Lianne had. But I couldn''t just ignore him and let him die in a place like this. "There should be a pond around here somewhere. Get up and let''s go get cleaned." And after that, we''d just be on our way.


    A smile surfaced on the cross-dresser''s face. "Thank you I knew you wouldn''t let me down, lad!"


    "Huh, what?"


    "You''ve changed MY LOVELY DAARC but I know you. You are my lovely Daarc!" He rolled his tongue as he pronounced my name. It was weird, to say the least.


    "Say what! You recognize me!?"


    That caught me off guard.


    "But of course. How could I forget that lovely face?"


    But how? I''m a girl now¡­


    "We should talk later. We''ve got company." Servesta calmly explained the situation.


    We were surrounded by twenty or so goblins led by two hobgoblins.


    Not these things again.


    Dick came in front of us. "Would you guys mind if I took care of this one? I''m getting a little bored by the weaklings¡­"


    "You sure? They do have hobs." I was totally fine with letting him handle all this. But if I learned one thing in this world, it was that never underestimate goblins.


    He grinned.


    "Suit yourself." But I guess he could afford to do that. So I couldn''t complain.


    He brought out his shield and that was it. I never saw him with a weapon. All he did was well¡­


    "That''s three down!" Dick threw one rock and that went through three goblins, instantly killing them. That''s right he only threw one rock.


    "Wha-what the hell?" The cross-dresser couldn''t believe his eyes. When I first saw it two days ago, I couldn''t either.


    As he picked up stones and threw, a hobgoblin got behind him. I didn''t really care if he got smashed. Actually, I wanted him to get a little wrecked. But alas! He was too overpowered, damn it!


    Before the goblin could swing its club, Dick blocked it with his shield. This wasn''t the one he showed me in the cell: it wasn''t the mystic shield. This was just an ordinary small shield.


    How frigging overpowered is he?


    The more I saw him in a fight, the more I got pissed.


    The grin on Dick''s face never vanished. He was enjoying himself. "Hey, no one said you could get that close to me. No fair!" He kicked the monster''s stomach and a shockwave went through it, splashing blood everywhere.


    No fair huh? To whom?


    The hobgoblin fell on the ground, coughing up blood.  "Five to go!" Dick grinned harder. He was enjoying this a bit too much.


    This is the problem with MMO players. They get carried away way too quickly.


    "Do you mind wrapping this up? We''re getting a little late." I was definitely pissed. He could do all that with ease and he even had to show off.


    "No problem." He picked up five rocks and threw them at very high speeds, slaughtering the rest. "Perfect!" He held a victory sign towards me.


    ***


    "If you''re that strong why not use a sword along with the shield?" I asked.


    "I told you I''m strong, remember?"


    "I''m pretty sure I remember. And that''s why I don''t understand."


    He looked at me. Frustrated, he sighed. "It wouldn''t be fair to the monsters, would it? So I only use my sword when the opponent has some backbone. Like you perhaps." His eyes had a dangerous glint. His usual perverted glare didn''t seem to exist.


    "Seriously? Not fair for the monsters?"


    I shouldn''t let my guard down around him.


    He was really strong. He might have been modest about what he could do but he was definitely strong. When he said he was stronger than me, he probably meant it.


    But what if he turned? I''d dealt with similar things before. I trusted people too easily and paid the price for it over and over again. So I couldn''t repeat the past mistakes.


    A second later I reconsidered my thoughts. More like I was forced to.


    "So did you fall for me?" Dick flashed a brilliant smile.


    I didn''t reply and gave him a cold stare. Why the hell didn''t he just give up?

 Chapter 184 - The Forests Just Keep On Coming, Don’t They?

    "A pond!" The cross-dresser pointed and then jumped right into a pond only a few meters from us.


    I actually wasn''t paying attention. Something was on my mind. For the last couple of days, Lianne was acting a bit funny. It was almost as if she wanted to go to the forest. I really hoped that wasn''t the case though.


    "Be on a lookout for monsters underneath. Who knows what might lurk there." I amplified my voice with my hands, shaped like a cone. He didn''t really seem to care about what I said though.


    All of us stopped and waited for the cross-dresser to finish. The water was washing over his makeup and he did seem rather good-looking. But then there was the question. Why the hell did he bother cross-dressing?


    He seemed to enjoy his bath too. It wasn''t my style to watch people bathing, so I just kept on the lookout for monsters. But moments later, he stopped making sounds. I turned around and his pale face became even paler.


    "Something might be down there¡­" He voice was barely a whisper.


    The water was kind of black in color. So of course there was bound to be something underneath. And yet, this guy had the guts to jump in there without even surveying first.


    "I told you to be careful¡­" I sighed and just stood there. There wasn''t anything I could do about it now anyway.


    "My down there¡­" His face became even paler¡­ and then there was a scream¡­ "Yaough¡­. ANGHHH!" Half of it was moans though.


    ***


    "So this is the entrance." We were right in front of the so-called large forest. To no one''s surprise, it was large.


    The usual traits were present here too. Black forest, black trees, crawling undead bugs, and red dots in the distance. Everything was here. I really didn''t want to be near this place, and there was no doubt about it.


    "Why do you look so miserable, My Love?" The cross-dresser said something and it literally sent shivers down my spine the way he said it.


    Wasn''t the unholy smell coming from the forest enough? Now had to cope with this clown too?


    It was a good thing the breeze wasn''t against us.


    "Who you calling love, you damn geezer!?" Dick fumed. Why was he mad? If anything it would should have been me who was supposed to be mad.


    The cross-dresser wasn''t that old but the way he acted reminded me of the old man: but at least, the old man wasn''t a cross-dresser and had some decency.


    He cupped his face and pretended to be bashful. "Oh, my dear. You shouldn''t say things like that to a beautiful older sister like me¡­."


    Huh? Are my ears malfunctioning?


    Even Dick was shook. "What''s wrong with this picture?" To think that cross-dressing guy would proclaim himself to be Dick''s sister of all things. It was almost laughable.


    A lot, really.


    I sighed and carried on. "Anyway, what the hell were you doing here Geezer?"


    "It''s Jori. Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten my name. What a bad boy you are¡­." He made another bashful face. "I have something which I must deliver to the branch office of our guild in Tehram."


    "Tehram?"


    "That''s the capital''s name," Lianne chirped in.


    "Well that''s great and all, but we''re on a mission here and¨C" And I couldn''t just take him along.


    "And I''d like to tag along." The cross-dresser gave me a smile as he interrupted me. "I can even pay you if you want to." His grin had a lot of ill intentions. I got the impression he wasn''t talking about money.


    I sighed. "Fine and I don''t need your payment. As long as you don''t drag us down, its fine." Besides, I got the feeling he was strong. At least that''s what it seemed like last time.


    He nodded with satisfaction. "Now. Would you mind explaining, yourself? How did you, a wonderful body- I mean boy, turn into a girl?"


    You just said body, didn''t you?


    "I''m still a guy. Don''t worry about it. I''m only on a little disguise." Honestly, I couldn''t come up with a better excuse.


    "Oh?" He giggled suspiciously. He wasn''t convinced. If someone told me something similar I wouldn''t believe them either.


    "That reminds me, how did you know it was me?" It was odd. He knew it was me even though I was disguised as a girl. Strike that, at this point, I was a girl.


    "Womanly intuition?"


    "Give me a real answer please!" I clenched my teeth. I was already pissed for some reason.


    Jori crossed his arms and struck a pose. "Aura, my dear. I''m a half Alf. I can sense aura. Or in simpler terms, the color of one''s mana." For someone who was playing dumb even a second ago, he sure liked to spill the beans without even the slightest push.


    "Say what? But the Alves are supposed to be-"


    I''d read about it in a book. What was the name of the author again?


    Why the hell was I so bad with names?


    "Didn''t you hear what I said? I said half!"


    "Half?" Lianne mumbled.


    "Oh? Sounds rather nice. Think you could teach me?" It sounded like a cool ability anyway.


    "Nope! Trade secret," he winked. "Besides, I don''t think you can learn this. Unless you have Alven blood in you."


    Is that how you treat your savior?


    And I can pretty much use magic without any special blood though.


    But then again, it was probably because of Sisrael, so, oh well.


    Grinding my teeth I looked back at the forest. "Fine. It''s your secret so I shouldn''t intrude." I sighed, looked at Lianne. "It''s already afternoon. Are you sure we can go in now?"


    "Of course. We''d be spending one night inside either way." Lianne reassured me. I didn''t want insurance: not one bit.


    "A Night in the forest? Ha ha hahhahal¡­.." I laughed hysterically. It reminded me of all sorts of traumas. I''d seen so much in forests that I didn''t want to get near them let alone spend a night.


    "She didn''t break did she?" Dick poked my arm and looked at Lianne. Apparently, his target was me but he was asking Lianne.


    "Unfortunately, not yet. And it''s he, not she!" I slapped his hand.


    I was sane, probably.


    Dick and the others laughed.


    But then Dick came close. "About her, I think she''s broken too," He whispered. I guess he was referring to the fact that Lianne wanted to spend a night inside the forest.


    Honestly just what was wrong with the elf? She wasn''t like this before, was she?


    I wasn''t so sure anymore.


    I didn''t reply and Dick didn''t wait for one either.


    ***


    And so we went into the forest. The smell wasn''t as bad as the other forests, but it was still there. We had to cover our faces with cloth and watch our surroundings. Undead roamed but they didn''t see us. If they didn''t, then that meant there was a possibility. A possibility that an angel was here. Just how many angels were out there anyway?


    Or perhaps something else was here. Something like that undead Lianne had mentioned. I really hoped it was the former though.


    I kept my eyes open. The black ground and the overly convoluted tree branches only raised my tension further up. Even in this cold weather, I sweated buckets. The air was rancid and horrible but I was still out of breath and breathing heavily. My gag reflexes were tingling more than necessary.


    And then all of a sudden a rouge centipede came crawling in my direction. Of course, it was an undead version. I shrieked without a second thought.


    "Are you okay?" Jori said, squishing the damn thing with his feet.


    I''d honestly forgotten his name. It was more like I wanted to forget his entire existence, I failed.


    But I sure was glad right now, that he was here.


    I changed the subject. "I''m okay. But how would we spend a night in a place like this? Find an open field in the forest?" danger was crawling at every corner and it was too dense to set up a camp. And more importantly, I didn''t want to be here.


    "Are there even places like that?" Dick asked.


    "Oh, I assure you, there are¡­." I glared at him, grabbing onto his shoulder.


    "I-I believe you." Case conceded.


    I was clearly shaken. The very thought of spending a night in a forest was as gruesome as it got.


    "Yeah let''s find open places. There should be an old graveyard in the middle of the forest. We could sleep there." Lianne''s reassurance didn''t help one bit to that extent.


    Wouldn''t that be like sleeping for an eternity?


    "Are you sure she''s okay?" Dick whispered.


    "Trust me, I''m thinking the same." I''d been thinking that ever since she first brought up the forest in the first place.


    Actually, maybe that thought crossed my mind from the very first time I''d met her.


    Was this elf really sane?


    Lianne glanced back, with a bloodthirsty look. "You two, let''s not fall behind." But her smile didn''t waver. As I thought, this woman was definitely scary. I knew it from the moment I saw her slice up the deer back on the mountain.


    Lianne scary.


    Lianne very scary.

 Chapter 185 - Encounter: A Sentient Skeleton

    As time went by, darkness crept in. along with it came intense throbbing of the heart.  We couldn''t find a safe place to rest. We had torches in our hands but, it wasn''t enough in a forest where undead were everywhere.


    So far, everything was as it should have been. There were undead but nothing was special about them. Some had flesh, some didn''t. Some had armor, some didn''t. That was basically it.


    And yet¡­ I couldn''t help but feel a little spooked. It wasn''t like this was my first time in a forest like this, so why? Why was I having such an ominous feeling about this?


    If we could find a small area then maybe¡­ what about an angel?


    "Hey, Jori, you said you could sense aura right? Think you can sense it from long distances?" I said.


    We were in a fairly open area. Trees were far spaced and there wasn''t any grass. But that also meant there were plenty of undead beauties just waiting to attack us.


    "Yes, I think I can manage about fifty times your length." His signs referred to fifty times my height.


    "Fair enough. Why don''t you give it a try?"


    Upon my signal, everyone stopped.


    "And what am I supposed to look for?"


    "Holy aura."


    He smirked. Maybe he thought I was just joking. But I didn''t see him rebuking me either. "Fine. I''ll give it a shot."


    He held both of his hands above his head and focused. I saw faint traces of mana enveloping his head.


    Can it be? Is he imbuing his mind! Is that even possible?


    It didn''t matter whether it was possible or not. But one thing was for certain, I had to find out more about this power. And maybe then I''d be able to use imbuition on my body freely too.


    And I guess the answers lied with the Alves.


    He opened his eyes and they glowed in a purple light. I could hear his breaths. "Scope!" and with a sudden outburst, the pale light dispersed evenly around us. "I don''t think I found anything." I''d say it went as far as a hundred meters. Not that effective for the time and effort he just wasted.


    The way the light dispersed and made a return, it almost functioned like sonar but how was it possible with light instead?


    With that little range, I didn''t have too much hope. But it wasn''t totally useless either. "Anyway, let''s keep moving a little. Maybe we''ll be lucky enough to find a good place on the way."


    "Hmm?" Servesta looked around. He had sweat over his forehead. The fire in his hands displayed it perfectly.  "Something''s there." He pointed.


    Jori used his magic again and turned to me, face paler than paper. "Som-Something''s there." His teeth clattered. If I recalled correctly this guy was a fine swordsman from the guild and yet he was shaking. Even Servesta sweated. I had to take this seriously.


    "Yes we already established that much. We should take the opposite path and secure our exit. If we can avoid it, then there''s no need to fight," Dick for the first time ever thought things rationally.


    "I think we should fight it," Lianne whispered. Her eyes flashed before mine. They were crimson and darker than usual. "I have to know."


    I gulped. I finally knew why she brought me to this forest. She had her own goals.


    So much for being a tour guide.


    She was just using us, using me. I smirked. It seemed elves really couldn''t be trusted.


    "Besides, don''t you want to know how to use a bow? I promised you last time remember?" She winked.


    What?


    Her usual smile was back on. She didn''t seem the least concerned. Maybe she had a plan?


    Honestly, I didn''t understand this elf.


    "I don''t know what you are gossiping about but, would you mind if I tried some things. I''ve been sitting around doing nothing lately, that I might have gotten a little rusty." Dick punched his chest. "All in favor of fighting raise your hands¡­"


    Weren''t you the one who said we should run?


    And what was he, a kid?


    I raised mine. I knew there wouldn''t be a way to persuade these two morons. Both of them had their own goals. One wanted to show off while the other wanted something which I didn''t know. Retreat was not an option. After all, the monster was already here, coming through the darkness.


    Servest and Jori just grinned nervously as we waited for the monster to show up right before us.


    "I''m gonna be blunt. I''ve seen worse," I said.


    The monster in front of us was nothing but skeletons. However, it wore a robe. This robe was rather fancy and there was not a single scratch or even stain on it. It looked almost brand-new. The embroidery was ominous and I couldn''t help but take this seriously. The monster itself was no different. It was definitely an undead but something about it felt odd. Unlike typical undead it didn''t attack us right away, rather it was locked in a staring contest with us. But no matter how I looked at it, apart from its calm demeanor nothing seemed out of place.


    "Would it be alright if I tried to talk to it?" Lianne pulled on my sleeve.


    Huh? Talk to an undead?


    I''d talked to monsters before. But undead were different. That Siren from the island talked to me only after it was purified. But before that, it didn''t have free will.


    "Can I at least ask about the reason?" I still thought Lianne might have a reason.


    I guess she did have one. "I told you about a grand mage-" She sighed and glared seriously. "I''ve been searching for him for my entire life. Back then, I was searching too and that''s when I saw you getting almost killed by the goblins. I used-"


    Basically, she used my name to get out of her group and keep on searching. But as a result, I got to live.


    Fate really was weird.


    I had a lot of mixed feelings on the matter. But for the time being, I just focused on the part that I got to live because she saved me. The part that she tricked me and used me still bothered me though. "Roger. Leave it to me." I knew what she wanted to do. But I didn''t just agree on her sake either. I had my own reasons. If it was someone important who could tell me more about my being in this world then it was an option I couldn''t skip.


    She looked at me with bewildered eyes. A smile ran down her face. "Thanks."


    Lianne walked to the front.


    "Are you sure about this," Dick whispered.


    "If things look bad cover with a rock or something and tell the big guy to cast his magic as well. Only if things go bad that is," I whispered back.


    "Gotcha."


    "I am Lianne Renaine, a princess of the Renaine lineage. I wish to talk to you, Grand mage Borosia."


    The expression of the monster didn''t change. It looked at us with its cold crimson eyes. But its gaze was more focused on me than Lianne. I had something like a holy sword of sorts so probably that was the cause, it could have been my holy attribute too, or maybe the dead couldn''t understand the living? I tried to give it a shot. "You there. We want to talk to you. Got time?"


    My gift with language allowed me to converse with things people could never dream of talking to.


    I got stares from around me. Maybe my companions didn''t like my cool approach. I thought it was cool though. I was already freezing so¡­.


    A grin surfaced on its face. There weren''t any teeth attached so it didn''t look as pleasing as in the horror movies. It was definitely scarier.


    It looked at me with intent and broke into laughter. The laugh was more ominous than even Servesta''s. The skeleton monster brought out a black stick from its robe and leveled it at me. It''s or rather his eyes seemed to say, ''If you want to talk show me what you''ve got.''


    I got the feeling this undead actually was sentient. And the mere fact that he was a grand mage, gave me all the more reason to get my answers.


    And from what I could understand he was quite old, meaning the possibility of him knowing certain things was definitely not dismissible.


    I smiled. "Lianne, get back." My grin widened. "You guys, stay out of this." Biteria jumped out of my shoulder to Lianne and stayed.


    Looks like my rabbit understands me.


    "Now who''s showing off?" Dick mumbled.


    I ignored him.


    He was right. Perhaps this was just a showoff.


    The monster in front of me didn''t have bloodlust. And it was said to be a grandmage. Of course, I wouldn''t have wanted to fight like this if this guy wasn''t this sane. He was clearly dead but he could comprehend my words and he showed intelligence. Meaning if he knew about the things I wanted to know, this was my only shot.


    I didn''t know how much he knew but I was willing to take this risk.. Besides, I had companions who''d have my back if something goes wrong anyway.

 Chapter 186 - Show Off

    A shame I only had one hand but I unsheathed my sword and imbued it with holy magic. I held my sword tight. If I''d brought out my other sword, the mystic blade then it would have been like announcing I''m a potential food for the hungry gods, so I couldn''t do that.


    The skeleton carefully observed me. It wasn''t attacking and it wasn''t really doing anything funny either. It was almost as though it was waiting for me to attack.


    I ran to the skeleton. These past few days I tested my body. Most of my skills were intact and this body had the same agility and stamina I possessed before, maybe a little less. I did lack some strength but it was made up with speed. I really missed my arm though.


    My sword clashed with his stick. Up close it seemed more like a cane than a stick. Hard to imagine it wasn''t being cut even after a direct hit. He merely shrugged me off.


    I jumped back, fixed my footing, and focused. I enclosed my clothes with magic too. They were now durable and light at the same time. My skills with magic had improved dramatically after the battle in the amphitheater. And with Lianne''s help I could use mana more efficiently, so this was the perfect opportunity to try things out.


    But then again, I certainly didn''t like fighting in a dress. I couldn''t even begin to wonder how girls fought in these things.


    I need to try something different. Casting a spell would take too much time. How about¡­?


    I focused and made small balls of light. I poured mana into the little holy balls- the size of baseballs. They had considerably less power but were easy to create and manipulate.


    If the previous big one was Starfall, this one would be a shooting star.


    The names never really made sense though. Why the hell was I naming things mid-battle anyway?


    I launched the spells and followed up by charging. He looked at me with red gleaming eyes and chanted silently. A massive bolt of electricity descended from the heavens in an instant. It was so fast that I barely managed to dodge in time. My holy balls missed their mark.


    This guy was good. And I had underestimated him a lot. Maybe him just being a skeleton made me overconfident. I''d fought various kinds of undead before and skeleton ones were the easiest to kill or break. As a general rule, the more meat an undead had, the stronger it was. However, that rule came crumbling down the moment I tried to attack this guy.


    But he wasn''t trying to kill me and that was clear. If he was, I''d have more than enough scratches on me. "Well I have to give it to you, you''ve definitely piqued my interest," I said. It was weird how I tried to talk to a monster. But I couldn''t afford to play around either.


    I went in full force and totally serious.


    He kept on grinning and casting thunder, trying to electrocute me. I moved fast and closed the distance between us. Meanwhile, I focused some mana behind him. It''d be a pincer attack- or so I thought.


    He blocked my sword with his cane and the holy ball behind him with just an arm. He glowed in a yellow glow. He was undamaged. I guess I wasn''t the only one who could use imbuition directly on body. And since he was already dead, it was easier for him: no risks.  I was taken aback by his strength. But now I was close enough.


    I grinned and focused on my remaining mana. Since he was too close to me, he wouldn''t have been able to completely block my magic. I''d have to take a hit too. My holy ball- the size of a watermelon- was complete and so was his thunder spear, which he''d raised over my head.


    This whole thing went faster than I thought.


    I''d been electrocuted before. Back when I was a kid I accidentally blew up the capacitors of the living room. Project ''blow a light'' blew big time.


    But my grin didn''t disappear. After all, when you try to hurt someone, you should be prepared to get hurt yourself.


    "That''s about enough I suppose." The electric sphere above my head disappeared.


    The voice was new and something about it struck profound. It came from the mouth of the skeleton. But there were no tongue and his mouth didn''t move, so he was probably using magic to talk. But the voice betrayed his appearance. His voice was almost like an elf''s if not calmer.


    I moved back and dispelled my spell as well but kept my guard up. My imbuition was about to run out too. Meaning I''d used more mana than I should have.


    And I felt awfully tired too.


    "Finally! A worthy human." It was almost as though the skeleton guy was relieved.


    Worthy human?


    "I''d assume you''re willing to talk?"


    "Yes, but first." He came very close to me and almost touched my cheeks: he was fast, very fast even. I backstopped by instinct. He didn''t seem to mind. "You look just like her," he mumbled. I ignored it. I didn''t have the time or patience to dive into that.


    I guess he knew the empress?


    A second later he looked at Lianne. "I do not wish to converse whilst that vermin''s spawn is here." The voice was coerced and low-pitched. His eyes had pure hate. He wasn''t alive but I could sense hate that surpassed my own for the elves.


    "Calm down buddy. We''re in the same boat. You got betrayed too, huh?" What was the best way to bond? Have a common enemy, of course.


    It was obvious. He didn''t seem like a bad guy to me. After what I''d been through with the elves, it was clear how things could have played out in the past. But I sure wasn''t trusting an undead anytime soon either.


    "Y-Yes. How''d you know?" The way he stuttered was actually comical. The guy was already dead and yet he was flustered?


    "Didn''t I say we''re in the same boat?"


    "Then why are you traveling with this thing?" He sure didn''t seem convinced.


    Dick, Servesta, and Jori looked with curiosity.  Apparently only I could understand him, perfect.


    "Umm Daarc can you understand him? Would you mind translating for me?" Lianne said, tugging at my sleeves.


    I sighed.


    Things just got more and more convoluted by the minute.

 Chapter 187 - Conquest For Immortality

    "I know how you feel man, but why don''t we talk it over? I mean you''ve already suffered enough. I''m not gonna tell you to forget your grudge just-"


    "You want to talk this through? Judging from your composure and conduct you''ve been betrayed by them too. But I don''t get why you''re traveling with an elf¡­"


    The skeleton monster was definitely calm and surprisingly polite. But his animosity was apparent when he looked at Lianne. I tried my best to calm him down. But now it was all up to him.


    I might have been a genius at pissing everyone the hell off. But when it came to calming down people, I was a total amateur. And I learned it the hard way these last couple of months. I still couldn''t do anything about it though.


    "I''m trying to get out of this place but to do that, I need her help. That''s why she''s here. Now then, I''m Daarc. It''s a pleasure to meet you." Even now I was uncomfortable and skeptical about talking with monsters. Talking to gods or angels was one thing but it was not the same for the undead. I once tried my luck talking with goblins but they weren''t willing to talk. They could only spout one or two words at best. And then there was the thing about them trying to eat me and all that.


    "Very well. I am Boriosa Decklekov, the mage of six clouds. I was called a grand mage during my time. It is also a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The guy was polite, too polite.


    Was he really an undead? Was I dreaming or something?


    "Umm Daarc?" Lianne inquired.


    I shushed her immediately. I didn''t want her to complicate things. I actually didn''t have the opportunity to explain things to everyone.  "I''ll explain later," I whispered.


    "Okay." She was a bit down but she didn''t say anything other than that.


    "First I''d like to know how you can talk. And what are the undead? I mean all this time they only attacked me." These were on the top floor of my mind. They were bugging me from the moment I came to this world.


    "Trust me even now I feel the unyielding urge to drink your blood. But you can rest easy. Over the last two thousand years, I''ve come to control this urge. And even I don''t know much about the undead. But one thing is for sure. We crave human flesh. I can smell your flesh. I want to eat it." But raised his hands towards me and I quickly put a hand on my knife. "But as I said, I can resist. Some of us have consciousness like me and we can control our emotions to some extent but not all."


    How frigging old are you?


    But he did answer some of my questions.


    So there are more like you¡­.


    Although that wasn''t much I still learned a lot of things. So I tried pushing my luck. "Alright then. Why don''t you explain why you''re angry at them and we''ll start from there." I looked at the guys. "I want all of you to stay as quiet as possible, "I whispered.


    The guy thought for a while as if hesitating to tell me. But in the end, he sighed and started. "During my time I was regarded as the most knowledgeable mage alive but that was not always the case. I am a half-elf or rather was. But before my fame, I was treated as a nobody and worse than even humans. People never liked half breeds, especially half-elves. Elves always considered themselves superior to others. Hence, when one of them mixed with inferior races, they were treated even worse. So I devoted my life in the studies of magic and spirit wielding."


    "Spirit wielding?" I asked. It was a new term. I''d never heard of such a thing.


    "It is a special form of a technique similar to normal magic that enables one to harness a spirit''s power and cast a spell. The user acts as a medium and thus does not lose any mana. I tried this method to see if humans were capable of learning magic or not.


    "But before I could finish my research I had invented a lot of everyday magic that improved the qualities of life dramatically. I invented artifacts that worked even without magic. Just a little mana would let you control them. I made it so that even normal humans would be able to use them. Before long, my fame surpassed my knowledge. People respected me and doted on me. My long-suffering of one century finally came to an end. I was summoned to the royal palace." He looked at the ground.


    Even without an actual face, it showed. He was sad.


    So you were the one who invented all those artifacts.


    Back at Moire I remember seeing such artifacts in action. And if those things were mere by-products, then just how much of a genius was this guy?


    "And then?"


    "I hate to bring this out but we''re surrounded by undead," Dick whispered. I gave him a nod and he grinned. He was powerful enough to handle trivial stuff on his own.


    Boriosa continued. "Afterwards the king of Alfeime, ordered me to make an elixir which would make him and his children immortal."


    "OOhaha!" Dick was screaming in the background, throwing rocks and stuff. I wished he could be a bit quieter.


    I sighed. "I can see where this is going."


    "Elves have long lives. If we are lucky we can live close to five hundred years. But what he demanded was the impossible. I tried my best to convince him but he didn''t listen. And if I had declined then he''d chase me and my family away from Alfeim. That wouldn''t have been a problem for me, but for my family, that was telling them to commit suicide. I had no choice but to accept."


    "Everyone''s so infatuated with living on forever. What the hell is wrong with these damn people! Can''t they face reality!" I was triggered for various reasons.


    Living forever? Was it really what people wanted? It certainly wasn''t something I wanted in this world, no sir!


    "Daarc." Lianne tried to say something but didn''t finish. Apparently, she could understand me but not Boriosa. So she might not have been able to follow the conversation in the slightest. But she was still listening rather attentively.


    "Elixirs were said to have been made with the help of God. But I never heard of people successfully making them, ever. So, I traveled alone, searching for an answer. In time I''d traveled all across the world and found many comrades. Many of them fell, many suffered and after an eternity of despair I found it."


    My eyes opened wide. I was absorbed in his story too much. Though often my concentration was breaking down thanks to Dick''s screams and cries of excitement.


    "I found the divinity gemstone of Trerortra. The god of light, the strongest of all the gods was said to have the greatest and purest of mana. If I could have that I could make an elixir- I thought that the entire time. But when I did found it, I was lost. Not only was this mana cursed, but it also made me almost go insane. And then there was the fact about how I''d actually make it. After all, I didn''t actually have a recipe. When I returned home I learned that people had started calling me the mage of six clouds. I found the name a little jarring but it kind of resonated with me.


    "For the next thirty years I crawled into a lab and after countless experiments made an elixir. The elixir was too potent and even a single drop would be enough to extend someone''s life by a few decades. It was a major success and my name became even more famous and I was known as the grandmage of the millennia. But consuming the whole thing was not possible as it would certainly make one mad. I was so infatuated with the results that I forgot to resolve one fatal issue of the elixir. I forgot to account for God sickness, a sickness that ruins the mind when taken in excessive quantities."


    This god sickness was probably something that made people go crazy when they came into god''s mana. I knew firsthand as I used a god stone.


    I guess I better not use this more than necessary.


    "I had seven vials of elixir. I kept one for myself and brought the rest to the palace. I explained the discovery and how it would cope with aging. If taken in small quantities, the god''s sickness wouldn''t be a threat to anyone and one could potentially live for hundreds if not thousands of years. I thoroughly explained the dosage to the king. However, he ignored my warnings and drank the whole thing in one go. ''I feel rejuvenated. Bring more,'' he said. I tried to explain that any more would ruin his health but he didn''t listen. One vial was enough to extend one''s life by a few centuries but he wanted immortality. He drank five vials before collapsing. And before I knew it, I was thrown into jail.. I was accused of trying to assassinate the king."

 Chapter 188 - Four Thousand Years Of Despair

    "But that''s so stupid. After all, you''d done!" I grinded my teeth in frustration. I was actually getting angry for someone else. It was a new feeling for me.


    My friends were all looking at me like I''d gone mad or something.


    Actually, I''d probably gone a bit mad at this point anyway.


    "Why''s he getting all heated up? What are they even talking about!?" Dick whispered vigorously.


    I heard him but ignored him.


    "Yes but that''s how royalty are. The king recovered but he wasn''t the same. He accused me of hiding the rest of the elixirs. When I told him I had only one he''d accused me of lying and ordered the execution of my family all but one. Of course, I was to be executed as well. I was kept in a cell for an entire week and when my time to be executed came, I was poisoned. I passed out." He looked down. I could understand his pain.


    Though the exact same thing didn''t happen to me, my situation was similar as well. But perhaps I did come out luckier than him. After all, I was still alive.


    "When I came about, in front of me lay a guillotine and two heads, one of my mother and another of my sister. I cursed my fate and the king before his audience. I cursed the elves but they only laughed at me. The king''s eyes were bright red like he was dead inside. He stood up and spoke two words, ''kill him.'' The crowd roared and the guillotine rose above my head.  But before the guillotine fell, it broke down in pieces. I thought I was a goner but¡­


    "One of my comrades came to my rescue and we barely escaped. But our escape wasn''t complete and very short. We were struck by arrows. The whole amphitheater fell into chaos but all I could hear was the sneer of the crowd. My friend shielded me and took twenty arrows before he fell. I ran, I ran and I ran. Seven arrows had struck my back. An arrow had struck my abdomen. Healing magic wasn''t enough. And being severely poisoned as I was, I couldn''t¡­" He stopped, looked at Lianne, and spat: nothing came out. Did undead even have saliva?


    "I was a goner. I knew I was going to die and I was all alone. With every step more and more of my life vanished and left me. With the last of my strength, I escaped into a great forest, this forest. And In the middle of this forest, I died: alone. For 3778 years I''ve been wondering since. This is my story. Are you still telling me to not hate those vermin?" He didn''t curse the heavens, he didn''t bang his hand on a tree, and he didn''t even show any anger. All he did was ask a question, the question.


    I was at a loss for words. I didn''t have any means to satisfy his anger, his frustration and I certainly didn''t have any means to console him. But I tried to be honest. "I will not. If it were me I''d never forgive them. However, wasn''t your mother an elf as well? Wasn''t your sister one? I believe hating the royalty isn''t justice either. Hating the one who made you go through all this is. Hate him!" The person who did wrong to him deserved all his hate. But others who did no wrong didn''t. At least that was my take on the matter. Perhaps I was too na?ve and yet I couldn''t bring myself to hate the innocent. But then again was anyone in this world innocent?


    Boriosa grinned and walked sideways. "At first I thought only of revenge but my strength had left me. I wandered aimlessly preying on visitors for five centuries and one day I suddenly gained conscience. I was weak and I couldn''t go into the sun. Though I wasn''t afraid of this body, it just felt sad. I was all alone, immortal and yet, it was sad¡­. Centuries passed before I could even cast a single spell. I could no longer cast holy, fire or even water spells. The only thing I could control was electricity." It was almost as if he pitied himself.


    I really felt bad for the guy. "That reminds me, you were called mage of six clouds because you could use six elements?" And maybe that was why for the first time I tried to change the subject. I didn''t want to hear more of his pain, as it was too painful for even me to bear with my conscience.


    "Yes. But I do not possess the affinity for all six elements. I could use spirit magic and so I could use all the spells. But now I''ve come to resent that title." He grabbed his chest in anguish.


    Is that why I could use ice magic without having any affinity for it?


    If the king was the root of all the trouble then maybe¡­.


    "Lianne who was the king when your lineage was cursed?"


    "I believe it was my grandfather¡­ my father." Her speech faltered. She was speaking in the same elven tongue that the emperor had spoken when he saw me. Meaning she didn''t want the other three to listen.


    "Father?" My eyes twitched. That very same blockheaded emperor I''d saved?


    "No-NO!" Lianne waved her hands. "MY actual father. Jowy''s father and mine are diff-" She sighed. "I''ll explain everything later. Please."


    I guess she didn''t want to make a scene here in front of the others.


    I sighed as well. I didn''t have time for all this stuff. "What happened to him? That father, grandfather guy."


    "We met him in the forest before Moire." Lianne looked down.


    That goblin-like thingy?


    I kind of understood the situation. Well, just kind of. A lot of things were just a mystery to me, but I guess I could have always asked her later.


    "Hey, Boriosa, would it feel better if I said the king ended up looking like a goblin?" And I made extra effort to sound as comical as possible. Maybe this way, he''d at least feel less terrible about his fate.


    He chuckled. "I figured something like that could happen. That''s why I tried to warn him. But he never listened."


    I chuckled as well. It was weird.


    "Can you explain things to me now? Why are you talking about my father that way? No matter how acquainted we are, that''s just rude!" Lianne pleaded, her eyes wavering.


    I guess she was right in her own way.


    "There was never a curse¡­" I explained everything to them. Now that I understood things, I could explain everything without an issue.


    And since Dick was done with the Undead, things weren''t as urgent anymore.


    "What!!?" Lianne was shaken to her core. It was understandable. After all, she''d been living a false life all this time. She searched her whole life and yet, the answer was so simple. "Then father¡­ uncle¡­. And all of us-"


    "Are all something which you could have avoided if your father wasn''t such an asshole!" Maybe I was the one being an asshole, but I couldn''t help it.


    "Who would have thought royalty was so convoluted." Dick sighed. I agreed with him for once. The guy actually believed everything I said on spot. How much faith did he have in me?


    "I don''t believe this!" Lianne shouted.. Very reasonable.

 Chapter 189 - New Responsibilities

    We were talking to an undead and there were chances he could have been lying. However, no matter how I looked at it, he didn''t seem to be. What could he possibly hope to gain by lying in the first place?


    "Believe it, don''t believe it. It''s all up to you." I turned to Boriosa. "Is there a way to, perhaps fix this?" The whole point of this was to find out a way to cure the curse anyway, though there were no curses, to begin with.


    "I don''t know. Maybe you could try purifying them using some other methods like casting holy magic for a few decades. But how would you do that? Besides they''d probably be dead by then. Actually, death might be a relief to them after two thousand years. Because after that they''d be pretty much worthless. I learned this after I was sent to jail when I reevaluated my findings. I tried to find out how this happened and why. But after what they did to me, I gave up all my research. Besides I was poisoned anyway. "


    I translated what he just said. Lianne broke down even more. She didn''t cry but the horror in her appearance was something I couldn''t ignore.


    "Is there anything you''d like to ask him Lianne?"


    "When Jowy''s father ascended the throne he sent all the elders of my lineage including my other uncles and father to exile. I never understood why: I even cursed him for it. Now it all makes sense¡­" Lianne''s pupils were dilated and she looked in the distance, focusing at nothing.


    I guess things weren''t really looking all that good for her or her relatives.


    I sighed again. "So, anything other than that? Just ideas are fine, really." I didn''t know if Boriosa had any or not, but I really wanted him to have at least some sort of theory.


    He grinned. "Even though you were betrayed you still take their side." He burst out laughing. "Very well, in your honor, I''ll share with you the fruits of my last labor." He focused for a good ten seconds. "The god sickness is caused by overusing a God''s mana. Mortals can''t really stand much of it. So perhaps ridding one of mana might be a good alternative. Though even with all my knowledge I do not know of a way you can do so."


    Mana. The root of all evil in this world. After speaking with Sisrael I''d decided that I''d erase mana from this world, but I never really understood it, let alone find a way to erase it. And if this guy was lost, did I really have a shot?


    But he did provide me with a decent answer. "Thanks for that." But there were a lot of other things I wanted to ask him. "How about you answer some of my own questions? I''m from another world you see. I wanted to know if you knew anything about summoning¡­" I explained my situation to him. I kept it brief.


    "Another world? Interesting. I''ve heard of such spells during my time as well. But unfortunately, they weren''t off much interest to me. However, I can tell you about spirit magic. They are like summoning. Maybe you could figure something out with it."


    I didn''t think he would be willing to teach me anything. All this time I thought undead were mere monsters. But this was a new discovery. "You''d teach me? Really?"


    Not only was he telling me all of his deepest secrets, but he was also willing to teach me.


    "Of course. But you''d have to do something for me." I guess it was a give-and-take relationship. There were no free lunches anywhere.


    But this wasn''t a bad deal for me. "I won''t kill the king for you if that''s what you want." But I certainly couldn''t go around killing Lianne''s relatives either.


    He chuckled. "No. I want you to secure my family''s graves. I have them right here." He handed me a ring. The ring didn''t have a gem but had spiraling, sparking letters written in elvish. Almost like that one ring from that one movie centered around rings.


    "This is?" I really hoped this wasn''t a cursed ring that''d start to whisper things at me out of nowhere.


    "A storage artifact: my most prized possession. Pour in mana and you''ll see."


    I poured my mana into the ring and instead of whispers, a black space appeared before me. I could even reach far in. I poked inside and there was at least enough space for a truck to fit in. There was one body inside, fully intact and crystalized: and two severed heads.


    "You don''t have to engrave their names. Just give them a proper burial: one is my eternal friend while the other two, my birth giver and sibling.  I could not leave this forest so I could never bury them. And I could never find anyone suitable for this ring. I met elves who were capable but I couldn''t trust them. But-" He was conflicted. "I had sealed my friend before she had died. Her wounds were too severe and I was almost out of mana. As you possess holy magic, would you¡­ would you!" He was too excited and yet, it felt like he was crying. Not a single drop fell from his skull.


    "Consider it done. Where do you want them to be buried?" It was the least I could do for him. Maybe I was derailing from my original perspective and maybe I was getting myself into bad shit again. But just this once, I felt like doing this of my own accord. "And if your friend can be saved, I''ll see to that - that he survives. Of course, I can''t guarantee it." And of course, I had no idea how.


    "It is fine. Just your word is enough." He was relieved. "Anywhere but here. But if it''s okay with you, please bring them to Alablaster village of Destoa. I do not know if it''s still there or not, but my father''s grave should be there." He held his hand to me. "Alright then, hold your hand upfront."


    I never thought the day would come when I''d listen to an undead of all things. But I listened to him. Not because I pitied him but because I wanted to listen.


    He held his palm against mine. His bones were cold and yet, warm at the same time.


    Our minds connected for a second and memories came flooding in. His pain, sorrow, joy all came rushing in. They were warm memories. They were memories of his training days. I learned not only about spirits but also about how magic worked fundamentally. It was different from what I''d learned till now.


    Magic wasn''t just something you wish and it came true, thing. It had more to do with careful calculations without actually knowing. When I cast holy magic I imagined it being particles of light. I was right to do so. And Boriosa had figured it out nearly four thousand years ago.. If he''d been treated well he would have probably changed the world for good.

 Chapter 190 - Sometimes Forgetting Is Better Than Forgiving

    "Thank you. But what now? You won''t hunt down the king would you?" I was kind of skeptical about all that was happening but something about him didn''t make me want to keep my guard up. I couldn''t help but sympathize with him.


    Was it because he was like me, or was it because I was going mad? Honestly, I didn''t know.


    "Wouldn''t that be like giving him what he wants?"


    I giggled. "I guess you''re right. But if you want to pass on maybe I could help. I have sword capable-"


    "You know the idea of living forever sounded nice to me too back in the day. I was surrounded by women, had adventures, got drunk, and got laid." He giggled.  "Life was fun. But then reality struck. Life is fun because it''s short." He walked around. "After living for this long I don''t really feel like doing anything. Even revenge seems¡­ pointless. Besides, I''ve already had my revenge. Just imagining that thing''s face makes me laugh."


    "Then-"


    "Even though I''m dead the idea of dying seems kind of sad you know." He chuckled. "But now I''d finally get to meet my family. But you know adventurers have really regressed over the ages." He chuckled loudly. "My magic had left me but my body is still pretty solid and I had this robe too. Besides for the first few hundred years I was furious for revenge. So I might have slaughtered a good few people." I really felt bad for those poor souls that had to pay the price. "Afterwards I never really approached anyone unless they were really strong. But no one got even close to harming me." He was implying something. And I knew it. He had connected. "Besides, I had to find someone with holy affinity-" He looked straight at me. "Someone with my affinity so I could trust my friend with that person so that she''d keep her word."


    I was glad he trusted me. But I sure didn''t want to imagine the poor souls that had to deal with him in his rage mode. I felt bad about not telling him I was a guy though.


    "He! I can imagine that." I unsheathed the mystic blade. Dick and Servesta smiled. They weren''t surprised. "Are you sure?"


    Lianne was still a bit dazed. Jory meanwhile was paying careful attention.


    "Yes. I was really glad to see that you are capable enough."


    "That''s why you tested me?"


    "Yes and no."


    "That doesn''t make sense." I chuckled.


    "You really do look like her. Did she marry into a human family and you''re her descendent?" He became silent. "You won''t have to answer. I don''t sense her blood in you¡­ perhaps¡­." I was kind of stunned the way he acted. Was my appearance alone enough to sway his mind? "If anything I sense her blood in that filth over there. I suppose I shouldn''t call her filth but¡­ anyway, I''m really glad I got to see that face again."


    "You knew her mother? I mean you knew Anasia? That was her name correct?" I didn''t know what sort of history these people had, but I got the feeling, I shouldn''t have asked this, I still did though.


    Lianne looked at me without a word.


    Boriosa sighed. "I suppose I did know her. She was my betrothed. But then¡­" He paused.


    "All this happened¡­"


    "Yes¡­ And I suppose she married into the royal family¡­ such a shame¡­"


    He removed his robe. He was wearing some sort of pants and a belt hung around his waist. It was probably a miracle that his clothes still lasted. Or was the quality too great? But there was something else on his waist. "That-"


    "Want it? I wouldn''t mind giving it to you. I wanted to throw it away or to end myself but I could never bring myself to. It seems the dead can''t kill themselves." A wide grin surfaced. "But it might not be that harmful to you. But use it in small quantities and refrain from relying on it too much. I get the impression that you won''t end up like him. But one can never be too careful." He held a bottle of red liquid in his hand, an elixir: his last one.


    "Why didn''t you use it on your friend or on yourself?"


    He smiled. "You think my friend could survive in that ice for four thousand years without a drop of this?" It was almost as though I was the stupid one. "In my case, pride perhaps?" He was sad. I guess he had a lot of stuff he didn''t want to tell me.


    "But why do you think it won''t be harmful to me?" I changed the subject again.


    "Because you already have some of godly blood in your veins. Maybe a God gifted you some? I sense divine blood in you too, albeit in trace quantity. It''s almost like you''ve ceased being human. And yet, you''re still human. Quite the contradiction." He chuckled.


    That''s right, Trerortra healed my eye!


    "Trerortra might have done it. But I can''t be sure. After all Sisrael had shared a part of her soul with me as well and I used a bit of Damsel''s mana." Come to think of it, I had all sorts of godly help.


    No wonder that dragon told me I smelled like Trerortra.


    "I wish I could sit down and listen to all of your journeys as well. But I''m getting impatient. Can you believe me I''m getting impatient after all this time?" He was awfully frank.


    "I can," I smiled.


    "This robe is from the Ascan era. I won''t need it where I''m going so, may it serve you well. And good luck." He handed over his robe and cane.


    "Thank you and you too. I hope to meet you again. Maybe we could talk about our adventures then. I don''t drink but I wouldn''t mind spending some afternoons drinking tea or some juice instead."


    He burst into laughter. "You are an interesting one indeed. I''ll be waiting for you. But no need to hurry."


    "Sorry! I''m sorry!" Lianne fell on her knees. She seemed to understand what was going on, although I hadn''t explained the last part.


    "It''s okay child. After all this time I still can''t forgive you but I hope I can¡­ from now on¡­" He smiled. "Besides, I can''t cling to these feelings forever."


    When I told that to Lianne tears welled up in her eyes. It was the second time I saw her like that. It hurt.


    "Alright then!"


    "Right!" I unsheathed the mystic blade. It glowed radiantly.


    He gazed on my sword a few seconds before looking me straight in the eye. He was ready.


    I lifted up my sword and pointed it to him. My mana swirled around the sword and now I was ready. I ran, created momentum and pierced him through. The sword went in and he didn''t really even try to defend. It was all but three seconds.


    "What do I tell your friend if she survives?" My voice was quiet. I was almost in tears. This body really was weird.


    "Tell her," His voice was even more profound. "Tell her, to be free." I saw his face for the first time, albeit transparent. He was disappearing.  "Farewell." He looked like an elf, but with shorter ears and a bit more humane face. Almost like that guy from the inn.


    "Goodbye."

 Chapter 191 - Ah, The Rot Is In The Air! Wait, Wh-?

    We spent the night in a graveyard. The stench of death, the rotting soil, and gravestones weren''t new. But it didn''t bother me as much as I thought. It was a weird feeling, to sleep in a forest full of undead and dead bodies. At first, I thought Lianne had been just joking around when she''d said it but she hadn''t. It was even weirder that undead actually avoided this place.


    There were places to hold pyres around the cemetery. When we lighted them up the undead avoided us altogether. Those things feared fire like my cat feared baths. I wondered how my cat was, after all this time. It was a nice cat but I never really liked felines all that much: I did like lions though for some reason at least until that liongator-thingy incident happened that is. I''d probably never get to see my fat cat again though.


    I didn''t have a speck of sleep in my eyes. The lingering thoughts of a long-dead mage kept me awake. The thoughts of my cat played a little role in that too. I couldn''t help but think about Boriosa and what he said. To distract myself I tried the so-called spirit magic and failed miserably. To summon spirits one had to first make contracts with them but there weren''t any around. So it was kind of hopeless.


    "I''ll keep the first watch so you guys can just go to sleep," I said. I wouldn''t have been able to sleep anyway.


    I didn''t check on the corpses as I didn''t really know what to do.


    "It''ll be dawn soon. You should get rest instead. After all, I don''t need it," Lianne insisted. "So I''ll keep watch."


    Her eyes glimmered. She didn''t cry but the tears in her eyes only intensified the feeling. Just how strong was this girl?


    Dick and Jori were fast asleep. So was Biteria- lately, it had gotten twice as big: a bit bigger than a typical cat. But the problem was the teeth. And not to mention it spent almost the whole night hunting even in this place full of undead. We might have gotten our hands on some really weird rabbit. I guess realizing it this late, was my stupidity.


    However, something about Jori worried me. He didn''t seem to freak out when I talked with Boriosa and he didn''t even ask me why. I didn''t understand his game.


    "You should get some sleep. We''ll need your strength tomorrow," Servesta said, opening one eye.


    You weren''t asleep?


    I wasn''t expecting him to say anything. I wasn''t even expecting him to be awake let alone worry for my sake.


    I was tired but my heart didn''t calm down. I had things in my possession and that made me restless.


    Is saving that girl even possible?


    Boriosa''s friend was still frozen and she was probably dead. But I already gave my word, so the least I could do was to see it through.


    When I pierced Boriosa with my sword, his body started to disintegrate. His cane, robe, and pants were left behind. I didn''t know if he had a grave or not but I wanted to bury him. But there were no traces left of him. He''d gifted me his robe so I couldn''t bury it but I could bury his cane and pants. I just had to. I wanted to.


    "Daarc!" Lianne pulled on my clothes. "You were spacing out again."


    "Sorry about that. Suppose I need to rest a little."


    It was way past midnight and I hadn''t had even a speck of sleep. I closed my eyes but dreamland didn''t want me.  Thoughts of the mage filled my mind. He lived for all this time with nothing but revenge to cling to. But in the end, he let it go.


    Can I do that?


    ***


    The next morning we got up all groggy, at least I did. The others didn''t show any signs of tiredness. What kind of materials were they made of?


    Lianne had a hand on her waist and looked in the distance. "Alright, we''re going to walk straight till noon. I''ll have no complaints. We won''t stop. If we do stop, we''ll miss our cue and we''ll have to spend another night in this forest."


    Dick sighed. "Fine. At least we won''t have to stay here."


    The rest of us didn''t have any complaints.


    We couldn''t even think of eating in this place. The stench would have rendered all nutrition intake invalid and everything would have just come right back up. So we didn''t bother trying.


    We packed up our things and moved on. I didn''t have to carry things anymore as I had Boriosa''s ring. Finally, after all these months, I didn''t have to carry anything.


    But then again, Servesta was doing all the carrying from the beginning anyway. So I never had to bother. He was still carrying Dick''s stuff. According to him, he felt more useful carrying things.


    Since morning Jori was on my tail. "Would you mind selling me that cane? I''ll be sure to pay-"


    He was odd. He didn''t question me about how I could speak with the dead but instead, he was more focused on the cane.


    "Unfortunately, like I already told you, this isn''t for sale."


    "But why!? You don''t use canes! I have enough money! Do you want ten gold pieces!?"


    "Even if you offered me a thousand, I wouldn''t budge." I glared at him to imply the gravity of my answer. I''d already decided on what I was going to do. I had no reason to sell someone''s last memento.


    "Give it up, geezer. He means it," Dick said.


    Jori sighed and we kept walking. But I had the feeling he''d spring back right up a minute later.


    I matched my pace with Dick''s. "Aren''t you having too much faith in me?"


    "Let''s just say I don''t have a reason to doubt you: yet." Dick''s eyes glinted confidence. But if he kept it up one day he''ll regret it. I had the exact same look in my eyes before I got betrayed myself and the whole world came crashing down.


    I didn''t respond and walked on.


    Dick is different from me, so maybe he''d go down a different path when the time comes.


    By noon the forest thinned out and we were almost out. The stench was still there but it wasn''t as bad as the deepest parts of the forest. We saw many animals in this place though. As expected they were not among the living.


    I never did get to see the angel though. Was there one here?


    I thought there might be one but since I didn''t feel anything, I didn''t really search all that hard. And I wasn''t in the mood to either.


    We were beneath a large dark tree. The ground was slithered with rot but we had to rest here. We were out of breath and out of energy. The least we could do was rest for a few minutes. But when I rested my head against the tree bark my eyes closed and I almost nodded off.


    Maybe staying up so long yesterday was a bad idea.


    "Daarc I-"Lianne came over and paused. "I''m sorry."


    I looked up, barely conscious. I was seated and she stood there her head hanging close to mine. "For what I wonder?"


    "For everything. And for lying to you. Sorry."


    "Don''t tell me you expect me to say something like ''it''s okay?''" I barely woke up.


    "I don''t. I don''t expect you to understand either. But I''m really sorry. It wasn''t my intention to not tell you. But I really hoped I could figure this out if I came with you. I trust you. But you don''t have to." She smiled.


    I sighed. "Now look-"


    I couldn''t finish. She tugged my clothes and sat down right next to me. "I''m not Jowy''s sister. I''m more like his cousin."


    "Excuse me?" I didn''t know why but her words kind of sobered me up faster than I could have imagined.


    "My father was the king of Alfeim when our lineage was cursed. I wasn''t born at the time. But everyone from the royal family was bound to the curse along with my father. I didn''t know how it happened but my father''s curse was the worst. And every one of my siblings have already met that fate. I''m the last one." she didn''t look at me. I couldn''t understand her pain. "And that''s why I was desperate. I''m really sorry." And yet, she was smiling.


    Had she given up?


    "Wait, how old are you?" But I had something else on my mind. Just how frigging old was she!?


    She gave me a smile and was about to open her mouth, when-


    Something was here.


    I kept my eyes around for signs of movement and ears for sound. Lianne noticed it too and she readied her bow. "What is that?"


    Something was moving around us in rapid pace. I couldn''t really pick anything up. Dick and Servesta got up and looked around as well. But we saw nothing.


    "I don''t sense anything," Jori said.


    My eyes darted from here to there. "Let''s keep moving. Maybe it''ll show itself again soon."


    Did I imagine it?


    I was pretty groggy so it wasn''t implausible.


    We packed up and kept moving. On the road, I kept my senses as sharp as I could.. Even if I was groggy I still had to keep my guard up.

 Chapter 192 - Wait, Did You Actually Want Me To Get Angry?

    The forest thinned as we marched on ahead. The scenery around us changed in rapid motion. We managed to get out of the forest just after the afternoon. "Whew! Didn''t think we''d make it."


    "Grass! Oh, grass!" Dick started dancing. It was kind of amusing. He almost kissed the grass. Actually, a second later, he did.


    "Alright, me and Daarc will hunt while you guys secure water, fruits, and firewood. Let''s make camp over there." Lianne barked out orders.


    I didn''t protest. She must have had something to talk to me about. Something she couldn''t say in front of the others. The others didn''t really say anything either.


    ***


    Lianne led me to the open fields. There were wild animals here and there. A good place to hunt. "So what are we hunting?"


    "Birds."


    "Birds?" I asked again. If she wanted to hunt birds then bringing me out was pointless. She could have done it herself.


    "Yes. I want you to use this." She threw her bow at me. She handed me one arrow and the color from my face drained when I learned her actual intention. "You''re going to hunt with just that one arrow. And if you miss, you''ll secure this arrow again and start all over."


    "Um¡­ Miss, Lianne? You didn''t forget that I don''t have an arm right?" I sweated profusely.


    "You still have half of it left. Why not make most of it?"


    "I am serious. Jowy, can use two bows at a time, you know."


    "Those are crossbows!"


    Lianne just straight out ignored me. "It''ll take time but you''ll get used to this. Using bows with just a hand is achievable with long-term practice."


    "Wouldn''t that take forever? And why me?" I really didn''t want to be here anymore.


    "Then I suppose we should hurry up and start!" She smiled. "It''s to show you my appreciation. And it should only take about twenty years or so."


    Would have been better if you weren''t too appreciative.


    And twenty, years!


    I didn''t know anything about bows. I never used swords but they were always an interesting weapon of choice for me. So when the opportunity came I tried my best to learn the way of the sword. But the same couldn''t be said about bows. They were too boring. But then there was another problem. Just how the hell was I even supposed to stretch the string with just one arm? Was that even possible?


    I couldn''t say that to Lianne though.


    She''d have ripped me to shreds.


    I took aim at a swan in the distance. I used my mouth to stretch the string. It almost felt like a game rather than an actual hunt.


    I couldn''t tell if it was an actual swan though: cause since when did swans start having horns?


    Before I could fire Lianne came close. Too close. "Lift your arm a little and focus more on your lower half. If you''re footing is unbalanced then you won''t be able to dodge enemy attacks." Her breath fell on my shoulder.


    It was hard to focus in this kind of situation. But I had to.


    And did she forget I was holding this with my mouth!?


    Before my mind could drown in pleasurable thoughts I steered it away from it. I took a deep breath and fired: more like let the arrow go, it kind of hurt my upper lips. The arrow flew over the bird by at least a meter and it flew away.


    Not even close to the target.


    "Now go get it!" Lianne smiled brightly.


    I obliged reluctantly. I should have known.


    The arrow was about fifty meters away from us. If I had to do that for the rest of the day, I was in for a hellish evening. And I knew, this really was a hellish evening.


    I counted every single arrow I fired. It was more like the number was etched into my mind as I had to run all the way. And not to mention every single time, my mouth ached like hell.


    But fate wasn''t kind. I couldn''t even hit a single bird. I was tired as hell. Why the hell did I have to ask Lianne of all people to teach me anything?


    "I suppose we should give it a rest for today. Looks like you don''t have any talent for the bow. But maybe you could at least get decent enough to save your life if the situation ever demands it." As usual, Lianne was blunt.


    She had a point but if I had to go through this kind of hellish training then wouldn''t not trying have been better? Besides, why did I have to shoot with just one arrow, and not to mention from my mouth!?


    When I asked that to Lianne she only giggled.


    The two of us walked back. I was a bit sad I couldn''t catch anything.


    "That bracelet," Lianne began. I had a bad feeling about this. "It could turn you into a person you desire. But of course, you''ve to have intimate knowledge of that person. For me, it was my mother."


    So basically I looked like the empress because Lianne had wired this bracelet to look that way. I sighed, I sighed twice. "You said Jowy''s your cousin, then-"


    "Jowy''s father took over the throne as well as mother." Lianne spoke normally. I guess this didn''t bother her as much as I thought. "My mother had three children with father. I was the youngest and most loved one. Both by mother, and father. And though Jowy''s father married mother, he never became intimate with her and didn''t have any children. Since young Jowy just really liked mother, as his own mother had died of illness."


    I guess their family history was a lot more complicated than I thought. I still didn''t care though. Stuff happened in the past.


    But maybe this wasn''t as bad as I thought. After all, if it weren''t for the bracelet I might have never met the mage.


    Speaking of the mage, I took a good look within my ring.


    Maybe my silence was rubbing Lianne off as she just glared. It was understandable as she was giving me her family history and I was showing no emotion or interest. Not fury nor surprise. Just plain nothing.


    I popped my head into the small black window. I still couldn''t make it big enough for me to fit. The body of the girl was totally frozen. I touched it and it wasn''t even the least bit cold.


    Is this crystal?


    "Hey Lianne, think you can melt crystal?" There was no response. "Lianne?"


    I looked around. Lianne was gone. I looked around some more and she was a lot further ahead than me. She was walking rather fast.  I guess I might have pissed her off instead.


    Maybe getting angry or sympathetic was the better way to deal with this situation?


    ***


    We were quite far from the forest and it didn''t smell bad. But now we didn''t have any fresh meat.


    "I can''t believe you guys couldn''t even manage to get anything. Were you guys even trying?" Dick yelled, clearly upset that he won''t get to eat meat tonight. Did he forget we won''t get to eat any either?


    Lianne had her eyes closed and didn''t reply.


    So, all eyes were on me. It was like they were a group of owls in sync. They turned their head so naturally. I didn''t say anything either and slowly drank my veg soup one sip at a time.


    We were in an open field and there weren''t any trees close to us. The grass was tall enough to fully hide Biteria. My cute bunny had become fat. It didn''t move like it used to and now it hurt when it rested on my shoulder.


    My whole body felt sore if it stayed on top of me for more than ten minutes.


    "Are you sure we can''t roast this thing? It looks pretty delicious," Dick said, poking Biteria with a stick.


    Biteria didn''t even react to the guy. I guess to her, Dick wasn''t worth the effort anymore.


    "I''m pretty sure she''d eat you first."


    I kind of wanted to eat things too. But my puffy lips had different ideas.


    He laughed so hard that he fell on his back. "You do have a point there. I still have bite marks on my hand." He should have been glad that he still had that hand in the first place.


    "We should rest well. We might reach the capital tomorrow if we''re lucky," Lianne said.


    "By the way guys, does anyone know how I could meet a spirit?" Boriosa had shared some of his memories with me and I knew how spirit magic worked- or at least I thought I knew. I kind of forgot most of the stuff though. Maybe I was too agitated that night or perhaps because Boriosa''s magic had deteriorated so much that the transfer was only temporary.


    I did remember the basics though. Basically, anyone could- in theory- cast spells without using any mana. In this method humans- even dwarves could use magic. However to do so, one first needed to enter a contract with a spirit.


    But how would have I entered into a contract if I couldn''t even find one? I kept an eye out in the wilderness and searched during the day but I couldn''t find one. I didn''t even know what they looked like. I was totally lost.


    "No idea. I don''t know anything about magic. I can only use a few spells but that''s all," Dick said.


    "Useless."


    Dick exhaled deeply and glanced sideways. I guess I hurt his feelings.


    I turned to Lianne.


    "The spirits choose the mage. That''s why you don''t see too many spirit mages. But magic itself is rare, so naturally, spirits are even rarer."


    How does that make sense?


    I sighed and looked up at the sky.


    I guess I''m not going to be able to do anything with this knowledge.


    I did have knowledge but they were vague and I couldn''t make out much. But at least I knew things.


    We were in front of the fire but my body gave a shiver.


    It''s this cold and not winter yet? How frigging cold will it get once winter comes?


    Winter was still about half a month away. I''d probably be frozen stiff.


    "By the way, as I''ve said before, there''s a girl frozen in my ring. Anyone have any idea how I can free her? Boriosa said my holy magic could be the key."


    Lianne sighed. "Well, if it''s crystal-like you''ve said, fire won''t help. I''m guessing he meant using holy as a means of regenerative magic. Can you do that? Perhaps something similar to what you did to un- ahem! Father?"


    I guess even she could slip up sometimes.


    "Perhaps." I didn''t really know how I could do this. I could barely heal scratches. I couldn''t just get people out of cryo or something! What was this, some sort of sci-fi future?


    Servesta was quiet and had his eyes closed but Jori too was rather quiet. All day he''d tried to buy the cane from me but I didn''t give in. Maybe he was frustrated?


    "Something''s coming," Jori barked. Or maybe he wasn''t.


    So he was focusing on our surroundings?


    Something was moving in the grass fields. Biteria looked around with us and stared at one direction. We stared at the same. Whatever it was, it wasn''t big as we couldn''t see it because of the grass.


    "It''s coming!" I drew my sword. It could have been a goblin mage, so I didn''t want to give it a chance.


    It came close. Just when I was about to slash, I saw something furry. It was a bunny, much like Biteria but brown in color.


    "Wait, that''s it?" Dick held his head in frustration.


    What? You just wanted something to beat up, didn''t you?

 Chapter 193 - The Moving City Of Tehram

    "You almost scared me back there." I picked up the bunny.


    That''s odd. Why isn''t it struggling?


    The bunny was actually rather cute and cuddly. Not as much as Biteria, but definitely cute: and it was half the size of my little devil. It wasn''t as restless like Biteria either. When it was in my hands Biteria glared at me. I smirked at Biteria and patted my newfound love.


    If only Biteria was this calm!


    "We are lucky to have met him here," Lianne said.


    "What are you talking about?" I picked up the bunny and it didn''t make even a little fuss.


    It was the second cutest thing ever.


    "Brown rabbits are considered sacred in this country. They say these bunnies bring good fortune." I had no complaints about that. "Oh, and they bite."


    I was looking at Lianne when she talked and didn''t pay all that attention to the bunny in my hand. The moment I heard her saying something about biting, I instinctively dropped the bunny. It flipped and rolled down, landing on its feet.


    Won''t you make a fine gymnast!


    I actually hadn''t planned on dropping it as it never showed me any hostility. Actually, it never ever tried to bite me.


    It looked at me with sharp eyes for a second and then ran away. Maybe I shouldn''t have dropped it like that.


    I felt really bad.


    No! My cute bunny! My love!


    Now that it was gone I turned to Biteria but she jumped over to Lianne and stayed with her. She didn''t even give me a second glance.


    Since when did bunnies get jealous?


    I sighed and drooped in frustration. Dick fell into laughter again.


    But since nothing happened we could rest easy, but not too easy. After all, we were still in the wilderness.


    Who knew what could have happened.


    It wasn''t late but I went to bed anyway. Lianne kept the first watch. I don''t know who picked up afterward. They never woke me. Maybe they knew I was too tired?


    ***


    I actually slept pretty well and for once I didn''t have a nightmare.


    It was pretty early and Lianne dragged me to morning practice. She was ruthless when it came to practice.


    Things didn''t go too well.


    We didn''t have any meat for breakfast either. Protein deficiency wasn''t too far away.


    I was tired as hell and now sleep-deprived.


    Not to mention my mouth was still puffed up and I couldn''t feel anything other than pain.


    Breakfast was not fun.


    ***


    Now that most of my things were in the ring, I only had to carry one bag and one sword with me. I still carried my knife with me and paid extra attention to the ring on my hand. After all, I didn''t want it to get stolen. I also kept eye on Jori. He showed a good deal of interest in the ring and Boriosa''s cane. I had to stay alert. Besides, he saw a lot of priceless things. But he never asked me questions.


    He couldn''t be that considerate now, could he? (Yeah right.)


    I had my doubts.


    A lot of doubts.


    The monsters were rather weak and goblins no longer posed any threat. At least that''s what I wanted to say but they weren''t pushovers. No matter where we went, goblins really were the most terrible of monsters. They''d ambush, snipe, and commence pincer attacks the moment they''d get the chance. Those little or big critters were the worst. Luckily we had an overpowered protagonist on our hands.


    But even so, I couldn''t help but learn from their attacks. Those things posed a great threat when they were in teams. They had specific roles and from what I understood they were pretty intelligent.  Meaning, we could never let our guard down.


    And I certainly wasn''t going to.


    "We should be arriving shortly if my calculations are correct." Lianne was up front.


    "Why would a city move of all things?" I was still skeptical. I could believe magic, angels, gods, and I couldn''t believe that a city could move? Maybe I was really going mad.


    "The capital city is blessed by the wind. The whole country has more wind than the rest of the continent. Of course, this is why many speculate that the god of wind once lived here. But now it''s just a myth."


    God of wind huh?


    I had no idea what Lianne was saying so I just kept quiet.


    ***


    After an exhausting day, we reached the outskirts of the city in the evening. It was getting a little redundant but honestly, the city took my breath away. The city was literally on air. There were gusts of wind coming from beneath the city and the city itself was about ten to twenty meters above ground level. There was a bridge over a hill and that was the entrance. But I could see people gliding above the city. The gale was so strong that gliding with only wings wasn''t a dream anymore. There were also flying animals up there.


    "Those wings¡­ Can we buy them here or-"


    "Yes. I didn''t think you could tell from here though. You must really have good eyesight." Lianne praised me. Eyesight was the only thing I was proud of myself: it pumped me up.


    But the city itself was moving, albeit at a snail''s pace. But it definitely was moving.


    "But since when could pigs fly?" There were literal pigs up on the air. There were some other animals too. And flying off their own merit too: some glided while some just had an extra set of wings.


    I guess there were all sorts of creatures in this world. But even so, even after all this, I still found some of these things really fascinating.


    Dick looked up and used his hands as binoculars. "You''re right! They are flying!" He squinted his eyes pretty hard. "But how did you get so good with sight?" Dick pondered with excitement. "I can barely make out dots!"


    I smirked and walked on.


    Needless to say, I was more than just proud of my eyesight.

 Chapter 194 - Why Am I Getting A Déjà Vu?

    We made our way to the city entrance. It was massive. The walls were made of some form of the stone I saw back in Moire. They looked shallow but when I knocked on one, they made a sound just like ordinary rocks: they were much lighter though.


    The moment I touched the wall, I got all sorts of stares from the guards.


    The city gate was guarded by four knights and the door itself was made of wood and iron.


    There was a line of people and caravans entering but Jori led us straight to the door without even waiting in the line.


    I was basically the center of attention here too. Apparently, I was not only popular among the elves but men too. I certainly didn''t like it though.


    "Halt! Why did you break the line?" A guard stopped us. He kept on stealing glances at me. It was kind of impressive how he could maintain that attitude with a straight face while stealing glances at my chest.


    "I''m on urgent business from the guild HQ. Let me through and these guys are my fellow adventurers," Jori said.


    "ID first."


    Jori showed his ID. But the guard didn''t budge. He wanted ours: namely mine. Dick and Servesta wouldn''t have one and that was obvious. Mine got chewed on and that only left Lianne. When I looked at her, she smiled and looked at the guard.


    "I believe we won''t have any problem?" Lianne flashed a necklace of sorts. She was wearing it underneath her dress, so normally it wasn''t visible. The Yellow and black necklace was accompanied by a crimson gem in the middle. I could see why she hid it because the moment she brought it out, the guard went pale.


    He hurriedly got on his knees and bowed. Everyone who was here also bowed. Even Jori bowed. The only people standing were the three of us.


    "For-forgive me, your highness. I did not know. I-I will immediately send an envoy to the palace and we-we will get an escort right away!" The guard stuttered. I didn''t know Lianne had so much authority. But then again she did say this country was under Alfeim''s banner. So it was kind of expected.


    Jori''s face was pale. He didn''t know, so it was expected. Dick had a smirk on his face and Servesata was as quiet as always.


    Me? I didn''t care. All I wanted was to get in and get a pair of wings. And maybe take this bangle off.


    "That won''t be necessary. I''m not here on official business. Let''s just say I''m sightseeing and would not like to be disturbed. Now would you mind opening the door?" Lianne was being very dignified in her approach.


    If I were the guard, I wouldn''t have bought it, not one bit.


    But apparently, the guard wasn''t me. "Ri-ri-right away, your highness! B-but are you sure? At least take some guards-"


    Lianne sighed. There was irritation in her gaze. Maybe she didn''t like to flaunt her authority?


    I know I did. I didn''t have any, though.


    "That won''t be necessary." Her cold stare was enough to silence any protests the guard had.


    We walked past the gate and I saw a lot of stares from the guys outside. Some were just curious while others just glared: the elves in particular were looking at Lianne with respect and affection, the humans, not so much. I guess elven royalty wasn''t that popular among humans.


    But even so, I still attracted more attention than necessary.


    Once inside Jori broke down. "You-you were the princess!?"


    Wouldn''t it be ''a'' princess? Oh wait, I never asked if she had sisters or not.


    The bustling town reminded me of Moire. It was really similar. The ocean must have been close as I could taste the salt in the air. People around us stared at the groveling cross-dresser and his messed-up makeup.


    Gusts of wind pressed against me from the ground. It was interesting to say the least. Luckily the air was warm so we didn''t have to die from frost. And since I was wearing a dress rather than a skirt, I didn''t have to worry about upskirts of all things.


    Come to think of it, I never saw skirts in this world, did I?


    "Yes. Didn''t you hear what I''d said back in the forest?" Lianne had introduced herself to Boriosa back in the forest. So it shouldn''t have been a shock for Jori, and yet¡­


    Jori smiled wryly. "Actually¡­ You see. Whenever my life''s in trouble my alter ego takes over and things happen."


    "Like what?" If I remembered correctly, he never showed any signs of changing personalities. He did act rather scared when we met Boriosa. Maybe he turned soft when he faced danger? But then, how was he still alive?


    He squirmed and blushed. "I become too sexy."


    My breathing increased and for some reason, I smiled. I wanted to punch this weirdo so bad that I didn''t know what I''d do if I didn''t get to punch him.


    But before I could say anything Dick interrupted. "I''m a little lost here. So you clinging to the ground cowering in fear, counts as sexy?"


    Jori looked away. Just what the hell was he expecting?


    I sighed. At least the day was over and we could finally rest in actual beds. "Well, at least we got to the city. I think this is where we part geezer."


    "It''s Jori!" He protested. "Don''t forget my name!" He composed himself. "Yes, but why don''t you come over to the guild tomorrow? You might actually like the things we offer. We even buy materials at fair prices!" He winked. "And perhaps a little more, maybe a magic trick?"


    "For the last time, it''s not for sale!" I knew what he wanted but I''d already made up my mind that I didn''t want to sell it. But the magic trick part did interest me. He knew I was interested in his magic and he also knew I could use magic. Meaning, he had me right where he wanted.


    He smiled and waved at us. We walked away from him. I didn''t wave back.


    He might have been a weirdo, but he knew how to do business if nothing else.


    ***


    Now there were four of us.


    Biteria never really came back to me. She looked mad. I never thought bunnies could get mad.


    How wrong I was!


    "So, do we stay in an inn?" I asked.


    "We could stay in the palace if you want. They''d treat us with the best of care," Lianne offered.


    "Yeah that''d be-" Dick smiled and tried to say something.


    I didn''t let him finish and added my words of discontent. "I''ll pass. I''ve had enough of royalty."


    "Hey, you didn''t let me finish!" Dick complained.


    "Did you know there are wondrous street foods here that you could only have on the streets and not the palace? And did you know the meat out in the street is so juicy and¡­?" I only traveled with Dick for like two weeks but I already knew what ticked his buttons. I got close to him and whispered, "Besides, don''t you think you could pick up more girls on the street rather than the palace?"


    "Okay, you have my attention." Dick''s breathing became a little more erratic. I had him just where I wanted.


    My plan worked. And girls weren''t dumb enough to fall for Dick''s charms anyway. So no harm could be done there.


    "Let''s first go get our rooms. Then you''ll get your fill and I have to buy armor too. After a good rest, we''ll resume our journey tomorrow."


    "Sounds about right. Glad to see at least one of the summoned heroes weren''t totally useless and have brains for once," Servesta said. I couldn''t tell if he was joking or being serious.


    "Heroes?"


    He didn''t reply. I didn''t expect him to answer anyway.


    "I know a good place." Lianne led the way. It was as though she knew everything about everything. She really was scary in that regard.


    "You really know the right thing to say to people don''t you?" Lianne whispered.


    "Depends." I mostly knew how to tick people off though.


    She saw right through me.

 Chapter 195 - One Lie Leads To Another

    The rooms were good. No complaints.


    Dick''s mind however was occupied with something else. He had girls to pick up. I couldn''t bring myself to tell him about how he might have been a little wrong to assume that girls would just flock around him.


    "Alright, let''s head out!" Dick proclaimed.


    We were still in the process of booking the rooms. But Dick couldn''t stop his excitement. I didn''t want to rain on the poor guy''s parade so I just kept quiet.


    "Servesta, you stay here. I''ll go get me some la- I mean meat for dinner." Okay, maybe he was more excited than I thought.


    "Understood."


    Servesta however, had no problems.


    I sighed. Lianne smiled and didn''t say anything. She obviously knew what I''d gotten myself into.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have¡­.


    With Dick''s constant nagging and hyperactivity, the booking process ended pretty quickly.


    We came out of the inn. Biteria stayed behind. The little bunny just refused to leave the room. It was selfish if nothing else. But then again it wasn''t so little anymore, so maybe leaving it alone, was the better choice?


    I asked Lianne to help me with buying things while Dick parted ways with us, claiming he had business to attend to. He did blink at me though before leaving.


    This is not going to end well.


    I had no idea what Servesta was up to, but I guess he was free to do anything he pleased.


    "Now then, where do you want to go first?" Lianne stood at my side.


    The passersby were giving us a lot of looks. The elves in particular were glaring at me with eyes and mouths open. I guess the empress really was famous.


    "Tell me, what''s your opinion on the guild?"


    I didn''t trust Lianne as much as I used to but still knew she knew enough. So her opinion was always a bonus.


    Of course, I understood her reasons for doing all this, but that didn''t mean I just accepted them without even thinking.


    "The guild, huh? I have mixed feelings about the guild. I think what they do is important for the economy and peace. But some of the upper echelons are too greedy and make lower ranked adventurers do all the grunt work."


    Why do you have to be that specific?


    "But privileged people are always like that. Do you think selling materials would be better in the guild?"


    We walked along the road. There were so many hoverboards and gliders that my mind was going funny. Most of the people gliding or riding boards were elves though with occasional humans sprinkled here and there: but then again those humans had at least one or two animal features. Meaning, not a single ordinary human was up there.


    "That''s not necessarily true for all the privileged you know." Lianne sighed. I guess she was frustrated with me. I didn''t blame her for that though. My opinion of the higher born was always low to begin with. "If you have lots, then yes. But when it comes to small stuff any normal shop should do. The guild does offer better rates for rare materials but they''d pretty much scam you in case of the very rare ones like that cane for example. Besides, they might even make you register and go into a contract with them."


    "I still don''t get why he wanted it that bad though."


    She gave me a rude stare. "Sometimes I wonder how your thought process works. Be it old, that was the legendary scepter of Boriosa the grand mage of the six clouds. It''s almost as famous as the mystic weapons and was deemed to be a national legend by Alfeim. The country would literally pay you enough to buy half a city like this if you were to sell it. That much worth it has." She continued. "But I trust in your judgment¡­ I don''t think you''ll fall prey to greed."


    I had no idea why she''d trust me so much, but it did make me feel better if nothing else. But then again she was totally dissing me in the first half though.


    "Maybe I should learn to use this too, just in case, "I mumbled.


    She had supernatural hearing. Those ears weren''t just for show I guess. "First comes the bow, then the scepter."


    Oh no.


    I kind of got myself into something I didn''t want to.


    "You know how to use this thing too?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky.


    She was too versatile.


    Instead of answering my question, she just stopped in the middle of the road. "We''re here."


    "Where exactly?"


    "The guild?"


    Are you answering me or asking questions?


    She was pretty efficient if nothing else.


    "You brought me here already?" The earlier mention of learning how to use scepters was still bugging me though.


    "I had a hunch you were interested in at least seeing things out."


    "Sometimes I wonder how I could get intuition like that," I mumbled to myself.


    Though it was night, the city was pretty busy just like Moire. Most of the cities I''d visited all had better morale and activity than the first village I came to. I didn''t even know that village''s name. Maybe this world was only so horrible to the unfortunate who held no power. Maybe that was how the world was supposed to be. After all, even Darwin wrote about how only the fittest survived. I learned the truth of it the hard way.


    And yet, I couldn''t really accept it.


    "Don''t you want to get in?"


    I was staring at the guild building. It was larger than the inn we were staying in. The building had some sort of different air to it. There were three banners hung from the top of the building. One of them had a serpent-shaped with wings. Maybe the dragon was native to this land? The other two had weird symbols.


    "How come I didn''t see them in Alfeim?"


    "They aren''t allowed to be in the capital for various reasons. Do you want to get in, or go somewhere else?"


    I didn''t understand these various reasons, but I got the picture, elves liked their secrets.


    "Yeah, let''s go in."


    We entered and a bell rang. There were a lot of people here. But the moment we went in, everybody stared at us. Most of them were men but some were women. Everyone looked battle-hardened.


    I thought lady adventurers were supposed to be rare?


    Of course, I only saw three but I never expected to see women as adventurers, the reason being goblins.


    "Don''t just stand there. Let''s go over the counter," Lianne whispered.


    I walked in. "Is it me or are people really staring?"


    "Think of them as potatoes."


    "Funny. The old man said something like that too," I said.


    Well, these days I got used to getting stared at.. But it was still jarring.

 Chapter 196 - Experiencing The Guild After All This Time

    A middle aged woman was at the counter. I expected a beautiful woman to run the counter like the games I used to play. But I guess reality was different. "Welcome. How can I help you?"


    "Can you fill me in on how this works? How I can sell materials and stuff¡­"


    "You would have to register at the guild first. Then we''ll assign ranks based on your aptitude and experience. After that-"


    Things were getting tedious. To sell materials we needed to register first. That was okay and all but we''d get the lowest rank, rookie. Rookies had mandatory jobs so we''d be pretty much slaves if we registered. I didn''t like the sound of it. The way they presented it, had a lot of superficial worshipping. They were treating a job at the guild like some sort of super luxury thing: it definitely wasn''t winning me over. This woman was hell bent on scamming me. But could I actually call it a scam though?


    And she carefully avoided all the dangers a female adventurer might experience. This woman was good. Too good. No wonder she had a job like this.


    "Oh Daarc! I thought you''d come tomorrow morning!"


    It was a familiar voice. I had no intention of hearing it. I turned to leave. There was no more reason to stay here.


    "Don''t go yet!" He grabbed my arm from behind. Damn, this guy was fast.


    I sighed and resigned. "What do you want?"


    The cross-dresser, aka, Jori grinned. "Nothing. I only want to help you. You are here to register at the guild right? How about I offer you some help?"


    Just like that? Why would you help me without profits?


    "What are you going on about? I don''t see you doing anything unless there''s profit for you." And I held nothing back.


    If he couldn''t make a profit, then was it even a business?


    "How rude! I am a very respectable lady I''ll have you know." He actually looked a bit offended.


    I wonder how you see yourself as a lady. Is your head alright?


    Was HE alright?


    He continued. "Besides if you register, both the guild and you''ll profit exponentially. From what I''ve seen you''re a top class adventurer. But even you should know what could happen if someone should ambush you and your party on the road. For that purpose the guild exists. And if you ran into trouble with local thugs or stuff like that the guild''ll protect you. Even if-"


    I had no intention to give in. If he thought he cornered me then he had another thing coming. "Sorry but no thanks. I just came here to see what the fuss was all about. Honestly I think that had more to do with what I saw in games more than what I''ve seen in this world. But from what I can tell I don''t need your protection."


    It was more like nothing in this world could protect at all at this point, but oh well.


    "Game?" Lianne mumbled.


    The guild was relatively quiet when Jori had walked in. But now it exploded with laughter and cheers.


    Where the hell was my, boos and boycotts!?


    "Looks like you got rejected big boss Jori."


    "He got you, good big boss."


    Big boss?


    I was confused and looked at Lianne. "He''s probably one of the upper echelons I told you about," She whispered.


    Should have seen this coming I guess. After all, last time he was with the guild master.


    Jori sighed. "I''ll make an exception. You can trade with the guild and receive fair price. But you won''t have to register and so won''t get any protection. To a broader sense, you won''t be able to go on quests either... as long as you don''t want to that is."


    "I wasn''t planning to either."


    What''s with the sudden change in attitude?


    I had a lot of goblin ears and cactus needles and various other things in my ring. The ears and needles were in the bag I was carrying now. I didn''t want to create a scene so I didn''t use the ring. But I was confident the stuff I had could fetch a good deal.


    But this sudden change of attitude made me wary. What was he up to?


    I still showed off the stuff I wanted to sell, to him. I didn''t want to sell the gemstone the geezer gave me. And I had no plans on selling the crystal of that monster either.


    "Just those? You won''t sell-" Jori was utterly disappointed. The guy was very persistent.


    But I was even sterner. "I believe I already gave you my answer."


    "I know. But it was really a pity you know. I really wanted that stick." He chuckled and led us to the place where we could have the stuff analyzed.


    People whispered all sorts of things. I mostly ignored them.


    ***


    "Anyway, how much is all this?"


    The attendant calculated everything with an abacus and ticked his glasses. "These are really good quality stuff. 120 silvers in total!" The attendant was proud of the price he just declared.


    He was a good-looking guy, flashing his teeth at me from the beginning and giving me the looks, but he was also a complete noob when it came to acting.


    But come to think of it, I''d been stared at almost all the time, but I''d never been hit at. Were people afraid to hit on me for some reason? I certainly wasn''t complaining though.


    "You think that''s fair?" I turned to Lianne and before she could say anything Jori changed a few presets of the abacus.


    "Let''s say you''d be getting 160 silvers and 50 bronze for fun, what do you say?"


    "Big boss?" The attendant couldn''t believe his ears. I didn''t expect such a sudden change of mind either.


    That was more than a thirty percent increase too.


    Lianne smirked. "Pretty generous. Think you can win her heart like this?"


    His! You mean ''his'' heart!


    At this point, I really couldn''t complain about being treated as a girl though.


    I didn''t know why but I felt frustrated beyond reason.


    "My dear even small drops of water can cut through adamantim if you let it drip long enough." Jori smiled triumphantly.


    He had a point. But what the hell was an adamantim? "What-"


    "It''s a rare ore." Lianne shushed me before I could even ask.


    "Oh." I kept my mouth shut.


    Now I was more frustrated.


    "Besides, shouldn''t I be in good terms with an adventurer who defeated two monarchs and went toe to toe with the gods," Jori said loud and clear: he made sure everybody in the whole guild building heard the last part.


    Wait, what?


    "News travels fast, huh?" Lianne remarked like nothing was out of place.


    "What the hell are you people even talking about?" I glared at them in confusion.


    The people around us stared at me with awe like I was some kind of deity. Some even said stuff like,


    "Look she''s so brilliant!"


    "A goddess has descended!"


    "I''m going blind! I''m going blind!"


    "I could die a happy man now. Live well, my sons."


    Thinking of them as potatoes and ignoring them outright wasn''t working. And why the hell were they acting like they''d just achieved enlightenment?


    Things were looking weird- weirder. Lianne and Jori bargained for a long while. Both of them ignored me and went back and forth with what they thought. In the end, the deal was made for 165 silvers and now I was kind of rich.


    Jori came close. "And if you want that magic trick, maybe going on a few of the grand quests might-" Apparently he wanted me to go on a specific quest in the capital if I wanted that magic trick. I actually kind of wanted to know how he could survive while imbuing his head. But oh well. "Do come again." They all waved.


    But I was mentally scarred. A little praise was always fun to have but they''d milked the shit out of my stories. Besides, none of them were my achievements alone. And I never went toe to toe with a God. That was oblivious!


    ***


    We walked out of the building. "I can see your confusion but you can''t stop people from gossiping. This was inevitable." Lianne didn''t give me a chance to ask anything.


    I suppose this was only a matter of time. But I shouldn''t let his bother me. After all rumors are just rumors.


    At least that''s how I consoled myself.


    But I was still kind of thinking all sorts of stuff.


    I steeled my resolve. I couldn''t let gossips get to me. But it really was wearing me out.


    I''d be a guy right after I cross the borders. And I''d also be in a different country. So all this reputation wouldn''t really last. I knew that.


    But it was still exhausting.


    "How come they only knew of those things and not the thing about the emperor? I mean you guys framed me pretty well, right?"


    If my memory served me well, then they''d framed me for everything. Meaning, I was a murderer of the princes and I also almost killed the emperor.


    "They already know. But they don''t care. No one really cares about the elven royalty you know. So when they heard a human gravely injured the emperor and killed a monarch, they rejoiced."


    "But how come they weren''t surprised to know that I wasn''t dead? Wasn''t I supposed to be executed long ago?"

 Chapter 197 - Women Are Scary

    "Actually the rumors regarding your death were all over the place. So some speculated that you escaped and the rumors also went around you being a demigod in disguise. Besides, humans hate elves. So I don''t think they''d try to rat you out anytime soon. And as for the elves, they won''t even dream of harming you as long as you look like that."


    So technically this guise of a woman wasn''t totally pointless apart from soothing Lianne''s heart.


    She might have misunderstood my concerns a bit though. I sighed. "Let''s go get some items and armor."


    "Follow me."


    I followed her and bought quite a few potions and herbs. I had plenty of space, and I could afford the extra. I bought some antidotes and other stuff like that too. I really wanted to buy one high potion for 100 silvers but Lianne dragged me out of the store before I could even touch it.


    In her words ''It''s not worth it.''


    I really wanted it though.


    ***


    Now only the armor remained. But how was I supposed to buy armor for a guy while I was a girl?


    We still walked into an armor shop anyway. I''d brought out my clobbered armor before going in. We were keeping the armor in a bag all this time. Since we couldn''t use the ring in public, or more like I didn''t want to, carrying all this stuff without Servesta''s help was very, very hard.


    An attendant kept us company. It was a pretty big shop. And there was a lot of good stuff. So there were a lot of people here as well. "Something similar to this? I do have them but are you sure you want this? I mean we have armor better suited to you-"


    I''d actually forgotten for a moment that I was a girl right now.


    I made up things on spot. "Actually we''re buying it for our party leader who ran away. Apparently, he''s out seeking company from other girls." The attendant was a girl so she understood what I tried to convey: or so I hoped. I was falling down the rabbit hole more and more by the minute.


    Does this world even have the concept of a party leader?


    "I know right! We could never trust men! But he''s really lucky to have cute girls like you." The shop attendant was actually older than me. So she acted like an older sister. Maybe she didn''t realize that Lianne was an elf?


    Or maybe she just didn''t care and acted like that anyway.


    "Well, our budget is about 100 silvers. So if you have something better, it''d be welcome."


    "Of course! I''ll be right back!" She seemed rather happy when I mentioned the amount. Maybe 100 silvers, was overkill for armor?


    I remembered buying armor for cheap prices like five or six silvers. But I guess 100 silvers or rather, a gold, was worth a lot. It was only enough to buy a single great quality sword though.


    Lianne looked at me with pity. Did I really do something wrong? She came close. "Basically 100 silvers in Alfeime Empire is like ten gold in Moire. Money is actually ten times more valuable here," she whispered.


    My face turned a bit pale, but I just dealt with it.


    That''s a lot of money!


    Ten gold for a single piece of armor?


    Oh boy. I''d just screwed up big time.


    The attendant came back with the manager and we started to get special treatment right away. I guess it really was a lot of money.


    ***


    A private room. Good lighting and the room smelled nice. They were treating us with special care if nothing else.


    We were shown three armors. All three were extravagant in design. They looked rather heavy too.


    "Don''t you have anything light I mean-"


    I mean I was really searching for a way to get out of all this and just buy cheap leather armor or something.


    "Try this!" The woman flashed a smile and pointed at the flashiest one of them all. It glittered with white gems and blue metal. I''d never seen that kind of thing.


    The damn thing reeked of wealth, literally.


    "Me? But-" Did she perhaps forget that I was a girl?


    "Let me clarify. Calm down, dear. No one''s going to force you to wear something like this. Just try to lift it."


    That makes sense.


    But the way she was talking about the armor gave me the vibe that she personally didn''t like it either.


    It was actually rather light, very light. "Wow! It''s so light." Probably even lighter than the stuff I was wearing. Or rather was wearing when I was a guy.


    "The main body is made of Mitrin and this also has a light coating of Adamantim. It''s one of the best armor our shop has."


    Mitrin and Adamantim?


    "Why not name it Adamantite instead of Adamantim? I mean, the first one is obviously better." I was once a hard-core gamer. So the name seemed a little off to me. Hard to imagine something so similar really existed in this world though.


    "I''m amazed you''re stuck on that," Lianne frowned. "But the quality seems to be fair."


    Apparently, my idea was rejected the moment they heard it.


    I turned to the attendant. "This is too flashy. Don''t you think-"


    "That''s why this has to be it. I mean it''s a good product but when your guy friend would wear it, people would steer clear of him and you''ll be able to keep a better leash on him." She winked.


    Is that how it works?


    But wait, aren''t I going to wear this?


    Oh boy.


    Oh boy, oh boy.


    This was bad.


    "You don''t understand-" But I certainly did.


    "We''ll take it!" Lianne said.


    I could see the smirk on her face, right through the veil.


    Evil.


    This woman was pure evil.


    "Lianne I-"


    "I know right? She''s right you know. It''d be for the best." The attendant reassured me with a smile. Women really were scary creatures.. I might have misjudged them: I might have underestimated them.

 Chapter 198 - Interlude: Biteria’s Night Out: Deal Of The Gods

    The Human and the elf were gone, leaving a pretty fluffy bunny behind.


    She was far from home.


    Her home, the island of the great bunnies was a very sacred place for the world of bunnies. Of course many had ventured for that island but most never made it. The few that did never came back.


    To the bunnies that land was the land of gods: paradise. And who''d want to come back from paradise?


    The fluffy bunny didn''t miss her home. Instead she just stared out the window, gazing upon the stars.


    To her, the island wasn''t paradise. After all, she only spent one day there, the day she was born.


    She had a name and she didn''t feel much for the name. She didn''t like it, she didn''t hate it. Frankly, she didn''t feel anything for the name: Biteria. But she''d still respond to that name.


    The meager light of the stars reflected in her large black pupils as she silently gazed at the skies, alone.


    One second she was gazing at the stars, the next second she was gone.


    It was almost as though she was one with the shadows. Fast, and stealthy.


    The night was her hunting time and the city was her hunting ground.


    A sleeping pigeon!


    Her attention was in the max. She located a pigeon on the roof, and without a doubt, climbed in swift motion, breaking the neck in quick succession before shoving it down her throat. She was fast, and she was hungry. But her hunger did get a little sated as she devoured three more pigeons.


    She purred as she gazed at the stars again, totally satisfied. And a second later she noticed something in the distance. There was a guy there, walking towards the inn, drooping as he did.


    Biteria jumped from the roof and landed on her feet like a certain superhero. She hopped like the cute thing she was and moved closer and closer to the drooping guy.


    And once she was there, the guy noticed her.


    Dick Miggins had a terrible night. He was trying to pick up girls, but all he got were rejections. Strangely people would talk to him normally but when he tried to flirt, they''d just leave him. It happened once, it happened twice but then it happened at least a hundred times.


    Dick didn''t know one thing. In this world. Women cared more about strength than looks. And though dick was fairly strong, he did look rather slim and weak. He was not thin by earth''s standards but by this world''s? He was almost like a child. So obviously women avoided kids like him.


    But Dick didn''t know that. To him, he was a failure. And his memories from back home weren''t really helping.


    Being called bro by all his female friends, gave him enough anxiety as it was, and now it was even haunting him in this world.


    And so, the moment he looked at the bunny, his eyes leaked a bit. And with tearful eyes he went closer to Biteria, eventually grabbing her, hugging her, and sniffing. At least the bunny won''t be disgusted by him, and run away, right?


    Biteria almost as though, sensing Dick''s mood, remained cute and cuddly. For once Biteria didn''t bite, and the two of them went into the inn.


    ***


    In the southern corner of the Helsing country, there was a forest and a mountain that no one dared to cross. It wasn''t because of the undead and nor was it because of the monsters: there were none.


    But there was one thing. And that thing being the dragons. And there were at least a hundred different kinds of them: some intelligent and caring while others, totally hostile to anything that wasn''t part dragon.


    The whole valley was named Dragnoid- the dragon''s territory.


    But lately no one really saw many dragons flying around.


    Some speculated that the dragons were dying out. The reasons were all over the place. From being massacred by gods, to being poisoned by humans. All of which seemed implausible at best.


    Dragons were the mightiest creatures alive and their leader was a literal God- The god of courage, Xerphas. There were hundreds of demigods present in the Dragnoid forest. Some of them were hybrids of Alves and dragons while some were just demigods from other races.


    And yet, in recent times, no one really saw many dragons. And no one really knew for sure, why.


    ***


    But within that forest, two creatures who should have never met again met. One was a man hooded in darkness, the other, a mighty dragon.


    "What do you want worm?" The dragon screeched as fire enshrouded its breath.


    "Nothing much. I''ve come to help you in your crusade. That snake''s apostle is there, and this is just entertaining." The hooded man''s voice reeked of hatred, but his chuckles reached far and wide.


    The mighty dragon hissed. "I do not require the help from the likes of you!"


    "I''ve already given Damsel sleep. I assure you, I can make things easy if you should accept one of my conditions." The man showed the dragon a glowing gem, proof of his victory over Damsel.


    "Damsel?" The dragon questioned and became saner. "What say you?"


    The hooded man''s lips curled up. "You see¡­."


    And an hour later, mighty dragons filled up the sky, clouding the stars and roaring, shaking the very world. They were about to wage war.


    ***


    "Well, that worked out?" A demon approached the hooded man.


    It was night and nobody was in the vicinity, at least nobody the two was aware of.


    "Oh? Did Namcha send you?"


    "Yes, my lord." The demon bowed. He was every bit of human beauty personified. If it weren''t for his blood-red eyes and two mighty horns, no one could even begin to fathom that he was in fact, a demon.


    "Namcha? Namcha Millianase?" Someone spoke from the shadows. "So you were playing us?" A woman, no, a man walked towards the duo. He was clothed in scaled armor and looked humanoid in form. He was a hybrid of Dragons and Alves.


    Two duo never sensed the man''s presence.


    "Looks like my time here has come to an end. I''ll leave the rest to you. Please ensure that we are not disturbed." The hooded man turned to mist and a demonic chuckle filled the air.


    The demon gave a brief bow and readied his rapier.


    "Damn you!" The half-dragon rushed with his blood spear but he was intercepted by the demon.


    "Sorain. One of the seven. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." The demon courteously introduced himself.


    "Move it, you vile creature. I don''t time for-" But this was no weakling demon and the half-dragon knew it from the moment their spear and swords crossed.


    And so a legendary battle took place in the Dragnoid forest, a battle forgotten in history: only to be remembered by the half-dragon himself.

 Chapter 199 - Doubts: Does My Opinion Even Matter?

    Lianne bargained on my behalf and the attendant settled for 91 silvers. She did take the old battered armor from us though.


    I had no idea what they were going to use it for, but at least I got some discount.


    "Normally I''d charge more than 100 but I like you guys, so I''ll keep it to 91."


    The attendant had taken over the whole sale. The manager just looked from a distance and so did I.


    I''m pretty sure you say that to everyone and make them feel good when you sell them something.


    It was common business practice after all.


    But it does make me feel good though.


    "So anything else?" The attendant gave me a glance and then turned to Lianne.


    I was just extra baggage, huh?


    "I don''t thi-"


    Lianne didn''t let me finish. It was like those times when your parents take you to a clothes shop but they don''t let you choose. "A good quality crossbow would be nice."


    Apparently, I didn''t have a say in this.


    So me trying, made me feel nothing more than just embarrassed.


    But I did feel better knowing I wouldn''t have to chew on my arrows every so often.


    Lianne picked a bow among the stuff that was showcased. "What do you think of this?"


    Is there even a point in asking me?


    I still held it and tried moving it around. It was lighter than Lianne''s one and seemed kind of flimsy: but more importantly, I could use it with just a hand. "It seems a little light. Would I be able to fire long-range and multiple shots with this?"


    I hadn''t seen people use multiple shots in this world. The closest I saw was with Jowy. He shot consecutive shots like it was nothing.


    "I think this would be the most suitable for you."


    And you''re not going to answer me, are you?


    I sighed and resigned. We bought the bow for three silvers and one hundred metal-tipped small arrows for another two silvers. These things weren''t all that cheap considering that money in this place had ten times more value.


    I was tempted to buy a shield too, but then I realized, I didn''t actually have a left arm.


    The attendant had a nice smile on her face the entire time. She waved us out. People in this world wave a lot, huh?


    "What now?" I wondered aloud. Everything was mostly done.


    "Well, let''s see, how about you aim for that tree with this branch?" Lianne grabbed a small branch, tipped it so that it resembled something like an arrow.


    "Now, here?"


    "I''m just assessing you, so don''t worry."


    "Alright." Even using the crossbow was hard with just one hand. I had to insert the arrow with my mouth, as usual. And here I thought my arrow kissing days were over.


    With a sigh, I took aim and fired. It was a lot better than using bows. And for once, I got into ten-centimeter radius of my aiming spot.


    My face lit up. I was proud of my achievement.


    Lianne sighed. "I guess it was my fault for believing, you''d miraculously get better." She sighed again.


    "¡­"


    ***


    I was getting pretty hungry. I hadn''t had any meat in ages. The ages being two days. It felt more or less like an eternity though.


    And carrying all these bags around made me even hungrier.


    "Want to dine out or at the inn?" Lianne sensed my hunger. I didn''t know how she did it, but she was good when it came to perception.


    "The inn would be better." I liked street food but I didn''t want to run into Dick.


    I had a feeling he wouldn''t be too happy to see me.


    "Okay."


    We headed back but on the way, I spotted some skewered meat and bought them as appetizers. They were good enough.


    ***


    "Those wings," I pointed at a shop. They had wings on display.


    Ever since I came to this city, the thought of flying really made me excited. And I was going to buy them too. But the stuff from the guild and other shopping sessions made me forget about the wings altogether.


    "Yes. You can buy them and if you can manipulate mana you could even glide."


    Just what I wanted to hear.


    "Think I can manage?" I had to ask. Wasn''t it mankind''s long-lost dream to fly?


    "It would be a little difficult than just to reinforce your armor but I think you could if you practiced enough."


    "Let''s buy one!" I was pretty excited. I wanted to buy one right away. And fly too if possible.


    It''d be more like gliding though.


    "No. they are too expensive. We could always buy from the second-hand shops tomorrow. But they''d pretty much be useless outside of this town."


    She couldn''t have said something more depressing. I almost cried.


    ***


    The inn was busier than before. We saw a familiar face inside. He was too busy sulking and drinking while complaining to a cute bunny right next to him. Who''d have thought Biteria would act as a counselor to a drunken Dick?


    We went close to his table and sat there. "Hic* hey guys how''s it going?" He was having lots of hiccups. He wasn''t used to drinking and that was clear. His bottle was barely empty. He probably didn''t even have two glasses. And yet he was wasted.


    "We''re good. What happened to you?"


    "They all ran away¡­" he paused. "The girls¡­ all ran away¡­" He actually had tears in his eyes. Did he seriously believe that girls would just flock around him for no good reason other than his face? He had a good face so he probably did think that.


    But if one thing I learned in this world, strength, and fame mattered more than just looks.


    But then there was Gorgan, that damned enemy of all men.


    Drinking in this world wasn''t all that prohibited to anyone but wasn''t he a minor? Shouldn''t he have considered not drinking? I guess I had no right to say anything to him about it.


    "What about food, did you have any?"


    "No." He looked so miserable when he answered. I almost felt bad.


    Lianne promptly ordered food for us and we all made ourselves comfortable.


    Dick was already too wasted to eat anything. He''d probably throw up. So it was only the three of us who ate. Yes, Biteria ate with us. Servesta wasn''t here.


    The food was pretty good. It was fried rice with shrimps and meat soup. They had cream rolls for dessert. Not bad at all.


    Dick squirmed as he spotted my armor. "You are a girl and she''s a girl. So is that for me?" That was the first time he looked so innocent. I was holding the armor in a bag. It wasn''t heavy so I had no problems carrying it around on my back. I looked kind of weird though.


    I wanted to pop it into the ring, but I couldn''t avoid the eyes, so I kept it around.


    "No. not really. I bought it for myself."


    I''m done telling lies. One lie would only birth more.


    Whoever came up with the phrase ''one lies begets a hundred'' must have really been a genius or a heavenly saint. Either way, he was right. "You can have it though if you want it." Of course, I''d wring the money out of him in that case, but it didn''t hurt to offer.


    He was disappointed but he didn''t say a word.


    Dinner was over and we carried Dick back to his room. Servesta was there.


    "If he wakes up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, give him these." I''d saved some dessert for him. The poor guy had nothing to eat, and it was kind of my fault. It was the least I could do.


    Servesta just nodded.


    This time we''d taken two doubles. They didn''t have singles available. So me and Lianne ended up sharing the room.

 Chapter 200 - Just One Wasn’t Enough?

    "This city is actually pretty nice." The bed was comfy too.


    Lianne was lying down as well. "Yes. It is beautiful but even so, I love my country more. My horrible, horrible country." She didn''t stutter for a second.


    We didn''t look at each other, rather, the ceiling. The ceiling in question had nothing, just wood.


    A small chandelier was too much of a luxury I guess.


    Is it me or is she too close?


    This was supposed to be a double. But apparently, the beds were joint. Just who the hell came up with this idea?


    "Horrible country, huh?" I snorted. Not out of spite, but out of regret. She was right. Her legacy was built on the suffering of others. And I was kind of weaved into all this because of all that conspiracies and prophecies.


    "I didn''t know my entire lineage was this horrible. My father¡­." she stopped. "I never knew he was the cause of all this."


    She wasn''t that sad. Maybe she was just good at hiding her feelings.


    Of course, I blamed her father, but I knew immortality was a very powerful dream. People dreamed of it all the time. I once did too. But when I understood the world some more, even living this short life felt like a drag. And living for all eternity? I wasn''t that stupid, no sir.


    "What would you do about that?" I didn''t know if she understood what I meant. She now knew the truth of her curse. So her goal was should have been fulfilled.


    "I''ll keep looking. Just as I''ve always been. Nothing''s changed really. I only know some new things that''s all." Lianne looked at me and smiled. "Maybe before I turn, I''ll be able to find how to get rid of mana." She tilted her head a little. "Would you help me?"


    "I suppose that''s the way things are. I''d love to help you but I have my own problems. I have less than 7 months to actually become strong enough to stand up to that demon." I sighed and I knew Lianne understood. "But now that your goal, coming along with me is over, we''d part our way here, won''t we?"


    Lianne only came along to meet the grand mage. And now that she achieved her goal, I didn''t see any reason for her to stay with us.


    "What are you talking about?" She looked confused. "Didn''t I make myself clear that I won''t leave before the border? Besides, I have to teach you how to use bows and that scepter!"


    She was confusing me more and more. I couldn''t see why she''d want to stick with me and teach me anymore. After all, wasn''t her goal fulfilled? I got mixed feelings. But for the time being, I trusted her.


    But more importantly, I would have to cope with that hellish training again?


    Just the thought made me depressed.


    I smiled bitterly. I brought it on myself. "Sorry."


    "Don''t be. What about you?"


    I didn''t expect her to ask me that. It was only natural I guess. I gave it a long thought. "My goal hasn''t changed. I''ll train, beat the emperor and go home."


    I had roughly seven months. And with my current condition, it was hard to imagine I could stand up to the emperor let alone even hope to win. So I needed power and I knew I needed it bad.


    But home huh? Did I really want to go back home? Nothing was waiting for me back home and this world wasn''t all that livable either. I really was in a dilemma.


    "I suppose that''s how it should be." She smiled, but something about that smile struck me as sad.


    I smiled as well. "Good night."


    "Good night."


    Biteria was now with Lianne. I didn''t know what went through the bunny''s head but it definitely had some intelligence.


    ***


    What is this?


    I was yet again in the middle of the sky. The air was warm and comfortable. Something was amiss. Last time I saw something like this, a lot of bad things happened. But this time things were different. I wasn''t alone. There were countless things flying with me.


    Flaps of wings. And the wind. The hisses and the groans. There was more than just one.


    Dragons!


    There were lights below. But one thing caught my eyes immediately. Flying pigs. I knew exactly where I was and where the monsters were. Things were even worse than before.


    A town was about to be destroyed.


    I have to wake up! I have to warn everyone! I have to!


    I forced myself. But I couldn''t wake up.


    What is this!


    I didn''t stop. I focused my mana and struggled as much I could. I couldn''t wake up.


    Oh no! If I don''t wake up now, I won''t be able to warn anyone! Wake up!!!


    I screamed but there was no voice. My body wouldn''t move. It wasn''t my body.


    I have to wake up! Now!


    I struggled to the best of my abilities. It was like I was tearing my own conscience open.


    My eyes opened.


    ***


    I breathed hard and there were sweats all over and around me: The bed was drenched. Lianne was right next to me. Confused at what just happened.


    "You-you have to warn them. Dragons- a lot of dragons-" I panted. I was out of breath. My head throbbed. They weren''t far away.


    "Understood." Lianne dashed out of the room and I made a decision.


    The bangle in my arm flashed with brilliance but I couldn''t fight in this body.


    Looks like I might actually get executed this time.


    I removed it and my body started to slowly change. My family jewels had returned and my chest wasn''t as heavy anymore.


    My hair was shorter and I had facial hair.


    I touched my jewels just to make sure they were here. They were.


    A surge of relief coursed through me, even in this moment of urgency.


    Didn''t think I''d be wearing this armor so soon.


    My body grew: my grin grew wider as well: this bracelet really was a mystery to me. Perhaps it was something out of my comprehension.


    But I was really glad, it returned my jewels to me.


    My body felt a bit numb and maybe a little sore, but it was all good.


    The armor was too flashy, so I didn''t really want to wear it though.

 Chapter 201 - Should I Really Be This Optimistic?

    "Ungh! My head hurts¡­" Dick groggily opened the door.


    "We got to move, the dragon''s back."


    "Wait, who? Who are you?" He was confused. If he wasn''t drunk I''d have probably punched him.


    "This isn''t the time for this you, moron. Did your brain malfunction or something?"


    "Daarc? Wait what the hell is going on?"


    I sighed in frustration. "You gotta be kidding me. How could you already forget my face?"


    He groaned. "How could this be! Damn! I didn''t even get the chance to kiss her yet."


    I stared at him without a word. Did I seriously need to go through this now?


    "Anyway what''s up with the commotion?" he held his head in his hand. He was barely awake. And the fact that I wasn''t a girl anymore bothered him more than anything else.


    "The dragon, he''s back. And he brought friends."


    He pondered for a moment and let it all sink in. "What!" He stretched his surprise somewhat and glared at me. "Maybe I shouldn''t have agreed to take you with us in the first place." He sighed. The guy had a bad case of a hangover.


    I guess all of this was a bit too much for him to handle for his dehydrated brain.


    "Too late now."


    "You talk like it''s not your problem." He groaned again.


    Siren like bells started ringing. It was more or less the middle of the night. So the siren felt rather loud. "Looks like they''re already here."


    I really wished they hadn''t but this was bad.


    "They? You don''t mean?" His face went pale- more like paler.


    "He''s bringing friends: Didn''t you hear me before?"


    Small drops of sweat appeared on his face.


    He probably thought one dragon was trouble but manageable. But the idea of multiple ones was something he didn''t even want to have nightmares about. "Te-tell me, how many friends are we talking about?"


    "Ten-twelve maybe?" I knew one thing for sure, I didn''t know anything. "I''d suggest you to run away while you have the chance. I''m pretty sure it''s coming for me." I''d already dragged him in my business more than enough. I didn''t want to endanger his life any further.


    "What are you talking about? Aren''t we friends?"


    I actually didn''t expect that. "And you''d throw your life for a friend you don''t even know about?"


    "Yes!" I might have misjudged him. "Besides, how can I just abandon all the ladies of this town? And if I let you die I''d never see that your beautiful face again!"


    Okay, I definitely misjudged him.


    "Anyway, get ready." I had to do something about the whole situation as well. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed more or less like my fault. I couldn''t just drag in innocent bystanders in this.


    "Understood." Servesta was listening to us rather attentively.


    I hadn''t seen him but if he heard what I said then I had one less thing to worry about.


    At least someone understood things.


    "Looks like you''re already pretty ready," Dick pointed at me.


    I was rocking the new armor and Boriosa''s robe: it functioned more like a cape though. I looked flashier than I wanted but it was the best I could hope for.


    I was even wearing Boriosa''s pants. After a wash, all of his clothes came out neat and clean. The clothes were the best I saw in this world and I really hoped he''d forgive me for wearing them.


    I grinned. "Alright since they''re here for me, I''m going out of the town. Maybe I''d be able to negotiate something. But if that fails at least the town won''t be in immediate danger. Meanwhile, you can do something about the dragons if they appear. And since they know about the mystic stuff, let''s give ''em a good show."


    "Not the best of plans. But I don''t have anything better. goo''luck!" He spread his arms for a shake. After a brief second, I spread my hand and met his. His attitude towards me sure had changed when I changed back.


    This guy only ticked for women, I guess.


    "See ya later." I didn''t mind it though.


    I ran out of the inn.


    ***


    The whole city was in a panic. Sleeping people woke up in the middle of the night hearing sirens. I''d have been surprised if there was no panic.


    People ran around, aimlessly. The guards were overloaded with stress and the sheer magnitude of the panic.


    The sky was littered with black things that had wings. They hadn''t attacked yet. It was almost as if they were waiting for something.


    So you really are here for me.


    Was I wearing something like a trouble magnet? Why did these things always have to target me?


    "Daarc!" Lianne ran towards me. "What now?"


    I guess she was done warning the guards.


    "I''m planning on getting out of the town and negotiating with him," I said.


    "But that''s reckless!" I was glad to see she didn''t mind my transformation at least.


    "Well, we don''t really have a choice."


    "And why are you like this? The monster won''t be able to recognize you! Turn back." I might have spoken too soon.


    "Oh, he''ll recognize me alright. At first, I thought we were connected or something. But he was beaming onto me like a missile. He was using my subconscious to find me."


    And more importantly, he could smell Trerortra''s blood in me.


    Well, it was more like my theory because no matter what trouble always found me no matter where I went.


    She held my hands. "I won''t stop you. But promise me you won''t do anything rash."


    Why is everyone talking like they won''t see me again? Come on people be a little more optimistic.


    I smiled. "Of course. Take care of the little bunny, will ya!" I ran. I didn''t let her say anything. I knew she''d worry but I didn''t have a choice.


    Speaking of the bunny, I actually hadn''t seen the little devil after waking up.

 Chapter 202 - Dragons Spit Fire. DUHHHH!

    I was fairly close to the city gates. They were locked: obviously. I had no time to convince any guards so I ran up the walls and jumped out. The guards yelled a lot of things but I ignored them. The guards probably thought I was some sort of idiot or maybe a deserter.


    I couldn''t lie, I might have been the former.


    Once at a fair distance, I focused my mind and shouted. "Hey! I''m over here!" I got the impression that the dragon would be able to hear me.


    Why or how? I had no idea. But I hoped.


    This whole seemed like a very bad idea. If it did notice me then I''d be living through hell. If it didn''t, then that was a pretty bad scenario as well. All in all, this was bad and I knew it.


    But I didn''t have a choice.


    As expected, the biggest one, the grand monster turned its head towards me. But it didn''t move. The other ones didn''t move either.


    Something isn''t right here. As I thought that I heard something behind me.


    One of the dragons came roaring but instead of a talk, I met flames.


    Where the hell did you come from!


    "Damn!" I jumped sideways and barely survived. "Hey! Let''s talk first!"


    This dragon was more or less like a European one. Its eyes were really black and something felt odd. And it didn''t even try to converse. It just threw breath after breath. It was like an oversized flamethrower.


    I never thought it''d try to scorch me without even saying the usual villain dialogs! What was I expecting, sunshine and rainbows?


    The blue crystal was ready at my disposal.


    I need all the help I can get.


    I knew I shouldn''t have used it nonchalantly and I also didn''t want to use it all together for personal reasons, but I was alone at the moment and since this thing wasn''t willing to talk, I had to act quickly.


    I grabbed it but nothing happened. Frustrated I just dodged. "Looks like you can''t really count on anything other than yourself!"


    Things happened too fast and it was harder and harder to dodge. My wounds were fully healed for once, so dodging was easier than blocking. And I had no intention of blocking a truck-sized dragon''s breath or tail. Moreover, the damn thing was standing on four legs, meaning it was more agile than I thought.


    I played a lot of videogames in my life and in those things the characters always had a time window for attacks and the dragons had delays. This thing? This thing had no delays and it sure wasn''t letting me breathe.


    My body moved fast and easily. The new armor helped. The robe was pretty neat. And I topped it all out with Imbuition.


    But I won''t be able to dodge forever.


    I had to think of something.


    Does holy work on dragons?


    I didn''t have time to dwindle. I dashed for the dragon''s foot and swarmed my sword in holy magic. A full swing! It was too hard. My sword made a clang but still cut into the dragon''s scales. The cut wasn''t deep. The dragon roared and kicked me back. My stomach took a solid hit and I threw up a spoon full of blood. But one thing was clear. Holy was still effective.


    I groaned and grinned.


    Things always have to be like this, huh?


    The combo of robe, armor, and magic worked like a charm. If even one of them were missing I''d probably be lying on the ground.


    I focused on my breathing and mana. Small balls of holy magic manifested and I threw them straight for the dragon''s face. While it was occupied with the balls I threw my sword in the ring and brought out the mystic blade. If talking was a no-go then beating it up was the only option.


    I avoided the legs and once again made my way to the bottom. This time I used the full force of the blade and spiraled up, tearing its flesh as I went. The dragon screeched and tried to kick me again but I jumped back before it could do so. Its head fell on the ground and it breathed rapidly. With another screech, its breathing slowed and it passed out.


    It can''t over that easily right?


    My breathing was rapid and my heart raced. I scanned the surroundings and nothing really changed. The dragons up in the air were still there. They didn''t pay any attention to me.


    What the hell is going on?


    "Bravo! Bravo!" Someone clapped and praised me. I''d heard that voice before.


    I shouldn''t have asked.


    "Who''s there! Show yourself!" I might have sounded more cheesy than intended but I was pretty exhausted just from the fight with the dragon. So I was more than just agitated to find out I was not alone. And not to mention I hadn''t noticed someone being near me even now.


    "I''d expect no less from Both Namcha''s and Trerortra''s favorite."


    My eyes sharpened. The voice might have been without malice but it definitely didn''t belong to any human: it was deep, masculine and I''d heard it before. I could feel it in my bones.


    And the way this guy nonchalantly mentioned the name of two very powerful beings, was proof enough that this guy wasn''t human at least.


    "And you are?" I checked all my surroundings but I couldn''t find the source of the voice.


    "I have many names. Perhaps you''ve already heard of me." This voice came from the top of the dragon. I hurriedly turned my head. There he was cloaked in dark. Even a second ago he wasn''t there. I had to take it more seriously.


    "Sorry, my memory is a bit messy¡­"  I tried to bait him out. He seemed rather familiar but I couldn''t remember. Maybe my memory really got messed up.


    "How disappointing! And I thought you''d thank me for that gift the last time." He held his head in his hand. I couldn''t see the face.


    Last time? Gift?


    I looked at him carefully.


    That hood! That''s right!


    It was the same guy who saved in the sacred forest and gave me an elixir. It wasn''t like I forgot him; it was more like I didn''t want to remember that incident.

 Chapter 203 - Suddenly A Wild Bunny Appeared

    "You''re from that forest."


    I kept full eyes on my surroundings. Nothing was amiss and the dragons were still up in the air doing nothing, almost as if waiting for someone of thing.


    "Ah, you do remember." His voice seemed a little more jubilant.


    "Would you mind explaining all this to me? I can''t seem to understand what''s going on."


    I lowered my sword. It wasn''t because I trusted him. But I wanted him to let his guard down and tell me. Judging by his appearance he could very well have been the mastermind. And he was too nonchalant. Meaning I didn''t have any way to harm him- at least that''s what he probably thought.


    "You appear dumb but actually are pretty smart, aren''t you?"


    "Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I grinned. Things weren''t getting anywhere. "How do you know about me? And how did you know about Namcha and Trerortra?"


    "Good question. First comes introductions I suppose. I am Ashirnae, the god of the underworld. I go by many more names. But I''m sure you''ve heard of the one Jamsau, right?" His voice deepened.  "That was given to me by Trerortra himself."


    He didn''t seem like those monsters and he looked fairly humanoid. But then again I never saw his face, so I couldn''t tell. But strangely I got the feeling, this guy wasn''t dead like the rest.


    "I see. Makes sense. So what are you doing here? Making the gods kill each other wasn''t enough?" I grinded my teeth but controlled my feelings.


    Ashirnae- the God of the underworld was said to be the root of all evil by most of the people I''ve come across. I wasn''t dumb enough to act on folklore, but both the old man and Sisrael had said the same. Meaning, this guy was bad news and I knew it.


    However they also told me things about how men screwed up, so I couldn''t do anything rash- at least not while there were literal dragons flying around.


    "You know me so well. It was entertaining but Trerortra was too powerful. He almost killed me too." He playfully chose his words. He was enjoying this. But it almost felt like he was hiding something.


    I controlled my irritation and rage. The one who screwed the whole wide world was in front of me and I had to watch and pretend to be not angry.


    What a joke!


    But I needed answers. "So? Why are you here now?"


    "A little slow on the uptake? I suppose that much is expected. You are a mortal after all. For fun of course. Everything is for entertainment. The underworld is too boring you know."


    Wasn''t the underworld a place where evil people got punished? So punishing people wasn''t fun anymore? I didn''t know much about the underworld, but he was right, it sure didn''t sound like a fun place.


    "So your idea of entertainment is to bring an army of dragons and a God to this puny town and parading?"


    How was this dude different from the demon emperor then?


    "Ha ha h a ha. Of course not. My idea of fun is simple. They destroy the town while you try to stop them." He laughed. My eyes roared with disgust. "And I''d like to see how you fare against a god without interference as well. He wants to know too. Besides, I have to know if you possess it or not: and I also have high hopes for you."


    "You''re not making any sense. How is this entertainment? How''s killing innocent beings entertainment?" My mind snapped but I still managed to hold my anger even if just a little.


    "Innocent? Are you referring to those vermin as innocent? Are you aware of all the atrocities you mortals commit?" If he didn''t have a hood his eyes probably would have displayed nothing but madness. He wasn''t something I could reason with. "You humans are the worst of all the creations. I gave you desire, I gave you love, I gave you magic and you all forgot about me and worshipped the other ''better'' gods," he roared, composed himself, and cleared his throat. "Excuse me. It seems spending a few thousand years doing nothing really eats you up." He was mad.


    I took deep breaths. For some reason, I was already out of breath. "Tell me, why''d you help me back then?"


    "Entertainment-"


    "Sorry but I''m not buying it." It was a bluff. I wanted to see his true intentions.


    He chuckled. "You are really too good. Maybe I should give you more credit. Alas! The time for me to depart has come. Oh and I wouldn''t rely too much on that shiny rock. I put him to sleep and no matter how much regenerative strength he has even he won''t be able to come back to alive for at least a few days." He chuckled uncontrollably. "And don''t keep Xerphas waiting so long. He''s a little impatient you see."


    "What are you aiming to do?" I had to ask. He was the only full-fledged god alive that I knew of and yet he was destroying the very world he was supposed to protect.


    "To create a world where gods wouldn''t- no a world where only fun exists. A world where there are no more monsters. Something like: your world perhaps." He laughed ominously. "Don''t let me down now."


    A world without gods? Is that what he tried to say? But why would he-


    "Wait!" Reality sunk back in and I tried to chase after him but the dragon woke up and flicked me back.


    Damn it, not now!


    With a loud roar, the Dragon woke up and the Jam-whatever guy disappeared.


    I drank a potion and focused my mana again. The moment he left the dragons in the sky started to move.


    I could see fires from here. Things weren''t looking good.


    Oh boy.


    The big long dragon- the god, wasn''t moving. But the other ones were basically laying waste to the city.


    Oh boy, oh boy.


    I''d made an error in my judgment. And now I had to rectify it. But the dragon stood in my way.


    Guess, I should just stick to forests. At least that way, people won''t be hurt.


    My mind was kind of going funny over the whole thing.


    Suddenly a wild bunny appeared.

 Chapter 204 - Maybe I Wasn’t As Smart As I Thought I Was

    "Bunny buns, get out of the way." I didn''t want the cute bunny to die in front of me so I grit my teeth and prepared myself. It was the same bunny we met back in the wilderness. The same brown fluff of goodness: my love.


    The dragon howled and prepared to fire an all-out attack. It was critically wounded and I was at a fair distance. Not the best combo. What''s worse the cute bunny was right in front of me. If I decided to dodge, the bunny would die but if I tried to take it head-on, I''d probably be the one who''d die. But given the scope of what''s to come, dodging wasn''t the best solution either. "Here''s goes nothing."


    I focused mana and concentrated it in front of me. If I had enough force I could block it with my magic, at least that''s what I thought. The bunny hopped around like none of this had anything to do with it. I narrowed my eyes. I didn''t know if I''d be able to block it or not but I had to.


    Mana swirled in the air, creating small balls of light. They were roughly the size of a water droplet but numbering at least a thousand. I didn''t know if this was going to work or not, but I had to try.


    But, as I thought I''d soon be charred, my body began to glow. It wasn''t my usual light, it wasn''t my mana. The light was pale blue.


    Is the gem working all of a sudden? But didn''t he say? No, this is¡­


    It wasn''t the gem. It was something else. Last time when I used the gem my body glowed a dark shade of blue and my left hand had regrown but this time nothing like that happened. Whatever it was, I didn''t have time to worry about it. The giant holy light in front of me got coated with a blue tint and glowed in a similar light and the air around me felt cold.


    Well, that''s new.


    I didn''t know why but I felt nostalgia with this magic.


    Maybe the knowledge Boriosa gave me, finally, started working? I had no idea, really.


    The dragon fired its breath and I combined all the small droplets, forming a massive ball. I fired the ball of cold light: it sped ahead, spinning violently. A weird combination but an effective one. The ball cut through the flame- mostly intact- and banged against the dragon''s head, like an icicle. Steam sprayed everywhere like mist. The dragon groaned and couldn''t open its eyes.


    There''s my chance.


    I ran at full force and repeated just like last time, tearing through the flesh. This time ice formed in its wounds and it fell for good.


    I doubled checked just in case. It was totally dead.


    If just one takes this much effort¡­ my face went pale.


    But what was that power?


    I rechecked the gem. As expected, it was dormant. I looked around. The bunny was gone again and I stopped glowing. It couldn''t have been a spirit, right? It was the only explanation I could think of.


    But if holy works like light, couldn''t I heat up the surrounding as well?


    I still didn''t understand much about magic and most of my discoveries were through experiments as even Lianne couldn''t really tell me much about the holy element. But I didn''t have time for experiments.


    However, now I was faced with a dilemma. The dragons and the god were too much for me to confront. But there was another option.


    What if I ran away?


    I couldn''t just ignore the thought. No, it was a better option, at least for me.


    Thousands would die. But, I''d live.


    My friends would die, but I''d live.


    But would I be able to live with myself?


    Would I really be able to live with myself?


    What was more important? Living a life full of regrets or trying to live without any, though knowing you''d almost certainly die?


    Honestly, I didn''t know the answer. So, instead of thinking too damn much about it, I thought about my friends, I thought about the people who gave their lives for me, and I ran for the city gates.


    I was confused and bewildered but I had no time to lose. The city was already ablaze. I had to hurry.


    ***


    The gates were locked and there were no guards this time. I had no chance of climbing up either.


    What am I supposed to do now?


    Every second lost might have been catastrophic. People were screaming and houses were burning. I didn''t have time to gaze upon a wall in the hopes of someone coming to my rescue.


    But then again, how come people weren''t running away from the city? How come everyone was still inside?


    I didn''t know.


    I had only one hand. I had to make a decision. I brought out the knife and shoved it into the wall. The decision was made.


    It was almost impossible to climb with just one hand but I did not give up: I couldn''t. I made small holes with the knife and used them as footing. With sheer willpower, I climbed almost to the top but that was it. The breeze from the ground helped significantly but that was as far as I could go.


    My grip started to slip. I''d fall in a matter of seconds.


    I can''t even climb a damn wall? How would I save the people?


    I grinded my teeth and in a last attempt, I put all my weight into action and kicked the wall with all my strength. It was a stone wall but the stone itself was fairly light. Suffice to say I broke through it and broke some stuff in my own body as well. I was leaking from various places and few people that saw me crawl up from the debris looked at me with awe and shock.


    I breathed but it hurt. I stood but it stung. I smiled but my body throbbed.


    And I just recovered a day ago too.


    At least I got in the city.


    I popped a potion open and drank it. It healed the superficial wounds but the deep ones and broken bones weren''t all that healed. But I could move around.


    Next time I''ll go somewhere where there aren''t any of these damn things.


    I really needed a long vacation.


    ***


    Screams, cries, roars filled the air. The smell of smoke and burning drifted as well. Burned people smelled the worst. I felt like throwing up.


    The dragons never came down. They were above the city destroying everything from afar. The city guards fired arrows and javelins but they weren''t enough. Fire was everywhere and people panicked, running around aimlessly in a desperate attempt to cling to their life. And yet, the gates were closed, and no one could get out. It was pandemonium.


    I couldn''t spot Dick or Lianne.


    "Hey, you! What are you doing! If you want to fight then get into formation. If you want to run then head north!" A guard yelled at me from behind. It was the same guard who stopped us earlier. He was pretty blunt. But I''d already decided on my destination. It was atop the city, in the middle. The so-called God was up there.  "Hey! I''m talking to you!" Since I didn''t reply he started yelling even louder.


    He did give me a nice piece of information though. People were running but they were running in the opposite direction, to the north.


    I guess people weren''t as dumb as I thought they were. But this also didn''t mean they were smart either.


    "Sorry but I''m not listening."


    I looked for wings. I had to go up. I had to meet the dragon head-on. I couldn''t just let everyone die because of me.


    He sighed with disapproval. "Suit yourself." He ran elsewhere.


    I recognized my surroundings. I''d been here before, with Lianne. I made my way to the store that sold wings.


    It was closed.


    I really didn''t like this. Nothing went my way today.


    Do I have to break in?


    "Daarc!" Jori yelled from a distance.


    A second more and I might have actually become a burglar.

 Chapter 205 - Taunt And Run!

    "You sure seem busy!" I was a bit flustered to be almost caught in the act, but I calmed myself.


    Jori had been with a lot of adventurers. I didn''t know what they were doing but things weren''t looking too pretty.


    "Guess I don''t have to explain all that much. Anyway, the guild will like to issue a quest for you. Occupy those damn things as long as the evacuation goes. I know you''ve got the skills and guts. If you need help we''re all here for you." He had conviction in his eyes. They all had. They weren''t just doing this for money or glory. They were doing it for the people.


    I most certainly hoped so.


    I couldn''t have asked for anything better.


    The opportunity just flew my way. Now no one would get in my way and they''d help me achieve my goal too. "I need wings. And how far has the evacuation proceeded?"


    "We haven''t even started yet!" One of the guys handed me wings. The guy''s voice was so loud that it was like he was yelling in my ear. I guess I already knew that.


    The wings were made from leather and feathers. "But would you be able to fly with these? I mean no offense but don''t you need magic?" The adventurer was skeptical.


    In that case, things will be rough.


    "If you see any of my companions let them know where I''m going. And don''t send in weaklings. I don''t want them dying on me." I tried a sound a little cool, but I was definitely out of my depth.


    Besides, I didn''t want more deaths on my conscience.


    "Are you even listening to me?"


    I ignored the loud guy and put on the wings.


    Let''s see, how about.


    I covered it with mana and hovered. "Woah! Ah! Ohh!" I was basically drifting around. I had no control at all.


    Calm down! Calm down. Think of it as a game.


    I went back and forth, left and right, up and down, and almost crashed into a nearby building. This was worse than my voyage at sea.


    But I kept on trying.


    I controlled my breathing and eventually, the swaying stopped, more like stabilized.


    "I''d expect no less from you. Anyway, if I ran into them I''ll let them know. And if you have to fight in the town take it southeast. We''re evacuating the people to the north," Jori explained.


    "Gotcha."


    "Good luck, my lovely Daarc." His last words and the tone sent a chill down my spine.


    I focused my mana and slowly went up.


    My shoulder feels heavy¡­


    I turned to look and the brown bunny was here yet again. But I had bigger things to worry about than bunnies or spirits.


    But yeah, it did feel better to know that I had some company.


    Every dragon was going on a frenzy but the leader was hovering in the middle of the city looking all pretty. The dragons were all around me but they hadn''t noticed me yet.


    This was my chance and I couldn''t miss it.


    I brought out my bow: it was already loaded with seven arrows. My aim was terrible but the target was very big. I didn''t even have time to practice with my new bow: so I was counting on that one shot I took just outside. But it didn''t matter now. "Alright bunny buns. Do your thing."


    I received a purr in reply and my body glowed in a soft azure glow.


    So you really are a spirit.


    The dragons around me noticed me almost immediately.


    Better make this quick.


    I could barely hover so dodging midair was nigh impossible. I quickly took aim and shot an arrow coated with ice.


    A dragon was very close to me. Immediately, I stopped sending mana to the wings and managed to escape the fire, by falling down. I got ignition. In fact, now my wings were literally on fire. Oh no!


    But the fire went out before I could react. I poured mana again and didn''t fall to my death.


    "That was close. Thank you bunny buns."


    A massive roar echoed throughout the town. It was the so-called god. The arrow must have hit him: I didn''t see it though. I grinned and shouted. "Yo. Reptilian filths. How''s it going? I hope it''s not too cold for you. All these arrows that is!" I fired as fast as I could and coated them with ice. Seven arrows went his way in a blink of an eye. It was the best I could do. Not bad for my first combat with bows but nothing great either. Lianne could have done much better. I didn''t even want to think about what Jowy could have done: that guy was a genius when it came to crossbows.


    I missed most of them and didn''t do much damage. But now I had their attention. "Why don''t we head over there and squash some reptiles for fun?" I taunted them and started to descend in a southeast angle.


    I was shaking a bit. I didn''t have the fear of heights, but I didn''t like reptiles. After what I''d been to, I didn''t want to like them either.


    I changed direction and jumped down. I rolled to break my fall. My leg almost snapped and the bones that were broken before now were hurting more than enough, but I had to run. I ran for the south while sipping on potions. All the while dodging for my life: it was like I was on steroids or something.


    The road had a slight downward slope, so running was easier.


    I had the god and seven out of the nine dragons on my tail. They weren''t that many of them to be called an army but considering how strong just one was, I wouldn''t have been surprised if they could obliterate a country or two. So having them on my tail was kind of hot. Really hot. If it weren''t for the robe, I''d be burnt already. I was still being steamed alive though.


    Just like Jori said there weren''t many people here. But there were still some. "Hey, you there! Run north!"


    A man was in front and he basically fell on his knees seeing all the dragons that were trailing me. I didn''t have time for this. So I kicked him out of the road. He''d hate me but at least he won''t die: I hoped.


    But because of him I just lost momentum and fire came for me. The robe was pretty resilient and I didn''t catch fire but I did feel some of the heat. I wasn''t in the full range of the breath attack and yet I could feel the immense heat. If I took it directly I''d probably end up charred. And, since I didn''t want to die, I didn''t want that.


    Runn!!!

 Chapter 206 - Finally! A Reunion That I Actually Wanted!

    It was far enough, the area was wide and there weren''t too many houses nearby. Probably some sort of playground for the children.


    I almost got burned ten times trying to get here and I was glad there wasn''t anybody around.


    I panted. I was out of breath a long time ago but I didn''t have the luxury to stop. My lungs were on overdrive.


    The dragons surrounded me on all sides. The boss was up front. None of them attacked me. Maybe they''d lecture me like villains used to lecture heroes before a fight? It kind of felt like that.


    "I understand that you don''t like me but why are you attacking this city? I mean they haven''t done anything wrong to you, have they?"


    The boss dragon descended and the earth shook. "Humans are vile creations. You don''t deserve to live."


    "And who gives you the right to decide that? You''re not a god, not anymore. You don''t have the right!" He pissed me off. They had the most stupid of reasons to kill people like it was nothing. "If you think we are vile than I think you are trash. You don''t deserve to fly in this world!" I brought out the mystic blade.


    The expression of the damn dragon darkened. Its teeth rattled and tail shook violently. It made sounds that sent chills down my spine. I just pissed it off too.


    I guess I screwed up the negotiation.


    "Well at least we know taunting works," I mumbled.


    "Erase him!" the dragon god ordered.


    Fires from all directions flew towards me. I envisioned a dome of ice just like last time. I didn''t know if I''d be able to pull it off or not but I had to try. I began by covering my surroundings with light and then freezing it. Condensing water from the air and then freezing it was no easy task. But my life depended on it. I had roughly three seconds and that was enough. But just barely.


    The force was strong. Only two seconds in and cracks appeared in the dome. Three continuous streams of breaths from three different dragons was definitely not something I could handle. "Looks like we''ll really get charred this time bunny buns. Why don''t you run away?"


    If I was going down, I didn''t want to take the bunny with me.


    The bunny only looked at me without blinking.


    Sorry but no matter how much I want I still can''t understand what you guys say.


    I sighed and focused on my remaining mana. I was beginning to tire. Constantly using mana was more draining than actual wounds.


    And I''d been using mana all day today. My limit was apparent.


    The ice had more cracks and almost burst. But before that, the bunny jumped out of my shoulder and there was a flash of light. "You really like bunnies too much, don''t you?"


    It was a familiar voice, a voice I thought I''d never hear again. "Alisa?"


    "Bingo!" A small bunny girl manifested within the small dome and my sweet bunny disappeared. She raised her arms up and formed another dome like it was nothing. This time, much stronger. "For a beginner, you really had terrific luck huh?"


    I had no idea what she was talking about and I didn''t have time to understand it either.


    "But I thought¡­ and wasn''t the bunny a spirit?"


    "Spirits don''t look like that!" Alisa frowned hysterically. "And did you seriously think I''d stay there, in the town full of elves alone, while you were basically held captive?"


    She did have a point but this was no time to dwell on those things. "We can talk later. For now, what do you think?"


    Though the new dome was strong and held pretty solid, the fact that seven literal dragons and one god was trying to kill us, was still standing. And I certainly didn''t have any death wish.


    "We''re probably going to die?"


    "I didn''t ask you to be that blunt!"


    Couldn''t she have been a little more, less blunt?


    "Heads up, the barriers going to break!"


    I was no longer held back by the casting. So I could dodge it if I tried hard enough. I''d definitely get burned at least to some extent. But it''d be better than being roasted alive. The dome protected us from fire but it was like being in a sauna. A very hot boiling sauna.


    "In three, two, one. Go!"


    I grabbed her and jumped sideways, barely escaping the flames. Surprisingly I didn''t take as much damage as I thought.


    Maybe the blue aura was also protecting me from the fire?


    There was misty hot steam. But when it all cleared and the two of us emerged from it, the boss dragon glared at us and roared. "A demi won''t save you from my wrath! You worthless swine of that wretched serpent!"


    It didn''t have the wrong idea that I was the child of Trerortra did it? Because it certainly sounded like that.


    "You do realize you look like a pathetic snake yourself, right coward?" Drenched in sweat I grinned. All the dragons around me looked like traditional European ones apart from the dragon god, which looked more or less like the Chinese ones. So calling it a snake wasn''t too far off the mark.


    But something changed. The dragons stopped attacking me and stood silent. Only the big guy fumed.


    What did I say?


    I didn''t know why but I might have offended the dragon: a lot more than I thought.


    "What did you say!!! You-"


    "I said, coward! Are you telling me you have hearing problems? Do you want me to yell even louder?" I didn''t know why but I really liked taunting. Probably not the best habit to be had.


    But I got goosebumps from the reactions these guys were giving me.


    I might have overdone it this time.


    "You''re doing this on purpose aren''t you?" Alisa whispered: totally giving me the cold disapproving glare. I winked at her and dropped her. "Hey, that was rude!"


    "Complain later."


    "Take that back! I Xerphas, the tormentor: the god of courage! Am no coward! Take it back!" The dragon god roared, too loud, enough to make my ears bleed. He kept on stomping his feet like he was throwing some sort of a tantrum.


    "You just had to call the god of courage a coward, didn''t you?" Alisa stood up and brushed off the dirt from her clothes. Did she seriously have time to do that?


    How the hell was I supposed to know that he was the god of courage? And what''s with all these names? The tormentor? What the hell?


    "If you''re not a coward then what are you? You''re attacking me, a human with seven dragons and you call yourself courageous? You are nothing but a coward!"


    That''s right, be madder. Attack me alone and go insane. Otherwise, I won''t have a shot.


    I might have fallen further and further through the rabbit hole.


    "ARGGHHH!" He roared too loud and my eardrums nearly burst. I grit my teeth and waited. "Destroy the town: I''ll take on him alone!"


    My plan half succeeded, half failed.


    Although it worked out for me, the town might not have been that lucky. My plan kind of backfired.


    Oh shit!


    And I was about to shit my pants too. I just made another blunder.


    "We can''t have that!" Following the voice, a dragon fell to the ground and blood splashed everywhere.


    "Where the hell were you, you damn overpowered protagonist?" I said without looking back.


    "Don''t you know protagonists always show up the last? Oh and I charge for my services. But don''t worry I won''t charge you too much. All you have to do is kiss me in that girl form and I''ll be happy to fight as many of these things as you''d like."


    A wild Dick dropped from the sky. And he was just as much of a dick as I remembered.


    "Would a slap do too?"  And I was definitely not in the mood for his jokes.


    But I was really glad he showed up when he did.


    If it weren''t for him, I might have started crying about now, knowing I''d just screwed up an entire city because of my shortsightedness.


    "Unfortunately I''m not a masochist." He chuckled and now we were side by side.


    Dick had arrived. I didn''t see Servesta or Lianne though.


    I really, really wanted some people here right now.


    Taking on seven dragons at once was pretty nerve-wracking if nothing else.


    "Would you two morons get it together?" Alisa didn''t like our ramblings, I guess.


    "By the way, who''s the cute chick?"


    "First, take care of the underlings. I''ll introduce you guys later." I readied my sword and glared at one of the closest dragons.


    ''Wait, since they can flick or throw breaths¡­.''


    I instead switched to my bow.


    He sighed. "I thought I was the protagonist." But he grinned and smooched his ring. He glowed in a fiery light. "Time to get serious."

 Chapter 207 - Is It Me Or Is This Too Easy?

    "Where are the other two?" Shooting an arrow, I rolled sideways to dodge the fire of a nearby underling dragon.


    Learning how to use a bow might have been a lot more rewarding than I thought.


    I regretted not investing enough time in this.


    "Handling the rest." Dick threw stones covered in an eerie red glow. He glowed as well. His ring must have been pretty overpowered too.


    "I see. Guess we''re stuck with all of these guys."


    "Trouble really finds you huh? I guess I can''t really complain. After all I''m the one who complained about life being too boring. But I''m cool with it, as long as it''s fun. Oh and I can use my shield now, right?"


    "You don''t need permission from me. Do as you wish. And feel free to use any and every weapon you have." I fired more arrows.


    The arrows weren''t that effective though.


    The dragon god was furious and threw fireballs at us but they were mostly blocked by Alisa''s magic. "Why didn''t you use ice back then?" I asked without thinking about it. If what she''d said was true then she had her own reasons for not telling us the truth or not using magic in particular.


    But maybe she could have helped us that night.


    "Ice wouldn''t have worked against him. And I really didn''t want to fight him. I was scared..." Alisa didn''t want to think about the past, but honestly, I really wanted to know.


    "You two, mind focusing?" Dick said.


    I concentrated on my bow and shot arrows. Now was not the time to be thinking about bygones.


    My aim got better. Being desperate helped. But compared to Dick I wasn''t doing much damage. The guy was just throwing rocks and that was enough to damage the dragons around us. They didn''t even have enough time to fly away. Four of them were now on the ground glaring at us and the three hovered to dodge, barely maintaining flight.


    "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? HOW CAN YOU HAVE MY MANA?" the dragon god roared.


    The god was basically just sitting back, watching the show, and letting his underlings handle it. But occasionally he was letting out roars: roars which were basically making my ears bleed. Couldn''t the guy talk a bit more silently?


    "He saying something?" Dick threw stones nonchalantly.


    "Something about you having his mana," I said and fired off another arrow.


    "I see. So you''re the so-called god of courageous flames, Xerphas, the owner of this gem. Don''t worry I take proper care."


    Am I the only one who doesn''t know their names and stuff? How do you people even memorize these things?


    I quickly snapped back to reality and switched to the mystic blade. The bow wasn''t doing much anyway. Besides, who had time to restock the arrows every two minutes?  "Take care of the flying ones. I''ll deal with the ones on the ground."


    He chuckled loudly. "I suppose you mean that."


    I grinned and dashed towards the closest dragon. It didn''t expect me to be fast. I sliced it in a swift motion and it roared. These dragons weren''t as big as the dragon god or the one which came for me outside the town. These were pretty small compared to those two.


    Two other dragons threw flames at me while I was below the dragon. They didn''t have any mercy for their comrades.


    Too bad.


    "Alisa!"


    "Got it!"


    I formed a dome just like last time. But my concentration and visualization got a lot better. And I was taking fire from only two dragons. The shield held. The fire stopped and I shoved my sword through the dragon''s stomach I was under, to the heart. I didn''t know if there was a heart here or not but there definitely was a lot of blood. It screeched and fell to the ground. Half of its body was already scorched from friendly fire: it didn''t have a chance.


    So they aren''t fully immune to fire¡­.


    "I can''t be outdone by that!" Dick took the shield of his back and charged at the two dragons'' that were preparing to attack again. I took the chance and ran for the fourth one on the ground.


    This one wasn''t moving rapidly but following me with its eyes. Before I could get close it swung its claws and I had to jump backward.


    I knew it wasn''t going to be easy!


    I didn''t have much mana left but I still had plenty of potions. Stacking up with a storage ring probably was the best investment I''d ever made. Though it wasn''t mine.


    I drank a potion and focused my mana. Potions didn''t have any mana restoring capabilities but they could replenish some of my stamina. That was enough for me to keep going. "Alisa I got this. Focus on blocking the big guy''s fires."


    "Right!"


    A giant ball of light appeared over the dragon''s head and then condensed. Not to ice but concentrated light. "You guys like fire, right?" It was a simple experiment. I always wondered what it''d be like to condense air and superheat it. Now I had my answer.


    "Ray burst!" A burst of light fell on the dragon''s head and it screeched uncontrollably before collapsing on the ground. Half of its face melted and it smelled horrible. Even worse than rotten flesh.


    But the magic was very effective. Boriosa''s research and my own knowledge had produced this: just this once I was glad I went to college. And I really liked the name too.


    Maybe naming things mid-fight, was stupid, but if it helped me visualize, I sure wasn''t complaining.


    If it worked, it worked.


    "Wait, what? How the hell did you do that?" Dick yelled. He pulled out a knife from a not-so-moving body of a dragon he was standing on top of. I looked up and the other three dragons weren''t there. They were on the ground and met the same fate. If this guy wasn''t overpowered then I didn''t know what he even was.


    He was Over-overpowered.

 Chapter 208 - If Something Is Too Good To Be True Then It Probably Is

    "I''m pretty sure you can handle everything else. But would you mind paying a little attention?"


    At that moment another dragon almost shoved its head on top of him, trying to put Dick in its mouth.


    Dick raised his shield without looking and punched a hole in the dragon''s mouth. The dragon just fell on the ground without making any fuss. He walked out of there with blood dripping all over.  "Now, what did you do! It was so cool!" I had no idea what he was talking about. His personality changed drastically as I changed my gender. Was he even the same guy? "And that name ''Ray burst!" was so cool!"


    Don''t tell me you were looking at me while fighting¡­.


    I guess he was a hard-core gamer at heart.


    "I just made plasma from the air by concentrating holy magic, like lasers."


    And I was really glad I took my first semester of physics.


    "That''s so cool. But what''s a plasma?" Dick said. His eyes sparkled.


    The boss dragon roared excruciatingly loud and released all its fire on Dick. But again Dick blocked it with his shield. That shield was something else.


    Dick didn''t even give the dragon a second glance. His focus was totally on me.


    "Unfortunately I don''t have time to give you a physics lesson. Let''s beat this thing and get it over with." But I had better things to worry about.


    "Suppose I''ll agree with you. But you''ll have to tell me later, okay?" I definitely had Dick''s attention, no doubt.


    The surroundings seemed cold. I turned to Alisa and she stood behind me with her eyes closed. Her forehead flashed blue symbols and she opened her eyes. Her eyes were bluer than my navy blue jeans. "This is the only thing I can do," She mumbled.


    She touched my back and the symbols transferred to my hands. She fainted. "Alisa!" I held her before she could fall. I laid her on the ground and turned to the dragon.


    I won''t let you down.


    I didn''t know what she did, but the feeling was similar to when I touched the azure Godstone. And if she trusted me with this power, I had to meet that expectation.


    "Let''s get this over with once and for all."


    The dragon God roared even louder. I was amazed at how much punishment my ears could take. "I''m going to tear you limb from limb!"


    "Is he saying something?" Dick asked.


    "Oh, he''s just saying he''d like to have tea with you."


    "Yeah right!" He giggled and dashed forward. He threw a rock but the dragon deflected it. This one''s scales were rather tough. But dick grinned and slashed the dragon with his knife.


    The dragon flicked him back with its tail.


    "Okay, that thing''s different." Dick got up immediately and was more or less unscathed.


    There was a small wound where Dick had attacked. It was working.


    But I was different as well. The symbols on my hand gave me the same kind of mana that the stone had given me. Which meant my left hand was about to be restored.


    I was a little disappointed as it didn''t happen.


    Only one dragon stood by the dragon God- Xerphas.


    At this point, the name kind of got ingrained in my head.


    "Oh well." I dashed forward without thinking and evaded the tail. I slashed Xerpha''s scales and backtracked as it threw its breath at me. It happened fast but I managed to make contact where Dick had attacked: its shell cracked. But running around like that, kind of made me feel faint.


    Dick made his way to the other dragon and slashed its head off with a sword. I''d never seen that sword. Just where was he hiding it? When I looked back he grinned as if saying- ''It''s not your business.


    I quickly backtracked as the dragon god almost squashed me.


    Dick stood by my side and stared Xerphas down. "I''ve been wondering. How are you still moving? I mean your left shoulder is dislocated and I could sense that some of your bones are broken too. How the hell are you moving?"


    I believed him. I had no reason not to. So I told him. "Just how OP are you? You can tell I''m broke just by looking at me!"  I was definitely shocked if nothing else. "Anyway, I''ve got a curse you see. Regeneration curse I think it''s called. And if you haven''t realized already, I have been drinking potions this whole time."


    I was in serious pain. But since I wasn''t complaining, Dick might have assumed I was totally fine. But I was not totally fine. NO! It hurt!


    Dick didn''t buy that though.


    "When you said you heal fast, I thought you were just saying that like you had a good immune system. But seriously? And you called me OP!?" He was freaking out. Xerphas was a little staggered by my attack but it recovered as well. We didn''t have time to discuss something like this. "You can understand monsters. You can heal faster than anyone. You have the best frigging weapons anyone can get: and you can move the sword like it''s nothing. You have cheat stones! You even got an elixir from an undead! Just who''s dick did you suck to get that kind of luck and where do I meet him!!?"


    Calm down, buddy.


    I almost chuckled, but didn''t he realize my luck was the worst?


    "Can we focus on the battle please?"


    The dragon roared at us as it fully recovered and glared.


    "Now I have another reason to be jealous of you," Dick mumbled. He looked kind of pissed. He held his hand up front. "Fiery blaze!" A monstrous fire surrounded the dragon and it roared. "I thought you liked flames. Is it too hot for your preference?"


    I guess this was the little magic he was talking about. It was definitely a lot stronger than Lianne''s magic if nothing else.


    He decided to put his rage elsewhere. I was glad we weren''t enemies. However, he was a sharp one. So sharp, that from here on out I needed to be wary.


    And this scale of magic, this scale was definitely nothing to sneeze at. He was strong.


    "And I went and called friends as backup too. Now, what''d I tell them?" Not to mention he whined a lot.


    The dragon fell to the ground and twitched. It almost seemed to be over.


    "Wait, you have friends?" I said, clearly confused.


    "Of course I do! You didn''t think you were my only friend did you?"


    "Not at all¡­" I diverted my gaze. I might or might not have assumed that.


    "You''re eyes speak more than your mouth." He looked at the dragon which didn''t roar for a while and was now lying in the fire. But something wasn''t right. "I didn''t think it''d end this easily though."


    "You just had to say that huh? Did no one teach you not to set up flags like that?"


    I had a bad feeling. And we were dealing with a God. I''d already seen how scary gods were so I couldn''t help but be skeptical.


    Besides even after taking a hell of amount of torture Damsel had seemingly revived itself. Who was to say, the same couldn''t happen with this guy?


    "Nonsense. It''s not like¡­ we-are-in-a movie¡­." Halfway through, Dick''s speech slowed down as he looked up. He stuttered.


    I gulped and followed his gaze. There were loads and loads of stuff in the sky.


    "You didn''t think it''d end that easily did you, foolish mortals?" A blood-thirsty voice came from behind me. I looked back and found Ashirnae, who was sitting on top of a house grinning at me. But I didn''t care about him. My full attention was too focused on the sky. "You did pretty good though. You almost came close to my expectations."


    There were hundreds- no thousands of dragons up in the sky. If a few was enough to destroy a city this big, I couldn''t imagine what thousands of these things could have done. But something was different. The dragons were all bones and they had red glowing eyes.


    Red eyes always ended up reminding me of the first night: the night I came to this world.


    They''re not alive.


    Moments later my nostrils complained of rot and rancid scent. There was no doubt about it. We had an army of undead to contend with.


    The dragon god dismissed all the fire with a heavy breath and glared at us. "I will erase this entire country starting with this city."


    Looks like this one wasn''t down either.


    I kind of figured. It was too easy and we kind of let our minds fool us into thinking it could have been over just as simple as that.


    "Umm Dick. I think your friends would do well to arrive as quickly as they could."


    "Yeah, no shit. And who''s that behind us? What he want?" Dick was sweating, this wasn''t good.


    That many dragons certainly weren''t something we could handle. This city was done for. But we had to do something about this boss dragon first, or we''d get nowhere.


    "First deal with this. And that guy''s probably just going to watch. So we shouldn''t worry." I was definitely being a lot more optimistic than I should have.


    "You really know weird people don''t you?"


    I tried to smile but given my throbbing heart, it might have warped into something incomprehensible.

 Chapter 209 - That Is One Hell Of An Immortal Bunny

    Dick went flying through a building and fell a few meters away from me. But I didn''t have time to worry about him as I was pinned to the ground by a foot as big as ten times my face.


    "I thought you said he was just going to watch?" Dick threw up some blood and got up.


    Xerphas pressed his feet on my chest so hard that my lungs exhausted the rest of the air it had left. I couldn''t talk. I couldn''t reach my sword either. It was about two feet away from me. Xerphas was sure taking his sweet time playing with my fleeting life. I couldn''t breathe, so it was harder to maintain focus. But I tried to cast a spell. It didn''t work. I reached out for the sword and it wasn''t working either.


    Just a little more¡­.


    "Give it up mortal. You were valiant for an insect, but it all ends here," Xerphas grinned. His breath smelled horrible and he croaked and rattled all the while.


    "Sorry, I''m late!" Arrows of fire came my way and fell on Xerphas. He deflected them with his tail but that gave me enough leverage to get my sword and shove it in his legs.


    A bone-chilling roar filled the air and I was freed from his clutches. He fell over. For a boss that was clearly overpowered, he fell quite a lot.


    I gasped, panted, and barely got on my knees. "Glad you could make it."


    "Me too." Lianne had arrived. If she hadn''t, I''d be dead.


    I couldn''t have been more wrong in my life. Just when I thought Ashirnae had arrived to watch over things like he''d said, he turned out to be our greatest threat. He came straight for Dick and got in the way. In his own words, "I think he needs time to mature on his own. I don''t want you to interfere. How about you play with me instead?" I couldn''t tell if he was being serious or just messing around.


    Now he and Dick were at each other''s throat. As much as I hated Dick''s overpoweredness, I couldn''t help but feel glad now. But he was still losing. Was that really playing around?


    I was pretty defenseless going on alone against the damn dragon. The not-so-alive dragons from above didn''t throw fire, rather they threw acid and miasma. Dodging them and fighting Xerphas got the best of me. Things went sour and I ended up literally beneath his feet. Thankfully Lianne arrived in the nick of time.


    "Where''s Servesta and Biteria?"


    The things flying above the city were still there. They weren''t moving normally. Their movements were kind of mechanical. But if one thing I learned from experience, it was that undead were never to be messed with. They occasionally threw acid at us but that wasn''t a big deal compared to the major boss dragon in front of us. But for some reason, it seemed the undead weren''t fully focused on us. Given their numbers, if they were we''d pretty much be dissolved by now.


    "He''s still in town, helping with the evacuation. And Biteria is nowhere to be found."


    "That damn bunny!"


    "Hey, you two, help me. This thing''s a monster!" Dick yelled.


    I didn''t have time to look at him.


    Xerphas got up and immediately threw his breath.


    Sorry buddy, you''re on your own.


    I jumped sideways and the breath followed me. I didn''t have enough momentum to dodge to I tried casting magic. It didn''t work. My mana had run out. Damn! I gritted my teeth and protected my head with my hand and the little mana leftovers. The fire reached my robe and I could feel the heat. How foolish was I to let my guard down in the middle of the fight?


    Had I learned nothing?


    The armor was heat resistant but even so, my body was scorched. I didn''t breathe to protect my lungs and it was suffocating. Time stopped. I couldn''t tell how much time had passed.


    How much longer do I have to continue?


    I was already on my knees, being charred alive. I didn''t know what was happening but I couldn''t really do or even think about anything. After who knows how long the fire stopped, I breathed but it hurt even more. I slowly opened my eyes. It was so bright. But then my eyes adjusted. My ears were ringing but I could hear faint screams. Dick was yelling.


    The burning smell of flesh, the smell I hated drifted in the air.


    Where was it coming from?


    Me?


    "What was that?" My question was caught up in my throat. I held my head in my hand. I couldn''t keep my balance. My sword fell on the ground and made an audible clang. I couldn''t feel my body anymore.


    "¡­way¡­out of the way¡­ get out of the way!"


    I looked up. I didn''t know why but something was worrying Dick enough to yell things at me.


    What is that? It''s so bright¡­.


    I closed my eyes. And then someone whom I knew for a long, long time tried to shove me aside. My eyes bolted open. She was shoving me to the sides and her eyes glistened like rubies. She''d saved me countless times in the past. And maybe she was trying to save me one last time by protecting me from the light.


    I''ve been here before.


    I''ve seen this before¡­


    I''ve felt this before.


    My head went fuzzy.


    Am I going to let history repeat again?


    Am I going to let people die for me again?


    Can I live through it, again?


    I grit my teeth. I squeezed my fist. I glared straight up.


    NOOOO!!!


    My ears still ringed and my vision was still blurry. But I had to do this. I got up fast.


    I breathed a deep breath and shoved Lianne out of my side. I had no intention of using her as a meat shield. I already had my fair share of other people sacrificing themselves for me.


    If I die, then there''s no point in having a functioning body, right?


    I didn''t have much mana left to cast a spell but I let them loose anyway. My body burned. It was a similar feeling to what happened back on that day when I fought Araan. A white transparent arm grew in the place of my missing arm and I grinned. At least I didn''t have to relive that night again. At least I didn''t have to bear that feeling again. At least this time no one had to die for me again.


    "Arrgh!" I screamed and glared at the light that was falling on me.


    Even if I die, I''ll still take you with me.


    "Daarc!" Dick''s voice shivered. He was in a desperate sword fight with Ashirnae. And yet he was still worrying about me. I should have given him more credit.


    "You guys don''t have to worry about me." As soon as I said that the light fell on me. I heard loads of screams but they meant nothing to me. I had a dragon to kill. It was pretty far up in the sky. I brought out my knife, tied it with an arrow, and aimed for the dragon''s chest. It probably wouldn''t go as far as I wanted; I coated the arrow with magic, just in case.


    The bright light that fell on me wasn''t all that bad. The ground around me was boiling like magma, but I didn''t feel all that hot. The blue and white aura around me was keeping everything under control. Besides, my blood was hotter after all. My organs roared in pain and streams of blood leaked through my nose, ears, and mouth. My eyes burned, and tears and blood were evaporating before they could spill out of my body.


    I couldn''t lift up the bow due to the light.


    And the pain was excruciating but I knew it''d eventually stop. And that''d be my chance: my final chance.


    And then by a difference of a second, the light vanished. Something was wrong with the dragon. It roared terribly and twitched midair.


    Looks like we found our rogue bunny.


    Biteria was biting down the damn thing''s ear.


    How do you always get to places like that?


    I grinned. I chuckled. I laughed out loud.


    It hurt but it was worth it.


    I''m not alone.


    I shot: I shot in the hopes of a brighter future. The arrow went up and I fell on the ground. My grin was still there. Way too many people have given their lives for me. I couldn''t let them down.


    Reach!


    "Daarc," Lianne cried.


    I got on my knees, barely. I couldn''t fall down, not yet.


    After an agonizing roar, the dragon fell before me: it had reached.


    Biteria fell a little further away and after twitching for a second it rose up.


    That was one hell of an immortal bunny

 Chapter 210 - The Sky Isn’t Big Enough For- Oh Wait, They’re Already Dead

    With each breath came the pause, getting wider and wider by the second. I couldn''t feel my pulse anymore. The same had happened before. But it wasn''t over yet. The dragon was yet to be dead. Xerphas was still moving. "But Ashirnae said-"It tried to get up with its shaky legs.


    "Unfortunately Ashirnae isn''t all-knowing." I got up, coated the mystic blade in cold light on my right hand and my other sword on my left transparent hand. Xerphas was almost up. It had a hole in its chest with my knife sticking out. But it wasn''t dead.


    I grinned with bloodied teeth and ran. Every muscle in my body felt like ripping off, but I didn''t stop. I couldn''t. Not anymore. Not after what I''d been through and not after what I witnessed. If I stopped now, then what was the point of going through all this pain? What was the point of going through all this suffering, all these sacrifices? I couldn''t stop. "I''m not going to let anyone take anything from me ever again! Not gods and not even the devil!"


    I shoved both of the swords in Xerphas''s head. It twitched uncontrollably and glared at me. I shoved them deeper.


    "SO that''s what drives you." His voice ran across the battlefield. "You do possess it after all¡­." I didn''t give a damn about what he was saying. "But you''re too naive."


    I threw up blood and fell flat on my back. I didn''t have any strength left: my transparent arm disappeared.


    Dick was barely standing where he was and Lianne came rushing to my side.


    My vision blurred.


    "Looks like my friends are here," Dick chuckled. I was dying and the guy was laughing. Didn''t he have any common sense? He was barely standing and he still had the audacity to laugh so sarcastically?


    How was he different from that one certain geezer?


    "Time''s up, it seems." Ashirnae flew back.


    Dick clicked his tongue but came towards me instead of running towards him.


    Ashirnae grinned at us, hiding behind his cape again. "I hope you''ll entertain me some more the next time we meet." His voice faded. "You were more fun than I thought. Let''s have more fun¡­"


    But I certainly didn''t want to.


    I still had some potions left and an elixir too. But I didn''t have any mana left and I couldn''t speak either. Lianne''s lap was really soft. I wish I could rest like that without dying.


    Lianne was crying. The last time she cried like that was when her father almost died.


    At least she cares about me.


    "That was a close one, wasn''t it?" Dick ran his mouth like nothing was out of the ordinary. I couldn''t keep my eyes open anymore. "You can just rest now. I''ll take care of the rest." There were still thousands of dragons left in the sky. The dragons however weren''t going on frenzy. They just hovered, occasionally throwing acid.


    It wasn''t over yet and I couldn''t afford to go unconscious. Not yet! The blue tint of my body faded and more blood gushed out from my mouth.


    "Argh!" I groaned and moaned. I couldn''t believe I was so exhausted. I couldn''t believe, I did it again. I couldn''t believe, I was dying.


    This time there was no one to save me. This had to be it. This had to be my death. I didn''t mind it though. It was better than letting someone else die for my sake. But for some reason, I didn''t want to die.


    I was a human after all.


    "Daarc¡­." A rather cute bunny girl held my hand. "Daarc."


    She called my name. I hated it, but my love for bunnies still lingered even in my death bed.


    But she didn''t just stand there crying, she passed on mana to the ring. Did she know what happened and how it worked? We did run into her back in the forest, so there was a chance. I guess I owed Alisa more than I credited.


    I couldn''t see all that well so I couldn''t really tell what she was doing but I didn''t care anymore. It was more like my mind was already on the verge of giving up. My body had given up a long time ago.


    Only willpower kept me going. And that too was at its limit.


    "Drink this!" A voice rang through my ears but I couldn''t move shit. I couldn''t feel anything and I didn''t know anything.


    What was I even doing here anyway?


    I think I''ll sleep now¡­.


    My breath slowed even more. I plunged into slumber. I couldn''t say that I hated it though.


    It actually felt nice to finally be away from all the noise, from all the fatigue.


    ***


    It was cold, yet comfortable.


    Did I die?


    Something warm pressed against my lips. And then a clear, sweet liquid passed through my lips into my throat.


    "¡­arc! Daarc!"  Someone called my name.


    But I want to sleep¡­.


    "Daarc!"


    But why do they sound so sad?


    "Daarc!" The voice burst into tears¡­. It hurt¡­.


    I didn''t choke but swallowed, and seconds later I opened my eyes. I saw two beautiful ruby eyes glaring at me with intent. The moment I opened my eyes she spread her hands around me and hugged so tight it was hard to breathe. The fact that our lips were still connected made me feel somewhat bashful.


    She moved her lips away from mine and a thread of silver, drooled off her lips. My lips opened and I tried to shake my head to confirm whether I was dreaming or not. I wasn''t. It was all real. "Lianne?"


    "Yes, Daarc it''s me." Her smile was prettier than a million jasmines.


    ***


    I tried getting up but she shoved me straight back into her lap. "Don''t get up. You''re life''s not in danger but you aren''t healed either. I only gave you a minimum dose of the elixir, so you won''t lose your humanity. But it wasn''t enough to heal you."


    I understood the situation and looked up at the sky.


    Large crows were fighting undead dragons. Not the best of sight to behold. The crows had human figures on top of them. It was too dark to see. But since they were supposed to be Dick''s friends, I got the impression that they were probably demons. There weren''t too many of them though. The dragons weren''t running wild now that their leader was on the ground either: Still the same mechanical clunky movements. I wondered how it worked but it wasn''t the time to be worrying about undead dragons.


    "My brethren¡­ slain. You vile vermin poisoned us¡­ killed us. And now they''re dead. You might be different. But¡­ humans are so simple. They kill¡­ what they fear." The voice faded: it was Xerpas''s. I didn''t know what he was talking about. I still didn''t know if the damn thing on the ground-covered in wounds- was dead or not. I didn''t know shit.


    Its corpse hadn''t vanished and the thing just lay there. I really hoped it''d disappear like normal undead. After all weren''t Gods already dead?


    But it didn''t.


    "You don''t have to worry about it. It''s pretty dead. At least for a few days: at least." I didn''t know what Dick meant but one thing was clear. Gods couldn''t be killed like this. There had to be another way. "But man, now I have another thing to be jealous of you. To think I''d be beaten to a punch to you. And I thought I was handsome too¡­." He lamented.


    "Seriously? You''d rather want to be beaten to a pulp, near death, just for a kiss?" My voice was low and I couldn''t really talk like I wanted to. Plus it hurt.


    A slight tint of red appeared around Lianne''s cheeks. Maybe she''d cried too much.


    "Hell yeah! And wait, you owe me a kiss too!" Dick started to throw a tantrum. Well, if he was good enough to throw tantrums, he was good. I didn''t have to worry about him at least.


    "NO, I don''t!" I shouldn''t have yelled. My heart felt like bursting out. I was pretty much out of commission. But wait my pulse. It was still there beating steadily. I didn''t die. "I wouldn''t mind giving you a slap though."


    Dick burst out laughing. "Cracking jokes even on the deathbed, classic man."


    "Take it easy!" Alisa grabbed my hand again. Her eyes were brimming with tears. I''d have to thank her later.


    If it weren''t for her, I''d have been dead by now. Biteria was here too. I owed my thanks to the little bunny too. If it weren''t for her, I could have never had shot the arrow.


    I guess I owed my victory to my friends.


    "Dick do it!" One of the figures up in the sky shouted. It was a girl- probably. My senses were still a little funny.


    "Remember when I said there was someone stronger than me?"


    "No."


    Dick giggled. "Watch. But don''t be too jealous. She really is a monster on very different levels." He pointed his hand upwards and threw a gust of fire to the girl on top.


    The girl glowed in a fiery blaze. I could make out some of her features. She was definitely human if not a half-demon.


    For a moment it seemed like the fire devoured the girl but it didn''t. The fire enveloped her and the whole sky glowed bright red. The fire left her and spiraled upwards. Seconds later a massive bird, the size of a blue whale- made of fire- descended from the heavens and devoured the undead dragons with a screech that shook the whole town.


    Bones of dead dragons fell from the sky and a cry of victory ran through the sky and the city: many roofs were destroyed.


    My heart was literally running wild. It was a little hard not to feel jealous at that though.


    The eastern horizon was getting brighter too. It might end up being dawn soon. I''d survived another day of this hellish prison, known as the Dark realm. My eyes closed and I knew, I''d be bedridden for quite some time. Hopefully, I won''t sleep through a month like last time.


    BuT man¡­did this lap pillow thing feel good!

 Chapter 211 - AH, The Plot Is Thick Here: It Just Got Thicker

    An unfamiliar ceiling- again. I tried to move my head. It hurt to move but I successfully moved. I examined myself and the surroundings. I was in some sort of well-lit empty room. There was no one inside. My body was covered in bandages and I was shirtless as usual: at least not completely naked.


    I sat up. "Ungh!" My head throbbed.


    The curtains fluttered and fresh air entered the room.


    Looks like I''ve survived yet again.


    I sighed. Honestly, death might have been better. I lied down again. I had no desire to run around in my current condition. Someone would probably come by sooner or later anyway. I closed my eyes and fell asleep soon.


    ***


    "I''m telling you, he is not a criminal! Are you telling me you don''t believe me, the princess of the elven empire!?"


    "Unfortunately, I won''t listen to you even if you are a princess. I have only provided enough care for him so that his life was no longer in danger. However, now that he is out of danger, I intend to throw him to the dungeons: having a public execution of an unconscious man is no fun anyway. Even a princess''s words can''t sway me. Besides, we both know how much worth the daughter of the former king would have, anyway." There was a long disgusting string of chuckles.


    What''s up with all the ruckus?


    My sleep broke by a heated argument near me. I eavesdropped while pretending to be asleep. Judging from what little I heard, things were pretty bad.


    Yay! More politics. Just the thing I needed.


    I heard two voices in the room but one of them belonged to Lianne. The other I couldn''t be sure of. Maybe he was the king of this particular country?


    "You do realize, you''ll be punished gravely once I return to the capital, correct?" Lianne''s voice was unsure. I never heard her talk that way. It was almost as though she was requesting instead of threatening.


    "Do as you wish. However, my word is the authority here in this country. You have no power here, princess. Besides, I already have plans for you too."


    I didn''t like the way this man spoke. His condescending tone left a bitter taste in my mind. I couldn''t open my eyes in this situation and opted to listen in instead. But I wasn''t expecting something like this. I never thought Lianne was serious about the fact of executing me. I thought she was just saying that to keep me in the lady form, so she could stay a little longer with her mother. However, I was wrong.


    This world really was messed up.


    "But I still don''t see any reason for throwing the hero who saved the town, in the dungeons."


    "You mean the culprit behind the city''s destruction." The man paused. Lianne didn''t object. To a certain extent, he was right. So I couldn''t really fault him either. "Besides, he holds too much power. The swords and armor alone were of too high quality. Who knows what else he has. And after a thorough interrogation, we''ll be sure to wring it out of him."


    I was starting to understand his way of thinking. But just because I understood it, didn''t mean I liked it. I slowly felt my fingers. As expected, my ring was missing. They must have taken it along with my weapons. Things didn''t look good for me. If anything, they''d probably be able to kill me as I was.


    And they certainly wanted to kill me.


    So I had to play my cards patiently.


    "I don''t understand. Is greed the only thing that drives you?"


    "Of course not! It''s hope my dear. The hope of living free. If I can have those weapons of his and you as my hostage, I could negotiate with Alfeim and ¡­ ha ha ha ha¡­ This whole country will be mine and mine alone!" The guy burst out laughing. Was he stupid? Why would he tell us his plans?


    "Why tell me?" Lianne stole the very words from my mouth. I wouldn''t have said them though.


    "Because there''s nothing you can do. And I want to see that condescending look on your face be replaced with dread!" The guy laughed some more. "I love it when strong women like you break down and grovel beneath my feet! And I''d be sure to savor every bit of your body afterward." He was snorting like a pig. I really wanted my sword right about now so I could stab this human garbage. "Guards! Escort the lovely princess back to her room please."


    There were footsteps and I could guess Lianne left. Before leaving she said, "If only that pervert hadn''t run away with those three." Perhaps she knew I was listening. But whether it was her intuition or not it gave me some new information.


    "Sir, what about him?" A different voice spoke up.


    So there are more people here?


    I assumed they were soldiers.


    "The doctor said he should be waking up in about a day or two. Till then keep him well nursed. But once he wakes up¡­" Another streak of disgusting laughter filled the air. "But this thing really is a monster. To think he''d be able to kill a god. This guy ruined all my plans! The least I can do is torture him to death! And I heard he has great healing too. This will be fun!"


    They''re going to nurse me back to health just to torture me? Wait, did he say a God?


    Seriously, did this guy really need to say everything out loud? And how much did he think he''d be able to get away with? In any case, one thing was clear. I had to get out of this place tonight.


    "All praise to lord Zamsau! If I can pull this off, I could be his apostle!" There was madness in his voice.


    I just heard one name I didn''t want to.


    Looks like that damn god pulled a lot more strings than I thought he had.


    Some of the stuff made sense. But I really wanted it to not make sense. I hoped humanity wasn''t as horrible as the gods claimed us to be. But now I wasn''t so sure.


    ***


    After some time the guy left and I surveyed the area for soldiers. There were none inside. If soldiers were here then they were probably outside. This didn''t sit well with me. Judging from the orange sky I could see from the window, we were pretty high and my condition was terrible to say the least.


    It was probably evening. I sighed and waited for night. I didn''t go back to sleep. Occasionally, soldiers came inside and checked me. Naturally, I pretended to be asleep and almost got caught once. It was a nightmare, except I was still awake.


    Sometime after the sun had fully set, I got down from the bed and took a step. My body roared with pain. It was like being stabbed by thousands of cactus needles all at once. To say it hurt would have been an understatement.


    There was nothing in the room apart from the bed and a table. The table had a jug of water and a glass. Nothing in the room seemed expensive or luxurious in any way. It didn''t even seem all that useful either.


    I guess I didn''t have the right to complain.

 Chapter 212 - Let’s All Jump And Fall To Our Death: Again!

    I stared out the window. The room was up somewhere around three or four floors above ground and there were no houses around this one, at least not this tall. It wasn''t the best sign but I didn''t have time to waste. Whatever I''d do, I had to hurry.


    Footsteps came my way. My time was already up. I had to make a decision. Either feign sleeping or take a leap of faith and jump in the hopes of landing in some sort of bush or thick grass. Neither option seemed all that hot. Actually, the weather was pretty cold.


    But there were was a possibility of a bush or at least something. After all, this place seemed more or less like the castle I saw in the middle of the town.


    Almost none of my wounds were healed. Just walking around was painful enough.  So the very thought of jumping three stories was heart-wrenching. And though the thought of bushes did comfort me, it certainly didn''t ease my mind when I actually wanted to jump.


    "Hey what are you doing!" A soldier walked up, pale-faced. I grinned. His face grew even paler. "Now, now, let''s not do anything crazy. Please come down from there. We have prepared dinner. Why don''t we head downstairs and grab a bite?" His voice was full of nervousness. He sweated like crazy even in this freezing atmosphere: He was probably about to lose his job or maybe even his head. I kind of felt pity for the guy. But my mind was made up.


    Well, I suppose there''s no going back now.


    I gave him a farewell sign.


    I climbed up the window and jumped. Falling to my death never seemed so fun. That jump from the mountains with a certain elf, might have changed my tastes more than I thought.


    But the more the ground came closer, and I actually saw the colors, my eyebrows twitched more and more.


    Oh shit¡­


    "He was right about you. You really are brave if nothing else." A voice ran through the wind. It was a quite melancholic voice. I''d heard it before. With that note, I was still falling to my death.


    I gulped midair and prepared myself, for the ground was made of cobblestone. Grass? Bushes? What were those? Only cobblestones were real!


    Shit was about to get real, real.


    Something flew past me. Something black, and something very fast. It spread its wings below me and caught me before I fell on the ground, flattening myself. It still hurt though.


    "I suppose you are a little confused now, but hold on to the questions for later." A woman answered me, she was maneuvering the crow.


    We started picking up altitude and before I knew it, clouds surrounded us.


    We were high above the clouds and there it was, the glaring night sky and millions of stars. Thankfully I wasn''t afraid of heights. But even so, my legs were shaking more than necessary. After all, this was a freaking bird, not a plane!


    "You saved my life twice now." I looked around, dazed. I''d been on planes before but I never saw anything like this ever in my life. And because of that, I couldn''t really control my shivering either.


    A real mixed experience.


    "Don''t mention it. I didn''t do it for you. I owed Dick." Instantaneous reply. She didn''t think much of it.


    I was on top of a very large crow. It kind of felt like a dream. The girl in front of me, who sat with her legs crossed, was the very same girl who grilled the undead dragons alive. They weren''t alive though.


    She wore some kind of light armor beneath her robes. It suited her.


    I actually remembered her face, though I thought I''d forget it. I guess my jealous brain had more memory than I thought.


    "I see. I still have to thank you though. Can I do anything for you? As long as it''s reasonable, I wouldn''t mind helping out." I was just being courteous: And more importantly, trying to get my thoughts away from ''what if I fall'' thoughts.


    As nonchalant as the girl sounded, I''d assumed she didn''t care about my help in the least.


    After all, she was damn strong herself.


    "I''d like to praise your chivalry. Were you always like this or did this world change you?"


    My eyes locked with hers: I felt like I could get lost in those blue eyes of hers. She was quite mature-looking but definitely beautiful. Her blonde bangs fluttered along with the winds. If Dick was telling the truth, then she was summoned just like me. But I composed myself.


    My heart was already fixed on a certain elf anyway.


    "This world has changed me in more than one way. But returning the favor was always one of my original qualities." Probably.


    "I see. In that case, how about a date? I''d like to see more of this country. Not here though. I hate this city. I would have gone out with Dick if he wasn''t such a¡­ well, dick."


    "Where''d that come from? And we''ve barely just met!" I chuckled to hide the awkwardness.


    "So you''re all talk about chivalry and no-?"


    She pulled a fast one on me. I never thought she''d use my own ideals against me. That was an earthling for you. "Fine. But first I''d have to get my stuff back. And get Lianne out of there. Where''s Dick?"


    "Dick''s outside the town. And as for the woman you speak of, she won''t be coming with us. We''d have to raid the castle if we want her out. I have your ring right here. Dick picked it up at the last moment."


    She threw my ring at me. I fumbled with it a bit but caught it in the end. I sighed in relief. "In that case, can''t we sneak in?"


    "I wouldn''t say it''s impossible but the thing is the castle''s pretty well guarded. We have to compromise between your things and the princess. I''d choose the weapons." She was being awfully frank. "Besides, if we could get the weapons, then the king would lose face, meaning negotiations won''t pan out. SO though, it''d take time, the princess should be saved."


    So you were listening?


    "Unfortunately, I''m not you. I choose both." I couldn''t just leave her behind.


    Besides, I didn''t like the way that guy spoke. I didn''t know how he looked, but I certainly wasn''t letting him touch Lianne.


    "Isn''t that just being selfish?"


    "No, it''s being greedy." I sent mana to the ring and brought out a bracelet and a bottle of potion. I drank the potion and it alleviated the pain. Nowadays potions were more like pain killers for me than healing medicine. Maybe I was abusing them? They mostly tasted like cheap wine though: No wonder I always drank so many, so nonchalantly.


    I still wanted to drink high potions though: definitely.


    I did check inside the ring and everything was in place: I was glad to see the girl being still unharmed and encased in solid crystal. The scepter was here. But the mystic blade, my armor, sword, even the crossbow or Boriosa''s clothes for that matter, weren''t here.


    On that note, I was only in my underwear. I did have bandages all over my body though.


    The girl looked with curiosity as I put on the bracelet and turned into a girl right in front of her. "Besides, I just came up with a plan." I was mostly nude, but since we were both girls up here, it was no big deal.


    Besides, I was a guy.


    "Yo-yo-you''re a girl!" She overreacted. And I thought she was one of the melancholic no care type. I might have been a little wrong. I was wrong about Dick too. Was I really that bad of a character judger?


    "No, I''m a guy who can turn into a girl thanks to this." I didn''t have time to explain the nitty-gritty behind everything. Next I pulled out clothes and underwear and changed right away. My wounds stung more than I thought they would and it was pretty difficult and awkward to change midair in front of a girl: not to mention there were bandages. "Next stop: the adventurers'' guild."


    "The guild?"


    "Don''t worry. They owe me."


    And I wasn''t going to let this chance slip.


    But there was one problem.


    We were now descending and all my earlier emotions made a triumphant return.


    I''m going to die!


    "ARHGH!"

 Chapter 213 - A Stupid Yet Ingenious Plan

    "And so, you want our help in rescuing your friend?" Jori said as he brushed off the sweat from his forehead.


    We were back at the guildhall and I finished explaining things to Jori. Not much changed in this place. There were fewer people than before and that was about it.


    We were in a corner of the guildhall and judging from the bandages, a lot of the adventurers were out of commission.


    "Don''t you mean our friend? Surely you haven''t forgotten the time we''ve spent together. Surely you haven''t forgotten the tears and sweat we went through. Surely you haven''t¡­" I went on: and I took extra efforts to dramatize everything.


    A lot of the adventurers peeked. I could tell they were grinning. Battle-hardened lots always liked adrenaline-driven things after all. Even the injured ones were looking good to go.


    After coming to this guild I''d learned a lot of things about what happened. The country''s soldiers secured the corpse of the grand monster and also escorted me to the castle. The people that were evacuated returned and reconstruction works were well underway. A lot of people died and almost half of the city was destroyed. But their families were going strong and trying their best to make this city great again.


    The destruction was pretty devastating, but the king hadn''t yet made any efforts in aiding construction. And judging from everything else, it didn''t seem like he was about to do anything anytime soon.


    The most shocking discovery was that only three days had passed since then. I kind of felt good after hearing that though. At least I didn''t sleep for an entire month.


    According to the girl with me: Dick, Servesta, Alisa, and Biteria were out of town. So we were on our own.


    "Besides, don''t you owe me from that quest thing you issued that night?" I had no intentions of not using every little thing I had to my advantage. I wasn''t going to let him off the hook. I had him right where I wanted.


    He groaned and fell back on his chair. "I suppose I do owe you, yes. But you really expect the guild to help you raid the castle?" His face was always pale thanks to the excessive makeup, but maybe just this once his makeup didn''t really help. He was paler.


    "I''ll be blunt with you. This country has no future with that king. But the guild isn''t raiding the castle. Daarc green the slayer of gods and his friends are. You guys just have to wear masks. And it''s not like we''re dethroning the king or anything. We''re just going there, taking my things, and coming out. All the while rescuing Lianne. I''m sure you know what that means."


    Daarc Green, the slayer of gods, huh?


    It kind of made me want to crawl into a hole when I said something weird like that out loud. "Besides, I don''t think they''d know it''s me." After all I was currently a beautiful woman with no affiliation with anything violent.


    Jori moaned, a hand still on his head.


    An adventurer walked up to us. "She''s right boss. I never liked this damn king. He makes us pay too much taxes and don''t give shit about the people. It''s time he''s taught a lesson." Some more adventurers chimed in.


    Were these morons really adventurers? Weren''t they being a bit too easy?


    Royalty were all the same to me. So I didn''t really care who sat on the throne. Dethrone one and another one just like him would line up to take his place. It wasn''t worth the effort. So I opted for getting my friend and things back and that was it.


    One more push.


    Jori had been quiet and was thinking things through.


    "And don''t you think the guild''s influence would grow if you were to rescue the people from an evil tyrant?" The way I grinned, might have actually made me the evil one though. But I couldn''t stop now. I needed my things and a way to get Lianne out of there, and I needed the help of these guys in doing so.


    Jori stood up. He grinned. "Boys, tonight we''re going huntin!"


    Looks like he''s taken the bait.


    Cheers ran through the crowd. But I didn''t trust them one bit.


    And more importantly, why the hell were they accepting this easily? I thought they''d drag this one for another hour or two.


    "Never knew you had so much charisma," the girl beside me whispered. I never asked her name.


    And I never knew either.


    "Let''s hope it doesn''t get us killed." I wasn''t too optimistic without my things anyway.


    With all the cheers and all, it really felt out of place for us to be here. It wasn''t really that late. So the streets were pretty lively. I wondered what passersby''s thought of us.


    Or maybe people didn''t care all that much about what went through the guild. Most of the people were busy rebuilding the city anyway.


    "The plan was to sneak in the castle in the middle of the night. But apparently, since I escaped, the castle''s probably in crisis and high alert. It would be very difficult tonight." Maybe it would have been better to think of a more detailed plan.


    "That''s precisely why we should do this tonight. They won''t expect us," the girl beside me said.


    "I agree." Jori nodded along. But things were going good, too good. It felt a little odd. I decided to not notice and go on. If they ended up betraying me, I''d destroy their entire association. I didn''t take backstabbers kindly.


    I grinned and blurted out the plan. "Alright then, one of us would be the decoy and one of us would be the infiltrator. The rest of you would be backup for either situation. To be more precise this whole plan weighs on your shoulders." I smiled. "No pressure."


    "Looks like you already have an idea of who''s the decoy and-"


    "I''m the best decoy we''ve got. And can I trust you with finding my things and her?" I looked at the girl beside me.


    Of course, I had more reasons for this too.


    "I won''t let you down."


    "SO there you have it. Why don''t you use your wonderful connections and get me a date with the king or whatever."  When I said that, all of them stared at me with utter silence. I felt my cheeks twitching.


    Don''t look at me that way.


    The girl beside me sighed. "I suppose I shouldn''t have expected much anyway."


    Excuse me! That''s the best damn thing we''ve got!


    "It''s not a bad plan but you do realize you''d end up in his bed, right?" Jori said.


    Bed? Sex? "We''ll cross the bridge when we get there." If push comes to shove I''ll just knock him out.


    "Please don''t beat him up too much," the girl whispered.


    How the hell did you know?


    She wasn''t a mind reader, was she?


    And so we began to prepare.


    ***


    The dress I was already wearing was elegant but not seductive. So I had to change. But the stuff they gave me was a little too showy. It was a white and blue one-piece dress which was a little short and tight for my preference and showed too much skin. More than half of my back was exposed and my thighs were on full display. If the hem of my skirt was slightly shorter, anybody would have been able to peek at what''s underneath.


    "Don''t you think this is a bit too much?" I said, trying my best not to run away.


    I really didn''t want to wear this.


    Who even thought of me being the decoy!


    Oh wait, I did.


    Sigh!


    "Ow, you look amazing. Back when I was your age I looked even prettier but you really look good."  Jori cupped his cheeks and blushed.


    I didn''t even want to imagine it.


    "Anyway, I''ve already contacted an acquaintance of mine at the castle. The king''s in a very bad mood today. SO he''s throwing a small tea party with the girls. And whoever woes him-" Jori paused and smiled.


    "Gets in his bed. "I finished Jori''s sentence. I didn''t want to though.


    "And pleasure as well." He continued with a smirk.


    "Oh don''t worry about it. He won''t forget about tonight. Not one bit." I grinned too hard. I couldn''t contain my laughter. If he tried anything, I''d beat him senseless. So yeah, this really was a night to remember.


    The adventurers grinned as well. They got my drift.


    Jori led me and the girl beside me toward the castle. I still had plenty of bandages around my body but they were properly hidden behind the clothes. The few that were visible were kind of decorated. Jori told me that this was a fashion style in a faraway country. I wondered what sort of country had bandages as fashion objects. But oh well.


    And so we moved out.


    ***


    "If you betray us, things won''t be all that good for you." We were walking down the road. I was getting more stares than necessary. Some daring few even gathered to propose before me. But Jori''s face came in handy for once. They all ran away upon witnessing true terror.


    "I wouldn''t dream of it. And how rude! After what we''ve been through¡­" He faked a sob. He used my cards against me.


    "Whatever. Just thought you should know."


    "I''m not dumb enough to get on your bad side. Not after what I''ve seen." For just a second Jori''s voice was full of seriousness. It was ruined by the smile on his face though. If you could call that a smile at all.


    The awkward silence was growing on me. The castle was still about five minutes away. "How come you''re so strong?" I asked.


    The girl beside me glanced back and forth between me and Jori. She organized her thoughts. "I use science to power up and make everything easy. When you break down a simple fire for example. Don''t you think you can increase the output a lot if you could get the oxygen just right?" She didn''t mind sharing her secrets. Maybe she was actually nicer than I thought?


    "Science? Oxygen?" Jori seemed dumbfounded. I ignored him.


    "Isn''t that how you formed that plasma Dick told me about?" she continued.


    "I suppose that should have been obvious. After all, science is universal. But never thought it would have so much affinity with magic." Actually, I never really thought all that much about science. Mostly because this world had things that traditional laws of science couldn''t really explain.


    "Magic is just another form of science after all. But, it''s just the base of my magic. My magic requires a sacrifice you see." She didn''t look at me and just walked on.


    I didn''t disagree but I didn''t agree either.


    "With that strength, think you''ll be able to take him on?"


    "Who exactly?" She looked puzzled.


    We were right in front of the castle gates.


    "The emp-"


    "Welcome everyone. " A guard in his mid-forties greeted us.  I didn''t like the looks in his eyes. He was glancing too much at my chest and thighs.


    "This is lady Daphne. And that is Susan, her aide. She hails from a merchant family up north," Jori introduced us. I was supposed to be Daphne. I wasn''t against the name but it still kind of felt weird not to know the real name of the girl with me.


    "She''s a beauty indeed. My lord will definitely be pleased. Right, this way." It took all my might to contain myself when he looked at me like that.


    He led us to the castle. I balled my fist but didn''t act up in any way. This is where we parted from Jori and the phase of two of our plan begun.

 Chapter 214 - Can I Punch Him Now?

    "And who are these two lovely ladies?" A handsome-looking man greeted us. I recognized the voice. It was the same vermin who Lianne was talking to back then. I almost wanted to punch him. Controlling your urges can be quite a hassle at times.


    He was dressed in flawless attire. He seemed to be in his late thirties. A decent build: little to the thick side. He was almost the same height as me right now.


    I faked a smile and bowed gracefully, tilting the hem of my skirt. I''d seen this kind of stuff in movies. "I am Daphne Valheiser, my lord. This is my aide." Susan bowed in a similar manner.  I praised myself in my mind for coming up with a last name on spot. Only a second later it hit, that it was kind of stupid.


    "Pleasure to make your acquaintance my lovely wildflower! I am Duke Vermillian Vernexo." The way he introduced himself made me want to puke. "We- our names have the word V in common," he said seductively.


    V in common?


    This guy seriously had issues and not to mention he had nothing better to keep the conversation going. I smiled to hide the awkwardness.


    We were in some sort of well-decorated room. There were a lot of well-endowed women in here apart from us. They were giving me a lot of stares. But there was someone here that I hadn''t expected to meet: Lianne.


    Lianne sat in the opposite corner of the room, dressed in a similar fashion like me: maybe a little less revealing. I got the picture that she was going to try something too. Her eyes opened wide seeing me, but she held her surprise and didn''t say too much. More like she didn''t open her mouth even once. But then again I didn''t think I''d see her without that veil of hers like this either.


    And I was really glad she didn''t create a commotion because I was dressed like this when I had basically the same face as her mother.


    The castle was so-so but this room- this room was truly a masterpiece. This guy must have really spent a lot of gold in here: literally. Even the carpet was made of golden threads.


    "The pleasure is all mine, my lord."  I tried my best to be courteous.


    Thank goodness I watched all those movies!


    The two of us took our seats and the duke took his. Now that I thought about it, he called himself a duke instead of a king. I suppose that only made sense since this place was technically the property of Alfeim.


    The food was decent. I''d had better. I didn''t eat much though. I still had to maintain my status quo, so I lied as I bat my eyelashes.


    "My lady, is this not to your liking?" he said, a bit sad.


    I had to choose my words carefully or the chefs might have lost their heads.


    "Unfortunately my lord, in our family culture, it is rude to eat more than one-quarter of our food at night. This is done to preserve our slim figure and health. My mother and her mother, and her mother before her, also did the same." I never knew I could come up with such lies. I guess my lying skills had finally leveled up after all this time.


    "Ah, I see." He smiled, showing me his teeth. I really wanted to break all those white blocks.


    Things went pretty smoothly if I do say so myself. He paid almost too much attention to me and my legs. The way his hand massaged my thighs made me want to punch him so bad that he''d regret being born. Alas! I had to contain myself.


    Some of the girls were glaring at me, enviously. I guess some women have horrible taste. Or maybe the pay was good?


    Anyway, the dinner was over before I knew it and he dismissed all the women. Before leaving Lianne looked at me and left. I had no idea what she tried to convey. But things couldn''t have been easier.


    Mission successful.


    "Why don''t I show you my art pieces? I have quite a collection," the duke said. He flashed a smile and waited patiently for my reply.


    I had a pretty good idea what sort of art he wanted to show me. Unfortunately, I had no such desire. If I did end up witnessing his art, I might or might not end up squishing it on spot. Hopefully, it wouldn''t come to that for both our sakes.


    "I''d love to." I cupped his hands and pretended to be happy. This was much harder than I thought. "But what about her?" I looked sideways, a bit puzzled. This was definitely a lot harder than I thought.


    Of course, I meant Susan.


    "Sh-she can join us too!"


    What a pig.


    "Won''t it be nice if the two of us were alone?" I said, pleadingly. Honestly, if someone pleaded like this to me, I''d turn her down on the spot. I''d be too suspicious.


    But this guy was different. "Ye-yes!"


    I was disgusted by him and myself at the same time. After this I''d have to spend an hour in front of a mirror, lecturing myself.


    "Guards!" A guard came in. "Show this lovely lady to a guest room."


    "Sir!"


    Susan left with the guard. I saw her grin. She had this covered.


    Why were we bothering with this clown anyway? Honestly, at this point, I couldn''t even bear to be near this clown. And yet, I had to.


    I leave the rest to you, Susan.


    Now the two of us were all alone. "This way." He led me down the corridor. The walls of this corridor were rather fancy, unlike the rest of the castle. I got the feeling that soon we''d end up in a place I didn''t want to.


    But for both Lianne''s and my sake, I had to do this.


    Well, it''s too late to have second thoughts now anyway.

 Chapter 215 - How Long Do I Have To Keep Up This Farce Again?

    My doubts were not ill-founded: they were literally on the mark. "Welcome to my humble abode."


    We had arrived in his chambers. It was kingly if nothing else.


    "I thought we''re going to see some art?" I still had a smile on.


    Oh, shit.


    But I did expect this to happen sooner or later. Definitely not this soon though.


    "I have art right here," he said playfully as he unzipped his pants. This guy had patience issues. Scratch that. This guy had a hell amount of issues.


    But my mission was accomplished as it was. The decoy mission and the whole plan itself was a decoy. I never trusted anyone of them, not even Susan. After being betrayed countless times, I didn''t have the luxury to trust someone I just met, even if they were from my world.


    And now I have the perfect hostage.


    Before coming here I checked my ring, and I still had my cane, and though I didn''t know how to use it, I could certainly break a bone or two with it.


    This playboy won''t know what hit him.


    "Oh, how artistic," I winked, closing the door and locking it. But there was nothing artistic about it though. He was hairier than the amazon jungle.


    The two of us walked closer and when our eyes met, I looked away bashfully. He might have mistaken it as embarrassment. But I was just disgusted seeing his vulgar smile.


    I wrapped my hands around him and he started to massage my bosom with his face. It felt weird and tinkled. But I didn''t come here for pleasure hunting. I was on a mission. My eyes burned with anger and disgust.


    I clenched my teeth and poured mana into the ring.


    The time has finally come.


    Meanwhile, he was playfully unzipping my dress.


    How about-


    I removed my bangle and he stopped. He stuttered and moved like a badly oiled machine as he looked up.


    Did my flat chest startle you?


    "Surprise!" I flashed a rather dashing grin. The best one I could accomplish.


    Before he could react, I hit his head with the cane so hard that blood frenzied out. I gasped and panted. Boy was maintaining that farce took a lot out of me!


    He let out a shriek and fell on the ground with his hands on his head. He hadn''t passed out yet. Oh, and his jungle''s one and only tree had risen.


    "Maybe you should think this through the next time." My heel landed on his jungle and stuff happened.


    He screamed hard and went to dreamland. It wasn''t enough to kill him but I was pretty sure he wouldn''t be moving around anytime soon.


    It felt good.


    "My- my lord. Is everything alright?" A soldier knocked on the door. I gulped.


    Isn''t that a bit too soon?


    "It-its fine." They must have been by the door this whole time.


    "Open the door! Who are you!"


    I tried mimicking his voice but the guard saw through it immediately.  I guess I should have been a little more realistic.


    The hell am I doing?


    I really needed to get my shit together.


    I tried lifting the guy''s body but he was heavy. And my wounds weren''t helping. Maybe I shouldn''t have hit him so hard?


    No matter how I thought about it, things were pretty bad for me. The number of shouts increased. The guards kept on knocking and tried to break in. The door was pretty solid but it wouldn''t have lasted another minute. I had to think of something- something fast.


    I sighed.


    I really didn''t want to waste anything on you. Suppose I have no choice.


    I fed the duke a little of my potion and he started to regain consciousness. Upon opening his eyes he stared at me blankly. He must have not fully awoken or did I hit his head a bit too hard?


    "Lady Daphne? What am I doing on the floor?" He stuttered with every word. The concussion must have been a little too much for him.


    I almost wanted to feel bad for the poor guy, but I didn''t have sympathy for such sleazebags.


    I didn''t have the luxury to fondle around with words either. "Stand up!" I commanded and he obliged with a terrified face. My cane still had fresh blood on it. He seemed to understand what it meant.


    "So it was you. What did you do with that lady?" I guess he was on the denser side.


    I was still in the dress. So it should have been self-explanatory. Was he really that dumb? "It''s none of your business."


    Speaking of the dress, it was already tight in my lady form and now, it was squeezing me a lot tighter than necessary: and tearing here and there. I looked worse than a certain crossdresser.


    The door blasted open. From the looks of it, someone cast magic: fire magic to be precise.


    "Rewally? But now you''re a rat caught in a trap! I''ll mawke you regret it!" The colors seemed to return on the duke''s face: his speech didn''t.


    Did he seriously think a few measly soldiers would be enough to save him from me when he was in my point-blank range?


    And though I didn''t have weapons, I certainly still had my magic to rely on.


    But a second later all his hopes turned to dread and all the colors drained from his face yet again as a beautiful elf walked into the room.


    "I figured that was you, "I said.


    "Well, after I saw you, I weighed my options. Besides, she helped me, "Lianne said. Susan entered right after her.


    Both Lianne and Susan stood by me. The duke shivered as he understood what was going on.


    "I believe this belongs to you?" Susan gave me my swords: both of them. Lianne handed me the knife. I guess it was also a symbol of our friendship. But did I really think of her as a friend?


    Honestly, I didn''t know.


    "Wh-what are you doing to the duke!" There was a group of soldiers just outside the door. They stared at us from the flaming doorway. They weren''t dumb or brave enough to confront us directly. They already knew what they were dealing with.

 Chapter 216 - Am I Crazy Or Did Something Super Outrageous Just Happened?

    Just glaring was enough to scare the soldiers.


    I returned my gaze to the duke. "Now, what was all that talk about Zamsau? How did you two end up acquainted?" I held him by his collar. "Oh and spare me the BS. Otherwise, I''m pretty sure you know how my lovely little stick feels when it lands, right?" I threatened him with my cane, which was gracefully hanging from my waist.


    He nodded like a little kid. "Please don''t hit-hit me again!" He pleaded. "I''ll tell you everything!"


    He was too easy. And I thought God''s would-be apostle would be someone capable. But I was glad he wasn''t.


    But then again the guy had an issue with keeping secrets.


    Taking my silence as a yes, he continued. "Two months ago he came to me in my dreams. He instructed me to poison my father and then the mountains. I poisoned a river that was frequented by dragons. They drank the water and spread the poison amongst themselves. It''s to the north.


    And he said if the city gets ruined, he''d give me a legendary weapon and help me rebuild the city. But if you manage to save it, he''d make me the next emperor of Alfeim. Both ways, I''d still have my kingdom and just one city was worth the risk." His voice echoed with madness.


    The guards outside stared at us with disbelief. I suppose that was only natural.


    Shouldn''t it have been the other way around? Shouldn''t he have offered to make you emperor if your city did get destroyed?


    I guess he was too idiotic to think about the gravity of the stuff he said. Not to mention the guy actually killed his own father because of a dream.


    "Don''t tell me that''s why you went to the forest for hunting and took half of your army, my lord?" a soldier asked, barely hiding his rage. "And you poisoned Lord Kernexo?" The duke didn''t even look at him. The soldier got his answer just like that.


    "I was an idiot to think all this shit had a deeper meaning. You were played, country bumpkin. He''s the god of the underworld. Why the hell would he keep promises?" I said, chuckling a little. "And you could have easily gotten this entire country for yourself if you just stayed put and played nicely. Too bad."


    No wonder that flying lizard was so mad. Maybe he was really right about humans being vile. I guess he really was justified in his own way.


    I guess humans really were evil creatures. But the same went for everything. After all, even gods had two sides.


    I guess I had to make it up the lizard somehow.


    But I couldn''t forgive Ashirnae. Next time we meet, he''d have to die.


    The duke looked at me with disbelief, face paled. Punching him would have been nice, but I wanted to savor that look on his face a little more.


    "By the way, how long do you plan on dressing like that?" Susan placed a hand on my shoulder, carefully looked at my dress head to toe, and giggled to herself.


    I actually kind of forgot about it. "My armor and-" I looked at the guards. "Care to bring them to me? Or are you guys still loyal to him?


    One of the soldiers threw my cloak at me. "The armor was damaged. The pants are being washed." He didn''t look at my face. But I got a good look at his. It was the same guy who was on guard duty and saw me jump off the window.


    "Thanks." I wrapped myself in my robe. It was better than walking around in a sexy almost-about-to-be-torn dress. A thousand times better.


    And then all of a sudden there was a ruckus outside the castle. I peeked through the curtain. A lot of people came out and were by the door with their torches and pitchforks. Almost like a mob, hunting witches or something.


    I don''t even get time to get changed?


    "They''re not here for us, are they?"


    "Yo-you''re finished!" the duke still yelled weird shit.


    "I''m pretty sure they don''t feel that obligated, at least not to you." I didn''t even feel like talking to this prick, not anymore.


    The mob was yelling something and a cross dresser was leading them. There were other familiar faces too. I guess I should have seen it coming.


    "Well at least they kept their end of the bargain." I grabbed the Duke''s ear. "Time to move wench!" I dragged the duke out. I always wanted to say that. But apparently my mother taught me to respect women: hence I never got to say it. At least now I could, as this pathetic excuse for a human wasn''t a woman. I could say anything I want.


    "You do know he''s a guy, right?" Susan whispered.


    "Not anymore."


    Both Lianne and Susan looked at me with a lot of emotions. Most of them were negative though. Oh, and by the way, the duke was still going commando.


    I pulled his ear like crazy and walked out of the castle like I owned the place. The soldiers looked terrified and pale. There was some disgust in their eyes as well. Meanwhile, I grinned all the way.


    A few of the soldiers tried to get in the way, but the ones that were trailing behind us, stopped them and when they whispered something into the soldier''s ears, everyone just showered the Duke with disgusted looks.


    "You know, you''d make a decent villain. Maybe you should consider becoming one," Susan said.


    "Sorry but I''ve already got other reservations."


    She burst out laughing. Lianne giggled.


    Lianne seemed to be oddly quiet though.


    What was she plotting this time?


    ***


    Once out, I met the full force of the mob.


    "All hail Lord Daarc and his betrothed princess Lianne!" someone shouted and then the mob shouted in unison.


    Everyone bowed. The soldiers, the people, the adventures. Everyone. "Wait, what?"


    "Well, I thought I''d pull some strings since you didn''t plan things too extensively. Oh and I asked the princess beforehand about her consent, so everything is fine." Susan fingered her hair. My eyes twitched. What kind of shit was I about to be pulled into this time?


    "What about my consent!?"


    They all ignored me.


    "Betrothed!?" The duke seemed to be more shocked than me. I let go of his ear and he tried to run, but the soldiers held their spears near his neck and he just stayed put.


    Before I could glare at her, Lianne took the charge and addressed the crowd. "Raise your heads brave men of Helsing. Today we have gathered here to witness the great deeds of my future husband. Let me make this clear. He is the man who defeated two monarchs and two grand monsters. He has gone on par with my father. But he is not entitled to the title he''s been given. I believe there was a conspiracy. A conspiracy¡­." Lianne went on. I kind of felt ridiculed as she continued singing my praise.


    And she also made up a good lie about how I liberated Alfeime and it was all the demon''s fault. Honestly, I kind of felt bad for the demons being framed like this while all that crap just happened because a certain prince couldn''t handle a bit of jealousy.


    Not entitled to the title¡­huh?


    Susan came close and whispered things in my ears. "You see, the people never really get all this riled up unless they know someone has actual authority. If they knew you weren''t up to the task or someone who wasn''t in power, they''d never have gathered like this."


    I didn''t disagree. People always flocked around powerful individuals after all. "But still-" It didn''t mean I was just going to accept it without any qualms either.


    "And so, right here, right now, I declare, Daarc Green, my future husband as the new Duke of Helsing, and the Archduke of Alfeime. He''s on a quest to rid this world of evil. And I, in his stead would ensure the peace of this country. You have already witnessed how grand his strength is. He didn''t pay any heed for his health and only cared about your safety. What do you say!?"


    At that moment the crowd burst into cheers. "All hail Duke Daarc!" the crowd sang in unison. Jori initiated that damn phrase.


    Duke, Archduke?


    Strangely I kind of forgot what the gravity of those titles meant. My head was going kind of funny and my body felt lighter than usual.


    "Huh? Duke? Archduke, what are you saying!?" And when reality did come crashing down, I kind of wanted to run away.


    This was so corny that I wanted to laugh like crazy. But these guys weren''t messing around. And everyone was dead serious.


    Oh shit¡­.


    "Wasn''t expecting, that one¡­." Susan tried to smile.


    "You-you can''t be serious! Princess!" The duke was losing his mind. Forget him, I was losing my mind. "He can''t be both at the same time."


    Wait, you''re more worried about that?


    "Umm¡­. Lianne. This isn''t funny."


    Please tell me this is a joke!


    I looked at Lianne, with tears in my eyes. Shock probably wasn''t the best word to describe the feeling.


    "What is funny¡­, Darling?" She emphasized on the darling part a bit too much and smiled as playfully as she could.


    I was thunderstruck!


    Nay, flabbergasted!


    Yay! More politics. Just what I needed.


    I almost cried at the irony of my own words.


    With just one sentence, Lianne had established three things. First, me being the duke would end the ongoing war of humans and elves. As I was a human and she was an elf, things couldn''t have been more equal, at least for the time being. Next, this also solved the problem of the current duke being a total garbage. And lastly, since I won''t stick around, this just meant Alfeim won without a doubt.


    I really hated politics.

 Chapter 217 - How Dare You Refuse My Refusal!

    "I refuse!"


    After the whole mob thing, we went back inside the castle and now Lianne was trying to convince me to sign up for the job.


    We were in some sort of large room where sofas were kept in odd angles. Maybe they used it as a meeting room? It wasn''t all that much of a meeting with just me, Lianne, Jori, and Susan though. It was more like them dumping all the responsibility on me.


    Lianne sat opposite of me. "Think this through. Wouldn''t it be nice to travel to countries and get treated well? You won''t have to end up in a farce like this. Since you''ll have Alfeim''s blessing, no country would be able to harm you either."


    "Are you kidding me? Do you seriously think you can fool me with that? And how come you declared something like that without my consent? And what''s the stuff about you being my betrothed?" I didn''t shout. There were guards standing outside the room. I had no intention of letting them know anything they didn''t need to know. "Besides, won''t this end up causing more trouble? What about the war?" What if, humans didn''t like this outcome?


    Lianne sighed. "Apparently, there wasn''t a better way to solve this. The reason we didn''t have an elf running this country was because the people didn''t really like that. So if I had taken over without any valid reasons, things wouldn''t have worked out. As for why I chose you as my husband¡­. Well, that''s a valid point you have there."


    "Are you trying to piss me off? If so, it''s working." My teeth clattered. My heartbeat rose and the smell of my sweat constantly reminded me that I needed to take a shower.


    How the hell did the duke not notice all this smell? And how the hell did I not notice!?


    "By the way how long do you plan on staying like that? Perhaps you really like that dress?" Jori said. Couldn''t he have tried to change the subject a little more subtly? He breathed heavily. "I might seriously lose control if I stare too long."


    I felt a vein pop up. I tried to smile. "Yes, I really like this dress. Do you mind if I worshiped it?"


    His eyes opened wide and he shut up. Susan stood by a corner and just watched, giggling silently.


    I closed my eyes, calmed myself, and opened them again, glaring straight at Lianne. "Why? I don''t want any sugar coating. Give it to me straight."


    She took a breath and gathered her thoughts. "There was no other way. The people really respected the former duke. His son, the current duke, took over only two months ago. He has a rather peculiar reputation. Even so, if the people realized that someone who attempted to assassinate the emperor tried to take the duke hostage, things would have turned out pretty bad. Even that bracelet wouldn''t have been able to save you. I must say, declaring you as my fianc¨¦ was forced but even so, you are not bound to me, as we''re not married. I have tried to deceive the people by saying you''re my fianc¨¦. ''Surely the person who tried to assassinate the emperor wouldn''t end up as the groom, right?'' I wanted the people to think that." She paused. "And there are instances when these arrangements could be broken with the consent of both parties. So you''re not bound. Feel free to marry other people, if you should fall in love with them." The last part of her sentence had a rather harsh tone. Was I imagining it?


    "I''m pretty sure, I won''t think of marrying anyone, at least not in this world. After all, I have no plans to stay here. I want to go back home as soon as possible." I had thought about it before but not to any great extent. My family back at home wasn''t a place I wanted to go back to. But even so, I didn''t really want to stay in this world either.


    And though I liked a certain elf, I couldn''t settle down either. After all, I''d used up almost half of my given time. And as things stood, I didn''t have the strength to win against the emperor alone. His speed and ferocity were still ingrained in my brain. He was strong, he was stronger than the dragon I fought, and more importantly, he actually used his head.


    He wasn''t someone I could just taunt and hope to survive. So, I didn''t want to settle down and cause needless suffering for my partner. Even I wasn''t that selfish.


    "I-I see. Even so, please play along with me. It won''t take long to get everything in order. Till then please pretend. After that, we can break off the engagement." Lianne looked away. Maybe she didn''t like the whole engagement thing either.


    "Well, that''s one of the things. But what about the other? How long do I have to play the duke? And was it really okay to declare me your husband? I don''t mean to be rude, but I''m a human and you''re an elf. And more importantly, what''s this deal about being the Archduke of Alfeime!?"


    And as far as I knew, people didn''t necessarily like these two races to be united, especially the elves. And a man getting one of the biggest positions in the Elven Empire? Needless to say, a lot of brows would have been raised.


    "Play the duke," Susan giggled.


    I grinned to contain my anger. It was not working.


    "Well, you won''t have to stay here. I guess you can just continue your journey like always. It just, from time to time, you''d have to cope with messenger birds and stuff like that. As for the race issue, it won''t become one. There were instances where half-elves were looked down upon but times have changed. And I believe my brother can change the elves. It will take time but things will surely change." Lianne breathed another sigh. "Although I must admit, I might have gotten a bit carried away with the Archduke thing. I''ll have to talk to my brother regarding that. Though since he already respects you, I don''t think it''ll become a problem."


    Is that so?


    She didn''t look all that convinced. So I wasn''t convinced either.


    "Okay so, how about we hold a banquet in celebration and invite the general people? That way you''d be able to get familiar with the nobility here and the people at the same time." Jori tried to laugh to hide the awkwardness. The guy was trying his best to change the mood, but sadly, nothing was working.


    I tried to laugh as well. At that, the whole room was filled with laughter. All of us laughed. But this laughter was nothing but a farce. I was tired.


    I got up. "I don''t see any problem in that. But I''d like to leave as soon as possible." As much as I hated these things, I still needed to maintain at least some responsibilities. I couldn''t just pretend to be the duke. If I was going to do something, I had to do it properly. Even if it was only for a few days.


    "Very well. We will leave in three days. In the meantime, I''ll teach you royal etiquette and how to bow properly." Lianne stood up as well.


    I guess she didn''t like my hem tilting bows.


    The way she''d said it made me wonder. "WE?"


    "Yes. We."


    "I thought you said you''d take care of everything here."


    Honestly, at this point, I didn''t even know what the hell was going on.


    "I will but after I see you to the borders." She flashed a bewildering smile.


    I didn''t know what to say. Just how infatuated was she with the border? Actually, now I was kind of curious at what mysteries the border might have held.


    "I will be coming back here though afterward." Lianne flashed another smile.


    "What happened to searching the world for-"


    "Well, I haven''t given up on that just yet. I still have some time before turning into one of them¡­. So maybe, settling down for a hundred years or so doesn''t sound that bad¡­."She still had her signature smile.


    I didn''t want to press on that. I had no reason to know more about that.


    "One of them?" Susan asked.


    "We shouldn''t ask things that might cause fractures in our bonds." Every once in a while Jori said something wise. I wished he''d just shut up. But for just this once, he was right.


    "And why three days? I mean-"


    "Tomorrow we will have to do something about that monster. The next day there would be a banquet. And I haven''t finished grinding the basics into you yet." A devilish grin appeared on her face. I gulped on instinct. She returned to normal and continued. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow will be your-"


    "Yeah, I get it. You''ll transfer the title officially. But are the people going to buy it? After all, I''m a criminal." I was just being sarcastic.


    "Honestly, they''ll believe anything that gives them hope. And right now, you are their hope. They''ll be all over you."


    "I''d rather not have that." I sighed again. Things would only get harder and harder. How much did lady luck hate me anyway? Oh, wait, the goddess of luck was probably dead too.  "What''ll happen to the duke?"


    "He''ll get executed."


    "Can''t we just put him into a cell and lock him away?" Susan asked. I guess she didn''t know how people treated crime in this world, yet.


    Jori giggled. "People might end up causing another fuss. So it would be better to stop the sparks before a fire." He sure was acting rather funny today.


    "Whatever. It''s no longer my concern. Show me to a room." But this did give me an idea. If I could succeed, I''d be able to kill two birds with one stone. I had no idea if it was going to work or not, and it was pretty evil. But at this point, why the hell not?


    "Ask the guard outside."


    "Go''night," Susan yelled.


    "Night. And both of you, thanks for your help. Although you two might have created more problems for me than solve any."


    They just grinned and didn''t say anything. It was awkward so I didn''t say anything either. I was the only one to get out.

 Chapter 218 - Just What Are The Demons?

    I walked out. There were some guards outside. I walked closer to one of them: the same guy who gave me back my robe. We ran into one another, a lot today.


    "Lead me to my room. And can I get some clothes? I don''t really want to wear this stuff¡­. I have to take a shower too."


    Just thinking about all this made me want to sigh.


    "Right away, my lord. Should I take you to the bed chambers?"


    "As long as it''s not that overly decorated Dis-ney Park, it''s alright." I didn''t want to go back to that decorated hell hole anytime soon. It really creeped me out.


    "I am not familiar with that my lord. But are you saying you don''t want to go to the royal bed chambers?" The soldier cocked his head around.


    "Yes, I am saying that. Any room would be fine other than that. On that note, even that room, the one you guarded would be fine," I said. I was a little annoyed, actually.


    "That would be an insult to my lord. I could never ask you to stay in such a filthy room!"


    I already spent three days there though.


    "Lead on. And skip the, my lord dialog." I had no intention of hearing ''my lord'' every time he said something. It was weird.


    "Sir!" The guy gave me a rather stern salute.


    I guess that''s an improvement.


    Every time I passed by a soldier, I got salutes and they''d always have their heads facing their feet, never looking up.


    The treatment was nice and they were treating me with a lot of respect. It felt odd and I didn''t like it. But at least it was better than being treated like a criminal or running around, pretending to be a girl. Actually, this might not have been that bad.


    The guard took me to a guest room and soon came with clothes. I still hadn''t had dinner but I was reluctant to ask him so much. I guess I was the duke now, but even so, ordering people around kind of felt out of place. After all, the soldier had a life too. I couldn''t just force him to run errands for me nonstop. That''s what lazy royal pricks would do. I sure didn''t want to turn into one of those.


    But the shower I couldn''t skip.


    I was led to the royal shower room. This is where I told the guard to just go on about his day. But he insisted to see me back once I was done. I guess I had to accept.


    But my fate got ruined the moment I entered the bath.


    Once inside, I met true horror. Jori was in the water.


    "Oh my! You wanted to see me that badly?" He grinned in more than one horrifying way.


    My whole face twitched and I turned around. "Showers aren''t necessary for survival."


    I saw nothing. I saw nothing.


    "Don''t go!" I couldn''t escape. He dragged me to the water.


    "NOoo!"


    ***


    It was some sort of pool. Water was coming in from a lion statue close to it. The water was steamy but not hot: just warm. I couldn''t see the full body of Jori and I was willing to thank even the devil for that.


    I really didn''t want to be here.


    "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were another country bumpkin tryin hard to live by. Guess I was wrong."


    "I don''t need a confession. You''ve been here long enough, right? Why don''t you give me a little alone time? You said you were like my older sister, right? Then shouldn''t you go?"


    "What''s with a barrage of questions?" He chuckled. "Life is hard I know. But hang in there. Maybe you won''t end like me."


    I''m definitely not going to be like you.


    "Noted."


    "I suppose you are uncomfortable around me." He sighed. "But next time, I won''t relinquish you to the elf. So be prepared," he said playfully. Every single hair of my body stood up and shivers went down my spine. "Oh, and by the way, the secret to channeling mana within your body parts is easy. Just imagine the mana as your lifeblood. Do that and maybe you won''t end up boiling like last time?"


    He got out. I looked away.


    I saw nothing I saw nothing.


    But this guy actually knew that I was uncomfortable around him. So why the hell didn''t he stop?


    But now that he was gone, I had time to think about it, alone.


    Mana as blood, huh?


    It sounded so simple but it wasn''t. Just what was even mana anyway?


    With a sigh, I just drowned all my worries in the water.


    ***


    The soldiers were nice enough to return Boriosa''s pants. And from the looks of it, they gave me decent shirts too. I''d made it clear that I didn''t want any of the duke''s clothes, so they just gave me stuff they had for guests.


    Well, technically I was a guest too, as I wasn''t going to stay here long.


    The guard did see me to my room as promised and he also gave strict orders to the guard outside to guard properly. I guess he was trying his best too.


    ***


    "You alive?"


    "Still am¡­"


    It was a little late. Later than midnight. I was by the terrace, watching the night sky. I complained about being tired but couldn''t really sleep. Some of it had to do with a certain bath incident that took place not too long ago.


    And then all of a sudden a blonde beauty descended from the sky on a crow.  It was like a scene straight out of a movie. I couldn''t help but giggle though.


    "I wanted to talk with you a little so decided to come," Susan said. Then she started to giggle. "Looks like you''ve finally gotten out of that. And I kind of liked that dress too, my lady."


    "You sure? I am a guy you know and it''s late." I had plenty of self-control. But after hearing what she''d said, I could only grind my teeth and be sarcastic.


    "So what? I''m pretty sure I''m stronger than you. So I can protect myself." The way she declared her superiority was almost comical. I guess she hadn''t realized it.


    I sighed, chuckling a little. "I guess you''re right. On that note, how strong are you? Can you beat the emperor as you are?"


    "What''s with the questions?" She wondered for a second. "No, not really. I''m not strong enough to beat that jerk yet."


    "That jerk?" Her overly familiar way of describing the emperor was weighing on my conscience. Was this girl really okay, brain-wise?


    "How come he treats me so bad? I told him countless times that he shouldn''t let those Orc scum live but-"


    "I''m not following."


    "You see-" She jumped from the crow and it shrank. The crow flew off. "Demonica has a lot of problems. One of those problems is Orcs. They eat everything, reproduce at an astronomical rate and then repeat the process. The west area of Demonica has already become brazen lands. If this continues-" she spouted nonsense. I couldn''t follow.


    "I still don''t understand. What the hell are you saying?"


    "Basically the Orcs are bad and the emperor isn''t doing anything to stop them. If this keeps up the demons would lose precious land and suffer from famine." She was actually feeling sad for the demons.


    How disgusting!


    "I''m pretty sure the demons are just as bad. Do you have any idea what they do to humans and-"


    "Are you sure? To my knowledge, humans do the same to demons if not worse. Have you visited any pleasure districts of this world? I''m pretty sure you''ll mostly find demons there. Demon slaves that is. And did you know that the emperor is doing whatever he can to prevent wars?" She glared at me. She said stuff as though they were the most general knowledge in the world.


    So he didn''t summon you to fight him¡­.


    I didn''t know why the emperor summoned everyone. He must have had different plans for all the summons.


    But that didn''t justify her way of thinking.


    "Unfortunately, I didn''t have the luxury to do that. Oh and you''re telling me, humans, just run to the so-called demon whatever town and release an army of undead shit to pillage and destroy everything, right?" My teeth clattered with one another. I was seething with anger. Just remembering all the events¡­. "And humans just happen to run wild in demon villages and kill everything in sight? Right?" And the memories just kept on boiling. "And humans just happen to unleash incurable diseases to demon villages, right!?"


    "Wh-what are you talking about?" She stuttered.


    "I''m pretty sure you''ve heard that I killed two monarchs, right? Do you know why?"


    "They-they set up tests for you. So that they may gauge your potential as a hero, didn''t they?" Her eyes jumped around. She clearly knew nothing.


    "Are you kidding me? Just what kind of crap have they been feeding you? Demons raising a hero?" I laughed. I laughed too hard. "If that was true then all of my friends would be alive and thousands of people wouldn''t be dead."


    "I-I¡­ that''s not true! Thamas, Merenia, and the others¡­. They can''t be!" She stumbled back. If the terrace wasn''t here, she''d have fallen down.


    "Looks like you don''t know anything. Try to see the world through both perspectives." I closed my eyes. "I believe this conversation is over. I thought we had a bond. I thought we had something in common." I glared at her with unbridled disgust. "But you''re just like them. You''re just like those monsters. They whispered you sweet things and you started dancing at their tune. You''re no better them than them. You won''t hesitate to kill humans if they just told you it''s for the better of this world. Go, go away."


    I bit my lips. I couldn''t believe in the demons. Not after what I''d been through. Not after what those wretched things have done to me and the people I came close to. I could never forgive them.


    And so, I couldn''t forgive Susan either.


    "Sorry¡­. I guess I shouldn''t have come¡­." She whispered and jumped.


    I didn''t see the crow dive. Wait did she just- I hurried and looked down. Nothing was there. Then out of nowhere, the crow flew off with her on its back.


    Dick said something about how he never saw the emperor. This girl- if nothing else- respects the demons. What is going on?


    Even if she was a complete ditz, she would still know something wasn''t right. Just going by logic, the demons had to have at least something which justified her line of thoughts. But I wasn''t going to trust in that.


    Within moments the crow''s shadow vanished into the night sky.


    I need to learn more about that damn country. More about those damn things.


    "Daarc- are you?" There was a knock on the door. Lianne was outside the room. Why was I suddenly getting visits from girls in the middle of the night? Judging by what just happened, I didn''t have a good feeling about what would come next.


    "I''m awake. Wait."

 Chapter 219 - Wake Up, You Big Fat Flying Lizard!

    I opened up the door and Lianne was outside. She was dressed in a nightgown. Her face wasn''t covered. She actually looked pretty good.


    She came inside. I didn''t lock the door. I had no intention of brewing a misunderstanding.


    "So¡­?"


    She went to the terrace. I followed.


    "I''m sorry."


    I actually hadn''t expected that. I knew she''d apologize eventually. But this was just too sudden. Or maybe I was still a bit flustered about the whole Susan fiasco.


    "I know you can''t trust me anymore but-"Her eyes shimmered. "I really am sorry. It''s just¡­ I didn''t have another option. I just-"


    "It''s okay. It''s not like brooding over it would change anything." It wasn''t like I''d forgotten about it but I had to put up an act. Holding things back would have just made both me and her sad in the long run. "It''s okay."


    And more importantly, I''d be out of here soon anyway.


    "Thank you." She smiled faintly. Even with what little light there was, she looked divine.


    Don''t fall for her looks!


    Don''t fall for her smile!


    Don''t fall for her!


    She was exactly my type.


    I shook my head and forced myself to come to my senses. I wasn''t going to commit myself to someone from this world. After all, I would just return to my own world if I survived. But if I don''t- wouldn''t I just cease to exist? So it was better to not think things romantically.


    Why should I ruin someone else''s life for happiness that wouldn''t last?


    And even if everything worked out, Lianne would live a lot longer than me, meaning she''d continue to feel lonely.


    I didn''t want that. "It''s getting late. I think I need some rest. Is there anything else you''d like to talk about?"


    "I-" She stopped. She thought about something. "I''m really sorry. And thank you. Good night Daarc." She left. She was hesitant to say what she was about to say. And in the end, she didn''t say it.


    Why does everything tonight have to go so horribly wrong?


    I didn''t understand women. I guess I needed to make some more effort.


    With a sigh, I looked up. There were plenty of stars playing hide and seek with the clouds. I kind of missed the moon but honestly, I just felt lonely.


    ''Guess I''ll visit Galbatia.''


    ***


    Susan was gone the next morning. I kind of knew why. I was the reason no doubt. The grand monster was still in the castle. No one knew how they''d dispose of it. But I had a plan. And I had no idea if it''d work or not.


    "He''s been like this ever since." A soldier showed me the corpse of the grand monster, Xerphas.


    We were out in the courtyard of the castle. The sun hit my face and it actually kind of felt good. The grass of the courtyard wasn''t too bad either. Actually I liked the smell of the soil here rather than the scented rooms of the castle.


    But the grass did bring back a lot of memories I wanted nothing to do with.


    Both Lianne and Jori were out here as well. Lianne was the princess so it wasn''t a big deal. But I was a little weary of Jori. So far he hadn''t tried anything shady. And yet I still couldn''t trust him.


    The corpse of Xerphas was like any other corpse. But one thing was different. It didn''t rot. It was as though he was asleep. I went closer and checked his pulse. There wasn''t a beating heart. He didn''t breathe. The scales and the whole body was motionless, just like a corpse. Looking at it like this almost made me wonder if he could actually come alive. But after what sort of things happened, I couldn''t really wonder all that much, now could I?


    "Are you sure we can''t just burn it solid?" Jori interjected.


    "He''s literally the god of fire, how do you plan on burning him? That reminds me. What the hell are you doing here?" This was the perfect way to ask him- at least that''s what I thought.


    "How rude! I am here as a representative of the guild and as your friend of course!"


    "You mean you stand to gain profit here."


    "I can''t-d-deny that." He stuttered. Looked like I hit the nail pretty hard.


    "So what kind of profit are you aiming for? Getting closer to the next duke? Or-"


    "I guess you are sharper than I thought. Getting your favor would be the best thing the guild could hope to gain. Normally we''d have to tribute a lot of money to the royalty for us to do our things. Of course, we''d continue to do that but-" He was actually being awfully honest about this.


    It was just a guess though.


    "You''d be able to claim as being the friend of the duke and do as you please within the city borders."


    He almost blushed. People like that never did things unless it profited them after all. "Besides, we might finally be able to open a guild branch within Alfeim."


    No wonder I didn''t see any guild buildings in Affeime: there were none.


    "Sorry to pop your bubble. But Lianne would be running the show. And I''m pretty sure she won''t be that lenient." I crossed my arm and glared at the soldier. "What about the other corpses?"


    "Even so, you would always be an adventurer first. You''d be the pride of our guild branch. Oh did I forget to mention I''m promoting you to first-class?" Jori smirked with his poker face. "Oh and we bought all the corpses."


    "I''m pretty sure I didn''t register. And who sold this?" I was supposed to be the duke and no one even asked me anything.


    "Don''t be so cold. I''ve already ordered a status plate for you." He smirked devilishly. I almost felt the urge to punch him.


    "The previous duke did, my lord." The soldier looked at the ground, I guess I couldn''t fault him.


    I sighed. "Status plate?" I already knew this kind of stuff from games and all that, but I still had to ask.


    "It''s a special kind of ID. You''ll be able to use it as proof you''re an adventurer if you think you''d rather not disclose your identity as a duke to the public." He whispered. His smile didn''t falter. I only gave him a cold glare. But deep inside I couldn''t have hoped for something better. I was a nerd at heart after all.


    This actually isn''t bad¡­


    Needless to say, I was getting a lot more excited than necessary.


    "But honestly, I''ve never heard of people actually defeating grand monsters. So I can''t really say what we can do either. I''ve heard that they are immortal but¡­." Lianne was unsure as well. But did she really have to change the subject?


    It was better than speaking with the cross dresser, so I played along. "Well why don''t we ask him?" Both of them were startled when I suggested that. The castle guards looked at me with utmost disbelief.


    Calm down people, I wasn''t joking.


    "Let me rephrase that. Why don''t we wake him and talk things through with him. It''d only be a bigger pain if we didn''t negotiate things with him while he''s the weakest."


    After all, if he recovered fully and then decided to have a second round, that''d literally be the end of us.


    "Wake him up? Negotiate! Are you out of your mind?" Jori held my shirt and shook me back and forth in an attempt to pound sense into me.


    Sorry, but I was pretty senseless, to begin with.


    "Are you sure?" Lianne said placidly. She didn''t seem all that worried.


    I nodded. Jori backed off. The guards seemed weary but they didn''t stop me. I guess it was their job to follow orders blindly.


    Lianne continued. "What did you mean by waking him up? He''s-"


    "With this of course!" I focused and brought out the mystic blade. I didn''t care if I spooked the soldiers but I didn''t have much choice. An eerie glow began to emanate from the blade.


    Immediately there was a reaction from the corpse. It began to twitch.


    Well, it''s working.


    Jori placed his hand against his head. "I should have suspected as much."


    Before the corpse could open its eyes I slid the sword back in the ring. I for once didn''t want to deal with an angry God complaining about a damn sword every single time.


    It groaned and groggily woke up. The soldiers yelped and took steps back in instinct. They were well trained if nothing else.


    "Don''t be alarmed. And no one would attack even if he does. That''s an order!" I never knew acting high and mighty could be so satisfying. No wonder all the villains in games and movies loved being all high and mighty. If this continued, I might actually consider turning into a villain. Life would have been so much easier.

 Chapter 220 - Let’s Negotiate

    The soldiers did draw their weapons but only took a defensive stance.


    Rattling sounds reverberated and the air around the dragon got hotter. I could feel the energy in the air. This God was about to wake up.


    Seconds later Xerphas opened his eyes. He glared straight at me. Yellow and green-tinted eyes were rather something. To say beautiful would be an insult. They were divine. Very big: very divine.


    But before he could pull off anything I made my intentions clear. "I have dealt with the cause of your anger."


    He didn''t say anything and looked at me as if to say ''go on.''


    "The leader of this country did something stupid. I- no we overthrew him and now he will be executed for the crime he has done against you. You have the right to be angry but only at him. Since you already destroyed half of the town, I ask that you leave the rest alone. In turn, I will guarantee the safety of your land and the remaining dragons."


    I most sure hope there are dragons remaining. It would be more than awkward if those were the only ones alive.


    Because they were very dead.


    He let out a breath and a low-pitched roar. "And you expect me to comply?" Well, at least got something out of him.


    "No, not really. But if you do, your kin might actually have a better chance at surviving. I''m supposedly the new duke of this region. So it would be best for your interests to be on my good side. Think about it, I might seem weak, but surely you know how much I''m capable off?" My bad habits surfaced. I spoke so smoothly that it even surprised me.


    Wait, isn''t this just blackmailing?


    The soldiers weren''t as surprised as I thought they''d be. Actually weren''t there supposed to be more soldiers here?


    "I took care of everything. You can talk about anything," Lianne whispered.


    "You dare threaten me!" Xerphas roared.


    I sighed. I might have taken it a bit too far. I guess I shouldn''t have let my habit run free. So I tried to amend things before they got worse. "Calm down. Let''s have a calm negotiation. Why don''t you lay down your terms? It would be only unfair if one party dumped everything on the other party."


    Honestly, I didn''t want to go to war with the dragons. They were far too strong for humans to fight against. And if they decided to go to war against us, we were as good as dead.


    "I want to eradicate the humans of this land. They have poisoned us. I shall erase them. You may leave. I have no more business with you."


    But I have business with you, buddy.


    "That''s just selfish. How about I let you torture the one who''s responsible for all this? He said he and Ashirnae conspired. He poisoned the river near your settlements and the rest you can guess." I tried to lay down honeyed words. The promise of revenge always worked anyway.


    Well he''d be executed anyway.


    The duke was probably counting sheep in his cell. He did terrible stuff, but I didn''t see him repent even for a second. So, though this was cruel, this was fitting for him.


    "Ashirnae!!!" Xerphas stomped his feet and roared.


    Oh boy. He was mad. Who knew dragons could throw tantrums.


    "Calm down. Ashirnae is gone. But we still have his coconspirator. What do you say?" I raised my hand in an attempt to calm him.


    I didn''t know if this was going to work or not, but if it did, I could have my way. And that way, this city would have been spared.


    "I should have known. That fox was too sly to be trusted. To think I would make the same mistake twice! But you, I cannot trust either. Your words are like poison. You spout the same nonsense that damn snake used to spout. You''re just like him!" I guess he spoke from experience.


    Aw, didn''t think you''d actually praise me.


    I didn''t know if he thought it was a curse or something but to me, it was a compliment. A smile crept up on my face. "Well, so you''re suggesting, we let that bastard go? The same bastard that has cost so many of your lives? The same bastard that poisoned you, killed you? The same bastard that has betrayed both the humans and the dragons?" I was basically taunting him. If words won''t go through then¡­. Taunts it is!


    I still didn''t see the end to my taunting rabbit hole. And I was falling deeper and deeper day by day.


    I''d even forgotten for a second that I was actually speaking to a God, not some random clown I met on the roadside.


    He grumbled and let out a sigh. "For a human, your wits are almost unbelievable. If I didn''t know better I''d say you were the love child of that snake and Anverosa. But it is a shame you are a human. If only-" He stopped glared at me for a second. Another sigh followed. "I have conditions!"


    "I''m listening."


    It''s working. Glad at least he''s reasonable. And what the hell is an Anverosa?


    But this was way easier than I thought. Was this guy plotting something?


    "First I''d personally like to scorch that vermin. Second, you''d swear allegiance to the dragons. Third, you''d cease to use the power of that snake!" He laid down his terms. And boy was those terms heavy.


    I guess his plots were heavier than I could have even imagined.


    "The first one is no problem. I don''t understand the second and the third is not possible. I''m pretty sure I won''t be able to achieve my goals without that sword."


    "He''s giving you conditions?" Lianne whispered. I nodded.


    Xerphas''s teeth rattled and smoke erupted. "You will be loyal to the dragons. You will not harm the dragons and in their time of need, you will aide them. That is the second condition. As for the third, how about I send someone of my kin with you? He''d be able to transform and aide you more than that damn sword can."


    Maybe I should come clean. Otherwise, he won''t understand my situation.


    But boy did this guy not want me to use this sword.


    "You''re not expecting me to fight any wars for you right? I don''t know if you know this or not but I don''t plan on staying in this world. The only reason I''m here is because-"


    I briefly told him things. The soldiers around me glared at me in awe. Since Lianne had told me about not worrying about my surroundings, I didn''t really hold back all that much. I even told him how I met Trerortra and what kind of promise I''d made him. But since Jori was here I had to hold back on at least some details. Otherwise, who knew what kind of rumors he''d start: on that note, I already knew he was going to spread at least something. And it was like I was already hearing all the rumors now. Things like ''the grand hero'' and stuff.


    I sighed and finished my story.


    "Oh my," Jori whispered and blushed.


    I sighed again.


    "Very well. I shall settle for your loyalty instead of your aide. But-" His eyes came too close to mine. "You will travel with one of my kin! And unless it is necessary you will cease to use that sword. Seek the Mythic blade instead!"


    Why the hell are you suddenly being all sympathetic with me you damn lizard! Did you forget all the damn trouble you gave me! And Mythic?


    And did he forget that he was basically trying to kill me even just a few days ago?


    "So you could keep track of me-"


    "Yes. And he should be able to act as your transport as well. I say that''s fair trade." At least, he was being frank.


    Well, at least he''s coming at me with a straight face.


    He was surprisingly honest. I guess he being the god of courage and stuff wasn''t a lie. I still didn''t trust him though. Did I trust anyone?


    "Why? Why would you help me? And why should I trust you to keep your word? After all, you''re dead."


    The air itself rattled. "I will have faith in you because my friend and eternal comrade Damsel has done so. And I- the god of courage do not speak lies!"


    I thought for a second, looked at Lianne and the others. I glanced back at the proud dragon. "Alright. I agree. But you will also have to agree with not harming humans for petty reasons like what happened back in the village. And I would like you to forgive the humans for this grave mistake this time."


    I didn''t want to but, I had no choice but to trust this God.


    He roared. For a moment I thought he''d snap. "Very well human. I shall agree to it. Now bring me that vermin!"

 Chapter 221 - Let’s Negotiate Harder

    I was more than just relieved. Seeing me like that eased up Lianne and the others.


    "Bring the former duke," I whispered.


    Lianne and the others made haste with the preparations and the duke was brought in front of the dragon. I never really memorized his name. I didn''t want to either.


    Suffice to say he had a rather satisfying look on his face. Satisfying for me that is. "Bu-but how! Lord Ashirnae!"


    "He ain''t going to save ya, buddy." I kicked his butt and slammed him towards Xerphas. The way Xerphas grinned actually made me almost feel pity for the guy. The former duke screamed loudly, emptying his bladder before passing out.


    Never knew dragons could smirk. And I also never knew their smirks could be so damn frightening.


    Xerphas looked at me. "Give me your name."


    "Daarc Green."


    "I shall keep it to memory. I Xerphas, the god of courageous flames deem thee, my apostle." Bright orange light surrounded me and dispersed a second later. "Should you ever need my aide in fighting that snake, call upon me."


    I''m pretty sure I''m not going to fight Trerortra. But I suppose I should appreciate the sentiment.


    I stared at him with blank eyes. I didn''t know how to respond.


    "I shall send someone with appropriate qualities." He flapped his wings and rose up: the former duke was in his clutches, unscratched.


    I was kind of curious of what''d happen to him. "What are you going to do to him?"


    "I''m going to kill him again and again: burn him alive and again, roast him again and again: revive him again and again and then-" His descriptions went on a bit too grotesque stage so I erased it from my memories. The soldiers around looked at me with curiosity. They should have been glad that they couldn''t understand monsters.


    But revival magic? I guess, he really was a god. But that reminded me. "Say, can you free someone from crystal, I have in my ring?"


    "A warning Daarc Green. Don''t take the gods lightly. Don''t take this world lightly. You will not make our alive. I wish you luck." Xerphas roared and disappeared pretty fast.


    That''s a no, I guess.


    But Sisrael might have said something similar too.


    "Duly noted. " I stared at the distant sky. I couldn''t take the world lightly even if I wanted to.


    But I was really hoping this guy could have done something about the girl in my ring though.


    Xerphas flew away but he left three scales behind. Were these things supposed to be gifts for me?


    "SO what-what was that about?" Jori couldn''t talk properly. Maybe he was startled? I saw some guards on the floor as well. They had passed out? The ones that remained looked at me with awe and fear.


    Come on guys. It''s not like I''m some sort of monster.


    Lianne looked at me with concern in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry. He won''t attack us¡­ at least not in a few hundred years."


    Relief flashed through her face. The soldiers all sighed in relief as well: some fell on their knees, looking like they just won the lottery. Even jori seemed a little less pale. And then a second later, everyone started to clap.


    It was awkward.


    It did feel good though.


    "But those conditions you spoke up." Lianne was still pretty concerned.


    "Well, it''s complicated."


    I began explaining things on my way to the dining hall. I couldn''t believe the look on their faces when I mentioned stuff about pledging my allegiance to the dragons and traveling with one. Apparently, the dragons were a superior race compared to men. So it was uncharacteristic of them to ask something like that. On the contrary, them sending someone of dragon lineage was unheard of as well. Considering the shit I went through, I wasn''t surprised in the slightest. As for the Mythic blade, it was something that even Lianne didn''t know about. I actually didn''t tell them about the apostle stuff, as I myself didn''t know what that meant.


    ***


    After breakfast, Lianne started to teach me how to properly use the bow. Actually, since I could use the crossbow rather well now, I thought she''d forget it. But she was just too into teaching things. When she got into her teacher mode, she was just like a demon: actually, she was worse.


    "We will hold off the coronation today. Tomorrow''s banquet would probably be more suited." Lianne stood next to me, arms crossed.


    "Sure whatever. How long do I have to do this again?" She was making me shoot arrows at dummies. It wasn''t all that taxing but still¡­.


    "All day."


    "Seriously?"


    "Indeed."


    I groaned. Didn''t she know I was injured?


    I still had to keep going anyway.


    ***


    Lunch was nothing fancy. I had only sandwiches: fancy sandwiches. Honestly, wasn''t I supposed to be the duke?


    "By the way, what will he do to the duke? Kill him?" She was really curious. The soldiers and maids around us were curious as well.


    "I''m pretty sure you don''t want to know that." But one thing was for certain. God''s were scary things.


    Training lasted till evening. It wasn''t anything more than just pointing my bow and shooting. The guards were doing all the carrying and they were even offering to restock my arrows for me. Of course, I declined. But, things were too boring. And my dear rabbit was nowhere. Come to think of it, I hadn''t seen her in years. Maybe that was an exaggeration. But after shooting arrows nonstop for a full day, my mind was going crazy and I needed my lovely cute bunny.


    "Let''s stop here."


    I panted and sat on the floor. Soft grass welcomed my butt. "Now that things are clear, shouldn''t we meet up with Dick and the others?"


    "That would have to wait. Things in the city haven''t yet been fully resolved. Let''s try not to create potential problems." Lianne sat right next to me.


    I don''t see how it could be a problem though.


    "Fine."


    "Anyway rest well. Those wounds haven''t really healed. So you should rest as much as you can."


    After working me like a horse all day, you say that?


    I sighed. Maybe she was denser than I thought?


    But this sight wasn''t so bad. The courtyard was on the third floor of the palace, and from here I could see the sunset just fine. And since this town was also near the sea, the sunset, really was beautiful.


    And the feeling kind of got intensified because of a certain elf who was literally touching my shoulder as she sat right next to me. My attention was probably more on her than the sunset anyway.


    ***


    Eventually, things ended and I was back in my bed.


    Wasn''t I supposed to be the duke or something? How come things never go my way?


    I didn''t know the answer, but I did get a good night''s sleep though.


    The next morning, things took more turns. It was the day of my coronation and that stupid banquet. I just wanted to get over with it already.


    For once I was actually missing forests! Okay, maybe not.

 Chapter 222 - Blushed? More Like Flushed!

    "Do I seriously have to wear this?"


    "Yes, of course, my lord!" The maids looked at me with the eyes of high esteem.


    Why the hell are you guys looking at me like that?


    "Alright. I''ll get changed. So do you guys mind moving out of the room?"


    "But my lord! You are injured and on top of that, you do not have an arm. How could we not assist? Even the slightest of inconvenience to my lord would mean our greatest despair and failure!" one of the maids said. The others nodded vigorously.


    What the hell is wrong with these guys?


    They were looking at me like I was some sort of deity. Granted I was the duke, but that didn''t mean they had to do all this.


    "Sorry, but it''d be more uncomfortable for me if you guys helped. Please get out of the room." I said it politely with a smile. However, the maids didn''t seem all that happy. They were frowning and some were even sniffing. How the hell could nobility cope with this kind of thing every day?


    But I wasn''t backing down. The last thing I needed was to make the mistake of letting beautiful young maids run their fingers all over me. I knew they wouldn''t be doing anything stupid but I couldn''t help but stop them. You could never be too careful.


    They left the room with puffed-up faces, pouting all the way. I guess this was their job.


    I tried putting on the pants first. The maid was kind of right. It was hard to dress up with just one hand. But I managed to dress on my own anyway. It was the new norm for me after all. I still missed my arm though.


    I even have to wear a bow-tie? Are they planning on making me a waiter or something?


    Black and white were pretty much what described the dress. It wasn''t exactly like a waiter''s dress though. The coat was white and the shirt was black. And the fabric was soft and kind of fur-like.  I didn''t dislike it all that much.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Daarc you ready?"


    "Yes, princess. I am."


    I walked out of the room and a girl in a beautiful purple ball dress greeted me. Her glare was rather cold though. "Don''t forget I''m your betrothed. The least you can do is call me by my name." She frowned. I couldn''t help but admire her pouting face. She looked good. "You can at least look at me."


    Is she telling me to compliment her dress?


    "You look good."


    "Not too bad yourself." She didn''t look at my eyes and her voice had a hint of embarrassment. She ran her fingers around my neck. It took me a good second to realize that she was just correcting my tie. "Let''s go."


    "Hey! Don''t run away!" I smirked and walked on.


    We were on the fourth floor and the banquet hall was on the second. From the third to the second floor, a spiral staircase floated down. With every step, the two of us climbed down. The uncanny similarities in design with Alfeime palace gave me all sorts of unwanted flashbacks. At least the walls and floors weren''t made up of crystals here.


    "Hold my hand." She spread her arms towards me.


    "If you say so." I held her hand. It was warm.


    Why the hell am I getting excited over holding hands!?


    The crowd was large and they all stood from their seats. I already had my fill of banquets back in Alfeime, so I didn''t want any more of this stuff.


    When the two of us finally reached the floor, there was pen drop silence everywhere. The bards had stopped singing and the people just watched us. "Address them," Lianne whispered.


    "Hey, no one told me anything about this!"


    "You don''t have to be a genius to give a speech. Just welcome them and-"


    "Fine."


    I raised my voice. "Welcome everyone!" I might have been a bit too loud. Droplets of sweat formed on my forehead. They were really annoying. My face began to heat up. I could hear faint whispers from the crowd. That only worsened the situation. My chest tightened and it was hard to breathe.


    What do I do now?


    Lianne squeezed my hand, gently. "It''s okay. Take it at your pace."


    When I looked at her eyes, for a second I forgot all about my throbbing heart. A smile crept up on my face.


    "Welcome everyone. I am Daarc Green. I have come to this land to vanquish evil and save the people. I already defeated the grand monster and have entered a pact with him. In accordance with the pact, he won''t harm you. But you are not permitted to enter the mountains either. If we don''t harm them they won''t harm us. You have my word."


    "That''s not what I meant when I said speech." Lianne let out a faint sigh and mumbled.


    Claps followed and cheers erupted soon afterward. I swiped off the beads of sweat and took deep breaths.


    "Well at least you have charisma," Lianne whispered. She addressed the crowd next. "Everyone. I believe you are already aware that my future husband is on a mission to travel all across the world and save the people in need. However, he cannot achieve that if he should stay locked here. Hence, he will continue his journey while I maintain order. I, by the authority vested in me by the royal empire, declare Daarc green to be the new duke of Helsing. Does anyone here, object!?" She was stern, she was precise, and she was beautiful.


    And I didn''t expect her to cram all that in just one short speech. Moreover, she made me the duke in short order too. Boy was she good with politics.


    The crowd was quiet. Then someone among them yelled something rather ominous. It sent shivers down my spine. "We want lord Daarc!" The way he said it made me feel more than just uneasy. It was none other than Jori himself. He even winked at me.


    I''m definitely going to you beat you up.


    The crowd repeated his words and Lianne silenced them slowly.


    "Bow," she whispered.


    I bowed on one knee.


    She''s going to bat my shoulders with a sword right?


    I didn''t know why that came to my mind first thing.


    "Lift your head." I lifted my head with the full resolve of meeting a sword in her hand but- what I saw marveled me.


    I saw two pink luscious lips coming towards me. And before I could react, they landed on mine and I froze. There was no tongue action, it was all lips.


    My whole body trembled with excitement. Last time I was this excited when I had accidentally discovered an 18+ website on my computer. Actually, this was definitely more exciting than that. Our breaths connected and it was hot as if someone turned on a steam engine inside of me.


    A second later she moved away and looked at me with a smile so bright: I thought I''d go blind. I took a deep breath. For some reason, I was going out of breath a lot today. I stood up.


    Something else stood up too. Thank the nonexistent heavens, that I was wearing some good stuff down there.


    "Let the banquet begin!" Lianne looked at me and a glow of pink surfaced on her cheeks.


    The crowd erupted in another cheer and the banquet began.

 Chapter 223 - And So, I Became The Duke!

    For the first few minutes, no one approached me. I could see a lot of people eyeballing me. They had rather frivolous clothes.


    Nobles.


    The atmosphere was rather friendly though. There were normal people and fancy people. Never thought I''d see those two variants at once. It was almost ironic.


    The music soothed my ears while the perfume charmed my nose. I still preferred the smell of leaves and flowers though.


    "Sir, wou-would-"A guy approached me. His suit was patched up here and there with different kinds of cloths.


    "What is it? Oh, and I haven''t caught your name."


    It was the same guard who I kept running into last night. He was the first one to approach me in this place. So I figured the least I could do was try to talk.


    "I-I''m Vane-dict Brice- Sir!"


    "You don''t have to be so nervous. You weren''t this nervous two nights ago."


    He was acting a bit weird.


    "Si-Sir! Would you do the honor! No would you honor! I mean-" He wasn''t making much sense either. And he was already out of breath too.


    I sighed. "Just spit it out already."


    "Please meet my son!" He bowed fiercely.


    Much better.


    Oh, he has a son!


    "Sure! Why don''t you bring him here?" It''s not like I had anything better to do.


    "Right away sir!" He smiled. I was pretty tensed up myself. So talking with him eased me up a little.


    He left and then another pair walked my way. "Greetings, Lord Daarc."


    "And who might you be?"


    "Count Misten at your service." He bowed his head, briefly. I already knew he was a noble but something about him was different from those typical worthless aristocrat pigs. If I were to say in one word, I''d say elegance. His dress, his conduct, and even his behavior only showed off elegance.


    And he was awfully calm and collected too.


    "This is my daughter, Anne Freya."


    "Pleasure to meet you." His daughter bowed tilting the hem of her dress. Her black hair and black eyes were in stark contrast with her silky white skin and magenta ball gown. She was definitely a noble. She was quite beautiful too. Not as beautiful as Lianne though.


    I made the gesture of nodding. This was getting awkward. I had no idea what to say. But the count might have suspected as much. He continued. "I must say. I watched your battle with the dragons. You were valiant. I also heard how you negotiated with the dragons. I''m impressed."


    Singing praises first. Then the next would be you asking for something.


    I knew how these things worked. I hadn''t played games, read books, and watched movies for nothing. For the first time, I thought my youth might not have been wasted.


    I smiled. "I believe the soldiers and people played a vital role as well. If the evacuation didn''t go according to plan then the destruction could have been even more devastating." I tried to speak calmly. I still didn''t know how to properly present myself in front of the nobility, but I tried my best.


    "Please don''t be so modest! We already know if it weren''t for you, this country wouldn''t be!" The girl with the count, his daughter, held her hands as if she was in a prayer. Her eyelashes moved elegantly and left a deep impression on the image processor of my brain.


    Talking with nobles was so draining. It was like I was back to being an introvert again.


    "You give me too much credit. If I was alone then none of this-"


    "You''re right! There he is!" a high-pitched voice yelled from behind me. It must have been a child. I turned around and saw a boy and his father. It was the guard Brice. His face was rather pale though.


    That''s when I realized the cold glares coming from behind me.


    Well, they are nobles.


    "Let''s just say I wasn''t alone," I said, returning my gaze to the count.


    They didn''t know how to react to that. But the count was no easy target either. "You really are humble and wise."


    This guy was hell-bent on buttering me up for some reason.


    "Now then. It was nice meeting you count. But I have other reservations." I flashed a smile and turned around.


    "Surely you don''t mean the commoner?" He chuckled.


    I could tell he was joking but I felt offended.


    It kind of pissed me off. "Unfortunately, to my eyes, everyone is the same, commoner or not."


    "Please tell me you''re not one of those idealistic morons." He raised his voice just a little.


    "Father!" the count''s daughter rebuked.


    "Hmm," I touched my chin and wondered. "What I meant by it is that I''ll erase anything that represents itself as my enemy or gets in my way." I glared at him. Obviously, I didn''t feel that way, but threatening was the only way to deal with this kind of person. "I don''t discriminate." I smiled.


    His face twitched. The people who had gotten closer to me froze in place. They couldn''t believe what they heard. I might have said a bit too much. I didn''t regret it though.


    Okay, maybe a little.


    "Are you sure about that?" Lianne was behind me. When the hell did she get here?


    "Shouldn''t you help me?"


    She flashed a grin and returned to her job, mingling with the crowd. I guess it was a no.


    I''d gotten myself into this, I had to do something about this.


    I sighed and went towards the boy. The boy looked at me with excitement but his father had a rather terrified look on his face.


    Don''t tell me I''ve doomed their fate.


    Showing favor to commoners would have meant the wrath of nobles. Since they wouldn''t be able to do anything to me, they''d do harm to these guys.


    I sighed again. I might have dug my own grave: or rather theirs.


    The count''s daughter took her father elsewhere, and for the time being people just maintained distance.


    "Sorry, I might have ruined your future as a guard."


    "No-no sir." He looked away. He might have lost all his respect for me.


    "Sorry little fella. But it was really nice to meet ya." I ruffled the kid''s hair.


    "Yay! I finally get to meet you! Thank you for saving Uncle Royce!" He was a rather feisty one. I liked him. I liked kids like that. Reminded me of my little brothers, when they were little and innocent.


    Now they all hated me though.


    Memories really were a fickle thing.


    "Uncle Royce?" I didn''t really remember.


    "You had kicked him out of harm''s way."


    "Oh right, that one." I chuckled.


    When the dragons were attacking me, a man came in front of me and froze. I kicked him out of harm''s way like the boy said. Now that I actually thought about it, I might have been a bad guy, after all.


    "You''re welcome." I smiled but died inside. I looked at Brice. "I''ll try to at least straighten things out."


    He didn''t look that convinced. I might have ruined his entire future.


    "Now, now there''s no need to apologize. Just make him your bodyguard or something. That way no one would be able to touch him. He''s pretty skilled too," Jori whispered, wrapping his arms around me.


    When the hell did you get here?


    I sighed and walked away. It was actually a pretty good idea, coming from Jori.


    The bards were still singing. It was a festive atmosphere but I didn''t feel good at all. In fact, I hadn''t had anything to eat either.


    And this was supposed to be my party?


    Lianne came with some people sometime later and introductions started. I heard a lot of names and social standings but didn''t really learn all that much. How the hell was I supposed to remember all that stuff anyway? Did people really have that much of a good memory?


    Actually, my words had caught the ears of a lot more people than I thought. And since this party had not only nobles but also commoners, I received mixed reactions. Shaking hands with normal people was the best part of the party. While the nobles, the worst.


    I almost felt like a celebrity.


    Most of the nobles were basically looking at me with salty eyes. Not everyone was bad or condescending though. But I guess they didn''t like me or my attitude towards the common folk.


    But sadly, I was a commoner too.


    I steered clear of the drinks, even the juices. I didn''t want another Alfeime situation to occur again.


    Eventually, the party ended and I talked things out with Lianne. The guard would be my bodyguard in name only. I''d have to apologize to the count too, for misbehaving. Being a noble was really tough.


    But even I wasn''t dumb enough to stir up another revolt by upsetting the nobles.


    ***


    The next day, my first session took place in the royal court. Sitting on the throne was actually a lot of fun. No matter who they were, everyone had to bow before me. It also felt a little weird though. Maybe I wasn''t cut out for this kind of thing. I still liked it though.


    A lot of nobles were here. Apparently, they''d run the country in my absence. That count was here as well.


    I sighed and decided what I''d do.


    "I''ll be blunt with you. Sorry. I might have said too much in the heat of the moment." The first thing I addressed was the main issue.


    The count was dumbfounded. Actually, even moments ago he looked at me with bitter eyes but now he was just standing there with his jaws hanging.  Talk about an exaggerated reaction. The other nobles had a shocked look as well.


    Someone cleared his throat. The count composed himself. "I am glad to see that my lord isn''t one of those muscle brains. No apology necessary sir." He smiled. "You''re actually sharper than I thought. You even made that man your bodyguard. I must say, you must be the wisest man yet to sit on that throne. And I too was rude. Please forgive me." He bowed.


    Muscle brain?


    Now I was dumbfounded. Was he praising me or dissing me in sarcasm?


    Anyway, I went on with the court and listened to everything the nobles had to say. Some wanted to expand our territory: some wanted to strengthen the military while others wanted to spend more effort in rebuilding the town first. I liked the third idea most. But since I''d be leaving tomorrow, I didn''t really have much of a say in anything, anyway.


    But I made sure that they understood the situation between men and elves. I really wanted to send envoys to both countries and straighten things out so another war didn''t break out. But I guess that had to wait.


    After talking with the nobles I understood a lot of things. First, not everyone was a selfish prick, second, a lot of them were actually doing good jobs and third, there were always black sheep among the white.


    But as much as I hated the system, I couldn''t really do much, as I was still pretty new.


    Things ended before noon, and I finally had some free time to roam around. I most certainly wasn''t going to let it go to waste. I didn''t have the luxury of going out before, but now, now that I was free, I wanted to venture to the streets again and dive into the skewered meat paradise.

 Chapter 224 - Age You Say? What Is This Contraption, Thou Speaketh Of!

    "Now focus your mana through the bow, to the arrow."


    My plan of espionage to the town failed as Lianne caught me and dragged me back to the training grounds.


    Yup, she was definitely worse than the devil, no doubt about it.


    "Hey, no slacking off!" she yelled.


    She was teaching me how to imbue arrows with magic. I pulled if off during my fight with Xerphas, so I didn''t think it''d be hard. I couldn''t have been more wrong. I couldn''t even imbue it on spot let alone fire one and keep the mana intact. How the hell did I pull it off back then, anyway?


    Lianne slapped her forehead and frowned. "And here I thought you might actually have been my best disciple: a prodigy even. At least you''re one saving grace is you don''t crack under pressure."


    I''m pretty sure I crack more than your typical guy, though.


    "You''ve had disciples before?" And more importantly, hadn''t she said something about me not having any talent for bows?


    "Of course how long do you think I''ve been alive?"


    "Actually I don''t know." I was rather intrigued to know too.


    "You see-"


    "My lord! I have returned!" Brice butted in at the last moment.


    I tried to ask again but- "I''m still listening-"


    "My lord! Here!" Ever since I made this guy my personal bodyguard he got louder and louder, becoming a pain. In his own words, ''I''d never doubted you, Sir!''


    I sighed.


    He''d brought something big in a crate.


    "What?" annoyed, I asked.


    "I''ve brought you your armor. Sir!" He was more than just excited. He was basically jumping around like a kid.


    Armor? I don''t remember- "Lianne?"


    "Your armor broke down, so I ordered one custom-made for you." Lianne flashed a nervous smile.


    I suppose I can''t run from this forever.


    But honestly the thought of breaking armor every time I got into a fight was kind of depressing. "How much did it cost?"


    "The guild covered it. They said to take it as an offering of goodwill."


    "Yeah right." If the guild was involved then that meant they had their own profits for giving this to me. I didn''t want to think too much about it though.


    I opened the crate. A solid armor of red and black. It looked like something out of a power ranger''s show. But with a little more aesthetic. Kind of like those dragon mails in the fantasy games. The sharp edges and rough design reminded me of dragon scales.


    I might actually have to thank them. They did a pretty solid job.


    Did I forget to mention, I was a fan?


    "Not bad." I took the top half and looked at it. It was surprisingly light too. Not lighter than the one I was wearing before the fight but definitely light.


    "We must have a different opinion on fashion then." Lianne rebuked me with a pretty smile. I couldn''t fault her though. "There''s a letter in here." She pulled out something beneath the other half of the armor and started to read.


    "Dear Daarc.


    I know we''re like brothers but I''m afraid I''m a girl, so please feel free to call me your sister. Big sis Jori will always love you-"


    "What the hell!?" I was really caught off guard by the letter. My whole body shivered and I felt a sudden chill.


    Lianne giggled. "Most of it is just stuff like that. Okay here''s an interesting part. ''I will forever remember you. I really will. I believe what we have is something beautiful. Something even others would be jealous of. Especially that-" She stopped, looked at me, and smiled. "Can I just rip this apart?" Her voice leaked hostility and pure murderous intent.


    I guess what was written there was something extreme. Lianne was pissed beyond belief. "Anything about the armor?" It was more of a plead than a question.


    She sighed. "It''s made from dragon scales so it should be good." She wasn''t interested in the slightest.


    "That''s it?"


    "You really want me to read this on?" She flashed the piece of paper in front of me and smiled.


    "I-I''ll pass. Give to Brice. He seems eager enough."


    On that note, Brice was actually drooling over the armor. Good thing half of it was on my hands or I didn''t know how many washes they''d need.


    I was still going to wash them though.


    "Hmm, what''s this?" There was another letter beneath the rest of the armor. I picked it up like I was picking up a bomb or something. The paper and aesthetics seemed a little different so I opened it.


    Be cautious. We don''t know what the enemy might have done!


    Okay, that was an exaggeration but still.


    "Lord Daarc,


    This is a rare armor. It was made from the scales of the Grand monster of Heavenly Dragnoid Mountains. The quality is on par with the best this country has to offer if not better. Big boss told me you were an expert in imbuing your armor in mana. In that case, this is probably the best armor ever for you. You can make it light, hard, or even heavy depending on your mana control. It is something that the duke should wear, at least I believe this. The letter big boss wrote might have had weird things in it, so I decided to let you know. He really likes you. Normally he''d have sold this and made a profit instead. But he gave it to you. Please make good use of it and continue to do good deeds on behalf of the guild and the country.


    Yours only,


    Ravine."


    Yours only? Wait, who the hell is Ravine?


    And it wasn''t like they were just giving it to me for free. And the materials were mine, to begin with. After all, the dragon left the scales for me, probably.


    But I still liked the armor, so all was good.


    "I think that might be one of the top adventurers of the guild," Brice answered when he saw my utter confusion: could this guy read minds or something? "But I must say, even if you''re the duke, I''m really jealous of this armor, Sir!"


    "I suppose I''ll conclude our training here for today. But I would prefer you not slacking. I have to drill the basics of using a cane into you as well." Lianne sighed with an exaggerated face. "If only you weren''t so average when it came to anything other than swords! Why do I see so much similarity between you and that damn brat Jowy? Honestly, you two are from the same feather. But you have way less time than him." Lianne massaged her temples.


    "Brat? You mean you''re older than him? And what the hell do you mean? I''m nothing like him!"


    "Yes?" She ignored my other question.


    I squinted my eyes.


    If Jowy''s three hundred then¡­. Holy shi- "Ho-How old are you, Lianne?"


    I''d been wondering it for a long time. But this time, I was a little afraid to ask.


    "1527 this year, why?" Lianne answered, a face straight as hell.


    And then there was silence.


    I and Bryce stood there, completely dazed.


    Huh?


    ***


    Dinner was actually very nice. We had old cheese for- old cheese? Old cheese!? Old?


    ***


    I went to bed early in the hopes of forgetting about age and lifetimes.


    Don''t worry about it. Don''t worry about it. She''s not that old. Elves age faster. And a few hundred years is nothing.


    Ha ha ha ha¡­..


    I couldn''t sleep a wink.


    ***


    "Why do you look like that?"


    We were having breakfast.


    "Nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing at-" I couldn''t even talk. My speech faltered and my eyes were very heavy.


    "Well something happened, that''s for sure," Lianne said.


    I smiled and looked at her with pain-stricken eyes. I sniffed and almost apologized for overthinking such simple things. But I didn''t.


    "It''s really nothing. Don''t worry about it." How the hell was I supposed to tell her that I lost sleep over worrying about her age? Honestly, it was so stupid that I was embarrassed. But there was another reason for that. I also felt a little sad. She lived all these years. She searched for all these years and yet when she found her answer, she learned she was wrong all this time. I couldn''t even imagine what she went through.


    I felt weak, ashamed, and sad. I was a hot mess of emotions.


    "We were supposed to leave after breakfast, but why don''t you get some sleep? We''ll leave in the afternoon." She cupped my hands and smiled.


    "I think that might be a good idea. I can''t keep my eyes open." I was literally falling asleep for a few seconds every now and then. I really needed a break. "But Lianne, are you okay? I mean you''ve been searching for so long-"


    She stopped my lips. "I had a feeling you were worrying about that." She smiled. "But don''t worry. I''m not over it, but I think I''ve taken the right step forward."


    I went to bed afterward. My mind was still occupied with loads and loads of emotions but at least I got to see Lianne smile.


    Even if she was sad when I saw her smile my mind was kind of at ease.


    And so, I erased the age part from my mind.

 Chapter 225 - Is This Guy, Seriously A Guy?

    I didn''t have any dreams. It was like I''d blacked out after drinking too much wine.


    Those really were the days.


    When I woke up, I had a hangover. Well, at least for the first few minutes. Someone was in the room but I didn''t look. Probably one of the maids.


    Birds chirped and the orange light was blinding. Oh wait, they were crows? Crows? Crows!


    My system bolted awake. It''d be evening soon. If I didn''t get up now, I''d have to stay another night. I wanted to meet Biteria as soon as possible, so I didn''t want that.


    I sat down, still groggy.


    I needed to put on armor, sort my things but I felt too groggy.


    "Are you really the man who stood up to the grand monster?" The maid''s voice was rather on the masculine side. Her tone was neutral. It was rare. I''d never heard a maid talk to me without bowing or showing way too much respect.


    "Unfortunately yeah." I looked back. It wasn''t a maid. My groggy mind was just playing tricks on me.


    "Hmm." She had horns on her head and a pretty face. Her armor was scaly and looked quite macho. She had two small horns on her head the size of almonds: rather cute than threatening. Her skin was like caramel: silky too.


    "I thought Xerphas was going to send in a guy?" I already figured out who she was. Her appearance and conduct were the proof of it. I didn''t really care all that much about gender though. I was just too groggy to form an actual conversation.


    "I am a guy!" She or rather he protested.


    If I wasn''t awake before, I was definitely awake now. "Huh? So-Sorry my bad." I stared at her chest. It was flat alright. But the way he was built, anyone could mistake him for a girl at first sight. He had a beautiful face and slim body, along with long hair in a ponytail configuration.


    No matter how you asked me, he definitely looked more like a girl than a guy.


    "Hey! Did no one teach you it''s rude to stare!"


    "Oh, sorry about that." Things got awkward very fast, so I tried to change the subject. "It''s already pretty late. So I should get ready. I assume you are ready as you are?"


    "That goes without a saying."


    "Okay, now that that''s out of the way, how about introductions?" I took my shirt off and started to put on a better shirt. I also took off my pants because they were rather uncomfortable. "I am Daarc Green."


    I had to put on armor next too. But I kind of didn''t want to bother.


    "Hey-hey, what are you doing? Have you no shame!" I could spot the redness in his cheeks. He probably never spent much time with humans.


    "Dude calm down. We''re both guys, it''s cool. Besides, I have my underwear on."


    He cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "I am Veniolor Xerces. You can call me Veniolor or Xerces, or both." The guy was actually a little embarrassed.


    I smiled. "Okay, Veni, nice to meet you." I strapped on my belt and put on the armor.


    It was actually a good fit. And my wounds didn''t hurt, at least nothing unbearable.


    "Hey! Listen to people when they talk to you. Are you incapable of even remembering a name?" He glared at me, then switched gazes and looked carefully at the armor. "That was made from Xerphas''s scales."


    He kind of right on the money though. I did have a lot of trouble remembering names.


    "Yeah, the guild made it."


    He didn''t say a word. My things were in my ring. I only carried a knife and my regular sword with me: not the Ascan blade. But there were some things with a note, on the floor. The note basically said to use the stuff. The stuff being, potions and medicines. There was even a bottle of Panora water.


    I sighed and put them inside the ring. I glanced over Veni. He didn''t seem to ask anything about it.


    But now that I actually had the mystic blade and could use holy magic, I didn''t really need Panora water of all things. It was still welcome though, after all, undead were very unpredictable if nothing else.


    "Alright, let''s head out."


    When walking down the staircase, I noticed how comfortable the new armor was. It was so easy to move around. Although the last one was light too, it wasn''t as comfortable. I couldn''t help but grin. There were a lot fewer guards and maids around the castle though. I had a bad feeling.


    I stepped out of the castle. Veni followed. And as usual, I sighed. Three large crows were sitting in the front yard along with a very familiar face. But that wasn''t the reason behind my discomfort.


    There was a very big crowd in front of the castle. It was even bigger than the mob that had shown up that night.


    This was the reason.


    "All hail, Lord Daarc!"


    They all knelt.


    I have to give another speech now?


    I looked over Lianne and she nodded. How the hell did she know what I thought? Dick only grinned: That bastard had shown up after all this time. The nerve of his! A minute in, and I already wanted to punch the guy.


    How did Lianne address these people again?


    "Brave men, and women of Helsing!" I might have done that a little wrong, but I still continued. "Lift your faces! I, Daarc Green give you my word. I will travel across the land and save the people. But in my heart, you will always be first: my people! Should you ever need me, I shall come flying. Fear not, my fellow countrymen. I shall never abandon you!"


    The men roared. The women wept. The children sang. It was a very odd sight. Cringe-worthy, if nothing.


    I really felt stupid at my own words.


    I really needed to counsel myself in front of a mirror. I needed it badly.


    "You might be an even shrewder politician than I thought," the count said. I actually hadn''t seen him here.


    You have no idea how wrong you are.


    I smiled. "I leave the rest in your hands. Assist Lianne as much as you can and look after things."


    "As you wish my lord." He knelt before me. He wasn''t bad. I didn''t trust him fully, but enough to not doubt him.


    I went closer to Lianne.


    "You are getting better at this," she said.


    "I never thought you''d end up being king. Just what the hell were you up to while I was gone?" Dick was salty. A hint of envy in his voice.


    "Well, this and that. Let''s go. Or this situation might end up being even weirder."


    The nobles were here and smiled as I moved towards the crows. The maids all wept. But there was another person who cried as well: Brice was really into the whole shedding-the-tear business. "I will missh you, my lord." His pronunciation got a little weird too.


    "Don''t overdo things while I''m gone and protect Lianne after she''s back." As much I felt annoyed by the guy, I couldn''t really dismiss his efforts either. For the last couple of days, the guy tried his best to make sure I was comfortable. Though he mostly just annoyed the hell out of me.


    "I''ll put my life on the line-"


    "Life isn''t cheap and you have a kid. Don''t throw it away. Be cautious and train. Later!" I got on a crow.


    It was ironic coming out of my mouth. After all, I was treating my own life, like didn''t have any worth. And here I was, lecturing a guard how important life was.


    Truly, an irony.


    "Sir!" His snot and tears painted his face odd.


    Someone climbed up behind me.


    "You''re not going to fly?" I asked.


    "You''d want a dragon to take off in the middle of the town while just days ago this town was attacked by the dragons?" Veni did have a valid point.


    "You do have a point."


    I remembered how Susan controlled the bird but honestly, it was hard. The crow flashed its wings and flapped them hard. It swayed, so I hugged it tight. After the take-off, the swaying stabilized.


    "Farewell, my people! May the gods be with you!"


    With roaring cheers, I finally got moving.


    "There are no gods," Veni mumbled.


    "Don''t be so picky. They might be monsters, but they still are gods. And they are still here."


    He didn''t protest. He didn''t agree either.


    Dick led the away and we followed. Lianne was on a crow as well. As for the guy behind me I didn''t really trust him yet. And I was on full alert. But I didn''t let him know. I was going to wait and see what his real character was.


    "ARghh¡­ ARgghhh!" My screams covered the whole sky just moments later.

 Chapter 226 - Reunited With My Love

    "Oh Biteria, my love!" I hugged my little bunny rabbit.


    It didn''t take long to reach this place, after starting the journey by crow. We were in an open field just about a hundred meters away from the city walls.


    It was weird but I liked flying around. Although in my case, I was just barely clinging on and the crow was doing all the flying. Lianne seemed to be a natural and Veni just sat behind me with his eyes closed.


    But me? I was just clinging to life as it was. I never screamed so damn much in my life.


    But it was all worth it. Cause, now after so long, I finally get to see my little bunny-wunny.


    Except there was a problem. My little bunny rabbit wasn''t so little anymore.


    "Biteria. You''ve grown!" I hugged her even tighter and she just purred.


    It was a miracle she didn''t bite.


    "How the hell can you tell? Even I can''t." Alisa stared at me. More like glared.


    The demons had left as fast as they came. But they left three crows for us. Or at least that''s what Dick told me. I didn''t ask about Susan. I didn''t feel like talking about it.


    "But look, look at all this growth! She has grown by a full centimeter!" I could tell. Of course, I could. She was my love!


    "I don''t know why, but I feel like that''s a very insignificant amount," Alisa murmured.


    "Enough with the bunny." Dick''s eyes were covered by his bangs. He had his head down. He walked close. "How the hell did you end up being the duke and even marrying her? Did you bang her too!?" He held my shoulder and shook me.


    I went back and forth. "I don''t know what I should tell you. I''m getting the feeling that no matter what I say, you won''t believe me."


    Lianne cleared her throat.


    Dick sniffed. "You''ve reached adulthood before me. And I thought- sniff* we had a bond." His teary face seemed to be like straight out of a cartoon. Honestly, what was wrong with this guy?


    "You''re overreacting. We''re just engaged. Nothing more." I tried to calm him down.


    "Seriously? So you didn''t do it?" he said, pleading with his hands on mine.


    I stared at him, unable to respond. I didn''t feel like continuing this bullshit any longer.


    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves." Lianne placed a sword right next to Dick''s neck. The blade was literally touching his skin.


    Droplets of sweat gathered on his face and he looked like he just came back from a sauna. He gulped "Un-understood." He moved like a badly oiled machine.


    "Good." Lianne flashed her smile and looked at me. I got the feeling, next time I won''t get out so easy. Her gaze was almost screaming, ''you better watch what you say.''


    "Alright, pervs. Let''s try to sort things out. And who the hell is that?" Alisa said, pointing at Veni.


    "That''s Ven. He''s a dragon."


    "Hey! Didn''t I tell you to remember my name! How many times do I have to tell you it''s Veniolor Xerces," Veni cried. We all ignored his pleas. "And you shortened it even more!"


    "Wait, what?" Dick said, utterly confused as usual.


    "I kind of figured." I hadn''t told Lianne, so of course, she didn''t know either. But she was quick on the uptake.


    "I see. Good and-"Alisa''s face was very close to mine. "I''ve been hearing a lot of things like you being a Duke and her betrothed and now a dragon and stuff. What the hell did you do?" She was smiling but I could feel the gravity of what terrors lay ahead.


    I couldn''t even look at Alisa''s eyes let alone say anything.


    Lianne sighed. "Let''s get the fire going first. I don''t know about you, but I''m feeling cold. And we''ll get to the explanation part shortly."


    The sun had set and it was getting cooler. But if she hadn''t mentioned it, I wouldn''t have been able to notice.


    "Actually I''m not feeling all that cold."


    Maybe it''s because this is made from dragon scales?


    The armor was really comfortable. I should have thanked those guys at the guild. But then Jori''s face came to mind and my body shivered.


    I''m glad I didn''t go back.


    "I''m resistant to ice," Veni said.


    Dick pitched in. "Same here."


    "I''m immune to ice. Since I''m a demigod and all." Alisa joined the madness too. But her level was above ours.


    "I-I am cold-resistant too." Even Servesta tried to join in on the fun. But he looked awfully depressed. Poor guy. To think all this time he was just trying to join us but couldn''t. Did he just have a severe case of social awkwardness? I kind of had similar issues in the past, so I could relate, albeit, painfully.


    "I don''t know what kind of monsters you guys are, but I''m normal so I''d like to rest by a fire now," Lianne said. She gathered some firewood and lighted them up right away. I didn''t know why but hearing the word normal from a half-dead, cursed elf, almost made me chuckle. I had to hold it in since I didn''t want any new wounds.


    ***


    We all huddled by the fire and then I began to explain as we sipped on some kind of meaty soup.


    "SO basically you turned into a girl and seduced the duke?" Alisa asked.


    "I can''t really deny it. I guess you''re more or less right to assume that." It was too late anyway.


    "How could you! Even though you promised to kiss me! Oh, that''s right! Kiss me!" Dick yelled.


    I ignored him as usual. "Afterwards, by the conspiracy of the guild and Susan, I ended up as the duke. But Lianne had the biggest part in it," I explained.


    "Guess I was wrong to envy you. But that doesn''t mean I will stop!" Dick continued with his stupidity and I continued to ignore him.


    "But how did you meet the Ven girl here?" Alisa asked.


    "Well, you see-"


    "Hey didn''t I say, it''s Veniolor Xerces? Remember it already!" The guy stood up, glaring intently, at all of us. "And for the last time, I''m a guy!"


    Dick almost cried when he heard that.


    I didn''t pay any heed to Veni or rather Ven and went on explaining.


    Maybe I should call him Ve from now on?


    Shortening his name was pissing him so much that I subconsciously started to enjoy it. But then again maybe it was because I still had some animosity towards dragons. Even I couldn''t tell.


    "I can''t believe you actually managed to convince that muscle head," Alisa said. "And not to mention an apostle!" Alisa glared at me and almost hissed.


    Shouldn''t I have been mad at her, rather than she at me?


    Now that I thought about it, Xerphas had warned me not to rely too much on Trerortra''s power. But I couldn''t help it since my life depended on it. "Actually he conditioned me to not use mystic blade too often. Rather he told me to find the mythic blade. Any idea what that is?"


    "I agree with not using Trerortra''s sword too much as well. It''s a powerful blade but it will attract too much attention and malice. It was forged before he went crazy so maybe it won''t corrupt you but you shouldn''t rely too much on it. As for the other sword, I think that one would be tricky."


    "It would be trickier than jumping into the middle of the ocean, being devoured by a snake, and then battling through acid within? Did I forget to mention I had to figure out a way to get out and then survive the encounter underwater?" Just remembering made me shiver. "I did meet a geezer though." Though imagining what I went through, made me feel depressed all over again, I did have a lot of good memories too. I met a rowdy old man who I could trust. And he never let me down. I lived on an island and boarded a pirate ship. I even made new friends. But since death was involved it only made me ever so sad. But I was still glad I could take that journey.


    Dick and Lianne looked at me with terror in their eyes. Or was it pity?


    "I''m surprised you''re still alive but by tricky I didn''t mean difficult. I meant genuinely complicated. You see mythic blade is the accepted name of a clone of the mystic blade."


    "You mean I have to search the clone of a sword I already possess." I squinted my eyes. The very idea seemed stupid to me. Not to mention pointless.


    "Not really. The sword you possess has an attribute of holy. Even if you don''t have any magic, you can still use it to slice the undead and they''ll stay dead: albeit, unless the sword chooses you, wielding it could be very difficult. But this clone doesn''t have any attributes. But it was made by the god of swords. You may know him by the name Ashirnae." Alisa squinted her eyes as she glared at me.


    "How many frigging titles did that basta*d have anyway?" Just hearing his name made my skin crawl.


    "Plenty. So this sword didn''t have any attribute but ended up being sharper than any other sword in existence. The sword was said to be so sharp that even Ashirnae himself had trouble wielding it. No matter what he tried to cut, the sword would go right through. It was uncontrollable."


    The God who forged it couldn''t wield it? Then what was the point of going after it?


    "What''s an Ashirnae?" Dick asked, raising his hand.


    "The guy who nearly gutted you."


    "But that''s weird. I''d mastered using swords and yet he overpowered me with his swordplay in an instant. Are you saying even he had trouble using that sword?" Dick didn''t seem to mind. I was being sarcastic but he went along the conversation like I''d just said facts.


    Wait, that was a fact!


    "SO what''s the point of ME getting it?" I said.


    "That''s the thing I don''t understand. Why would he tell you to get that sword when he knew you won''t be able to wield it? Besides, it''s the sacred treasure of humans and is located in the capital of Destoa." Alisa was kind of lost too.


    Well, I was supposed to go there anyway to bury these two corpses.


    Come to think of it, Beatrine had told me to go to the capital too.


    Now I had all sorts of stuff to do. I had to go to the dwarven lands first, and then I wanted to visit Demonica but now the option of going to Destoa opened up too.


    Where the hell should I go first anyway?


    I had no idea.


    "Maybe you can practice and get better?" Dick said.


    "You really think so? Don''t you think if that was the case then Ashirnae would have practiced as well?"


    Dick scratched his head and chuckled. "Ahh¡­I don''t get this stuff. Why make something you can''t use?"


    "I don''t know. The god of the underworld, Ashirnae sure was one of the greatest mysteries of the divine realm," Alisa said.


    "I''m pretty sure he just made it to kill time. You sure seem to know a lot about him though. Isn''t it time you explain why you''re here and why you showed up?"

 Chapter 227 - Sometimes, I Wonder Why I Even Bother

    Alisa closed her eyes, collected her thoughts. "When I first approached you, I thought you were a demigod. I thought I''d be safe with you. Back then my father, Damsel, the God of ice, was on my track. But later I found out you weren''t a God. I was scared and tried to run. But your friend, that girl stopped me. She treated me well. I told her everything. But she didn''t throw me away: Mr. Denkaborkarere knew too. And then that happened."


    Again with the geezer''s name.


    I stayed quiet. It was a lot to take in. All this time I cursed my own powerlessness. I thought it was all my fault. Even when Alisa said she was a demigod back in Alfeim, I still didn''t fault her.


    "I''ve said this before and I''ll say it again. I''m so sorry!" She bowed her head.


    I still remained silent. She stayed like that. The others didn''t say anything either. What now? It was my fault. But- I didn''t feel good about seeing a little kid bowing on the ground and crying. I knew she wasn''t as little as I thought but it wasn''t something I wanted. I didn''t want it to be her fault. If that was case then all the emotions I''ve felt would have ended up being a lie. I didn''t want that. I was selfish. "Raise your head. If you didn''t have those damn ears I''d have already kicked you out of here. But since you do, I''ll forgive you just this once."


    She stood up but looked at me with shock. The others were speechless as well. Honestly, I didn''t have any excuse for forgiving. And secretly I still had a grudge despite thinking it was my fault. I really was selfish. But Brenda had told me to protect her and I wanted to. Besides, I kind of wanted to get over the past.


    Alisa covered her face and giggled. "You really do never change." Her eyes leaked and snot came out of her nose. Not a very lady-like display but, it relieved me.


    What the hell is that supposed to mean?


    "What the hell dude, at least try to come up with something better." Dick started his annoying laughter. The guy was really a pain.


    Lianne giggled. Servesta and Ven both had a faint smile on their faces but they didn''t laugh. I guess they had to maintain their character too. Not to mention both of them were pretty much the same. Ven was probably a little more talkative though, plus a little better looking.


    "Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean! I ain''t making things up!" I started to protest. But it was all fake.


    "Who says ain''t these days!"


    "Huh?"


    Dick made a smug face. I made one too. And then we both laughed. Dinner was over just like that. Biteria just danced around and ate everything that was left.


    Oh, my little bunny-wunny.


    ***


    Sometime around midnight, I woke up. The fire was almost gone. It needed new fuel. I got up and before I could head out, Dick came with wood. "Oh, you''re awake."


    I never slept in armor, so just typical clothes were making me shiver a little. I could finally understand why Lianne said stuff about us being monsters.


    "Well, I guess I am."


    He chuckled and we restarted the fire. The others were probably asleep. Even Lianne was sleeping for once. Maybe she was just tired? She never showed any weaknesses. But at the end of the day, she was just like any other ordinary girl, trying her best to live in this cruel, unfair world: a very scary ordinary girl.


    "Now I have more things to be jealous of you, man. You just went and became a king. I know it''s not all roses for you but still. I would have liked an adventure as well. Back home I was always alone and in my room." Halfway through, he started to sulk. The conversation went gloomy very fast.


    "Actually that''s the same for me. Even in college, I was like that."


    Well kind of.


    "You''re in college?"


    "Freshman."


    Did he think we were the same age or something?


    "I see. So you''re two years ahead. You know I really wanted to run away from home and then when I was summoned here, I was really thrilled. Even the fact that I got summoned by demons didn''t scare me. But when most of us died, that''s when reality kicked in. That''s when I learned this wasn''t a game or fantasy. It was real. So I trained. I trained harder than I ever did. And with an overpowered skill, I think I got pretty op. Then I got out and started to travel. " He chuckled.


    The fact that he knew all that stuff was nothing more than just plain irony.


    I guess you had your fair share of trouble too.


    "Well, you''re right. I think you''re op AF. But honestly, I''m glad you didn''t have to go through what I did. I''m confident you''d have done better but even so, I''m really glad you weren''t in my shoes. So much death, so much suffering." I didn''t even want to think about it.


    "Oh hold on! I''m the only one who gets to be jealous." He exhaled! "By the way, want some tea?" He brought out a bag of ground tea leaves with a smug face.


    "Where the hell did you get that?"


    "Not in this continent that''s for sure. I don''t really know the name but in that place, people grow tea like these guys grow wheat."


    We boiled some water and he poured some grounded tea leaves in.


    I was freezing, so a drink couldn''t really hurt.


    "This stuff''s really rare. So, bought a lot and kept it on me all the time. Oh and if you want any, you''d have to turn into that beautiful lady again."


    Seriously?


    The guy was literally a pervert through and through. But something about his approach was somewhat commendable. "Where are you keeping everything anyway?" I wondered it before too. Back when he was fighting alongside me, he brought out a sword that I never saw before.


    "This." He showed me a cup. "It works like that ring. But has roughly one-tenth of its size. It''s still pretty neat though."


    And the guy still made Servesta carry large bags. What a jerk!


    "Yeah." I fingered my ring. It was definitely convenient. "Why didn''t you go back with them?"


    The tea was ready. He poured me some. We both took sips. I didn''t use the bracelet and he didn''t force me to either. He did look a little sad though.


    Finally, some caffeine. It wasn''t all that good and there wasn''t much sugar. But it was definitely something I''d punch Dick for.


    "I hate that place. I wish I''d never have to go back." Dick made a fist.


    "So where are you going?" I was under the impression that he had different opinions about Demonica. But he was just like me.


    "Well, we''re heading to the Dwarven lands like you. But we''ll part at the border. I heard there''s a piece of the legendary weapons there. You know what I mean."


    "Yeah." I figured he was looking for them. After all, I was looking for them as well. I never made any attempts to search for them though. My mystic blade was just a product of fate and betrayal.


    "Why are you going there?" He asked.


    "Well, one of my companions told me to head over there for no reason and look for a person. I didn''t really have anything better to do either. So here we are."


    But I guess it wasn''t because I had a whim. I trusted the geezer and if he said a guy in Dracona could help me, then I had no reason to doubt that.


    Dick chuckled. "I know what you mean. I''d done that too." He took another sip. "What if we found the thing but you happened to arrive at that time as well. And we ended up quarreling over it?"


    He was serious.


    "I''d turn into a woman and seduce you. Although I''d prefer killing you, it would be very inconvenient later on if I did so."


    He chuckled even harder. "Guess we''ll have to find it no matter what then."


    He didn''t get that I was actually joking. Or perhaps he did, but pretended not to notice. But he did have a point.


    "So what about others? I have a feeling they all have different opinions about the demons?" I asked.


    "Oh? You''re not too far off the mark. Most of them didn''t really like the demons but there is one who thinks of men and demons as equals. Well, now there''s only three of us left, four if we count you."


    "Actually, the way she was talking about the demons, it seemed that she cared more about the demons than humans."


    Dick knew what I meant, so he nodded. "So you''ve already talked with Susan. You see, she''s actually in love with the emperor."


    Wait, her actual name was also Susan!?


    It came as a shock but I concealed my emotions. "Does he know?"


    "I have no idea. Haven''t been in Demonica for over two months now. She''s overpowered in a very different sense compared to me." He paused, looked a little irritated. "And didn''t I tell you I''ve never met the dude?"


    "Fair enough." I chuckled and finished my cup. "What are her powers anyway?"


    "She can copy an ally''s ability and then amplify it. Probably the most broken skill there is. Even more broken than your regeneration or my instant master." He paused. "Moreover, when she really means business." He became a bit too serious. "She can summon stuff like that bird you saw that night."


    So, technically she was some sort of a summoner, herself.


    "You call it instant master?" I barely controlled my chuckle.


    "Yup!"


    I couldn''t stop laughing anymore. Dick frowned but didn''t really say anything.


    "But even if it''s broken it has a lot of risks, doesn''t it?" I had a feeling such great powers wouldn''t come cheap.


    "Yeah. First, you have to have an ally. Second, your ally has to let you use their abilities." He paused. "Alone, she can''t do anything. But she was always alone. Even after being summoned, she locked herself up in the library. She spent too much time in Demonica. She has no idea about how the world works. But if someone like me or you lend her our powers for a short time she''d probably be able to annihilate the whole demon race."


    I laughed hard. It''s been a while since I laughed this loud. "She''d never do that though."


    "Yeah, it''s a pity."


    "How did you contact her anyway?"


    For a second there I thought I''d noticed someone and just looked sideways. Apparently, Ven was there, leaning against the wall and looking at us. How the hell had I not noticed him before?


    "This." Dick pulled out a small crystal ball. "This works as a communication device. It''s pretty primitive so you can''t play games or-"


    "Yeah, yeah. I get it. How''d you get one?" I was probably being a bit naggy at this point.


    "Secret," he winked. It pissed me off.


    "Tell me?" I grinded my teeth.


    Dick looked kind of uncomfortable: he glanced back and forth between me and Ven. I guess he noticed him too. "Well, that''s where our fourth player comes in." Dick came close and whispered. "He can make stuff like this. We actually got a blueprint from the ruins west of Destoa. I think the king of Destoa still has two or three of these too."


    "He in Demonica?''


    "No. He at the dwarves'' place." Dick giggled uncontrollably for a second. I regretted not adding a verb. "We came together to this continent. But left him there cause he was stoked to see dwarven technology." He didn''t let me question him any further. "Anyway, it''s getting late. Go to sleep. I still have another hour or so, before my shift ends."


    "You guys are on shifts?"


    Hey, no one told me anything about that!


    "Well you''re injured so we thought you didn''t need any shifts tonight."


    "Thanks."


    "No problem."


    They were really considerate. I guess I should have given them more credit than I did. I went to bed.

 Chapter 228 - Is It Me Or Does Everyone Else Have Better Memory?

    I yawned and woke up. The others were already up apart from me and Dick. The dude was sleeping too peacefully. I almost had the urge to draw on his face but contained myself.


    Besides, there wasn''t anything to draw with apart from charcoal anyway.


    "You''re up. Let''s go and practice." Lianne came walking over the moment I woke up. Was she waiting for me to come alive all this time?


    I didn''t know why but I wanted to go back to sleep again.


    "You''re not even going to give me time to get fresh?"


    "No. Cause we don''t have time. Our journey would be shortened to just a day and half thanks to these birds." She smiled. "SO I''m going to pound everything I know about bows and canes into you. Starting now!" Her words were like a song: a song of death. She threw a stick aimed for my head the very next second. I barely dodged it and looked at her with disbelief. She had a dozen more. "Let''s see how long you can stay there lying."


    Oh, boy.


    I got up almost immediately and she was on my tail like a missile. Demons looked like innocent children compared to her.


    ***


    Eventually, Lianne began to teach me in earnest. But by now I had quite a few lumps on my body here and there.


    "You see the cane isn''t a typical weapon."


    Tell me about it.


    I rolled my eyes and shrugged my shoulders.


    "Pay attention." She slapped my face with a thin branch. It stung. "First, don''t do that with a cane." For someone who just slapped me, she sure knew how to contradict herself.


    "You tell me that after you hit me?"


    She ignored me without hesitation and continued. "If you should be this close to a person using a cane, don''t use it as a primary weapon unless you have to. I''ve seen your cane up front and it''s not designed to be used for close combat. Rather you can use it to fire of spells efficiently. "


    "So it''s like the ultimate staff from stuff like the FF''s." Dick walked towards us. Apparently he woke up.


    "FF?" Lianne asked.


    "It''s a game. Don''t worry about it." I didn''t feel like explaining every little thing.


    "Anyway, if you do have to use a cane in close combat be sure to aim for the weak points, like the nose or eyes. If you hit someone on the head, you''d probably only anger them." She thought for a moment. "I''m pretty well versed in most weapons so I won''t be a good sparring partner at your skill. Why don''t you try to hit Mr. Mig instead? He doesn''t seem all that proficient at this."


    This was the first time I heard Lianne call Dick by his name. And for some reason, Dick squirmed around with utter pride. How much of a narcissist was this dude?


    "I''m not too sure about that. He''d master this weapon in seconds."


    "Yeah," Dick said, reluctantly. "Not the best idea. I never used canes so maybe you''d be able to land hits on me easily. But the moment you''d touch me with it I''d master it. And then I''d be able to counter."


    And you''re jealous of me?


    I knew his skills were broken but I didn''t realize they were this broken.


    I really envied the guy. Here I was, trying my best to survive Lianne''s teachings and all he had to do was wiggle something around and master it. I really felt envious if nothing else.


    "Then how about you and I practice? I''d like to see the strength of the man who slew Xerphas, the king of the dragons." Ven was behind me: I didn''t even notice. The guy seriously didn''t have much of a presence. He seemed interested in fighting though.


    I''m not even surprised by these titles anymore.


    "Sure, but just so you know, I don''t know shit about using this thing." I held the cane in my hand. It was an ordinary cane, at first glance. A minimalistic design, totally black. But the grip and the solidness were impressive. It wasn''t too heavy or too light.


    Meanwhile, my partner, Ven stood in front of me with nothing in his hands. He looked like a fighter straight out of a fighting game.


    "You fight barehanded?"


    "Yes. Weapons are meaningless to me." Though he just said that, I could tell, he wasn''t taking this seriously.


    Dick giggled when he saw Ven''s stance. But I couldn''t laugh at this. Though the guy wasn''t serious, I couldn''t take this nonchalantly.


    "Okay." I focused. Fighting with a cane was different than fighting with a sword. I felt rather uneasy. And even without learning any styles or anything, I''d have to fight. It was very unsettling.


    "Begin!" Lianne declared.


    I stood my ground and watched Ven with utter concentration. He moved fast, very fast even. I could follow him with my eyes but I saw contrails.


    Contrails in broad daylight? This isn''t funny you know.


    Needless to say, I saw mirages as he moved. But he didn''t come for me. He circled me. And his presence was hidden well too.


    This guy was good.


    "What''s wrong, dragon slayer? Afraid to come at me?" He taunted.


    I didn''t know why but I kind of cringed when I heard the term ''dragon slayer.''


    "I''m afraid I''m not up for cheap taunts." Besides, wasn''t it my job to taunt?


    I kept a close eye on him. Under normal circumstances, I stood no chance against him and I knew it from the moment the sparring started. So I channeled a steady supply of mana to my armor and cane. But I kept it low enough to not get noticed outright. It was one of my abilities, so it didn''t count as cheating- I consoled myself by thinking that.


    In a flash second, he closed in on me. I dodged his jab from the left and swung my cane. He back-stepped faster than I could swing.


    "That''s not a sword you know." He started to circle me again.


    I kept swinging the damn thing like a sword. I knew it was wrong but I couldn''t help it. Habits were a dangerous thing.


    I controlled my breathing. It was getting out of control. I was sweating even in this cold weather.


    I guess, I still had a lot to learn.


    Wait, didn''t Lianne say something about increasing magic efficiency?


    I smiled and released the full force of my mana. I was going to cast spells but through my cane.


    Let''s hope this works.


    "Oh, that''s an interesting thing you got going there," Ven said.


    He closed in very fast again. He didn''t want me to finish my magic.


    I grinned. I led him to that. "Oh, you thought I was just casting a spell? Too bad."


    To cast a spell I had to first channel my mana to the cane. That meant the cane was pretty Imbued as it was. Which in turn meant I was set to kick some dragon butt. After all, dragons were weak against the holy element.


    Ven clicked his tongue. "Guess you weren''t all talk. But-" He partially transformed his hands and formed claws. This guy was good.


    His claws and my cane clattered against each other. Sparks flew. He was strong. If I moved a second slower, I''d have been minced, or rather, clawed.


    "That''s enough. Any more and this will cease to be just a spar." Lianne declared the end of our match.


    I stopped my magic and he transformed back.


    "I guess you are correct." Ven retracted the claws.


    That guy is fast.


    Ven walked out of the area. Lianne and Dick stood there without a word.


    "What now?" I asked.


    "Come, I''ll teach you some tricks." Lianne continued with the practice.


    I didn''t know anything about canes but I wasn''t glad for Lianne''s knowledge. I mean, why the hell was she smacking me instead of teaching me styles?


    ***


    After practice and breakfast, the journey started. This time Ven grew two wings on his back and flew with us. He looked like a dragon but also human. A very odd combination. He was also barely two inches taller than me in that form. Normally he was two inches shorter.


    If I had to say, he looked kind of cool.


    Biteria flew with Lianne and I felt a stabbing pain. Why''d she had to choose Lianne but not me?


    I still had a consolation prize. Alisa was with me this time. She was half bunny, so it was fine - probably.


    I sniffed and looked back at her. She just stared back with blank eyes. So much for my bunny love.


    "We should be closing in on the border very soon. I didn''t think we''d have this tailwind. We''ll arrive sooner than I thought. But maybe not today-" Dick yelled in a loud voice. But even so, I couldn''t hear half of what he said. I could make out the gaps though.


    I was still barely clinging to the crow, but I got a bit better. Better enough to not scream to my death that is.


    If we arrived early, then that would only be better for me.


    After all, I wouldn''t have had to train with Lianne anymore. Just the thought of it was exhilarating.


    "Then I better pound in the rest by tonight. Feel free to rest as much as you can. You''re going to be up all night," Lianne yelled. I believed her. With almost tears in my eyes, I looked forward. Forward to a brighter future. A future without training and all the fighting. Alas! This wasn''t earth.


    I wanna go back home¡­.

 Chapter 229 - An Age Of Darkness

    By evening we''d traveled at least five days'' worth of journey by foot. The birds were fast but they had to rest every half an hour or so. They couldn''t maintain long flights. But even so, they were fast enough.


    "If we continued for an hour longer we''d have reached the border. But I don''t think the birds will be able to fly anymore today," Dick said.


    There was a forest behind us, so I couldn''t really relax.


    But I still tried to sound normal. "You sound like you''ve been here before."


    "Well," He ruffled his hair. "I came here first then went to Alfeim."


    The birds all turned small and rested on our shoulders. I just hoped they wouldn''t push on me.


    Servesta started to set up camp while Lianne and Alisa came towards us.


    "How come you couldn''t find it then?" If he had been there before then he had all the time in the world to search for the weapons.


    "I didn''t know back then." He chuckled. He seemed a little frustrated.


    "What are we talking about?" Alisa asked.


    Should I tell her?


    I looked at Dick. He shrugged his shoulder as if to say, ''go ahead.''


    "One of the mystic weapons."


    Alisa narrowed her eyes. "Why are you people so obsessed with them? There are so many better things than them. Don''t you realize they''d only attract ill-wanted attention? Haven''t you had enough trouble yet by having them?"


    I knew she was right but how was I supposed to tell her everything? Actually, I still hadn''t told much to her. Even Lianne didn''t know the full scope of my fate until recently.


    But even so, Lianne didn''t question me. I was really glad to have met someone like that.


    Alisa however, was almost like a nagging mother. My own mother wasn''t like this though. So, I for once didn''t feel like spilling any beans to her.


    "Why are you two looking at me like that?" Alisa looked back and forth between me and Dick. I guess we were staring at her a bit too much.


    "You didn''t tell her anything while she was with you huh?" I asked Dick.


    "I didn''t know you never told her anything. And she didn''t let me get close to her. Besides, your bunny was standing guard to her quarters all the time."


    As if we praised Biteria, she jumped from Lianne''s shoulder to the ground and struck a victory pose. That was priceless. My heart almost melted.


    But wait, since when did this cute monstrosity understand the human tongue?


    I had a very bad feeling about this.


    "Now that, that''s out of the way-" Lianne glared at me. "You, with me! We''re going hunting."


    I gulped. I sighed. I was tired for no reason at all.


    "Looks like we''re going no meat again tonight," Dick mumbled.


    "Daarc''s a pretty good hunter you know. Not as good as that brat elf but definitely good." Alisa tried to cover for me.


    "Brat? You''re calling Jowy a brat?"


    I figured she meant that since the last time I went hunting with Jowy. Back then she was with us and pretended to be innocent.


    Jowy was three hundred something, so I guess Alisa was older?


    "Umm¡­ no. I''m calling your friend over there brat. Any problem?" Alisa was talking about Lianne.


    "You realize she''s older than you right?" I still had nightmares about it too. I did not want to think about it.


    "But I''m older than her." Alisa wasn''t backing down. She didn''t look a day over twelve. Maybe I could have considered thirteen but any more than that would have been suicide. I looked over at Lianne and she didn''t even say a word.


    You''re confusing me.


    "Huh? But she''s-"


    "You do realize I was born before the gods ended up dead right?" Alisa tilted her head and blew my head.


    She silenced me. Come to think of it, the grand monster had to be alive and humanoid when stuff happened, otherwise Alisa would have been a monster too, right?


    Didn''t the war of the gods occur thousands of years ago?


    My head started to spin. "Say no more. Lianne let us traverse these lands and hunt for life. Onwards!" I marched forward like there was no tomorrow.


    "Looks like he broke."


    "Yup."


    ***


    I and Lianne went into the forest and came back with three storks. I had a wide grin plastered on my face. But it was to hide the utter horror I witnessed just moments ago when I learned how wrong I was about the world.


    It was a good haul and dinner ended with us having plenty of meat. Biteria was rather happy too. But I didn''t like the fact that she had sharp teeth now. If she willed, she''d have probably been able to chop up my fingers before I could even react.


    "By the way Alisa, you sure seemed to know a lot. Can you tell me how I can find a spirit? I have fractions of memories but they aren''t organized. So I can''t really focus or understand them." I didn''t know much about how I could find a spirit. Besides, the more magic I could use the better it was going to be for me in the upcoming days.


    But more importantly, I was just distracting my mind.


    "You''ll have to impress a spirit first for it to show itself to you. An act of valor, courage, or perhaps even lust. There are all kinds of spirits after all. If you''re compatible and they like what you showed, they''d happily form a contract with you."


    "I''m getting the feeling that last example falls under malicious spirits." Even spirits had tastes- I guess.


    "I wouldn''t go that route though. But you can probably find one or two spirits lurking in the pleasure districts of any town. As for normal spirits, you''d have to rely on luck. Every spirit has specific rules and conditions, but I suppose you''ll have to first meet one to believe. "


    "Doesn''t sound all that convincing." And I sure wasn''t convinced.


    "I-I didn''t know there were pleasure districts in this world." Dick held my shoulders and breathed heavily.


    Weren''t you supposed to be traveling the world?


    I stared at him blankly.


    "Let''s go to one! We can get spirits, ghosts, or whatever and have fun too!" Dick whispered in a very enthusiastic voice. He seemed pretty convinced by this new premonition.


    "Before trying anything funny, don''t forget that you are the king of a country." Lianne reminded me of my kingly duties which I already erased from my mind. "And I''ve already sent a messenger to the capital, expect your royal ascension soon."


    I''d almost forgotten about the whole Archduke thing. More and more trouble just kept piling up for no reason. In the end, I just felt like a political toy.


    "Unfortunately, I''m not dumb like him." And I certainly didn''t have plans to go see weird stuff. But if Susan was right, then the pleasure districts were filled with demons. Of course, I didn''t believe Susan one bit, but I couldn''t just dismiss her words either.


    Biteria was sitting on my lap but she jumped off and ran away. I watched as she disappeared into the bushes.


    "She''s going hunting," Ven said.


    "But didn''t she just eat?"


    "Did you forget she''s an undead?"


    "Half-"


    "No, that one''s a full undead." Ven remained firm on his stance.


    "What! But she goes out in full daylight as well!" But I wasn''t convinced.


    "She can use shadow magic. She herself isn''t aware that she''s dead. However, don''t let that bother you too much. She''s still pretty much the same as when she was alive. Her greatest regrets and attachments kept her in this world."


    "Is that even possible?" I muttered to myself. "Besides, I thought shadow magic was rarer than holy."


    "Now, now let''s not get too down." Dick wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "She''s your bunny. It doesn''t matter if she''s dead." He flashed a smile.


    I got the feeling he was still clinging to me in the hopes of getting a ticket to the pleasure district. I''m afraid he''d have to go on alone on that route. Actually, he''d be fine. He had a handsome face and enough money. He''d have been fine.


    "Just because something dies doesn''t mean it''s dead. As long as the soul remains the conscience stays," Ven explained. "And not all shadow magic are equal. Hers isn''t rare."


    "But how come typical undead come at us like they want to eat us?" Dick asked.


    "Because they are under the illusion that eating live flesh would quench their thirst for revenge. It''s a curse. A curse that rabbit has overwritten with its sheer will. You must have come under contact with at least one undead like her, haven''t you?"


    I looked at the ring and nodded. But Boriosa took a whole millennium to become sentient. But Biteria wasn''t that old.


    Ven continued. "The undead was a fun project of Ashirnae which went horribly wrong. I understand your confusion, but if one has enough will, he can break free of the bonds of the curse."


    Him again!


    "I actually didn''t know that," Alisa said.


    "So everything was that damn god''s fault!" I clenched my fist and grinded my teeth.


    "Quick question. If you truly loved someone and she died what would you do?" Alisa asked.


    "I-I''d pray to god for revi-" I realized how naive I was. When Brenda died I almost begged the statue of the forest to do something, even if I knew it was impossible. "You don''t mean?"


    Ven sighed and continued. "Yes. The humans begged Ashirnae to return the dead. You see a great war had ravaged across generations a long time ago. These forests were the battlefields of old. Many soldiers lay here. But when Ashirnae failed his experiment, the dead did come back to life but at a greater cost than just death. They abandoned death and ran amok, cursing whoever brought them back to this world. And they suffered the same pain they felt before dying for every second they lived as punishment. They changed. They came to life but their flesh did not. The flesh started to rot and whoever died within that area from then on became one of them. And thus the forbidden age of necromancy was born. The age of Darkness began."

 Chapter 230 - Ca-Ca-Captured? BUNNIES!

    The wind blew past me. The wood in the fire cracked and burned. I could feel the sadness of the dead.


    But I wasn''t such a hypocrite to claim I could understand their pain.


    "But that''s just-"


    "Sad I know. That is why the undead hate the living. That''s when Trerortra sent down the angels to control the undead and save the people. And Ashirnae came to be hated by the same people who he did everything for."


    I chuckled in frustration. "So in the end humans were the root of all evil just like the gods have been saying all along."


    Ven stayed quiet. Lianne and Alisa didn''t talk much either.


    "But even so, the gods were stupid. If they knew how humans were, then they shouldn''t have done any of that and just stayed as they were. Then none of this would have happened. There would be no undead, there would be no grand monsters, there would no problems," Servesta said, eyes closed.


    I guess that was one way to see this.


    "Well that''s one view I guess. But humans were always stupid. We''re too greedy. So I guess the people of this world deserved this. Our world isn''t all roses too you know. We had our fair share of wars too. Even now we have civil unrest everywhere and we don''t have any magic at all. But I''m feeling a little sleepy, so I''ll turn in now." Dick grinned and yawned.


    He wasn''t wrong. Even if the gods didn''t do anything and humanity lived without magic, people would always be people. Greed would always stay the same.


    And yet, and yet, I couldn''t accept this.


    "You keep the first watch Daarc. Wake me up before midnight," Lianne said.


    I guess she gave up on the training.


    "Okay."


    I didn''t know what to feel about all this but one thing was certain. Next time I meet, Ashirnae, I''d need some answers from him before I pummel him to the ground.


    ***


    Eventually, everyone went to bed and I stood guard.


    "You sure, you don''t need to sleep?"


    "Didn''t think you''d notice my presence." Ven was on top of a tree, just hanging his legs like some maniac.


    After becoming totally used to his almost invisibleness, I kind of knew he was here.


    "Well, I just assumed you were here."


    "Hmm¡­" It was awkward between the two of us. I didn''t know why, but we never had things to talk about. "So, who''s this woman that you need to revive?"


    For a second I was perplexed. "She''s long-dead and-"


    "Xerphas told me that you were seeking to free someone from a crystal, but if she''s already passed one, my condolences."


    "Oh!" For a second I thought he was talking about Brenda. I composed my thoughts. "Actually would you mind taking a look? I''m not sure if she''s alive or dead."


    I tried to steer the conversation in my favor. But honestly, after learning the truth about the undead, I didn''t want anything to do with reanimating the dead.


    After all, the dead had suffered enough.


    He cleared his throat. "Something urgent came up, I''ll be right back." His voice was a bit shaky.


    And just like that, the guy was gone. I guess he might have gotten the call of nature.


    I sighed.


    I didn''t know why but I was feeling awfully sleepy.


    Yawn.


    It was harder and harder to keep my eyes open. And a second later, I fell on the ground. I could hear a faint murmur of leaves¡­ and then nothing.


    ***


    "Ah, my head." My head throbbed. Everything seemed so bright. I tried to hold my head but I couldn''t.


    Am I sitting right now?


    "Looks like our esteem guest has finally awoken," a voice said. I didn''t recognize it. It was very close.


    "Didn''t I tell you to wake me up before midnight?" It was Lianne''s voice, filled with disappointment. Also very close.


    I groaned again and tried to move. I couldn''t. My vision sharpened bit by bit and I finally understood the situation. We were more or less screwed.


    Bunnies!


    Yes, in front of us was an army of bunnies. They looked bigger and very humanoid. But unlike demi-humans, they were full-on bunnies and didn''t have a human face. Some had muscles bulging, while others had long hair. They even wore clothes. As for our fate, we were tied together to a pretty wide tree.


    And behind us was a pretty steep hill.


    "Wha-what is going on?" I asked, with a shaky voice.


    "Judging from the trio sleeping right next to us, I''d say we were drugged by some kind of sleep-inducing incense."


    I looked around. We were on top of a mountain. Dick, Servesta, and Alisa were tied together to the tree next to us. They were fast asleep.


    "Wait, who are you?"


    At first, I thought the third person with us, was Ven. But it wasn''t him.


    "A humble, mercenary." He tilted his head and smiled. The guy was dressed in black and purple and had a smile that made my skin crawl. He had pokey facial hair that reminded me of myself.


    Though nowadays I had enough time and things to clean my face.


    I didn''t like him, not one bit. His attitude was totally annoying. He thought so highly of himself that he didn''t even feel the necessity to give us his name.


    But I didn''t have the arrogance to be choosy. "Any idea what they are doing with that?" My voice was a bit shaky but I still tried to smile. I failed miserably.


    There was a fire in front of us. A pot was above the fire and bunnies were dumping all sorts of things in there. I smiled and pretended not to even think about the possibility of the bunnies eating us. I wanted to believe that bunnies weren''t carnivorous, even though I knew they were.


    "You are a funny one indeed. To think you''d joke even at death''s door." The merc started to laugh.

 Chapter 231 - Give Me Back My Pure Image Of The Bunnies!

    "What about Ven? Did he get eaten already?"


    "He''s not here. Maybe they threw him ahead of us." I didn''t know if Lianne was cracking jokes or just trying to be funny, but whatever this was, it wasn''t funny.


    I gulped.


    Seriously?


    Yawn! The sound came from my left. It was Alisa. Wasn''t she a bunny girl? Shouldn''t she be able to do something?


    "Umm¡­ Alisa, do you mind talking things out with them or something?" I cleared my throat. "Aren''t they your family or something? Wait, you could even be their god!" I might have been a bit too groggy as I was uttering more cringe than even I could handle.


    But more importantly, I needed her to act all-important because I was going crazy.


    "What?" She was still yawning. A moment later her grogginess disappeared as she glared at the bunnies, and stared back at me with a face full of despair.


    "Please tell me, you can at least understand them?" My voice was stale and devoid of emotion. The good emotions.


    Please tell me, you can at least do something!?


    She flashed a faint smile and looked away. "I kind of can but¡­"


    "I always wanted to be surrounded by bunnies, but not like this!" It was almost like all the nightmares from that island kept coming back. Yes, I didn''t have a geezer this time to save me and laugh at me, but still, this just seemed more than just sad.


    Actually, being saved by the geezer didn''t sound that bad anymore.


    Wait, what about my ring?


    I still had my ring. I tried to send mana but it wasn''t working.


    What the hell?


    "Lianne, can''t you use flames or anything?" I tried to chuckle but nothing came out.


    "If I could, we wouldn''t be here." She smiled but grounded her teeth. "There was probably some other element in that incense too. Something which inhibits mana."


    Since when did bunnies become so damn intelligent?


    "Um, Daarc, ar-are you seeing that?" Alisa''s voice stuttered.


    I followed Alisa''s gaze and met utter horror. Two muscular bunnies, the size of polar bears were coming our way with machetes. "Yup, I am now."


    Dick and Servesta both were in ZZZ land. Since when did bunnies become so smart as to knock us out and inhibit our mana? More importantly, were these things even bunnies?


    I wanted to think no, but those damn fluffy ears were always giving me a bad case of an anxiety attack.


    "You two, how about we make a deal? I get us out of the ropes, and you guys help me get out of here. Fair?" The mercenary among us apparently had plans.


    "Well, it wouldn''t be much of anything even if we were to get out if we didn''t have anything to fight with." My thoughts escaped my lips.


    "Would you rather go down fighting or be eaten without?" He fired back.


    "Alright Merc, you have my attention." I didn''t like his style, but that didn''t mean I disagreed with him either.


    "Now then, the deal''s struck!" the rope around us fell. And I finally could feel my arm. Just what- he had a knife in his hands.


    No wonder.


    "Always keep an extra just in case." He flashed a grin. The guy knew how to piss me off, no doubt. In that regard, he almost seemed to resemble a certain geezer I knew.


    "Suppose that''s fair enough." I tried to manipulate my mana, but I couldn''t even feel mana anymore. "This might be tricky." Very tricky.


    The big bunnies didn''t like our escape. They howled and slowly walked towards us.


    They were slower than I thought they''d be.


    "Free them and then run."


    "You don''t have to tell me twice." The mercenary grinned and moved swiftly.


    "Lianne left or right?" I didn''t know if she could fight bear handed or not, but we didn''t have a choice.


    "You''re letting me choose? How courteous! Left it is." Something was definitely wrong with this elf. Since when did she start to become funny?


    We didn''t have any weapons. The bunnies must have seized everything when they captured us. To think I''d be robbed by bunnies.


    But we did have experience.


    And I kind of counted on that. I really, really hoped it would have been enough.


    ***


    The bunnies came swinging. I didn''t expect the big things to be so fast. They were as large hobgoblins but much faster. Their walking speed was slow but their swinging speed was abnormally high. But I was faster than before as well.


    My heart raced and my body followed suit. I dodged the first swing and ambushed the bunny from the back. I gave him a chop. Hitting him with my hand didn''t do anything. The bunny chuckled and gave me a horizontal slash. I jumped back. It wasn''t working. The other bunnies had us fully circled.


    "Are you trying to hit them or make them angrier?" Lianne hissed.


    I didn''t actually have an answer. I never fought barehanded. Just what did she expect from me?


    "As per deal, I''ll be running away now. Let''s get a drink if you survive," the merc yelled. He sure knew how to do business. As we were in the forefront, he took his chance and climbed up the steep hill.


    I had no idea how he did that.


    I didn''t expect him to stay either. But he''d done enough.


    Dick and the others were free. But there was a problem.


    Servesta did wake up but Dick was still knocked out solid. Our OP protagonist was out of the count. Alisa couldn''t do much without mana. And Servesta didn''t have his axe. Meaning, things didn''t really change.


    Damn!


    My back hit Lianne''s. We were both cornered. Things weren''t looking good. To think not being able to use mana would be so devastating.


    "Umm, can''t we solve this without bloodshed?" I tried to talk with the bunny but it just chuckled and came after us. Negotiations were out of the count.


    The bunny in front of us swung its machete hard. I dodged to the right. My leg cramped up. I hadn''t had the luxury to do some proper stretching in the morning: I was too busy being tied to the tree. And now my leg had to give up at the very last moment.


    Lianne was pinned on the other side as well. But at least she was doing better than me.


    The giant machete came down in full swing. I rolled. Rolled, and rolled again. It was fast and strong at the same time. Honestly, I began to get seconds thoughts about loving bunnies. Maybe I should have switched to cats?


    No! My love of bunnies is infinite! I will not be killed by one of them!


    I stood up on my cramped up leg. It hurt. I didn''t care. I glared at the bunny in front. It was taller than me. Another horizontal slash. But this time I squatted and dodged. I sprang back up and hit its jaws so hard that I felt my knuckles crack. It stung like being stabbed but I kept going. "Give me back my image of pure bunnies!" I screamed and punched the guy on his stomach. The bunny fell on the hard floor.


    Punching and maintaining my balance with just one arm was a lot harder than I thought, but it wasn''t impossible.


    Lianne was panting but she was done as well.


    And then the true horror began as every single one of the bunnies came towards us with knives and forks.


    Servesta and Alisa had their own problems.


    "Did I forget to mention I actually always hated Rabbits?" Lianne panted.


    "No, that''s the first time I''m hearing it. But I''m beginning to consider switching my affections as well." Honestly, loving cats might just have been much better than this. At least my image of pure lovable bunnies wouldn''t have been destroyed.


    And then there was a squeak. A squeak of glory. A squeak of salvation. Biteria had returned. And she''d brought help.


    "To think all of you would be captured while I was taking a piss." Our draconic teammate just had to take a piss and let us be captured. He descended from the sky and stood behind me and Lianne.


    Why does everyone have to take a piss during all the important times?


    "That''s it! No more leaks during the night! Even if someone has to wet themselves just stay put! I''d be damn sure to set up this rule!" Needless to say, I was going crazy.


    "Anyway, catch!" He threw a knife in my way.


    Everyone totally ignored me.


    I was about to pick up the machete. But I guess the knife was definitely more of a better choice to me.


    Lianne did pick up a machete though. She probably knew how to use one too. And the way, she swung it, both the bunnies and I was scared, no doubt about that. It reminded me of that night when she skinned the deer all over again.


    "Our situation has improved but it''ll be difficult without mana."


    "I agree."


    "Should I just burn them all in that case?" Ven began.


    "I guess that''s an option. But can''t we just settle this without bloodshed?" Lianne said.


    "¡­"  I thought for a second. "Bunnies! Is there anyone among you willing to negotiate!? We will leave without making a fuss. So do you mind returning our things and moving out of the way?"


    "Are you negotiating or making demands?" Lianne murmured.


    The bunnies didn''t seem to waver. They were even more furious.


    "Guess there''s no choice." Ven transformed partially and growled. But before he could release his fire, Biteria jumped in front of us and squeaked again. As she squeaked, the other bunnies squeaked as well. "Are they having a conversation?"

 Chapter 232 - Just How Many Frigging Kings And Queens Have I Devoured?

    "Looks that way." Servesta walked towards us, carrying Dick on his back.


    Biteria puffed her chest and declared something. All the other bunnies nodded and dropped the knives.


    "Just what the hell did she say?"


    I didn''t get my answer.


    And then some of the bunnies growled at me.


    Biteria squeaked again.


    This time every single one of them just dropped on the floor kneeling in front of Biteria.


    "She doesn''t happen to be from the Braskan islands, right?" Alisa stood next to me.


    "I dunno. But I was stranded on an island full of bunnies, bugs, and undead. Why?" And not to mention a geezer.


    She sighed. "I think she''s royalty.  That island is sacred to rabbits all over the world."


    "You can''t make this shit up." Dick bestowed his wisdom upon us and started to laugh. When the hell did he get up? He was still being carried like a princess by Servesta though.


    Wait, but didn''t it mean me and the geezer were eating bunny royalty for two whole months? And not to mention they even tasted good.


    "What''s wrong Daarc?" Lianne asked, shaking me from the sides.


    Sweats leaked.


    There was no answer(s).


    ***


    Apparently, we were their breakfast. These bunnies were a rare species always traveling across the mountains and forests. Given their strength, I didn''t doubt that. How did I know? Well, actually¡­


    "Please forgive me oh great one and comrades of the great one." the bunny that had attacked me, spoke in a very manly voice and bowed before us, more like, almost touching my feet.


    What the hell was this? I''d been asking that question for the last two hours now.


    These bunnies were sentient. They always hunted and ate anything that they could find. And unfortunately for us, this time it just happened to be us. We were supposed to be their breakfast. Though I was grateful for not being their food, the mere thought of those muscles over their bodies and standing on two legs ticked me off more than just necessary. I could almost cry. In fact, I might have even leaked a few drops.


    They had huts on top of this small hill and this whole place was pretty high up in the mountains. But the mountain itself went a lot higher.


    This particular hut was big and basically, all the bunnies were on their knees in front of me like criminals while I was on a chair and all my comrades were sitting pretty on the floor.


    They treated me like I was some sort of deity.


    I felt like a moron.


    I sniffed and just looked sideways. I was met with a bunny girl winking my way. But her muscles and all that manliness made me want to puke.


    Are there no lovable bunnies left in this world?


    As the thoughts ran wild in my brain, Biteria jumped to my lap and stayed. She looked back at me as if to reassure me. I guess I still had my pet bunny if nothing else.


    Though the bunnies were sentient, only I and Alisa could understand them. But then there was the question, why couldn''t I understand Biteria? I was kind of glad that I couldn''t though. I was content with just petting my finger-biting lovable, cute pet bunny. I didn''t need anything more from her than just purrs, and occasionally bites.


    Otherwise, it would have been devastating for my heart.


    "So, what now? Where are our things?" I started, obviously to distract my mind.


    "You see," the bunny began. "We kind of sold them. His ears drooped and he gave me a meek smile.


    By things I meant everything. Most of my things were in my ring, so all was good. And I was still wearing my armor so that was cool too. But I had some money on my belt and I also had a sword in baldric. And if I remembered correctly, most of my companion''s stuff was with Servesta.


    Meaning, we didn''t have much of anything, not food nor money. And my companions didn''t have weapons. But the valuable ones were inside my ring and Dick''s cup, so I guess it was kind of fine unless Dick''s cup just happened to be among the stolen things.


    "And who did you sell to?" I smiled.


    "Merchants from Drom."


    "We can''t get them back?" I raised a brow, smiling sweetly.


    "We already made the trade you see-"


    My cheeks and eyes twitched. "Dick? Do you want rabbit stew tonight?"


    Dick snorted though he didn''t understand much of anything.


    The rabbit man bowed even fiercely to the ground. "Please forgive us, my lord! We promise to get them back even if it costs our life. We cannot trouble the lord of our queen!"


    I didn''t know why but it felt awfully weird to hear that. And not to mention queen? Wasn''t Biteria supposed to be a princess, rather than a queen? I turned to Alisa and she didn''t even look at me.


    I sighed. "You don''t have to lay down your lives. Where are those merchants headed for?"


    "I believe Dracona, my lord. They said things like Dracona was in a troublesome situation."


    I was technically headed for Dracona too, so this was at least better for us, well kind of.


    "Well, what did you buy from them in exchange?" But I couldn''t just go and rob merchants either.


    "Two kilos of rice my lord."


    "That''s it?" Alisa scratched her head.


    "Yes, my lord. That is all." The rabbit man looked down. "They said rice was rare and they couldn''t give us any more. Our young really like rice and we- we-" The guy sniffed.


    I didn''t know whether to feel pity or anger.


    "They ripped you off I guess. Helsing had plenty of paddy fields. So technically though rice is rare near Moire, it isn''t, around here. Though I have to say, I actually haven''t had rice in a long while myself, so maybe that''s true?"


    "I thought you didn''t like rice." Lianne looked at me with large eyes. "That''s why I forbade the chefs to cook rice the entire time."


    My eyes twitched again. Just what kind of crimes had I done to deserve such punishment?


    "I''m pretty sure I like rice more than bread but oh well." I glared at the rabbit man. "Where are you headed next?"


    "We will head to the forests and migrate to the mountains again next year."


    "So, this is a yearly thing?"


    "Yes, we continue our pilgrimage until we achieve sagehood and finally venture out in the wilderness alone in search for the legendary island of Braska!" The rabbit man''s tears streamed down as his snot dripped. It was disgusting to see that happen to a bunny but I had to deal with this. "But never have we ever thought that it was possible to witness such wondrous sight! I thought I''d die before that." He cried and so did all of his fellow rabbits.


    They were overreacting but I couldn''t fault them. After all, everyone had their own ideologies. But even so, "What happens when you reach sagehood?"


    "We can sense and neutralize mana. But if we reach an even greater level, we can suppress mana altogether!" He was proud of it, no doubt.


    This actually seemed like a new revelation to me. After all, I was searching for a way to end mana, and suppressing it seemed like a good first step. "So how does one do it or learn it?"


    "One must first repeat the pilgrimage for at least a century before they can achieve sage hood, but sadly not all make it." The guy sighed.


    Drag.


    So, I switched to the next best thing. "Does anyone here know how to do it?"


    No one said a word.


    "Why do you want to learn it anyway?" Alisa whispered.


    "I want to erase all mana," I whispered back.


    She looked at me with confusion and a bit of surprise. She sighed and just stood next to me, without a word, until finally, "That''s impossible."


    Of course, I kind of knew it was impossible. After all, if it was possible, someone would have done it already.


    I turned to the bunnies again. "So, anyone know it?"


    "One of our children is very blessed in that art. He can make special incense, but-"


    "But?"


    "He is very shy and he doesn''t wish to speak with you."


    "How long will this take again?" Dick''s patience had run out.


    "I suppose that''s too bad." I turned to Alisa. "What do you think we should do?"


    "Why are you asking me?" she was awfully surprised again.


    "Well, they are kind of like you, so yeah, go ahead."


    "That''s not funny you know." She hissed and cleared her throat. "Give us some weapons, food, and also descriptions of the merchants. We''ll leave you alone, but next time, don''t go hunting for humans. Or you might end up with monsters like him."


    I didn''t know why but I got kind of offended.

 Chapter 233 - The Eve Of Bunnies

    We wanted to leave right away but the bunnies begged us to stay the night on the mountain hut. They wanted to spend as much time as they could with their queen. I still didn''t know why they were calling Biteria queen but I didn''t really care all that much at this point.


    This world was weird, and I''d already accepted it long ago.


    I roamed around the place and sure enough, we were up pretty high. There were a few dozen or so huts and we were given the biggest one. The bunnies in particular had an abundant source of fruits and vegetables. I could see why they''d seek out meat, but seriously, why humans? Did humans really taste that great?


    I had no idea. And I didn''t want to have any either.


    But this mountain was pretty wide. And it had enough space to have twelve elephants stacked side by side.


    With a sigh, I just strolled around.


    I headed exactly opposite of where Biteria was being surrounded by everyone.


    But I still got all sorts of bows and unwanted attention. Like, why the hell was I popular among the middle-aged bunny women, all of a sudden?


    I always had a problem with older women, is that why? I didn''t know why but my fate sure was filled with older women.


    Back when I was in tenth grade, my babysitter did some pretty whacky things to me. She was five years older than me and an adult. She did all sorts of things to me, she even showed me her underwear and all the lines, stains on it. Like, did she have no shame?


    I was young and I was just discovering all this stuff, and she just had to pull all those dirty jokes when she was with me.


    Back then I was too na?ve but now, now I just felt I was maybe a lot more stupid at the time than I thought. I didn''t know if she did all those to tease me, scar me or prepare me, or perhaps even invite me, but sure enough, it had made the impression of older women weird in my mind.


    And my mom slapping me one day, claiming I was going down the wrong path because I allegedly tried to force myself on my babysitter only made my impression of older women worse.


    So with a sigh, I just walked to the edge of this small village. There were even small shops selling fruits. One particular bunny really insisted I take some fruit and eat them. I was hungry, so I didn''t disagree.


    He was the same one, I beat up. He sure spoke with utter respect and a bashful tone though.


    The fruits of this world had similar looks and tastes compared to earth. But something was different. Some fruits were a lot bigger, some were sweeter while others just had some sort of smell or bitterness. I went far away from all the bunnies and went to the far north of the whole camp, right where three large trees were located. The same trees which I was bound to before.


    Hard to imagine I came back here out of my own accord.


    ***


    I sat down, lying against the tree.


    Let''s see¡­


    I bit into the first fruit. Looked like a pear, but red. And it tasted exactly like a pear, just sweeter. Not a bad start.


    An oval-shaped grape, pretty big. Tasted like a mango, just bitter. It probably was this world''s mango.


    Next, a blue strawberry, the size of a dragon fruit. Boy, this was big. I bit into it, and the juices exploded everywhere: the seeds were actually pretty small. With an awkward smile, I just tried to clean everything with a handkerchief. The thing tasted pretty good though: halfway between a strawberry and a grape.


    Snort!


    A sound came from the top of the tree.


    I looked up and a thin boy was staring right back at me. He was a bunny boy, if that was even a thing. "Hup." He jumped out of the tree and made a cute sound. But unfortunately, he was a boy and I didn''t swing that way.


    Finally, I met a bunny human my type, and he just had to be a guy. He was also covered with fur but unlike the rest of the bunnies, this guy was no muscle head and just looked like a furry version of Alisa.


    Okay, that''s just racism.


    I sighed again. I still had another strawberry left. "You want one?"


    "No, I''m good. Are you really the lord of our queen?" His words were carefully picked and he monitored every aspect of my body.


    Didn''t he realize that was sexual harassment? Well, I guess not, since we were both guys after all.


    But seriously, what the hell even was a ''lord of the queen?''


    "I don''t know. Biteria''s my lovely bunny and that''s all."


    "Hmm¡­" The boy smiled. "I see." He turned around. "Please enjoy your stay and I''m sorry for last night. I really hope you''d favor us bunnies from here on out too."


    So, he''s the boy, that bunny mentioned.


    I didn''t know what he was getting at but oh well, it had nothing to do with me. I''d just leave tomorrow anyway. And more importantly, I always favored bunnies no matter what, or had he overheard me last time when I said, I considered switching affections? Honestly, now that I thought about it, it just felt embarrassing.


    ***


    After a while, I went back to the hut. Dick and Servesta were sitting on the corner. Alisa and Lianne were on the other corner. What was going on?


    "Did something happen?"


    Dick looked at me with a complicated expression. "The moment you and your bunny left, they treated us like nothing but baggage. In fact, they haven''t even come near us once. And I thought I was going to get laid tonight."


    Was the thought of getting laid the only thing on his mind, and nothing else?


    I looked over at Alisa and she also had a complicated expression, somewhere between a meek smile and despair. "They said they were trying their best not to eat us, since it would sadden you. Meaning, they might come at us, if they can convince you that you won''t be sad."


    I almost snorted but controlled it halfway. Probably the funniest thing I heard all day. "So, anyway, I brought some fruits." During my return trip, the bunnies had showered me with fruits, since they didn''t have meat for us. They did insist that they''d secure some meat before the afternoon but before that, they wanted me, us to be well fed. For once I felt glad that I convinced them not to hunt anything sentient.


    I sure hoped, they still weren''t thinking of eating us though.


    I had about a dozen or so large strawberries. I really liked them, so I thought these guys would like ''em too.


    "This is good!" Dick shoved one in his mouth and picked up four.


    "Hey, don''t be greedy. Everyone just gets two." I hadn''t had lunch either and we had no food, so technically, I needed to eat at least something.


    Dick frowned but did happily chew on his portion. But they all sure made a mess of themselves.


    Giggles, snorts, finger-pointing, and a lot of other stuff happened.


    I didn''t know why but this whole thing seemed a bit more peaceful than what I was used to.


    But I still couldn''t let my guard down. If history taught me anything, it was that every time I started to feel blessed, bad shit went down, without a doubt.


    "Sir!" A bunny entered the hut and fell on the floor. "One of your companions-" He looked at me with eyes full of dread.


    I sighed. Should have seen it coming.


    I looked around and sure enough, Ven was missing. "Lead the way."


    Lianne and Alisa came with me as Servesta and Dick happily gobbled down our portions as well. Which part of ''don''t be greedy'', didn''t they understand?


    ***


    With a sigh, I just followed the bunny.


    We were quite far away from the huts and from here I couldn''t hear or even see the bunnies.


    But when we reached the crime scene, "What the hell?" I was flabbergasted by the sight.


    "I kind of saw him doing that yesterday, too." Alisa gave me a meek smile. "But I didn''t know how to bring this up."


    Ven was lying on top of a large stone, eyes closed. He was probably asleep but he had half of his body exposed. He was sweating and some of his sweat was making steam. He was being literally cooked alive but the expression he made could only be described as bliss: pure bliss.


    He even occasionally let out muffled moans too.


    But if that was all, it wouldn''t have been a problem. The real problem was, the guy wasn''t a guy. "Not, this pattern again," I mumbled and slapped my forehead. I got all sorts of memories just surfacing like mad.


    Granted, he didn''t have much of a chest, but even an amateur like me could tell, this guy wasn''t a guy and that wasn''t just a chest, those were boobs.

 Chapter 234 - The Eve Of Bunnies Part 2

    I sighed again. "I guess he had his reasons. Let''s go." I for sure didn''t want to get dragged into all this.


    But Lianne wasn''t listening. She went closer to the sleeping Ven, and slapped him, rather her, awake.


    "Whoa! What? Enemy attack?"


    Honestly, I didn''t know what to feel about that.


    She looked at Lianne first, then at Alisa, and then finally me. Her cheeks twitched a little until she finally realized her chest was bare.


    She cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, as you can see, I''ve been cursed. It happened quite some time ago, but ever since then I have to stay bare and bathe in the sun during the noon or my body starts to disintegrate." At first, when she woke up, her voice wasn''t as forced and it was quite high pitched but as she gradually sobered up, her voice definitely turned manlier.


    My eyes twitched a little but I smiled. "Yeah, I don''t care. I''ll call you a girl from now on, unless you happen to have a dick lying around between your legs. And do try to hide those things." Because those things were very distracting.


    Her cheeks flushed red as she covered her chest with her arms. "That''s-that''s injustice. I''m telling you, I''m a guy!" She sure didn''t look like a girl.


    "Alright." I glared." Take off your pants." I was barely a meter away from the guy, so it shouldn''t have been hard for me to spot certain things.


    "Daarc!" Lianne shouted in shock.


    Alisa just grimaced at the whole thing. I mean, there were only five of us here. If he was a guy, all was good. And if he was a she, and she was a girl, I was pretty sure, the bunny who lead us here, wouldn''t have given a damn.


    I know, I didn''t.


    I ignored Lianne. "If you''re a guy, you should have that. You know what I mean."


    "I do have one!" She was confident if nothing else.


    But, one?


    "Alright then, show me!" I didn''t know why, but I might have gotten a bit too absorbed in the whole thing.


    "Fine!" Well, she didn''t have any shame, that much was clear.


    She slid her pants down along with her underwear. First, she didn''t have family jewels, second, she had a hole where her rod should have been, and last, there were no lil-Ven. I did see a clit and some newly forming trees though.


    It took a lot of courage on her part to show us this, I guess, so I couldn''t rebuke her. Instead, I just turned around and gave Lianne a side glance. No matter how much I claimed of my self-control, even I couldn''t really stay still after seeing her bare. I mean, she was beautiful, there was no doubt. And the mere thought that I was about to be murdered by a certain elf, gave me anxiety and a lot of sweats.


    "I''ll let you handle the rest. Sorry." I dumped all the responsibility on Lianne and just walked.


    As I and the bunny walked away from Ven, and Lianne went close to her, Ven shrieked. "What! But father said!"


    I pretended not to hear anything and just ran away from there as fast as I could. I could see both the bunny and Alisa running along with me.


    Life really was full of mysteries. And I was probably going to die today.


    ***


    By the afternoon, the whole place was like a festival. There were flowers, singing, and dancing everywhere. The bunnies were utilizing the mountain top amazingly and this was probably my first ever festival with bunnies. I wasn''t a pedophile, but the bunny children sure were cute. At least they didn''t have muscles like their parents.


    I sighed and turned to Alisa. "You''re not going to turn out like that, right?" Obviously, I meant her growing muscles and all that.


    She raised a brow, debated whether she''d punch me or kick me, and in the end, just clicked her tongue and turned her head away from me. I didn''t know why but looked awfully cute. Put a smile on my face.


    "So, forcing girls to get naked wasn''t your only fetish?" Lianne was right next to me. I''d kind of forgot about that.


    I chuckled but chuckles sure weren''t helping. "I was kind of heated up at the time. It''s not like I enjoy watching naked women." I sure was glad Lianne couldn''t get a hold of my browser history in this world.


    She glared at me, squinting her eyes a bit. "Well, I suppose during all your travels with me, you never attempted anything like that, so I can conclude you to be innocent." I was glad she thought of me that way. But then she had to open her mouth again. "Or, do I lack enough charm?" She observed her body.


    How the hell was I going to tell her that it was the exact opposite?


    Should I compliment her, right now?


    I got a feeling things were getting more and more complicated by the second.


    I didn''t know the right answer but I took a gamble. "I''m pretty sure you''re the most charming person I''ve ever met, so don''t be like that." If I didn''t know better she was also probably the most beautiful.


    "Hey¡­" Alisa mumbled. "That''s like basically saying, I''m not charming enough."


    The hell is wrong with you people?


    I kind of really wanted to run away right now.


    And then I saw Dick just happily gobbling up food with Servesta. I really envied the guy. He had no worries and the strength to back up everything. The bunnies had actually secured a bunch of birds and roasted them. Didn''t look that appetizing.


    I was being sandwiched by glares from both sides, while Dick was having the time of his life.


    Purr! And with that sound, Biteria jumped straight on my head and consequently on my shoulder.


    The bunnies gave all their attention to me now and sang praises and whatnot. Basically, I was being worshipped alive.


    The glares coming from both of my sides were getting more and more intense, but at least now I didn''t have to worry about them all that much¡­ kind of.


    I''m definitely not getting out of this without scratches.


    ***


    By the time the sun was about to set, the festive atmosphere became more and more chaotic as the male bunnies tore open their shirts and just danced like crazy. Apparently, these guys had some strong type of fruit wine.


    I had no idea what to feel about this whole thing.


    Seriously, what was wrong with this whole place?


    But even I had to admit, it was peaceful.


    "Do we have transport for tomorrow?" I chomped on a roasted bird. It looked terrible but the taste wasn''t so bad, kind of like that bird we had with the pirates¡­nostalgic.


    The men were dancing while the girls were eating and chatting on the opposite direction. The kids were with the women.


    "Yes, Mig said the crows had escaped to safety and they can be recalled when it''s time. And the rabbits have agreed to give us enough provisions for a day. So I don''t think we''ll have trouble leaving tomorrow."


    Me and Lianne just stared at the crowd of bunnies dancing. Dick and Servesta were also dancing, shirtless. I guess Servesta just had a problem expressing himself, but at certain times, he was actually quite lively.


    I took a deep breath. "Think I''ll join them." I finished my bird.


    Lianne sighed but giggled shortly afterward. "GO for it." She gave me a push too.


    I chuckled and removed my armor, throwing it into the ring.


    "Yo Daarc!" And Dick was already drunk. "Wunt sum?" He held a bottle of wine in my direction.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t drink."


    But it didn''t bother me, and we all just laughed, danced, and made merry.


    ***


    By midnight the party ended and there were bunnies lying around everywhere.


    Some were even snoring.


    Alisa was asleep, and so were Servesta and Dick. Lianne and Biteria weren''t here. And I hadn''t seen Ven all day.


    So without much of a fuss, I went closer to a small tool and sat on it. I yawned and messaged my head.


    Maybe I should get some sleep too?


    "I must Apologize, Daarc green."


    I pretended like I knew nothing. "Just call me Daarc. And don''t worry about it."


    Ven had come out of nowhere: more like she dropped from the sky. She sighed and her breath fell on me. Her breath was at least ten degrees warmer than the air surrounding us. "Father did always say I was special but he raised me as a boy. I just never knew I was a woman." Her voice was strange. She was sad. I guess she didn''t know the difference between guys and gals.


    I guess I didn''t have any right to fault her.


    "Does it matter? I mean at the end of the day, what matters most is that we''re alive. So what if I''m a guy? And so what if you''re a girl? We''re alive and we''re fighting to stay alive. Isn''t that more important?"


    She chuckled. "I suppose you are not wrong." She closed her eyes and thought for a second. "Now, who was this woman you wanted to be saved from the crystal?" I guess she was an expert on changing the subject too.


    "Oh right!" I''d almost forgotten about it due to all this commotion.


    I tried sending mana to the ring. But even now, it was hard. A big enough portal did open, enough for me and Ven to shove our heads in it.


    "Let''s see, hmmm." She touched the crystal. "Not cold." She breathed a bit of fire and it didn''t do anything to the crystal. Next, she touched it and a red glow covered her hands but nothing happened. "This can''t be melted by fire. But-" Her glow turned white. This time the crystal reacted a bit but it wasn''t enough. "We need strong holy powers. Why don''t you have a try?" Her face was so close to mine that I could feel her breath on me.


    And boy was her breath hot. I was already sweating a lot more than necessary.


    "Won''t anything bad happen if I mess up?"


    "She''d just die. Nothing serious."


    "That is serious, you moron," I grumbled but did touch the crystal and imbued the crystal.


    Nothing happened just like last time.


    "Are you not capable of infusing mana into your blood?"


    "I mean, I''ve done it before but every time I almost died."


    Ven sighed and came out. I came out too.


    "In that case, I think it''ll be very hard."


    Then why the hell did he send you?

 Chapter 235 - The First Night Is Always Epic: On The Road Again.

    "What are you two doing, so close together?" A voice reverberated in the air and I took a step back.


    Lianne also dropped out of nowhere. I had a bad feeling about this.


    Why were women falling out of the sky like it was normal?


    "Ven was just checking if we could free that girl from the crystal." My voice came out flat. I tried my best not to stutter. I''d already made a fool out of myself earlier, after all.


    Lianne sighed and came closer to us. She had two glasses in her hands.


    She handed me one. "Here, this is juice. I made it." Lianne was basically holding the other glass for herself. I guess Ven wasn''t invited.


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me." Ven grew wings and left the two of us alone. I guess he could take a hint.


    There was only one stool. So I just stood there.


    "Well, sit down."


    I didn''t want to argue, so I just sat down. And a second later, Lianne sat down on my lap. "Ummm, what are you doing, you''re highness-" I didn''t just have a bad feeling: I had a very bad feeling.


    She placed her fingers on my lips. Her eyes came very close to mine and she removed her veil. "Let''s just say, I''m planting some insurance."


    "Wha-"


    She removed her finger and kissed me. I kissed back.


    The juice didn''t matter anymore.


    Her lips moved away from mine. My whole body got hotter.


    She placed a hand on me. "What to take this inside?" It wasn''t a request, it wasn''t an order. It was somewhere in the middle.


    I took a deep breath. "As I said before, I don''t plan on settling down in this world. I don''t think we should."


    I kind of wanted to though.


    But since I was getting too hot, I downed the juice in one go. This was actually pretty good.


    Her eyes wavered as she stared at the distance. "I don''t care. My heart wouldn''t listen. I don''t have much time, Daarc. That''s why, I wanted to be with you¡­ one last time¡­ our last time." She looked straight into my eyes.


    "You''re turning?"


    "Yes, I''ve seen the first signs. I don''t have much longer."


    I hugged her tight. She hugged me back.


    I really didn''t know what to say, I didn''t know what to do. And more importantly, I didn''t know how to cure her.


    She giggled. "That''s why let''s not hold ourselves back. Even if you were to leave, even if you were to love someone else, my love for you won''t change. Daarc I love you."


    She moved her head back and smiled.


    My whole body shivered.


    Love?


    Seriously?


    Are you kidding me?


    After all this time, she just had to drop the L bomb on me?


    I hugged her again. Boy was hugging with one hand hard! "I love you too, Lia." And this was the first time I called her by that name. I already fell for her a long while ago. So it didn''t hurt to at least admit it.


    She looked at me a bit puzzled but smiled anyway. I guess she liked it.


    We went back inside, locked the doors, and got down to it. Our comrades were asleep anyway.


    Lianne''s body was definitely more attractive than in my dreams. Why did I have such dreams? Did you really have to ask?


    And I sure took my sweet time undressing the hell out of those multilayered clothes.


    Her breath was rapid and so was mine. We were both drunk, not with alcohol, but with love.


    Well, I had done this before, but it was more of a one-night stand. But this one, this one I wanted to last.


    There were kisses, there were touching, there were feelings and there was a whole bunch of other stuff.


    Our biological cords connected and as moans and pleasure reverberated in the air, true bliss descended upon us.


    And so, the night passed.


    ***


    I woke up with a sore back the next day. Lianne was already up and I was pretty much alone. With a yawn, I picked myself up and got out of the hut.


    Everyone was ready with me being the only exception.


    I got glares from two particular people. I guess it wasn''t a secret.


    "How could you!" Dick sniffed. "Just when I thought things couldn''t get any worse."


    Was he overreacting? YES!


    Alisa just glared, not a word.


    I didn''t know why but I didn''t mind, and I didn''t really care. The world was beautiful and I felt great. I wasn''t going to let anyone ruin that, at least for this one moment.


    "Well, get fresh, let''s eat breakfast, and be on our way." Lianne came towards me. She acted as usual.


    I couldn''t look at her the same way I did before, but honestly, this wasn''t so bad. And now I had another reason to beat that demon and not die.


    ***


    We finished everything way before noon. The bunnies were kind enough to give us food and supplies. But we only needed them for half a day, since we''d be past the borders by the afternoon.


    "Please, take good care of her." All the bunnies had tears in their eyes.


    This felt awfully surreal, unreal even.


    But I guess it wasn''t so bad. "I will."


    I climbed on the crow and just a second later remembered all the horrors.


    I instinctively shivered for a second.


    "Here!" Just when I was about to take flight, someone threw something at me.


    I caught it. It was a scroll of some sort made of animal skin. "This is?"


    I stared at the thrower but I didn''t see anyone. The bunnies just wept as we slowly took flight. I put the scroll inside my ring and quickly took the reins.


    I could vaguely recognize the voice but I couldn''t remember. But it didn''t matter now.


    As we hovered, my past traumas ignited. This time, Lianne and Alisa were on one crow while I was alone on mine. I did have Biteria though.


    I was shivering but the crow was a lot stable this time around.


    "We will never forget you." The bunnies were being a bit too dramatic but I liked them, or more like their children. Again, I wasn''t a pedophile.


    We picked up more and more altitude. The crow was rather stable though. Or was I just freaking out all the other times?


    But now that I had time to think about things, I couldn''t get a thought out of my brain. Lianne mentioned something about her having the signs of turning. And though she said soon, I didn''t know how soon. I didn''t want her to turn into a goblin-like thing of all things. She''d suffered enough. But since she already lived for a long time, maybe her soon wasn''t that soon? Honestly, I didn''t really know.


    "We''ll be by the borders before just afternoon at this rate," Dick yelled.


    I guess we''d be arriving earlier than I thought.


    "We''ll have to set up camp just before the border till the afternoon," Lianne also yelled.


    "Why?" If we could cross the border at noon, then why wait till the afternoon?


    "I have reasons!"


    The wind was pretty strong. So even yelling wasn''t doing much. So instead, I just made a fine sign. "Alright, alright, geez," I mumbled.


    The crow was shockingly stable. Enough so that letting go of one of the reins and patting my lovely bunny wasn''t impossible anymore. But the moment I patted her, she bit my finger and as I screamed the crow flapped hard with shrieks of its own.


    Speed was life and everything else was irrelevant. And boy was there speed and screams as a bonus.


    By the time things calmed down, I had tears streaming down my eyes, they were involuntary and my heart was racing like crazy. Even last night it didn''t go this fast.


    Catching my breath, I massaged the crow''s neck, I might have scared him big-time with that scream.


    I really wanted to kick the little bunny off the crow right about now but those big luscious eyes didn''t let me do that. But more importantly, I only had bite marks and no blood.


    Did she hold back or something?


    Just how wicked was this damn bunny?


    ***


    There weren''t many clouds and the ground was mostly covered in grass. I really hated these types of places. But at least there weren''t any forests around.


    Come to think of it, I probably hated most of the things in this world.


    We reached the border at noon: just like Dick had predicted. But there was a problem, there was no border. There were no soldiers here, patrolling. There was nothing that separated the two countries. Just plain grasslands with little to no trees.


    "Why did we stop here?"


    "I''m expecting a messenger." Lianne was acting calm as usual.


    It was a bit hard for me to manage my thoughts but I contained them anyway,


    "Someone? But we''ve got birds and-"


    "Not someone. It''s also a bird."


    "Oh." I had a bad feeling about this, but there wasn''t anything I could do about it.

 Chapter 236 - Just Being The Duke Wasn’t Enough?

    We had to set up camp in an open field and there weren''t any trees nearby. The closest one was at least three kilometers away. And when I asked about whether we could fly there, Dick only had one answer. "We''ll have to wait for half an hour either way, so there''s no point."


    It would have been fine if this damn place wasn''t boiling like that dessert we''d crossed before with the geezer and Jowy.


    The heat wasn''t the problem though. It was the humidity.


    Back then I did have loads of dreams though. And lately, I was getting some nightmares too. Come to think of it, whenever I slept near Alisa I got nightmares. Last night I didn''t though, since I was with Lianne and definitely away from Alisa.


    I looked over towards Alisa and she just moved her head with a ''hmph''.


    I guess for some reason she was angry with me. Unfortunately, I didn''t care all that much.


    Lianne was surveying the surroundings while Servesta and Dick were training on their own: I guess Dick still had his cup and could bring out weapons. This was the first time I saw them do anything other than just lazing around. And for the record, this was also the first time I saw Servesta in action. The guy was big and so was his axe. He moved it like a stick or something. This guy was strong.


    They were sweating and fighting in this desert like grasslands while I was being cooked alive.


    It kind of rubbed me the wrong way so I changed directions.


    I turned my head around and located Ven in the distance.


    "Hey, Ve, watcha doing?"


    She looked rather irritated. "I''d appreciate it if you didn''t shorten my name further."


    "Sorry, can''t help it." I chuckled.


    "Nothing much." She returned her gaze towards the horizon.


    "Missing home or something?"


    She frowned for a second. "What do you take me for?"


    "A problem child Xerphas wanted to get rid of?"


    She was awfully flustered for a second. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    "Really?" I had no idea what I was talking about either. But at this point just poking her seemed fun enough. Besides, I needed something to distract me from all this heat anyway.


    "Ahem!" She cleared her throat. "Anyway, what do you wish to do with that lady within your ring?"


    "Not sure. You said something about imbuing my body, right? Can you teach me?"


    Jori had mentioned something about imagining mana as blood. But given the fact that I could barely sense mana and use it by sheer dumb luck, wasn''t helping the cause.


    "I''m not certain a mortal can pull this off, but sure."


    "Wait, mortal? You''re a god?"


    "I thought you knew?" She glared at me with a lot of suspicions. "So the previous accusation was just a bluff." She seemed a lot relieved and started talking to herself for some reason.


    But unfortunately, she didn''t realize that she just gave up herself while doing so.


    I didn''t know how common demigods were but I didn''t have time to worry about those things either. "So I take it you''re a demigod of some sorts? I don''t really care all that much about gods though. I just need to get stronger, so do help me."


    Again, she looked at me with awfully dull eyes. "I guess you have your reasons." She collected her thoughts. "You know what mana is correct?"


    "Nope, something that allows you to use magic?"


    She sighed. "I don''t know how in tarnation you managed to best Xerphas." She just looked at me with dull eyes, again. "Mana is the lifeblood of all the living. Everyone has it, even the dwarves. Though it is said that the dwarves have so little it''s impossible for them to use it: so they just spread rumors that they don''t have any. This mana was first given to the gods by the sacred tree- at least that''s what it was believed. But in truth, the gods were born from the sacred tree of divinity: and that very tree was the origins of mana. And it was forbidden for the gods to eat its fruits. But Ashirnae once stole one of the fruits and gave it to a human. The human bit into the fruit, shared it with her brethren, and eventually the mana spread: they were known as the Alves: and the human became the first queen. Of course, the gods were furious but they couldn''t destroy the mortals over this, after all, mortals were greedy, to begin with. But they charged Ashirnae with treason and sent him to guard the underworld. And even the tree couldn''t do anything as no god had bitten into the fruit. As a consequence of all this, mana as we know was born. And as more and more people inherited mana, more and more races were born according to the amount of mana they possessed."


    "That''s odd. But I''m not from this world."


    "Though most of the mana went into the body of the first human when she died the mana transferred to the soil and the atmosphere. Meaning the very air we breathe has mana too, albeit in very trace quantities."


    "Doesn''t that mean we can collect it too?"


    "We can but it won''t be efficient enough. Anyway, pay attention. So I take it when you crossed the worlds your body changed and absorbed some mana, which made it possible for you to use magic while other humans, even in this world can''t."


    "Yeah, I did feel a bit different." I didn''t want to remember that night again. Even after all this, I still had nightmares about that night.


    "But since mortals were given the mana rather than they were born from it, they can''t use it as their blood, like the gods or even the half-gods can, at least not anymore. Since the Alves were the original, they could use it and some half breeds still can. That''s why I don''t think you''ll be able to."


    "But I have godly blood in my veins, at least that''s what Boriosa told me. And wait, doesn''t that mean the sacred tree or whatever is the creator of the gods? So why didn''t it do anything?"


    ''And wouldn''t it be possible to get rid of mana by getting rid of the tree?'' Obviously, I couldn''t ask that much of Ve.


    "Oh? That''s because-"


    "The messenger is here!" Lianne jumped a bit. I hadn''t seen her that excited in a long while.


    "I guess this can wait."


    "Yeah, let us pick this up later. Though I doubt you''ll be able to even attempt to make progress."


    I chuckled and went towards Lianne anyway.


    ***


    On Lianne''s shoulder there was a bird, but not just any bird, it was an owl. Its color was silver and it had white brown spots here and there. It definitely looked pretty nice.


    "I''ll read this aloud," Lianne began.


    The owl had two things with it, a letter and an emblem. I''d seen Lianne with a similar emblem before. I had a bad feeling, nay, a very bad feeling about this.


    Lianne cleared her throat.


    "Daarc Green, vanquisher of evil and my friend, I hereby grant you the title of the archduke. May you serve Alfeim with all your might and may Alfeim provide you with all your needs.


    Jowy."


    ''The hell is that supposed to mean?''


    Lianne giggled. "Oh, I didn''t expect him to keep it this short."


    "Tell me. What is an archduke?" I kind of knew but I still wanted to know. After all, maybe in this world archduke was just an honorary title or something? I mean, I could always dream, right?


    "Oh." Lianne looked at me with a smirk. "You''re officially the ruler of Helsing- a duke.  Though Helsing is under Alfeim, that''s only through the shadows. But this, this is the real deal. You''re officially the highest-ranking noble in all of Alfeim. Second only to Jowy of course, since he''s the current emperor."


    "Meaning, you got more authority than the princess over here." Alisa looked at me with dull eyes.


    Honorary? Yeah, it didn''t seem like it. It almost felt like everyone just kept on dumping more and more responsibilities on me.


    "I thought you were joking! You can''t do this to me. I''m a human. And, and-"


    "Well, the news of our engagement is already spreading. And now this will too. I think we can whip something up and finally end the war. Oh, and once our first child is born, peace will be eternal." Did something happen to Lianne? Because she was scaring the shit out of me.


    Oh, wait¡­ last night¡­


    There was no protection.


    "Tell me, by soon, how soon did you mean?"


    Lianne held a finger on her chin. "Let''s see if we''re being generous, I''d say a hundred years? Give or take a few?"


    ''I''ve been duped.''


    I''d been duped big time.


    Lianne''s smile didn''t leave for a second. I guess this woman was a lot, lot shrewder than I gave her credit for.


    I sighed. "Well, don''t blame me, if I end up dead in the next six months."


    Her smiling ceased. "I''d pray so it doesn''t happen." She came towards me and stood just a foot away. "I now grant you the title of the archduke." She gave me the emblem.


    "I thought Jowy already-"


    She didn''t let me finish and just grabbed, and kissed me. She was fast when it came to getting that veil off her lips.


    Well, you win some, you lose some. I kissed back and needless to say, the tongues rolled quite nicely.

 Chapter 237 - This Is, An, Inn?

    We were done kissing but I received three glares of animosity. One from Dick, obviously. One from Alisa, I had no idea why. And one from Biteria. Aww, my little lovely bunny-wunny got jealous.


    My heart almost melted for a second. I never knew bunnies could pout like that.


    Lianne cleared her throat. "Alright, remember you''re basically the second in command of Alfeim. Meaning, don''t let anyone disrespect you or us. And feel free to abuse your position." She winked.


    I was definitely not going to do that.


    "Yeah, yeah, I got that." Was I just some political rag doll? I totally felt that way, no doubt.


    Lianne smiled. "Alright then. I wish you good luck. And-" She smiled a bit more. "I hope to see you soon." Her tone got a bit bashful towards the end.


    At this point, I wasn''t sure, what to believe.


    "Don''t know when but-" I tried to smile. "Me too." But I wanted to believe her.


    Lianne didn''t take a crow and started to walk. "Till we meet again."


    "Wait!" I hurried after her. "You don''t have a weapon, right?" I pulled out the Ascan blade from my ring.


    "I can''t take this."


    "Well, it kind of belonged to Jowy since he was the one who defeated the undead at the last moment but he gave it to me. And now I''m giving it to. But don''t worry, I''m just letting you borrow it. I''ll be back for it." I winked and showed her my knife. She''d given this to me a long while ago and now I was giving something to her. Meaning, we were both bound.


    It was kind of childish, but I didn''t care.


    "Alright." She smiled.


    She took the sword and I started walking.


    There were no more words between us. There was nothing left to say. We already knew what we had to do.


    With a sigh, I walked back.


    "You sure about that? That was a pretty good sword you know. And I could have just given her my normal sword. No offense but I can fight bare-handed but you can''t."


    "Dick, you''re right. But this had to be done." I emphasized a bit too much on his name.


    "Hey, don''t call me that! It feels weird when you call my name!"


    "So you want me to call you Cock instead? If only you had feathers."


    "Wait, his name is seriously, Dick? I thought you guys were just joking!" Ve was looking quite dumbfounded at us.


    "Yes, he''s just joking! I go by Mig by the way! Ahahah!" Dick''s weird laughter filled the air. But he wasn''t convincing anyone.


    Poor guy, even a little kid could act better than him.


    It was too much, I really couldn''t control my laughter anymore. I hadn''t laughed like this in a while.


    But deep down I was a bit sad to see Lianne go though.


    "Enough with the names, let''s go." Alisa had Biteria in her arms and she was in a foul mood.


    "Ri-right."


    We all exchanged glances until we finally decided it was better to get going.


    ***


    Alisa and Biteria flew together. This time, I really was alone.


    Sigh.


    But I had to look forward and into the future. After all, if I wanted to see Lianne again, I first had to defeat the emperor. But then, ''Do I really want to stay in this world?''


    And more importantly, could I even hope to defeat that monster?


    Well, I could always cross the bridge when I''d get there anyway. Or fall down from it.


    "Hey, I think we should get down now!" Dick yelled.


    "Yeah!"


    The first city of the Dwarven nations was Saram. In front of it was a small desert and with came the intense heat. It was the afternoon and yet, it was awfully hot.


    "Tell me, why are we walking?" Alisa''s voice was a tad high today.


    "Crows are associated with demons, so I don''t think the dwarves would be happy to see us."


    Dick and Servesta were unfazed by the weather as usual.


    "Wait, people in Helsing didn''t say anything about it!"


    "Helsing is kind of a backwater country. It has only seen elves and men fighting. So demons never actually invaded. Dwarves, however, it''s a different story," Servesta said, a bit of nostalgia in his voice.


    "Guess so." But boy was this hot. This armor did an excellent job of protecting me from the frost and even fire, but not the sticky heat. "Oh, and how are we going to get in?"


    We didn''t see any monsters yet though. It was almost as though the monsters were hiding from us. Not even a single goblin. Well, I couldn''t blame them. This heat was pretty intense.


    "We have identities by the church, so we''ll be fine. And if you just say you''re the king of-" Dick started.


    "I''ll use my adventurer''s card. But-" I turned to the guys on my left. Ve and Alisa.


    The adventurer''s card or rather the status plate came from the guild. They said something about promoting me to first-class and stuff like but I hadn''t paid much attention to it before.


    "Well," Dick flung his arms around me. "We can just say, they''re our slaves. I mean that''s what I did with Servesta till now."


    I threw his arms right back at him. "And I feel sorry for him already," I mumbled. "Anyway, I''ll just say their cards were eaten. I think my card is supposed to be a top adventurer''s card, so it''ll work out. Probably."


    Dick laughed. "Well, we''ll find out soon."


    And by soon, he wasn''t pulling any punches.


    Even from two kilometers away I could see the massive city walls.


    It had two mountains on two sides and maybe a third one behind? From afar, it almost looked like a fortress.


    The sand was moving in the distance. Something was inside of those.


    "Think those are goblins hiding there?" I didn''t know why but I was definitely paranoid of goblins at this point.


    "What is wrong with your eyes?" Dick squinted his eyes hard. "Not sure what type of monsters those are, but, I don''t think they''ll be able to come at us from that far."


    "Well, you''re the protagonist." If push came to shove, I could have just dumped all responsibility on him, and let him run the show anyway.


    Dick glistened in the spotlight with a smug face for a second. "Entry after dark would be tough. Let''s hurry." He started to run.


    "Running in this weather?" I was tired already.


    But still ran anyway.


    "Morons." Alisa frowned but she was also right behind us.


    ***


    "Halt!"


    There were about five people in front of us and judging by how the dwarves were checking identities, needless to say, it was going to be very hard to get our friends in.


    "Next!" There were only three guards on duty. There were a lot more on top of the wall though. And boy was the door big. The wall was also pretty thick.


    It was our turn.


    Dick went first. "This is my card. He''s my slave. A bull demi-"


    "Next!"


    And the guy got in just like that.


    ''Wow!'' For the first time, I was actually impressed with the guy.


    I handed over my status plate. "These two are my companions. They had theirs eaten."


    "Eaten? By what?"


    "Goblins."


    "Goblins?"


    ''Please tell me, there are goblins here.'' For the first time ever I actually wanted to have some goblins around.


    Okay, maybe not. Those things were horrible.


    "I see." The guard took a look at my plate. "Wow, first-class!" His expression changed from nonchalant to exasperated.


    "Another one?" The voice came from behind the soldier. And a well-decorated soldier came our way. Judging by his tone, he was awfully nonchalant too, he actually looked quite old. "And what is the purpose of your visit, sir?" His tone was oddly like an aristocrat.


    "I came to meet a person in Dracona. That''s it."


    "I see. Very well then, please enjoy your stay." He turned to the soldier. "Let them in."


    And we got in.


    ''Well, that was harmless.'' I for sure thought they''d make a commotion if nothing else.


    But the moment they knew we were high-grade adventurers, they didn''t even ask questions. It was almost as though, they wanted us in.


    ***


    "This place is wicked!" I looked around and in amazement. If the elves had elegance. These guys had craftsmanship.


    The heat was low but it was still here though.


    These people had actually made their houses inside the mountains, underground, and even normal homes on top of the soil. This place was wild! And the architecture was basically like medieval stuff I''d seen in Moire, just a bit less clean.


    There weren''t any trees around and the soil was rock hard. So they didn''t need additional roads either.


    There were mostly dwarves out here but I did see some humans, demi-humans, and even some elves. But one thing was troubling. It was that everyone had some sort of troubled look. No one was happy or had any kind of enthusiasm. Children weren''t running around, playing and people weren''t going on a frenzy in the markets.


    "Something is wrong with this city," Alisa whispered.


    "Yeah, let''s go find an inn."


    "I know a place." Dick led the way.


    We all followed.


    In three minutes we reached a small stone building with two floors. It looked ordinary from the outside but on the inside, things were different. All the staff were women, and all the customers were men.


    At least the air was cooler.


    "I''m getting the feeling, this might not be an inn." Alisa took the words right out of my mouth.


    "Uh-huh."


    "What are you saying! This the best inn in town!" Dick was excited.


    Yeah, I had my doubts.

 Chapter 238 - Oh Boy

    The inside of the inn was just like any other. There was space for people to eat and drink and a counter. But there were three red flags. The first one, all the staff were women: harpies. The second one, there wasn''t a single woman among the customers. And the third, the staff were wearing rather short skirts and their backs were totally open: They did have feathers on their arms and legs though. I got that this city had a hot and humid atmosphere, but seriously?


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out what this place was.


    "Yeah, I think I''ll go-" I turned around. Staying here any longer than what we already spent, was a bad idea and a recipe for disaster.


    Alisa looked like a kid. I knew she wasn''t one, but I treated her like one, and I didn''t want her to see any of this stuff. And I didn''t want my bunny to see these things either.


    Was I being too overprotective!?


    Yes!


    "Don''t go." A staff came my way and wrapped her hands around my arm. Needless to say my arm was touching very soft spots.


    Her feathers were very soft.


    She reached about my neck and was kind of cute, but I didn''t feel anything. More like I controlled my feelings before they could even manifest. If I was going to commit to one person, I was going to commit to that one person alone.


    "WHY?" I gave her a cold glance. After all, everyone was free to choose where they wanted to stay anyway.


    She flinched and took a step back.


    I guess I might have sounded a bit rougher than I thought.


    And now all eyes were on me. I didn''t know why but I was the bad guy.


    "Now look here punk! You don''t make her-" A large guy got up and came my way: the whole floor shook with his every step. Judging by his large size, he was probably a large dwarf.


    I still didn''t know why these giants were called dwarves though.


    I sighed. "Yeah, I kind of don''t care. I don''t want any trouble so I''ll just leave."


    I gave a side glance to Alisa and Ve. Both were in agreement. Dick wasn''t.


    "I''m not done talking to you!" He grabbed my shoulder. It kind of hurt.


    "Let go."


    "First apologize-"


    I grabbed his arm and gave him a good squeeze. I always wanted to try that.


    "What are you doing?" He looked at me, a bit confused.


    I guess it only worked in movies. So I switched to plan B.


    I twisted myself and his hand in the process. I finished it up with a knee on his stomach. I''d seen the geezer try this a few times at the bars. Of course, he never taught me, but after seeing him pull it off whenever he got drunk and got into an argument, I kind of learned it anyway.


    Argh!


    The man groaned and fell on his knees.


    "Please stop." The staff was already quivering.


    I kind of didn''t want to go through all this.


    I let his hand go. "As I said, I don''t want trouble. Later."


    "Wait!"


    "Now what." I really didn''t want to waste any more time here. It was already past evening and I wanted to sleep.


    "Please. Saram isn''t safe after dark. I don''t know what your problem is with this place, but I assure you, no harm will come to your comrades within the inn." She was behind the counter just moments ago. And judging by her sincere tone, she was serious.


    She was a bit different from the rest of the crew. While the staff were mostly just human and had some feathers, she had wings instead of arms and claws instead of legs. She was the real deal: a real harpy.


    And not to mention she was looking out for us.


    "I don''t have any problem if you don''t," Alisa said.


    "I''m in agreement with the shorty." Ve just stood by me, hands crossed.


    "Hey!"


    Dick meanwhile was grinning way too hard. He really wanted to stay. Servesta was indifferent.


    ''Finding a place at this hour wouldn''t be a great experience either.''


    And most of the inns always got pretty much full by the evening. I''d known it for a long time, but honestly, I still didn''t want to stay here. The over-friendly ness of these girls made me remember a past, I wanted to stay buried. And yet, I couldn''t decline her sincere offer either.


    I sighed. "Fine. How many rooms do you have available?"


    "Two. And both have multiple beds, so I don''t think there will be any problem. Or if you''d like one bed-"


    She was looking at the two girls behind me. After knowing she was a girl Ve had chanted the shape of his armor and now anybody could tell she was a girl.


    Meaning this harpy woman was suggesting some rather wild things, things I never even imagined and things that I didn''t want to imagine, ever.


    "Yeah, no thanks. Multiple beds are fine. I would have preferred a single room for me though." Less noise, more privacy.


    "Oh, you''d like our services then?" She was confused. She was looking at me like I was some sort of hypocrite.


    Just moments ago I was declining her, and now I was asking for a single room away from my comrades. I could understand her confusion.


    I guess she wasn''t wrong. I was kind of a hypocrite myself.


    "No, sleeping alone can yield better sleep." At least that''s what I thought. But in the end, I didn''t really know.


    "Interesting. But in my case, I always tend to sleep better with company." The woman winked.


    ''Unfortunately, I''m not you.''


    In the end, we ended booking the rooms. After checking the rooms upstairs, I came down again.


    Dracona was the next city over, so we could just go there with the dwarven railway in a matter of half a day. And yes, these guys had a working railway. Though this train used a rather inferior steam engine, even compared to the one I help build back at Moire- or so I could surmise from what the girls at the inn told me. Strangely, these girls were rather talkative, and instead of just flirting they were actually acting nice: I kind of had a bad feeling about that. It was almost as though, they were plotting something.


    But it was hard to imagine such technology already made its way here.


    I kind of felt a bit proud.


    ''Come to think of it, I wonder how that guy is doing.''


    Dick''s drunk giggles were all over the place. The guy was enjoying himself too much.


    And the girls were pouring him one too many drinks. And the guy was chugging down everything. Why wasn''t he feeling sick already?


    "Can''t you just drag him back?"


    Alisa and Ve were already upstairs while I, Servesta, and Dick were here. While those two were busy drinking, I was trying to wring out some information. But I kind of already succeeded. My job was finished.


    "He wouldn''t listen." Servesta sighed.


    Well, that was rare for him. I was almost surprised.


    Most of the guests who were here had either left for their homes or went upstairs. The few that remained were literal drunks. Dick wasn''t an exception.


    But that gave me an idea. And Dick was gullible enough to fall for it.


    "Yo, Dick? I heard they provide excellent service once you fall asleep. Why don''t we head upstairs and meet them in our dreams?"


    Dick grinned. His cheeks flushed. "Oh, like in the gawmes? Ob course." I still had no idea, why this moron drank and why he never got a hungover anymore. He didn''t even get sick anymore. And what game was he even talking about?


    I really was jealous of his ability if nothing else.


    ''Lucky bastard.''


    Servesta now picked up Dick and walked upstairs. Dick waved, I waved back.


    Moron.


    "We''re not succubi you know." The girl by the counter sighed.


    "I''m aware. I was just making sure he didn''t do anything stupid."


    "For a guy such as your standing, you sure seem rather nonchalant." She was wiping the glasses. I got a weird Deja vu feeling.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Aren''t you the first-class adventurer who recently took down a grand monster and even killed two monarchs?" Wow, didn''t think she''d recognize me.


    I guess my fame of being the duke hadn''t yet traveled here. "I see, news travels fast." I still tried to act a bit surprised though.


    The girl gave me a smug grin. I guess she thought her information network was fast and flawless. Unfortunately, it wasn''t.


    "Night." I stood up. It was getting late.


    "Goodnight and please don''t have any ideas to run around at night. I know you''re strong but that''s why I''m warning you." This girl was awfully serious. "You shouldn''t go out at night."


    "Noted."  I smiled. I had no reason not to heed her warnings anyway.

 Chapter 239 - Again? What Am I, A Trouble Magnet Or Something?

    "You know-" I started. We were in my room. "How come you two are in my room? No offense but why me? Dick''s room is obviously bigger."


    Both Alisa and Ve were with me. Biteria was just jumping around.


    Dick''s room was at least twice as big but I guess these guys trusted me more. It almost made me feel a lot better about myself. And it also allowed me to smile subconsciously.


    "Well-" Alisa managed. She was seated on the bed, legs hanging down. "Let''s just say, process of elimination?" She didn''t hold back one bit.


    She didn''t have to be that frank though, geez.


    My good feeling went out of the drain in a matter of seconds.


    I gave her a dull look. "Uh-huh, you don''t say."


    Meanwhile, my third roommate, Ve was quietly lying on the bed polishing her claws.


    Biteria was with Alisa the whole day. She never even got near me today. My pouting bunny was super cute and I kind of wanted to hug her now. But as I went close to her, she just jumped out of the window.


    "There she goes." I really didn''t want to see my bunny go though. It pained me to see that she left without even a purr.


    But more importantly, I got selected by process of elimination? Ouch!


    "Close the window," Alisa said.


    The temperature was kind of perfect now.


    "Wouldn''t locking the window make the temps go high? And how''d she get back?"


    "She''ll be fine," Ve said. "The girl at the counter told us it was dangerous to keep the window open, remember? And it''ll get pretty cold later on, so don''t worry about it."


    I locked the door and then the window. The window was made of some sort of see-through wood: not quite clear though. I covered it up with the curtains.


    "But why? I mean this place is like a fortress." So what could have possibly plagued the night? And not to mention the security seemed pretty spot on.


    "She didn''t go into detail but apparently something hunts men and women both at night. Mostly men though. " Alisa lied down too.


    The girl at the counter warned me too. "Well, that doesn''t sound good I guess." And it had nothing to do with me: we''d leave tomorrow anyway and I didn''t want any more trouble than necessary. I lied down on the bed. It was a lot comfortable than the sheets I usually slept on top off. "Oh yeah, that tree you were talking about." I gave a glance at Ve. I needed more information on it. And strangely I felt like I was forgetting something.


    Something important. But if I was forgetting something, then it probably wasn''t that important, right?


    I had two demigods with me. This was the perfect opportunity to talk.


    "Not tonight." Ve gave a side glance towards the door.


    I grinned. "kay." We were on the same page.


    But who could be eavesdropping on us at this hour? Ve motioned that she''d keep the first watch.


    I gave her a thumbs up and snuffed out the light. If Ve was this confident, I didn''t have any reason to doubt her.


    Lianne was probably under the stars, and here I was, lying on a comfy bed. I''d kind of fell for her a long while ago but always told myself I won''t confess, I won''t commit. After all, I''d either die or leave this place after a year. So if I confessed and if she was in love with me too, it would have created a major problem and she would have suffered from a broken heart: after all, she was going to live a rather long life. But in the end, in the heat of the moment, I couldn''t control myself, I couldn''t control my emotions. I guess I no longer had any other choice but to take responsibility. And since I loved her, I wanted to too. I just had to make sure I won and didn''t leave her behind, or maybe I could have stayed in this world too. It definitely wasn''t something I could just think about nonchalantly though. ''Be safe Lianne.'' But those were plans for the future. For now, I had to focus on getting stronger so I could win.


    And for that, I had to find that guy, the geezer mentioned. I couldn''t waste time. I didn''t have time, to begin with.


    I was kind of tired. ''Guess I''ll just sleep for tonight.''


    I fell asleep.


    ***


    My eyes were heavy and they were closed but even so, I could see blue all around me. I could feel the chill.


    It wasn''t uncomfortable.


    Above me, was glistening blue water and below me was darkness. ''I''m underwater?''


    Did Trerortra end up summoning me or something? While the feeling of being underwater was kind of nostalgic, it was also a very not so desirable feeling.


    I didn''t see any massive snakes around though.


    Even at this state, I felt like sighing. I didn''t feel anything though, not even the feeling of drowning. Actually, did I have a body, and was I even breathing? I didn''t know. But I didn''t like this feeling either.


    ''Wait, this pattern-''


    I looked around some more and sure enough, I saw something just below me. A ball of water. And someone was inside.


    ''Have I seen her before?''


    It was a ball of some sort and I could see the shadow and the outline of a girl inside, she was at least ten feet if not bigger. Her hair was probably longer than me.


    I tried remembering. I was a lot calmer than I should have been.


    "Water." The girl inside the ball-shaped blue dome cried out. It was almost as though she was crying for centuries.


    I knew that voice and I''d heard it before.


    "I hate it!" Her voice echoed.


    ''Water? I hate it? wait-'' Realization hit me hard.


    I remembered. I''d heard the exact same voice last time and woke up. Back then I was in the desert. And it was a very brief dream before I abruptly woke up. But this time I didn''t wake up and I had more control.


    "Hey, you!" My voice didn''t go out. ''Can I imbue myself?'' I tried but nothing happened. I couldn''t feel my mana. "Can you hear me!?"


    "Who is it?" But the thing heard me. The voice was female and it was almost as though she''d been crying for ages. She did ease up as she looked at me though. I could tell she was looking at me, but I couldn''t make out her features apart from her long hair and outline. Her eyes were bluer than the sea.


    My voice wasn''t here. But it reached her and her voice reached me.


    "Daarc Green, apostle of Tre-" I stopped. The gods hated Trerortra, so I had to be careful. "I am the apostle of Xerphas. Who are you?"


    "I am who is called Anverosa. I was once the queen of the nine seas. What brings you here, apostle of Xerphas?"


    Strangely, now she was calm. I guess she had some dignity left. ''Isn''t she the one Xerphas was talking about?''


    The water surged around her and I could tell she had power over water and yet, she was trapped in water itself. How ironic.


    "I''m not sure. I slept and once I woke up, I was here. Well, I''m probably still asleep." The keyword being probably.


    "I see. You must possess divine sense and are in the presence of divine blood."


    I kind of didn''t understand what she was talking about but I got the impression it had something to do with me sleeping next to two demigods. "Hey-"


    "I know, we don''t know each other, but I knew your God. I knew Xerphas, would you, o''apostle of Xerphas, free me from this prison? I will be eternally grateful." It was like she was begging me or something.


    She was right, I didn''t know her. And I wasn''t stupid enough to make fake promises either. Not to mention I didn''t trust her one bit.


    "I''m on a mission to defeat the emperor of the demons. I don''t think I can find you and free you. I don''t even know, how to free you." But I couldn''t lie either. I didn''t want to go through any more lies.


    "I see." Her voice became sad again.


    I didn''t show any signs of waking up. I just floated. I looked around some more but there was nothing in sight. Nothing alive, nothing dead. I couldn''t see the end of the sea, and I couldn''t see the surface either. It was almost as though this place was infinite.


    I guess I could always kill a bit of time. "Why are you here? What happened?"


    "You!" She was almost surprised. "You''d want to know about me?" I didn''t know why she was so surprised about it but her voice did sound a bit more enthusiastic.


    "Yes, of course."


    ''What the hell did I just get myself into?''


    Was I a trouble magnet or something?

 Chapter 240 - How Do I Get Out Of Here Again?

    "Some millennia ago-" These people dismissed thousands of years like they were nothing. "My husband had done something wrong and humans and gods alike cursed him and made him go into exile. But I could not follow him to that place. I could not stay with the mortals or the gods either. I felt terrible. Living felt pointless. I came to the sea to seek refuge but the god of trickery tricked me and bound me here by the orders of... Trerortra."


    I was glad I didn''t use his name from the start. ''That was a close one.''


    As the name suggested, the god of trickery tricked her, but shouldn''t she have expected as much from the likes of those?


    Who was I talk, when I got tricked four-five times already?


    I was actually expecting something much grander, but I guess it wasn''t something complicated. But she did make one thing clear. She was at least, part god if not a full one.


    "And you''ve been trapped here ever since?"


    "Yes¡­"


    I almost felt bad for her. But I didn''t understand the gods. I didn''t know what ticked them and I certainly didn''t know what happened with them either.


    "Wait, doesn''t that mean you''re still alive and not a monster?"


    Which in turn meant, she was probably in here for over ten thousand years. That was a lot of time. I couldn''t even imagine being stuck in the same place for days, let alone thousands of years now. I was kind of a shut-in before, but now, now I didn''t feel like spending time alone in a room. I couldn''t stay shut in my room anymore, even if I had games or movies to watch: I just couldn''t. And so, I only had sympathy for this girl who was stuck here for so long.


    But then again, gods were probably immortal so this probably wasn''t that long of a time. Keyword being ''probably.''


    "A monster?" She swam around in that small sphere. Well, I guess she wasn''t actually quite stuck like I thought. And I actually saw a few glimpses of her face. Needless to say, it was much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.


    I got the feeling she didn''t know about the deaths about the death of the gods.


    "Don''t gods turn into undead monsters once they die?" I kind of didn''t have any way to sugarcoat this. So I asked directly.


    "Yes." She turned her gaze downwards and hugged her knees. "When we were born we were told to never hurt one another but in time¡­ things changed and some of us became too selfish."


    "I see. But I thought undead were the product of Ashir-"


    "Yes, it was the product of Ashirnae. I told him countless times not to do that, but he still did. Humans were made from our image, but we ourselves weren''t aware that we''d turn into monsters once we died." She sighed and it was as though the whole ocean cried out. "The project was a failure. Ashirnae thought that if we were immortal and the mortals were created in our image, then perhaps giving them mana like us and giving them control over death would grant them immortality. But unfortunately, that wasn''t the case. Ashirnae learned it the hard way. But it seems you are acquainted with him? How''s he doing now?"


    Where the hell was this conversation even going? "Yeah, we met a couple of times." I tried to chuckle but it wasn''t working.


    "That''s a relief. He''s still alive." How''s that a relief? She probably didn''t know much since she was trapped here all the time and perhaps she was close with Ashirnae. Meaning, I couldn''t antagonize her, without knowing more about all this, while I was still stuck here.


    I had no idea what was going on anymore. But seriously, why wasn''t I waking up?


    "What is this place, really? How do I get out?"


    "You want to leave? So soon?" Her voice was sad again. She wasn''t expecting I''d stay here for forever, was she? "I guess mortals don''t live that long¡­" She sighed. "This is the ninth sea: Nenonea. To leave¡­ Let the water flow into you like mana, and you''ll get back. You are here via astral projection. Let the water infuse with your soul as though you were infusing your very essence, your mana."


    Was it just me or was she being awfully confusing? I didn''t even feel my mana out here let alone infuse it with- wait, infuse it with my soul? Was that even a thing? How''d I never heard about it before?


    But this wasn''t the time. I tried what she said and tried to let the water in¡­ unfortunately nothing worked for me on the first try.


    Giggles came from the sphere. The sound was beautiful. "For a mortal, you do try hard." Her voice became sublime for a second. "I guess I''ll give you a parting gift."


    It was almost as though the whole sea started to push against my body. Everything was warm and now, I had a body? No, but I could feel my body. "This is- mana?" I could use mana by instinct. But for the first time, I could feel it, I could sense it and I could let it course through me.


    "Good look Daarc Green, o''apostle of Xerphas¡­. And if you should ever find yourself in the Ninonean Sea, come find me. That mark would lead you to me."


    I guess she wasn''t doing this for free.


    "Alright." My consciousness started to fade and my left hand started to burn. Oh wait, I didn''t have a left hand anymore. It still burned though.


    I fainted.


    "Daarc!"


    And jumped awake the very next second.


    "What?" And I was awfully groggy too. I had a headache and it wasn''t a pleasant one.


    The lights were out. Alisa was waking me up while Ve was looking out through the curtains.


    I guess things were self-explanatory.


    I got up and made way for the window. My shoulder was heavy and I strangely leaned towards my left side for some reason. Maintaining my balance was definitely hard.


    Did I forget to mention I was groggy and had a terrible headache?


    I looked out too. The wood was pretty blurry and I couldn''t see that well. But I could tell, there was something that was dragging down a man?


    "Hey isn''t that-" It didn''t take me long to recognize the man. ''


    And the thing dragging down the man? A purple thingy, aka, a goblin.


    "Yes, that''s our one and only resident pervert," Alisa whispered.


    I sighed. "Well, looks like someone just got their fates sealed."


    "Think we should go help him?" Ve asked.


    "Would it really be necessary?" But I guess anything went in this world. "Fine, let''s go."


    "But more importantly," Alisa paused.


    Both Alisa and Ve glared at me from two sides.


    "How did you get that?" Ve pointed at my left arm.


    "Get what." I looked at my left hand¡­ I actually had one¡­ a glowing blue one, made off water and it also had a weird symbol on it: I couldn''t read it. But I could feel my hand and it was almost as though it was natural. Almost like when I was using that stone.


    Something else glowed on my body too, namely the pendant I''d received from Imazael. Lately, I was just having it hung down from my belt though.


    Alisa sighed. "You have the divine gift of astral projection, don''t you?"


    "Astral what?"


    She sighed again. "From all the morons of this world, it had to be you and you just had to go to that women''s place. And you don''t even have divine blood!"


    "You aren''t making sense."


    "Basically in the presence of deities or half deities you can cross space and speak with the three sealed goddesses," Ve explained. "And once you possess more divine blood for yourself, you''ll be able to cross without our help."


    "I''m pretty sure I met two already. But this is only when I sleep near you or her, right?"


    "Correct. However, these three goddesses are sealed for a reason and that''s why it''s not a power you should desire. After all, the symbol you just got would only make the gods come after you again. I''m not sure even the name of Xerphas would be of much use to you now."


    "What is this symbol again?"


    "That''s the symbol of Anverosa, the wife of Ashirnae, the goddess of the nine seas."


    Didn''t she say, queen?


    "Wait, wife?" She did talk about her husband making mistakes but seriously, it just had to be that thing? I sighed. "Then again, since I''m Trerortra''s apostle, the gods will come at me regardless."


    I didn''t know why but I might have gotten myself into weird shit, again.


    But this whole thing kind of reminded me of another promise. I''d made a certain promise to a girl shrouded in darkness. And back then I was na?ve enough to just promise stuff to random girls in distress.


    ''Why did my life have to be so complicated?''


    Knock! Knock!


    "Who is it?" I raised my voice and carefully went to the door.


    "It is I- Servesta."


    It was Servesta alright. Because I didn''t know anyone else, who spoke like that.


    I opened the door. "What''s wrong?" I already kind of knew what was wrong, but I asked anyway.


    "Mig is gone."


    I guess he called him by his name too. I wasn''t going to switch over that easily though.

 Chapter 241 - Was This Really The Right Decision?

    "Well, let''s go find him I guess." I sighed and gave a glance to my comrades behind.


    They both gave me awkward stares. But I guess they were ready to head out anyway.


    Servesta however was a bit confused now. "What happened to your arm?"


    I didn''t have time to explain. "Can we-" But as I was about to say stuff, the hand turned to water and fell on the floor. The symbol was gone too. Obviously, I didn''t feel anything other than maybe a bit lighter?


    And my pendant also stopped glowing. This thing probably worked like the godstone from Damsel.


    ''I guess I shouldn''t have believed it was going to be this easy.''


    "Huh." Servesta was confused.


    I was kind of confused too, but we didn''t have time for all this. "Go get your stuff. We''ll be right behind you."


    He came close. "I heard there are abnormals here. Are you sure it would be wise to bring the ladies?" He whispered.


    I gave him a nod. "I''ll be right there."


    He nodded and left.


    "I? You mean you wish to do this alone?" Ve caught on quick.


    "If it''s dangerous then it''ll be better for you two to stay here. Dick is fairly powerful, if he''s down, we can only imagine that the enemy is strong."


    "So? It''s not like our journey before was any less dangerous," Alisa said. "We''re coming with you."


    I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn''t have time for this.


    "Look, I don''t have time to argue. Just stay here and wait for Biteria." I glared at Ve. "Understood?"


    "Fine." Ve took her seat.


    Alisa glared at Ve. "You''re giving up!?" She still wasn''t convinced. She glared at me furiously. "You don''t trust us."


    I sighed. "It''s not about trust. I just don''t want you guys to get hurt." I put on my armor, checked my knife. I didn''t have anything else to carry. "I don''t want anyone else to get hurt for my sake. And this time, I don''t'' think it''ll be as easy as just going there and beating some goblins."


    I''d heard about the abnormals from the old man and I knew, I didn''t have the luxury to take this halfheartedly. I couldn''t let these two near those things. I couldn''t take that risk.


    Alisa was mad, too mad. Enough so, she didn''t even look at me anymore.


    They didn''t say anything.


    I didn''t say anything either.


    But getting out of the door, was kind of painful.


    With each step, my heart ached a little. Was I perhaps making a mistake? I didn''t know. Was this really the right choice? I didn''t know.


    I didn''t know anything. But I wanted to keep my friends safe, and what was wrong with that?


    ''Calm down. Dick''s overpowered.'' But if an overpowered Dick could be so easily dragged out from the street, it was safe to assume whoever it was, he was strong. And dragging Alisa there would have put her in serious danger.


    But then again Dick was intoxicated, so maybe¡­.


    Ve was fine on her own, but I needed someone to protect Alisa here in case something happened.


    So in the end, I was probably just making my life harder without actually achieving anything. But at least those two would be safe.


    With a sigh, I just kept on walking. There was no turning back.


    I met up with the Servesta a minute later and walked down the stairs with him.


    "Wait!" But apparently, the girl at the counter was still awake.


    It was awfully dark this time around though. And there weren''t any more customers.


    ***


    "I thought I told you not to get out during the night?"


    "One of my pals got lost, so we''re just going out to find him."


    The girl gave us weird looks. "I heard from your ''pal'' that you guys were robbed my mountain rabbits and are currently weaponless. What do you think you can achieve with just defense and experience?"


    ''Just how many of our secrets did that moron leak?''


    Obviously, it had to be Dick. Servesta was just too tight-lipped. Ve and Alisa weren''t even down here.


    I took a glance at Servesta, he didn''t have any weapons. I guess everything was in Dick''s cup this time. Maybe they were doing this to prevent what happened last time?


    Well, it certainly backfired on us.


    As for me- "I have my trusty knife. And we can fight barehanded if need be." I wasn''t out of options. I had the mystic blade and I even had Boriosa''s cane. I didn''t want to think about the crossbow though.


    I was far from being weaponless.


    The girl sighed. "I don''t understand you lot. Think about the girls. What will happen if you don''t make it back?"


    "I''m sure they''re not that frail. And trust me, we''re coming back." I had no intentions to get myself killed by goblins. I''d already experienced something similar more than enough times.


    We both stared at each other for a good minute until she finally gave in. "Fine. She went under the counter and came right back up. "Here!" She shoved a sword in my hand. An old sword.


    "This hasn''t been used in a while, huh?" It was an ordinary sword. But definitely good enough to use. It needed sharpening but we didn''t have time.


    "That was my husband''s. Promise me you''ll return it."


    "I will." I smiled and turned around. "I can promise you that."


    I didn''t know just how strong an abnormal was but if the old man struggled against one, then it only meant it was very powerful, at the very least.


    ***


    Once we were out of the establishment, everything looked grim: this place was totally abandoned. There wasn''t even a speck of light and all the houses were shut too. I looked back and I could see Ve glaring from the window.


    It did not feel good. ''Guess I''ll apologize later.''


    The light of the stars was minimal and seeing was kind of hard, even for my eyes.


    But my eyes did get better as time marched.


    I walked towards the direction Dick was taken. Obviously, I kept up my guard. Servesta however just followed me around silently. Coming from the geezer and other loud people, this silence almost felt scary.


    "Over there." I pointed and we both started to run. There was a small goblin and when it saw us it started running away.


    We were almost about to catch up- when-


    I smelt something and my head started to wobble a bit. "Cover your nose." I grabbed a cloth from my ring and wrapped it around my face. I always kept a good-quality one for my usual stroll in forests. Who knew it''d come in handy like this.


    Servesta just obliged, he didn''t question me one bit.


    ''At least, say something!''


    Running a bit more the goblin turned around and started to inspect us.


    Meaning, all of this was preplanned. ''These things are more intelligent than I give them credit for.''


    "Let''s pretend," I whispered. Servesta nodded and fell on the floor, the cloth still on his face.


    I did the same. The goblin walked towards us and called more of its friends. They all started to drag us. Weird noises came from them. They were enjoying this way more than I thought.


    I could feel the animosity in the air and I was very conscious. ''What are these things up to?''


    They weren''t attacking us or crippling us for that matter. Whatever they planned to do, they needed us to be alive.


    In a matter of minutes, we were dragged down to some sort of back alley. There was a small hole there. Enough to barely fit Servesta. Obviously, I was peeking and taking a good look while also maintaining this farce. Being dragged definitely wasn''t a pleasant feeling though.


    "That''s enough I suppose." I removed the cloth, breathed nicely, and stood up to say hello to the purple things.


    These guys were a bit more on the yellow side though.


    The goblins welcomed me warmly with knives and loud yells. But unfortunately, I was enough for these lots. I used the rusty sword swiftly and sliced any goblin that came for me. Servesta did everything by hand.


    My back was throbbing and I could feel I was lacking some skin. I was definitely not in a good mood.


    There were three hobgoblins standing guard by the entrance, but they were kind of on the small side and they easily got pummeled by Servesta. I didn''t even have to act.


    We killed about thirteen goblins and three hobgoblins. I didn''t think these things could get into a city like this and do such things.


    A small dart flew by me, scratching my cheek.


    ''A sniper?''


    I waited for the next shot¡­ Shot!


    "There!" I picked up a rock and threw hard. The goblin was knocked out: I quickly ran for it and stabbed it. There was no point in taking chances. I looked for more snipers but we were good. "You okay?"


    "Fine."


    I drank a bit of potion. Servesta didn''t want any, he did take a club from a hobgoblin though.


    My back still ached.


    "Alright, let''s go in."


    He nodded.


    ''Say something, dude!''


    But the frustrations were just piling up. ''Sorry guys.'' I still kind of felt bad about leaving Ve and Alisa behind. Was I doing it for them or was I doing this just to satisfy myself?


    I didn''t know.

 Chapter 242 - Something Isn’t Right Here

    The hole was twice as much wide as me. I got in first. This place was at least half a story down and definitely lit. Servesta followed me. He was almost all the way in, but at the very last moment, his shoulder got shuck.


    Oh boy.


    I didn''t think he''d get stuck. Just how the hell were the hobgoblins coming out of this place if Servesta was getting stuck?


    Well, Servesta was a bit bigger than the hobs here, so maybe that''s why?


    But the thoughts weren''t helping. But wait, I could see better inside here. I''d forgotten to take a look before I got occupied with the Servesta''s crisis. I turned around and took a good look. There were pyres.


    "What the hell?''


    And this thing looked more like a tunnel than a cave. And it was definitely dug with care.


    I didn''t see any goblins around but one thing was for certain, these things had a lot more intelligence than typical goblins. Or it could have just been that our understanding of goblins needed a revamp. ''Why aren''t there guards inside?''


    Servesta was still struggling. His feet hadn''t yet touched the ground. So I grabbed one of his and pulled. I didn''t have enough strength but I put my weight behind it and pulled.


    Who knew I''d jump into the home of the purple things and start pulling of all things? It wasn''t working, so it just felt stupid at his point.


    And then¡­. The whole area around Servesta cracked, broke down a second later, and his butt headed for my face in slow motion.


    ''Oh shit.''


    Oh shit, indeed.


    Argh!


    Needless to say, what happened next was erased from my memories instantly, for all eternity.


    ***


    "I don''t think the goblins know we''re here yet, so let''s try to keep a low profile and attack when necessary."


    Servesta nodded.


    I gave him a blunt stare but didn''t say anything.


    Sigh.


    The first few arcs were straight and there were pyres everywhere. So seeing a goblin come for us would have been easy. But strangely, there were none.


    ''Something doesn''t feel right.'' We kept on walking but still, nothing.


    Were the goblins out partying or something?


    Eventually, the path split into two.


    "I''ll take right," Servesta spoke after a long while.


    He didn''t even wait for my reply and just left.


    ''What the hell?''


    Some help he was. Didn''t he know in these times we were supposed to stay together? ''This isn''t going to end well.''


    But I didn''t have time for all the drama. I had to move forward. But the lack of goblins coming for my throat was kind of irritating me. And my face felt a bit numb for some reason.


    ''The potion wasn''t enough?''


    I didn''t have any antidotes on me, so I guess I had roughly an hour before this thing kicked in. ''Won''t the curse be enough?'' I hoped it would, but last time it couldn''t keep me awake more than six hours and those were some painful hours. So I doubted, this time would be different.


    But this could have very well been a different kind of poison or maybe just a plain numbing agent? The latter seemed highly unlikely though.


    I followed the left path but that led to a bunch of other paths. I took one of them and then another bunch of paths. The path gradually climbed down and down.


    I didn''t know why but my eyes kept on twitching. And the paths kept on expanding. If I didn''t know better, I was getting more and more into this place, and oh yes, did I forget to mention I might have been a little¡­ how should say this, lost?


    This place was like a literal maze and all I was doing was wandering around like it was nothing, like I owned this place or something. Well, I was kind of alone, so it did feel like that.


    The whole place was lit up and there wasn''t a single sign of goblins. And Servesta had to galls to venture in alone.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have come alone and brought at least Ve with me. It was too late to regret now though.


    But then¡­ I heard small groans from my left. Shadows were growing taller and walking this way. ''Goblins.'' I quickly hid in one of the other paths and waited.


    A group of small goblins walked down the road, talking among themselves. To me, it sounded nothing more than just plan gibberish but I could make out a few words. Feast. Humans. Fun.


    After dealing with them for so long and with this curse, I could make out a few words. I really didn''t want to though. And hearing those three words only made me feel terrible.


    I really, really hoped, it wasn''t what I was thinking. But if it was, then that explained why I didn''t see goblins around.


    They were laughing and all of them had small clubs. This was a new thing. I never thought I''d see plain goblins with clubs. They either had knives or stones, but only large hobgoblins had clubs. These clubs were more like thick twigs though.


    The goblins didn''t notice me and just kept on walking. I maintained my distance and followed them. I imbued my armor and made sure to stay focused at all times. This was enemy territory and I was alone, I couldn''t let my guard down.


    But strangely, my mana was a lot calmer now. And I didn''t feel gradually growing tired either. I could even feel mana and with ease too. I guess meeting Anverosa wasn''t as bad as Ve and Alisa made it out to be.


    The goblins just kept on marching without suspecting anything. And though this place was big and mostly like a maze, the goblins were short in number. So far I''d only seen a group of nine and that was all.


    But as I continued to follow them, slowly but surely, things become grimmer and grimmer.


    The groans, the cheers, and laughter, I heard it all. And from faint murmurs to roars that shook this very place, it was all here.


    The path spiraled downwards and it stabilized soon. We were probably at least five stories underground now. The cheers were close, but seriously, what was going on here?


    I wished I hadn''t asked.


    After what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived at an amphitheater that was at least two stories tall and I was at the very top. The goblins were seated in their seats and no one noticed me. There was a ceiling but even so, with so many pyres, this whole place looked more like a coliseum of sorts than a cave for goblins.


    The actual place was at least a few hundred meters in radius.


    The floor I was on, had holes shaped the size of goblin heads and I could clearly see the stuff that was playing out in the open.


    The goblins might not have noticed me but I did notice the things down below. The scrawny regular goblins were far back in the crowd. The hobgoblins were in the middle and the goblin mages had the first row seats.


    What were they watching?


    In the space down below there were humans. Women, men, and even children, all numbering at least thirty. There were only three goblins down there. But those things didn''t look like goblins. Rather they were skinny, tall, and awfully humanoid. I could see their ribcage but I could also tell, those things were bad news.


    ''Abnormals.''


    I remembered all the horrors the old man told me about. The old man had barely made it out from just fighting one, and there were three down below.


    But one of the abnormal was female. I guess that explained why they were capturing males too.


    Dick was among the thirty people. Most of the people were asleep. But one kid was not.


    She was just a child, maybe fourteen? She was too scared to even blink, let alone scream. But scream for what? There was no one she could ask help from.


    ''Can I take them all?''


    I grit my teeth. Taking on the typical goblins was one thing but with hobs and mages mixed in, this was going to be very close. But that was without accounting for the abormals. Meaning, ''I won''t survive.''


    Then what about my promise?


    What about my dreams?


    What about me?


    Could I really forsake everything and give my life to save these people, here?


    "Stay back!" A shriek echoed. I looked down. One of the abnormals was tearing the clothes of the girl, she punched him countless times, and yet, she couldn''t even make him budge. "No! Someone! NO! NO!!"


    I could see the horrors play right before my eyes. I could hear the old man''s voice. I could feel my heartbeat. ''Go Daarc.'' If I turned my back now, my regret would make me want to end my life.


    If I backed down now, how would I ever face the geezer? How would I live with myself?


    I took a deep breath. ''If I can''t even do this much, there''s no point in hoping to win.''


    I took a gamble. ''Please work.'' I touched the pendant and it glowed. I had an arm and my body was rejuvenated. I had a glow too.  It worked.


    With a smirk, I kicked the solid wall and jumped straight down.

 Chapter 243 - To Fall Or Not To Fall, That Is The Question

    It was a two-story jump. But that would have been the case if I''d jumped straight to the middle but sadly I''d jumped right in the middle of the hobgoblins: it was more like I fell there but oh well. Yay, more fun for me. I wasn''t excited for this in the least though.


    But as the hobs attacked, one thing became obvious: my speed. I was at least twice or perhaps even three times faster now. And with the extra arm, I could use my knife. So killing the slowly moving hobs wasn''t a problem. But I couldn''t waste my time with these while the little girl was still being pinned to the ground.


    But strangely I felt accustomed to this speed. I didn''t know why but something didn''t feel right about this power. Something felt¡­ off.


    I run for the center stage while clearing up a path. My descent was fast and swift. The hobs and the mages were too shaken up to know what was happening. So cutting them and clearing a path was a lot easy. At last easier than I thought.


    But the three goblin abnormals down there noticed me and they were glaring at me from a while ago. It made me feel a bit nervous but I''d decided to do this anyway.


    The least I could do, was wake up Dick and hope to fight these guys to a standstill before that. And perhaps I had a shot at this with the mystic blade.


    It was strange how all the goblins got quiet the moment I entered the stage and no one tried to attack me. Were they really going to watch the show play out or something?


    But before I could pull up the mystic blade, one of the three disappeared. I kept my senses sharp but if I had to guess- I swung my sword in an arc exactly behind me.


    Something connected and a metallic clang resounded. The goblin was behind me and if I''d hesitated for another second, I''d have been stabbed. It didn''t have a knife, just a sharp rock. I staggered back a step. This thing was a lot stronger than I thought.


    None of the three had any special weapons or clothes. They did have more cloth around their waists than typical goblins but that was it. The female abnormal however had a bit of cloth covering her chest, it wasn''t fully covered though.


    Even with this speed, these things were faster than me and equal to me in strength if not stronger. "Dick! You frigging limp moron, get up!"  He was sound asleep. I clicked my tongue, this did not look great. "DiCK!


    "Would it be alright, if I take him? He seems to be quite the special dish." The voice came from the female goblin: she licked her lips. It was human, as in too human. The words were in goblin tongue but instead of gibberish, they conveyed meaning to my mind.


    All three were sentient, there was no doubt about it.


    The other two goblins moved closer to the other victims while the female goblin headed my way. The small girl was still pinned down and was missing half of her clothes.


    And the rest of the victims were still unconscious.


    So far, even with all this, I''d done nothing. Nothing had changed.


    "I assume you can understand me? Why are you doing this and would you be willing to let them go?"


    If I''d taken out the mystic blade, bad things were about to happen. So I had to make sure I didn''t have any regrets before using it. If a god came to this city because of the sword all havoc was about to be wrecked, so I had to store it up for my last resort.


    "Oh? You understand the goblin tongue?" The goblin showed me its teeth. Its teeth were almost like that siren''s, definitely not beautiful. And I was definitely not into purple skinny human-like things anyway. "Of course not."


    I guess negotiations were never an option.


    "Then you leave me no choice." I chucked in my knife and immediately pulled out the mystic blade: I didn''t have time to hesitate. The whole place shook as I held the sword.


    Strangely, the blue aura was reacting to the sword. I guess even the mana of gods hated each other. But it had nothing to do with me. I channeled my mana into the sword and glared right at the goblin abnormals.


    They were confused and two of them were even a bit scared.


    "Why do you this human? You could have run away and brought back reinforcements." The female abnormal glared, ready to attack any moment. And I could tell, these guys were fairly fast and powerful.


    There was no room for mistakes. I had to do this fast.


    "And let you harm them? No thanks." I readied myself and jumped straight for the throat of the goblin without a warning. I was always faster with this sword, this time was no exception and my body felt strengthened too.


    And yet, I couldn''t bring out my strength. It was almost as though something invisible was holding me back.


    The female goblin couldn''t keep up and tried scratching me. I dodged. It didn''t even have any weapons, and yet, it was stronger than armed demons. I did not want to go near those claws.


    But I had something else on my mind, for attacking like this.


    Instead of keeping up the attacks, I switched gears and ran straight for the pinned girl, took the abnormal by surprise, and sliced its throat, but it jumped at the very last moment. Pink glowing droplets fell on the ground; these things were still alive.


    "You okay?"


    The girl had lost her voice and she just nodded, barely maintaining the ripped of clothes to hide her privates. She was in tears but she had hope in those eyes.


    This was bad. After trying to attack these things for so long, I could definitely feel why the geezer had trouble with these things. Even with the mystic blade, it was going to be very difficult.


    It really was weird that no normal goblins were trying to attack me, even now. I had better things to worry about though.


    "Very well human, I wanted to savor you and make my slave but-" The female goblin grinned and raised a hand. "Destroy them"


    Arrows, rocks, and darts, all came for me: I guess I asked for this. But the girl was right behind me, meaning if I dodged, it was all over for her. ''Damn it!'' I used both swords and sliced as best I could. But even so- I was pierced in thirty-one spots, hit with rocks in twenty-seven and was barely left standing: if it weren''t for the blue and white aura, I''d have been crippled already. At least the girl was unharmed.


    "Argh!" It hurt like hell, even more than when I''d lost my arm. The arrows were still in me and it really felt like I''d die for sure this time.


    I was about to fall. I couldn''t keep my head up anymore. Everything spun.


    "You-" The girl softly spoke and cried silently. I guess she just gave up right now.


    "Bravo-" The three goblins clapped. "Eating you might be a grand feast after all."


    I guess the word grand was all over this world.


    My breaths were going out of control. ''Sorry guys.'' I really shouldn''t have come alone. I guess I was still powerless alone. But if I gave up here, was there really hope left for me?


    And yet, I was going to defeat the emperor? It seemed almost comical right now.


    The girl pulled on the edge of my pants. She had tears in her eyes, but those eyes, she hadn''t yet given up. All the hair of my body stood up and a jolt went through my nervous system. ''I can''t give up!'' I had a promise to keep and I had a goal to reach. I used the swords as support. ''I''m not going to fall!''


    I tried focusing my mana in my hand for a spell.


    But then I remembered. ''Wait, magic.''


    My magic was special. It had healing properties but I could never use it to heal, rather all I could do was attack.


    All this time, I was just being stupid and attacking without thinking. Maybe the abnormals threw me off but even so, there were other reasons too. My body was faster, and yet, my speed didn''t improve. It was almost as though I was being held back.


    But what could it have been¡­ what- I couldn''t feel my lips. And that''s when I remembered.


    ''The poison.''


    I was forgetting an awful lot of stuff lately.


    "You guys really planned everything, huh?" I tried to initiate a conversation.


    I knew how all the bad guys liked to ramble about their ingenious plans and how they were superior to us and I was willing to bet on that.

 Chapter 244 - No Remorse: You’re All Going To Die Here

    After what happened last time, I''d bought small vials which could contain four to five drops of liquid and kept one vial of elixir on me at all times. It was in a very peculiar place, so unless I got down to business, no one had any chance of knowing it.


    "Oh, you flatter us." And yet, the goblins weren''t actually spilling anything.


    These things were actually more of a villain than the actual villains of this world. ''At least give me a minute to prepare!''


    I slid a hand down my crotch. "Really?" Anything to buy me time!


    "Oh, my charm is finally working? I can still make you my slave if you beg and lick my toes?" The female goblin showed me its legs and made a smug face. "I might even let you lick other places."


    Ew! I wanted to bleach my eyes.


    I pulled out the vial and drank the stuff at lightning speed. And dumped the condensed mana on my body, hoping something would happen.  "Unfortunately, I don''t have that kind of fetish." ''I really hope this works.'' Well, the mana wasn''t killing me, so I guess that was a good thing.


    I dashed for the goblin and almost crashed against the wall behind them: all the arrows dropped off my wounds one by one. My wounds were still here but they didn''t hurt and I guess drinking the elixir now was a good idea. And the magic worked too?


    I wasn''t fast. I was too fast. ''What the hell!''


    Just how slow was the poison making me, and why the hell did I not notice it sooner?


    I was so stupid.


    "Kill him!"


    Arrows came for me but they were too slow. I dashed and formed small balls of light. With a combination of high speed and the lights, I went straight for the wounded abnormal. The key motto of a good fight and survival? Aim for the weak link.


    I slashed hard and its head flew off. It didn''t even have a chance. Things were finally back on track again.


    "Wha-"


    But before the goblins could react I blitzed again and this time, stopped right in front of the female goblin, holding the mystic blade right next to her neck.


    "I don''t know why but you seem like the leader here. Of course, I could always ask an underling later. But, why?" I wasn''t going to give her a second chance. "Why do this, and you still won''t let anyone go?"


    "And you''d let me live? Why? Do you have any idea how many of our kind you kill? And you speak of why?" The female goblin spoke from experience.


    "Fair enough I guess."  If we were going to kill, it was obvious we were going to be killed too. We had to at least have that much resolve. But- but, that didn''t mean these things were free to play with living beings like this.


    "Have you no remorse!?" The goblin peered deep into my soul.


    Meanwhile, the other abnormal was stunned: too shocked perhaps?


    "No, not really." Not even a little bit. All my remorse for killing purple things went out of the drain the moment I first met one.


    And she knew I planned to kill her either way. I guess these things weren''t as dumb to fall for my talks. "Kill-"


    I sliced her head off before she could give the orders. "Too bad. I finally thought for the first time we had a way of communicating."


    The other one was coming for my head but it hesitated, giving me the perfect opportunity. I sliced off its head too: loads of slicing today. Too easy almost.


    ''The geezer had trouble fighting these things?''


    I guess at the time he was young and I guess my skills had improved over time? I was struggling just minutes ago but that was because the poison had numbed my body and I was foolish enough to think it was just my nervousness. But wait, if the geezer was young, meaning though he didn''t have magic, he still had imbuition and he was in his prime, meaning one of these things shouldn''t have been anything to him at all.


    And those things didn''t have weapons either. They were just fast, that was all.


    Something just didn''t add up.


    But the goblins above still didn''t attack us. They were staring at me like I was some kind of vermin, but they didn''t attack, move, or even blink. There was no noise, this place was awfully quiet now.


    "YAWN*" And then a moron woke up. "Morning. Seems like you had fun."


    "Unless you want to be slapped silly, get your things, and let''s destroy these things before they start attacking us." I was still wary.


    "I don''t think they would." He stretched and yawned at the same time.


    "Why?"


    "This stage is the property of their king, and they can''t enter it unless ordered to. That''s why they are so calm. They know you''ll have to get out sometime. And then-" Dick chuckled as he brought out his shield. "Oh and these three were just the babies, the king, let''s just say, is the king."


    "So I take it, the king''s here?" I sighed. Dick smirked, that was a yes. "You were awake, weren''t you?"


    Meaning, my earlier thoughts were right. The geezer wouldn''t have had trouble with things like those. Something stronger was here.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." He made a smug face and went over the girl and gave her a cloth. She was so relieved she passed out. I guess she was too tired. No wonder she didn''t make a scene. Dick sighed. "For a second there I thought I''d have to jump and blow my cover but then you came along. I''ll be honest those three things would have been too much for me while protecting these hostages. Of course, I could have killed them easily but I wouldn''t have been able to protect these guys. Thanks." He smirked.


    "So you were awake!"


    Dick chuckled. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." He kept chuckling. "This is the path. The king is probably taking his nap. Best time to kill him!" He pointed behind the stage. But then he started sweating. "Oh shit."


    "Not anymore." I readied my sword. Something was walking our way, something big and almost bigger than a hobgoblin. It had a toned body. Wait, it was backtracking.


    I was about to attack when all of a sudden I had to make a sudden retreat. ''You can''t be serious.''


    Dick whistled. "That''s my buddy for ya." He started acting all proud. "Always making my life harder." He laughed out loud.


    Apparently, Servesta was backtracking from something larger than him, and boy oh boy was this thing large. Its roar put the liongator''s roar to shame and my ears went numb for a second.


    "He was sleeping. I attacked. Couldn''t kill it." Servesta lamented.


    I gave the two of them dull looks. "Dick, think you can stall him? If you''ll tank, I''ll attack."


    The big thing was still a bit far but we could feel every one of its steps: it was heavy too.


    He smirked. "Well, this shield ain''t for show."


    ''The geezer went against that thing alone?'' I was starting to get how the geezer came out barely alive from fighting something like this. I really didn''t want to know though.


    The thing, or rather the goblin king was roughly twice as big as a hobgoblin but unlike those things, this one wasn''t fat. It wasn''t thin either. It had muscles, it had clothes and it had something very nostalgic: a club.


    "He''s fast and agile, be careful." Servesta was wary.


    But fast and agile with that body? Seriously?


    "Don''t worry, I''m kind of pumped." I pulled out another thing from my ring. The stone of Damsel.


    I was pumped to get out of here alive, that is.


    I had a feeling it was going to work though.


    "Wait, you weren''t using it? I thought-" Dick stared at me with puppy dog eyes and stared at the glowing pendant hanging from my belt. "I hate you." Never thought he''d say that out loud though.


    With a chuckle, I grabbed the stone solidly and my watery hand froze. I didn''t feel cold but I could feel my power enhanced some more. "These things actually stack up." It worked like I wanted, but was this really enough?


    I didn''t know.


    The goblin king made another loud roar once it saw its children lying around and came swinging. It had a big metallic club: nostalgia I didn''t need.


    Bad news.


    Dick blocked and flew to the other side, rolling around a bit. "I don''t think tanking is a good idea." He spat blood, got up, and activated his ring. He glowed in red.


    The large goblin roared again and now all the other goblins stood up with grins: it was almost as though they were waiting their whole lives for this.


    Of course, we had to deal with them too, now.


    Perfect. Life was amazing.

 Chapter 245 - Endless Charade

    "Got any bright ideas?" A large metallic Club came my way and I dodged, barely.


    It merely grazed my left arm and still made a chunk of ice fly away. It didn''t hurt and regenerated quickly.


    Well, that was convenient. But this goblin king was no slouch.


    "Nope!" Dick threw fireballs towards the crowds of goblins and kept them stalled for the time being but that left the big guy for me and Servesta.


    I kind of didn''t want to fight this thing or the smaller goblins though.


    Was I being too picky?


    Yes!


    I switched the normal sword for the cane. If this thing enhanced my magic, then I didn''t have any reason not to use it.


    "Keep em busy!"


    "Easy for you to say!" Dick was shuffling between the big thing and the goblins while Servesta was trying his best to attack and protect the unconscious hostages from rogue arrows and all that.


    I guess I was dumping too much work on them, but I didn''t have a choice.


    ''Flow like it''s my blood, and into my soul?'' I tried to focus. Needless to say, with the continuous arrows, yells, and the big thing there, it was kind of impossible.


    But my speed was also kind of impossible, so I counted on that.


    ''Here goes nothing.'' Deep breaths, and loads of focus.


    I couldn''t focus though.


    Everything seemed normal and within a few seconds a ball of water formed at the tip of my cane, and a second later formed into a spear, bigger than my length. "Freeze!" And it froze.


    Well, that was easy. ''But how do I throw it?'' I tried to will it to move like typical spells but it wasn''t working.


    I guess that left only one choice.


    I grabbed it solidly with my frozen hand and threw as best as I could. "Out of the way!" The spear flew blazingly fast, at least faster than I thought it would. And it actually was straight too.


    Dick jumped out of the way. "Hey, try to warn a little earlier!"


    The goblin king tried to dodge but it was a solid hit, sadly on the shoulder of the thing. I was kind of aiming for the head. ''Do I have to take lessons about spear too?''


    I actually didn''t feel all that agitated anymore. Actually, I was relaxed now that I knew I had two morons fighting by me. But when I was alone, when Servesta just left and I didn''t have anyone to watch my back, I felt terrible. I guess that''s what Alisa felt when I left her back there too.


    ''I really have to apologize.''


    The stone, sword, and pendant''s powers were also kind of aiding in keeping me calm.


    But now I had better control and I knew to which length I could throw these without touching.


    So, with a smirk, I focused and made small balls of water. Knife-like sickles formed and flew straight for the king, this time a solid hit too: on shoulders, forehead, and even one eye.


    He roared solidly. "Kill the mage!" I guess it could form sentences too.


    All the arrows, the stones were again focused on me. I guess I was treated as a mage now. I could try dodging, but since it was coming from all around me, I didn''t have anywhere to run to.


    I was going to be battered again. I guess I had way too much confidence.


    Dick ran towards me but it was too late, instead, he threw his shield: I didn''t expect that.


    I dropped the cane, grabbed the shield, and blocked everything. Even the arrows that came near my feet didn''t actually touch me. Rather they just fell.


    It almost felt natural to hold this sword and shield together.


    "What the hell? What was that!?" Dick was as confused as I was.


    "That''s what I''m asking?"


    I looked around and my body was surrounded by a white layer of coating on top of the swirling mana. So basically I had five layers now. One, my own, one from the mystic blade, one from the pendant, one from the stone, and lastly, one from the shield.


    What the hell, indeed. "That''s new." And this thing was lighter than the sword too. I threw the shield back at Dick and picked up my cane. "Let''s kill him."


    "Why are you giving this back? With this, you''d have been invincible and you could have just finished this thing off and then given it back to me!"


    I had reasons to give it back. My current strength was good and all but I didn''t know how far it went. I didn''t know my current limits with all three of these things. I didn''t know if this was enough. I had to know, and I had to make this thing pay too,


    And I didn''t want to underestimate my foes and become overconfident again.


    "And hear more of your complaints? No thanks. Besides, he''s almost dead anyway." Arrows and stones still came for me but I just ran towards the big monster. "I''ll take it from here!"


    "There he goes, showing off again." Dick sighed and covered my back.


    No matter how much Dick complained, in the end, he always ended up smirking anyway. The guy really threw me off at times.


    "YOU DAMN INSECTS! YOU COME TO MY HOUSE KILL MY CHIL-" The goblin king was trying to say something.


    "Sorry, first time?" I sure didn''t give a damn about its thoughts though. We were killing its children? Oh, and it was just having some fun with ours?


    ''Damn hypocrites.''


    The monster swung its club, this feeling, it was similar to my first battle against a hobgoblin. I''d lost big time and the elves had saved me. But this time, this time I wasn''t going to lose. "HAH!" I ducked and swung the mystic blade hard, cutting one of its heels. "Tell me, does it feel that good to ruin lives? Does it feel that good to eat people alive? Have you ever tried to even attempt to coexist?"


    "What would you know human? You killed our gods, ransacked our world, took it, and now you preach coexistence!? What would you know! For as long as the blood in our veins remains, we will continue to destroy you!"


    I actually wasn''t following what this thing was saying. Took their lands? Ransacked their world? What were they even saying?


    "Um, Daarc? Are you sure, you want to take this long? I hate to break it to you, but the goblins are starting to enter the stage." Dick''s nervous voice reigned supreme in this almost silent place now that I thought about it. Just as the king spoke, all the remaining goblins were silent. They had glares in their eyes and hatred.


    ''What the hell?''


    "I advise you to hurry up!" Servesta cried out.


    "It seems you really, don''t know anything, Human!" The goblin king swung its club vertically, I jumped up and landed on top of its head. My height forced it down on its knees. I guess I was heavy with these four layers right now.


    "You''re right. I''m not from this world: I don''t know anything. But I do know the suffering humans go through because of you. And you lot almost killed me more than a couple of dozen times, don''t take this personally." I raised the Mystic blade up high and made a swing: its head fell off.


    "So you''re from our world¡­." Its voice trailed off, as its rolling head stopped.


    Their world? What was it even talking about?


    It threw me off, but we were still in the middle of something. "One down!" I glared at the rest of the goblins, and boy, oh, boy were they panicking. There were no more arrows, no more darts, and no more stones coming my way. They were just stumbling to get out of here.


    But their path was sealed by ice. It wasn''t me though.


    And I had a very bad feeling about this.


    Seconds later, a beam of concentrated fire infiltrated through the ice and nearly vaporized the goblins in front. The rest were being dealt with by Dick and Servesta.


    Me?


    I was just resting atop the headless goblin. I was in for a hell of a lecture.


    And I deserved it too.


    ''Destroyed their lands and ransacked their world, huh? Maybe these things aren''t from this world? But-''


    But why would the goblin say I was from its world? I got that there were more than one world, but no matter how I looked into all this, not many people knew about traversing worlds.


    I couldn''t think too much about this, I guess. The hostages were mostly unconscious but a few of them woke up and were kind of petrified. Servesta was trying to calm them down, but his face was kind of scary too.


    Something got caught in my peripherals. Some of the goblins on one side were trying to cover something. ''Is that- a goblin?'' It was a small one and it was about to be slaughtered, but another goblin was shielding it. In fact, a bunch of goblins tried to shield it with their bodies as fire from Dick charred them. They were being burned alive and yet, they were still protecting the little goblin. But the goblin didn''t look like a goblin, rather- ''A human?''


    "Dick, wait!" I jumped off and made my way.


    "What now?"


    "Focus on the rest, I''ll take a look."

 Chapter 246 - Just What Are The Goblins? Weren’t They Supposed To Just Ugly Purple Thingies?

    A charred pile of corpses.


    The smell was worse than that night back in Tehram.


    A squeak. Something was alive in there. I got the impression it was that thing I saw before.


    The corpses were mostly dead. The ones in front were very dead. I didn''t feel like touching them, I didn''t want to.


    But I had to.


    I had to take a look. I dug through the corpse. But even after suffering all this much because of goblins, even after knowing how evil and vile they were, I felt bad. I felt pity. ''Am I going soft again?''


    "What are you doing?" Came a high-pitched voice from behind me. Someone was mad.


    I didn''t think she''d be done with the goblins this quick. And not to mention I never thought she''d disobey my wishes and come here in the first place.


    "Nothing." I kept on digging without even looking.


    "That''s it? You''re not even going to say a word?"


    "¡­" I''d found something. "Take a look at this," I tried to look back.


    "Hey don''t change the subject!" She came close and stood right in front of me. Her big luscious eyes were kind of watery and her glare wasn''t inspiring anything other than a bit of regret.


    I''d made a big mistake and I had to own it.


    I touched her shoulders and sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn''t have done that." I tried to smile but I couldn''t. "I''ll try to make it up to you." I just didn''t know how.


    Strangely my fake arm was still here and I had no idea how to turn it off.


    She looked away. "You better." Her pout was kind of cute. "So, what are you talking about?"


    I let her go. "Take a look at this." I showed her what was below the pile of burnt corpses.


    "A human? No, that''s a goblin. We should kill it."


    One of the charred goblins was still alive deep there, and the moment it heard us, it tried to attack. But the poor thing was already almost dead.


    "I think it''s something different. Look." I tried using my magic as a bit of light source.


    "The skin is pink?" At first, it was hard to tell because of the light and coals from the corpses, but as Alisa and I looked carefully, she and I both could tell, something wasn''t right. "It could be a different breed but regardless, it''s a goblin." But in the end, she concluded it to be a goblin.


    "Pl-pleas- don''t kil- her- please. Kill us- al- of i-not her-" The nearly dead goblin tried to grab my sleeve. It had tears in its eyes and this was probably the first time I heard a typical goblin try to formulate something like this. "She- our world-" It could no longer speak and foamed. It was about to die.


    "What?" Alisa stared at me. "What is it saying?"


    "Let''s decide later." I picked up the goblin from within the pile of corpses, it actually looked a lot like a human toddler, just with pointy ears, kind of like an elf''s? It was already unconscious, so no worries there. But it didn''t even have a single burn mark on its body. The goblins gave their lives for it, so it couldn''t be harmed.


    ''There must be more to this¡­ what if-" What if everything I knew was wrong? I''d assumed a lot of things in my life and most of them were just wrong. So I couldn''t ignore the possibility that I could be wrong about these things too. Though I highly doubted the possibility.


    I looked at the nearly dead goblin. "Don''t worry, I''ll look into all this. You have my word." If the goblins were as evil as I thought, I''d murder this thing without any mercy just like we''d eradicated everything here.


    It looked at me with wonder, gratitude, and distrust but in the end, passed on with a relieved face. This was really, the first time I saw something like this from a goblin.


    "What are you saying!" Alisa rebuked stared at me with confusion again. "You can''t trust the words of goblins!"


    "I''ll fill you in later."


    With that said, I stared at Dick and Ve, as they finished off the rest of the goblins. The whole colony was annihilated right before my eyes. There was nothing left.


    The few that were still alive didn''t have much to live with those wounds.


    Most of the unconscious people were waking up one by one. And some of them were passing out seeing and smelling the horror before their very eyes.


    ''But is this really making the world a better place? What am I thinking! These things kill people!'' My thoughts were a bit jumbled up. I didn''t know what to think or believe but I wanted to know more.


    A pebble fell from the ceiling. With twitching eyes, I looked up: I had sinking feeling that we were in deep trouble.


    There were cracks.


    ''Oh shit.''


    The ceiling above started to crumble right before my eyes.


    "I might have damaged the walls a bit more than necessary." Ve walked casually.


    "You think!" I fired back. "And his place is a maze, how''re we going to get out!"


    Not to mention we had a bunch of unconscious people with us.


    "Everyone, get near me!" Dick screamed and we all listened. The conscious were dragging the unconscious towards Dick and we helped. But when we went closer to him, he looked straight into my eyes and handed me the shield. "Just this once. I''m never giving this to you again."


    "Funny, you talk like a certain geezer despite being only one-fourth of his age. And how would giving this shield to me do anything?"


    He clicked his tongue. "Just imagine a barrier or something. Supposedly this shield has that but I could never do that, and if you can''t too, we die. Simple."


    Too simple.


    I sighed and handed over the toddler to Alisa: she quickly wrapped it into some kind of cloth and made sure not to let anyone see anything. I guess she trusted me. But that only made me feel bad as she thought I might not have trusted her. but that wasn''t the truth, I did trust her and that was why I wanted her to stay away from this place.


    "Servesta, if you will." Without a word, Servesta picked me up and held me on his shoulder. I pointed the shield upward while holding the mystic blade in my other hand. I could feel that with both of these things combined, my power was amplified a great deal. "Everyone, I''d advise you to hug Servesta tightly!"


    Because the whole ceiling was falling. ''I really hope this works.''


    I let my mana flow through the shield and tried to do what Dick told me. A thin line appeared over my head, but it was small and it didn''t last. But for the first time, something actually worked on my first try.


    A large portion of the ceiling fell on the sides and crushed a lot of dead bodies. I had to hurry.


    I tried again, this time, with all the mana I had. A much bigger one formed and it looked stronger. But maintaining it took a lot, a lot of focus and I was being drained of mana. ''This might be bad.'' But I had to hold on.


    But just as I was about to run out, the mana from the pendant revitalized me a little, but it wasn''t enough. I only had another minute- at best.


    "Just fall already!" I wanted this to be over as fast as possible.


    And the ceiling didn''t disappoint either. It fell right away!


    But I was forgetting that the ceiling was five stories below ground and this place was two stories below that. Meaning, there was a hell amount of stuff just waiting to fall on us.


    At the last moment of impact, I closed my eyes and there was a heavy thud. But I didn''t feel like being crushed under pressure. I opened my eyes, and well, though everything was falling, it was like there was an invisible barrier on top of us or rather, on top of the barrier I''d created.


    I looked around and- it was the goblin mages. Even charred, barely clinging to consciousness, they were protecting us, rather, the toddler I''d handed over to Alisa. What was she to them?


    And what were the goblins?


    I''d only seen goblins mages who couldn''t actually use magic other than maybe increase their speeds a little. But these ones were dishing out literal barriers.


    The goblins were giving their lives but they still cast some sort of barrier magic to prevent us from getting harmed. One by one they fell, and yet, another one took their place.


    But then I realized, it wasn''t magic and it wasn''t just the mages either. My blood went cold for a second. ''They are using their life force." And every single one of them was doing it.


    "W-we shall t-tru-"


    They were all crushed and I felt the weight of the ceiling and the weight of something else too. But thanks to the barriers formed before, I could take this.


    I didn''t know why the goblins would trust someone who just wrecked their all, but I didn''t feel like betraying that trust. As per my word, I was going to get to the bottom of this, and for that, I had to survive.


    I was past my limit, but that didn''t stop me.


    ARHHG!


    Screaming wasn''t helping me with this but at least it was helping me divert my mind. Just how much was left?


    Servesta''s feet were sinking. He was in pain too.


    "Please hang in there!"


    "Don''t give up!"


    "We believe in you."


    The words of the people below were nice but they were distracting me. But it did make me feel good about myself.


    I breathed hard, my stamina was drained and I was basically spent. Even the light from both the pendant and the stone was gone. The sword''s light was also twinkling. I''d used up everything I had.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    I needed more.


    I wanted more!


    My bones creaked, my shoulders felt like they''d break, but I had to do this.


    I could feel Servesta was under the pressure too, but, I had to do this!


    And then all of a sudden, I started to blackout. There were no more limits. I''d already passed everything. ''This is- the best, I can do?''


    "You did good, we''ll take it from here."


    Alisa and Ve both raised their hands in unison and a wall of fire and ice formed over our heads and pushed through the debris, as my barrier disappeared. Ve transformed and Alisa turned to ice.


    "You should have done this sooner." I passed out. ''This isn''t enough.''

 Chapter 247 - All Hail

    My eyes fluttered open. Usually, when I pass out from stuff like this, I wake up in bed or at least a prison. This time, I woke up straight in the middle of the city, with a hole the size of a small whale behind me, and surrounded by people all around me.


    And then I realized, I was being carried like a princess by Ve.


    When she noticed that I''d woken, she gradually lowered me and started screaming. "ALL HAIL THE DUKE OF HELSING AND THE ARCHDUKE OF ALFEIME EMPIRE! DAARC GREEN"


    My ears kind of rung. This girl could scream! And not to mention her scream was manlier than mine and Dick''s voice combined.


    Holy, what the hell!?


    And the way she said it, made me want to crawl into a hole.


    Everyone bowed, even the people around me- my companions. I was basically the epicenter.


    My vision was still kind of funny but as I looked back and forth, I realized three things.


    One, we were right in front of a large crater, probably the one we crawled out of. Two, there were the unconscious people mixed in the crowd- they were very conscious this time. And three, Ve was actually partially transformed while Alisa was letting off mist.


    ''This can''t be good.''


    And not to mention I was lacking an arm. ''Where the hell is my sword?''


    But since my companions weren''t panicking, I didn''t either. I didn''t see Servesta anywhere though.


    "Raise your heads." I raised my voice a little. I looked back. ''What am I supposed to do now?'' I glared both at Ve and Alisa.


    Both of them were signaling me to play along. But what the hell was I supposed to be playing along for? I didn''t even know what was going on? Were we saved? Was the goblin thing public? Did something other than that happen? I didn''t know!


    Meanwhile, Dick just giggled and I could hear that through everything.


    I cleared my throat. "I''m on a journey across the world, to rid this world of evil. I happened to be in this town at the right time and you can see the rest." I kind of wanted to laugh at myself for saying all this but there was no choice. "Of course, I''m not doing this out of the goodwill of my heart. But the price isn''t that great either. All I ask is the goodwill between our people: let there be peace. " I tried sounding a little nice and acting like everything was done for the good of the people, but honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And I kind of wanted to hide in a hole out of the sheer embarrassment.


    "Marvelous!" A man started clapping. I recognized him. He was by the gates when we''d entered. "Truly, marvelous. Such dedication for the people!" He was in tears.


    Following him, everyone started to clap. And sing my praises.


    Apparently, I was famous. Very famous.


    "Well, that was something." Dick chuckled and stood next to me. "Oh, and I have your stuff in my cup."


    I was missing my arm as usual but it didn''t feel unnatural. I kind of really wanted an arm though.


    I did still have my pendant and the rock hanging on my waist. The rock was in a small pouch. I guess this was either Dick''s or Alisa''s doing.


    "Sorry, but they saw me transform and the only way to get out of it was to make them know who you were," Ve whispered. "Otherwise we could have been kicked out of the country."


    Sigh.  "What happened afterward?"


    "The goblin''s nest was right below the city, so we-" Alisa attempted.


    But the decorated soldier- the guy who was shedding tears just moments ago approached us. This was probably just an act. "Lord Daarc!" He bowed on one knee. "I beseech you, o'' kind lord. Please follow me, please grace our lord with your presence!" Was this guy for real?


    "Umm- look I-" I just wanted to get out of here.


    "That won''t be necessary." A stout voice came from the crowd. A man walked towards us, judging by the air, he was definitely a noble. He bowed fiercely, just like the man. "Forgive me, my lord, for I had failed to come earlier."


    ''Who the hell are you?''


    I couldn''t say it out loud, but that was definitely written on my face. And what the hell was going on? I was definitely a highly reputed person in Helsing and Alfeime, but that had nothing to do with this country, right?


    "I am Venin Dwaran. The Earl of Saram." I guess he could read faces. "ON behalf of the whole kingdom I thank you, kind lord!"


    This was cool and all, but I wanted to get out of here. "Please stand up, there''s no need for such formality." I helped him get up. I felt stupid when people were bowing like that.


    And I just wanted to get this over with and get out of here. I still had to catch those merchants who scammed the rabbits and took all our stuff.


    And not to mention I came here to learn one-handed swordplay from a certain friend of the geezer.


    "My lord." He looked at me with gratitude and relief. I had no idea why I was being treated like this. He controlled himself and a second later took a serious look. I guess I knew where this was going. "Please save us!"


    Okay, maybe I didn''t expect that. I was expecting something more in the lines of ''please ally yourselves with us, or please sign a treaty.'' But not this.


    I wasn''t surprised, I was flabbergasted. Didn''t I save them already? "What do you mean?"


    "As you already know-" Nope, I didn''t know anything. "We are going to war with the humans-" Wait, what? Who was warring who? Excuse me!" You alone are powerful enough to defeat a goblin king, and your comrades are capable too. We just want you to act as a threat to the humans, so this mighty battle can be avoided."


    My exploits already reached the town noble? It was still night, so I couldn''t be sure how long it had been. But what was this guy even saying? Gorgon had said something about a war brewing but I''d just assumed it was between men and Elves. I never thought dwarves were a part of this!


    "MY LORD!" The decorated soldier, however, rebuked just hearing those words. "If your father hears what you just said-" He hissed.


    "Screw that geezer, all he wants is power." I actually didn''t expect the Earl to say that. Honestly, this was way too random for my taste. He noticed my stare and promptly bowed his head. "Pardon me for such words, but my father is drunk on power and will continue to war with the humans unless our demands are met. I''m afraid this will be the destruction of my city as we are the border between the three great countries. So in order to live, we must refuse, and stop the war, or we''ll be decimated."


    I just stood silent looking like a fool. "I''m actually traveling the world for-"


    "We know." the man again, bowed on the floor. "You wish to help all the people. We know. And that''s why, please save my people. I will gladly serve under you and help you in your cause.  Please!"


    Now even the people around us bowed. My eyes twitched. This wasn''t good.


    I looked back, Ve and Alisa sighed while Dick just giggled. "Don''t look at me, you''re the one who showed off, Hero." He put extra emphasis on hero and rolled his tongue, giggling a second later.


    I so wanted to punch him.


    "PLEASE!" the crowd cried out in unison. They were crying and some were even wailing.


    ''Why the hell does it always have to be like this?'' Honestly, I wanted to cry too. If this was an act, they were really good.


    Ve came close. "Maybe this isn''t bad an offer," She whispered. "He is from the Dwaran family, meaning he is a prince. So assuming he can ascend to the throne, we can just ask for the strongest weapons of the country."


    "Besides," Now Alisa started whispering. "There''s a rumor that this country hosts two mystic equipment. Are you sure you can let this chance pass? And if you don''t act now, there won''t be a country and countless will die."


    Why the hell did these two morons always have to complicate everything?


    But they were kind of right. After all, I was looking for ways to get stronger. And I just got comprehensive proof that having multiple mystic equips could be very beneficial for me.


    I sighed. "Fine. But I have some conditions. Let''s talk somewhere private." I looked straight at the man on the floor.


    "My lord!"  He looked up.


    The people around us started cheering and celebrating.


    All this my lord stuff was kind of getting on my nerves. "Just call me Daarc. Let''s go."


    "Yes, lord Daarc."


    How was that better?


    Soldiers made the crowd part and as I started to walk out, I kind of noticed a certain harpy looking our way: she was all smiles.


    I went towards her and pulled the sword out of my ring. Since the people already knew who I was, I didn''t hold anything back.


    "Here." I gave her back the sword.


    For a second she was surprised but she gave me a smile anyway. "Thank you and thanks for avenging my husband and also thank you for rescuing her."


    There was a girl right next to her. And now that I looked carefully, the girl did have some feathers here and there but I never noticed it when I fought back in the cave. Yes, she was the same girl I''d jumped two stories to save and I didn''t have any regrets regarding that.


    No wonder the Harpy had given me the sword. She''d hoped I''d be able to do something with it. Fortunately, I didn''t disappoint. Though I came close to it a dozen times. Just thinking about it kind of made me shiver a little.


    "You''re welcome." I smile and kept on walking.


    Both of them waved.


    ***


    "That girl would grow up to a beauty one day," Dick smirked as we kept on walking.


    "You didn''t try anything funny did you?" I raised a brow.


    The crowd was going crazy to see my face even in the dead of night like this. But now that I looked at the sky, it wasn''t actually night, rather it''d be dawn soon.


    "Hey, I''m not a pervert! I''d never touch a kid!" Dick glared at me with discontent.


    Well, at least he had some honor. "Anyway, I don''t see Servesta anywhere."


    "The thing is-" He came close to me and started whispering. "Remember that guy I told you about? Well, he was here and Servesta left with him since people already saw that he was a demon. The people down there did promise that they wouldn''t say anything about it though, but I don''t trust them. I stayed just to say goodbye."


    I sighed. "When are you leaving?"


    The line of the crowd just went on and on. The soldiers were kind of overworking to maintain them.


    "Right after I get my things." He gave me a smug smile.


    "Oh yeah, hand me over my stuff!"


    He pouted. "You don''t trust me?"


    "Who the hell do you think I went all that trouble for!? If I didn''t trust you, you''d be in the goblin''s nest right now."


    He smirked again. This guy was really annoying. "Fair enough."


    We had arrived.

 Chapter 248 - Hey, You Can’t Just Walk In Here!

    I still took my equipment from Dick though. He pouted a little but handed over everything without a fuss.


    Though the building looked kind of average, the hall was long. Too long. It had soldiers every corner though.


    ''So most of the soldiers were here, rather than patrolling? No wonder.'' It was nothing new though. Royalty were always selfish. Some were more than others, some less.


    I put both the stone inside my ring but kept the pendant as it always stayed, hanging down my waist. I kind of liked it and I never it''d serve me like this.


    ''Is it possible that this was originally the property of that goddess? Then- Imazael could be-'' Her daughter, but wouldn''t have meant that sealed goddess had cheated on her husband with an elf?


    Gods and goddesses were weird, really.


    I got a lot, and I mean a lot of stares from soldiers. After traveling in this world for nearly eight or so months, I got the impression that people weren''t that familiar with storage devices. The few that were available had way less space and were very, very expensive.


    So I had to be careful not to let anyone get near my ring, ever.


    It was more or less a spacious mansion carved inside the mountain. The architecture was good and all but it wasn''t anything that grand either.


    "Please excuse the sorry state of my house but I assure you, there will be no stone left unturned in case of hospitality."


    I guess this guy was an expert in reading body language. So much so, it was actually kind of frustrating. But that''s why I didn''t feel too uncomfortable around him, after all, all of this was probably just an act.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not expecting all that much. I just want to have a talk, get things done, and be on my way. Though I talk about doing good deeds and all that, I had a reason to come to this country." I tried testing the waters first. If I was wrong, I could have just made amends quickly. Besides, I had no comprehensive answer that the guy was faking all this.


    "Yes, I''ve heard about your exploits. But that really was an interesting performance you showed back there." Well, that came out of nowhere. "I was almost convinced that you were one of those so-called righteous people."


    And for once in my life, I was actually right. Definitely a grand achievement.


    "Not too bad yourself." I grinned.


    "Busted are well." He chuckled loudly.


    Meanwhile, I saw Alisa cringe a little while Dick giggled silently. Ve was just being Ve, no care in the world.


    Was it me, or was this hall, long?


    "Welcome!" Maids and butlers all bowed and welcomed us, as the double door at the end of the hall opened.


    And just like that, the hallway ended. I had this nagging feeling that someone was always listening to my complaints. If so, how come he never helped me!


    I really wanted to have a talk with him and smack him a couple of times.


    "Shall we speak over dinner?" The earl looked at me with calculative eyes.


    "I don''t see why not."


    It would be more like breakfast at this point though.


    "Please go rest then. We will prepare great food for you in the meantime. Would you like to share a room or have a personal one?"


    "We''ll share one." Dick wrapped an arm around me and answered. As much as I wanted to punch him, I knew he was right this time. We needed to have a proper talk first.


    I knew I woke up sometime after midnight but even now, I didn''t actually feel tired. Or maybe that was because the sun was about to rise up or maybe I was just too excited?


    I didn''t know.


    With all the small talk out of the way, we were led to a large guesthouse and they even prepared the bathhouse for us.


    "I''ll head out first," I said.


    "Right behind ya!" Dick was sure excited.


    But seeing, his, I wasn''t anymore.


    Alisa didn''t say a word and crawled under the sheets, while Ve sat on one of the beds. Talk about easygoing.


    ***


    It wasn''t big and basically, it was just like a small pool barely able to fit two-three guys at most.


    This whole room was kind of small too. At least the water was cold.


    This was actually supposed to be winter and yet, this place felt like it was in the middle of summer.


    Obviously, I was spoiled in the royal bathhouse of Helsing, so this one didn''t really entice me as much. And not to mention that time I had the bath all to my-


    Oh shit, I just remembered something rather terrifying. Oh no¡­. the crossdresser-


    I had to bleach my mind.


    We''ll be back shortly!


    ***


    "AHH¡­" Dick sunk into the bath. "This is a bit small but not bad. The baths in Demonica are a lot bigger though."


    He''d come here right after me. And for once, I was glad. At least I didn''t have to live through that nightmare alone.


    "Tell, me, what are the demons like?" So instead, I just tried to distract my mind.


    I had to start somewhere. I couldn''t just remain ignorant forever. As much as I hated the demons, I had to know about them. And since this was a distraction, two purple things with one knife.


    This reminded me, I''d left that pink toddler with Alisa. ''I''ll ask her later I guess.''


    Dick grinned. "Loads of kinds. But the general masses don''t leave Demonica and are just land hoggers. The ones that do are either really high up there, or maybe just criminals on the run."


    "But that doesn''t make sense. I''ve heard that demons raid villages and I even saw-"


    "Demons ''used to'' raid villages. And I think you''re referring to the Moire event? Yeah, I heard. As I said, either way high up there, in your case a Monarch, or maybe just criminals. Nowadays the emperor, kind of only goes to war for fun, rather than expanding his kingdom. And the demons can cultivate and grow their own food, so I don''t see any reasons to go after humans anyway. "


    Yeah, that sounded like the emperor alright. "Then why the hell is that worthless dick trying to start a war and telling us to fight him?"


    Dick giggled. "Hey, that''s my name you know." he chuckled loudly. "Fun, I guess?"


    Fun my ass.


    "Actually, I''ve often heard that the demons started the calendar of this world. And relatively in recent times too. Are they summoning people from a long time?"


    "You realize that doesn''t make sense, right? Anyway, I did see a lot of nice technology like we see in our world. But I don''t think there were any summons before us in the course of the last two hundred years. I think there might have been some a millennia ago, though. But this emperor wasn''t around at the time."


    "Then I guess this is just the natural step and people no matter what world will adapt to something like this?" After all, this world had the term science and even steam engines, albeit kind of, but still, there were things similar to our world- my world.


    "Hmmm." Dick thought for a second. "I don''t know. It could very well be that there are reincarnations. I mean, we were summoned to a new world and there''s magic here. Anything''s possible. It could even be a fact that we''re from different worlds ourselves." He grinned.


    "Yeah, you watched too much stuff." I chuckled. But I couldn''t ignore the possibility. "Or it could be that we''re from the future and past?"


    "You too." He chuckled too.


    "Laughing in the bath is bad manners." Ve walked in, totally bare like it was natural.


    Even Dick was wearing a towel around his waist, and so was I.


    But her? Nothing.


    "What are you doing?" I looked away and glared at Dick. He was glaring at the girl behind me though.


    "What do you mean? They said it was a three-person bath, so it should be fine." And with that said, she slid right next to me and entered the pool.


    ''Stay calm, stay calm¡­.''


    I was not calm. And the water was basically clear!


    Dick had an enlightened look on his face as he stared right next to me.  "I knew you were too cute to be a guy. But, mah gawd, those are nice."


    He didn''t know? I never told him or Servesta, so I guess that was that. And Ve wore clothing like a girl now and people even referred to her as a girl. So how come this moron still thought she was a guy?


    Oh wait, it could have been that he was referring to before the bunny incident. It was plausible but I didn''t have any reason to ask him about it.


    "You want me to poke those two out?" Ve pointed at Dick''s eyes.


    Dick''s look didn''t even waver. He was in heaven.

 Chapter 249 - Sometimes Choices Are Just Difficult

    I didn''t know, I didn''t care. But more importantly, something was rising up and I had to get out of here before it fully emerged. I was a guy, and having a naked girl, literally rub her shoulders right against mine, could be very tempting no matter how devoted I was.


    "I''m done, so I''ll get out now." So, the run-away route it was.


    If I didn''t stay here, the chances of something happening was zero. So it was better this way.


    Right?


    "I think I''ll need another hour of thi-I mean the shower." Dick''s voice was awfully romantic and he didn''t look at me. The guy had too many things on his mind but his eyes were only focused on one spot.


    This wasn''t going to end well.


    "Unless you wish to get your stuff burned while in the shower, I suggest you leave now. I have something important to discuss with Daarc." Ve glared and transformed herself partially. Her private parts were now covered with scales and she took up a little more space than before: her chest was still kind of open vertically though. What sort of design aesthetic was that?


    And she also placed a hand on my shoulder and dragged me back to the water: I wasn''t going to be getting out anytime soon I guess. This girl definitely had more strength than me, there was no doubt about it.


    Dick frowned but got up. "Fine." He looked at me, awfully jealous. It was more of a glare though. "Enjoy yourselves." He sniffed as he went out. Was something wrong with this guy''s moods?


    And that did he mean by that!


    The moment Dick left, Ve went to the opposite side and transformed back. "So basically you wish to rid this world of mana and hence you wish to know more about the tree of origins- the sacred tree?" Just how the hell was she still acting normal?


    The sounds of water. The sound of drops.


    Who in the world could have thought it could be so enticing.


    "Umm¡­ maybe?" My brain wasn''t working. "Ca-can you turn back?" Because something was definitely sticking upwards.


    "Meaning?"


    "I mean, transform like you did a minute ago." Otherwise, it would have been a literal pain to keep my gaze in control in this clear water.


    "It''s not like you haven''t seen me naked before." She looked at me with dull eyes. "Very well." She transformed and now her legs reached quite close to my feet.


    She was quite tall like this. But she didn''t have shame? I guess she didn''t care about these things all that much.


    I let out a bit of air and felt relieved. But my little buddy did not. Even now, I could see way more than I needed to. But I did have something I could focus my mind on. That being- "Yeah, I want to know more. If that tree gave birth to gods and that tree''s fruit gave humans mana, won''t it be theoretically possible to end all mana by cutting the tree?" I mean, it was logical, right? No source, no mana. Or it could have been that mana was self-sustaining from its source, then things were going to be very tricky.


    Ve still looked at me with dull eyes and dived a bit underwater. "You''re an even bigger idiot than Mig." She sighed. "If you cut the tree of origins, do you really think the world will go on? After all, that tree is the reason why this world exists. Besides, mana exists everywhere in this world. There''s no feasible way you can change that."


    I had no idea why this world came to be or what the tree even was. But I knew people could live without mana.


    "My world didn''t-" I knew my world didn''t have actual magic like this all that, but I couldn''t be too sure. After all, there was mythology and there was a lot of history. "Are you really sure, the world will end if the tree is destroyed?"


    "I don''t know." She dived underwater. Transformed back and got out of the pool. "I''ve never seen it. But my father did tell me one thing-" She glared at me. "That tree is sacred and it cannot be destroyed." She started walking back. "Don''t poke your nose where it doesn''t belong. I was under the impression you had a mission to get stronger, not to mess with things beyond your control."


    "Well, gods are supposed to be immortal too, just look at them." I chuckled without looking back. "And point taken."


    There was no answer from her.


    Instead, I just looked at the dull ceiling and sighed. Even after all this, I still didn''t have an answer to anything.


    ''Mission to get stronger huh?'' I could almost chuckle at myself, in fact, I did.


    Was I getting stronger? Even with all of those things last night, I had to much trouble just to match the goblin king and not to mention I would have died if Dick and the others weren''t there.


    ''Can I really become strong enough in time?'' And lately, I wasn''t even trying to grow stronger anymore. I really needed a priority and to stick to it. I couldn''t just shuffle through things anymore. It just wasn''t working.


    And I was even dragged into all this. I was probably going to be used as a political threat. ''Should I really do this?''


    I sighed and dived a bit. ''Wouldn''t that be a bit dumb?'' It was also an ingenious plan at the same time¡­. weird.


    ***


    My shower was over and after drying a bit, I covered myself in some clothes and went for the guestroom.


    Everyone was here. Alisa was awake and looking at the ceiling, bored. The rest were doing their things. Especially Dick. The guy was literally drooling and daydreaming.


    Something was wrong with him.


    I went closer to Alisa and sat down. "By the way, what happened to it?"


    "Inside your ring, and don''t think about bringing it out anytime soon, unless you want to be charged for treason."


    "What if-"


    "I hit it with a sleeping spell, so it shouldn''t be a problem for a week or two."


    Was this girl a mind reader? Just how much was she capable of knowing?


    Anyway, if she was certain then I didn''t want to worry too much about this.


    "What are we talking about again?" Dick sat down right next to Alisa.


    Alisa was right in the middle of the two of us. She balled her fist, grinded her teeth, and glared at dick.  She proceeded to shove him off the bed and he fell on the ground, chuckling. "None of your business!" Her words were very striking.


    Talk about being dramatic.


    "But if I''m being honest, those goblins said something-" And no matter how I thought about it, I couldn''t just ignore it.


    "As I said, you can''t trust goblins. But if you must insist, I think something can be done."


    "What do you mean?" Because, I hadn''t said anything regarding yet, and Alisa already had something in mind.


    "You wish to know more about them correct? Then what better place to find out than their birthplace?" Alisa grinned. "I know the place, its west of the forgotten continent, beyond the ninth sea. I''ve never been there myself but I''ve heard countless stories about it."


    ''The ninth sea?'' Anverosa was trapped there if my memory served me correctly.


    Dick chuckled some more. "Anyway, I''m thinking of leaving for Dracona and getting our stuff. Are you guys going to come along or play hero?" Apparently, he didn''t give a damn about our conversation.


    "I''m not sure." I really wasn''t. "Let''s discuss things with the earl first and see how things are. And as much as I want to save the people, my own life comes first and I have a deadline too. Besides, right now, I''m the archduke, meaning my actions may very well be treated as elves aiding the dwarves and in turn, making relationships with men impossible. I''m really not sure."


    I didn''t want men and elves to go on another war.


    "That''s why, we can show our strength and make them see our way." Ve stood up and struck a pose.


    "Do you really think it''ll be that easy? I know a guy named Gorgon and he could almost match a monarch, meaning humans aren''t that weak."


    "That''s true but monarchs aren''t that strong either. I mean two or three are them are strong but the rest are just tricky at best," Dick grinned. "I can take em all right now with my ring by the way." He cleared his throat as if he remembered something. "Okay, maybe not all of them."


    ''Easy for you to say!'' I was really jealous of this guy. And judging by his words, one of the monarchs was actually stronger than this guy?


    Well, that wasn''t good news.


    I sighed. "Anyway, what I''m trying to say is, just by showing our strength, I don''t think we can do much. We need leverage."  As I said that all of them looked at me like I''d just filled in the puzzle for them. "What? Something on my face?"


    "You," Alisa said.


    "Me?"


    "Yes, you. You''re the leader of Helsing and second in command of Alfeime. You''re the biggest flex the dwarves have. Meaning, basically, we can threaten them with you! We can threaten both parties equally!"


    Lately, Alisa was getting a lot of destructive thoughts too.


    I knew that and had dismissed it as it was a stupid idea. But seriously! These guys were suggesting that! "And if both decide to make me their enemy?" It was definitely possible.

 Chapter 250 - The Deal

    "Then we''ll crush the royalty and take over!" Ve made a fist and struck another pose.


    Well, this guy sure was in a mood. Normally she just stayed quiet and didn''t make a fuss. But whenever she got excited she turned into a different person.


    "We could also just lock them up and take all the kingdoms too." Dick winked.


    I sighed. I was surrounded by idiots. "Let''s go have a talk and I''m kind of hungry." All this talk about taking over kingdoms and crushing the royalty was tiring me out. Maybe last night''s fatigue finally caught up to me.


    Dick chuckled loudly. "I''ll go get our things and wait for you in Dracona for a week. If you don''t come by then, I''ll take the things for myself and leave." Dick stood right next to the window.


    I guess that was his way of saying, he didn''t want to be a part of this. I''d kind of drawn him into all this without thinking all that much. I guess I should have been more considerate.


    But wait, wasn''t this guy seriously just trying to take over everything just moments ago? I guess he knew I didn''t like that idea.


    I more or less dragged Alisa and Ve into this too.


    "Do you two want to leave too?" I looked at Ve and Alisa and both just glared. I guess that was a no. I turned to Dick. "Fine. How do I find you?"


    "Don''t worry, you''ll find me." He winked and jumped off.


    What sort of answer was that?


    "He didn''t even say goodbye," Alisa murmured.


    I looked out the window and Dick wasn''t here anymore. I didn''t see any crows either. It was almost as though, the guy knew teleportation.


    Wait, did he?


    I didn''t know if he had it or not, but my jealousy increased tenfold anyway.


    Wait, I actually, finally, realized something. "Where''s Biteria?"


    Alisa looked away.


    I stared at Ve and she shrugged.  "She disappeared and we don''t know where she went. She never came back."


    I hadn''t seen her after she jumped out of the window last night.


    "What if she came back to the inn after we left?"


    "How about we go there later this morning and see for ourselves?" Alisa suggested but she was still looking away.


    There was something these two weren''t telling me.


    But with the sun still rising, we didn''t have that much free time. Since I already started this, I had to see it through.


    I yawned. I didn''t know why but my fatigue was finally catching up to me. "Fair enough I guess. But first, let''s find out what is going on. We can decide everything later." And hopefully, I''d be able to find something to alleviate this grogginess too.


    Both of them nodded and that concluded our small meeting.


    I was hungry, but hunger could wait. I had to get this sorted and go get my bunny ASAP!


    ***


    "All hail the Archduke of Alfeime, Lord Daarc Green!" the herald announced.


    I never liked these name callings, but oh well.


    I entered a room that kind of looked like a throne room of sorts. Everyone stood up and bowed, even the guy on the throne, the earl.


    Ve and Alisa had followed me.


    "Spare me of all this. And let''s get down to business." I really wasn''t I the mood. My lovely bunny was lost and so was my focus. I had to find her and I had to find her fast!


    "But the breakfast-" The guy attempted.


    "Oh don''t worry. We''ll be eating soon but I had something urgent come up. And I''ll have to go there straight away after this. Only then can I find enough peace to actually have breakfast."


    "Very well my lord." he smiled and looked around. There were a lot of people here, probably just nobles. Some soldiers were here too. That decorated one was standing right next to the earl.


    Almost everyone nodded. Something was up with these morons.


    Honestly, if they were stupid enough to set a trap for me here, then really, they were worse than just plain stupid.


    "I was traveling a lot, so I don''t know the situation. Do you mind filling me up?"


    The earl didn''t take his seat and just stood straight. Actually, everyone in the room was standing. "Yes, my lord. We, the dwarves have declared war on the humans."


    Though he called himself a dwarf all the men and women in here were kind of my size and they didn''t look like the rest of the dwarfs in the streets. I guess these guys had differentiation for the nobles and street folk between them.


    They all had one thing in common though and that was tanned caramel skin. I guess their color was a natural defense against the harsh climate of this place.


    It was just morning and I was already sweating, but these guys weren''t even fazed a little.


    "I''m aware of that much. But why?"


    "There are various reasons." He tried to not sound awkward, but there was no escaping that. "The excuse is my little brother. Father claims that a princess of Destoa seduced him and took the opportunity to kill him. Both are missing right now. And humans meanwhile blamed our prince and claimed that we killed their princess and in the end, they killed our messengers, we killed theirs and the war finally started."


    Just listening to this made my head hurt. A full-blown war because of two morons? "So, what happened?" I emphasized on it and I got that the guy understood me.


    "Personally-" He came close. "I believe either someone from Destoa or Dwaram are hiding them both and trying to lay the blame on the other. Think about it, this war doesn''t have any merits for the people, but-" he came even closer. "It does have plenty of merit for some people and let''s say, they can easily climb to the throne or something like that," He whispered. He promptly backtracked and raised his voice again. "Or, this could very well be a ploy from a third country." He grinned. "This is where you come in though."


    "Meaning?"


    "I was under the impression that you were searching for those weapons." He grinned. So this guy already knew it. The sheer intelligence of this guy was frightening. And I got the impression, he was just using me, baiting me. "So, let''s have a deal."


    But I wasn''t stupid either.  "I''m listening." So far all I''d done was listen.


    But that didn''t mean I was going to believe or accept whatever he proposed.


    "I can provide you with two pieces. If you stop the war and my town survives, you get one." Again he came close to whispering distance. I kind of didn''t like this. "But if you, make me king: You get two." He winked, went back, and finally took his seat. "So, what do you say?"


    "As expected," Alisa whispered. She grinned. "And we can take your word for it? How do we know you''re not lying?" She raised her voice a little.


    Murmurs floated around.


    "How dare you!" The decorated soldier was offended. A lot of other nobles were offended too but they were staying quiet.


    But the man on the throne, the earl smiled. "Of course, I can give you this for safekeeping if you think I won''t keep my promise." He took out a bracelet and threw it to Alisa. There was a small white gem on the bracelet. "Tell you what, consider that advance payment."


    "This gem, its Trerortra''s." Alisa murmured.


    Ve sighed. "All that is good and all. But how do you propose we end this?"


    "Simple, you three- where''s the fourth?" He looked around.


    Now, he noticed Dick was missing?


    Sigh. "He''s elsewhere. Just get to your point."


    He cleared his throat. "Anyway, you three are really powerful. If you could display your strength on the battlefield and then threaten men with your prowess, not only will we have the advantage while negotiating, we''ll also be able to prevent any more wars like this in the future."


    A shrewd politician indeed. Even now, he thought of his country first.


    "That''s assuming, they have taken the prince, correct? What if some other country is behind the scenes?"


    All the smiles seized. "I''ll be blunt with you. My countrymen aren''t shallow enough to kidnap and then declare war."


    "I''ll also be blunt with you, there are all kinds of people in this world." And I wasn''t stupid enough to believe dwarves were any different.


    People were always going to be people. They''d always try to have things go their way, even if it meant harming others and being way too selfish. So no matter what, there was no way, I was going to believe in cheap things like what the Earl just said.


    He didn''t seem to like that view. "Anyway, I don''t care how. As long as you save this town, I''ll keep my promise. If you could fulfill the other one, I''ll keep that one too. If some other country is behind this, stopping this war would probably damage them, so they''ll act on that. We''ll know."

 Chapter 251 - Biteria?

    Even with cloak, people were recognizing me on spot.


    "Let''s go meet the king first," Alisa whispered. "There''s a possibility there might be a third one in this country too."


    I liked that idea. Lately, Alisa was saying a lot of witty things. But that''s when I remembered, she''d always been like this. I just never paid her enough attention. I always treated her like a child, but I guess that was just my shortcoming.


    And wait, how many frigging mystics were there?


    Anyway, I finally decided to respect her opinions as best I could. "Say, can you arrange an audience with the king?" I gave the earl a good talk and he sure wasn''t happy to hear that.


    The nobles gave me looks too. I guess they weren''t expecting that. Did they think I''d melt just because they were offering me a mystic equipment?


    I guess they did.


    The earl grinned. "You''re still considering." He chuckled. He controlled himself with a sigh. "It can be arranged. We can start for the capital as early as noon and reach there by tomorrow morning. But you''ll have to leave without me. The war would start exactly two days from now, and my town is in the frontlines: if I were to leave now-"


    I guess this guy was out of options too.


    "There''s no need. I can take us there within half an hour." Ve proudly flaunted her nonexistent chest. "And get us back within another half. Assuming the audience takes an hour, it''ll be a two-hour journey."


    Well, that was a bold claim.


    I still believed her. After all, she was a dragon.


    "That reminds me, who are these people? You never introduced yourselves." The earl finally asked the question he should have asked when we first met. But it was better that he hadn''t. "Even with the best of our tech, it''s impossible to travel that fast!"


    I sighed again. "Well, do introduce yourselves."


    This wasn''t going to end well.


    "Veniolar Xerces, Demigod of fire: a dragon of mount Dragnoid." Ve proudly introduced herself. The sheer pride of this girl kind of still amazed me.


    ''Fire? Oh-'' I knew Xerphas was going to send someone good, but I never thought he was going to send his own daughter: assuming he was the god of fire, which he probably was. Something was really fishy here though. Either way, Ve was a god and a dragon. Not the combination anyone would have wanted to mess with.


    At least I certainly didn''t.


    Everybody''s faces went a bit pale. And that was just with Ve. We had another one remaining.


    I felt bad for them already.


    "Alisa Ion-Damsiella, Princess of the forgotten kingdom of the west and also- the demigod of ice." Alisa gracefully presented herself.


    Those were a lot of heavy titles.


    Faces went even paler, my face was among those. What the hell was up with this world''s names! And I thought the geezer''s name was weird!


    Sweats were all over the place and the earl''s face was twitching a lot. "I-I see. Ahem*, lord Darr-cc and Lad-y Venio-" The guy stood up immediately and everyone in the room now go on their knees like they were praying or something.


    Apparently, now these guys felt the heat. And wasn''t this a bit too dramatic?


    "You don''t have to change your attitude. There''s no need. They are my trusted companions and that''s all you should worry about." After all, I most certainly didn''t want to think about all this.


    I could literally hear his breath even from two meters away. I could hear the gasps of people around us too. I guess seeing two flesh and blood half gods was too much for them.


    None of them got up though. Even the soldiers were literally worshipping us.


    "Wh-what abvou- you-" His speech was suffering a lot.


    "I''m human. Don''t worry about it." At least I believed I was human. Now, I wasn''t so sure anymore though. I had godly blood in my veins, according to various sources and even I wasn''t sure what that meant. But at the end of the day, I was human at heart regardless of what I''d become.


    Yeah, he wasn''t buying that. But he did calm down a bit. "We c-can really reach the capital in h-half an hour?"


    "Yes."


    "P-please sort that thing you were talking about, let''s have breakfast a-and be on our way then. I''ll be sure to send a message to m-my father." He was still breathing heavily and stuttering a lot but he seemed to be getting a bit better.


    Well, this certainly wasn''t the reaction I was hoping for, but oh well.


    "That was the plan." I started walking out. ''Kind of.''


    No one stopped us. No one dared. They didn''t even look up to us anymore. Heads were all down.


    Were gods really that great?


    I didn''t think so.


    Just outside though- "Hey, you''re royalty?"


    "Yes. I was once a princess, long ago." Alisa smiled and looked proud. No wonder, she saw through almost everything.


    We kept on walking out of the hall.


    "I''m technically a princess too by the way." Ve volunteered some unwanted information. I wished she''d keep her mouth shut.


    I almost wanted to bang my head against a wall. Why was my life so full of royalty and politics!


    Sigh.


    But anyway, I had a bunny to catch. "Let''s go."


    ***


    Walking around was kind of a chore.


    I actually didn''t notice till now that my whole body stung. I had no visible wounds, not even one, but everything ached: everything.


    We were attracting a lot of attention while walking down the road. The atmosphere was a bit brighter too. Children were finally running around, there were hustles and chatter down the roads and the small stores. This town finally looked like an actual town. And it was just morning too.


    I was getting praises and loads of attention. And not to mention I was getting way too much attention among the girls.


    I really didn''t like the glares coming from my sides though.


    Meanwhile, my eyes lids were in the middle of shutting down: I felt more and more tired by the second.


    "By the way, I had wounds last night and drank a drop of elixir and used some magic on me. I''m not sure, which one worked but my body aches a lot. And I feel like I could fall asleep any minute." And I was also talking with my eyes closed.


    I didn''t know which one of them patted my back, but it felt so good, I kind of almost fell over. And then she proceeded to grab me, so I didn''t fall. It was probably Ve.


    She sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder what is wrong with you. Let''s go sit over there." Yup, it was Ve.


    I had no idea where she was leading me, as my eyes were still closed. It was like, I was feeling sleepy one minute, and in the next couldn''t even keep my eyes open anymore and fell asleep for a few seconds, every few seconds. Definitely not the best time to talk a walk.


    I got seated and this time, Alisa ruffled my hair. Her hands were smaller than Ve''s, it was easy to tell. She whispered something. I couldn''t follow it, it was too fast.


    And moments later, my eyes blitzed open!


    I saw Ve''s hands over my head and her hands glowed in white light: holy magic.


    I looked around haphazardly and there was a small crowd in front of me and I was seated on a bench.


    "What happened?" I was kind of confused.


    The last few minutes were weird. I didn''t know what was going on.


    "You actually had a curse on you." Alisa was right in front of me and she crossed her arms. "Hard to imagine you were still awake even through all that. I guess we can thank your other curse for that."


    "What did I have?" I still had a curse on me? Cause I certainly didn''t feel anything. I knew I had the regeneration curse, but what else did I have?


    "You were infected with a sleep parasite. In humans, it only acts like a sleep drug, but the more mana you have, the worse it becomes. And in your case, with both the curses fighting against each other, everything got slowed and that''s why you were feeling mildly sleepy till now. But the moment you started to relax and all the fatigue caught up, the sleep curse overtook and that happened. I couldn''t cure it fully yet. It''ll take some time."


    "My healing powers are very limited, so don''t expect that ache you talked about being fully cured either," Ve said.


    Now that she mentioned it, I did feel a lot better.


    "That''s great and all, but what about them?" The crowd looked rather worried.


    "They were just here to make you nothing bad happened to you." Alisa shrugged. "As if they had any power." She mumbled.


    "Uh-huh." I did not want to think about it. "Anyway, let''s head over the inn."


    I recognized the surroundings.


    "Right."


    We got up and started walking. The crowd didn''t follow us everywhere, but I got the impression we were under constant watch. I never actually received attention like this, not even in Alfeime. Back there, people were just staring, not following me around.


    The inn was close and it took another minute to actually reach the place.


    It was early morning, probably around eight-thirty. If only my watch was still alive. The poor thing got dissolved way back when.


    There were little to no customers going in. it wasn''t like this yesterday though. Anyway, we went in.


    At least now there won''t be my followers stalk- following me.


    "Welcome!"


    We were welcomed just like yesterday and as expected, there weren''t many customers in here. I guess most people just wanted some fun night service.


    The staffs were here but I didn''t see as many as I saw yesterday. Maybe they''d come later, or only worked at night? I didn''t know.


    I walked towards the girl at the counter and she immediately put on a smile.


    "I''m looking for my bunny. Have you seen it?" I cut to the chase, I didn''t have time after all.


    She thought for a second, looked back and forth between Alisa and Ve. Something was up. And I didn''t like to be kept out of the loop like this. "I''m not sure. I don''t think so."


    "Do you mind if I take a look upstairs?" I mean, we still paid for the room, so it was our room anyway, at least till noon.


    There was a lot more back and forth action and finally- "Sure." She was a bit reluctant but she permitted me regardless.


    Very suspicious.


    And with that, I headed up straight away.


    The stairs didn''t stop me. The hallway felt small. Nothing could get in the way, of my lovely bunny and me.


    I reached and slammed the door open.


    Something was inside.


    ''What the hell!?''


    "Bit-Biteria!"


    Oh my god.


    My lovely bunny- I could almost cry. In fact, I did.

 Chapter 252 - This Can’t Be! It Just Can’t! No, Seriously!

    In front of me was something that had bunny ears. And I recognized those ears right away.


    It was Biteria, there was no doubt about it. But there was a problem.


    "Biteria?" I took a step forward, too cautious. I really hoped it wasn''t Biteria.


    The thing made just the sounds Biteria used to make. It was at least ten times bigger than Biteria and maybe half the Size of Alisa.


    But that wasn''t the problem. The thing was bald and it had fur on its head instead of hair.


    But that wasn''t a problem either. The thing looked like a human, kind of like Alisa.


    But even that wasn''t the problem. The real problem was- it looked at least a hundred years old. Keyword- at least!


    "Oh, Biteria, what has happened to you?" I grabbed her, hugged and cried.  Wrinkled, skin, no hair, short slouching stature. Her eyes were red, and her fur was pinkish-white. She was wearing a cloth. The poor thing. "It''ll be all right now that-" I actually didn''t get to finish.


    There was a bit of pressure on my hand followed by searing pain. And then I noticed, I was being bitten solidly by this thing. But the mere expression she wore- a smug of doom- was more frightening than the intense pain.


    I did not like that look.


    I pushed her away and hid behind Ve. "What the hell happened to her!?"


    I had bite marks: the marks were kind of in between a human''s and Biteria''s.


    "This is why, we didn''t want you to see her, but-" Alisa sighed and went towards Biteria. "She''s still your bunny: probably."


    As I thought, these two already knew.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes." She patted Biteria''s fur.


    Biteria purred and promptly bit Alisa.


    "Are you sure, sure!" Because it sure didn''t look like that.


    She looked at me a bit pained. And then screamed and started to run around.


    And all this time, I was still hiding behind Ve.


    "Have some courage. It''s just a rabi-" Ve''s voice stopped as her head was literally inside Biteria''s mouth. And Biteria was literally hanging down from her head. "-It."


    Biteria''s expression was somewhere in between a grin and a smirk. The damn thing was enjoying all this.


    Ve grabbed the bunny and pulled her off, shoving her down at the floor, breaking the floor, and making a hole in the process.


    "As I said, she''s just a rabbit. Don''t worry about it." She acted nonchalant but was bleeding from various places from her head. And not to mention she just created a hole on the floor.


    Arghh!!


    Biteria was an undead, meaning we didn''t have to worry about her life, but seriously!


    I really wanted to cry, and I might have already been crying too. My wet cheeks were proof of that.


    ***


    With loads of sniffs like I''d contracted pneumonia, I headed down to apologize to the owner of this place: It was probably the girl by the counter. I actually wasn''t sure though.


    Sigh.


    My lovely bunny wunny- was no more.


    I reached the bottom floor, there was an old hag lying there- namely, my former bunny. She was covered in debris and that ragged cloth, pretending to be dead. Unfortunately, it was already dead.


    Some of the staff were trying to figure out what just happened.


    "Really sorry about this." I really was. "I''ll pay the damage fees."


    But more importantly, I just wanted to forget about all this. Couldn''t I just run away?


    The girl behind the counter came towards us. "It''s okay. The repairs won''t cost much anyway. But are you sure- that''s your bunny and not some random hag pretending?" She was curious.


    I was curious too until I saw those big luscious eyes and those fluffy ears.


    There was no doubt about it, this was my bunny alright. I sighed again. "Yes, unfortunately." I grabbed her, wrapped the cloth a bit tight, so she wouldn''t be able to move around, and held her like a potato sack. She was definitely awake and trying to break free: so much for pretending to be dead. "If you bite me, no meat for you, for the next three months." And I meant that too.


    "Hmpf!" She pouted. That almost sounded like a voice.


    "Please don''t ever start talking." I''d be too devastated.  I cleared my throat. "Thank you for everything, we have to get back to the castle- manor-building?" I wasn''t sure anymore.


    The bunny didn''t move and just stayed like that. This thing could literally understand me and was definitely sentient. Then why the hell did it end up like this? Couldn''t it have stayed a lovely bunny forever?


    The girl by the counter giggled. "Why don''t you have breakfast here?"


    "Didn''t we already promise the earl?" I whispered to Alisa.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t think he''ll be that worried about food of all things after our introduction."


    Considering how much these two traumatized them? Yeah I didn''t think so.


    I almost wanted to chuckle but I was kind of hungry too. "Alright. Let''s eat then."


    ***


    The food was good. It was good last night too, but those were more like snacks to go along with the drinks. But this breakfast menu was quite extensive and not to mention very, very delicious. I always liked the food of inns like these.


    They even provided me with a cup of hot almost purple liquid, this stuff was like coffee: looked terrible, smelled great. Finally! I actually wanted to buy their whole stock and keep it in my ring, but in the end, they only gave me a handful of beans and called it a day: enough for five, or perhaps six brews. They had a business to run too, after all. They did tell me about a place in the capital where I could have bought more, and I needed to buy some weapons too, namely a sword. So I guess, running around in the capital was a must now.


    The beans were similar to red grams rather than coffee. Oh well, as long as it tasted nice, nothing else mattered. On second thought, maybe looks did matter, cause this stuff was reminding me of the rotten blood. ''Better find me an edible dye first.''


    The food at the castles and palaces were good, smelled great but they lacked something. I didn''t know what, but l really liked food like this, where I could get my hands dirty and have fun while eating, with my friends.


    I still mostly ate with forks though.


    Though technically, I didn''t know if these three were my friends or not. One was a few millennia-old princess and looked like she was thirteen while the other was a part dragon and just as old if not older, and definitely looked like a beautiful man: almost totally flat. And the last one was a bunny but currently, a hag. I really didn''t know if they considered me their friends or not.


    "Say, what am I, to you guys?" Only after asking that did I notice, how stupid that sounded.


    Every single one of them looked at me and stopped eating, even my former bunny.


    I really kind of made this awkward, didn''t I? ''Please don''t look at me like that.'' I couldn''t say it out loud though.


    They exchanged glances and after a while, Ve cleared her throat. "What say you, if we give our consensus at a later date?"


    Why the hell did she start sounding all formal?


    I didn''t know why but I felt a little vexed. Just what the hell did they think of me, that they couldn''t tell me on the spot? But yeah, this was for the better. At least, it was better than this thing being way too awkward. Not that it made any difference, after all, this whole thing got plenty awkward already.


    With a long breath, I just continued eating. I guess I was the only one who thought of them as friends.


    Meanwhile, the former bunny was right next to me, and patted my shoulder with a purr: I was glad it didn''t start talking. It was small and it was cute, but it was old! Like seriously old! Even my grandma wasn''t this old before she passed away!


    But then again, I had issues with my grandma and old women in general, so maybe that was why I felt uncomfortable around them?


    Well, at least she was comforting me.


    I felt a bit better.


    "Do, we have any idea what happened to her?"


    My question was mostly aimed at Alisa, after all, she was probably the most knowledgeable among us: keyword, probably.


    "For the time being, no. I have some theories but I need some time to be completely sure."


    Well, at least she had some idea. But more importantly- "Is it reversible!"


    "Calm down, let''s wait and see." Ve drank her coffee-like drink.


    ''Easy for you to say!'' These two had limitless patience. I didn''t.


    But they were right, I had to be at least a little patient


    And so, breakfast was over and after paying the owner and exchanging some small talk, we headed back for the manor-castle thingy. I didn''t even know what I was referring to anymore.


    Needless to say, I still had to carry Biteria like a potato bag.

 Chapter 253 - Once A Dick, Always A Dick

    Dick was a weird guy. I''d known him for almost a month and a half. At times, he openly showed his jealousy, and at other times, I felt like maybe he hated me or something. Not to mention he was annoying.


    But now that he was gone, I did kind of miss him.


    "Hey, isn''t that Dick?" And now, I started seeing him too?


    Ve and Alisa followed my gaze and a second later they started to walk in that direction without a word.


    So much for team play.


    I just quietly followed them.


    Dick was actually walking down an alleyway. He was certainly in a good mood. It almost felt like he was with someone, but I didn''t actually see anyone.


    Probably just my imagination.


    This whole thing reminded me of a certain incident and I didn''t like this d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling.


    ''Please don''t be what I think it is.''


    Just thinking about what happened last time, kind of reminded me of a lot of things I wanted to forget. Why the hell was I thinking and traumatizing myself for no reason at all?


    I didn''t know. My brain worked in weird mysterious ways.


    The alleyway led to another alleyway, and within due time, Dick was gone: he never even considered that he was being followed.


    He didn''t just disappear completely though: It was more like he entered a building. But this building really, really bothered me.


    Honestly, I didn''t want anything to do with that building. Why? Because it had the same sign as the one I saw in Moire- ''Be virgin no more.'' But that wasn''t even the worst part of it.


    An old two-storied building and looked like it was haunted or something. The atmosphere around the place was dark and there wasn''t anyone around.


    I really had a bad feeling about this and I didn''t want anything to do with this. Dick could have picked anywhere else in the world, but he just had to pick this one.


    "Let''s go back. The Earl is waiting." I had a Biteria to carry, and it probably wasn''t the best idea to bring in two girls and a hag into a place like that.


    But then again, weren''t all three of them hags in the first place?


    "There''s something there."


    "Yes, something sinister."


    However, both of my companions had something else in mind. Something sinister?


    Over and over, I kept getting the d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling.


    "Yeah, that''s why I''m saying let''s go." After all, I didn''t need to worry about Dick and I didn''t want to either. I already had my hands full with the shit I''d gotten myself into. I didn''t need nor want more.


    Ve just looked at me with a dull look. "There might be a spirit there."


    "A sinister feeling spirit? You mean an evil spirit?" I smiled. "Let''s go." As in go back to the manor- castle, whatever.


    I just wanted to get out of here.


    Alisa still walked ahead anyway. "Well, Dick already went in, so we have to at least see what he''s up to."


    Neither of them listened to my pleas.


    Why the hell was Dick doing this to me? First, he had to go to a goblins nest, now a brothel with a malicious spirit? Was he trying to get killed or something? And was he trying to kill me in the process too?


    But in the end with a sigh, we all entered the two-storied building that looked like a hellhole of sorts.


    ***


    "Welcome." A bald man grinned victoriously as he welcomed us in. his eyes were a bit too fixated on Alisa. "We can provide for you three, but for the little miss, I''m afraid our policy won''t allow it."


    It wasn''t as shabby inside- at least that''s what I wanted to say, but unfortunately, it was worse. There was a moldy smell in the air and the whole place was old.


    Even places like these had standards I guess. Wait, was he seriously going to allow Biteria but not Alisa?


    What the hell?


    I controlled my thoughts and looked at Ve, because frankly, I didn''t know what we were doing. Though I had doubts she knew either.


    "We would actually like a room for ourselves. You see, the inns weren''t enough."


    I stood wrong. Ve knew exactly what she was doing. I really wished she hadn''t done this though.


    The man grinned again and showed his teeth. "Through the hallway second floor, room 202. Two silver a piece for a day." His smile was totally aimed at me. I really didn''t want to be here, like seriously.


    We had a pay eight silvers upfront. The inn cost about 5 with food. So yeah, definitely not a steal.


    With a sigh, I paid, took the keys, and started going up. I was questioning my life choices all over again.


    Alisa pulled on my sleeves. "It''s actually down the hallway and left. I think Mig is there too."


    I really didn''t want to see whatever was there though.


    Why did we decide to go ghost hunting in the middle of the day, anyway? It was better than hunting in the night, right? Wrong. There was no sunlight in here, and the whole place was lighted by lamps here and there: there were no windows, shadows and darkness was everywhere. So it was probably pretty much like night.


    Did I forget to mention, I did not want to be here?


    We reached the second floor and needless to say, the moans and smell in the air weren''t pleasing: the moldy smell only intensified. Ve wasn''t affected and neither was Biteria. But Alisa grabbed one of my sleeves and just stayed close. I almost felt like I had a little sister now.


    I wanted to cover my nose. But the moment I tried to, Ve grabbed my hand and whispered something. "Don''t use mana haphazardly."


    I didn''t know what that meant but I didn''t use the ring.


    The floor creaked as we moved forward. It wasn''t just the moans though, there were other sounds too- sounds of torture. I guess people liked a lot of stuff I didn''t want to know about. And I certainly didn''t want to know them, ever.


    And then there was the rotten smell in the air. This place had a lot more going than just plain pleasure hunting.


    I wanted nothing to do with all that. But sadly, no one listened.


    We reached the end of the hallway and then turned left. There was just one door and it was closed: room 213.


    "What now?"


    "We go in." Ve knocked.


    Was it me, or was she being too bold?


    Biteria grabbed my neck a bit tighter. Now that I looked carefully, she wasn''t bound anymore and was just hanging down. I really hoped she wouldn''t bite.


    There was no apparent sound coming from the other side and strangely, there wasn''t any sound in this place and smell either. Well, it probably wasn''t that strange, considering there was probably a malicious spirit just inside this door.


    I felt a bit strange but I didn''t let my guard down.


    Ve knocked, again and again, nothing. "We should break this door."


    It was a wooden door. So the cost probably wasn''t going to be that high. But- seriously- breaking into the wrong door of a brothel? I''d probably have loads of rumors about me after this.


    But oh well. "Yeah, let''s."


    At that very second, Ve transformed her hand and punched the door. The wood wasn''t strong enough.


    I wished she''d taken a bit more delicate approach, but oh well.


    The door was broken and it kind of fell on the other side. Finally, we saw two things. One- Dick was on the floor, having sweet dreams, and two- a floating black spiky-misty thingy.


    Yup, both of our targets were right in front of us.


    For a second I could swear I saw a face in the middle of that thing: a face with red eyes. But after looking carefully, I saw nothing.


    "What happened!" The bald guy from downstairs came running with a club and he was about to hit me too, with an angry face, but then he saw inside the room. "What the hell is that! Who are you people?"


    Well, this was going to be a pain. I didn''t think he''d come running. I''d just assumed he''d ignore everything that went by. Obviously, I was wrong.


    ''What the hell do I say now?'' For a second I thought hard. "Oh," I had a plan. A grin surfaced. "A first-class adventurer. I sensed that there was an evil spirit nearby and came to your rescue."


    Both of my companions shrugged. I guess it was a bit too much.


    "Head''s up." Ve took the front and fired small blasts of fire, enough to not damage the building by mistake. But the thing just dodged and it was definitely fast.


    But it wasn''t actually attacking us. I didn''t know why but its eyes were a bit too fixated on my bunny, or bunny-like thingy and me, even though Ve was attacking.

 Chapter 254 - Once A Dick, Always A Dick (Part Two)

    I focused and created a small ball of light.


    But the moment the ball manifested the black thing screamed in a very high-pitched voice so loud, I felt my eardrums would burst, but after what my ears went through, no such thing happened.


    The voice did resemble a girl''s though. And yet the thing still wasn''t attacking us.


    Since I had holy, basically the stuff that beat shadow, I had to take this one, whether I liked it or not. "I''ll take the lead." I walked ahead and Ve moved away.  The thing was slowly backing off. It didn''t have feet or hands. It was just a typical round spiky thing with black mist falling from it and disappearing: there was nothing typical about it though. "Do we know what it is?"


    I didn''t care though. I just wanted to get this over with and get out of here.


    "A malicious spirit, kill it before it-"


    I was looking at Alisa through my peripherals but just as her voice stopped, something touched me. Something cold- touched me.


    I felt like all my blood was being sucked dry. And Biteria was squeezing too tight. Were these two things trying to kill me or something?


    The floating spiky thingy was at least a meter away from me, and yet, somehow it had connected and memories started to flow in, blurry memories of torture, cries, and pain.


    I wanted to scream so bad that I literally felt my throat croaking a little. But no sound came out. Taking the front like this was a bad idea.


    I immediately threw the ball straight at the black thing and it connected.


    The black thing disappeared and so did the cold and the pain. "What was that?" My voice return.


    "-does that." Alisa sighed slapped her forehead.


    "Does what?" I felt weak but nothing serious.


    "Now you''re contracted. Congratulations." Alisa glared and boy was she angry.


    "But I just killed it." Probably.


    "Why do you think they form contracts? It''ll just regenerate."


    "Then how do I get rid of the contract?"


    Being contracted with that black thing?


    Yeah, I didn''t think so.


    "That''s the tricky part: I don''t know. If it were a normal spirit, you could have just asked. But not with this one." She sighed again. "Now, what about the pervert?"


    Well, that was one hell of a way to change the subject.


    "Let''s wake him up, I guess?"


    I tried tapping, calling his name, and even shaking the dude. But he was too busy dreaming. He had a smile on his face and he was enjoying things. He wasn''t having those types of dreams, right?


    Next, I let Ve handle it. I had enough.


    Ve sat down next to Dick and a second later Dick woke up. What miracle did she conjure? Slap him of course.


    Classic.


    "Wh-wha-what! What happened!" he looked around, finally settling his gaze on me and giving me a dull stare. "What are you doing here?"


    "My question, exactly. What are you doing here? Weren''t you supposed to go to Dracona?"


    "About that-" He chuckled and scratched his ears. Yeah, I saw where this was going. "Anyway, where''d she go?"


    "Who?"


    "The hot chick, I was with. You know, red eyes, black here, amazing skin." Halfway through he started daydreaming again.


    "He must be talking about the spirit," Alisa whispered.


    "That black thingy?" I could almost laugh.


    I actually did chuckle.


    "What black thingy?" Dick was confused, way too confused.


    "Oh boy." Oh boy indeed. I sighed. "Let''s get out of here. I feel rather uncomfortable here. We''ll fill you in outside."


    He grimaced a little but gave in. "Fine." I got the feeling he didn''t want to leave this place.


    I looked back at the bald guy and he was still sorting through his thoughts of what just happened. All this time he was too quiet.


    "Well, we got rid of the spirit, so all is okay. I kind of broke your door, so yeah, please use that money to fix that."


    I really hoped he wouldn''t charge me for this. After all, I was paying a lot of money just to be here.


    He sighed and gave me six coins. "I''ll take one for fixing the door and seven for my business. But I''m paying you six for getting rid of that thing. I''d been hearing a lot of complaints and my customers aren''t coming back. I never knew such a thing was here."


    Basically, I only lost two silvers over all this. It was better than losing eight.


    Maybe this guy wasn''t so bad. I took the money, smiled. "Good day. You might want to renovate and at least make the place a bit cleaner." I didn''t wait for his reply and started walking.


    "Was it always like this?" Dick mumbled. He had a cloth over his mouth and nose and looked around as we walked out and heard the numerous screams.


    I had no idea how he didn''t notice all this before.


    ***


    We were still in the alleyway but Dick refused to take another step. "What happened? And you better explain yourselves!"


    That was my line but oh well.


    "You were possessed by a shadow spirit of a former adulteress? That would be my best bet," Alisa said.


    I guess even she wasn''t sure.


    "Oh, you could see that thing back then?" I asked and both Alisa and Ve nodded. No wonder they were so hell-bent on going after that.


    "What do you mean? Do you know how beautiful that girl was? She probably even looked better than Daarc!"


    Seriously?


    That was not the comparison I was looking for. "Yeah, but apparently you were unconscious and the thing was probably about to suck you dry." I still didn''t know what malicious spirit even did but I took a guess anyway.


    Because no matter how I thought about it, I felt a lot more than just cold back then when it''d connected to me.


    I also took a side glance and Alisa nodded, meaning, I wasn''t too far off the mark.


    "It was still fun though." He almost cried. "I almost went as far as to undressing her too."


    I guess he really was having a good dream. Poor guy.


    "Anyway," Ve glared at him like he was some sort of bug. "If you''re done, do return to your comrades and secure our things." Did not expect that of her. I thought she''d just bat her eye and forget about this without an issue. "Because of you, we have more problems now." I guess I was wrong.


    "That being?" He asked.


    "That thing forced a contract between it and Daarc. And every night that''ll come and try to suck his life force."


    Now Dick just glared. "You''re contracted to that beautiful lady!" My god, what was wrong with this guy''s brain? "And you''re going to do it every night!?"


    I sighed. I had too much of this. "By the way, would it harm me in any way? This life-sucking business really sounds terrible."


    "If you let your guard down, yes. It can change your mindset, fill you up with negative emotions, and could potentially make you evil." Alisa looked at me with pity. "And if it sucks your life long enough, you might not make it past forty."


    "Sounds like a drag." A major drag. I wasn''t sure if I was ever going to have my 21st birthday or not, and forty? Yeah, I didn''t have that many plans.


    Actually, I haven''t really kept up with the dates. I knew it was somewhere around December but I didn''t know the dates. Well, there went my birthday. If I didn''t know the dates, how was I even going to think of a celebration? But then again, I never saw anyone in this world do such things. I hadn''t even seen a marriage ceremony let alone a birthday celebration.


    "But still, such a beautiful lady!" Dick again almost cried. And then he noticed something. "What the hell is that?"


    I could just sigh all day. "Dick meet Biteria, Biteria, meet Dick." Actually, Biteria for once was being awfully docile and didn''t make a fuss.


    But still.


    Why the hell would such a thing happen to my lovely bunny? I really wanted to know that.


    "Huh?" At first, Dick thought it was a joke but then he examined Biteria''s ears and then finally burst out laughing. He couldn''t stop laughing and almost fell to the ground too. "Justice is served!"


    Justice in what reality, exactly?


    I really wanted to punch this guy''s lights out but oh well. "Anyway, be on your way and I think we''ll be on ours." But just at that moment, Biteria jumped out of my shoulder towards Dick.


    This was definitely going to end well¡­ very well. I was happy inwardly, but outside, I showed concern.


    "ARGH¡­ AHHH¡­ ARGHGHGF!" Dick screamed around as BIteria bit his head and finally, after a minute of pain he slammed the bunny at the ground and before he could kick her, she climbed back my neck and hissed.


    Biteria was small, half the size of Alisa and though it looked awfully old, the thing was actually more agile than before.


    I wanted to laugh but oh well.


    "So, you''ll help them?" Dick asked a bit serious. He was bleeding but he pretended like nothing happened.


    "Yeah." I also pretended like nothing happened. It was impossible to keep my chuckles in control though.


    He turned around. "Good luck." He started walking. He didn''t even wait for my reply and walked fast, out of sight.


    "What was that about?" I mumbled. All this time, he was acting like a crybaby and now he just left? I guess the pain was too much for him.


    "Perhaps we shouldn''t trust him too much." Ve said.


    "I agree," Alisa said.


    "Trust me, I don''t trust anyone enough to blindly believe them. But yeah, I do trust Dick somewhat, as I do you two."


    "Being betrayed twice, wasn''t enough for you, apparently," Alisa mumbled and moved on.


    I didn''t actually want to tell her that it wasn''t just twice.


    Oh well. I started walking too.


    Next stop, the castle- manor- building?


    I had no idea.

 Chapter 255 - Is Flying Really That Necessary?

    We reached the castle-manor whatever thingy a bit later than I thought.


    The hall was mostly empty. And when we entered the throne room, all I saw was the earl going left to right, panicking.


    There weren''t many in here and the few that were were following him around like sheep and doing the same.


    "What happened?"


    Even the smell of the air was different. This morning, there was a fragment scent here, now, nothing.


    The moment he heard my voice, he jumped. "My lord, you''re back!"


    ''Please tell me you''re not jumping around because of me.'' I really hoped that wasn''t the case. "Did something happen?"


    "No, it''s just¡­ I thought you weren''t coming back. May-maybe we weren''t good enough for your lordship-"


    Was this guy serious?


    Yes!


    "Look here pal, I already took this job and I''m going to finish it. I don''t plan to run before finishing what I started." I really didn''t want to.


    His face lit up a little. Interesting performance. "Oh my lord!" he almost cried. Very interesting performance indeed. "Shall we have breakfast now?"


    This guy still hadn''t forgotten that?


    "Would you like to indulge your time on food while your country risks of being trampled over?" Alisa said. Her tone, very threatening.


    I guess she already knew how to handle this thing.


    "Very, well." The earl looked ahead. "How can I have food while you are risking your lives on an empty stomach?"  I had no idea what the hell he was staring at. "Let us traverse to the capital."


    Did-did we break him?


    It sure felt that way.


    And we kind of already had breakfast though. I almost felt bad.


    ***


    We climbed the stairs and it took roughly ten minutes to climb this whole thing. I really hoped the dwarves would invent an escalator like the elves or something, but oh well.


    My legs still hated me though.


    Once at the top of the building, aka, the mountain, I was lost. What were we supposed to do now and where were we even supposed to go?


    I had no idea.


    And it was pretty windy too.


    The earl brought two soldiers with him, one being the decorated one, and the other, a girl who looked like a scholar but wore armor. I didn''t know if just bringing two with him was a good idea on his part. After all, wasn''t he trusting me too much?


    But then again, he didn''t know how big Ve could get. Actually, I didn''t either.


    Just how big could Ve get anyway?


    "I''ll transform." As if to answer my question, Ve started to transform.


    Her proportions started to change and her height, weight everything changed. From just roughly six feet, she grew taller and taller, fatter and fatter until she finally settled around twenty-six in length and maybe eight in width.


    "Wait, weren''t you supposed to look like Xerphas? I mean he looked like a snake you know." A snake with wings to be more precise.


    But this guy, Ve looked more or less like the large dragon I fought outside the city walls.  Just about two or three times smaller. Kind of like those small dragons I fought inside the city of Tehram.


    Ve didn''t even acknowledge my question. "Climb on."


    I might or might not have offended her with that remark.


    I sighed. "Do you even know where to go?"


    I climbed first, followed by Alisa and then the Earl and his attendants. We were pretty high up in the mountain, but even from here, I could see loads and loads of people staring at us. And yet, no one was panicking.


    Did word travel that fast?


    "By the way, what is that thing?" The earl asked, pointing at my neck.


    "Trust me, I wanna know that too." I sighed. I sighed hard.


    "I''ve already given heads-up throughout the kingdom."


    "How?"


    "Wireless transmission." He grinned.


    These guys had already invented the radio!?


    Holy, mother of god. Oh wait, there were no gods left. Let alone their mothers.


    But still, this was a pretty good discovery. And if they had technology like this, they literally had a lot of advantage in the coming war.


    ''I''ve to stop this before all of this gets ugly.''


    Ve''s neck was pretty wide, so I couldn''t grab properly. And then there were the sharp scales. "Can''t you do anything about these?"


    Again, she didn''t acknowledge my presence. "Hold on tight."


    She flapped hard and I was already about to fall. Biteria was strangling me while Alisa was literally hugging me so tight, I felt like my lungs would burst. But they didn''t.


    What the hell had I gotten myself into?


    Ve slowly lifted off and within a minute picked up speed and altitude. Both my neck and my lungs were kind of safe now. I could breathe.


    I looked back and the earl was still here. He actually didn''t have a problem and nor did his attendants.


    Why the hell was I being squeezed alive then?


    All this ease up as Ve speed up some more and everything stabilized, but still!


    ***


    "That''s the capital!" The earl screamed.


    The wind was pretty high up here. I could barely keep my eyes open.


    "UH-HUH!"


    I nodded. There was nothing I could do but that. I could barely see the city and the thing in the middle of the city. A large castle with a garden of sorts in front of it.


    The city was bigger than Saram and probably more prosperous. Well, it was the capital after all. And it was surrounded by mountains on all sides except the front.


    I guess this was a recurring thing with the dwarves. They favored defense over everything else.


    I didn''t care though. Just looking down, was making the winds screw my eyes. I really wanted some goggles right about now.


    Ve, smoothly took us down- at least that''s what I wanted to say, but she didn''t.


    She blitzed, rolled, and descended super-fast, almost as if, she really, really wanted to kill us.


    Me to be more specific!


    "AHHHH!"


    ***


    When I finally touched the ground, I started to kiss the grass, literally. "I''ll never fly with you again! Ever!"


    I glared Ve but she just looked sideways and pouted.


    What the hell was she getting mad for? I was the victim here!


    But she was true to her word, she had gotten us here in less than half an hour.


    The earl had actually brought an hourglass to confirm all this, and sure enough, it was still ticking. The sand was still about one-tenth remaining, meaning we were at least three mins early.


    I took deep breaths and stood tall as a group of men headed towards us.


    I looked around and there were soldiers in all sides but they weren''t making any attempts in coming towards us like the ones in front.


    Roughly ten meters away from us, they all bowed. Every soldier in the vicinity followed suit. Even the ones far away.


    Honestly, I did not understand royalty.


    "Lord Daarc Green, it is a pleasure to meet you in a flesh." All of them were suit-wearing people, so I guess they were just high-class soldiers. Some actually looked like nobles.


    One of them was the leader who, if I was being frank, looked pretty strong. Like seriously, strong. I didn''t know if he was or not, but he sure looked the part. And his armor was black, like literally. Was he a dark knight or something?


    "The pleasure is all mine, please raise your heads."


    I was really envious of that color for some reason. It was definitely not because of my name, okay!?


    They promptly stood up and again bowed in a courtly manner. "You''re far too kind. Please follow us, my lord."


    Well, wasn''t this guy humble!


    I gave a side glance to my companions and they all nodded.


    Strangely, no one even acknowledged the presence of the earl.


    I guess he wasn''t as important as I thought him to be. But wasn''t the Earl a prince?


    ***


    The castle from the outside looked a bit better than the Earl''s home but overall, the same design, just enlarged a little.


    I did like this green garden though. It didn''t have much but the grass was soft and there were flowers scattered here and there. The smell was nostalgic.


    Once in, things were a bit different. First of all, there were a lot more soldiers in here, maids and even butlers. And instead of being a long linear hallway, this place was like a maze. Plus there were more colors. This really was a castle fit for royalty. And everything was scented with tuberose essence.


    My initial impression definitely did not do this place justice.


    "Please wait a moment here, my lord." The soldier again bowed. "I''ll inform my lord beforehand."


    Wait, hadn''t the earl done that?


    I nodded. The soldier went in.


    Something seemed fishy. I was sure they wouldn''t pull something stupid but I couldn''t be too sure. So I kept my guard up and also kept my eyes on my surroundings.


    I glanced back at the earl and he came close. "You''ll understand soon enough, why I was against this," he whispered.


    Wait, you were against this? Hey, no one told me!


    Sigh.


    "Now, entering, the lord of Helsing, the Archduke of Alfeim, Lord Daarc Green!" A herald declared the large double door started to open.


    "By the way, are lord and duke the same?" I whispered to Alisa.


    "No, and that''s a major offense. Don''t let this pass." She hissed back.


    "Roger."


    We went in.

 Chapter 256 - Royals Are Just A Pain In The Ass

    The room inside, or rather the throne room was kind of large. It was bigger than what I''d seen in Alfeime and Helsing.


    Moreover, there were rather big people inside this room. And here I thought Dwarven nobility looked like humans.


    Boy was I wrong. Because every single one was a giant of sorts.


    "Welcome, Lord Daarc Green."


    The man on the throne, the king was probably the largest and basically, he was still seated. He greeted me fairly politely and the nobility around him bowed their heads a bit as did the soldiers. Technically I was the guest, so I had to bow.


    And I was about to bow out of courtesy when Alisa all of a sudden stood in front of me. I had a bad feeling about this.


    "It would seem Dwarven Royalty are nothing but rude imbeciles."


    Wait, what the hell did she just say?


    She glanced back at me a second later and winked.


    Well, this wasn''t going to end well.


    I could already feel the imminent headache coming.


    Everyone in the room was surprised, myself included.


    Some of the nobility even had their mouths hanging. The earl behind has had a similar expression.


    This really wasn''t going to end well.


    "Throw them out." The king finally spoke.


    A rather wise decision from him, a very wise decision. It was so wise, that I almost wanted to laugh at his face. But it was better than executing us and having another war on himself.


    Yeah, a really wise decision indeed.


    The soldiers who bought us here were definitely rather conflicted on what they wished to do.


    "This is bad," The earl hissed under his breath. "Father''s serious."


    I sighed. Well, this was something. I was about to speak, but Alisa took the lead. At this point, I just gave up.


    "It would seem, you''re even bigger of a fool than I took you to be. You''d lay a hand on the archduke of Alfeime and two demigods?" Alisa chuckled condescendingly. "How low the dwarves have fallen."


    The king had a large beard covering his whole face but he was so mad, that even his beard shook. "Now!"


    "What are you waiting for you?" A voice came from the right of the king, probably one of the ministers.


    The soldiers rushed for us but I just stood there, without moving a muscle. These morons started it, so I''ll let them handle it.


    Alisa glowed in blue and a second later all the soldiers were frozen to their hips. Next, she moved closer to the throne. "Don''t take us lightly, apologize."


    The king again started to shake but this time, still out of anger and maybe a bit of fear. "What, are you doing, execute them already!"


    Well, looks like we pushed him too far. I guess everyone had their limits.


    And Alisa sure wasn''t happy with that.


    One of the soldiers broke free: just one. The one with the black armor. "I don''t know what you wish to accomplish with this, but I will obey the command of his majesty." Looked like his life was a drag too.


    "I''ll handle it," Ve spoke softly.


    Yeah, didn''t want to bother with this anyway.


    Both of them rushed at each other and started fighting.


    Meanwhile, all this stuff was kind of making me feel stupid. Couldn''t we have done this in a civilized manner?


    But this just felt too normal. I wasn''t even concerned anymore. I guess my mind kind of adapted to all this.


    "What is going on!" The earl whispered vigorously.


    "Trust me, I want to know that too."


    While Ve and the man were on a stalemate, Alisa started sorting things over.


    "He is the ruler of Helsing! The duke! Not a lord! And you will apologize for it!"


    I looked around and the general conscience was ''just for something that simple?''


    Obviously, I had the same thought. But I knew Alisa probably had some other plan.


    She was too shrewd to do something like this for something so trivial.


    Wait, but what if-


    Just thinking was enough to make me feel weird again: and not to mention the splitting headache.


    "Can we get a move on? We have other stuff to do too." And I was getting awfully impatient.


    "As I said, apologize," Alisa demanded, paying me no need.


    I guess that was a no.


    The king gritted his teeth and grinded them. "Very well." He glared at me. "Forgive me, Lord Daarc." He stood up from his throne and bowed his head slightly.


    Well, that was something.


    I nodded. Did not expect that one.


    Alisa smiled and stood right next to me. "You''re welcome," She whispered.


    ''Yeah, no one asked you!'' Obviously, I couldn''t say that to her face.


    The knight fighting with Ve backed off and stood next to his frozen peers. The frozen peers weren''t so frozen anymore and they all breathed heavily. Some even shivered a lot but didn''t create any commotion.


    Meanwhile, there were only whispers among the nobility.


    "Well, what now?" I whispered.


    "The rest is up to you. They had to know their place, otherwise, they''d have thought you were doing this for charity," Alisa winked.


    Technically, I was.


    That kind of made sense though, but this was too much. The king was still glaring at me. I guess he hated me now.


    I glared back at the king. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." I gave him a courtly bow. He nodded, still glaring. "I''m not sure how much you''re aware of. But I''m the duke of Helsing and the Archduke of Alfeime. Both of my companions are demigods, and this thing is a bunny god from the Braskan islands." As usual, Biteira was still clinging to my neck: I still didn''t know if there was such a thing as a bunny god or not, but oh well: I really hoped I said the name right though. And I also tried my best not to sound condescending. "We''re on a mission to search for strong weapons and armor, and we help people in need." I tried to be frank and I could see Alisa grimacing a little. But I kind of had too much of sugarcoating. "So, give me all the Mystic equipment you have and I''ll stop this war for you."


    After saying the last bit, I realized, I might or might not have sounded like a complete asshole.


    He looked at me seriously for a moment almost as if implying ''what the hell are you smoking?'' and then finally burst out laughing. A lot of other nobles also laughed. "I will crush the humans regardless. I don''t need your help. Go back to your country."


    Well, at least he was polite about it.


    So instead, I chose a different approach. "Well, I did receive a different job too, being, if I could dethrone you and let a certain someone take over, I''ll still get the weapons. So I guess, I win, either way?"


    All eyes were behind me. I guess the earl wouldn''t be getting out of this alive, but, honestly, he shouldn''t have trusted me this much.


    I might have created a bit more of a problem for me in the heat of the moment.


    ''How am I going to get out of this one?''


    "Very well. You''ll leave us alone if we give you a mystic weapon?" The king spoke majestically. He wasn''t having my BS.


    This guy was a lot more agreeable than I thought. "I was promised two."


    He grimaced. I guess that was pushing it. "Very well."


    Very, very agreeable.


    ''Now what?'' I kind of dug my own grave with this one. I thought he was going to be stingy and I''ll taunt my way out of this, but now what! "Why are you fighting, because of your son?" I desperately searched for a way to continue the conversation.


    ''Please say something¡­. please!'' If he wasn''t going to try something with me, I couldn''t get out of this. I really felt terrible now. It wasn''t going my way one bit.


    After a brief moment of silence, the king began. "Yes. The humans have kidnapped him." I was actually expecting something along the lines of it wasn''t my business or something like that. "And because of that, I might have shown you disrespect. And I apologize for that."


    Again, I did not expect that. What the hell! Why wasn''t this dude trying to insult me or something!


    Frankly, I was losing my mind.


    "The humans are also saying the same thing. So, if I''m being honest, I think there''s a third party at play here." I had no idea, but I still kept on talking anyway.


    He looked at me again with a bit of seriousness. "And who do you suggest are the culprits?"


    "It could be anyone. It could even be one of your ministers hoping to seize the throne." Again, I was just keeping the conversation going.


    And I was falling down the rabbit hole more and more.


    "That is nonsense!"


    "We would never do that!"


    "How could you say that!"


    Apparently, the nobles were going crazy over that. They did not like my analogy.


    Well, this just got out of my control.


    I sighed and looked at Alisa. ''Well, do something!'' She was the one who started this. The least she could do was help me!

 Chapter 257 - And That Concludes This Godforsaken Meeting

    Alisa sighed as well and came in front of me, again. "Forgive me for my rude performance earlier my lord." She bowed on her knees.  Well, that was new: apparently, a lot of things were new today. "We were merely testing you. And what my lord said, were all tests as well. Of course, he means to lend you a hand and it is true he is seeking the weapons but even he knows he cannot just claim your treasures without your permission." She was basically saying the same stuff just with a lot more politeness. Well, she certainly would''ve won me over with that. "And we haven''t received any missions to dethrone you either. My lord is terrible with lies."


    And she also saved the butt of the earl. Clever.


    It was a problem because of my stupidity in the first place though. So yeah, in a sense, she was just covering for me.


    The king laughed hard. "Yes, it would seem that way." I wasn''t lying though. I was still relieved. Alisa really was something. "Then you would lend us your strength?"


    The nobles were relieved and so were the ministers. I guess everyone bought Alisa''s words.


    I could hear the relief from the earl too. The poor guy probably hated me right now.


    But I had to do something now. I couldn''t screw up again. "I cannot speak on behalf of my kingdom as I already gave the reigns to someone else. I can, however, negotiate with the humans and find out what happened and also get back your son, if you should trust me." I sure hope I could do that. "So, yes, I''m on your side." Assuming, these guys weren''t the kidnappers.


    He thought for a second. "I do trust you, not because you came with two gods, no. But somehow you seem kind enough to actually help us in this dire situation." I guess that was a yes.


    Well, that sure was one hell of a roundabout way of saying, we just want your help.


    But yeah, at least all this worked. I really, really had to thank Alisa later on. Wait, wasn''t it her fault, to begin with? Or had she planned all this from the start?


    Sigh. I wasn''t sure anymore. Why was my life like this?


    Anyway, with all that over with, I switched my attention to something else. That being the actual war. "Can you tell me more details of the war? As in when it''ll happen, what are the stakes and all that?" I had to know more about the actual thing if I wanted to stop it in the first place.


    "The battle will take place today afternoon and we will commence a ceremonial fight. Afterward, it''ll be a full-blown war from tomorrow." The king started to speak in informal terms, meaning he was taking this a bit easier than before.


    I had no idea what this ceremonial crap was but I could take a hint. "So basically, today no one would kill one another?" At least that was my best guess.


    But seriously? The fight would start today?


    "Yes, but you may mortality wound your opponent." The king reassured me as though he thought of me like some mindless killer or something.


    Just what kind of image did the dwarves had of me?


    I have a glance back at the earl and he smirked a little. ''I saw that!''


    What the hell was the point of not killing your opponent? In the end wouldn''t they just suffer some more?


    I sighed again. "Where will this ceremonial fight take place?"


    "Near Saram."


    No wonder the earl was so into having me save him. "Alright, we''ll do something with that and use this as an excuse to initiate a negotiation with them. If I think they are hiding your prince then I''ll snatch him from them and they''ll be punished accordingly. Obviously, the same goes for you." I had no idea who or what we were dealing with, but after taking this whole thing on, it was too late to give up now anyway. So I just went with the flow.


    I was definitely regretting all this though.


    The king chuckled. "That goes without saying. If you should find proof that we''re hiding them, you have my word, I''ll abdicate my throne to even a failure like that." The king sure was in a hearty mood. But I got the impression he really trusted me, or maybe he was even more of an expert at pretending than Araan was.


    I really hoped it wasn''t the latter.


    Obviously, he was talking about the earl. I gave earl another glance and he just had his head down. I was actually expecting him to give me another smirk but I guess even he had a heart. He was probably just pretending though.


    "Because he''s not big enough? I remember once calling a dwarf fat and nearly losing my life. Do you guys treasure your sizes and divide yourselves accordingly? Of course, I don''t mean that in any offensive way."


    "Yes." The king wasn''t offended. I guess this was a problem then. "We do have such hierarchy among the nobles."


    The nobles nodded along and they didn''t actually question this either.


    But I didn''t have anything to do with it. I turned around and stared at the Earl. "Well, let''s go I guess. Our job is finished. Do you have anything to say?"


    "No." He didn''t look me in the eye. He probably hated me and he also probably hated his father. I could feel it.


    I could see where this was going. And I didn''t like it.  "Say, your highness. Let''s say I solve all this without any bloodshed, what will you do then?"


    A very bold claim on my part but I intended to finish this without actually killing people. It was probably just my na?ve thinking and I knew I''d eventually end up killing people regardless, but I didn''t want to. So far in my journey, the only things sentient I''d killed were demons, undead, dragons, and goblins. And I knew the agony I went through. I didn''t want humans or dwarves or even elves to be added to that category. I didn''t want another regret.


    It really was na?ve thinking but I wanted to stick with my principles.


    "I will hand over the mystic weapons to you and open diplomatic relations with your country if you should wish that. Of course, anything more than that-"


    "Would be a stretch, I know." I smiled. "But, I had one request and I was hoping you''d listen to it after completing all this."


    "That being?" The king was a bit skeptical but he was willing to listen.


    "Please treat this moron a little nicer too. If it weren''t for him, I wouldn''t have come to this place and frankly, you guys would have been in trouble. There''s someone almost as powerful as me with the humans. And if your best couldn''t match my companions, then what hope do your armies have against me, and in consequence with them? I''m not saying you would have lost, no. I''m just saying would have lost a lot of people, a lot of blood, and a lot of faith. Surely, your highness doesn''t wish the suffering of your people? And your son has the same vision as you. He wishes the best for the people. That''s why, it would please me greatly, if you treated them not equally, no, but at least with enough affection."


    The king remained quiet for a minute. Did my performance fail? I sure hope not. After all, I kind of messed it up for the earl and I had to fix it regardless. And not to mention I tried extra hard with this performance.


    The whole room was silent. ''Did it really backfire?''


    I was about to sigh when the king chuckled and then broke into severe laughter. "Very well. If you should end this without much bloodshed, you''ll have my blessing and support." Strangely for the first time ever, the king''s eyes were behind me. "You''ve done well." He smiled.


    I guess that settled that. The earl''s eyes sparkled but he didn''t cry.  "Yes, father."


    "Now then." The king looked at me. "What will you do now?"


    "I''ll head over the city and procure some weapons and head back to Saram." The mere thought of using Ve as transport was kind of mind-boggling and definitely terrifying. I did not want to experience that and for that, I was willing to even take a train that was much slower.


    "I see. I did want this war if I''m being frank but as you said, it would create a lot of suffering. If you should end this without complicating things further, I give you my word, I''ll be indebted to you and keep my end of the bargain." Well, he really was being honest now.


    I gave him a smile. "I''ll try my best.


    We all started to walk out now.


    Just outside though, I saw the earl smirk. Well, that was anticlimatic.


    But I kind of knew this guy was something else. "Now we''re even I guess." He grinned.


    "Looks like you can pull off a performance too." Alisa winked.


    "I''ll give you six out of ten," Ve said.


    I sighed. I only had walking-talking trouble makers surrounding me.

 Chapter 258 - This Is A Prank, Right? Right!?

    We walked out of the castle. No one stopped us. I had a feeling there''d be more of a reception but after what we''d pulled this wasn''t that much of a surprise.


    I''d actually hoped the king would stop us when I said I wanted to buy some weapons, but he never did. Well, at least he didn''t secretly try to kill us and stuff.


    There went that.


    Sigh.


    "So, we''re buying a sword for you first?" Ve asked. There was green around us. We were barely outside the castle yet ve still kept on talking. The smell of the air was nice though: I was sick of all the perfume inside the castle walls.  "And then we''re flying back before noon?"


    Something told me she was a bit excited. Did she want to kill me that badly?


    "You''re flying back. I''ll do my best and take the train." But I sure had no intention of dying by falling down from a dragon.


    She gave me the rudest glare ever. "You''d rather take the train than me?" the way she implied that was kind of weird. It was almost as though she was offended for something.


    What? Did she seriously expect me to thank her or something?


    "You do realize you were trying to nearly kill me back there right?" I regretted it a bit after saying it. After all, she probably wasn''t trying to kill me and just get us here quickly. But it was probably my own weakness to blame too but seriously! The way she flew was definitely not something to be desired.


    "Hmph!" She tilted her head and pouted.


    Why was she getting mad? I wanted to groan. All of these things were kind of rubbing me the wrong way. And not to mention we had barely a few hours before the battle just this afternoon.


    Arghh¡­


    I still groaned anyway.


    Alisa came near and brought her mouth near my ears. I had to slouch down a little. "She was just trying to impress you," She whispered.


    Yeah, I didn''t need to be impressed like that. No thanks. But yeah, it did make more sense than she trying to kill me. I still thought it was the latter though.


    "Fine, we''ll use yo-" I stopped. Weren''t we just using her as transport rather than treating her as a person? I guess I never thought of it that way. Yeah, she could fly and it was convenient but somewhere along the way I kind of stopped treating her as a living breathing person who had feelings. "Sorry. We''ll appreciate your help."  I was genuinely glad she was actually willing to still take us back in the first place.


    I guess I was having loads and loads of mood swings. But after what I''d just gone through half an hour ago, this wasn''t really that astonishing. At least not for me.


    Not to mention last night I barely had any sleep.


    She looked at me, frowned a bit, and finally smiled. "Alright."


    That was actually out of character for her. But then again she was changing fast. When I first met her, I thought I had a Servesta Version 2.0 but that wasn''t the case. She was probably just evaluating me and now that she knew I could probably be trusted she started to open up more. At least that was my best guess.


    Then again, my attitude was kind of weird today too. I''d blame the lack of sleep. Well, I did have something similar to coffee but it didn''t quite work that well. On that note, I needed to buy some coffee-like thingies!


    So, without further ado, we finally left the castle area entirely and went out into the streets.


    ***


    Dwarven architecture really was ahead of its time. They had brick buildings and even something like cement. This was probably the closest thing to civilization on earth I saw in this world: a bit behind but definitely similar. There were mostly carriages out here, but there were also some steam-powered vehicles, though only a few.


    And the road was made of bricks rather than cobblestone. People had actual clothes rather than just cloths sewed up here and there.


    I guess this was the beginning of the steam age for this world. I was actually kind of excited since I really liked the steampunk stuff.


    "You look like a five-year-old who''s seeing a fairy for the first time," Alisa mumbled.


    "Wait, there are fairies in this world?" I actually kind of forgot about just how weird this world was for a second.


    She groaned. "Even a five-year-old knows there are a lot of things in this world.  And you''re supposed to be an apostle!" I guess she was frustrated with me. I didn''t care though. I really liked this stuff and nothing was going to change that. And what did me being an apostle had anything to do with fairies? And more importantly, didn''t she know, I was not from this world?


    Technically, we never had that conversation though. I''d just assumed she knew. Oh well.


    Come to think of it, I actually hadn''t seen any of this stuff in Saram. Saram was just a sad place and I didn''t even see carriages there let alone actual steam-powered vehicles. I guess that place didn''t get good treatment like this place. This was the capital after all.


    "I know a good place for weapons." The earl led the way. His attendants followed us around and I could see the guy in dark armor following us through my peripherals but I kind of ignored him. He probably had his reasons.


    "Yeah, sure."


    We didn''t have any issues among us. I kind of almost screwed the Earl''s life but also fixed it. And I guess the results mattered more to him than anything else. He was quite the gambler though. Never thought he''d actually go through with this, but he did.


    ***


    The city was bustling. There were people everywhere and for people who were about to go to war, they didn''t seem that worried. After seeing what this world could do to its residents, I guess people were right to enjoy their lives as best they could as long as it lasted. After all, they knew anything could go wrong at any moment. So live life while it lasts- probably was their motto.


    But I thought things would have been at least a bit different.


    "They probably think their walls are unbreachable." The earl snorted and walked faster. "As if!"


    "Well, that''s na?ve." It really was.


    The smell of dirt and machinery in the air was kind of a weird combination. And since I never personally knew what the steam age looked like, in real life, this really was a new thing for me. And the primitive horns were a bit of nostalgia for me. I guess sound pollution wasn''t that far off in this world either.


    I didn''t like this overly positive attitude of the people though.


    "Tell me about it." the earl didn''t say another word and just kept on walking.


    Obviously, we followed him but just how far were we going?


    We just kept walking and walking and walking and this went on and on. After roughly half an hour, I felt so irritated that I was about to lash out. "Hey, just how far-"


    "We''re here." the earl grinned and stopped walking. I kind of wanted to beat him up a little but oh well.


    We were in the not-so-polished part of the town. Buildings were shabby and there were beggars here and there. I guess this was the slums. The building we were about to in?


    Well, it was underground and definitely didn''t inspire confidence or excitement for that matter.


    ***


    It was a shabby store and the products were also not that great. "Why did you bring us here?"


    When I say shabby, I didn''t mean dirty. The place was clean and there was an old smell in the air. Reminded me of my dead grandma''s place. And the weapons on display were either blunt or on the verge of being corroded: the lighting was terrible. They did have a lamp of some sort powered by electricity: probably DC but it wasn''t doing that great of a job. Definitely not the stuff you want to see when you want to buy some good quality weapons. Because, frankly, you couldn''t see with this amount of light.


    And not to mention there wasn''t anyone in here. The counter was totally unoccupied.


    "You''ll see," The earl said. Sadly, even for my eyes, this light was a bit low.


    I gave my companions a glance and they were totally jolly and they didn''t have a care in the world. Even the attendants of the earl were just going around having fun.


    What was so fun about poking worthless weapons and armors? I had no idea.


    A chuckle came from behind the counter. "Look who''s finally shown up." The voice was sharp and very high-pitched. Almost like a child. The English was a bit off, but it didn''t bother me that much.


    But just when I thought I was being pranked, a man stood up, at least three times my size and probably ten times my weight. This was no child. He was wearing a big helmet and there wasn''t any way I could see his face.


    This just had to be a prank, right?


    The earl''s grin begged to differ.


    "He-Hello." I tried my best, but it wasn''t working.


    "Hmm?" The guy squeaked. He didn''t, but it sure sounded like one. "I see. You''ve brought friend!" he literally sounded like a kid on steroids.


    I didn''t know what to believe anymore.

 Chapter 259 - The Legendary Barrel: Spear?

    "Yes, I have. He''s the archduke of Alfeim, so do pay some respect."


    "Ar-argh- Archduke!" the guy squeaked some more and fell flat on the floor, prostrating a second later. "My humble apologies milord." His tone changed but his voice did not.


    I really hoped this was just a joke but unfortunately it wasn''t.


    "It''s okay. You can get up." I didn''t have time for this, anyway. And I couldn''t do anything about his voice either. So I just had to roll with it.


    "Thank you, milord." All this lord business was kind of getting on my nerves but I couldn''t do anything about it either.


    Argh. The sheer amount of things I couldn''t do anything about were just increasing and increasing.


    When the hell would my life get better?


    I gave the earl a glance. "Why are we here again?" I grinded my teeth.


    I wanted to leave, now!


    He smirked. "We''d like some good quality weapons, bring em." He smirked harder and gave the squeaky guy a pat on the back. The way he reached upto the guy was kind of comical.


    I giggled silently. I was still a bit pissed though.


    "Right away milord!"


    The guy didn''t even ask us what type of weapon we wanted. So much for being a smith. But considering what I''d seen so far here, I didn''t think we''d get much of anything anyway.


    I shouldn''t have trusted this guy. But I guess this was the earl''s way of getting back at me. I didn''t mind but he wasted both of our precious time. And it was probably going to cost him more than me.


    The large guy came back roughly five minutes later and brought a bunch of stuff with him, and by the looks, those weren''t that shabby. Three swords, two spears, two knives, an axe, and a frigging barrel. But not just any barrel, no. it had a trigger and boy was there a small box of gun powder.


    Now we were talking!


    Though, in this world of magic and stuff, I didn''t actually see the point of using guns like this. After all, weren''t these only effective against powerless humans? Not to mention these were the heavily outdated type.


    Would they really work against beings who could use magic and all that? And more importantly, on monsters and stuff?


    I was still curious though. I picked up the gun first. "How do you light this up?" I didn''t know how to use one, since, well, I never even touched a gun in my whole life let alone use one. My dad was dead for the most part of my life, so yeah, I didn''t get to secretly run to his stash and play with guns.


    Cause, there was no stash.


    And even if there was one, there wouldn''t have been stuff like this anyway.


    "What is that?" Alisa asked. I guess she didn''t know.


    "What is that indeed?" Ve didn''t know either. Both came near and almost rested their heads against my shoulder as they carefully observed the barrel. I guess they were too focused on the gun.


    I couldn''t blame them. I didn''t think this was possible either. But this world just kept on surprising me nonstop.


    "You already know about it? I''d expect no less from you." The earl smirked. "This one is special. It doesn''t use flame powder or fire for that matter.


    "Flame powder? You mean this black stuff?"


    "Yes, it lights up pretty nicely."


    I guess the names weren''t as similar as I thought them to be. "So how does this work." I picked it up.


    "You first inject your mana into this barrel through the handle and then boom!" The large guy''s explanation wasn''t helping.


    "Basically, you slot these metal cylinders: rodents, in and pour your mana in. and then pull the trigger. It''s faster and requires less work on your part. No need for flame powder on this model: but keeping a small amount in case of an emergency won''t bring harm."


    Rodents for bullets? I snorted. But one thing did bother me though. "I thought dwarves didn''t have mana. And why not gunpow- I mean this flame powder?"


    The bullets were pretty large. I guess this was their answer for monsters with tough shells. so, I slotted one in and aimed at the floor. a bit of mana and- BOOOM!


    Holy! That was loud!


    "We are under attack!?" Ve glared around but unfortunately, it wasn''t.


    While Alisa was busy trying to calm her down, I carefully examined the barrel itself. This was a lot, and I mean a lot, stronger than I had anticipated. Not to mention a lot louder too. I nearly wiped my ears out with this one.


    But the earl just ignored all this. "We don''t. But as you can see I''m a half breed." Nope, the thought didn''t even cross my mind. I guess that should have been obvious, considering his stature and all that but it wasn''t. "Well, technically, I''m a half of a half of a half of-" He went on for a minute.


    Long story short, he was part Alf.


    His ears or skin color didn''t really look that different from the rest of his peers though. Again, I didn''t care. But I did have my answer. "So basically this was supposed to be for you?"


    This gun was pretty strong. If he used it on me, I''d be dead.


    "Yes. But- feel free to use it. After all, I wouldn''t be heading off to battle. I will lead the armies but I don''t think I will have any need for that. After all, I could just use other slingers too."


    So, guns were slingers.


    The names of these things kind of threw me off but oh well. "Yeah, I don''t really care. But, why are you doing this? I mean why are you putting so much faith in me?"


    I didn''t know if he really needed to do this. After all, I did almost ruin his life. But I guess he was looking at the bigger picture.


    "Because as it stands, we will lose this war:  their army outnumbers us three to one. Just like you said, countless will suffer. And that''s why I think the humans are behind this, as they tend to gain the most from this. But as a human yourself even if you found them guilty, you can just whip something up and clear all this while making sure neither party gets it rough. At least that''s what I''m hoping for."


    Wow, I actually didn''t expect this. I already knew this guy was pretty smart, but he was even willing to forgive the humans just to end this war. Yeah, he had ulterior motives but I kind of respected him a little.


    But then there was the question. "Why tell me all this? You could have just-"


    "Well, let''s just say, the merits outweigh the demerits." He winked.


    I didn''t necessarily believe him but I got the impression I could trust him for now. And what he said did make sense. But the fact remained, this guy was a lot smarter than I gave him credit for.


    Oh well. I had to buy loads of bullets, oops, rodents!


    ***


    Next, I looked over the other weapons. I liked one of the swords. It was similar to the Ascan blade I''d given Lianne, probably a bit inferior but definitely good. The other two swords weren''t that great of a quality. So I took the sword.


    "How come everything else is so bad?"


    "Customer rare." The big guy was a bit sad. I guess that explained the sorry state of this place. If there were no customers, there wasn''t any point in making new things anyway. But he did keep the place clean though.


    The knives were good but nothing special, same with the axe.  But one of the spears- really caught my attention. The moment I touched the spear- it glowed and boy was it light: there was a bit of mold on it, but all the dust and mold disappeared and it became crystal clear, not transparent though. The color was vibrant blue with a white tint: My body was surrounded by that aura and I knew it.


    "This is a mystic weapon."  I lifted it up and tried piercing the air. It moved fast and I felt my speed double. I almost fumbled and pierced the wall but controlled myself. This really was different than the mystic which boosted almost everything modestly. There was no doubt about it, this spear had a part of Trerortra''s soul.


    But it just had to be a spear! It couldn''t have been a knife or a bow, or even a cane for crying out loud!


    Argh!


    This really wasn''t ideal for me.


    "Indeed. We''d tried everything but nobody has ever been able to lift it, let alone use it. Apart from you, that is." The earl Chuckled. "If you want it, it''s yours."


    The way he literally was willing to hand me this spear was rather scary. Just what the hell was this guy upto?


    "This is amazing!" the big guy jumped around and so did the whole shop. It was like we were meters away from the epicenter of an earthquake.


    By the time he stopped, I almost felt dizzy.


    Meanwhile, my companions didn''t actually care about this spear though. Neither of them was interested in it. I guess everybody hated Trerortra.


    "And you''re giving this to me, because?"


    "Insurance." I didn''t get the guy. Not one bit. "After all, if you fail, I don''t think I''ll have anything left."


    I guess that did make sense. But there was definitely more to this, something which I didn''t understand yet.


    But this was basically all we needed. I had everything else anyway. And Neither Ve nor Alisa wanted anything for them either.


    ''Should I buy a shield?'' I wanted to, but in the end, decided against it. I was one-handed for the most part and I wanted to carve my own path, not defend to the last second.


    "But where the hell am I going to learn this thing from?" Like seriously, just how many things did I need to learn?


    Wasn''t a sword good enough? Why did it have to be a spear?


    Well, at least the spear looked cool. It had a lot of symbols, and the tip was super sharp and pointy. It only had one tip though.


    "I can teach you." Ve offered.


    "I thought I you fought barehanded."


    She didn''t even flinch. "I''m a master of everything. Back then you weren''t good enough to give me a challenge even without weapons." Well, that was awfully boastful of her!


    Just what the hell was this guy?


    Then again, she was a god, so yeah.


    I sighed. "Fine, I''ll be in your care." I gave the earl a glance. "Well, pay up."


    I didn''t know if he had to pay for the spear or not but he probably had to buy the sword and definitely the gun and the rodents.


    "Wait, I''m paying?" He looked a bit sad.


    " ''Course you are!"


    Now he looked even sadder.


    He still paid though.

 Chapter 260 - Do My Opinions Even Matter?

    Our job was basically done. But mine wasn''t.


    I still had something to buy: something very important. That being the coffee. Though it wasn''t coffee. "I know a place where we could buy something. Let''s go!"


    I was definitely excited. I was about to buy a whole bag full of coffee beans that weren''t coffee beans.


    "Unfortunately, we don''t have that time. Grab him," Alisa said.


    And a second later, Ve, literally grabbed me, lifted me up, and carried me like a potato bag.


    "We should be able to use that large field to start." The earl suggested.


    "HEY! Hey!" I tried struggling but everyone just ignored me. "But my coffee!?"


    "Stop being such a baby." Alisa sighed and just walked on. "Let''s go."


    "HEY!"


    Needless to say, no one actually listened to me.


    ***


    The world moved up and down. Ve''s grip was awfully strong and she wasn''t letting me go that was for sure.


    By the time we got to the field, I saw countless things I thought weren''t possible in this world. One of them was burgers. I didn''t know what sort of meat they were using but I wanted to try one: those looked rather delicious. But as expected, I wasn''t given that privilege.


    Sigh.


    There were other things too. I even saw hot dogs! Though I just liked sausages more. Oh, well. I didn''t get to have either though.


    The field was kind of empty but as soon as Ve started to transform, we gathered more and more people. Instead of being scared and run around, these people were being enchanted by Ve''s beauty and stuff: some even started painting. I just had one question: Why?


    I was still being held by Ve, but this time, within her claws: she didn''t hurt me but- I kind of gave up from halfway. I didn''t care anymore. And if she was going to carry me like this, then I didn''t have to worry about falling down at least. Though this did look a bit stupid even from my perspective.


    I was also the thing for kids to point at. I was an item on display. Yeah, I did not want to know what people thought of me right now.


    Just sighing wasn''t enough to get me through this.


    "My lord!" a guy came running from the crowd. I was actually wondering where he went. I hadn''t seen him after coming out of the smithy.


    "Yeah, what do you want?" It felt weird to act high and mighty when I was being held like a thing by Ve. And not to mention it was awfully uncomfortable to try to straighten my back.


    "If I may-" The guy bowed on one knee. The same dark knight guy. He was actually acting the same as he did before. "Would you permit me to accompany you on your journey?" His tone was sincere and he meant business.


    He wasn''t even affected by this display. Well, that was a relief.


    "You mean you want to come along to Saram and fight there?"


    "Yes, my lord."


    I gave the earl a quick glance and he nodded. I didn''t see why not, but there were certain reasons this was a bad idea. What if this guy relayed some weird message to the king and worsened our relationships? It was already pretty whacky, and I didn''t want it to worsen even further. "You''re reason? And what about your king?"


    We were already attracting enough attention. I didn''t want to spend any more time here.


    "His majesty has already given me his permission. My wish is to aid the people. After listening to you and your comrades I learned, being stuck here, doing nothing is a waste of my talents and gifts."


    Well, that was something else. He was both boastful and willing to help the people. Probably not the combination I wanted to see.


    And wasn''t his job to protect the king or something?


    I was still skeptical though.


    "I don''t see a problem in this." Alisa winked. This girl just got a new devilish plan.


    "Fine. Climb aboard." If he really did something stupid, then I was just going to strip him off that armor. That cool shiny black armor.


    It wasn''t because I really liked that armor, okay!


    "Alright then-" Ve started flapping as the guy finally got up.


    Gusts of winds came down and nearly blew away some of the children. Since I was under, I also felt the force, but yeah, I was safe in her claws.


    I was still being held like frigging luggage though. What in the hell did I do to deserve this?


    All I wanted was to buy some coffee-bean-thingies!


    ***


    The return journey was boring. Ve was holding me vertically with one hand- or claw for that matter. Her grip was definitely solid and I had no risk of falling down: I did occasionally almost bang my head against one of the claws and almost caused injuries but yeah, ''almost''.


    Maybe that''s why this journey was boring?


    I didn''t know why I was being such a hypocrite. I kept on complaining about how she tried to kill me and all that but once she really tried to fly steadily and hold me with a solid grip, I again started complaining- inwardly. But still, this whole thing felt a bit weird to me. And the fact that I was actually aware of this was nothing but an irony.


    The wind was strong and there were birds up this high. The birds weren''t brave enough to get in Ve''s way though.


    As I was bored I started to count Ve''s flaps. It was hard to keep my eyes open though.


    "WE''ll be arriving soon," Ve declared. Her voice was a bit deeper in this form.


    I looked down and again, met with terrible winds. I really, really, wanted goggles.


    Oh well, I did see Saram and I also saw an army. ''SO, that''s-''


    WHOAH!


    We went down fast, too fast. So fast, I almost thought we''d crash into the mountain top, but we didn''t.


    The whole trip was kind of boring but this last part was enough to make my heart go into overdrive mode.


    Ve let go of me and I kind of stumbled to the nearest edge, almost falling to my doom, again ''almost''. My head spun but I didn''t feel that dizzy.


    "Well, that was something- bleyu-" The earl was too busy controlling his stomach.


    I could see the army even from here. I used the army to distract my mind from all the nausea.


    And boy was there were a lot of soldiers. The army size was probably more or less the whole population of this whole city if not more. So, technically, if all of the dwarven armies gathered here in this city, still the human army would be three times bigger?


    Meaning, the humans weren''t screwing around with this.


    Well, that was a problem.


    ''They really do want this war.'' It was definitely possible this was the work of some greedy human. Then, again I didn''t know enough to conclude anything. Actually, I didn''t know much at all. Why was I even assuming either party was responsible? What if there was a third one involved?


    But even so, we couldn''t be intimidated at this point. Unless I saw both parties with my own eyes, I couldn''t just jump to a conclusion.


    "How long do we have?" I huffed. My heart still hadn''t calmed down yet.


    "I''d say four hours?" The earl said, also huffing.


    "Well, we better start thinking fast, cause that army doesn''t look small." It sure didn''t.


    And by the looks of things, it probably wasn''t just going to be a ceremonial fight this afternoon.


    "Well, we have you." The earl tried to smile but the sweats on his face were definitely not comforting. Even this guy probably didn''t know the army was this big.


    "Let''s go down, calm our heads, prepare our equipment, gather the forces and plan things carefully. There''s no need to rush, if we rush, we lose," Alisa said. She came close to me and whispered. "Remember you said you can heal?"


    I actually thought these two had either forgotten about it or they didn''t care, since they never said anything regarding that.


    I was wrong.


    "Yeah?"


    "How about we try something?" There was a very evil grin on that face of hers.


    Oh boy.


    ***


    We climbed down and the earl started to gather his army. The order was already given before he left. So technically, his army was already gathered, just not organized.


    It was a pretty small army. And most of the army only had weaklings. And since this place was literally a day away from the capital, help wouldn''t come before tomorrow either.


    Then again the earl never expected any help at all. In his words, this place was already abandoned and a sacrifice.


    And I believed him. After hearing the king''s words, I had no reason to not believe that.


    Meanwhile, the dark knight kept on following us around. I guess the guy was here to observe me and report back to the king.


    Alisa said it was okay so I just ignored him for the most part. I still had my guard up though. Of course, I trusted Alisa more than anyone else here, but that didn''t mean I trusted her explicitly. I had no intention of being betrayed again.

 Chapter 261 - Were Elves Really Supposed To Be Like This?

    We were led to a guest room, for the time being, to confirm our equipment. This almost felt like the prep time given to players before eventual boss fights. I really hoped that wasn''t the case.


    I started checking my ring. "Say, do any of you actually have a plan?"


    "NO."


    "Yes."


    The response was mixed and there was only one yes and it came from Alisa. Ve and the dark knight guy were kind of winging this. While Alisa was the only one who seemed to have any sort of plan.


    I actually didn''t know why the dark knight guy was here in this room, well maybe I did kind of know, but it almost felt like he was upto something. I actually didn''t know his name yet.


    "That would be?"


    Alisa grinned. "So, assume you''re the leader of an army." No assumption necessary, I already was. "And you have a friend who''s almost as powerful as you but is constantly growing and you haven''t seen him in a few months. Next, he brings in three demigods with him to fight your army and one of the demigods can literally turn into a dragon and cause massacre, one can freeze the entire army and the other can supposedly kill everyone without an issue. If your friend comes over to you and tells you to retreat- not surrender- just retreat, what will you do?" Her tone was velvety and she knew exactly where this was going.


    "That''s not a bad plan." Actually, that might have been ingenious. But wait, we were lacking one. "What about the third demi?" Surely she wasn''t referring to this dark knight guy?


    "That''s where your healing powers come in." Her grin intensified. "After meeting Anverosa your mana pool has increased significantly. Why don''t you try to open a large enough portal to your ring so we can enter?"


    I could see where this was going and I did not like it.


    But I didn''t have a choice either.


    Opening a portal to my ring was fairly easy as long as the portal was small enough. But the moment it got past a certain threshold, things started to get a bit whacky. And after one point, no matter how much I tried, it was impossible to enlarge it. That one point being, a portal big enough to fit the current Biteria. Speaking of Biteria, she was actually resting on the bed for once and not clinging to me.


    So, I focused. A window opened, but it was barely enough for Alisa to go in, not for me or Ve. Actually, this was a lot bigger than I thought. Probably the biggest I''d open so far.


    I didn''t want the other guy to go in and he probably knew that.


    Actually, the guy was fairly quiet and understanding of things. He also didn''t freak out. I guess he was older than he looked. He still looked old though- probably 40 or so.


    Did dwarves live long lives or something?


    "Try focusing a little more, would you? You can probably do better." Alisa''s mocking tone wasn''t helping.


    I listened and did try. But it was exponentially harder to open a bigger window.


    It almost felt like all my strength was being drained.


    ''Flow¡­.'' I remembered Anverosa''s words and tried to focus a bit more.


    It was working¡­ but the pace was slow and boy was I being drained quickly. I didn''t give up.


    I just kept on pouring more and more, and it kept on slowly getting bigger. But in the end, after trying for like a minute or two, it was big enough for me and Ve to slouch our way in, barely.


    Well, that was a lot harder than I thought. And I was pretty much spent too.


    ***


    Once we were in, the entrance didn''t vanish, but it shrank down.


    My sweats and heavy breathing eased up as I didn''t consciously have to keep the thing open like before. I was still being drained just at a much slower pace.


    The knight guy stayed behind while the three of us entered.


    Now that I was finally in here, this place really looked infinite. But I knew it wasn''t.


    The whole space was black. Certain things did keep the place lit though. Those being the mystic blade and spear.  Even Lianne''s knife.


    There were a lot of things in here. But the one we were here for, or rather the person we were here for was still frozen.


    And strangely, that frozen chunk glowed faintly too.


    But then came the question, why her? And even if we could free her, why''d she help us? I was already indebted to Boriosa and I was just keeping a promise to him, so asking more from his friend, was kind of unfair.


    "Place your hand on it, imbue your body and the ice and try to use the healing powers rather than trying to harm." Alisa wasn''t bothered by it though. And since she was there in that forest, she probably knew about the whole thing from the start.


    "Why would I try to harm her? And I''m still not sure about imbuing my body. What if the same thing happens like last time?" I sighed. "And not to mention I don''t have much mana left anyway."


    "Don''t worry about it," Alisa said, placing a hand on my back. A symbol appeared on my hand but this time she didn''t faint. She did look a lot weak though. "That should be enough to stop any corrosion."


    Ve did the same, but she didn''t look a tinsy bit weaker. A new symbol also appeared on my hand and I''d actually seen this symbol back in Moire. The nun back then was wearing this on her neck. I kind of remembered since it was bouncing- ahem!


    The two symbols were roughly two millimeters away from each other but both gave me auras and strength.


    My mana started to rapidly recover. Well, this sure was convenient.


    I tried imbuing myself and after a minute, I knew, it was working.


    My mana coursed through my body and didn''t hurt me. I didn''t know if the other two kinds of mana were preventing this or maybe I''d just gotten better. But the mana did flow like blood, probably.


    I didn''t know. But one thing was for certain.


    It worked.


    I now glowed in three colors. The colors never meshed though.


    For once, even after fully imbuing my body, I didn''t burn out, or grow tired. Actually, this felt a lot better. And I definitely felt stronger.


    So without any more disturbances, I touched the crystal and focused.


    At first, nothing happened.


    "Try to imagine healing her. Like you imagined healing yourself," Alisa said.


    I did that.


    The Ice glowed and did respond, but it wasn''t fast enough and the melted part started to freeze again. There were loads and loads of steam.


    The ice, or rather the crystal wasn''t the least bit cold.


    "You can try to harm the crystal while trying to heal the girl. It''s bit more advance procedure but it could work," Ve said.


    How the hell was that supposed to work? Just trying one thing was enough to make me flinch and they wanted more?


    Sigh.


    I also tried that. And sure enough, almost failed¡­. But it worked. The crystal melted faster than before.


    There was a massive surge of steam.


    Everything glowed and everything melted. Slowly, the girl fell on the floor.


    Her clothes were kind of wet: she didn''t move. As I thought she was dead, she proved me wrong and tried to stand up. Her eyes were still closed.


    Her clothes kind of, well, got torn. And a lot of things were now exposed.


    ''Those are big.'' Very big. She was slender like Lianne and definitely looked similar to Lianne: her eyes were a bit slanted though. But maybe just maybe she was at least twice- nay- three times larger than Lianne. I wasn''t talking about the height!


    "Stop staring at her chest, you moron!" Alisa hissed and made me turn around in an instant.


    I didn''t want to, but I had to.  "But I can''t help it!" I hissed back. I really couldn''t.


    After seeing flats for all my life so far, how could I not appreciate largeness?


    Ve sighed, looked at her chest, then at the Elf''s, again at hers, and sighed again.


    "I patted her back. I know buddy, mesmerizing, aren''t they?" I sighed too.


    If a certain someone saw this, I had a feeling she''d have at least tried to kill me.


    Then again hers wasn''t that flat. Ve''s were though.


    Ve glared rather murderously. I guess I should have just kept my mouth shut.


    Now Alisa sighed. "Sometimes I wonder, why you are such an idiot. But anyway, we''re good now."


    And with that, I turned around and met a girl who supposedly slept for a few millennia!


    ***


    "What is this, where am I?" I didn''t know why but that voice sounded awfully mature.


    The girl in front of me, was totally naked, barely covered by Boriosa''s robe.


    I cleared my throat and controlled my emotions. I really might have had a thing for well-endowed elves. "You''re inside Boriosa''s ring."


    Her expression was nonexistent. "Boriosa?" She became quiet. "I see¡­ so he passed away." her voice was awfully low.


    She sighed.


    She took it a lot easier than I thought. And not to mention, she was also very understanding.


    She then looked at me and observed me from head to toe. "You''re wearing his ring and pants. I''m assuming you''re his heir? Did he put you upto this task of freeing me?" She still didn''t have any expression.


    "I''m actually not. He trusted me with his belongings and with you."


    "I see."


    I might have said something rather weird while trying to explain stuff. "No, I mean-"


    "It''s okay. Did he-" She paused. "Suffer?"


    "He lived as an undead for nearly 4 thousand years. But he passed away in peace." I sighed. Just remembering all that made me sad. But I did remember something else. "He told me to tell you one thing." I paused and gathered my courage. "Be free."


    She looked at me, a bit shocked. Her eyes glittered, some drops leaked and she silently cried. She didn''t wail, she didn''t create a scene. She just cried.


    Alisa and Ve patted her while I just stood like a moron.


    ''Well, at least I was able to keep one of my promises.''

 Chapter 262 - Interlude: Chaos Descends

    Gorgon had a headache.


    He was in charge of the left-wing and a ceremonial battle would start soon.


    Though it was called a ceremonial battle, even he knew today''s battle would be a devastating one. After all, humans were here to make it clear to the dwarves that they weren''t backing down.


    But it was his job to make sure things didn''t become too ugly. After all, he''d already promised her. And if he couldn''t even keep a promise then what kind of a man would he be? At least not the kind he wanted to.


    So while in his tent, looking at the map, all he could do was sigh. Why did it have to come to this? Why did they have to go to war? He already knew the answers and yet, there was nothing he could do about them. There was nothing left to do.


    Everything was already set in place. And now all he could do was see how it all played out.


    ''Even if we win this, then what?''


    After all, if humans won the war, the dwarves would fall under them and that in turn would make them the largest power on the continent which in turn would directly threaten the Alfeim Empire. So, what if the elves foresaw this and decided to aid the dwarves?


    No, he already knew that wasn''t possible. Just the other day he heard a rather peculiar rumor of a human getting engaged to an elven princess. Soon after that, he heard another rumor about the human claiming the throne of an Archduke.


    Most of the royals poked fun at the rumors, but he knew, this wasn''t just a rumor. After all, his sworn friend was in Alfeime and he had faith in him. He knew for a fact his friend wasn''t stupid and do something reckless.


    But there was a problem with that too. If the elves did not aid the dwarves and the humans won, what then? Wouldn''t humans get drunk on their victory and target elves next? After all, they were engaged in a long war even just a year ago.


    And if they did, that''d cause another great war. Thousands, no millions would die, and in the end, what will be left? More forests?


    As the worries just kept piling up and up, Gorgon''s headache only worsened. ''If only-''


    His thoughts abruptly stopped as someone cleared his throat just outside.


    "My lord, may I come in?" A soldier stood just outside the tent. His voice was shaking.


    "Yes, what is it?"


    The soldier entered.  "The battle has begun my lord."


    "How many soldiers have they sent?"


    It was tradition to send out some soldiers from either country and have a small battle with no killing. The dwarves were the weakest in the city they were attacking, so the army was probably going to be small. And because of that, many human soldiers could feel the need to forget about the ceremony and just try to conquer the city in one go. Gorgon knew that and he was going to try to stop it as best as he could. After all, he had to stick by something. If he discarded all his honor, how was he going to claim himself to be human?


    "Ju-ju-"


    Gorgon furrowed his bows. "What!? Spit it out." He was already in a foul mood.


    "Four. Just four my lord." The soldier''s head was down.


    "Are you joking? What kind of retarded-"


    And then a small realization hit Gorgon. ''Wait, didn''t-" His friend had mentioned before that he wanted to travel the world.


    As the thought ran across Gorgon''s mind, his blood became a bit cooler. "It can''t be him.'' He immediately dismissed the possibility. After all, surely his friend was this stupid to attack an army of 150 thousand soldiers?


    "Do we know their names, faces, anything?" Gorgon quickly grabbed his spear and helmet.


    "They claim to be demigods, my lord, at least three of them does. And the leader claims to be the apostle of Xerphas."


    Gorgon''s breathing became erratic. This wasn''t good. And if it was just as he feared, this really wasn''t good.


    "Give the command to form ranks! We march, now!"


    "My lord!" The soldier saluted and immediately ran outside.


    Gorgon took a deep breath and headed out himself. ''Demigods of all things.''


    ***


    Once outside, Gorgon met chaos. There was something in the distance, raining down fire.


    "A dragon." As the faint words escaped his lips, he realized, this really was bad.


    "Prepare my stead!"


    Soldiers were lying across the whole battlefield. Since there wasn''t going to be a real battle today, they were taking it easy and now they were caught unguarded. Even the other commanders'' tents were left to ruins. And yet he didn''t see a single commander standing. Was it possible they already fell? No, that was absurd.


    One side was literally in flames while the other side of the battlefield was frozen and then there was the middle which had nothing but lightning strikes. This wasn''t good and there was no going around it.


    "My stead!" Gorgon screamed again.


    But it was too late. The soldiers around him were paralyzed and once he looked up at the sky, he knew why.


    The dragon was flying this way. There was one thing Gorgon''s father had told him before he became a knight. "Never fight a dragon. Always run." At the time Gorgon thought it was a joke but now that he saw the magnificence with his own eyes, he didn''t doubt his father. His guts told him to run, but his pride didn''t allow that. After all, if the commander ran, then what of the rest?


    Gorgon took a deep breath. He had a blessed life. But now it was coming to an end. He didn''t have many regrets but he did have one. That one being, he never got to tell her how he felt.


    As Gorgon prepared himself to be burned alive, he heard some faint words. "That''s him, let''s go down."


    The dragon shrank in size and two men, no, one woman, and one man descended.


    Gorgon knew one of them.


    "Hey, long time no see," the man said. "This is where you were huh? I tell ya, those fatheads were too thickheaded to even tell me the location you were in."


    "You-" Gorgon stared in disbelief. "But why?" For a second there Gorgon almost pinched his cheeks in disbelief. All this time he thought it was impossible, and yet, how did this happen?


    The man had a smile and it didn''t falter. "I have my reasons. I was told to not kill anyone as this was supposed to be a ceremonial something. So yeah. I respected that. This was just a warning by the way. Oh, and you''re the leader?"


    Gorgon''s throat dried but his resolve did not. "I''m the commander of the left wings." He pointed his spear at the man he once called friend. "And I will avenge my brethren!" But he had hesitation in his eyes. Could he really win against his friend and the girl next to him? He didn''t know and he didn''t want to fight him.


    But he couldn''t fail the army and he couldn''t fail the soldiers hiding behind him.


    "Which part of I didn''t kill them didn''t you get, moron!"


    Gorgon almost felt hurt at those words. Even his mother never called him a moron. He was often praised for his intelligence, but a moron?


    "But why do this? If the elves get involved-"


    "Well, technically, Daarc Green the apostle of Xerphas is involved not the Duke or the Archduke. So don''t worry about it." The man looked behind, raised his voice a little. "And that''s a wrap folks!"


    And with those words, two other girls headed this way. The soldiers all stayed at a fair distance. Most of the soldiers were behind Gorgon.


    "I actually didn''t think humans were this weak in the recent days." The smaller girl was a bit disappointed. Mist was pouring off her body and cooling the surrounding.


    An elf descended from the sky, almost like thunder. There was a thunderous sound as she fell. "Humans were always like this. However, some did have skill for mere mortals." The elf, however, wasn''t even concerned.


    "They- they are?"


    "These three are the demigods. My companions." The man smiled. "Anyway, now to my point. Do withdraw, or retreat, whatever you want to call it. Where''s your king? Back at the capital?"


    "And you expect me to listen to you and tell you the whereabouts of my king?"


    Gorgon was prepared to lay down his life for his country. No, for his princess would be more accurate.


    "Yes, I do expect that. And I just want to have a talk. You and I both know, I can find him easily if I started burning down all the tents and the nearby cities."


    Gorgon grimaced. He knew for a fact it wasn''t impossible. "He''s back at the northern capital city, half a day''s journey away from here."

 Chapter 263 - Stage One!

    None of the soldiers behind Gorgon even looked up to the four let alone say a word. There were at least a thousand soldiers in the immediate vicinity but they all just stayed quiet.


    Gorgon himself was a bit conflicted but he had no choice.


    The man sighed. "SO he''s relaxing while people are dying." His smile made a triumphant return. "Anyway, I think I''d like to go meet him tomorrow afternoon. You can go back now."


    "I can''t turn back!"


    "As I said-" The man''s voice became cold. "Today was a warning. Next time, there won''t be any. And we both know, what gods are capable of."


    Gorgon grimaced. "Why are you taking their side?"


    "Right now, I''m neutral. That''s why it should be in your best interest not to make me the enemy."


    "And I can take your word for that?"


    If that was really true, then maybe, just maybe this wasn''t as terrible as it looked. As it stood, the humans had the advantage on the battlefield but the whole thing would get reversed if the man were to take the dwarves'' side. But vice versa would also be possible. So, to Gorgon, this really was like a godsend. All he had to do was utilize the chance.


    They both stared at each other, utterly serious. One''s whole life was on the line.


    "Of course." The man smiled. It was uncharacteristic of him to smile that much on a single day.


    Gorgon knew that and yet- "Very well." He believed in his friend. He prepared himself and sheathed his spear. "I''ll convince the other commanders but it''ll take time. I''ll also send a messenger to his majesty."


    For someone with pride and honor like Gorgon, this was rare. Normally he would have never backed down like this. And yet, he still chose this. Perhaps he had hope. Or perhaps he was just being foolish.


    The mention of the other commanders irked the man a little. "Yeah, that might be a bit difficult considering the state they''re in." He tried to chuckle but failed miserably. "Alright." The man gave his companion a look and she turned into a dragon again. All of them climbed onto the dragon. "I''ll see you tomorrow."


    Gorgon''s face formed a half-grin, the other half, total despair.


    ''Well, shit.''


    But at least now there was another variable on the battlefield. Gorgon just hoped, things didn''t go too sour. He was taking a rather big gamble but there was no choice.


    ***


    "You sure that was okay?"


    We were on our way back to the city.


    "You''re acting could have been a bit better but yes. This was necessary. Otherwise, they wouldn''t take us seriously in tomorrow''s negotiations." Alisa was behind me. The original plan was to deploy the earl''s small army and then have us lead that army. But apparently, Alisa had a better one.


    As usual, I was in front of everyone and boy was this trippy. I almost fell for my death again. I did not want to be here, but I couldn''t complain either. So instead, I was just hugging Ve''s large neck tight! It wasn''t working, but it didn''t stop me from trying either.


    The elf behind us nodded hearing all this.


    When we first woke her up, I didn''t think she''d be willing to go along with this. Then again, this whole thing was Alisa''s plan from the start: she''d probably pulled some strings. And I had the feeling the elf had ulterior motives too.


    I didn''t know that this Elf was actually a half-breed herself. She was part elf and part God. So technically, she was also a demigod. No wonder she was still alive even after all this time.


    At first, I''d just concluded that Boriosa''s magic was keeping her alive, but it was much more than that.


    When she heard that if the plan succeeds we''d head to the human''s country tomorrow, she immediately agreed to help us. But there was one condition.


    "You sure, that''s all you want?"


    The girl was right behind Alisa. Silver hair, slender body. And rather voluptuous- Ahem. "Elves do not turn back on words."


    Yeah, didn''t want to hear that from an elf of all people, not after the shit they made me go through. Elves were literally the trickiest people to deal with.


    She only had one request of me. And that was claiming that meager village in the capital to be my territory. But since that village was close to the capital, and we didn''t even know if it was a village anymore or not, this was a very risky move on my part. And not to mention I was currently Elven nobility, not human. So yeah, definitely not something I should have agreed to.


    I still said yes though. At this point, I didn''t know what I was even doing anymore.


    ***


    It was evening, we were atop the mountain, surveying the battlefield.


    There were seven others here. My two comrades, the half-elf, the dark knight, the earl, and his two attendants.


    "They''re retreating-" Ve said.


    Actually, it was hard to tell for me. The lighting wasn''t that ideal. Or had I finally ruined my eyes? I sure hope not.


    "Looks like stage one was a success!" The earl rejoiced and so did his attendants. "And thanks to you we didn''t lose anything."


    But Alisa didn''t. "It''s too soon to celebrate. This could very well be a trap. Unless we can secure stage two, we won''t be able to rest easy."


    It was true and all but there was a fatal flaw in our plans. "What if the humans aren''t behind this?" I''d been thinking about this for a while now. What if both parties were innocent?


    Of course, there was a high chance some corrupt nobles from either country could have been responsible but- but what if there was a third country responsible? There could very well have been a third power just waiting for the war to break out and sweep everything, the moment these two countries were not looking. It was a bit farfetched but I couldn''t ignore the possibility.


    "If I''m being honest, I think humans ''are'' the one behind this. But you''re right, we can''t ignore the possibility. So, I have a suggestion," the half-elf said.


    She was actually rather smart and also cool-headed. When she heard about our situation, she immediately understood everything.


    She was a bit surprised to find out I was the current Archduke of Alfeime. And even more surprised when she found out I was engaged to a princess. I had a feeling she was only helping me because of my title. She probably thought my title would have allowed her to freely enter the capital and maybe even secure that village.


    Sadly, life wasn''t that easy.


    "And that would be?" Alisa asked.


    The girl came close to Alisa and whispered. What was so secretive that she had to whisper here of all places?


    I actually kind of wanted to know.


    Alisa sighed. "Looks like you two muscle heads would be doing all the negotiations tomorrow." She was looking at both me and Ve.


    That actually kind of hurt. I was fairly smart (self-proclaimed), thank you very much!


    "That is rude daughter of Damsel! How dare you!" Ve was pissed.


    I was kind of pissed too but I just kept my mouth shut. This was the first time I was seeing an actual girls'' quarrel in this world, at least like this. I definitely didn''t want to break this up, no sir!


    "Then tell me, what would you do, if let''s say the duke of Armshire declared war on Death Valley?"


    Were these names supposed to be common or something?


    It probably wasn''t, as Ve started sweating for no reason. "I''d wipe them out."


    Wow, perfect solution. Something goes bad? Kill ''em all.


    Alisa grinned. "My point is proven."


    How exactly!?


    Ve slouched a bit. She''d already given up. Well, that was a first. And a total disappointment too.


    What just happened? And how exactly was Alisa''s point proven? Was I the only one who didn''t know?


    I looked around and everyone nodded.


    Like seriously!?


    "They have retreated," the half-elf said.


    While the two were having this mysterious fight I didn''t understand shit off, the army retreated rather far.


    I guess Gorgon kept his end of the bargain: then again, I was just blackmailing him into this. I was actually against this plan, but at this point, there was no turning back. We had to do this to make sure everything worked flawlessly.


    "Let''s go get some dinner," Alisa started walking.


    "Yeah, let''s."  I was actually feeling kind of hungry.


    And we had to pick up the rogue bunny too. When she first got on the bed, she never left. I just wished she''d go back to being a cuddly bunny.


    "Are you sure we don''t know what''s happening to Biteria?"


    Alisa just stared at me for a moment and then kept on walking.


    "Hey!"


    Yeah, totally ignored. Typical.

 Chapter 264 - Another Day Bites The Dust

    Dinner was kind of fancy while also being a bit lackluster. It was fancier than street foods at least. But it was a bit lacking when compared to the stuff I had in Helsing''s castle. It was definitely better than Alfeim''s food though. Yeah, hands down.


    The cuisine was mostly just different kinds of curry and rice: they did have some fried stuff too. I haven''t had rice in this world till now. But now that I finally did, I was disappointed. This was not the type of rice I liked. This rice was puffier than I was used to and definitely reeked a bit: they probably just scented it. Unfortunately, I liked my rice bland.


    But the curries were spicy and kind of good, so no worries. But yeah, my bowels might suffer a bit too much tonight.


    "What about that old- I mean your pet?" The earl began. He fumbled a little with the words.


    Actually, I fumbled with the whole concept of her turning into a hag.


    We were almost done eating. We had a separate table for ten of us. The usual seven were here, but we had two more people, probably nobles. No one really talked while eating though. The mood was, a little, gloomy.


    This place was actually pretty big, probably a ballroom of sorts. There was little to no music though. People didn''t have much joy and the soldiers ate in groups just a few meters from here. Though there were nearly a few hundred soldiers here, there wasn''t much sound. Maybe some sort of item was used here or was it that people were so sad that they stopped talking altogether?


    The latter didn''t seem likely since we couldn''t hear the sounds of plates or spoons and all that either. It had to be something I didn''t know about, or probably just the former.


    "She wouldn''t come out of the blanket." I sighed.


    When we''d gotten down, the first thing I did was pay a visit to Biteria and she was on the bed, covered with the blanket. She didn''t budge no matter how much I pulled on the blanket. She didn''t even come out of the blanket. In the end, I just gave up.


    "It''s far too early to tell but is your pet from the Braskan islands?" The half-elf was actually sitting next to me.


    "Yeah."


    "Hmmmm¡­. It''s possible she''s evolving but it''s too soon to tell."


    Yeah, I didn''t need that kind of evolution.


    I sighed again.


    I stood up. I was done early. But I was waiting for these guys to finish up. I didn''t care anymore. I just wanted some fresh air. "I''ll be at the terrace in our room."


    They all just kept eating, not paying me a single glance: the half-elf gave me a nod. I didn''t know why but lately I was being ignored a bit too much. Was something wrong?


    It was almost as though both Ve and Alisa were mad at me for some reason. I just couldn''t pinpoint the reason though.


    Anyway, I kept walking and didn''t look back.


    ***


    The lights were turned off. I turned them on and as expected the bunny was still inside the blanket. I pulled and she didn''t budge one bit.


    I sighed and went to the terrace.


    It was early night. Probably nine. I stood by the terrace and looked out.


    This city was kind of lackluster at night. The threat of the goblins was gone but still, there wasn''t much light in the streets. It was a lot better than last night though. But perhaps still the fear of goblins remained. It was understandable considering how bad the condition was and how many people were lost every day. Actually, even the only water source had been constantly drained by the goblins, so yeah, I received more than just well wishes after getting rid of them.


    Speaking of goblins, the thing in my ring was still sleeping. I didn''t know what I wanted to do about it and I didn''t know what I wanted to do about goblins in general.


    Actually, no matter how I thought about it, there were just too many things I didn''t know what to do about. I had too many things I wanted to do and so little time. My primary purpose was to get stronger and win so I didn''t die. But- I wanted to free Lianne from that curse, I wanted to get rid of the undead, I wanted to end the tyranny of the grand monsters- the former gods, I wanted to rid this world of mana, I wanted to figure out a way to bring back the moon- I hadn''t thought about it for a while- and I even waned to figure about more about the goblins but, I had so little time.


    And then there was this immediate threat. And now I also supposedly had to worry about a spirit.


    Sigh. It was a bit cloudy so I didn''t see many stars.


    I sighed, I sighed hard.


    "If you sigh too much-"


    "My happiness would go away?" I chuckled. "I feel like I''ve heard that somewhere before."


    A faint giggle came from behind me.


    For a moment I almost mistook the girl as Lianne but then saw those largeness and yeah, she wasn''t Lianne. She was wearing a dress provided by the earl, so technically this was supposedly noble wear. She looked pretty good in it.


    "I don''t see a reason why Boriosa chose you and I don''t intend to search for one either. But-" She stood next to me and looked out towards the city. "Why do you intend to keep your promise? Or more importantly, why''d you free me? Because I''d be convenient to you?"


    This elf really was smart.


    I couldn''t run away. I grinned a little, like a thief caught in action. "To be frank, I didn''t know how to free you. And no, I freed you because I had a promise to keep. And yes, I did have the intention of borrowing your help too. But if you wish to just leave and not get involved with us, I''d be happy to send you off too." And I meant that. After all, Boriosa himself wished her to be free.


    "I see." She smiled, albeit faintly. This was the first time I saw her smile. I didn''t know why but she strangely resembled Lianne a bit too much.


    Then again all elves were similar looking, so yeah.


    "The others should be back any moment I guess." I actually didn''t have anything to talk about.


    "No, they''re enjoying another quarrel. I don''t think they''ll be back for an hour or so?"


    "They''re quarreling again?" Just grimacing wasn''t enough.


    "Well, perhaps this would lighten the mood a little. Today''s victory did improve morale but after seeing that massive army, the soldiers seemed to have lost their desire to fight."


    "Well, that sucks. And we even went through all that trouble too."


    "Indeed."


    There was nothing more to talk about.


    I didn''t know why but the awkward silence between us just kept on coming back and back.


    "You said your goal was to become strong, but why?" She asked. Actually, we hadn''t talked much about goals and all, so she didn''t know. "And back in my time gods didn''t necessarily hang out with mortals, but you-" She paused. "You''re even an apostle and you seem to have that snake''s blood in you."


    I sighed. Did I have a sign on my back with all those information or something? And everyone just hated Trerortra, huh?


    "Well, maybe it was fate, maybe just pure coincidence. But a lot happened for me a get here. There were a lot of sacrifices and a lot of clashes with the gods." I stared at her eyes: those emerald-colored jewels. "I don''t like where I am and where I''m going but that''s why I''m fighting to change it. And if I don''t get strong enough, I''ll die."


    "I see." She resumed her gaze at the city. "It''s nice to have a purpose."


    "You don''t have one?"


    "I do but- after achieving it, I don''t know what I''ll do."


    "Well-" I chuckled. "It''s the same for everyone. No one really knows what they want to do after achieving their goals. You''ll just have to figure it out like the rest of us." Technically, I had plenty of things even after achieving my goals though. So yeah, I was just being a hypocrite.


    She smiled but didn''t look at me, rather the city.


    There was no more talk between us and the awkward silence didn''t really feel that awkward anymore. It was still here though.


    ***


    Roughly twenty minutes later both Ve and Alisa came back. Both were in a bit of a foul mood.


    Neither talked to me and just went to their respective beds.


    There were actually four beds in this room, since the last time Dick was here. But I guess now it''d be occupied by these three.


    The fourth bed? It was occupied by Biteria. "Where the hell am I supposed to sleep?"


    "Just sleep with the hag- Biteria." Alisa cleared her throat.


    Yeah, not comforting.


    I sighed and lied down next to Biteria. It''s not like I hadn''t slept with her before. Besides, she was just my pet, though she looked like a hag.


    She still didn''t come out of the blanket though. I didn''t really feel all that cold, so oh well.

 Chapter 265 - When The Bunny Goes Rouge

    There were certain times when you really, really had to second guess your life choices. Perhaps buying some expensive junk, perhaps spending way too much on coffee or maybe sleeping with a bunny.


    Unfortunately, I''d done all three.


    And now that I was in bed with a bunny in the middle of the night, did I finally regret it.


    It was fine if she was just a bunny. It was fine if she was a hag too. Heck, I was fine sleeping next to any woman, assuming nothing happened. But- buttt, I did not expect to be made a pillow like this!


    Yeah, there was no doubt I was enjoying this and feeling like a total scumbag at the same time. But it wasn''t like I wasn''t trying to get free okay! Because I was trying! Kind off.


    Whenever I tried to get free, she hugged me tighter.


    That would have been fine too. But there was a bigger problem.


    She looked rather young, a bit older than Alisa, maybe sixteen, and had black hair.


    Wait¡­. Wait, a second! This wasn''t my bunny!


    What the hell. How the hell had I not noticed before?


    I tried my best to get free but- unfortunately, this thing didn''t let me go and it was hella strong.


    What the hell indeed.


    ''Hey let go!'' I tried to talk but my mouth didn''t open. It was almost like I was screaming inside rather than actually talking?


    I didn''t feel even the slightest bit sleepy and yet it felt like my eyes were closed. I could still see the bunny girl hugging me though. I couldn''t see anything behind her and I couldn''t turn my head.


    It was awfully dark.


    I could only see that beautiful sleeping face: it was like a mixture Brenda''s and Sisrael''s faces. That sublime¡­ what the hell! Why the hell was I getting enchanted again?


    And wasn''t their hair color supposed to be golden rather than black? And weren''t they both dead?


    Wait¡­ black?


    Somehow something Dick had said made its way to my mind. ''The hot chick, I was with. You know, red eyes, black here, amazing skin.''


    Just remembering Dick''s words made me shiver a little. But it did give me the fatal clue.


    ''This is the spirit, isn''t it?'' I sighed inwardly.


    I had very good reasons to believe that. And I probably wasn''t even awake. After all, I couldn''t move my body like I wanted. And I couldn''t even turn my head.


    So, instead of trying to break free, I hugged her tight and tried something.


    That something being a kiss. The spirit opened its eyes in shock.


    ''Hi.'' I smiled and finally broke free. But the moment I did, "AHH!" I woke up screaming.


    Someone turned on the lights.


    "What happened?" It was Alisa.


    I breathed hard. "Nightmare¡­ spirit¡­ girl¡­" Yeah, it was definitely hard to speak.


    I was sweating like hell. And I was half under the blanket. And not to mention my whole body felt heavy.


    The bed was kind of drenched.


    "That one?" The half-elf spoke, pointing a finger at my right.


    ''Wait, what one?'' I looked at my right, and apparently, I was still being hugged by a bunny girl. The face was the same. Though half of her hair was pinkish white, the rest of the half was raven black.


    "Wha?"


    Okay, okay, this wasn''t confusing no. I just felt like banging my head against a wall, that was all. Why couldn''t a frigging bunny just remain a bunny?


    Sigh. And why did she have to take up Brenda''s and Sisrael''s looks?


    Alisa sighed. "As I feared."


    "What!"


    I was definitely a bit pissed as she never said anything before.


    "That rabbit is an undead correct?" The half-elf said.


    I actually asked her name last night but she refused to give me her identity.  It wasn''t like I was some stalker. And I was definitely not interested in that chest part of hers¡­ okay?


    "That''s right but what of it?"


    "Generally, when Braskan royal rabbits evolve they evolve by choosing their mate''s best preferences."


    All eyes were on me apparently. And wait, excuse me? Choosing their mate? HUH!?


    "But don''t they evolve from babies to adulthood?" Ve rubbed her eyes.


    She actually looked kind of cute in that nightgown.


    "Yes, but in this case, Biteria was already dead, so it''s the reverse process. And it should have taken at least a year. If that malicious spirit hadn''t shown up that is. Though the spirit''s host is Daarc, it''s using Biteria as a means to interact with this world, how much it''ll succeed will depend on Biteria''s resolve," Alisa said, looking a bit dejectedly at me. "I had this hypothesis but I wasn''t sure at first."


    "Wait, so 17-year-old demi-humans are your preference?" The half-elf said, looking very dejectedly at me.


    Oh yeah, I was definitely getting looks. Especially Alisa. She knew Brenda, so I guess this was natural.


    And Biteria was still sleeping peacefully, hugging my arm while I was sitting and staring at glaring eyes. Trying my best not to cry.


    "What, no?" Absolutely not!


    I was definitely more into largeness than flats¡­ ahem! But it was also true I had issues with older women. And wait, didn''t I say I liked bunny children more than their parents back in the mountains?


    But that was because¡­.


    Oh shit¡­.


    No wonder.


    "I''m not a pedophile, please believe me."


    Everyone just looked at me with questioning eyes.


    ''Like seriously, someone just believe me already.''


    Alisa sighed. "Let''s just get some sleep. We''ll sort this tomorrow.''


    "Agreed." Ve yawned.


    The lights were turned off and all three of them went back to their beds, ignoring me all the way.


    Me?


    Still sitting, flabbergasted. Biteria never really woke up and wouldn''t let go either.


    ''Wait, didn''t that mean, Biteria chose me as- and my pref-? Shit.''


    ***


    It was very hard to fall asleep and when I did, I met that spirit in my dreams. It didn''t drain me or do anything crazy, just hugged me.


    Unfortunately, I freaked out every time and woke up.


    This went on the whole night and in the morning, I felt like dying.


    "I should just jump off the building and embrace heaven." My eyes were closed and I was practicing some sort of imaginary drama I''d made up. Though the sentiment was definitely there.


    "IN that case I''ll personally make you''d go to hell," Alisa whispered.


    Wait, she was already up?


    I couldn''t keep my eyes open and I couldn''t sleep either.


    Arghhghh!


    A giggle came from my left followed by a bit of cold air. "Normally I wouldn''t do this you know."


    I fell asleep. Something warm was beneath my head. The sensation was familiar, very familiar, and yet, unfamiliar at the same time.


    ***


    I yawned and woke up.


    There was no one in here. But there was plenty of sunlight. Actually, it might have even been too warm. I already started sweating.


    Judging by the sun, it was at least midday. Probably a bit late.


    I yawned again, grabbed my armor and things, headed down.


    I had to get fresh first.


    A soldier showed me the way but he couldn''t say where my companions were.


    Well, I didn''t expect them to wait for me to wake up forever either. So anyway, I finished my stuff, got dressed in my dashing red armor, and headed to the throne room.


    The earl and his ministers were too busy talking. They were planning extensively about how things could go wrong and what they''d do if things really did. They didn''t seem as tense as the last time though.


    They did say hi to me when I first showed up but soon turned their attention to their talks again.


    I located the dark knight guy. "Do you know where Alisa and the others are?"


    "I believe they''ve headed to the city. Would you like to head out? I''d be happy to accomp-" Yeah, he definitely looked way too happy.


    "Yeah, no thanks. I know my way."


    With that said, I headed out.


    I got the feeling that the dark knight guy was a bit disappointed though.


    ***


    The hallway was long and by the time I reached the end, I saw four figures already coming in.


    "Oh, you''re up." Alisa greeted me.


    "It would seem that way, yes, and thanks." If it weren''t for her, I''d be pretty screwed. I hadn''t had any sleep the day before and if the same thing happened last night, yeah, I was damn sure I''d have been screwed.


    She gave me a toothy grin.


    I was actually feeling a lot better thanks to her. She''d probably put a sleeping spell on me. Later, I really had to learn that. At least my sleeping problems would be fixed from now on.


    "So, what were you guys doing out?" I was definitely curious.  Four girls alone in the city¡­ wait, four? I looked very intently at the fourth and she greeted me with a nonchalant smile, without actually making any sounds. "Biteria?"

 Chapter 266 - When The Bunny Goes Rouge (part Two)

    "Well, we couldn''t keep her in rugs forever." Alisa smiled and presented the girl right next to her, Biteria!


    Fair enough but- seriously this girl looked more like an angel than a bunny. She was dressed in black and white. A black dress with white frills- some were blue- that had three holes in her back. Why? One for her fluffy white tail and two for wings.


    Wait, wings? "Hey, why the hell does she have these?" I went closer to inspect and even touched the wings.


    "I''m not quite sure myself. Though perhaps she tried to take in the Angel''s look, the spirit made it look like this?" Alisa hypothesized. "She might not be the same bunny."


    I really wanted to have a detailed conversation with this spirit and do something about it. Why the hell was it ruining Biteria''s perfect looks? I didn''t have any problems with black hair, I myself had black hair. But when it came to my bunny, white was always the way to go! No other color was invited, no!


    Then again technically Biteria''s hair was white, but with a bit of a pink tint. So technically, she was never pure white.


    I sighed inwardly as the thoughts ran rampant in my head.


    As I touched her wings, Biteria shrieked a bit but didn''t jump around: I really wished she wouldn''t start talking next. These wings were more like demon wings than anything else: certainly didn''t look like angel wings.


    So, technically she looked more like a demon than an angel but oh well. Biteria would always be an angel to me, a biting, tarrying angel.


    "Do you mind not touching her? She''s your pet but show some restraint." Ve sighed.


    What were they even going on about? Besides, it wasn''t like I was molesting her or anything.


    Oh yes, maybe this world had a different definition of that, after all, Biteria wasn''t human and even had bunny ears and wings.


    "Well, she''s still my bunny. I think." I tried ruffling her hair, ears, and she promptly bit me with a grin. "Yup, definitely my bunny."


    I freed my hand in a hurry and rubbed some herbs.


    You damn thing! I almost wanted to punch the damn thing¡­ and it was still grinning for crying out loud!


    Meanwhile, giggles were everywhere. Even the soldiers smirked.


    I really felt like punching something.


    ***


    "SO you two won''t join us?"


    We were back in the throne room.


    "Yes, we have some business to attend to."


    Apparently, just me and Ve were going out to the human capital. There were actually three human capitals. The central one where the half-elf wanted to go, the southeast one and the north one. We were going to the north one.


    But the half-elf and Alisa were going somewhere they just wanted to be kept secret. And no, they weren''t telling me where or even why they were going.


    Biteria was still sticking to me. She wasn''t grabbing onto my neck but she was definitely still sticking to my sleeve grabbing distance. "What about her? Would taking her be fine?"


    I could just leave her here.


    "Upto you. I would advise against it as some human ministers might show contempt."


    The moment Alisa said that Biteria pulled on one of my sleeves and looked at me with puffy eyes. She did not want to stay behind.


    ''Just kill me already!''


    Probably an exaggeration but my bunny was damn cute. And no, I wasn''t a pedophile.


    "Pretty sure, no one would dare to piss off a guy like me after the stunt we pulled yesterday." At least I hoped people weren''t that dumb.


    Alisa giggled. "You have no idea."


    Yeah, and I didn''t want any ideas either.


    Now that I thought about it, the king of dwarves almost had us executed. Technically, we pulled a stunt there too, so I guess it was fine as long as we didn''t overdo it.


    But yeah, people in power could basically screw up a lot more than I thought.


    "Please don''t screw this up." The earl grabbed my hand like we were some long-lost lovers. And god was this guy blunt when he was nervous.


    "Come on dude, at least show some confidence." And I broke free like breaking up without notice.


    "It was one thing that she was with you but-" He now looked at Alisa. "Are you sure your work is more important?"


    This guy really was a worry horse.


    "Don''t worry. Even an idiot won''t be able to screw up now. And Daarc''s pretty smart," Alisa said.


    Ve, the dark knight, the half-elf nodded. Even BIteria nodded!


    Yeah, that was a lot of hope and unfair expectations. These people were evil.


    I sighed.


    And so, I was pulled into more weird shit as usual.


    ***


    Ve transformed and as I climbed up, all the traumas came rushing back.


    I was comforted by Biteria though as she climbed up behind and kind of hugged me.


    All my bunny dreams were coming alive. Was this¡­ heaven? Or was I going to die soon?


    "Try not to screw up too much." Alisa sighed.


    "Uh-huh."


    She actually came close. "And-" and whispered something very, very daring. I almost had goosebumps just imagining that.


    Oh yeah, I''d definitely be executed this time, no doubt.


    She finished, grinned, and went to the side.


    "Ca-can I come?"


    All this time the dark knight guy was trying his best not to stick out. He was twitching every now and then like he wanted to say something but never got around to saying it. Finally, he did make up a bit of courage but unfortunately, he was a dwarf and the humans weren''t that nice.


    Besides, they were at war.


    "Maybe next time." There wouldn''t be any next time though. This would either work, or the dwarves would get annihilated, so yeah, no next time.


    He sighed and looked disappointed.


    Oh well.


    "Alright, let''s go." I gave Ve''s nape a tap.


    Ve started flapping. The earl and company were too busy planting their feet at the ground than anything else.


    The earl''s look, however, was anything but pleading.


    I really wished they''d at least have a little more confidence in me.


    I really wished I didn''t fall down to my death this time.


    ***


    Gorgon was back in the northern capital city.


    He''d traveled all night, barely slept and now he was busy patrolling the city walls. His gaze switched from the ground to the sky, and then at the ground again.


    So far, no sign of his friend.


    He was tired, black bars under his eyes, and yet his duty mattered more. After all, if he failed here, wouldn''t humanity really be doomed? Wouldn''t the princess be doomed?


    He had to make sure everything worked out, he just had to.


    "Is that a bird?" A soldier looked up in the sky, one hand over his eyes to protect him from the intense sunlight.


    It should have been winter but here in the north, it was still in the middle of summer.


    "A demon maybe?" Another soldier said.


    Gorgon looked up in the sky. "NO, that''s Daarc Green and his dragon."


    "Dr-dragon!" The soldiers started freaking out and in the process, they prepared to fire all the artillery they had.


    "Don''t bother," Gorgon miserably looked into the sky. "If we piss them off, this city might even be wiped out from the maps forever."


    Everyone gulped, Gorgon included.


    "You overestimate dragons too much." A man walked up the stairs. He was rocking an armor made from dragon scales, and he had a dashing smile, rivaling Gorgon''s.


    "And you underestimate them too much brother."


    The man chuckled and smiled, showing his teeth.


    Meanwhile, the dragon in the sky was awfully close and it was coming down fast.


    "Give them enough space!" Gorgon screamed.


    There was a special place prepared just on top of the city walls for this purpose as the city itself didn''t have any place large enough for the dragon to land, not even in the royal garden.


    The man prepared himself. He only had one question. "If he goes rouge, can we stop him?"


    "Let''s just hope he doesn''t." Gorgon didn''t even want to think about the possibility.


    The question was answered.


    With a loud crackling noise, the dragon landed and promptly disappeared: some of the pavement cracked but nothing broke down. Three people emerged and two of them weren''t human.


    "Couldn''t you have landed a bit slower?" The human, Gorgon''s friend complained the moment he landed.


    Gorgon already knew one of his friend''s companions, but the other? He never forgot faces and he knew this new demi-human with black and white hair and blood-red eyes wasn''t the same one he saw before.


    "My god that''s a beauty!" The man- Gorgon''s brother- was taken aback by the bunny girl''s beauty almost instantly. He had a thing for demi-human slaves, but none of his slaves or even his mistresses could even compare. His awe eventually turned into a bit of a grin.


    Gorgon grimaced. "Not another one." He groaned, he almost wanted to cry. Perhaps he even did.

 Chapter 267 - Being Evil Might Not Be That Bad

    "Entering, the duke of Helsing, the archduke of Alfeim- his Excellency Daarc Green and his retinue!" A voice announced as we entered the throne room: it was dramatic if nothing. I was kind of getting sick of all this.


    Wait, didn''t that herald just say ''his excellency?'' Wasn''t that only reserved for the emperor of Alfeim or were high-born nobles also addressed that way? Alisa wasn''t here, so I didn''t have any reason to care for all that.


    I had my emblem, the one I''d gotten from Lianne, perfectly visible on my chest. It wasn''t glued or anything, so I had to make sure it didn''t fall off from my movements. It was mostly just for show though.


    For a human country, it seemed pretty well handled. The throne room of Helsing wasn''t even worthy of comparison. I''d expect no less from the strongest of all the human nations.


    The city was pretty packed too, and the buildings were kind of like Moire''s. The people''s faces on the streets were just as bright as I saw back in Dwaram, meaning they didn''t care that much about the war. I guess in the end it was the soldiers who''d be giving up their lives and their families suffering.


    I did not like this.


    But wasn''t this just one of the capital and not even the central one? Well, my expectations were really high now.


    There were plenty of nobles and soldiers in here. The nobles were seated and the soldiers were standing guard. I guess my arrival was very much anticipated.


    Upon entering, I gave a short standing bow and stared at the man on the throne: I didn''t have the time or desire to get on my knees.


    A man of age- close to sixty. His beard was probably longer than my head, quite white. But the sharp look in his eyes made me think he wasn''t someone I wanted to mess with.


    But unfortunately, I already had plans.


    Gorgon had entered along with us but he moved closer to the throne and stood right next to the king. He had a grin but his face was rather pale.


    "I take it the princess is here too?"


    All the men around me were surprised to see me talk with the lonely knight despite being in front of the king. The king looked a bit awed too.


    Actually, on our way here, we talked briefly and I even asked him about a certain village just outside the central capital. The answer was intriguing if nothing else.


    "Ye-yes. We are preparing for an all-out war. B-but it''s really great to see you again." He stuttered on more than just one occasion.


    Yeah, I was pretty sure he wasn''t that thrilled to see me after what happened yesterday.


    I smiled and turned to the king. He hadn''t said a word yet and just stared. "Your majesty lord Alrick Von Meinheiser (III), I believe this is our first meeting. Pardon my unconventional act. I have not adapted to this all royalty thing yet."


    I had to grind on this name the entire way here. Like seriously, this was hard! Why would anyone name their kid that? And I really, really hoped I hadn''t butchered the pronunciation or something.


    The king chuckled. "You seem a bit younger than what my niece described but I''m glad to finally meet you, Lord Daarc Greem." He said my name wondered for a moment and then laughed. "It''s really odd to say a name like that."


    Technically, this guy wasn''t the king as in the ruler of all the nations. He was just in charge of the north. And the real ruler- Beatrine''s brother, was way back in the central, meaning I''d have to do this all over again.


    "I could say the same to you," I mumbled. And not to mention he pronounced it with an M. If a certain bunny girl were here, she''d have wreaked havoc with just this one mistake.


    "Don''t disrespect the king now," Ve whispered.


    The king chuckled. "I apologize for that." I guess he heard me. "Anyway, you have come to check out our strength correct? If we are worthy, you''d ally ourselves. Am I getting that right?" Well, this guy sure was full of himself. For just being a deputy king and the uncle of the current king, he really was full of himself.


    I''d heard the actual king was kind of young, hence this guy was in charge. But- didn''t expect him to say stuff like this outright.


    Then again, the royals and nobles of this world were kind of different from the movies and stories I''d read. Or maybe it was just me?


    "You''re not too far off the mark." So, I figured humoring him a little, might not be that bad. I was feeling bored of this whole act anyway.


    All the nobles had this relieved look on their faces.


    Biteria was rather quiet, just hiding inside my cape. Honestly, it felt weird but I didn''t really care.


    And judging from the serious stares, people probably didn''t care about her either. Though there was that one guy who was with Gorgon before, staring at her a bit too much. I felt like ripping his eyes off, but I had to control myself.


    Gorgon came in front of the throne and bowed before the king. "My lord I beg your forgiveness but I don''t think that''s what Lord Daarc meant. He isn''t like that."


    ''What the hell do you know about me?''


    He wasn''t wrong though. I did have a different plan on my mind. But he just had to come along and ruin my little fun, huh?


    I sighed. I''d been seen through. "I expect a brief explanation. After that, I''ll let you know my thoughts." I cut to the chase. This was dragging on for too long.


    It was already afternoon, meaning if we didn''t hurry up here, I''d have to spend the night here. And I for a face knew, that wasn''t the best idea.


    "It began with Prince Verl. He supposedly captured the princess of Dwaram. But if that is the case then where is he? I don''t believe the claims of Dwaram. We believe they have kidnapped our prince. Hence the war!" Gorgon began in earnest before the king could speak. The king seemed a little annoyed but Gorgon didn''t care.


    ''And you killed their ambassador too.''


    This wasn''t that much different from what the king of the dwarves claimed. Perhaps just opposite. But something didn''t add up. if both countries were claiming their royals suddenly went missing, then one had to be the liar. And yet, no matter how I looked at it, neither country seemed to be lying. Either these people were better liars than Araan or maybe a third party really was involved.


    Wait, so this prince was older than Beatrine''s brother? Meaning, this prince either wasn''t their sibling or maybe he was a bad guy who wasn''t good enough for the throne?


    Didn''t know, didn''t care.


    "How pointless." To my words, gasps of surprise ran through the room "I''ll be blunt with you, this war''s pointless."


    And I was disappointed.


    Gorgon looked at me with disbelief but his expression changed into utter seriousness. "I don''t fault you for thinking so. I too believe that." I had a feeling he''d agree.


    Even the king was shocked.


    Here I thought, the humans were just using this as an excuse to go hunting for power but these morons were seriously doing this for their prince. Though I couldn''t just dismiss that possibility either, certainly not because Gorgon just said so.


    "But even so, I don''t intend to betray the royal lineage. For my lady and for the country I shall avenge his highness." Gorgon made a fist and looked at me with seriousness. Yeah, he was going to stand in the way.


    "We still don''t know if he''s dead so don''t go about killing him." I looked around. I was getting a lot of glares. I clearly wasn''t welcome anymore. "Anyway, why don''t we get down to business then?"


    "What do you want?" the king asked.


    Gorgon moved to the side.


    "Stop the war. You''re obviously being played. A lot of lives have been lost over two miserable ones. Don''t make ordinary people suffer any more than they already have."


    If it was for a shortage of food and all that, I''d have understood. But seriously? Just because two guys went missing? That was all?


    The king''s teeth clattered. He made a fist and slammed the handle of the throne. "You dare speak that way in my country! I''ll have you executed!"


    ''Technically this isn''t your country though.''


    "And have another war on your hands? You sure like to waste innocent lives. Tell me, have you ever fought anyone? Have you ever killed anyone? Have you ever been on the brink of death?" My voice seethed with anger. I was thirsty, thirsty for blood. Which was totally an act though.


    And to be clear, I''d never killed humans: at least living humans.. So technically, this was plain hypocrisy on my part.

 Chapter 268 - Being Evil Might Not Be That Bad Part Two

    "His highness has gone through his fair share of battles. I will not allow you to mock him, even if you''re my friend." Gorgon raised his spear.


    Yeah, I thought as much.


    Ve came forward. "I''ll stop right there, knight boy." Ve emanated a pressure so dense, Gorgon took a step back. But his eyes were on point. He wouldn''t back down from a fight like this.


    At least not this time.


    Couldn''t say the same about the rest of the people here though. Because the soldiers sure were looking rather pale.


    Biteria grabbed me tight. Was she frightened of something? It was possible that the spirit was frightened since Gorgon was a holy knight and all. Or was it a paladin? Honestly, I couldn''t remember.


    I was more infatuated with dark knights anyway.


    Well, I was here, so Biteria probably had nothing to fear.


    Now that I thought about it, Biteria really was acting rather weird. I''d really have to figure out a way to get rid of that spirit.


    "Both of you calm down. We aren''t here to fight." We were just here to piss off people and make things go our way.


    Actually, I''d missed taunting. Lately, I couldn''t put my skills to action.


    They did stop but glared at me. Now I was getting glares from my own ally? How fun.


    "Anyway, as I was saying, let''s not end lives in a meaningless fashion. How about you and the king of Dwaram duked it out? That way this whole issue will be resolved. If the nobility wants to fight I''ll take you all on, right here right now." With that said I brought out the mystic blade. They all froze in place.


    Yup, my trump card. I actually didn''t know if they could tell this was a legendary sword or not though. I pretty much bet on the possibility that Gorgon might or might have told them.


    The idea of two old men punching each other and sweating wasn''t really that pleasing of a thought though.


    "Gorgon, assemble the knights. We won''t let them do whatever they please!" One of the sturdy-looking knights said from the sidelines. He was middle-aged: must have been a general. And as he stood up, the soldiers inside the room also pointed all their swords and spears at us, still looking a bit pale.


    "Gorgon I''m pretty sure you know me. But are you sure you should be leaving at a crucial time like this?" I taunted. "Besides, we both know what this sword and I are capable."


    I actually wanted a mirror to see what kind of expression I was making. I wasn''t making any stupid expression, right? Cause all my life, I never actively tried to be evil.


    He grunted and glared. "I don''t know what''s come over you. Have the elves brainwashed you? Daarc!"


    Well, he was kind of justified to think that I guess.


    "I assure you, I am completely sane." ''I most certainly hope so.'' "Now then," I pointed my blade towards the king. "Let''s not shed meaningless blood. I''ll say it again. Stop this war. Oh and I''ll be taking the Mythic blade as well. The god of courage told me to get that. "


    Technically, this was Alisa''s plan. I was just pretending to be a bad boy. I kind of didn''t want to, but after hearing the entirety of her plan, I decided to play along anyway.


    They all glared. Didn''t they have anything better to do? "We will neve- " A minister rose up from his seat and glared.


    Too many glares!


    "That''s enough." Beatrine made her entrance.


    She looked as good as I remembered, perhaps a bit more mature.


    "Hey, long time no see."


    "I take it you have a reason for doing this?" She walked fast. Would have been better if she were here from the start.


    I tilted my head and grinned. I looked evil, obviously.


    "Your highness. Get away from him!" Gorgon charged with his spear. Ve blocked him with a smirk. This was probably the first time I saw Ve using a spear. And boy was she good.


    "Why are royals so much pain?" I imbued my sword and armor. I showed some strength. The soldiers all gasped in fright. They seemed to know this. Next, I touched my pendant and a blue arm grew. I pulled out the mystic spear. With two of my weapons on each of my hands and a ball of water infused with holy attribute, I glared at the princess and the king. "Well, make a decision."


    I kind of just made a small light ball inside the ball of water. There wasn''t much application to this apart from spooking ordinary folks.


    "I will assure you we have our own reasons," Beatrine grimaced. "You have gotten better."


    "Thank you for the compliment." I smiled. "I don''t care about your reason. Stop this war, or I''ll forcedly take over and excit- Ahem! Execute all the nobility and take over this place." I was basically the second in command of the Elven Empire, so I wasn''t afraid of taking a bit more responsibility. But then again, this was still an act anyway.


    But never in a million years had I thought I''d make the same frigging mistake as the geezer. Back then I berated him and look at me now. Sigh. I guess Karma was real.


    "Would it really solve anything? Will the people really accept you?" Beatrine pretended like she didn''t hear anything, and I was glad for that.


    "We have the apostle of the god of courage right here! V!" I did my best with the presentation, a little cringe but oh well. "Besides, we could always spread rumors about how the royalty have been going on war for a prince and purposefully made countless slums in the process. Plus I''m a human, in charge of the elves and men- you can see where I am going with this." I winked.  Somehow it''d work out, right?


    Probably not.


    Beatrine gave a wry smile. She didn''t seem that convinced. Honestly, I wasn''t convinced either.


    "No, that would be you. Lord Trerortra, Ashirnae, and Lord Xerphas all selected you as their apostle so don''t pin it on me: You''re even favored by Lord Damsel and Lady Anverosa." This much Ve said with a clear voice but then she turned all erratic! "And for the last time its Veniolar Xerces the demigod of flame!!!"


    Well, someone was pissed.


    Not only did V ruined my plans, but she also added another layer of weirdness. Since when did I become Ashirnae''s apostle? But I didn''t have the time to frown.


    At least he didn''t use the name Jamsau. Apparently, that name itself was cursed.


    "Fine whatever. You heard him. I''m an apostle. I''d rather not be, but it wasn''t a choice. And I would really like to avoid getting blood on my hands." I looked Gorgon. "I believe you know that this is pointless. Let''s stop this and stop this war. If we unite in our search for the two of them, I bet we could find them at ease."


    I had no idea how we were going to do that, but at this point, I didn''t have a choice but to make empty promises. I guess I was turning into more of a politician than I thought.


    "What if-" The princess started.


    "What if you are right and they are really hiding them? In that case, they''ll be punished accordingly. So don''t worry about that." Next, I glared at the king. "SO, what will it be, king?"


    I actually didn''t know how I''d punish the criminals either. Hypothetically if a king was wrong, we could dethrone him, but what if their people don''t like that?


    I kind of didn''t know anything about any of these I didn''t want to waste my brain cells on them either. ''We''ll cross the bridge when we get there if we ever get there.''


    "Your majesty. He has defeated two grand monsters and fought with gods and monarchs. I don''t think-" Gorgon didn''t get to finish.


    "Gorgon you can''t possibly suggest-" The general like guy attempted again.


    The king stopped all the commotion and looked at me. "You will keep your word, I trust if, they are found guilty?"


    Looks like he was considering. Meaning, I had to respond seriously. "Of course, the same goes for you."


    "Very well. We will have negotiations."


    Wait, that''s it?


    "I''ll act as third party then, watching over the whole thing," I said.


    Well, that went well. And it was easy, too easy?


    "Very well."


    Well, stage two was a major success. Now to stage three. "But first, I have two requests."


    The nobles were ready to spit at me. They hated me that much. "Those are?"


    "The wastelands of Alablaster. I want that. I have a promise to keep. And I want to try and wield the Mythic blade. If the sword chooses me I will use it, if it doesn''t I won''t ask you again."


    On my way here, I''d asked about those two things. Obviously, Gorgon was a bit reluctant but he gave me honest answers.


    "You dare ask for land!" A minister literally pointed fingers at me. I just ignored him.


    "I trust this promise has weight for you to request things from your enemies?" The king asked.


    "I don''t consider you an enemy but it does."


    "Very well. I''ll talk with my nephew."


    ''Does this guy have any other way to go affirmative?''


    "Please stay the night while we send envoys to the Dwarven Empire," Beatrine said, smiling.


    "You killed their envoy, remember? So what makes you think they won''t kill yours?"


    Besides, the dwarves were also pissed.


    "We did no such thing!" Beatrine had a hand on her chest, she was serious.


    I sighed. I guess something really was up with all this. "Fine, we''ll stay the night and in the morning we''ll personally go to the Dwarven capital."


    And so the meeting ended. I''d say it went my way.. It was more of a blackmail than a meeting but oh well.

 Chapter 269 - Can I Not Expose My Secrets Some More?

    "You really know how to do stuff don''t you?" V inquired, just outside the throne room.


    "I did watch too many movies ¨C" And yes, for once in my life, I was very proud of that fact.


    "This way, you''re majesty." A maid led the way. V and I followed. I thought we weren''t probably going to get warm reception but I guess I was wrong.


    Then again this maid was Beatrine''s. So, this probably had more to do with the princess than anyone else.


    I actually kind of forgot the maid''s name.


    "Be on guard," V whispered.


    "Always am."  But this went a lot easier than I thought. Almost too easy. "Say, do you think-" I tried to whisper.


    "They probably expected this and most of their replies were predetermined," V whispered back fast.


    Yeah, I thought as much. "Wait, doesn''t that mean-" Well, it sure meant a lot of things.


    The maid stopped and smiled. "We''re here."


    And we''d arrived.


    It was a guestroom for two. I guess they didn''t feel obliged to provide anything for the bunny. I was a little offended but oh well.


    Not the best room, but it wasn''t far from it either.


    "I will stand outside. Please rest." With that, the maid left.


    This was a fairly big room and judging from the cleanliness. This was definitely preplanned.


    "Looks like we''ve been had." I sighed.


    "You didn''t lose anything. So it''s not a bad outcome."


    She was right. Whether this was staged or not, didn''t have anything to do with the outcome. After all, I didn''t lose anything and got my objectives fulfilled too. But the question did remain, who could have pulled off such a large stunt?


    "Fair enough I guess." Well, did have my guesses.


    Biteria finally got out of my cape and jumped onto the bed, looking pleased. Seriously, what was up with her and beds?


    Well, it certainly didn''t bother me.


    I sat on the bed too. "Let''s just hope Alisa and the others had better luck. Wait, what were they doing again?"


    No matter how many times I asked, they didn''t tell me anything.


    "I''m not sure, but if I had to guess they''re probably figuring out what countries or even syndicates might be involved. Damsel was also the god of wisdom. So, I think she''ll figure out something." With a sigh, Ve sat down on her bed. "It pains me to admit it, but the daughter of Damsel might have been right about us."


    ''Yeah, I don''t want to hear that from you of all people.''


    So technically she was the goddess of wisdom of this world. Yeah, after what I''d gone through I didn''t feel the need to be surprised again. Though this did make sense in a way.


    "Well, she''s smart, I''d give her that."


    "Yes, she is." Ve thought over something, debated, and finally opened her mouth. "Can we really trust the half-elf? It just seems to me, she doesn''t have any real motivation to help us."


    To be honest, I felt the same. She didn''t have any reason to help us, and yet she decided to help us for the price of me trying to get some land under my name.


    Honestly, I felt the way Ve did. "For now, we don''t have any reason to not trust her, but that being said, I don''t trust her fully. So we might need to keep an eye on her." I sighed and just lied down. "I can trust you with keeping guard right?"


    "You''re going to sleep now?"


    "I feel like we''d be here for a long while. Got nothing better to do. And you and I both know, we have to keep watch either way. Let''s just say, you can sleep after midnight and I''ll keep the watch."


    As much as I wanted to believe no one was stupid enough to attack a guy like me, I couldn''t believe that. Definitely not in this world.


    "Fine." V didn''t mind though I got the feeling she was irritated by something, that something being Biteria clinging to my neck.


    That actually did remind, me, how come Biteria chose me? Why?


    I stared at Biteria and she stared back. She cocked her head just like a bunny. "Why did you choose me?"


    Apparently, I forgot she couldn''t talk.


    She just purred. She could still understand me, right? So why the hell was she pretending to be dumb now?


    She looked too damn cute, damn it. Sigh.


    "Perhaps she loves you?"


    "Can we drop this? I''m sure she doesn''t have that kind of feelings for me. After all, all this time I''ve treated her nothing more than just my pet bunny."


    Besides, I nearly killed it a dozen times already. Oh wait, it was already dead.


    "Sometimes, it''s better to see things from other perspectives too." Ve, without another word, lied down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Perhaps try to understand the meaning behind why people might act nice to you. Why they''d fight for you, and why they''d try to protect you."


    I sighed again. I guess she was kind of right? But all this time, I''d treated Biteria, just like my pet and I had no desire to treat her any differently. Besides, I already had a lover.


    Not to mention I''d be morally wrong to do this. Biteira looked like a sixteen- maybe seventeen years old and if anything she was more like my daughter. Not someone I even had the slightest shred of desire to make love to, no.


    Biteria let go of my neck, got down from the bed, and sat next to Ve: staring at me rather intensely.


    I guess she didn''t like my answer.


    Knock!


    ''Perfect timing!''


    Our attention was on the door as three people came in.


    One, Gorgon, two, Beatrine, and three, the guy who was with Gorgon when we first landed. I really didn''t like that third guy for some reason.


    "Well, that was something." Beatrine was the first to speak.


    I didn''t stand up or did anything in particular and neither did Ve.


    Gorgon and the knight stood at the door while Beatrine made her way towards me.


    I sat down, this was the minimum respect I could show her I guess.


    "Yeah, it was."


    "You''ve changed."


    "Maybe?"


    She giggled. "Yes, you have. Back then you had a boyish charm, now-" She hesitated. "Manlier?" She sat down.


    Why the hell was she asking me that? And I still believed I was the same. Maybe I didn''t trust people as much, but I was the same, at least I believed so.


    Okay, probably not.


    "Don''t know about that really but a lot happened."


    "Do you believe humans are responsible?" Beatrine had a faint smile. Whenever she was out of the court, her attitude was a bit different. I guess she had to put up a front too.


    I didn''t expect her to be this direct though.


    "I''m not sure and that''s why I''m trying to end this before it starts, so we can resolve all this before it''s too late."


    She giggled. "I guess that is logical." She looked into my eyes. "So you married the elf?"


    Well, that came out of nowhere.


    "Well, we''re just engaged and the talk about marriage, is, kind of just a matter of talks."


    "Oh? So, it''s a political arrangement between the two of you and can be broken off."


    I for a moment forgot this girl was actually a princess and knew more about all these things than me. I also forgot for a moment that I should have kept quiet about this. I looked at V and she didn''t care.


    Where was Alisa when you needed her?


    Since I made this mistake I had to own it. "Yes, but- it''s very much true that we love each other and I have all the plans to marrying her and even potentially have a family with her." Well, I''d thought about this, and to make it a reality I had to first live past this, but after thinking way too hard, I decided to go with it.


    There was a small snapping sound coming from my left. Apparently, both of my companions were now glaring at me and it was Biteria who had broken a handle of the bed.


    Beatrine chuckled. "So love runs deep." She paused. "Anyway, I''ll talk to my brother to ensure you get the sword and even the land." She paused. "The sword I understand, but why the land?"


    I figured I had to explain at least something.


    "You know the legend of the mage of six clouds right?"


    Apparently, it wasn''t just a legend among the elves. Since the mage traveled all across the globe, his legends were really also all across the globe.


    "You mean the legend of Boriosa? Wasn''t it just a-" She paused and looked serious. "Go on."


    I grinned and showed her my ring.  "This is the ring of Boriosa and-" I opened a small portal, pulled out Boriosa''s cane. "This is his scepter."


    For a moment Beatrine was perplexed and then she smiled. "You never cease to surprise me. When I''d heard you fell to the sea, I was really disappointed, but I never knew you could achieve this much.. But that still doesn''t explain why you''d want land."

 Chapter 270 - Why Did I Think This Was A Good Idea?

    I guess all of this wouldn''t have been possible if it weren''t for Araan and that half-demon. If they hadn''t betrayed me, I''d have never met Trerortra and I''d probably have never met the geezer.


    Come to think of it, how would have my life been if I hadn''t met them?


    The pirates wouldn''t have died, and Brenda probably would be alive right now. Jowy probably would have just wandered around the world.


    And what about Lianne? Was she really going to be alright?


    What would have happened to Alisa?


    What about the geezer? Would he really have been stuck in the snake''s mouth even now?


    I almost chuckled thinking about all these. I guess all of this was rather nostalgic. Some were terrible experiences, but they made me who I was. "Before he passed these to me, he requested that I bury his family there. And because of that, I want to own that land to make sure nothing happens to it afterward. Oh and I forgot to ask, Gorgon told me that it was just some wasteland nowadays but-"


    Beatrine looked very serious. "He told you the truth. But- you met him? You met the mage of six clouds?''


    I guess she didn''t believe me. "Well, technically, I met various other things you can deem impossible, like the god of light, the god of courage, the god of wisdom, the sealed goddess of darkness, and so on." Yeah, the list went on and on. I even met the dog- I mean, god of the underworld.


    "I suppose that is true." Beatrine resigned. "Alright, I''ve confirmed that you''re not our foe, but can we really trust you?"


    So, that was her objective.


    "As I said, as long as you''re not found guilty, I won''t bare my fangs."


    The moment I said that she giggled hard.


    She did control herself rather easily though. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have to go back. If you can keep your word, the land and the sword are yours."


    I guess that was that. She stood up, I also stood up.


    I actually had a word for the guy at the door.


    "Well, that was some performance you pulled." Gorgon grinned.


    Yeah, I had a feeling they all knew.  "And you think that was a performance because?"


    "Because I believe in my friend."


    I didn''t think he thought highly of me after the stuff I''d pulled. I guess I was kind of wrong.


    Naturally, act natural!


    I chuckled. "Fair enough. And not too shabby on your part either." It would have been very embarrassing if he wasn''t pretending though.


    He chuckled too. "Oh, and can you wield a spear? You held that spear like- how should I say? A little-" It was too awkward for him to say it out loud.


    "Not one bit, no. I''m a sword guy."


    "Well, I can teach you. It''s already evening, so how about I drill some basics in you before dinner?" Why the hell was this guy suddenly offering me lessons from the goodness of his heart?


    For a moment I''d forgotten this was actually evening rather than night.


    We had time I guess.


    "NO, it''s fine. I already got a teacher and I think she might be a bit better with a spear than you. She literally stopped me barehanded you know," I whispered vigorously.


    "Yeah, I think she''s stronger too." And he vigorously whispered back.


    Afterward we both laughed hard.


    "First escort me back and then have your chat." Beatrine had both her hands on her hips and she looked at us, eyes squinting.


    I''d almost forgotten that she was here.


    Oh well.


    She giggled a second later anyway.


    Gorgon waved and all three left, but just outside the door, the third one stopped. "Lord Daarc-"


    "Yes?"


    "Who is that person?" He was talking about Biteria. He was staring at her for a while now.


    Biteria was my pet, but now she looked like a demi-human. Demi-humans were already treated pretty badly in this country, if they learned she was my pet, they''d probably start treating her worse.


    "She''s my friend and companion. Why?"


    "Would it be alright with you if I were to talk to her?"


    "She can''t talk."


    "That''s a shame. Can she understand me? I truly wish to speak with her."


    I gave Gorgon a glance.


    If he didn''t take this guy away right now, I might have seriously punched him.


    "We can talk later, maybe over dinner? Oh and he''s my elder brother Gordon."


    Talk about confusing names!


    And I guess punching wasn''t going to fly now.


    "Fine." I half sighed, half glared.


    If he pulled anything funny, I''d be sure to pound some sense into him.


    The guy smiled and left with the two.


    I locked the door and came inside.


    "That was weird."


    For a second I was overwhelmed with nostalgia.


    "Yes, you''re almost like another person and started revealing all your secrets."


    Now that Ve mentioned it, yeah.


    "Sorry about that. Couldn''t help it. I''ll be careful from now on."


    "It''s okay." Ve looked at me carefully. "So, you plan on setting down with the elf?"


    "I''ll have to survive first but, as things stand, yes."


    "I see." Her voice was lower than usual. She yawned. "I''m getting a little rusty. Let''s go to the garden and train a little."


    "Oh, yeah, right!" I then looked at Biteria and she was still glaring. "You wanna come?"


    "HMPH!" She was mad, there was no doubt about it.


    But one thing was for certain! My bunny was cute AF!


    ***


    There was still some light in the western sky. So visibility wasn''t that bad.


    But I had a feeling it wasn''t going to be like this for long. We had to act fast.


    I now knew why Gorgon signaled us to descend on top of the wall rather than any garden and all that.


    This city was pretty packed, and the garden was no exception.


    Actually, it was Ve who saw Gorgon, I''d have totally missed him. Meaning, if I were driving, we''d have wandered around the city for a while.


    My only selling point was outshone once again.


    This place- the garden, was literally filled with Roses. All kinds: red, green, blue, purple, pink, white, black, etc. Just roses though.


    Like seriously, the whole place was a hotbed of thorns.


    And the smell was strong. I never really liked roses all that much.  So this smell kind of make me wanted to throw up.


    Yeah, I did not want to go in there.


    "You could spar in the castle grounds if you''d like." The princess''s maid was our guide.


    When I asked her to lead me to the garden, she led us here. But I guess, she already kind of understood what we wanted to do.


    By we I meant Ve. My bunny really was mad, so we couldn''t take her along.


    "Please, lead the way."


    While walking down the corridors, I saw countless nobles just glaring at me. But no one had the guts to say or even raise their heads. Whenever they saw me, they bowed and stood out of my way.


    This was actually very convenient.


    It wasn''t that long, and after roughly ten or so minutes of walking, we''d arrived at the castle grounds. The place was kind of barren, with no grass or pavement, and the surface was hard.


    Anyone who''d practiced here before was already gone, so I didn''t have anything to worry about.


    But now it was really getting dark.


    "I have no issues with the darkness. What about you?" And conveniently, Ve understood me.


    "Neither do I." I had tons of problems but I sure wasn''t going to admit them, no sir!


    Ve, smirked, clearly knowing I was just bluffing and moved on to the middle of the ground.


    She held her spear, pointed it at me, and smiled. I actually couldn''t see much of the spear, let alone anything else.


    This was a bad idea.


    "Can we light up some pyres?" I whispered to the maid.


    "We''re actually not allowed."


    Damn. A very bad idea.


    I took a deep breath and brought out the mystic spear and a second later realized, yeah, it glowed.


    Ve looked at me with dull eyes. Yeah, this probably wasn''t the best spear to learn how to wield a spear.


    "You can use mine."


    And conveniently enough Gorgon was here.


    I didn''t know why, but apparently, everything today was convenient.


    ''Am I going to die or something?''


    I didn''t know why but I had a very bad feeling about all this.


    I chucked the mystic blade back inside the ring, grabbed Gorgon''s spear, and headed straight for the center.


    I actually didn''t know how to even hold the spear, let alone use it. Besides, I didn''t have my left arm.


    "So, anyway-" Ve began. "Just watch me and try not to get cut too much."


    ''What the hell is that supposed to mean?''


    And with that, she moved fast. A strike came for my head and I barely moved to my right.


    She was fast and she was definitely trying to injure me, if not kill me.


    ''Why did I ever think this was a good idea?''

 Chapter 271 - Why Won’t Things Ever Go According To Plan?

    I didn''t have a chance at that speed without Imbuition and I knew it. Plus it was too dark to see.


    So imbuition it was.


    First the spear, then my armor.


    My light emanated from me also improved my range of sight.


    This was a lot better than just swinging blindly. Then again, I hadn''t actually made a single swing yet.


    So, I tried to swing, and Ve dodged, closing in on the gap, smiling- punching me on the stomach. "You do realize, this is a spear right?"


    Yeah, no shit.


    She promptly moved back.


    And I would have loved it if she were at least teaching me something.


    ''Should''ve just taken up on Gorgon''s offer.'' Too late to regret now though.


    I took a deep breath. Ve''s punch actually didn''t hurt that much. She was either pulling her punches or my defenses were a lot higher than before. Probably the former. "Then don''t you think you should teach me?" This time, I thrust the spear.


    Ve dodged with ease. "I am teaching you." she made a vertical swing, followed by rapid thrusts.


    It was impossible to dodge them all.  The lack of light was one thing, but her speed was just unmatchable. Even if I used the mystic spear and perhaps got a 3X boost in speed, I probably wouldn''t have been able to match that.


    ''Teaching what Exactly?''


    Moving the spear with one hand was a chore, and since I didn''t know how to wield it in the first place, it wasn''t working. Besides, Ve was a lot faster than me, so she easily dodged everything I threw at her.


    And her smirk wasn''t really helping.


    I had to step up. I couldn''t keep up like this, let alone learn something.


    So, I imbued my body.


    I didn''t know if I could pull this off without Alisa or the pendant, but honestly, I had a feeling I''d be able to. After all, I had a much better control of my mana and I even knew what to expect.


    I channeled the mana through my blood, throughout my body. A warm feeling emanated and my body glowed but a second later the warmth just kept on warming off.


    Sadly- I threw up blood and fell on my knees. I''d stopped just at the right moment.


    I rested my weight on the spear and breathed hard.


    Ve sighed and slouched down. "What are you, a moron? Even when you learned you shouldn''t use the same holy you use to destroy things on your body, you still used that instead of using the healing kind? Didn''t I tell you, your mana is a double-edged sword?"


    "No, actually you didn''t." I was breathless but it wasn''t like last time. And I didn''t faint or burn out. Actually, this was probably the only time, that I used imbuition without any additives and didn''t faint.


    Definitely, not the achievement I was hoping for though. But I was glad.


    "Still, now I know what you''re capable of. I''m sad to say, but, you don''t have any gift with the spear."


    I kind of knew that. Wielding a spear with just one hand wasn''t going to get me anywhere. This is why I didn''t use the bow either, though technically I could use it with one hand, it was too much of a hassle.


    "Now, don''t write him off. He can get better with practice and-"


    Gorgon walked into the field.


    "Unfortunately, he doesn''t have the luxury of time." V stood up. "Let''s go."


    She turned around and started walking.


    I knew all that and yet, some part of me wasn''t taking this that seriously. Maybe- maybe I was being too optimistic?


    Or had I taken things for granted?


    "Thanks for the spear." I handed the spear back and walked. Damn these cuts stung. They were tiny cuts and yet stung so bad.


    ''I have to rethink everything.''


    Gorgon didn''t actually say anything.


    I was glad he didn''t.


    ***


    Dinner was kind of chaotic.


    There were seven nobles here. Also the king, gorgon and his brother and the princess were present. The three of us stuck out like sore thumbs among them.


    It was not fun.


    This was a secluded room, unlike the dining hall of Saram.


    Everywhere else, even in Moire, I didn''t have to worry about social standing but the way I ate, here- it was different. And since Biteria was eating with her bare hands, things were a bit too messy.


    "Can you tell me what your name is miss? You can''t talk, but can you write?"


    Gorgon''s brother Gordon was trying his best to talk to Biteria but when there was food involved nothing could have swayed Biteria''s heart. Though I had a feeling, even if there wasn''t, she''d still have paid him no attention.


    Meanwhile, there were plenty of glares coming our way from the nobles. The king and Beatrine weren''t glaring and just eating gracefully.


    No one talked and the dinner continued. Only the sound of the forks and the knives resounded within the room.


    I was a bit hesitant to eat, but Ve''d whispered there was no poison in the foods, at least not a strong one.


    Did that mean there were weak poisons or something? was it really okay for me to eat it?


    The way, both Biteria, and Ve were eating did reassure me a little though.


    There were some soldiers by the entrance to this secluded place. All in all this place wasn''t that well-guarded.


    I didn''t know why but this whole thing was a bit more cumbersome than I thought.


    After a certain time, I''d have had enough. I couldn''t chew on the food. It wasn''t that it tasted bad, it was just that, I didn''t want to eat anymore. And I had a feeling something was in it, maybe I was thinking too much.


    "You are already done lord Daarc?" The king asked.


    "Yes, I am satiated." Never thought I''d use that word like this.


    "Was the food to your liking?" Beatrine asked.


    It wasn''t bad to lie to show politeness, right? "Yes, it was good." But then again, the food really was good, perhaps I was just not in the mood.


    Gordon was still trying to strike up a conversation with Biteria even now. I almost felt bad for him, but I didn''t. "Are you two done, I''ll wait outside if you aren''t."


    I just wanted some fresh air.


    "I''m almost done as well. Just wait a minute." Ve drank her wine and stood up.


    I kind of really wanted a drink myself. Sigh.


    Seeing, Ve get up, Biteria also got up, ignored the pleading man next to her, and stared at me.


    "Alright then your highness, princess, gentlemen, I bid you all good night." I made a small gesture of bowing and started walking. My two companions followed me out.


    Once outside, I breathed a sigh of relief. But there was something that was weighing down on me.


    I went closer to Ve. "Was it me or was something mixed into the food?" I whispered.


    "I suspect a weak sleeping drug. We shouldn''t sleep tonight-" She whispered back.


    And she still ate knowing that?


    Three back-to-back nights without sleeping, huh?


    Yeah.


    Didn''t seem like the best of plans.


    ***


    "What makes you think it''s a sleep drug? I don''t feel anything and even when I ate, I didn''t feel anything. I was just talking about my intuition."


    We were back in our room and I closed the door.


    "Did you forget you have a curse on you?" She sighed. "I''m guessing this drug will take effect after some time. Let''s drink a potion just in case."


    Potions weren''t like a cure for everything. So, I didn''t see any reason to drink any. If we really needed a cure, there was always the elixir. "Can''t we drink-"


    "I''m not drinking that snake''s blood, no."


    I guess not.


    I sighed and brought out three potions. I handed one to Ve, one I drank myself and I handed one to Biteira. But unfortunately, she was already asleep and she was also hogging the whole bed to herself.


    "I have to sleep on the floor?" I sighed, regrettably that was the only option.


    I went to the window and closed it- these windows were made of glass.


    I could have slept on top of Biteria, but yeah, I couldn''t do that for moral reasons.


    "You can sleep next to me, if you''re okay with it," Ve said, not even flinching.


    "And you''re okay with that? I''m a guy you know?"


    And it wasn''t that wide of a bed.


    "SO? Are you saying you intend to do things to me?"


    "NO-" The answer came out on its own.


    "Then, there''s no problem." Ve''s voice was soft. Why the hell was she getting disappointed all of a sudden?


    Well, it was better than sleeping on the floor. Besides, I respected her and she respected me, so it should have been fine.


    The beds were actually a bit wider than single ones but not wide enough for two people to comfortably sleep. Meaning, there''d be loads of rubbing.


    I just pretended to not think about that and snuffed out the lights.


    Ve was seated on the bed, rather than lying.


    "We''re not going to sleep, so I guess we can just lie down and talk?" I offered.


    "No, you should sleep. I''ll wake you up if anything happens. You''re too sleep-deprived."


    The moments I sat down on the bed, my eyes started closing on their own. I guess the lights were the trigger.


    "Alright." I was already too sleepy, so I didn''t have the luxury to turn her down. "But wake me up after midnight and then I''ll take over."


    "Alright."

 Chapter 272 - Thy Shooketh Me!

    I thought it''d be very hard to fall asleep with Ve right next to me, but apparently, it wasn''t hard at all.


    And I fell asleep almost too easily.


    How did I know?


    Because, apparently, I was still conscious and currently being hugged by the spirit. The spirit was sleeping rather peacefully and just hugging me. It wasn''t painful and it wasn''t uncomfortable either. I had two options, try the same thing I tried yesterday, or at least try to get some rest. After all, for the last three nights, I didn''t have as much sleep as I should have.


    But wait, was this really getting rid of my fatigue? Or was the spirit just sucking all my life instead? I didn''t feel anything though.


    "Tell me? Why are you doing this? What do you want?" My lips didn''t move. I really was asleep.


    Obviously, the spirit didn''t even wake up, let alone answer me.


    I sighed inwardly.


    Well, I didn''t feel that bad and I was strangely calm.


    Maybe, this wasn''t so bad. And I had a body pillow too. So I tried closing my already closed eyes and leaning against the spirit, hoping to rest a little.


    ''There''s someone here-''A thought floated in my head but it wasn''t mine.


    And a second later, I woke up.


    ''Shit.'' And once I was awake, I found myself leaning against Ve- hugging her rather tightly- she was fast asleep. ''Weren''t you supposed to be waking me up?''


    But wait, what was this feeling?


    It was almost as though, something- something was watching me. And didn''t the thought in my mind also mention that someone was here?


    I hadn''t moved my body yet and hadn''t looked anywhere, but I had a feeling there was something in the room, and it wasn''t a spirit. It was something more than that.


    The feeling was similar to being in a forest and there was a distinct scent in the air. It wasn''t quite rotting or like that either. It was almost like a metallic-iron-like smell. Blood? But the smell was faint and it was mixed with some sort of perfume similar to the one that half-demon used to wear.


    I didn''t move my head and just used my peripherals but it was impossible to tell with just the lights of the stars. And not to mention there was a good one-fourth of the room I couldn''t see.


    So, I came upon a plan.


    The plan being- I closed my eyes and released a dense ball of light a bit too rapidly. A second later I opened my eyes and surveyed everything with a small ball of light.


    Something fell on the floor from the ceiling, writing a little: it didn''t make any sound though.


    My companions were still asleep. So much for keeping watch.


    I didn''t give it any chance and pinned it to the ground by grabbing both of its hands. Obviously I was using imbuition on my clothes for better mobility.


    With my mana reserves expanded I could use it a lot more frequently.


    "Who are you and who sent you?"


    The thing was black and it squeaked it. Was it even human? I didn''t think so.


    There was no answer.


    The black strands were actually hair, rather long curly hair. A girl? No, it wasn''t human.


    Red eyes, fangs. An undead? No, it had skin and so maybe a half-dead? No, half-dead''s didn''t have fangs. Then what?


    And damn, this thing was strong. It struggled and almost threw me off.


    It struggled so frigging much that I was almost overpowered. "DO you GUYS MIND Waking UP!"


    Still no response from my companions.


    Since I was holding the thing down, I couldn''t form light and the small light from my Imbuituion wasn''t really that much to see its face.


    "Whoa! Whoah!" it almost threw in a split second and jumped out of the window, breaking all the glass in the process.


    Fast.


    I picked myself up and looked out, smalls shards were still falling out and I almost cut myself with one.


    I didn''t see anyone down there but I did see that thing flying though. It had wings, like a bat? ''SO, it was a demon?''


    "What happened!" Someone knocked on the door.


    I yawned and went to the door, unlocked it. "Nothing much, just an assassin I guess." Well, probably. Apparently, Gorgon was on the other side. "You were here all along?"


    "I requested to be assigned to this post, but, kind of fell asleep." Gorgon smiled awkwardly. Meaning, whoever did this, might had also put something in his food too.


    So, this was preemptive and well planned. I really should have bought Alisa with me.


    Sigh.


    "Try to be a bit more careful, but as you can see, you don''t have to worry about me."


    "Your friends are heavy sleepers huh?" He looked behind me.


    "More or less. Good night."


    Needless to say, Ve and Biteria were still sleeping.


    "Night."


    Gorgon left and I locked the door again.


    Both Ve and Biteria were still sleeping peacefully. It was almost as though sound didn''t exist for them. Biteria I could understand but Ve too? Wasn''t she supposed to be a god? I guess technically she was a half-god, or a goddess if she liked that word.


    I sighed and lied down on the bed. It was a bit strange but I didn''t necessarily felt any bloodlust from that demon. Though I guess it was either good at concealing itself or maybe I was just too sleepy.


    I wasn''t sleepy anymore, and the fact that it could very well come back just someone later was a good enough reason for me to stay awake, for the next ten minutes that is. After that, I again fell asleep.


    How did I know that?


    ¡­


    ¡­..


    ***


    I noticed some things about his darkness. One, whenever I woke up here, I felt nothing, no emotion in particular. And there was always a sleeping girl hugging me. The moment she''d wake up, I''d also wake up. She looked like Biteria but her hair was black. And instead of bunny ears, she had ordinary ears but long ones like an elf.


    There were certain ways I could wake up the girl, one being kissing. Others included tapping her nose, or maybe pinching her cheek and all that.


    When I first woke up in this place, I couldn''t move my body but now I could basically even sleep in here if I wanted. And I kind of had two hands here- I guess dreamland really was dreamland.


    It was weird.


    The place itself was vast, or maybe it was small. I didn''t know. I couldn''t see anything besides the girl anyway. I didn''t even see the bed, I did feel it though.


    There was no sound- and I didn''t feel like it had any place here either. And strangely, I liked the quiet, it gave me more room to concentrate on my breathing. Though the breaths from the girl next to me were very distracting for some reason.


    I tried channeling my mana in here and nope, nothing. I did feel just a fraction of my mana though- definitely not enough to light up a small ball.


    The feeling was actually very similar to the times I usually get summoned to the bottom of the ocean or maybe that other dark place where the goddess of darkness was sealed.


    Back then I couldn''t even feel a shred of my mana- so this was maybe an improvement?


    These things were getting awfully confusing though.


    Since I was bored and basically had nothing to do, I tried to remember Anverosa''s words about mana and all that. ''Infusing mana like life essence, huh?''


    I basically had all night, assuming I didn''t get killed in my sleep. I actually could have just woken up and tried to stay awake but it was kind of pointless considering how sleepy and tired I was: I literally fell asleep after thinking I wouldn''t.


    Besides, I didn''t actually feel any murderous intent from that flying monster thing. I wasn''t na?ve enough to think it wouldn''t try to kill us though. I was probably just consoling myself though.


    I did get the impression the spirit would wake me up like last time, if it did come back, so yeah, I just didn''t worry about it.


    Too optimistic?


    Probably.


    But anyway, I tried to infuse mana with my blood, the healing kind. And hoped I didn''t die.


    I could feel small amount of mana and that was it. But it was better. Better than trying with all of my mana and failing miserably.


    I tried to infuse mana- failed. I tried again and felt something but failed.


    I tried hard, I tried again and after who knows how many times gave up.


    Apparently, I could feel mana, move it around, but infusing it- whatever that meant- wasn''t possible. I did feel a bit warm though. Well, at least I didn''t burn.


    I sighed.


    "Maybe, try imagining it like water flowing instead?" A voice came, a very smooth, clear voice. I looked around but didn''t see anyone. And then I realized, there was someone right next to me, all along, I turned to my left and the spirit was awake. She smooched me.


    And a second later, I woke up.


    It was morning. Ve and Biteria were already up, I was the last.


    The moment I woke up Ve grabbed my shirt and shook me. "Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    Biteria shared her conscience, nodding vigorously.


    Me?


    Blank stare- nothing more- nothing less.


    At least I didn''t feel tired anymore.

 Chapter 273 - And I Had A Very Bad Feeling, You See

    Breakfast was just like last night''s. Except I didn''t really feel all that bad and it didn''t feel like something was in the food either. The food was good and I wasn''t tired, so I ate.


    As usual, I got glares here and there, but nothing too suspicious. I did have some potential suspects who might or might have wanted to get rid of me, but I didn''t have any proof.


    Upon talking to Ve about the thing, she concluded it might have been a higher class of demon or maybe even a vampire. It had fangs and bat wings, so I guess it could have been that. Plus using a bit of holy light literally made it writhe on the floor so, maybe it really was a vampire?


    Then again, demons were also kind of weak to holy, so I wasn''t so sure anymore.


    So, I just rolled with it and after finishing the meal, I stood up and stared at the king. "We''ll be leaving now. When can we assume you''d meet up with the king of dwarves and hold negotiations? Of course, that''s assuming you two would do it in person."


    It''d be very awkward if he sent a messenger and the guy got killed halfway and things started to get weird again. Actually, that''d be disastrous.


    He sighed. "Take a messenger from our end, and please sort through these things."


    So, this guy was basically dumping all the responsibility on me?


    Well, I did ask for it. "Fine by me. As long as you keep your end of the bargain, I''ll keep mine."


    I was already sick of this whole thing, so I just wanted to get this over with. The faster this ended, the quicker I''d get to my own mission and the better chances I''d have. Last evening''s practice kind of reminded me that I''d stopped taking this world as seriously as I should have.


    ''I can''t lose focus now.'' Underestimating this world was the last thing I wanted to do again, ever.


    "Your majesty, I''d like to volunteer," Gorgon said, bowing on his knees.


    Yeah, I had a feeling.


    I was fine with him though.


    "You''ll protect the princess. So I don''t think-" The king began- I guess he was right. Gorgon did have a very soft spot for the princess.


    "Then let me-" Gorgon''s brother tried. He had a very dashing smile. Yeah, I didn''t like him.


    "Denied," Ve denied him before I could.


    The guy looked very disappointed and was about to open his mouth.


    I opened mine first though. "I know Gorgon from a while back. It''d be best if he was the one going." Besides, the guy actually cared for his country. "Or are you saying all of you are incapable of protecting a princess within your own country?" Obviously, I mocked the nobility. I didn''t know why but I really liked taunting for some reason.


    They all had scorns instead of glares.


    The king sighed again. "For someone who''s only adopted royalty- you sure learned our ways fast." That was not the compliment I was looking for, no. "Fine, take him. But even if everything fails, I''d like you to guarantee his life at least."


    "Alright."


    Gorgon was pretty strong, and there weren''t that many good fighters in Dwaram, so I didn''t have to worry about that.


    Though I guess this meant, I''d have to come back for him again. Sigh.


    And with that, everything was settled.


    Though Gorgon did give the princess a rather emotional farewell.


    "Please take care, your highness. Don''t forget your meals- your showers- your tea- your-" Gorgon went on. What was he, her mother?


    ''It''s not like you''re going to die, dude, calm down.''


    If he was that worried for the princess, why the hell did he volunteer?


    I had no idea.


    Gorgon''s brother, however, wasn''t that satisfied. He was grinding his teeth and she kind of glare at me. Was he looking for a world tour on Ve or something?


    ***


    Instead of going back to the wall, Ve and we climbed on top of the castle and from there we took off. It was a bit tricky as this castle didn''t have an actual roof. It did have burnt clay plates to deflect rain though and walking on top of them without falling down to our dooms was quite challenging, to say the least.


    As usual, I barely hung around and for some reason Biteria was in front of me, meaning I at least had a better grip. Though this meant, I had to grab her shoulders- a bit too tightly. And since I didn''t want to fall to my death, I was hugging her very tightly too. She didn''t mind though. She actually paid me no attention whatsoever.


    Gorgon?


    The guy was having the time of his life- literally. His golden hair flowed freely with the wind: his grip was perfect with just one hand! "This is amazing!" He looked up in the sky- the clouds- the rising sun and everything in between.


    The wind wasn''t enough to deter his vision.


    Sigh.


    I hated pretty boys.


    ***


    We reached Saram rather quick and the earl was there to welcome us back, from the looks of it, he didn''t have any sleep.


    He had a weak smile and looked very eagerly at me. I was also having the time of my life flying through the clouds, so yeah, I could feel his pain.


    I got down from Ve, barely standing- shaking like crazy- and gave him an okay sign. Yeah, these flights would have been the death of me.


    He tried to smile and then fainted. Talk about a relieved man.


    I didn''t know why but I wanted to faint too- unfortunately, I didn''t.


    Sigh.


    ***


    The earl woke up an hour later and the court held its session. The earl''s fatigue was gone and he was as energetic as ever. Wish I had that kind of rejuvenating capability.


    Then again lately my healing and regeneration did feel a bit better though.


    Everything lasted another hour and after a heated debate- he agreed this was the best idea. That actually kind of made me feel good about myself.


    Because at one point, I really thought, I kind of screwed up everything.


    He then radioed the castle and got us an audience with the king- again.


    More drag. But at least this guy was fast.


    But before we could actually leave the throne room- Alisa and the half-elf made their entrance, the dark knight was with them. Things happened a bit too spontaneously to be a coincidence. Were they waiting behind the doors or something?


    "Please tell me you know something- because all this running around is very tedious." And I just wanted it to be over.


    Alisa grinned and opened her mouth. "You see-"


    But the half-elf started before her. "They''re in love."


    ''Wait, what?''


    ***


    And we now had another meeting in the court.


    The reason?


    "The prince and princess were in love and they ran away to Xylax. The prince of Destoa was friends with the duke of Xylax but- apparently, the duke had other plans and might or might not have imprisoned the prince." Alisa chose her words very carefully in the presence of Gorgon. I got the feeling there was a lot of stuff she wasn''t telling us.


    Gorgon however was just listening carefully, without any emotion in particular.


    "What about my sister?" The earl asked, looking concerned. Though he was probably more concerned about ending this than his sister that much was clear.


    "She-" Alisa hesitated. She now looked at me and sighed. "Let''s just say, she''s alive and so is the prince. The rest, you''ll have to conquer Xylax to learn- since their borders are closed."


    Conquer huh?


    "Can''t we just-" I guess Ve was about to suggest flying over the country to their palace or something.


    "They have good artillery- it''d be very difficult to enter. And there isn''t any place for you to land. Perhaps just you and Daarc can infiltrate but you''d need more allies."


    Ve grinned. "That''s fine-" She was ready for the challenge.


    "Which is why- I have a suggestion." Alisa grinned evilly. "Take charge of both armies and let''s conquer Xylax." She was talking to me and in the presence of everyone.


    The nobles gulped but they agreed almost immediately. Even the earl agreed. Gorgon stayed quiet. I had a feeling if I didn''t say something now, I''d be dragged into some crazy shit again.


    ''Yeah, no thanks.'' "How''d you two get in? Can''t we just go in like that?"


    Alisa frowned. "Where''s your kingly ambition? Don''t you want to broaden your borders?"


    Was she seriously, serious?


    "I have none and I don''t have any need for land. Anyway, I''d assume you actually went there?"


    "Not exactly-" The half-elf started. "We used the forests to communicate."


    I forgot elves could do that. "Can all elves do that?"


    That was a very op skill if nothing. I never got to learn it from Lianne though.


    "No." She answered. "Only a few in my kin-" She stopped, cleared her throat. "But I think there''s a way in. Are you sure, you''d be willing to risk everything and just infiltrate the country? After all, don''t you think they''d declare war on you either way? Xylax isn''t affiliated with any country- so they might seriously attack Helsing."


    Technically I was associated with Alfeim, meaning if they did attack Helsing, it was fine. But wouldn''t that drag more people into this?


    I groaned and sighed. "Then-"


    Alisa again grinned very evilly. "That''s why I have another plain. I had a nice rumor, you see." Her grin intensified.


    And I had a very bad feeling, you see.

 Chapter 274 - And Here I Thought My Affairs With The Lovely Forests Of Death Were Over

    My worst fears came alive as I climbed up on top of Ve, again. Sandwiched between Alisa and Biteria my nightmares came haunting me and well, I wanted to just crawl into a closet and hide. Okay, probably not the best thing to do.


    "Stop being such a baby," Alisa hugged me from behind. This was typical of her, every time we went somewhere like this, she''d always hug me. And she was telling me, I was being the baby.


    Alisa hugged me and I hugged Biteria. Yeah, I totally didn''t want to fall off.


    Gorgon, the dark knight, the half-elf all climbed aboard too.


    Our destination?


    A friggin forest. The only place on this entire rock, I wanted nothing to do with.


    "Good luck." For some reason, the Earl was in a great mood today.


    Wish I could get down and punch him. Actually, I just wanted to stay on the ground.


    But Ve took off anyway.


    And so, my never-ending nightmares began anew.


    ***


    Just before noon, we landed near a massive forest in the middle of nowhere. I so, so wanted to kiss the ground right now. I thought after a certain time, my fear of heights would go out the drain, but apparently, there was no fooling my body.


    I was afraid of heights and I was not afraid to use my fist the next time someone brought up the idea of flying.


    Alfeim was directly behind us, Saram was towards our left, Helsing was also on our left, while Destoa was on our right.


    In front?


    The forest.


    Yeah, I was so excited. Like totally excited.


    As l looked ahead and saw the ever-deepening forest, my legs shook a little and sweat poured.


    "Are you okay?" The half-elf asked.


    "He''s scared of forests, don''t let it bother you." Ve answered on my behalf, I wished she hadn''t.


    "The master of demigods afraid of forests? Hmm¡­" The dark knight guy wondered aloud.


    "Why the hell did you even come along?"


    Like seriously, what was this guy even doing here?


    ''Is it me or is there more than enough people?''


    Wait, forests¡­ loads of people¡­.


    It didn''t take a genius to know where this was going.


    "Well, you always were afraid of forests, so that''s nothing new," Gorgon spoke like it was the most natural thing in the world. How the hell did that guy know I was afraid of forests?


    "Just so you guys know." I brushed off my sweat. I had to warn them before anything happened. "Some of you might end up dead."


    The pattern always went like this anyway. The more people flocked to me, the more people died. It was kind of heartbreaking but at the same time, this also meant I just needed to stay away from people and that''d- wait, wouldn''t that be- kind of sad?


    Sigh.


    It was better than having everyone die on me though.


    Gorgon nodded. "Correct. We''re going to the enemy territory from here on out, so everyone stay on your toes and guard each other. Let''s hope all of us makes it out alive." And he gave us a dashing smile.


    Everyone nodded.


    ''Wait, what?''


    Seriously?


    I sighed again.


    "People aren''t as fragile as you think them to be. We know death surrounds us and we know we must accept it when the time comes." Alisa patted my back, though since she couldn''t reach my back, she patted my bums instead.


    What sort of sexual harassment was this?


    I sighed again and moved ahead. "Don''t blame me if you end up dead," I mumbled.


    I didn''t want anyone to die though. Perhaps I was too selfish.


    Sigh.


    So far, this day was full of sighs.


    ***


    It was midday and after resting for ten or so minutes we headed into the forest.


    The entrance was complicated. We went in by ten steps, took left, backtracked by three steps, turned right, and this whole thing kind of went on for the first half an hour, and then and only then did we finally found a nice straight path.


    I had no idea why the half-elf made us go through all this trouble but oh well.


    The forest was rather clean.


    There weren''t any undead here and it wasn''t clouded in darkness either. The trees were spaced nicely, almost as though the trees were regularly cut. This not only ensured that certain trees didn''t get too big, but this also made sure that this forest didn''t go out of control.


    Whoever was maintaining this place really knew how to do their stuff.


    "But really, what kind of monsters would build a literal kingdom insider a forest like this?"


    A second later I realized how stupid I was to ask that. After all, I was basically the Archduke of a certain country full of such monsters.


    "You do realize, you''re the archduke of Afleim, right?" The half-elf hissed.


    Yeah, we got that much.


    How the hell did I forget Alfeim was surrounded by a frigging forest too? I didn''t know.


    There weren''t many monsters around either. The few goblins or snakes that showed up were slaughtered by either Ve or Gorgon. The rest of us were taking it easy. Some of the monsters were actually going in a specific direction. And as fate had it, we were also going in that direction. ''This is not going to end well.''


    There were no signs of undead or that unholy smell I was so-not-used to, either.


    This was so easy that I had a bad feeling all over again.


    "About that plan of yours." I went closer to Alisa. "You seriously think it''s going to work?"


    She grinned, very evilly.


    I wanted to sigh some more but oh well. "How are their conditions, really?" I whispered. I had a feeling this conversation had to be in whispers.


    Alisa looked a bit disturbed but then came close to me, covering her mouth with a hand to not let any sound leak: my companions noticed so they gave us enough space. "The prince is tortured daily but is kept alive. And the princess-" She paused. "She''s being abused daily." Alisa grimaced. "I don''t think she''ll be mentally stable even if we free her."


    I walked on, without a word. My anger was seething out a little so I had to control myself. If it was as Alisa said, war was inevitable even if we freed them. After all, neither country was going to just sit by and relax while their royals were treated like that.


    ***


    This whole forest was the size of Helsing and Saram combined. Most of the forest was monitored by dark elves and pixies. But there was another race living within this place- that race being the demi-humans: they were the ruling kind.  Humans and demi-humans had very whacky relationships, so I had no idea how the prince of Destoa ever became friends with the duke of Xylax or whatever the name was.


    Though now I could see why the duke would befriend the prince and why stuff would happen as they did. I sure didn''t like it though.


    The part we entered into the forest was the only unmonitored place, at least according to the half-elf. We had no choice but to trust in her ears, for now.


    And even if we were found out, there wasn''t any way for us to know that- at least not until we got caught or something.


    The last time those two were inside this forest they heard a very peculiar rumor among the trees and now they were going to exploit to no one''s doubt.


    As usual, I had a very bad feeling about this.


    But one thing did strike me weird. There were flying things all around us- like fireflies, but no, those were pixies.


    And they were the size of my fingers.


    "How come they''re just avoiding us?" I whispered.


    "Once you get into the forest, the surveillance stops."


    "Well, that''s stupid. And how come it was so easy to get in?"


    "Easy?" The half-elf gave me a rude glare. "The pixies switch every twelve days and the entry we used would have last only two hours more, and we purposefully avoided the dark elves just meters away from us. Meaning, without the ears of my kin you could have never got in the forest unnoticed."


    ''Well, that''s a security flaw.''


    I guess she took pride in that.


    "Then how come Li- My fianc¨¦e didn''t mind teaching me that? I mean she wanted to but we never had time." Plus I kind of forgot.


    If it was only exclusive to her kin, then how did Lianne think I''d be able to learn something like that?


    "She-actually wanted to teach you?" The half-elf looked at me, a bit too surprised. "Truly? How intimate are you two? Have you already mated?" For some reason, she was a bit too excited.


    What the hell was she even talking about?


    I was very not-comfortable to answer all of those. And some of them were very private things.  "Are you seri-"


    "There''s no need." The half-elf was a bit calmer. "I suppose she trusts you that much. Let''s go, it''s just up ahead." She gave Ve a glance.


    Ve nodded and jumped up. Things moved a bit too fast and I was basically, just ignored.


    Before I could my companions were already in action.


    Ve went very high, roared excruciatingly loud, and then transformed.


    "Don''t screw this up." Alisa grabbed my hand and gave me a pep talk.


    ''Screw what, exactly?''


    Did I forget to mention I had a bad feeling? Because I sure did.

 Chapter 275 - A Farce And The Conspiracy

    She hadn''t slept in two days. The rations were finished and though help was supposed to arrive yesterday- there still weren''t any signs.


    Maybe she shouldn''t have run away in the first place.


    The soldiers were getting killed one by one and her death was also nearing.


    ''Why did it come to this?''


    She didn''t know.


    As she stared at the dirty cloths of the tent and her own expensive but also dirty clothes, she understood, perhaps life wasn''t as simple as she thought.


    All her life, she was a sheltered child, a rather ambitious one at that. To her, the world was a peaceful land and everything existed only for her sake. Perhaps because of her father, she never realized that all of this was just a farce, perhaps she herself was aware that the world couldn''t have been so easy, and yet, she chose to believe this was how things were. After all, that was much easier.


    So, when she and her father had a bit of a fight- or rather just a bit of quarrel, she ran away from home. Her father had anticipated this so he''d sent a small army, her personal maid, and rations.


    Neither had assumed how things would turn out.


    And yet, the girl still didn''t know just how stupid all this was and just how na?ve she was.


    But after spending a day in the wild she more or less understood this world wasn''t as peaceful as she thought it was.


    By that one day, she and the army had drifted rather far into the wilderness and though at first, the forest welcomed them in, leaving was another matter.


    That''s where the problem started. The problem being, they were lost. The soldiers who''d accompanied her were elites, so it shouldn''t have been possible, and yet, somehow they couldn''t find their way. And monsters just kept on attacking them. The pixies and the dark elves just avoided them and in the end, they were stuck.


    No matter where they went, no matter what path they took- they were always running around in circles and they always ended up in this place.


    It wasn''t just odd, it was almost an impossible coincidence.


    Was someone really trying to kill her, but who''d do such a thing? After all, she was the princess of this country. Surely everyone respected her and only lived for her sake? So, who''d do such a thing?


    Screech!


    There was a loud roar and it snapped her awake. It''d been two full days since she had her sleep and just when her eyes were about to close- they snapped awake again. ''Now what?'' Her heart raced fast but her eyes also leaked a little. ''Father.''


    But it was too late to regret. Maybe her father really didn''t want her anymore and that''s why he hadn''t sent any reinforcements? She was always selfish and she even treated her father- the king of the country with no respect. She wouldn''t have been surprised if her father really did abandon her.


    "Your majesty-" A maid came inside, face as pale as a sheet. "Run."


    She was the only maid who comforted the princess till now and yet, this was the first time, she told her to run.


    Just what was going on outside?


    She had to see for herself.


    She had to make sure.


    She had to know.


    The princess blitzed past the maid with shaky legs and came outside. But she saw something. And her legs finally gave up, so did her bladder.


    Two massive eyes stared against hers as the corpses of her bodyguards littered across the small space.


    The few that were still moving and attacking the thing, were being squashed.


    It was over.


    As the stench of ammonia and blood mixed, her teeth rattled and her mind froze. ''I''m going to- die?''


    Her pupils shook, her whole body shook and she screamed. "Save me. Father! Mother! Save me! Edward! Someone!" She was freaking out.


    The maid behind her came forward and stood between her and the dragon. "Run. Only you can save yoursel-!" But before the maid could finish- she flew to a nearby tree and splashed blood everywhere.


    The dragon had merely flicked her.


    The princess''s legs didn''t move. The land beneath her was cold with her own piss. And the stench drove her mad. "No- NO! Someone-" She started to sob, and wiggle. But her body didn''t move from that spot.


    The dragon grinned and all its pointy teeth shined as it opened its mouth. Fire was coming and the girl knew it.


    But her legs didn''t move. Her body had already given up.


    "NO." She grabbed her head and closed her eyes.


    "You should never look away on a battlefield."


    But that''s when she heard a voice. She opened her eyes and saw a man standing in front of her. But what difference would it make? Wouldn''t the dragon also kill him like the rest?


    The man- the one-armed man smiled and looked back. "Don''t worry, I''ve got this." He pulled out a shining sword seemingly out of nowhere and sliced the dragon hard.


    His fiery armor shined brilliantly and the man looked more handsome than anything she ever saw in her life. Humans were inferior to her and she knew that- and yet, perhaps this human was different.


    The scales of a dragon were said to be the toughest things on the planet. And every living thing knew that. Hence, the proverb, ''Poke a dragon, be erased.''


    But this man, just with one slice, cracked three of the dragon''s scales. He was strong.


    She was right, this human really was different and maybe he could save her too!


    "Who are you?" The princess became strangely calm after seeing the man. Her heart was still racing but her voice was calm.


    "Just an adventurer. Here!" He threw three bottles of potions at the girl. "Give them to the injured. I feel like they aren''t dead yet.


    She fumbled but caught all three. She stared at the man fighting the dragon and her heart raced even faster. Her teeth still rattled, her legs still shook but now she had a purpose. And she had hope. She stood up- ''I won''t die.''


    ***


    Why the hell did I think this was a good idea? Wait, I never thought this was a good idea to begin with!


    Plus it reeked. Rotten corpse smell was one thing but this bloody smell mixed with ammonia wasn''t that great either.


    I so, so wanted to sigh but had to put up a front. Moreover, wasn''t Gorgon a much better candidate than me? He looked better and he even could act better. So why the hell did he have to decline!


    I really wanted to sigh.


    Anyway, I sliced Ve and she was basically just taking hits at this point, without fighting back much. She occasionally swung her claws and maybe even tried to fire her breath.


    The princess girl was running around behind me, feeding potions to the injured. I sure hoped we didn''t accidentally kill anyone.


    Everything was just a farce anyway.


    Oh well, I focused on my sword- the mystic blade and swung hard, this time, wounding Ve in the process. ''Just ran away already.''


    I might or might not have swung a bit too hard and cut deep into her skin. ''My bad.''


    Ve screeched rather loud and fired a beam of white fire at me. Almost like that attack Xerphas used to nearly kill me. Yeah, she was pissed.


    And the frigging girl was behind me. No wonder it smelled. I couldn''t even dodge.


    Finally, I sighed and used the pendant, putting up a barrier of water. Obviously, that wasn''t enough and I got second-degree burns here and there.


    Ve screeched again and flew off, leaving a trail of blood. Yeah, she really was injured a bit too deep.


    The girl was already done administrating potions to almost everyone and was basically just waiting for me to kill the dragon I guess. How very hopeful.


    I used the sword as footing and breathed hard. I at least needed a day and a high potion to recover from the number of wounds, Ve just gave me.


    I wounded her too, so I guess this made us even.


    I still think she went a bit overboard though.


    "Yeah, fine. Are you, miss?"


    Obviously, I knew she was a princess but I had to play dumb.


    Everyone in this camp was a demi-human and this girl was no exception. She had fox ears and a tail. Most of the guards were raccoon demi-humans while the squashed maid was a rat one.


    "I''m so glad." She came close and hugged me. I wished she hadn''t, because boy, she reeked. And now I had to take a shower and wash my armor, perfect. "Thank you." She buried her face in my chest.


    I was a little lost. Yeah, I just saved her, but- wasn''t this a bit too much of a reaction?


    All her soldiers were getting up one by one and they were kind of confused by the situation too.


    "You might want to let go of me now." Because, yeah.


    "Ri-right!" she moved back three steps. "Who are you, o''kind sir?"


    Formality?


    "I''m an adventurer. I hail by the name Daarc.." I tried to sound a bit formal too, it sure wasn''t working though.

 Chapter 276 - A Farce And The Conspiracy Part Two

    "I feel like I''ve heard that name before." The girl wondered but didn''t say anything.


    Alisa told me that my name was famous but not in this country since it was mostly sealed off: I was free to use my name. But looks like this girl knew me or my name to be specific. Or maybe there was someone in this world who had the same name?


    Yeah, probably not.


    "I''ve battled dragons before, maybe that''s how you knew?"


    The girl smiled. And bowed tilting the hem of her skirt. If only she didn''t smell. "Viola Von Ohran." She didn''t say she was a princess. I guess that was clever.


    And she still didn''t realize that half of her skirt was wet?


    "Alright, Viola, I''ll take my leave now: I''ve to go somewhere. Good day."


    I betted on the possibility that they''d stop me. But if they didn''t, that''d actually be a bit awkward. Besides, all these aromas in the air weren''t really making me feel so hot. I was about to magnificently throw up my breakfast if this kept up.


    "Already?" She grabbed me. "But you''re so injured, at least let me- us tend you first." Well, at least the plan kind of succeeded.


    But the puking feeling intensified the closer she got.


    I had a feeling she wanted a lot more than just to tend my wounds. After all, these guys were powerless now, meaning they needed my help. Clever. This princess might not have been that dull after all.


    Though offering my help for free might have invited suspicion, so I had to tread carefully.


    "Your highness". A maid came walking this way. Ve held back a lot or this middle-aged woman would have been dead by now. She whispered something to the princess and her face turned bright red.


    This was the first time, I saw someone blush like that. "Please use that tent. Treat him please," She pointed, ordered her maid, and walked back to the central tent, in a very careful manner.


    Yup, she finally understood her number one problem right now. And I was really glad for that. I didn''t know why but I really liked this maid now. I had to thank her later!


    "This way, young man."


    The maid led me.


    ''I should just get a shower.''


    I was definitely going to clobber my companions for putting me through this.


    ***


    It was a small tent and I was given a small bucket of water. Definitely not enough to take a shower.


    The maid also provided me with a towel.


    So, with no other choice, I had to just clean myself with the wet towel.


    Now that I was far away from the princess, I didn''t smell that bad. I guess she wasn''t careless enough to rub everything against me. Then again it would have been nice if she were at least conscious about the fact that she shouldn''t have gotten close to me in that state in the first place.


    It was us who put her in that situation, so I had no right to complain.


    The maid kind of didn''t move from the tent and just watched me take my armor off.


    I guess she suspected me. After all, I''d be suspicious of a random stranger coming to my rescue too.


    I cleaned myself and kept the armor hanging to dry it a little. Meanwhile, I drank a whole bottle of potion, which I had carefully kept in my pouch.


    I did feel better but these wounds needed attention.


    Actually, the maid''s wounds also needed attention but she was acting tough and I had a feeling so were the rest of the soldiers. I did see a healer among them, so it was cool. I wanted to use healing magic myself, but I wasn''t that confident and since I already showed off water magic, I couldn''t just haphazardly show off healing magic.


    "You said you were an adventurer, correct?" The maid began.


    I had to take this calmly. "Yes. I''m a first-class adventurer."


    "First class?" She was a bit surprised. "I guess that would explain your strength, yes. Can I see your card, please?"


    "Sure-" I brought it out and showed her. It was a good thing I moved all the necessary stuff to the pouch. If I randomly started pulling out stuff from the ring, people would have freaked out.


    Though I kind of already made a mistake when I''d brought out the mystic blade and even sent it back through the ring. So, I had a feeling it was a bit pointless at this point.


    "You ARE first class." She was mesmerized: she probably didn''t believe me the first time. But then she let out a sigh of relief. "The heavens have not yet abandoned us," She mumbled. I heard that. She returned the card back to me. "Would you be interested in a guard duty for a day or two?"


    Looks like this maid was desperate too. "I''m sorry but I am on an urgent mission. I must make it to the capital within three-"


    The half-elf had said the capital was three days from here but the path was rather tricky and she''d have to guide me through the forest. She also told me that something about this part of the forest was unnatural. But I guess now wasn''t the best time to be thinking about that.


    "Perfect!" The maid came and held my hand. "Please- I beg of you, just take the girl and ensure her safe passage to the capital. You''ll be paid handsomely!"


    Just the princess huh? I guess this maid was that selfless? But unfortunately, I already had plans.


    "You mean that girl who wet herself?" I gave her a dull look. "I''m sorry but I have to make it to the capital as fast as possible, I can''t slow down because of-"


    The maid grimaced a little. "I beg of you." She got down on the floor.


    So, she was desperate enough to trust a random stranger?


    I moved back by instinct. "What are you doing, get up."


    "Please!" Her head was on the ground. She was serious.


    The half-elf and Alisa had by chance came to know about this situation. But long story short, these guys had been stuck here for three days and their numbers were dwindling fast. The rations were almost gone and they were about to be wiped out in a day or two.


    We were going to help them either way, so Alisa came up with a plan to rescue the princess and ask her for a favor later. I was against this plan, but here I was.


    I also kind of wanted to see how far these people were willing to go, but I guess I now knew. I sighed, very audibly. "Fine, but I expect a very-very generous compensation. And I was expecting something for this too." Which I just made up right now.


    After all, nothing in life was free and if I just happened to help people for the goodness of my heart, I''d be seen as more suspicious.


    But since I already made plans to help them anyway, I was willing to just take her word for a reward. And I wasn''t really interested in a reward either, after all, we had bigger plans.


    "But of course!" The maid got up with tears and a smile. "Please take this." She handed me a small stone necklace- a ruby necklace. "This should be worth at least fifty Xylax gold. This should be enough for an advance, payment, don''t you think?"


    I had no idea how much that was worth but didn''t have time to care either.


    "Very well." I took the ruby. "What about you guys?"


    The maid smiled. "We''ll be just fine."


    Yeah, I doubted that. But Alisa and the others had already slain half of the monsters anyway. And they were currently killing monsters too, that was why there weren''t any raids ever since I showed up.


    But really, why were so many monsters coming here of all places? It couldn''t have been a coincidence.


    Someone was really trying to kill these guys and that was crystal clear. But as far as I''d heard, this princess was kind of a spoiled brat, so why bother killing someone like her?


    For the throne, I guess. People could do anything for power after all.


    "Is there any reason you guys are here? And who are you, people?"


    The maid looked a bit troubled but- "The miss is from a noble family. She ran away from home and we were supposed to guard her. But along the way, we got lost, and somehow no matter what, we were always ending up in this location and monsters were just crawling everywhere, so we had to set camp here."


    I didn''t know why but this oddly didn''t make sense.


    The princess ran away from home. These guys- the size of a small army followed her and even took rations but then these guys- the very same guys who were supposed to be the brightest of the country- were getting lost in their own backward? And not to mention they should have at least been able to kill monsters but- something really didn''t add up.


    "You have any theories?"


    "I believe someone must be trying to assassinate the pri- my lady."


    Wow, she almost slipped.


    And wasn''t it obvious already?


    I sighed. "I mean do you have any idea what''s going on? As in why are you coming back here and why you haven''t gotten any help or why monsters are attacking you like this."


    "We don''t know. Though we suspect it has to do with the dark elves."


    I sighed again and tried on the armor. A lot of the wounds stung. I really needed attention. "Alright, why don''t we start preparing?"


    I guess these guys really were desperate enough to trust a random stranger like me.


    But if people were constantly getting back to this place, didn''t that mean even if I and the princess left, wouldn''t we just be getting back here again?


    "Oh- I forgot to tend your wounds!" With that said, she ran out of the tent and brought back a bowl of water, some cloth, and some kind of petroleum-type jelly.


    There was a lot of rubbing.


    Did I forget to mention it hurt?


    Cause it sure did.


    Arghghhhh!

 Chapter 277 - So, Are We Going Forward, Or Backward?

    I was treated- kind of. Almost all the wounds stung but I got the feeling they''d be healed in a few days, assuming I didn''t get a high potion soon. I had six in my ring, but I never got the chance to bring them up and if I did now, it''d be suspicious, so I didn''t.


    After treating me, the maid had told me to stay put for half an hour and only then come out. I had a bad feeling but waited.


    Lately, I was getting so many bad feelings, I kind of feared that my bad feeling sensors were going out of date or something.


    ¡­ A moment of silence, please.


    Once I headed out, I was actually in for a shock. These guys were surprisingly resilient. They were already done packing and then I saw the princess. But wait, that wasn''t the princess. It was just someone dressed as the princess who was wearing a hood.


    And by the looks of things, they were about to head out into the forest. These guys were in tatters but they were still pretty intent on doing what they were going.


    "We are taking a gamble here." The maid was right next to me. "Come this way." She spoke softly and led me to the back of a tent. The central tent wasn''t near this place.


    Behind the tent was the princess and a horse.


    She was wearing clothes of a typical soldier and she did look good in those.


    She wasn''t that old actually. Maybe eighteen? Fox ears, braided amber hair, and a tail. Yeah, definitely not bad-looking.


    The horse was tied to a tree and upon seeing me, the girl- the princess bowed softly. "Please forgive me for showing you such a shameful look lord Daarc."


    She didn''t smell bad anymore and actually, she was wearing some sort of a strong perfume now.


    "It''s okay and feel free to drop the lord."


    I really didn''t like artificial scents like this though. Always made me remember that night in the forest of Moire.


    "Right, Daarc!" And she already got over it.


    Oh well.


    I turned to the maid, "Where should-"


    "Take her to the knight captain, Jeran. Please ensure her safety." The way this maid begged almost made me wonder if she really was a maid. "I give you my word, you''ll be paid handsomely."


    And I wished she didn''t put so much faith in random strangers, after all, people were selfish. "You have my word." But unfortunately, I didn''t have ulterior-


    Oh, wait.


    I touched the horse and patted his neck. Yeah, he was a good horse. It took me a minute to remember the feeling of riding one and I climbed on. "Well, get on, we''re leaving as fast as possible."


    The soldiers were marching out to give us this chance. Though I had a feeling whoever wanted this girl dead, wasn''t dumb enough to fall for that.


    It was past noon and if we didn''t leave soon, it''d get dark fast. And I had a lot of bad experiences with forests in the dark.


    "Ri-right."


    I only had one hand, so I couldn''t hold the rein and help the princess get up. Meaning, she was on her own.


    This girl literally fumbled for three minutes trying to get up. But then the maid slapped her behind, she shrieked got on top of the horse rather easily.


    Sigh. So much for respecting the princess.


    "Alright, hold tight."


    "Wait, you''re not coming?" She looked back at the maid, who now had a satisfied smile.


    "May we meet again." She nodded at me to move on. "Please protect her." Her eyes shimmered and she tried her best not to cry.


    I nodded back and ebbed the horse forward.


    It wasn''t like they were going to die anyway. But I guess the maid really did care for this girl.


    "NO, but-"


    The girl did cling to me, but she still had tears in her eyes. I heard loads of bad things about this girl, but somehow she didn''t seem all that bad. But I guess that was too soon to say.


    As the horse blitzed for the dark forest, I took a deep breath and tried my best to not look back. "Don''t worry, my companions should arrive at this place soon, they''ll figure something out. Meanwhile, we have to hurry to the capital."


    "Okay." The girl hugged me tight and it was kind of hard to breathe. She almost believed me too much. Was something wrong with these people?


    Is this how Ve and Biteria felt when I hugged them too? I definitely had to reconsider.


    ***


    It was afternoon and though the horse ran fast, I had a feeling something was wrong with the surrounding.


    It was almost as though- the woods were changing.


    I stopped the horse.


    The girl grabbed me tighter but then eased up. "Is something wrong?" She looked very frightened. Her eyes were almost saying ''You''re not going to abandon me, right?''


    "There seems to be something wrong with the forest. Are you familiar with the folklore of this place? As in, things that might make people lost in the woods and those."


    She looked at me for a minute without blinking and then breathed in relief. Did she seriously think I was about to leave her here?


    "I don''t know. But I did hear the soldiers saying something about a tricky dark elf."


    A tricky dark elf huh? Well, that didn''t sound good.


    We were going into a straight path but I had a feeling this path wasn''t so straight.


    "Can you use magic?"


    "A little bit of wate-"


    "Good. I''m controlling the horse so, try to shoot a ball of water straight." It had more to do with me not wanting to use holy, but oh well.


    "Sure." She wasn''t too convinced but she did throw a ball of water straight. The ball did go straight but just after ten meters, it disappeared: I heard a faint sound in the distance. The girl shrieked. "It disappeared!"


    ''So, that''s why.''


    I once played a certain game that had a large floor with loads of teleport stones. It was very, very tricky and that''s why, after seven years, I was excited to take on a similar challenge.


    So, without a doubt, I marked the tree and scrutinized the surrounding.


    Obviously, this''ll be a drag to do again and again. But- wait, I had another person with me. "Say, how''s your memory?"


    "Good? I can memorize the multiplication table easily."


    Well, fair enough.


    "Try remembering these marks and the surroundings."


    "Okay." I didn''t know why but this girl was too agreeable. Wasn''t she supposed to be a spoiled brat? I was awfully confused.


    And with that, we marched on.


    If we went straight, we kind of went in various random directions. Taking left had us going either straight or backward. The same went for right. And the back was also random like going straight. I did see a pattern but it was kind of impossible to be certain. Even with trial and error, things weren''t going that great.


    And it was getting awfully dark too.


    "Are there undeads in this forest?" There wasn''t any smell, but I definitely wasn''t going to let my guard down. So far, I didn''t see any goblins or red eyes anywhere though.


    "What?"


    ''You don''t know what undeads are?''


    I sighed. I guess I could take that as a no.


    "Are you from outside Xylax?" The girl asked in a quiet voice.


    "I''m an adventurer. I travel all the time."


    "I see." She rested her head on my back. "But for a human you really are strong. Are you really a human?"


    "Demi-humans are a lot stronger I guess. But- I''m human."


    "I see." She didn''t seem to believe me. She believed that I was going to take her back home but she didn''t believe I was a human?


    Sigh.


    This really wasn''t going anywhere though and we were still lost.


    And I didn''t have tricks either. If only I could sense my surroundings.


    Wait, Jori could do that!


    And he gave me a clue too.


    What was that again?


    Blood? Lifeblood!


    I actually heard lots of things about mana. Jori told me to imagine as lifeblood. The girl in my dream told me to imagine it like flowing water and Ve told me to use the healing kind.


    Honestly, I was lost. Both literally and metaphorically.


    So, with a sigh, I tried a tinsy wincy bit imbuiation on my hand. I imagined it to be like water flowing and I also used the healing kind, whatever that was.


    The girl was curious as to why I let go of the rein but she didn''t say anything.


    My hand glowed and became very hot. I stopped. A failure. But it lasted longer than before. I was getting closer. But definitely not close enough to imbue my body let alone my brain.


    Rustle!


    There were some sounds coming from the woods. At first, I thought it was just the leaves but- I remembered we were in a forest. And forests were unpredictable.


    Something was in there and my light might have caught its eye. I got down from the horse. "Can you ride the horse?"


    "N-no."


    Well, she was a princess.


    "At least maintain the horse, and don''t let it freak out, maybe touch his neck and pet?" Though I said it, I wasn''t really convinced either.


    "Is something out there? Shouldn''t we run?" The girl was sweating rather a lot. And she was shaking too. I was right next to the horse, so I could even feel her gasps.


    Normally, she''d be right.


    "You''re right but- maybe this isn''t so bad. If that thing can travel here, then there''s a good chance, this is great news for us."


    The girl didn''t disagree. But I didn''t see anything.. Whatever it was, it was fast.

 Chapter 278 - A Lovely Fluffy Goodness

    I made a ball of light. It floated over my head.


    "You can use light magic? I thought you could only use water-"


    Was being able to use more types more rare than holy? I didn''t know but this girl probably didn''t know how rare holy even was. Or maybe it was just a thing for the rest of the world but not the demi-humans.


    "Don''t worry about it." I didn''t have time to explain anything or hide my powers either. When it came to monsters in forests, there was no point in holding back.


    After all, I didn''t need another tragedy now.


    Our surroundings got a bit brighter but this also meant the thing spying on us could see us better.


    And the thing didn''t disappoint: there was a black shadow on the top of the tree in front of us. It jumped from the tree and directly went for the princess. She and the horse shrieked but I kind of slammed the holy ball on the monster and calmed the horse down. The whole thing lasted for three seconds.


    I made another ball, and then another. I made seven small balls and kept them afloat. As I thought, my mana control was a lot better. Maybe spending all that time in my dreams practicing wasn''t so bad.


    "Wh-what is that?"


    "A monkey? The trees?"


    It was a large monkey and unlike typical ones, this one had large fangs and red eyes. It wasn''t an undead, but it wasn''t quite alive either. Well, at least not anymore. After being hit by my attack it passed away.


    And there wasn''t any rotting smell. Then again, Lianne and Jowy never smelled either, so this thing could have been a half-dead.


    ''Am I missing something?'' I knew for a fact that there were a lot of monsters in this world but- so far I hadn''t seen anything that were like half deads but had fangs. It was absolutely possible that these things were born with fangs and red eyes in the first place though.


    But wait, if they could come at us from the tree without disappearing-


    And I just got an idea.


    My face lit up.


    The spatial warping happened roughly every twenty meters. But what if, it only applied to the ground? And even if that wasn''t the case, these things were moving rather nicely, so I didn''t see a reason not to study their movements. And since I didn''t see my companions flying around, I didn''t have any reason to not try everything either.


    After all, it was possible that they were also lost.


    "We''ll camp here tonight." Besides, I got a bit excited for some reason.


    "Are you crazy, what if-"


    "It''s going to be very dark now. This is a forest. And trust me, when it comes to forests, I''m your best bet to survive."


    After all, even though I had the worst luck with forests, I was still alive.


    And so far, everything in this forest was super weak. And I had a feeling my companions were going to show in the middle of the night. I had no way to back that claim, but I had a feeling.


    And even if we traveled all night, it was impossible to cross this forest in one night.


    So this wasn''t a bad idea. I sure hope it wasn''t.


    "Okay." And this girl trusted me way too much.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll protect you with my life." I always wanted to say that.


    And after saying it, I felt more than just embarrassed. Even the girl was embarrassed. And I was glad she didn''t say a word.


    ***


    I had to dismiss the holy balls as nothing came to attack us anymore.


    I tied the horse to a tree and made a small bonfire.


    The girl was really conflicted about what she wanted to do, but for the time being, she didn''t create too much of a problem.


    The moment I tried using the meat from the monkey- it kind of evaporated. ''Then why the hell did I went through the trouble of skinning it?'' I let out a large sigh and used the smoked meat I got from the maid.


    I grilled the stuff with a grumble.


    The girl kind of giggled seeing me like this, but I let it slide. Once, the meat was done, we both started eating.


    So far, no sign of monsters.


    The way this girl blew on her food with ''fu fu'' sounds, was kind of cute.


    Meanwhile, I kept an eye out for monsters and also chomped on the meat. I had a feeling I wouldn''t be able to sleep tonight but it was still better than getting more lost.


    I thought if we created a fire and maybe made us look like targets, the monsters could just come at us and attack, but so far I saw nothing.


    Could it have been a coincidence?


    No, this was too specific to be a coincidence. These monsters were afraid of fire just like undeads, which made me want to believe they were just a different type of undead. It was hypothetical but very possible. My theory of them being half-deads was still kind of prominent. ''Wait, wasn''t that demon last night also like this?''


    Then wasn''t stopping kind of pointless? No, the fact that we didn''t know our way was still an issue.


    Damn. I banged my hand on the ground, my back against the tree, the fire right in front of me.


    "I''m sorry, because of me-" The girl was sitting right next to me and her head was down. I guess she thought I was frustrated because of her.


    "This isn''t your fault, don''t worry about it."


    I was done. And the girl was done five minutes ago.


    "But it is." Her eyes shimmered and some tears leaked. "Because of me, so many died. And now we are even lost."


    So, she was regretting?


    "Then own it. It''s not like sulking would make them come alive. Regret will only make you sadder. Instead, become strong in their honor and try your best so it doesn''t repeat."


    "People died because of you too?" I guess she wasn''t as dumb as she looked. But I wished she was a bit more tactful.


    I smiled. "A lot."


    And their deaths still haunted me. I wasn''t over them. But I had to act strong, I had to act like I was getting stronger. But in reality, I was just running away from the truth.


    I knew that and yet, here I was giving advice to a pampered princess. Talk about hypocrisy.


    She leaned against my shoulder.


    I would have appreciated it if she showed a little more dignity. After all, wasn''t she a princess? "Forgive me for being so selfish but please let me stay like this. My late brother used to let me-" She paused.


    I was apparently her replacement brother. But I guess that did make sense. If she thought of me as her brother, then her conduct did make sense, albeit very far fetchingly.


    I stayed quiet.


    She also stayed quiet for a minute and when I was about to talk- she was asleep.


    I sighed and just sat there, looking at the fire, while keeping my senses sharp.


    ''Why did I have to take this damn job?''


    From stopping a war to rescuing a princess, I wasn''t paid enough for this. Wait, I wasn''t paid at all!


    Oh wait, that was also a lie. After all, I got the stuff the earl bought me and even that maid gave me a gem.


    I guess I was just complaining for the sake of complaining at this point.


    Sigh.


    I wasn''t sleepy as it was rather early.


    But so far, there weren''t any signs of monsters here.


    The earlier monkey probably just got lucky.


    But then there was the question- how do we get out of this place?


    ***


    The fire burned and wood crackled.


    Rustle!


    A sound came from the bushes up ahead.


    I made some holy balls just in case and slowly laid down the girl on the ground. When I tried to move, I noticed the girl was actually holding down a bit of my robe. Just how scared was she?


    I went closer to the bush to take a good look, probably not the best idea.


    I also kept an eye back in case some random monster just happened to attack the princess while I was occupied with the bush.


    Honestly, this was a drag.


    I was totally prepared to slice off any monster that came out of the bush with my trusty knife- the one I (The earl) bought from the shop back in Saram.


    But instead of a monster came out a brown bunny.


    A lovely fluffy goodness.


    Yeah, I kind of already knew where this was going.


    She didn''t transform and just got on my shoulder.


    "The others are here too?" I whispered.


    The bunny nodded, while purring cutely, I guess she couldn''t talk in this form.


    Meaning, nothing stopped me from petting the hell out of her and feeling good about myself.


    "Is something the matter?"


    Ahah! I almost freaked out, trying to hide the bunny but then calmed down. "Ah no, my spirit might have found a way out of this place." My voice got a bit high for some reason.


    I really had to work on my lying skills.. If only I could lie like I could taunt.

 Chapter 279 - Sigh, Should I Really Be Doing This?

    The princess was behind me, rubbing one of her eyes and yawning like it was midnight.  "You are contracted to a spirit?"


    She looked kind of cute but how the hell was I going to get out of this one?


    I really hoped she didn''t know anything about spirits but- I had to roll with this since I already lied.


    I nodded, definitely not convincing anyone.


    The bunny was now in my hand and she just stayed put.


    "Are you really a human?"


    I guess she wasn''t going to believe me at this point. ''Which route should I go?''


    If I said I was a human who had mysterious powers, she probably would have thought I was smoking something. If I said I was a demigod, that would have been acceptable but were demigods really that common? And if I said I was the apostle of a god, would that really feel legit, after all, most people didn''t know the state of the gods.


    And I knew apostles were rarer than demigods. After all, I knew four demigods but not a single apostle.


    I sighed. "I''m a partial god, so I can use some godly powers."  It was kind of true, so technically this wasn''t a lie.


    Was it?


    The girl looked at me, wide-eyed. But then she smiled. "I see." Did she just believe me without even questioning me!?


    I had a feeling she''d have believed me even if I said I was a literal God or maybe even the devil.


    ''Please tell me I don''t look like your late brother or something.''


    After all, I already had enough of that back in Alfeim.


    I cleared my throat and looked at the bunny. "Do you think we should move at night?"


    The bunny stared at me with large dull eyes for a minute but then just moved her head sideways. That was no.


    I almost had the urge to rub my face against that luscious fur of hers. But I controlled myself.


    After all, this was Alisa.


    I really wanted to though.


    "Why do you look so disappointed?" the girl asked and giggled. "You really like your bunny don''t you?"


    "Never mind." I was definitely not going to deny my affections. "We''ll move tomorrow but for now, let''s get some rest."


    Alisa was here and the others were also nearby. So I didn''t have to worry about monsters.


    I didn''t let my guard down but I still felt a bit relieved.


    ***


    I was up till midnight. By then both the bunny and the girl were already asleep. The bunny was sleeping on my lap while, the girl was sleeping, resting her head on my shoulder.


    The fire was still going strong. I had a feeling it wouldn''t go out during the night unless there happened to be a storm of sorts. The sky was kind of clean, so I didn''t see the possibility.


    The temperature for some godly reason was normal and rather comfortable for a nap.


    My eyes were getting a bit too sticky so I decided to call it a night. If Ve and the others were nearby then one of them was probably going to keep watch. So I didn''t have to worry.


    At least that''s how I consoled myself but deep down I knew, I probably didn''t trust anybody anymore.


    ***


    I did sleep but woke up in the darkness. Instead of the usual hug, the spirit was leaning against my back. I couldn''t see her and I couldn''t see anything in front of me either.


    ''Well, this is getting redundant.''


    So, with an inward sigh, I just kept up my imbuition practice. With each and every try I was edging closer, but every single one of them was a failure.


    The spirit didn''t say anything and neither did I.


    I guess the spirit was connected to me, so it could lean against me, despite being far from me? I didn''t know.


    Though this spirit was supposed to be a malicious spirit, it never tried to harm me or maybe I just never noticed. It was also possible Biteria was fighting her at all times and she didn''t have the time to harm me. Though I didn''t know which was even feasible so I didn''t worry too much about all these.


    Instead, I just focused on my practice. And sure enough, there was little to no progress. After a certain time, I could keep the imbuition going for about five or six seconds but after that, the mana dispersed on its own. It was like a dead end.


    Was I missing something?


    I didn''t know but I was too tired to try some more.


    I didn''t know how I got tired in this place in the first place.


    Wasn''t I already asleep?


    Sigh.


    "Godly mana and mortal mana are different. Treating them as one and the same is ineffective." The voice came from behind me, the voice of the spirit.


    There was no malicious intent. It was almost as though it was guiding me.


    "Tell me, why me? Why''d you choose me?" Again my voice didn''t come out, but I felt like we''d connected.


    "I don''t know. Fate perhaps?" She paused. "Someone''s here." Her voice had a sense of urgency. "There''s malice in the air."


    And my sleep broke.


    ***


    I opened my eyes and it was barely dawn. I could hear footsteps in the distance: birds chirped in the sky. There were soldiers headed this way. But they didn''t look like the same one as the girl''s. The emblems were the same but the colors were a bit different.


    And these soldiers looked like dog demi-humans.


    I could already smell trouble, or was it just my morning stomach?


    Oops.


    With a snort, I got up and the two leaning against me fumbled a little but they also woke up.


    I prepared my knife and also did a bit of stretching before the soldiers could reach here.


    The girl was shaking a little as she grabbed the side of my robe. "They are from my uncle''s faction."


    And she just gave away her identity after all this time.


    The bunny jumped on my shoulder and stayed. Why the hell was she mimicking Biteria? I didn''t mind though. Not only was Alisa lighter, she didn''t even bite!


    Ten of them were on horses and about a hundred or so were on foot. They were quite far when I woke up but now they were almost upon us. ''How come they''re not teleporting?''


    And then I noticed three robed men among the rest, holding some sort of a ball. A crystal ball.


    I had a very nostalgic bad feeling about all this.


    "I am Baron Jerkocoa, who might you be!" The leader of the soldiers spoke in a rather haughty tone. A leopard demi-human.. He had a beard and a mustache and a glare that didn''t seem friendly.

 Chapter 280 - Sigh, Should I Really Be Doing This? (Part Two)

    "Daarc, a humble first-class adventurer." I made a slight bow and met his glare.


    "First-class you say? And humble?" He snickered. "Check him." He nodded to one of his men and a soldier came near me. I handed him my card and he nodded back at the baron before giving it back to me. "What are you doing with one of our men?"


    Technically, this girl was a woman though.


    "She was being attacked by a monster and I happened to be nearby. She has bought my services and since I was heading to the capital anyway, I accepted." I kept it short. I was here in undercover, kind of.


    "You must one of the new recruits then." He cleared his throat. "How much is she paying you?"


    I had a bad feeling about all this. I could literally see where this was going and I didn''t like it. "100 Xylax gold." It was fifty though.


    "A 100? She does look noble-born too." He licked his lips. "I''ll pay you two hundred for her. And you can keep the hundred too. Me and the men have been starved for the last few days." He looked back and smiled rather disgustingly.


    The men also laughed.


    ''Is it possible they don''t know the princess''s looks or is it that they knew and that''s why they want her?''


    I really hoped my bad feelings wouldn''t come alive but now they just did.


    The girl gripped my robe a bit tighter and grimaced. Her head was down and I had a feeling she was regretting this a lot.


    "I''m sorry but adventurers can''t just go back on their word that easily."


    The man laughed haughtily. His brown beard waved up and down. "Bastard. You still ask for more while facing this many men? Fine!" He laughed a bit more. "But 250 is all you''ll get." He signaled one of his men and he was bringing me gold. While the other was coming to take the princess. The guy literally assume I''d just hand over the girl for the money.


    The princess''s eyes shimmered. Did she seriously think I was going to hand her over for money too?


    Yeah, probably. But both of them were wrong.


    So, I unsheathed my knife and sliced the first guy that reached me to take the princess. He gushed blood and fell on the floor: he didn''t have a hand anymore. The other one ran away.


    "You bastard! What is the meaning of this! You dare defy us!"


    "Are you deaf?" My voice was calm. "A no means no." I sheathed the knife and pointed my finger at the guy. "If you will." I nodded at the bunny and she just rolled her eyes.


    I glowed in pale blue and the newly formed light balls froze and within a second, pierced the man in his shoulders like bullets. With a bit of a scream, he fell down. The wounds weren''t that deep though. "Kill him, but not the girl."


    The rest were now after us. But unfortunately, I raised my hand again and this time, formed a large icicle and threw it like a spear. I just aimed for their feet and most of them were now frozen to their ankles. I fired multiple shots and also ensured I didn''t accidentally skewer anyone. But that didn''t mean, I didn''t harm them either. A lot of them were now bleeding and trying their best to survive.


    I used the knife to slice any who got near me.


    I deliberately avoided their vitals and now they were all on the floor. Was it me or were these guys a bit weak? Actually, soldiers from all the countries were a bit weak now.


    I went closer to the baron, my foot on his hand. "Well, that was that but what were you people doing here?"


    "We''ll erase yo-"


    "YOU don''t get it." I smiled and twisted my foot a little. "Do you?"


    "Arghghgh." And he screamed a little. "I won''t talk!" It must have really hurt but the guy was intent on keeping his mouth shut.


    "I believe you." I bent down and sliced his arm vertically. "I can heal you but- who knows how long my patience will last."


    He screamed as blood slowly dripped. It was too painful to watch.


    ''Please just tell me so I can stop pretending.''


    He screamed even louder and bled badly. But he gritted his teeth and just glared. I guess he was a military man. Well, this was pointless. "We were here to get her. She''s lying to you. I''ll change my offer. How about we give you ten thousand gold, what say you?" And now he got desperate. "Lord Beladore, would reward you tremendously if you take her back to him! Remember, you''re only here because of us. We''ll even offer you better women than her!"


    And he also answered my questions. My face lit up a little and I smiled. The guy smiled too, albeit painfully.


    "Sorry but a promise is a promise. And since you were kind enough to tell me that much, would you mind telling me why her uncle wants her dead?"


    The guy literally freaked out when I said that.


    "You knew?"


    No, I just took a guess. I sighed, this was too easy. "Well thanks man." I froze his wound and half of his body. These guys weren''t going anywhere, at least not for a day or two.


    I stepped away from him and went closer to the shivering girl, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let''s go."


    The fact that I didn''t kill anyone here, meant I just made the uncle of this girl my enemy. Sigh, and now I had more shit to deal with. But then again, her uncle, the duke was already our enemy.


    She nodded but didn''t say a word.


    "Yo-you will regret this!" The baron screamed.


    I smiled. "Oh trust me, you chose the wrong side." And I was already regretting it, so too late now.


    I got on the horse and the girl followed me on. We went toward the guys in robes. They were also kind of frozen and shaking more than the princess. "What do those do?" I asked, pointing at the crystal balls.


    "Keeps monsters away."


    "Shows the correct path."


    "Stores food."


    Instantaneous answers. And they looked like mages. All three were fox demi-humans but they had fur too. And their faces were like foxes. Reminded me of a certain throat-slicing wolf.


    "Give me all three."


    Their faces went pale but they all obliged.


    We moved on. I gave all three to the princess and she was in charge of navigating.


    "So, you knew," the girl whispered. Her voice was soft and her breath was short. We were at least a hundred meters away from the soldiers but since we were teleporting, there was no way to see them.


    "No, when you said those were your uncle''s men I assumed they were trying to kill you. The maid told me people were trying to kill you, so I just connected the dots. I assume you are at least the daughter of a count?" I really wished someone would teach me lying skills, already!


    She stayed quiet for a moment. "I''m a-" She sighed and her breath fell on my neck. "I''m a princess," she spoke softly.


    I tried acting surprised. "You don''t say." I chuckled.


    "Why are you laughing?" She was crying.


    "Well, I expect a very handsome reward when I take you back."


    She almost snorted, despite the tears. "My father is weak and my uncle holds all the power. So I don''t think I can provide you with the rewards that would make you happy. I will try my best to give you lots of-"


    I laughed some more. "Don''t worry about it. You, the princess owing me favors would be more rewarding in the future than just getting rewards. Oh, should I address you as your highness from now on?"


    "Just Viola is fine."


    "Okay."


    And the two of us dashed for the capital. But something just felt odd.. Perhaps I shouldn''t have lied like this.

 Chapter 281 - Sigh, Should I Really Be Doing This? (Part Three)

    I felt bad for lying out of my teeth like this. I felt like I was just using her and taking advantage of her. After all, my goal was to overthrow the Duke of Xylax, her uncle.


    And for that, I was just using her.


    This was Alisa''s plan and I didn''t like it. But I had to agree, for the time being, this was the best plan. We were going to get what we want, avoid a war and also overthrow a tyrannical ruler.


    But if I ever felt like I couldn''t do this, I wasn''t going to. I had enough of betrayals and that''s why I didn''t want to betray another.


    I just didn''t see another way.


    "Take a left."


    "Now to the right."


    "Straight ahead."


    She was commanding like a veteran but even moments ago her voice was small. I guess she was getting used to all this fast. And thanks to that, our journey became a lot easier. My opinion of her improved a bit.


    We were avoiding monsters while also taking the shortest routes. I had no idea how to use a crystal ball but I sure wasn''t going to worry about it either. After all, that''s why I left it with the girl in the first place.


    But anyway, if we were lucky we could have shortened this two-day journey to a single one, meaning we could make it to the capital by midnight, or even before ten if we were really lucky.


    "Say, princes-" I stopped.


    Apparently, she was glaring.


    "Say, Viola-" She was glaring no more. "Would returning to the capital really be safe for you?"


    It would have been the best thing for us if she really were to travel to the capital but I was having second thoughts.


    She didn''t say anything. But then- "Father-" She paused and looked ahead, pale.


    The horse shrieked and made an abrupt stop. I barely managed to calm it down in time. "Whoa, whoa, calm down boy."


    There was someone in front of us, who wasn''t here even a moment ago. He was wearing a robe, hooded, and he looked no older than fifteen.


    I could see where this was going, eyes closed. My eyes weren''t closed though.


    I got off the horse, the bunny stayed behind.


    "Can I help you?"


    "Leave the girl here and we will at least not take your life." He snickered and a lot of other snickering fellows came out of the bushes. There were at least twenty of them and they came in all kinds of sizes, all wearing hooded robes.


    This guy however had a rather strange voice. I wasn''t quite manly, and it wasn''t quite womanly either.


    "Oh? You expect to rob me too?" I grinned and brought out my knife.


    "Smart but-" The guy charged at me, but while going left to right. "You should have been smarter." It was almost as if he was drunk.


    His moves were very unconventional and before I could react, he''d already sliced me in three spots.


    I managed to avoid my vitals but now he was behind me and running towards the princess.


    ''Damn.'' If he actually decided to attack me instead of attacking the princess, I would have been in trouble.


    I switched gears and quickly brought out a sword, a typical one but definitely better than the knife.


    I swung my sword in an arc and the guy jumped over my head and away from the princess.


    Apparently, I''d made the mistake of underestimating my opponent, but I wasn''t going to make the same mistake twice on the same day. I imbued my body and the sword and looked sharp.


    "You can still move? That''s a nice armor you have there."


    This armor was recovering. I''d almost forgotten about this feature. Depending on my mana control I could harden or even soften the armor. But I never consciously tried it, or even the recovery one. Why?


    Regrettably, I''d forgotten.


    "I know, right?" I tried to sound like this was typical but yeah, it was embarrassing to even think that I''d forgotten such an important thing.


    It was broad daylight, so creating light balls was easy, and blending them in with the surrounding was easier.


    Meaning, "AH!"


    One of them fell on the ground, a bit burned, followed by several others. The light balls were the size of small apples but- they were definitely effective.  Of course, the burned guys were getting up one by one too but more were falling victim at the same time.


    "What the hell?" The guy who attacked me, however, dodged my light ball. "Retreat, he knows invisible magic!"


    They picked themselves up and scrammed.


    Well, that was fast.


    "What the hell was that about?" I wondered aloud.


    They attacked us, demanded our things and when they learned they were going to get hurt, they ran?


    "I believe they are the resistance. They harbor ill feelings to the royals and the soldiers of this country," Viola said, looking a bit relieved.


    The bunny was in her hands and I could visibly see the little thing twitch. She just got another evil idea.


    Sigh.


    "So, they weren''t plain thugs." I climbed on the horse.


    The princess didn''t say anything and we just moved. I didn''t know why but the silence just kept growing and growing.


    ***


    By noon we were already halfway there.


    We stopped by a village of sorts.


    There were all sorts of people and even bunny girls! Unfortunately, they looked like the same ones that captured us back in the mountains, but at least they weren''t macho!


    But before I could even approach any of them, Alisa kind of stood on my shoulder and just glared. It was almost as if she was saying, ''Aren''t we good enough for you?''


    ''There goes my dreams.''


    After resting and replenishing our supplies we started again.


    The villagers didn''t seem to be alarmed by us. They were a bit afraid of the girl next to me though. I guess it was the uniform.


    Apparently, one Xylax gold had almost the same value as a Destoan gold. Meaning both were only one-tenth of the value of Alfeim gold.


    The price of things was also cheap, so technically fifty gold was a lot of money. But- since the princess had change, we used those. After all, I couldn''t just use money from other countries here and I sure didn''t want to sell that gem either.


    After ending all this, I planned to return it to the maid.


    I sure hoped she was doing okay.


    I still got a distinct feeling that those guys didn''t charge us much because the girl behind me was wearing a uniform though.


    ***


    We took a break during the afternoon near a small pond. There were no monsters nearby and if our pace was stable we''d arrive at the city borders before ten. I didn''t have a watch but after spending so much time on this world I kind of had a gut feeling about time.


    The water was calm and birds were on the trees. This part of the forest was relatively calm and there were villages scattered across the place.


    "Would it be alright with you if I were to take a shower?"


    "No," I said calmly. "First of all, we don''t know if there are any monsters down there. Second, I''d have to keep watch over you to make sure of your safety, and third, do you even have spare clothes?"


    "There are no monsters here according to this. And I do have underwear. And-" She blushed a bit. "I-I don''t mind you watching."


    ''But I do mind.''


    I cleared my throat. "Look, you''re a princess and-"


    She grimaced. "So, what if I''m a princess? Everyone just asks me to behave like a princess. What even is a princess!" She shouted the last part and was now in tears.


    Did I step on a nerve or something?


    I was kind of taken aback. "S-sure, go ahead and shower."


    She glared at me for a moment and then just went over to the horse.


    Alisa stared at me with dull eyes from my shoulder.


    "What else do you expect? I don''t know how to deal with girls. How''d I know!!" I whispered, very vigorously!


    The last time I dealt with pampered girls, my little sister was still little and very much alive. And that was a long time ago.


    Alisa rolled her eyes and just looked forward.


    We both sighed.


    ***


    We got back on the road and continued on.


    This time, the girl behind me was sulking a little and she didn''t talk unless necessary.


    Though she did provide directions, she was definitely mad.


    The teleporting path was actually over by the time we''d reached the village, so now it was basically just a matter of using the shortest monster-free route. So we didn''t need that much talking between us.


    And we weren''t heading for the villages either, as it would have slowed us down.


    Though I was kind of hoping to break this awkward silence.


    "I''m sorry," I said. I was genuinely sorry.


    I should have considered her feelings. She was pampered and sheltered. But at the end of the day, she was also a living breathing girl. Perhaps she wasn''t a human like me. But she was alive and had her own problems.


    "It''s okay."


    And the conversation ended there. I really hoped to talk some more but- yeah.


    I sighed.


    Around evening, I lighted up a pyre and the girl- Viola held it while I kept on pushing the horse. It was getting tired but we didn''t have time to stop.


    If we kept up for just another hour and a half, we''d see the city walls.


    But I was also getting tired and the horse was slowing down considerably.


    "Maybe we should stop for ten minutes," The girl whispered. This was the first time she actually suggested something and I felt like if I turned her down, she won''t say another word.


    "Alright."


    We stopped and I made some coffee. I was really glad I bought some back in Saram. I was sad I couldn''t buy any in the capital though. Maybe next time!


    "That ring works as a storage artifact?" The girl asked, a bit curious.


    I guess there was no hiding it now.


    "Yes. It''s a memento."


    "I see. You said you were part god, would it-" She paused, her gaze was on the boiling pot. But she finally looked at me. "What sort of god are you?"


    "I have the blood of Trerortra in me and I''m the apostle of Xerphas. The former is the god of light while the latter is the god of courage." I had enough with lies.


    She smiled faintly and looked at me. "I see. Will you- will you, really protect me? You won''t abandon me? Betray me?" Her eyes were glistening and she was eagerly waiting for my answer.


    Betray huh?


    I took a deep breath, calmed my mind, and made a decision.


    "I''ll be on your side." If not, then why the hell was I doing all this?


    Perhaps, I''d jeopardize this whole mission if I went out of line, but since I just made the commitment, there was no going back. It almost felt like Alisa was sighing, awfully cute.


    The coffee was done and I started pouring. I always made terrible tasting coffee and today was no exception. It smelled good though.


    It was terrible. The girl still took sips with a smile and even burned her tongue. Poor girl. I healed her tongue with a bit of magic and she seemed happy enough.


    I could heal minor wounds but anything more than that was still out of my jurisdiction. My healing capabilities did increase when I used the gem or the pendant though.


    In a way, this girl reminded me of my sister and if she was still alive maybe she''d have been Viola''s age. I sure hope she wouldn''t have turned out like this though.


    I didn''t know why but she seemed a lot childish for her age. I guess this was why people just claimed she was selfish and pampered?


    But to me, she just seemed like someone who wanted attention.


    "You seem to be in a good mood." She took careful sips, trying not to burn her tongue too much.


    "Don''t mind me." I chuckled.

 Chapter 282 - Why The Hell Is His Eyes So Sparkly!?

    If the capital city of Alfeim was the city inside a forest, then this city- the city of Xylax was literally the forest itself. Because no matter how you looked at it, it didn''t look different from the rest of the forest. At least until I saw the large network of roads, houses, and even bazaars on the trees. This place was lit!


    The forest and the city were the same stuff just separated by a thin wooden flimsy wall. The density of the forest was also the same.


    There were huts on the ground too, but since there were so few, it was negligible. And not many people were down here. The only people that were, were the heavy ones. Elephant, bear, and hippo demi-humans.


    How the hell did I not see anything like this before? The villages were just typical villages in open spaces but this- this city was the forest and the forest was the city. Were people just playing around when they made this place or something?


    Every single tree had a purpose here. Some trees were large and even had houses within their trunks while others supported large tree houses and then there was the large castle-like thingy in the west totally made inside the tree. The tree was alive too. It really was the largest tree I''d ever seen in my life.


    And though there weren''t any lamp posts or even fire going around anywhere, the whole city was lit up: Fireflies. Every single tree had at least a few thousand of them. Truly a beauty.


    I couldn''t even see the stars with those things flying around.


    And then, a second later I realized, those were actually pixies.


    Of course, we were still outside the wooden city gates. By we, I mean me.


    Why?


    Sigh.


    "How long will this take again?"


    "We''ve sent word to the guild and until someone comes and confirms your identity, you shall not pass!"


    ''Yeah, yeah, sure, Sandalf.''


    I just glared at him with scorn. The guy didn''t flinch even an inch.


    There were several other guards but they were just patrolling the wall. Security wasn''t that tight, nonexistent even- for demi-humans that is.


    This was still understandable though, after all, it was probably close to eleven. And though the city in front of me looked quite colorful and alive, the forest behind me was dark and gloomy.


    On our way here, we didn''t encounter any monsters but we did encounter animals with red eyes and fangs. They didn''t attack us but just stared at us from afar. I really had a bad feeling about all this but there wasn''t anything I could do about it now.


    It was possible they were unique animals found here but- where in the world would there be animals with red eyes and fangs? Even typical grass eating ones!


    Oh wait, this world.


    Meanwhile, the girl with me was on the other side, looking all pretty: I could bet she didn''t see this city during the night, at least not up this close. Of course, she was still waiting for me but I had a feeling she just wanted to get back to the castle or roam around the roads above. My bet was on the latter.


    I tapped my feet, I tapped my fingers. But- time didn''t move and I was getting more and more irritated by the second.


    Apparently, even with my card, the guard wasn''t going to let me in. since the girl was wearing the dress of a royal guard, she didn''t even have to show a permit or whatever. Seriously! Talk about injustice!


    About twenty minutes later a guy in glasses came, greeted me, and told the guard that I was indeed a first-class adventurer. The guy had bags under his eyes and from a glance, it was evident he was already overworked.


    "But what is the purpose of your visit and how did you get in?" The guard asked.


    I was not expecting that.


    For a second I sweated but I remembered the baron said something about me being here only because they wanted to. So, "As you might have heard," What the hell was that dude''s name again? "The Duke has summoned adventurers from all across the world." And I kind of went with the flow. How the hell did I forget the name of the dude I was supposed to overthrow? Seriously!


    I actually didn''t know if that was true or not, but I just went with the flow. I really didn''t like lying but there weren''t any other ways.


    The guy in glasses came to me, kind of apologized on my behalf while the soldier just grimaced with a nervous chuckle. He came close too and started whispering. "I''m also one of you, you should have told me sooner, bro."


    Eh?


    Huh?


    Wha?


    Needless to say, I was speechless and I got in.


    Once I got in the guy in glasses came close again. "Hey, I didn''t hear you being summoned, and moreover aren''t'' you the kin-"


    I held his mouth and told him to shut up: he seemed like a decent dude. "I''ll explain later when I drop by the guild. For the time being, you can keep your mouth shut right? Because we both know what I can do to the guild if you guys should-"


    "Oh please." The guy gave me an awkward stare. "I already have enough on my plate. If I wanted I would have done that already. Besides, you being here is more beneficial for the guild anyway. I''ll wait for you."


    And he left. He didn''t say his name and he didn''t bother telling me where the guild was either. But for the time being, I decided to trust those words. Of course, if he backpedaled. I was definitely not going to just let it slide.


    I just sighed.


    The girl however was in a good mood: she was in a robe I''d bought from a nearby village on our way. We couldn''t just walk into the capital city and show people that a princess was walking down the road or something, right?


    She held my robe and pulled towards the ladders and the roads above. Though this was night, there were plenty of people out and the city was almost reminding me of Alfeim. The reason being, dark elves. They were a bit shorter than typical elves but still taller than most men. They had tanned skins and some of them even had large- ahem, I had to maintain my gaze.


    So far no bunny girls. Sad.


    There was a dude playing flute in the distance. Not bad.


    We both climbed up a ladder or two and walked on the road. It was made from leaves, vines, and wood. Only suitable for walking. They had other mechanisms for carrying heavy stuff.


    They were actually a lot more advanced than I thought at first glance.


    We both walked on foot. We gave the horse to the guard when we''d entered. The guy took the horse in without any question.


    "So, where should I drop you off?" ''What was that name, the maid said again?'' I really should have worked on my memory.


    She looked down for a second. "Cant- you?"


    "Princess Viola is that you!" A guy shouted.


    We just crossed the road and were currently on a tree with a wide surface. It was carved from wood.


    The few people that were around, all bowed, on their knees.


    A man, with a head of a lion, came towards us: his body was awfully human through. Though he looked quite macho and thin at the same time, his voice was a little bit on the girly side.


    Of course, I didn''t feel the need to bow or do anything for that matter. I just stood tall.


    The guy gave me a glance before just standing before the princess, looking all worried: he was taller than me. "We''ve been searching everywhere for you!" He held Viola in his arms. She didn''t protest. "Thank goodness!"


    "He is?" I asked.


    "My cousin. Edward."


    Oh?


    I didn''t know why but I could see certain links.


    Was it because I was playing the villain here and keeping up with this farce? I didn''t know. But one thing was for certain, I had to keep my guard up.


    The bunny on my shoulder agreed though, as she devilishly smirked. In this form, even with looking evil, she was cute. Oh, I wanted to cuddle her so badly!


    A-ahem!


    "This gentleman is?" The lion guy spoke.


    "He is lord Daarc. He is a first-class adventurer and he rescued me."


    "First class?" The guy''s eyes lit up. "You might be quite strong- but- a human?" He wondered. "Anyway, thank you for rescuing her. I''ll be sure to pay you whatever rewards you should desire. Please come by the royal court tomorrow or would you like your rewards to be delivered to the guild?" He was actually rather considerate in his speech.


    Probably just for show.


    I couldn''t take him seriously, at least not with that face: and sparkly eyes? Seriously? For some reason, he looked awfully like that one cartoon guy Erika always fawned over.


    But seriously, why the hell is his eyes so sparkly!?


    "Uh-"


    Before I could say anything the princess got out of the guy''s grip and stood right next to me. She actually didn''t say a word but she gently gripped my robe.


    I guess she didn''t want to go with that guy.


    So, I cleared my throat. "My apologies kind sir, but I''ve taken this job and until I deliver her to the person I''m asked, I won''t be able to claim I''ve completed the job." I tried to be humble and polite at the same time. But I got the feeling this wouldn''t fly here.

 Chapter 283 - Night’s Honey: Seriously?

    "You don''t understand adventurer." The lion guy chuckled. "You realize, I''m the son of your employer, correct?" His tone changed. From a girly guy to a very serious, but still girly guy. I actually didn''t notice that there were about a dozen or so of his monkey men in the trees.


    The leaves rattled and I had a feeling they could snipe.


    No wonder this guy was walking freely in broad daylight with only two guards. Then again, this wasn''t daytime.


    I really had to think about my surroundings before acting rash.


    ''Son of the employer huh?'' I could almost snort but I controlled myself.


    But seriously though, I couldn''t take him seriously.


    "And you do realize you''re in public right? You don''t want that pretty face being puffed up on your way home, correct? Oh and I already gave my regards to the Baron, so." I smiled through my teeth. "First class isn''t just for show man." My grin was very life threatening. I could probably pass for a third-class villain.


    Actually, in the heat of the moment, I might have just said some rather confidential stuff. Only after saying that did I realize it and now I was sweating. ''The hell did I just say?''


    Didn''t I just declare myself as their enemy and openly admit I kind of almost killed the Baron?


    Ah... I might have just done something rather terrible and stupid.


    The girl gripped tighter. I guess she was scared of where this was going. After saying what I just said, I was scared too.


    The lion guy clicked his tongue. "I''ll see you in court tomorrow," He grumbled.


    And he left. He almost sounded like a lawyer.


    I actually expected him to attack me and stuff but he didn''t. His men left too. Though I had a feeling we''d be followed.


    But seriously, he didn''t do anything?


    I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the small beads of sweat. This could have gotten a lot more ugly.


    "Was that really okay?" The girl spoke softly. She put on her hood pretty quick.


    Wasn''t she the one who didn''t want to go with the guy?


    I sighed and walked on. "Beats me." though I acted nonchalantly, my senses were on overdrive.


    The girl followed me while the passersby all got up one by one and gave me a glance. I could almost see them being proud for some reason as the girl held my hand within hers.


    ''Yeah, it''s not what you think, okay!''


    If anything this felt like I was walking down with my little sister or something.


    ***


    This city really was colorful and though it was close to midnight, people were still going about their days: still no sign of any bunny girls. Sigh.


    I kind of wanted to know how lively it was during the day too, assuming we were going to live that long. So far, I didn''t notice any followers but, they were probably out there.


    Meanwhile, the girl acted like a ten-year-old as she gazed at various stalls and saw stuff. She had change and we used that to buy some food. Mostly just deep-fried junk food. I didn''t complain though.


    If it tasted good, it was good in my book.


    ''Maybe I should have head over to the guild and exchanged the currency?''


    Anyway, we needed to head to the castle and get this over with.


    It was roughly twelve and I wanted to get into the palace right now.


    "No, that''s a bad idea." But the girl insisted we don''t. She was afraid that things can happen in the corridors of the castle during the night.


    And I was afraid that things could happen no matter where you are. But then again, going in broad daylight might have been better.


    But now that people knew- at least the few that were there knew- that this girl was actually a princess, was it really the best idea to not head to the castle and just go into a generic inn?


    I sure didn''t know.


    But we went into an inn anyway. The name, ''Night''s honey.''


    It was anything but generic.


    And I had a distinct nostalgic feeling that this wasn''t just an inn.


    ''Shit.''


    Shit indeed. ''Not again.''


    ***


    An ordinary inn?


    Yeah, no, this was the inn of dark elves. And almost every single one of them had large chests and skintight short dresses: all the staff was female. There was a lot of tanned skin on show.


    And they were serving booze to the men in the corner having fun. It was too late for dinner.


    This world just kept on surprising me more and more. Even after nearly eight and a half months, I was still getting surprised.


    Something really was wrong with me, huh?


    "I think we should look for another place?" I said, barely maintaining my composure. I had decent self-control but it wasn''t infinite.


    The girl beside me cleared her throat- softly. "I know the owner. So this will be the safest for us," She whispered.


    Security didn''t matter, honestly. As long as me and the bunny were with her, I didn''t think anything bad could happen. Then again, whenever I was involved, something bad happened anyway. And besides, we were already on their radar, so no matter where we went, they''d keep an eye on us regardless.


    "Welcome!"


    And before long, two beautiful elves came and grabbed my arms, or they would have if I had two. Only one of them got that privilege and she led me to the counter against my will. It wasn''t totally against my will though.


    Tanned body, short clothes, voluptuous bosoms, and long ears. Yeah, it was a lie to say, it was totally against my will.


    The bunny was still on my shoulder, looking at all this, a bit glassy-eyed.


    I didn''t choose this, okay!


    Oh, wait-


    Anyway, once we were at the counter, the girl behind it took a good minute to process all this, as she stared at the princess, her eyes going wide: she probably didn''t notice at first since the princess had her hood on, but now she knew. "My god." She quickly signaled one often girls and they led us to the upper floor.


    Things happened a bit too fast.


    Once up, the girl politely bowed. "It''s been too long, your highness."


    It was a two-bedroom and probably one of the best ones of this place. The door and windows were closed.


    Only the three of us were here. Oh wait, the bunny was here too.


    The princess smiled. "Yes."


    I had no idea what happened so I just kept quiet.


    "This gentleman is?"


    "He rescued me and is currently acting as my bodyguard according to Maye''s wishes. He''s trustworthy."


    Hearing the word trustworthy was kind of weighing down on my conscience though.


    "And what happened to Maye-" She stopped. "I see. Anyway, please use this room and I ensure you, nothing would happen to you whilst you''re here." She smiled. "Would you like dinner?"


    Her smile was superficial. There was no doubt about it. Though I didn''t sense any hostility from her. It was almost as though she was sad.


    "We''ve already eaten," Viola said, declining politely.


    I wouldn''t have minded some more meat though.


    "Well then." The girl went to the door but before going she stopped. "Young man, if you feel thirsty, do drop by."


    I had a feeling she wanted to talk.


    I sighed and closed the door.


    The window was closed and now we were alone.


    I took off my armor and the shirt too. It got too sweaty. This place was a lot warmer than I thought. I opened the window. ''I stink huh?'' And I didn''t need to sniff myself to know that.


    Currently, I was shirtless but I had a feeling the girl didn''t have any problems with that. And even if she did she couldn''t do anything about it. Then again, it would have been a bit sad if she started to complain about my smell though. Cause I smelled a bit rancid.


    It probably wasn''t that bad though, probably.


    "By the way," The girl came close. "She was Maye''s- that maid''s sister."


    Oh, that made sense, somehow. I mean that maid really wanted this girl to be safe and it was natural her sister would want this girl to be safe too. I still had no idea why. "Who was that maid?"


    That maid was really something. She was willing to risk everything, just in order to make sure of this girl''s safety.


    "She was mother''s maid and friend. When mother passed away, she took care of me."


    So, her mother was already dead? Suddenly her selfish nature made a lot of sense to me.


    "Well, tomorrow we''ll be meeting your father. So cheer up a little." And I again remembered I didn''t know how to properly console people.


    I didn''t know a lot of stuff.


    "You had something to do in the capital- are you really here for my uncle? You work for him?" She looked at me, totally innocent. I guess she had her own reasons to come to that conclusion.


    Wasn''t she bothered by this sweaty smell?


    "No, not really. If anything, I might end up-" I went closer to her ear. "Overthrowing him," I whispered and winked. I took out a new shirt, wore it, and headed for the door. "The bunny will protect you, so stay here. I''ll be back in half an hour or so minutes."


    "Okay." She probably took it as a joke. Though I did say it jokingly, I was totally serious.


    And with that, the bunny jumped off my arm to the bed. She did look at me with a bit of frown but she didn''t complain. Well, she couldn''t even if she wanted to. She was a bunny after all.


    So, with a smirk, I just headed out.

 Chapter 284 - An Old Acquaintance- Or Not

    Once outside, I met a girl. She wasn''t the girl behind the counter- that maid''s sister. Rather, she was one of the girls who first came to grab my arm. She didn''t grab me this time but just stared. She was actually in decent clothes- not that revealing.


    I steered to my right and headed for the stairs but the girl just stayed there. Her expression, typical.


    Alisa did have powers to take care of things but- what if.


    I stopped just at the stairs and came back. "Excuse me miss, is something wrong? Why-"


    "Don''t mind me. I''m standing guard.. I won''t let anyone hurt her." Her tone was relaxed but she was serious.


    She didn''t seem to be lying but just because people seemed innocent didn''t mean they were.


    "Okay-"


    But I didn''t try to stir trouble. For the moment I decided to trust these people. My guard was still up though.


    I just headed down.


    ***


    It was past midnight and yet, there were so many people here.


    Most of the customers were men, though some women were here too, having fun chatting with other women.


    The men in particular were touching the workers here and there. Some women were also doing that.


    Some were being led to rooms, while others were being kicked out of the inn. I didn''t know why but this whole thing seemed a bit off. Though I had to admit, it was kind of entertaining, seeing all this ruckus even at this hour.


    Actually, a guy in the corner was playing a flute too. The melody was good but it kind of didn''t quite sit well with the atmosphere.


    "This is normal by the way." The girl behind the counter said. She was actually a lot younger than her sister. I guess maybe, mid-twenties? She was wearing rather heavy makeup, so she did look nice.


    Her sister in contrast was over forty. Probably.


    I was just in front of the counter, sitting tight. There weren''t as many people in here when we first came in, but still, there were plenty. Which meant, lots of noise, lots of free entertainment, and a bit of distraction.


    "Yeah." I stared around. Though the atmosphere was a bit whacky, the staff were having fun, so I guess it was okay.


    After all, who was I to judge how people made their living? Everyone had their own shit to worry about. And how they earned or spent their money, was totally up to them.


    "Is she, is Maye dead?"


    I looked at her- the owner and she was saddened to a degree.


    But I just maintained a smile. "She''s currently leading the soldiers through the forest. This allowed us to escape without too many distractions," I had no idea if that was true or not but it didn''t stop me from saying it though. "I think she should be safe though, now that we are here."


    "Can we really trust you with her?" And now she moved on to the princess?


    I guess these sisters were really serious about protecting that lady.


    I snickered. "If you couldn''t, she probably would have ended up with the Baron or the son of the Duke we met along the way."


    The women giggled. "I''ll take your word for-" And then suddenly a chair broke down as a drunkard stumbled on his feet. He was trying to reach the butt of a nearby girl but failed miserably. "Throw him out!" The owner''s voice took a sharp turn and from a sweet lady, she turned into a Viking of sorts! Wow.


    The man was booted- I mean shown out and the owner smiled again. "So, what''s the relationship between the two of you?"


    "I''m just a guy doing his job, nothing more than that." I tried to chuckle, it sure wasn''t working.


    "GHAHAHA!" A laugh came from my right, the opposite side of the counter. "You should just slice ''em bastards up." He laughed a bit more. "Throwing ''em out is such a pain. They''ll just come back tomorrow."


    "You say, that but you''ll come arresting me tomorrow, won''t you?" The owner pondered with a smile.


    The guy laughed again.


    The voice was nostalgic and the slicing part too.


    I looked and there he was, a wolf!


    "Gack!?"


    For a second I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. My face instantly formed a smile.


    But when the man looked at me, I realized, they weren''t the same. After all, this guy had a patch of black hair on his neck and the rest were white.


    Besides, Gack was dead.


    The guy looked at me for a moment and then laughed again as he downed his glass. "You know my bro?" He laughed some more. "Mam, give us some drinks!"


    Mam, huh?


    I snickered. "I don''t drink, so a glass of milk or water."


    She smiled and went to fetch me a drink.


    "Don''t drink huh?" The guy came closer and sat next to me. "So, what''s the little rascal up to? Still talking about slicing throats?"  Now that he came close, I could tell, this guy was older than Gack. He even had scars here and there and a large one over his eyes. Both were still functional though.


    I chuckled. How was I going to say it?


    Should I have even said it? Would lying be alright?


    This guy, almost looked the same, and his look was innocent. He was expectant of a news. I had to say it. Would lying really, be alright?


    I sighed, no it wouldn''t.


    "He''s dead. He died while believing what he thought was right. And yeah, he always talked about slicing throats." I had a weak smile and I knew saying the blunt truth like this was going to cause some pain, but- I couldn''t bring myself to butter things up or lie.


    The guy stopped laughing and even smiling. Our drinks were here. "I see," He grabbed his, drank it at one go. "Well, thanks for telling me. Were ya friends?"


    "Well, we were comrades on the same ship. A pirate ship."


    "Pirate you say. Tell me more!" His face lit up a little. But I could tell, it was forced.


    I still talked about the good old days though. This was the least I could do.


    After all, I considered him a friend.


    ***


    I didn''t go into too many details but once I started reminiscing about the past, I couldn''t stop.


    Those were fun days. I hated the food onboard the ship and I hated life at first. Especially the first two days. Talk about seasickness! The talk about seasickness also reminded me about that black stuff the geezer fed me. It did taste good and it also cured my condition, but after hearing what he said about where it came from, yeah, not so much.


    Ahem, the rest of the few days were fun. I gained a new companion- my lovely bunny, we traveled to various islands, fought loads of things, and in the end ate shitty food. Life was full of bliss. And the pirates always partied and life really was fun with them and the geezer.


    But that thing happened with the island and that was the end.


    By the time I finished, most of the customers had either left for their rooms or were now on the floor: some of the staff and the owner were listening rather eagerly, sitting close to me.


    This establishment apparently didn''t kick out the customers if they passed out on the floor. They''d charge the same amount of money necessary for a single room though. I had no idea if that was a good thing or a bad thing.


    The guy, after finishing four giant mugs of ale sighed and laughed a bit. "Sounds like him. Glad he got to live his dream. He always did say he''d be a pirate." He laughed hard, he was drunk and he was sad.


    "What were you to him?" Maybe at this point, the question was a bit stupid but I asked anyway.


    He snickered. "We were sworn brothers, both grew up in the slums. I work as a guard during the day. I guess I should be going. Can''t keep the missy waiting too long, eh?" And this guy was married too.


    I didn''t have anything else to say. And I had a missy to get back to too. Albeit, for different reasons.


    And I actually forgot that I was only supposed to be out for thirty minutes, not two hours!


    So I stood up.


    "If ya have any problems with the guards, say you''re a brother of ZACK!" He pointed at himself and smirked. "And I might come this way tomorrow with my wife. She was a childhood friend of that rascal''s!" He laughed some more.


    I chuckled. "Thanks. Daarc, by the way."


    And with that, I headed up. He snickered a bit at my name but didn''t complain. I didn''t either.


    I didn''t know why, but I felt sad and a bit lighter at the same time.


    ''Sigh, in the end, have I really gotten any better than back then?''


    I didn''t know but I had another job now. I had to apologize to the girls inside, for being late. But once I reached the room, I was kind of shocked. The girl outside was gone and I had a bad feeling: typical.

 Chapter 285 - This Is All A Misunderstanding, Right?

    The door wasn''t locked, so I went in and- there were two girls inside, chatting and a bunny watching over them, nodding off as they talked. She woke up every two seconds and fell asleep by the next second again. ''Cute.''


    I almost had this urge to go there and snuggle her without a word. But unfortunately, I didn''t live in a fairytale.


    "Welcome back. And didn''t you say, thirty minutes?" Viola said, pouting slightly.


    "Sorry, about that." I chuckled. "Lost track of time."


    The other girl was quiet though.. Seeing me, she stood up, bowed slightly, and left without another word.


    Viola however stood up too. "Thanks," She said to the girl.


    The girl looked back before leaving, she had a smile. She still didn''t say anything though.


    I had no idea what was going on here and I had no intention of knowing either.


    So, I just locked the door and went over to the other bed. It was really late.


    "Let''s get some sleep. There was a relative of my acquaintance downstairs so I kind of forgot about time. Sorry about that." It didn''t hurt to apologize, after all, I was the one who didn''t keep his word. Then again, I kind of forget though.


    Viola was actually in some sort of nightgown. Where the hell did she get that? Hey, no one gave me complimentary clothes!


    Wait, she was a princess.


    ''But isn''t my social standing higher? But I am in a different country.'' I didn''t know why but I was thinking of loads and loads of weird things.


    She lied down on the other bed and snuffed out her lights. "It''s okay. She kept me company."


    I snuffed out the lights on my side too. For once, I was glad these lights weren''t pixies. If they were then what? Kill them?


    Yeah, I didn''t want to think about all that. Actually, I didn''t want to think about a lot of things. Maybe, staying up this late was really a bad idea.


    I kind of hoped for Alisa to come this way and sleep next to me, but she didn''t. She was already asleep anyway.


    "By the way, why did you help me? The first time, there shouldn''t have been any promises of a reward."


    I guess it was a fair question.


    But my eyes were literally starting to stick like glue together. "I have my own ideals and goals. I didn''t save you for a reward. I saved you because I wanted to."


    "I see." She seemed satisfied with that answer.


    I didn''t lie so I didn''t need to clarify anything either.


    For now, I just focused on sleeping.


    And my body didn''t disappoint. I fell asleep almost immediately and was hugged by the spirit as usual. For some reason, this thing was a bit livelier today and it was hugging too tightly- not suffocating though.


    Sigh, this was never-ending.


    Well, at least now I had time to practice a bit. But as I felt tired, I went to deep sleep mode within my sleep. Weird.


    ***


    I woke up with a bit of drowsiness. It wasn''t that bad. But by the light, I had a feeling we already went past the ten mark. ''I need coffee.'' But regretfully I was almost out.


    Noon just became the new morning I guess.


    I tried to sit down and my hand fell on something soft.


    I squeezed on instinct and a second later carefully unhanded her, slowly got out of bed, and looked out the window with a throbbing heart. ''The hell!'' I was panicking on the inside, but very calm on the outside. ''That was soft!''


    And the amount of skin I felt through the clothes shouldn''t have been possible. Meaning, she wasn''t wearing any!


    "Mmmggh." The girl also woke up, rubbing her eyes. Yawn! She stretched her arms and looked around before finally locking her eyes on me. "Morning."


    "What were you doing in my bed?" I tried to stay very calm. She didn''t need to worry about what just happened twenty seconds ago, no sir!


    No wonder, I was being made a literal pillow last night!


    "It was getting a bit cold, so-"


    I had a distinct feeling that last night was warm for some reason, and now I knew why.


    Well, technically, I''d finally be able to get rid of her in a matter of a few hours, so I didn''t feel like complaining too much. Didn''t stop me from doing that though. "Well, next time, snuggle Alisa or something."


    But since I made a mistake too, I tried to let her off the hook easy. Oh wait, wasn''t it her fault she was on my bed in the first place?


    "Who''s Alisa?" She tilted her head, a bit confused. "Your girlfriend?"


    I cleared my throat. "No, that bunny sleeping on the other bed."


    And I didn''t have a girlfriend. I did have a fianc¨¦e though.


    "Oh?" She grinned, yawned, and got up.


    I changed my shirt and went downstairs to get fresh. The girl followed me.


    She had bed hair, she probably wasn''t wearing any underwear, and she was a mess and yet she was still following me around in this inn. The inn in question was empty. Empty of customers not of staff.


    Could it be that this girl was, well, an idiot? I knew she was a bit slow when it came to certain things, but honestly, it sometimes felt like she was way too childish for her age. Then again, I didn''t know her age, and in this world, a lot of things were different than just appearances.


    And when the staff saw her out like this, they pulled her in some room and told me that now they''d shower. The owner was among the staff. Those giggles were very frightening.


    I didn''t bother asking questions and just went to the nearest bucket of water to wash my body. Showering in this world was a luxury. And I was about to indulge in the act.


    Sigh. Well, at least I didn''t smell anymore. Mostly.


    Once I made it back to the room, I found Alisa still sleeping peacefully.


    She looked too darn cute and the moment I was about to pet her, the nuisance of a girl came back.


    She had makeup on, she looked kind of nice, and she actually smelled good too. Floral perfume I guess. It was definitely better than the one she had the other day.


    Oh, and she was definitely wearing some this time.


    She smiled and came inside the room alone. The few that were following her went away giggling.


    Anyway, without petting and stuff, I just woke the bunny up and put on my armor. The girl put on her uniform too. I tried not to look too much, but I had to say, it was tempting.


    ''All women are sisters¡­ all women are sisters¡­ all'' the charm my uncle taught me when I was little, wasn''t working. And uncle was a playboy so¡­


    All we needed now was breakfast and we''d be done.


    Though I had a feeling things wouldn''t be too easy in the court either.


    The original plan was to drop the girl at the palace safely, start a coup and overthrow the whole government. The starting of the coup was the job of Gorgon and the others and how they''d do it- no one told me. But that''s where I came in. I''d use my connections with the princess and act as a savior and suppress the coup, blame everything on the duke, and secure the missing prince and princesses. In case, the whole government was rotten, I''d change sides and aid the coup. Or at least that was the plan and it should have started last night after returning the princess to safety. And my part was going to come this evening.


    At this point though, I doubted it''d go according to the plan.


    ***


    Breakfast was only made of quiche and a glass of milk. Apparently, the owner of this place thought I had a thing for milk since last night I ordered it instead of booze.


    She even often signaled weird stuff and even some weird remarks. She even said stuff like how the princess was nice tasting and- yeah. Why would Viola taste nice and all that? I didn''t know why but that sounded awfully sexual for some reason.


    Was this a demi human thing or something?


    I did get it that she was joking but this was a mission and I wasn''t interested in cheating. Though I had the feeling they weren''t joking and literally shipping me with her. After all, would they really be dumb enough to joke about the princess of this whole country being compared to a drink?


    I sure hope they weren''t that dumb. But I still hope they were just joking. Seriously, this was just a demi human thing, right?


    ***


    This place apparently didn''t serve breakfast, so everything was from last night. They wanted to buy us a nice meal from the nearest restaurant but since we weren''t waking up, they didn''t. And when we did wake up and they wanted to, the princess just forbade them.


    I didn''t know why but they seemed to have misunderstood our relationship. And since the girl literally woke up in my bed, I had a feeling one of them might or might not have caught that sight. Then again, they probably didn''t spy on us, so maybe that was a farfetched accusation. I didn''t dismiss it though.


    This food wasn''t that bad, so I didn''t have complaints there.


    After we were done eating, I thanked the owner and prepared myself to pay her and then realized, I still didn''t have money from this country.


    She just rejected my idea though. Apparently taking money from me would mean disrespect to the whole nation.


    I had no idea what that meant but since I didn''t have money, I didn''t argue.


    Before I could get out, the owner came to me and started whispering. "She can be a handful but she has heart. Please take good care of her."


    As I thought. I really wanted to be wrong, but I was right. Even undeads had heart, so what the hell did that even mean? Then again, most of the undead didn''t have a beating heart and the few that did were literal monsters.


    I sighed and didn''t respond.


    Anyway, we were finally out. I sure hope there weren''t going to be problems along the way. The sun was really strong though. And I was already drained of my energy.


    "I hope everything goes well." Viola smiled. She was energetic.


    ''Good job setting up a flag.'' I stared at her with glassy eyes.

 Chapter 286 - Who Says Dreams Never Come True: Just Ask My Nightma-

    I was utterly surprised and confused once we got out.


    The reason?


    The whole atmosphere was totally different.


    This forest was big and there were loads of trees and a lot of things above the ground. But- buttt! Instead of people being on the trees almost all the people were now on ground. There were still people walking above the roads but the number was small.


    And the diversity had changed. ''So, those were the nocturnal types?''


    It actually made sense. There were all kinds of animals. So it was natural there would be different types of demi-humans.


    And the empty places I saw last night were now ridiculed with stalls, stores, houses, and people!


    But seriously, I didn''t expect the difference to be this great. And there were certain races that were widely available last night were still roaming around. And by the looks, there had to be stuff below ground too! Bird types- harpies, lizardmen, monkey men, even some mermaids! Though the mermaids had their own pool of sorts and they were just jumping up from time to time.


    But more importantly, I saw a rather amazing one walking this way.


    It was love at first sight.


    And I so, so I wanted to confess right away. And I would have too if I wasn''t plagued with all these burdens and didn''t already have a fianc¨¦e!


    Actually, I still wanted to.


    And that''s when I noticed the furball behind her, waving at me. I had a bad feeling about this, nay, I had a very bad feeling about this.


    "Ah, Daarc, I thought we''d miss each other. This here''s Wily, my wife."


    Just hearing that made me tear up. It was almost as though the wooden plate beneath shook!


    Oh wait, that was just the elephant guy behind me walking by.


    The woman in front of me was the woman of my dreams. A real bunny girl, mature, good looking, and with white fluffy ears and a fluffier tail: she was wearing a cardigan of sorts. Her hair was silver and her color was porcelain. True beauty! She was average-looking, but to me, she looked like an angel, nay a goddess!


    She was married though.


    Sigh.


    I sniffed, held the hand of the girl. "Congratulations!"


    The furball- Zack came forward and chuckled. "How''d you know man? I just found out this morning. Ah, you must be experienced in these things." He laughed some more. "Oh and we three grew up together. Didn''t think that rascal would ditch us though."


    "Pleasure to meet you." The girl said softly, blushing slightly.


    Wait¡­ aaaaah¡­.?


    My head went blank. They weren''t just married, no, the girl was pregnant. It made sense. The way Zack talked, it really made sense.


    I chuckled. I chuckled at my fate.


    "Sigh* we''re getting late, so let''s go." A hooded girl just dragged me away.


    "See ya later, pal," I said my goodbye. But I sure didn''t want to meet them ever again.


    "It''s a shame we didn''t get to talk, but- thank you for being his friend. He was such a loner back in the day." The bunny girl said, smiling. "I''m glad he got to live his dreams."


    I was scarred for life. But- "Yeah, no problem." After all, at the time I was kind of a loner too. And I kind of liked his slicing BS.


    After dragging me to a certain distance, the hooded girl grumbled.  "I knew you had a thing for rabbits but I didn''t know your fetish was this deep." Viola apparently just assumed that this was my fetish.


    Well, technically she wasn''t wrong. I always wanted to meet actual bunny girls but I never got to. Alisa didn''t count as I was morally conflicted and the same went for Biteria. But- now I was morally conflicted too.


    Even if I could find a girl, then what? I couldn''t just cheat on Lianne. And I knew that too.


    But I kind of got overwhelmed a little that was all. At least I sure hope that was all.


    Crying wasn''t going to get me anywhere, so I just pulled myself up and walked ahead.


    To a brighter future!


    "Stop acting like a moron and let''s go." And she just had to ruin the moment!


    I didn''t know why but this girl was really pissed off for some reason and so was the bunny. Both were glaring very intently.


    ''Can''t you just let a guy dream?''


    ***


    It took us a good deal of walking before we made it to the castle.


    Was this tree big? No, it was massive. Even the twigs were fatter than me. The branches were fatter than the trees around this place. And the actual trunk of the tree was as at least wider than Alfeim palace- and that too, was a massive palace.


    The leaves? Almost as big as me if not bigger.


    ''Would anyone survive if they jumped from the top?''


    The castle was built right inside the tree trunk. And while the castle was tall and multi-floored, the tree was just bigger. Some of the entrances and rooms were carved from the tree while others were made outside the tree with wooden planks as support. I had a feeling the tree wasn''t happy about all this carving business, but it was still alive, so I guess that was fine- probably.


    We were stopped at the gates, both of us. Even with the uniform, the girl got stopped and when she took off her hood, everyone just made salutes and stood out of the way.


    Well, that was easy.


    Too easy.


    "Your highness!"


    A man came to get us immediately. A rugged soldier, about my age- maybe a year or two older. He had lots of scars on this face and for some reason, he didn''t like me.


    He did act as our guide though. No one really asked us any questions.


    The inside of this tree was kind of complicated and mazelike and there were vines everywhere. The walls were made of wood- to no one''s surprise. Things weren''t that decorated and pixies were everywhere. The soldiers had a very awkward expression, meaning, something was up.


    And there weren''t that many soldiers around.


    This guy led us straight to the throne room, which was located at the top. And there was a freaking lift in this place but it was made possible through vines and clever engineering. Though this guy claimed that with the engineering they had, they didn''t need anyone pulling and the lift worked like magic, I had a hard time believing that. They probably had some slaves pulling stuff along the way.


    After all, though magic existed, it wasn''t this cheap or free for the matter.


    He spoke with the guard just outside the throne room, the guard went inside and after a while, the door opened.


    ''This is too easy.'' And if something was too good to be true, it really was. I knew from experience.


    As we entered, the princess''s face went pale.


    The guards stayed outside.


    She looked on the throne and her lips moved. "Uncle."


    ''Oh boy.''


    "Welcome, princess Viola and- adventurer." The duke was in his mid-forties but his voice was rather deep and kind of profound? He looked like a cross between a lion and an elf.


    This whole room was mostly just dark. There weren''t any pixies in here and the son of the duke was just sitting pretty by the throne. I had a feeling there were a lot of soldiers in here but they were concealed well.


    Viola shook for a moment but bowed a second later. I followed her suit.


    "Please stand up, there''s no need for such formalities." The duke chuckled. Was it me or did his face seemed a bit, artificial?


    I guess he was just putting up a show.


    I did stand up and then I noticed the lion guy in the corner glaring at me. What was his name again, Eddy? Eduwar? Edward? Oh yeah, Edward.


    Right! I was proud of myself for getting one name right!


    "But lord Uncle, did something happen to father?" Viola spoke, a bit shook.


    ''Lord Uncle?'' I could roll my eyes but I didn''t.


    "He is experiencing slight health issues, it''s nothing serious. Come I''ll take you to him. And-" He glanced at me. "How much were you promised?"


    So, he was just going to dismiss me?


    ''What should I do now?''


    There were plenty of soldiers here and we were supposed to lay low, till all our comrades got in and at the very least we found the missing prince and the princess. This place was a maze, so me just running around wasn''t going to get me anywhere either.


    But- could I- could I really hand over Viola knowing she''d be either killed or imprisoned? We were supposed to hand her over to her father, but if things already got this screwed up, wouldn''t it just mean we were throwing her away?


    It wasn''t like I''d gotten attached, no, but- I gave her my word. And if I didn''t follow suit, wouldn''t it mean, I was betraying her? Like the people betrayed me before?

 Chapter 287 - There’s No Point In Having Strength If You Can’t Make A Decision And Stick With It

    "I-" I was conflicted. I really was.


    What was the best thing? I didn''t know.


    What should I have done?


    I didn''t know.


    "Maye promised him ten thousand gold," Viola spoke normally.


    "Ten thousand!?" The son of the duke looked shaken.


    I was shaken too. When was I made that sort of promise?


    But more importantly, wasn''t this girl worried about her own safety?


    The duke chuckled. "Very well. Pay him half and the rest of the half will be paid through the guild. We''re a little short on cash you see."


    The duke signaled one of his men and the guy brought me a bag of coins. Calling it a large bag would have been an understatement.


    It was more like a trunk than a bag.


    "But Viola-"


    "It''s okay," She smiled. "I''m sorry I couldn''t provide more, but I hope you''re happy with this reward. It was fun, traveling with you," She whispered.


    Just how was this girl selfish again? Wasn''t she supposed to be selfish, arrogant, and a spoiled brat?


    But-but she never did anything to make me feel that way.


    "Farewell Daarc," Viola walked on ahead towards her cousin.


    A soldier handed me the bag and he was about to lead me out.


    All of this was part of Alisa''s plan but- ''If you turn back now- then what was the point of becoming strong?''


    Didn''t I set out to become stronger to escape destiny''s misery? Then why was I backing out now?


    Why was I facing the door, instead of the duke?


    ''If I turn back now- will I able to look myself in the mirror?''


    I closed my eyes and turned around. "Tell me one thing, my lord." My eyes were still closed.


    There was no going back.


    "That being?"


    "Just what do you plan to do with this and the rest of the two countries?" I glared solidly.


    I heard a sigh coming from my shoulder but I ignored that.


    The duke''s smile had vanished and now he looked at me with indifferent eyes, almost as though he was looking into my soul, a very blank stare. It was almost as though there was no life in those eyes of his.


    But my glare didn''t die out. I saw in those blue eyes of his- a red tint. Something was wrong here. ''He''s not alive?''


    "Perhaps a revolution you might say?" He raised one of his hands and the whole room got flooded with soldiers. The ones in the shadows all came out and from the looks of it, all had red eyes and fangs. ''Well-''


    "Too late now I guess." I chuckled and used the ring to bring out the mystic blade. The soldiers maintained their distance. So they didn''t like the holy attribute?


    I already made up my mind and I already decided to do this, so there wasn''t any point in holding back. I also imbued my weapon and clothes.


    "Sigh! Seriously! You couldn''t just wait for half a day?" With an exaggerated sigh, Alisa jumped out of my shoulder.


    "Hmm? It turned to a child?" The duke pondered, even his voice felt hollow now.


    Both Viola and her cousin were surprised and so were the soldiers.


    "Demigod of ice, pleasure to make your acquaintance." Alisa made a mocking vow with a grin, showing her teeth.


    Why did I get the feeling she was enjoying this?


    "Then that would mean-" He next glared at me.


    My lips curled up a little. I guess now I had to follow her example. "Daarc Green. Duke of Helsing and Archduke of the Elven Empire." I pointed my sword at him and focused. "Meaning, you now have a four to one war. I suggest you surrender."


    He was stunned for a second but he then smiled. "Too bad, my lord but you were too hasty. Nothing can harm me as long as I remain in this forest. Not even that sword."


    Suddenly, my body felt drowsy. "Cover your nose!"


    "Way, ahead of you."


    My hand was already on my mouth and I brought out my handkerchief but Alisa had some sort of mist covering her whole body. It acted as an armor I guess?


    But if there was some sort of drug in the air, how come, it didn''t affect any one of them?


    The princess and the lion guy were swirling though. I guess they were affected.


    I was kind of affected too. A bit drowsy but nothing I couldn''t deal with.


    "Too bad-" Alisa grinned, evilly. "You were too hasty in telling us." She raised both of her arms and in a split second, the whole room filled with mist and in that time, she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with her. She also led me to the princess and I carried her.


    "Why are we running?" I whispered.


    "We don''t know where the hostages are. If they kill them-"


    "But we can just take the duke hostage!" My whispers were very vigorous.


    Alisa grimaced. "That''s a body double you moron. Do you seriously think the duke of this whole place would sit pretty like that while a threat to his life was here? And didn''t you notice? They''re all vampires."


    I guess that was right. I did feel like something was off.


    Wait, vampires?


    I really wanted to bang my head against a wall. Just how dumb was I? Red eyes, fangs, bat wings! Oh, man!


    I nodded at Alisa''s word and followed her, with the princess in my arms. I did grimace slightly though.


    This girl was surprisingly light. And she was passed out.


    But I didn''t have enough strength because of that drowsiness. And carrying her with one hand was way, way hard. Even with my increased strength from imbuing my clothes. And more importantly, I couldn''t carry a weapon anymore, so I was defenseless.


    We got out of the room and to the corridor but- "Now what!?"


    There were soldiers behind us but there was a lot of nothing in front of us. After all, we''re so frigging up in the castle!


    And this was just a terrace with no way down or anything in particular. And most of the branches were up not, down!


    "Jump I guess?"


    "Huh? You''re kidding me?"


    "Yes, but no." She grabbed my hand.


    I had a very bad nostalgic feeling. Not only was this jump going to be higher than last time, this time I didn''t have a half-dead elf to carry my ass in case I broke in.


    She still jumped though and pulled me along with her.


    AAHAHHRHHHH


    ''I''m going to live, right?''


    Yeah, I had my doubts.


    ***


    We were falling.


    Yup. Definitely falling and this place was high like there were literal clouds here and there.


    So yeah, I didn''t have much hope for living.


    How could I be so calm?


    I''d already accepted my fate. And I was in the middle of falling asleep. If this adrenaline rush didn''t happen, I''d have surely fallen asleep. Those guys had used some rather powerful drug!


    The nearest branch was a long way down and it was thick plus it was at least ten jumps away, definitely not feasible for living: living to tell the tale after hitting it that is.


    Alisa grabbed on to me while also making a dome of ice over her head. "This should work!"


    Was physics really dead in this world? Because no matter how I didn''t see how a dome of ice would work as a parachute.


    But the dome broke down and we were getting closer and closer to the ground.


    "Oops." Nope, physics was not dead.


    But we sure were going to be.


    "Use your magic to imbue yourself, I''ll stabilize you, and then let''s grab  the tree!" Alisa was screaming rather loud but my eyes were kind of in the middle of closing.


    We were still falling. This was a long, long-ass fall. And grab the tree?


    How? The nearest branch was still at least ten seconds down it was about ten meters thick! And my brain wasn''t working.


    At this velocity, we''d just die.  And not to mention all the not so massive twigs were out of our reach too.


    But I focused anyway, not that it mattered.


    "Wha- aaaaha!" And now this girl woke and started to shriek, grabbing me too tight.


    Maybe dying wasn''t so bad.


    Her screams did do a good job as an alarm clock though.


    Anyway, I was fully imbued and my whole body was a lot stronger right now, but this definitely wasn''t enough to survive.


    "On three." Alisa grabbed me even tighter. I was being squeezed alive from both sides. "One!"


    Weren''t we counting!?


    She formed an ice slide beneath our feet and slid us toward a large twig.


    We were about to be crushed. There was no doubt in my mind.


    My breathing was very not calm. Well, at least I was now fully awake.


    But I tried my best to form a ball of fluffy healing ball in the place of impact while Alisa created snow.


    And a second later- SLAM!


    It didn''t hurt. Nope, not one bit. I only broke one rib and a pinky and maybe my nose.


    All was cool and definitely didn''t hurt. I just wanted to scream a bit. Definitely, it didn''t hurt, okay?


    We were still only halfway down. ''How frigging tall is this tree?''


    With my best guess, no less than three kilometers.

 Chapter 288 - Are We Making A Mistake?

    My companions were probably kind of broken too.


    The girl was behind me while Alisa took the full brunt of the slam, so yeah, she was probably worse off than me.


    Meanwhile, I didn''t see any pursuers coming our way. Wait, were we even being pursued in the first place?


    The ice below was melting and in front of us was a wall of wood, meaning, we had to do something fast.


    Or back to the falling!


    My freezing butt and bone-shattering pain were going a great job at keeping me awake. So yeah, I did not want to fall and die.


    "There." Alisa spat blood and pointed to a window just three meters below us. The other nearest window was roughly two stories down..


    "Can you form another slide?" With my nose compromised, talking was hard and my words came out funny. I sure didn''t have time to worry about that though. Viola was grabbing me from behind, shaking like crazy. I really hope she didn''t start leaking.


    Alisa formed it without a word and passed out the very next second.


    Viola was grabbing onto me, so my hand was free but seriously? Now I had to grab on to Alisa?


    With a sigh, we now slid down for the window, feet first. ''This is not going to end well.'' Yeah, no shit.


    I really wanted to punch myself right about now.


    We splashed into the glass. Fortunately, it was big enough and it was transparent wood, so we got in without getting too many cuts. I probably had another rib cracked, because I had two broken ones and I could tell exactly where.


    I did not want this kind of enlightenment, no.


    This room was actually empty.


    Some sort of storage room.


    Breathing rapidly, I quickly brought out two high potions and a normal potion.


    Hard to imagine my heart didn''t race till now. Just what the hell was in that drug?


    I drank the high, fed the other one to Alisa, and gave the normal potion to the girl. She was the least hurt, so she didn''t need one as badly as we did.


    Alisa could drink on her own, so I didn''t have to mouth feed and I didn''t want to either.


    Alisa breathed hard and got up. "To the dungeons, now!" This girl was such a slave driver.


    My bones were still broken but now they didn''t hurt as much. Honestly, to me, potions were nothing more than just painkillers at this point. A very expensive painkiller.


    At least the taste was nice.


    My nose healed though. I guess this thing wasn''t called a high potion for nothing. It could basically heal almost all kinds of superficial wounds and even burnt skin, but not severely broken bones.


    Fractured bones were okay though.


    Viola also stood up, eyes leaking: she was behind me and didn''t seem that hurt. "Why?" she glared.


    I was really glad she didn''t wet herself.


    "Look, I told you I had my ideals and goals, remember? We''re trying to prevent a war from happening. If both Destoa and Dwaram join hands and crush your nation, will you be happy? And as I mentioned I am a royal too. So-"


    She looked at me, a bit puzzled for a second but then made up her mind. "Are you really on my side?" Her stare was very calculating.


    I took a deep breath. "You have my word."


    She took a minute but eventually made up her mind. "I know the way."


    Why was this kid so easy? Like why did she have to be so trusting of others?


    Granted, I saved her and brought her back, but still, did she really have to be this gullible?


    Sigh.


    Anyway, she led the way and we followed.


    ***


    The whole place was like a maze, so I had no idea where this girl was even taking us and whether she was taking us where we wanted to or not.


    But then there was the question, how come there weren''t any soldiers around and how did these people prevent intruders from sneaking into this place?


    I got that the duke''s soldiers were vampires, but what about the king''s?


    ''Do they have some kind of techs like cameras and stuff?'' It wasn''t implausible. After all, the dwarves had already invented the radio. It only worked in their small nation though.


    "Don''t you think this is too easy?" I whispered.


    Alisa nodded back. "I think there''s a trap in the dungeons. And the vampires have a great advantage in this forest and the darkness."


    Yeah, that went without a saying. "But why are we going there then?"


    "It''s the most likely place he has them."


    But wouldn''t the guy expect us to think that and do the opposite?


    I did trust Alisa''s judgment but I knew she wasn''t perfect. But for the time being, I just listened to her.


    ***


    But we eventually made it to the lift and though I didn''t want to take it we still did. Wasn''t this like basically giving them the chance to catch us?


    But both Alisa and Viola disagreed. Apparently, once started, this lift couldn''t be stopped and it only stopped on the designated floors.


    Meaning, hell awaited at the dungeons for us.


    But, there wasn''t anyone on the floor we stopped. The pyres were just about the only thing going.


    There just wasn''t anybody around. Not a soldier nor a vampire.


    "What are vampires?"


    I knew about them from my world and movies, but it didn''t hurt to know more about them.


    "Vampires are a type of undead that feed on blood rather than meat. And with enough blood, they can maintain their sanity and even immortal abilities. Most of the lower class ones are always thirsty but the ones like the duke can control that thirst and also command the rest."


    "Basically, they''re half-dead on steroids?"


    "Yes, but that power does come at a greater cost. As you''ve noticed, there weren''t many soldiers out and the forests were crawling with vampire monsters. The only reason they didn''t attack us was because your blood smells awful to them."


    ''Excuse me!? My blood smelled awful!?''


    Not coming last night might have been a great idea after all. Those things had a great advantage at night.


    But, really? My blood had a smell?


    "I''m not understanding this. My uncle is an undead? What even is an undead? And a vampire too?"


    I sighed. "Trust me, you don''t want to know." If she really didn''t know about the horrors of undead, I didn''t want her to go through the pain of knowing.


    And was it me or was this lift taking too damn long to go down?


    This lift moved almost like a typical lift. There weren''t any mechanical sounds or music though.


    I was once stuck inside a lift for eighteen minutes and I didn''t need music in here to remember more of that trauma. No thanks.


    Everything kind of irritated me. My shoulder was hurting a lot and I had broken bones.


    Wait, "My shoulder might be dis-" I stopped as Alisa grabbed my shoulder and slammed my bones together.


    Argh.


    I shrieked like a girl. Probably worse than a girl. It hurt, like really!


    "Not just a dislocated bone, no, you''ve got some broken ones here too."


    "You couldn''t have been gentler?" I was on the verge of tears. A few drops might have leaked too.


    "What is the relationship of the two of you again?" Viola watched all this with a bit of concern.


    "Little sister?"


    "Lover?"


    I and Alisa spoke at the same time?


    "Wait, what?"


    We again spoke at the same time and the same thing too, staring at each other.


    "You think of me as your sister?" Alisa said, clearly glaring.


    "You think of me as your lover?"


    She grinded her teeth. Was this some sort of plan?


    Eh?


    I sure didn''t get anything.


    Viola sighed. "Let''s talk later. We''re almost here."


    The pace slowed. We were here.


    And a minute later the door opened.


    It was like I was going into a cave. A very dark cave.


    There wasn''t anyone here in particular and from the looks of it, it almost felt abandoned.


    Though I did hear loads and loads of groans.


    The smell was anything but pleasant. It was almost like a forest, just milder.


    I wrapped a cloth around my mouth while Alisa just used her mist. The princess used a handkerchief.


    Alisa was throwing me off though. Wasn''t she the demigod of ice? How come she could use mist? Or was it a sub-category?


    I''d have to wring out all the details later.


    There were pyres in every corner so we strode carefully.


    "What''s their weakness besides holy?" I whispered.


    "Nothing, not even fire. They do seem to be hurt by sunlight but even that isn''t too effective."


    "Wha-? What about garlic and mustard?" Fire was the natural enemy of all undead and garlic, the vampires.


    But sunlight only hurt them? It didn''t turn them to ash? Well, that was a bummer.


    Actually, didn''t this mean, Vampires of this world were really overpowered?


    "No? What''s a mustard? And keep your eyes ahead, moron!" Alisa hissed.


    Yeah, I guess I should have known.


    Anyway, we carefully moved forward through all the cells.


    But there were no guards here. And there weren''t any vampires around either.


    The people inside the cells were mostly dead. And I was glad they were, at least they weren''t undead and coming after us.


    Dying was better than suffering in a place like this, at least in my book. I was a shut-in my previous life, but- after traveling the world, after all this, I still wanted to be a shut-in, but I didn''t want to be robbed of my freedom. And I certainly didn''t want to spend the time in a place like this.


    "This way!" Alisa whispered and I followed.


    Viola was following us quietly now. After this, I''d be sure to give her a speech about how she shouldn''t trust men so easily.


    But for now, we just kept ongoing. And at the end of all this, we found just one man, tied to a chair. He was a guy in his late fifties, his beard was short and most of his facial hair was white. He was kind of beaten and passed out: there were traces of blood on the floor, it wasn''t fresh. He was also a fox demi-human.


    "That''s the king?" I asked aloud.


    "Father!" Viola screamed. Didn''t she realize we were being quiet for a reason?


    I guess not.


    I didn''t see any guards or keys, so I just slashed the cell with the mystic blade and I could cut through the iron bars easily. The bars fell on the floor and there was some smoke coming from the places I just cut.


    "But that''s Mithrin!" Viola gulped.


    So, apparently, this wasn''t iron.


    "Just go get your father." I went inside too. "Alisa stay outside, in case something happens."


    ''Was this a mistake?''


    I was on alert and I had a bad feeling about this, but we had to take this chance.

 Chapter 289 - Sometimes, Even The Most Right Action Might Not Be Without Regrets

    The king was tied with some sort of vines and this thing just kept on regenerating no matter how many times I cut it. And every time, it grew more and more thorns and the grip just got tighter.


    It was a good thing the king was passed out.


    There still wasn''t anybody around but I got the feeling we were being watched, meaning something was about to happen. ''Better stay sharp.''


    Alisa sighed and pointed her finger at me. Some symbols grew on my hand and I could now use ice.


    "Thanks." I focused on freezing the vine. "Do you mind explaining how this works and how come I can use Imbuition on my body when you''re near?"


    It couldn''t hurt to ask.. I never actually asked how I could do it. They did give me hints every now and then but we never had time to actually talk about how it worked.


    "You do realize, that''s not a real word, right?" She sighed. "Anyway, you have two types of mana in you. You''re typical mana and godly mana. Those are different types and should be treated differently. But you just treat them the same. I only convert the godly one to your typical one. In a word, if Trerortra''s blood wasn''t in you, you would have been fine." I had a feeling she didn''t want to say it, but still did.


    Did she think I idolized Trerortra and was going to sulk if she talked about him like that? Actually, I might have been a bit like that.


    To think, I was once an Atheist, and now this. Sigh.


    I guess Ve was right. My mana really was a double-edged sword. Actually, the spirit said something similar, didn''t she?


    I was just stupid enough to not listen to them properly.


    I sighed some more and froze the entire vine. But the damn thing was still trying to break free. Just how tenacious was this thing?


    But instead of letting it, I also cut it in pieces and it now rested in pieces. It was still alive though.


    The man was about to fall on the floor but I grabbed him and then I knew, ''He''s not alive?'' But I noticed it too late.


    "Stay back!"


    Obviously, Viola listened but the man had already bitten my hand!


    For an old man, this guy''s grip was even tighter than Biteria''s.


    I slashed him and he dodged to the sides. "GAHAHAHAHJ!" Judging by that laugh, I probably wasn''t dealing with the real king, or maybe he really was the king but just controlled.


    Either way, he didn''t seem like someone we could reason with. "Is there any way to break the curse or something?" I asked, keeping my eyes totally on the vampire.


    The king''s veins were popping up, he was foaming but his glare was sharp.


    "That thing has fully turned. Kill it," Alisa screamed, a bit of hesitation in her voice.


    "NO!" Viola screamed.


    He climbed on the ceiling but I threw a small icicle but he lodged himself at me, dodging it.


    He was about to claw me.


    I slammed my sword in his gut. I didn''t want to. But it was my instinct. I really didn''t want to kill this guy.


    But I had to.


    ''Damn.''


    His body started to turn to ash.


    Damn! Damn it!


    Not only did I fail my mission, I also failed to protect this guy.


    I slammed my hand on a nearby bar, my sword fell on the floor but- damn!


    "Hurry, use holy on your arm, or you''ll turn into one of them!" Alisa screamed again.


    My arm was already festering. And perhaps punching a Mithrin bar wasn''t helping.


    I quickly used holy magic and my arm felt like it''d fall off but it didn''t. The wound healed partially. But since it closed, I didn''t have to worry about it anymore.


    "Father?" Viola fell on her knees, glassy-eyed.


    This was my fault. "Was this guy really the king or just a double?"


    "There''s no sign of the other two, meaning we don''t have time and maybe running away might not have been the best course of action." Alisa looked down. She didn''t answer me. Meaning, it was the worst case.  "This was a mistake." Her voice was too small.


    I shouldn''t have listened to her blindly.


    But what was done was done. And I knew, killing undead with holy, was freeing them from eternal suffering. So, this was the best course of action, whether I liked it or not.


    No matter how much I hated this, I had to accept reality.


    I tried to help Viola up but she slapped my hand and just cried.


    "How could you? I trusted you. You liar!" She sobbed. "I trusted you." Her voice was tiny and I knew she did trust me, but, there was no going back.


    ''If only I hadn''t come here.'' No, then she would have been dead. This wasn''t a mistake.


    I shook my head, I shook my whole body. ''This wasn''t a mistake!''


    I grabbed Viola and forced her to stand. "He''s not your father anymore. You''ve to get it together!" I shook her. "He would have suffered forever! Would you have liked that? For him to be in pain forever!?" I didn''t want to scream but for some reason, I was being way too selfish. "Then get yourself together. He wouldn''t have wanted to see you like this. We have to move."


    She cried but she didn''t say a word.


    I felt a bit of pain in my chest. ''What am I doing?'' She was just a girl who didn''t know anything and I just killed the last of her loved one.


    This whole thing, this whole mess wouldn''t have happened if I just left that time. No, it was too late to regret. I made a decision, and I had to stand by it.


    But I didn''t have a choice. That thing tried to kill me and I had to survive. There was no other way. And I did what I had to.


    We got out of the cell but just as we were about to leave, "Viola." The man spoke. He wasn''t completely ash yet.  The man smiled. "Take care of her." He turned to ash. "Please- save her." His last words reverberated in the air, they were pointed at me.


    So, he was real. The pain in my chest just got a bit tighter.


    The girl sniffed but she didn''t look back. She grimaced but she didn''t look back.


    "I will." My voice was small but- but I was going to take responsibility for this. I didn''t know how, but I was going to.


    "AHAHAHAH!" A rather villainous laugh went through the whole dungeon. "How did misery taste my lord?" I actually didn''t know if the guy could see us or not but he was addressing me the first thing I guess. "My condolences Viola but I never intended for your father to suffer and I might have even made sure he lived if you''d listen. And there''s still time. I can bring him back from the dead." He laughed some more. "Come join me."


    Meanwhile, Viola was in deep thought.


    My teeth clattered but I controlled my rage. My fist raged but I controlled it. ''I''m going to kill this mother-''


    "He''s lying. Even Gods can''t bring back the dead, at least not in the original form. The few magic that exists are nothing but illusions of mortals, they are not for the living." I had no idea what she just said but I didn''t want anything to with resurrected the dead.


    I already had enough of undeads.


    "AHAHHHA! Believe it or not, I can bring back the dead." I guess he was listening to us somehow. "So come join me, this is your last chance."


    I kept my eye in every direction and after a minute or two- "Found you-" I threw a bolt of ice and a bird dropped from the corner of a cell- a bat.


    Needless to say, I was shivering with rage.


    "No." Viola''s voice was small. "NO!" She screamed louder than ever. "I''m not going to you!"


    "AHAHAH!" But the sinister laugh didn''t end. I had a feeling there was more. "Now, you shall be crushed along with those heathens!" He kept on laughing until. "Wh-wha, who are you!"


    "Just a beautiful elder sister passing by."


    It almost felt like a call being cut.


    Yeah, I knew the voice.


    And I already had nightmares about it. My burning rage which was making me shiver just moments ago, was gone. I almost felt cold even.


    But before I could worry too much about that-


    The walls of the cells began to move and constrict.


    "I have a bad feeling about this." Alisa got close to me.


    "You think? Who''s bright idea was to come down here!?"


    "Yelling won''t get us anywhere. Please follow me," Viola said, looking determined.


    I didn''t know if she was going to betray us like we did to her or not, but for the time being, I trusted her. After all, we didn''t have any choice.


    The path to the lift was the first to constrict. We were trapped.


    And there were other bats and even a vampire or two among the prisoners. They didn''t stand a chance against my sword or my magic.


    Viola ran and so did we, she turned and so did we.


    Lost we were.


    A dead end.


    After literally running for eight minutes, killing seven bats, and twelve vampires, we finally ran into a dead end. The path behind us was so constricted that I couldn''t even stand straight, or turn and in front of us was a wall of stone.


    We were so screwed.


    I was using the mystic sword as a means to make this thing not crush us, but if this kept up, either the sword would break or it''d just puncture through the wall, leaving us dead.


    Meanwhile, Alisa was just behind me and Viola was literally rubbing her hands against the wall. Had she gone mad? I sure hope not.


    "Found it!"


    ''Found what?''


    And a second later, the ground beneath us vanished and darkness welcomed us. I kind of had a bad feeling all over again. The ceiling closed almost instantaneously as we fell.


    "AHH?" Even I was confused as to whether I should have screamed or not, after all, nearly two seconds later I fell in water.


    The water smelled very nice.


    So nice, I wanted to throw up a little.

 Chapter 290 - Is It Me Or Do You Smell Like Shi-

    "It just had to be sewers." I sighed. "I guess sooner or later this was bound to happen. Whatever you do, don''t even think about lighting a pyre." Every single RPG I played had at least one or two scenes regarding this, but now that I finally found myself in the sewers, I really, really didn''t want to be here.


    The smell compelled my stomach to empty itself, but I persevered. I had no idea how long I could keep this up though.


    I talked like normal, though I couldn''t see anything.


    My companions were rather silent though.


    Did they hurt their head and pass out?


    This water was at least deep enough to reach my shin..


    So with another sigh, I made a ball of light. ''Is something crawling?''


    I felt like something just climbed my back. The feeling was nostalgic and I was tempted to run away but I controlled myself.


    Light illuminated everything and well- I now wanted to scream, very loudly that is.


    Both Alisa and Viola were in front of me, covered in stuff to their knees. But that wasn''t the worst part. The actual worst part was the things that were literally crawling on their bodies and them not moving slightly. There were some things on her bodies and they were definitely not comfortable with it, I wasn''t either.


    Both were shivering and sweating. They were looking very intently towards me, or perhaps behind me. Yeah, I had a very bad feeling about all this.


    The smell was the least of our problems.


    I formed small icicles- very carefully- small enough to be called bullets but a bit thinner. "Don''t move." They just stared at me, and a second later I fired.


    Three large centipedes fell on the water.


    "Thanks," Alisa finally managed as she caught her breath. Though she was just trying her best to not puke.


    I fired some more and two more fell from Viola''s body.


    "Can you now do that to me?" I smiled and turned.


    "Eek!" Viola screamed.


    "Let''s get out of here." Alisa threw a shard of ice at my back and another centipede fell on the water: cold!


    All six were dead and there were hundreds more coming this way.


    They were as big as my arm and definitely poisonous. Those things were not happy to see us.


    "Are you sure, we can''t use fire in here?" Viola said, clearly concerned. Survival mattered more than her sadness.


    "Actually, it doesn''t seem like that bad of an idea, does it?" It really didn''t. But if we light this place up. We''d have to dive into the water to survive. Or maybe Alisa could have made a dome of ice. But then we''d be taking the whole city with us.


    So, it wasn''t a viable option.


    Alisa took a deep breath and created a half dome of ice, enough to prevent the shitty water from touching but also not enough for the little critters to not come at us. All three of us climbed on but the water wasn''t deep enough to float and there wasn''t any place to walk either, at least not here.


    But this dome was definitely enough to ease my mind a little.


    "Do you have any idea how this sewer works or where it leads?" I was cutting down all the little critters heading our way.


    More and more were coming.


    "NO, but Maye taught me some secret passages out of the castle in case something happened."


    "Couldn''t you have learned some more?" Because we were about to be poisoned to death.


    There were no answers.


    I sighed.


    I cut more stuff. These things were coming from all sides.


    They were mostly coming at us in pairs. Definitely manageable but there were hundreds more, if not thousands.


    "It''s strange, these things shouldn''t have been this violent," Alisa pondered.


    "Stop talking and start killing!"


    I had enough of her wisdom. We needed all the firepower we could get!


    I couldn''t keep this up forever!


    "Look those things are starting to combine themselves!" Viola squirmed.


    "No, they''re actually mating. Could it be?" Alisa still was just busy thinking.


    "Mating? Just by rubbing their bodies?" Was this girl in kindergarten or something?


    "Well, we might not be seeing it but the guy probably entered the girl anyway. But we don''t have time to worry about that!" Like seriously, were we having a conversation about centipede sex? Like, now?


    Actually, I didn''t know either. So, that did pique my curiosity.


    I so wanted to punch myself right now.


    "Huh? What do you mean guys enter girls?" Viola glared at me.


    The hell was this girl saying?


    "I think we disturbed them while they were in the middle of something. This is their nest, let''s go the opposite way and they should leave us alone," Alisa sighed, chuckling awkwardly.


    "Yeah, you tell me that after I kill one-fourth of their entire population."


    We got back on water and started going backward. Alisa was in charge of creating our footing and we just carefully walked on ice. I sure didn''t want to slip.


    "They can always make more." Alisa made a smug grin. For a moment I''d forgotten that this girl was a few thousand-year-old hag. "OH and I''m poisoned. They bit me three times, so give me a potion."


    Yeah, I wasn''t going to open my ring in a place like this, at least not while there was still water around.


    The centipedes were still following us but after roughly ten meters or so, they stopped.


    This whole place was a round sewer. And there were pipes all around us. it was almost as though it was raining shit- which it was. Alisa prevented all the shit rain with a thin layer of oval-shaped ice over our heads. But it was hard to maintain and that was clear.


    We just kept on going and before long, finally, finally saw some footpaths!


    And soon, we got on drylands. Very dirty drylands. But still drylands. At least it wasn''t raining here!


    And that''s where I remembered. This world didn''t have much of shower facilities.


    "We are so screwed." I stared at the distant darkness. Just getting rid of the smell of my sweat was a chore, so what the hell was I going to do about this?


    Soaps weren''t a thing in most of the countries. People tended to use charcoal or mud. But seriously, what was I going to do?


    Alisa sighed. "Potion!"


    "Fine." I brought out a potion and threw it at her. My upper body was relatively safe, but I didn''t know how long this''ll last.


    With a grumble, she caught it and drank it. She also rubbed the potion on the three places she got bit. Ironically all three bites were on her hands. Actually, she also had a semi-bite on her knee.


    Viola however was quiet.


    "You got bit too?"


    She was still quiet. I didn''t get bitten but I had a feeling it was probably painful so I brought out another potion and gave it to her. She just held it and lifted up the hem of her dress to her thigs, still silent. Apparently, she was bitten on her thigs. And on two spots too.


    They''d already turned purple: Very painful.


    I sighed and turned around.


    After a while, we started walking.


    Viola made sure to drown all three of us severely before we went any further. The water she used on me, was a bit too cold, freezing even. Her grudge was justified though.


    ***


    I was in charge of lighting while Viola and Alisa were scouting for monsters.


    "What did you mean guys enter girls?" Viola whispered, clearly embarrassed.


    Well, she was a princess, and her father kind of pampered her too much. So it was natural he never let anyone tell that to her.


    I didn''t see any reason to ruin her innocence so I just strolled forward, not a word.


    A bat headed my way and I blasted it with a holy ball. Lately, I got a bit too used to having way more capacity than I could use. ''How the hell do I still have mana left?''


    "Oh basically-" It sure didn''t stop Alisa from saying it aloud though. Was this girl always this shameless? I really wanted to give her a lecture.


    Apparently, her details were a bit too detailed. It almost made my little buddy grow. Unfortunately, I had a thing called self-control.


    Sigh.


    "That goes in there?" Viola asked, visibly red. And a bit scared too.


    This was the second time I saw her blush this bad.


    I sighed again.  Why the hell was I sighing too much? "Well, you''re not a kid, so don''t worry about it. One day, you''ll fall in love and will want to do it with your loved one. Till that day, be patient I guess? You don''t have to be afraid: it''s a natural process." I was again reminded of the fact that I really didn''t know how to console people.


    And why was sounding like the doctor telling his patient ''it won''t hurt one bit.''


    "I''m not a kid! I''m fourteen!"


    "Excuse me?" I turned around. All three of us stopped. "You''re fourteen?" No matter how I looked at her, she was clearly eighteen or above. A decent chest, almost as tall as Ve, thin and curvy, and she was fourteen?


    Maybe the definition of twelve was different for demi-humans? "You''ve been alive for 168 months then?"


    She blushed slightly, counted her fingers. "Yes."


    ''I should have seen this coming.''


    This world was weird, and so was age in this world. I should have seen this coming!


    The hell had we done? I turned to Alisa and she just looked at the ground, sweating.


    "Remember, this was your fault." I pointed at her.


    She grumbled. "Okay, I''m sorry." It didn''t feel like she meant it though.

 Chapter 291 - Is It Me Or Do You Smell Like Shi- Part Two

    This whole place was kind of¡­ bad.


    The smell was terrible. At this point, I was just trying my best to not think about the smell. It wasn''t working.


    There were large crawling bugs everywhere.


    And we had no idea where the hell we were even going.


    "By the way, the way that voice sounded, are you familiar with that?" Alisa said.


    Beads of sweat formed. "Nope, not even a little."


    Yeah, I erased that voice from my mind a long while ago.


    I cleared my throat, took a deep- okay, maybe not. There was no need for deep breaths!


    "Do you think- father can be brought back to life? You said it''s possible though-" Apparently Viola still wasn''t convinced.


    Things happened a bit too fast. I guess this was normal. Maybe she hadn''t grasped the brutality of death yet. After all, she was just a kid. All this time, I treated her like an adult but now, now I understood. All her selfish behaviors were justified.


    And actually, I wasn''t that affected either. For someone who just killed a living being, I was so calm, that it was surprising even to me. I knew her father was already dead but still, I killed him. I killed a person.


    And yet, it didn''t feel real. It didn''t even feel surreal. It just felt like a daydream.


    "You''ve never seen an undead right?" I asked, she nodded. "Basically they are dead people who come back to life but they are in so much pain that they think eating other living things would make them better. And they hate the living because of that pain. They first came to be when a god tried to make all the people who fell in a war come back to life. I''ve fought thousands of undead and almost every time I killed them, I felt like they passed away at least a bit more peaceful than they were still roaming around." Or maybe I was just high on adrenaline and potions. "You saw your father bite me and suck my blood, right?"


    Viola sighed and looked at the ground as she walked. "I see."


    Wait, the guy actually sucked my blood. "Am I going to be fine? I mean-" Since I didn''t felt anything I never bothered to ask.


    "You''ve got a regeneration curse on you, remember? Though you don''t ha-" Alisa paused.  "It won''t be a problem, no." She wanted to say something but didn''t.


    I wanted to ask, but there was a more pressing matter at hand.


    How were we getting out of here again? Cause no matter how I looked, there were hundreds of canals, and we were just going straight.


    This whole place was weird.  Wastes upon wastes just came down the drain and moved forward. And though we followed the flow, I had a feeling this won''t lead us to any desired exits.


    "Look sharp!" Alisa said, throwing a shard of ice.


    "Don''t worry, I''d seen it way before you did." But since it was out of my range, I didn''t try anything funny.


    There was a white rat with red eyes in front of us and it was at least bigger than Alisa. It was running at us with neck-breaking speed.


    The shard did make contact but nothing happened. It was more like the rat got hit, lost its head, but regrew it immediately. So yeah, nothing happened.


    I sighed and threw a ball of holy, and upon contact, the rat disappeared.


    "Is it me or are vampires a bit too weak?"


    Alisa sighed. "That''s the problem. They are rather strong and have a lot of abilities but when it comes to holy, they are even weaker than actual undead. You did see it coming out unscathed from my ice attack, right?"


    I guess that was a fair point.


    "But, can''t we just destroy the ceiling and climb up?"


    I actually didn''t expect Viola of all people to suggest something that extreme.


    I cleared my throat. "You''d want to climb up with your body in that state?"


    Me and Alisa were one thing, but she was a literal princess! Though I did see her wet herself, so, I guess this couldn''t have been that much more embarrassing. It was still going to be embarrassing regardless though.


    It went without a saying that all three of us were covered in shit. Literally.


    Yeah, Viola washed us, and I was shivering with the cold, but still. Just a simple wash wasn''t enough to get rid of this foul odor.


    She grimaced at the thought. "Lead on please."


    ''But lead where?''


    This whole place was like a maze without any exits. Small pipes came from above and dumped everything on this large canal, but there weren''t any ways to climb up, at least not without drowning in shit.


    We''d already reached three dead ends.


    It was almost like that forest situation, where no matter where we went, we couldn''t find any places.


    Wait, didn''t I still have those three balls?


    I quickly searched my ring and sure enough, I had those three.


    I only took out one, very carefully. I made sure I didn''t touch anything else in the ring. I sure didn''t want to spread this shitty smell.


    Actually, after all this, I''d be sure to give everything- EVERYTHING- a thorough wash! Might as well spend a whole day in a lake or something.


    "How do we use this again?"


    It was the crystal ball we used to travel across the forest.


    "You should touch here, rub here and this ¡­." Viola went on. It went over my head.


    I did not get anything, no sir!


    It was almost like the time I was explaining how the internet works to my long-dead grandpa. Unfortunately, I was the grandpa now.


    Alisa did get it though and she immediately took the ball off my hands and started pointing around. She was a slave driver, there was no denying the fact.


    Well, at least now we had a way to go.


    ***


    There were bugs everywhere, and that was no understatement.


    The rats and the bats were easy enough to deal with. But then there were the large worms and even snakes. The hell was wrong with this sewer system!?


    I had a feeling I''d be very sick for a while after this.


    Not all of those things were undead though. Some were genuinely just wild animals. Sure didn''t stop them from attacking us though.


    After half an hour of mindless following and killing and definitely ruining my whole respiratory system, we finally reached an end. There was an opening and light.


    The canal kind of got bigger.


    Yes, I had a bad feeling, and no, this wasn''t just a bad feeling. This was a very bad feeling.


    The closer we got to the exit, the shittier our surroundings became.


    The reason?


    All the dumps were apparently being dumped through this large pipe.


    And into where?


    A river of course.


    But how high was it?


    Very high, of course.


    Yes, another day of ''I don''t want to jump but I''ll die if I don''t.''


    "Ha hah ha." I chuckled. Life was amazing.


    This whole setting almost looked like a waterfall. But instead of water, shit was falling, spraying everywhere.


    "He breaks every once in a while don''t worry about it." Alisa smiled grabbed my arm and Viola''s. "Let''s make sure we don''t break our bones this time." Her smile was radiant and a second later we all jumped.


    Well, at least we weren''t marching into forests.


    Wait, weren''t we already in a forest?


    Shit.


    ***


    Blueh!


    After all that terrible, terrible time, I had to throw up water of all things.


    Just moments ago we fell in the water and my two companions fell with me.


    Everything was fine and I didn''t feel like I''d broken any additional bones but then there was the thing about my already broken and cracked bones. They probably just got crushed. The water was deep enough to not die and definitely dense enough for easy swimming. All that would have been fine but- but not only was the water contaminated, but I was also more or less crippled.


    And in this golden time, both of my companions were passed out and they started drowning. Perfect!


    So, even being crushed, I didn''t have a choice but to give it my all. And why the hell was this river so frigging wide?


    I imbued my whole body in a hurry and dragged both of them back to the nearest shore. I just had one hand, how the hell was I supposed to carry both!? At least that''s the question I asked myself before trying, but I kind of just bit into Alisa''s clothing and just carried her like that.


    It was one hell of a swim session. I was amazed that I even made it to the shore.


    My body was burning up and I might have drunk a bit too much of this shitty water.


    The rest was history.


    Argh! Everything just wanted to come out.


    And it did too. But at least all three of us made it to the shore.


    The other two, however, were kind of still passed out.


    I breathed hard, but they were in a lot worse situation.


    Alisa was okay, barely breathing, and just passed out, but Viola wasn''t breathing.


    I checked her pulse.


    She didn''t have a pulse either.


    The water was freezing, so I first undressed Viola and got come sheets out of my ring and covered her, next, I tried CPR. ''Please don''t die on me.''

 Chapter 292 - Which Way Was It Again?

    I once drowned when I was twelve. The feeling was not pleasant but- I still remembered the fright in mother''s eyes. And that was in the middle of the summer vacation too. So, the whole thing was filmed. After all, we were on a family vacation. And when I saw the whole thing later with my cousin- I knew, this stuff was anything but pleasant.


    Meaning, I knew exactly what I was doing.


    That didn''t mean I shook any less. I was shivering both with the cold and fright. What if she never wakes up?


    What if- she- dies?


    Needless to say, though I tried to act calm, I was not calm and I was panicking way more than I ever thought. ''Calm- stay calm.'' It was not working.


    I put in adequate pressure and even tried to give her mouth to mouth. If she died now, then what was the point in all that?


    I also tried to use my holy magic, but so far nothing worked. I kept up the CPR but- it wasn''t working. One hand just wasn''t enough for it to be effective.


    I was running out of time and options. Her body was warm but it was starting to get cold fast.


    Suddenly a thought ran across my mind. ''I have an elixir-'' I didn''t mind sharing- for the sake of her life, but what if she- no, this wasn''t the time for worrying about that.


    I took out a small vile, took it in my mouth, and fed her.


    She wasn''t in the position to drink it on her own and even with me pouring it down her throat, I wasn''t sure it was working or not.


    Her body was still warm, at least enough to conclude she wasn''t dead yet. ''Please, don''t die.'' But I wasn''t so sure anymore.


    The elixir was in her and her head was now on my lap but- she wasn''t waking up.


    Sigh. Argh! I wanted to punch the earth- but I couldn''t.


    I tried everything but- it wasn''t enough.


    "You''re crying?"


    Alisa woke up and threw up at the same time.


    "No, I''m not." I chuckled. "Why do I keep failing at everything?" I was looking ahead but couldn''t see anything.


    It was almost as the world got blurry and everything was black and white.


    No matter what happened, I always ended up leaving a trail of blood no matter where I went.


    "Cough!" Suddenly the girl in my lap just blitzed awake, leaking water all over my lower half. But boy was I glad. "Why-are you crying?" She said, half dazed.


    I didn''t care anymore, I just grabbed her and hugged her tight. "O, thank the blood of Trerortra." I had no idea what I just said but I didn''t care. "You''re alive."


    Finally, someone who didn''t die.


    "I wasn''t?"


    I sighed in relief. It was almost as though the world wasn''t black and white anymore.


    The leaves fluttered and there were birds in the sky, chirping. I just hadn''t noticed anything else till now. There was sound.


    "Um- it''s kind of painful-"


    "Oh, ah, sorry."


    I gently put her down and even brought out a pillow from my ring.


    Next, I stood up and moved away a bit. I might or might not have acted a bit too clingy.


    "Am-am I naked?" She asked, still perplexed. And a second later flushed red.


    Alisa kind of glared at me now. I guess she was done puking.


    I lifted my hands a little. "Well, you were freezing and-" And I was freaking out.


    Viola didn''t say anything and just hid under the sheets.


    Alisa didn''t say anything either and just turned around. But then she looked at me through her peripherals. "We should find another river or pond or something and clean ourselves."


    "Right!"


    ***


    By some unholy miracle, we still had the crystal ball. We used it to find the nearest pond.


    Before I could even scout for monsters, both Alisa and Viola jumped in.


    Well, I followed their suit. I really didn''t want to stink or wear the stuff I was wearing anymore. But nothing I was wearing was dispensable. Okay, maybe the underwear was, but that was protected, okay!


    This was a small pond, maybe a hundred meters wide on all fronts and though it looked shallow, it wasn''t.


    It wasn''t that deep but it definitely wasn''t shallow. I didn''t see any monsters and even if there was one, I didn''t care. I just wanted to get cleaned. ''Should''ve bought a box of soaps when I had the chance.'' Just half a bar wasn''t enough. And now I had to divide it in three.


    Sigh.


    I kept a good eye for anything that might attack us but so far, nothing.


    "We aren''t destroying this pond, are we?" Because there might or might not have been a lot of stuff in our clothes and armor.


    "Don''t worry, this stuff will become fertilizer and food for the fish." Alisa had an amazing answer as always.


    Yeah, wrong question.


    I sighed and got out of the armor, slid my pants down, and was only in my underwear.


    Currently, the water reached upto my shoulder, so I didn''t run the risk of being seen.


    The two girls were in front of me, and they were at least three meters away, meaning everything was cool. They were probably doing the same. I mean, who wanted to wear tainted clothes?


    Now that I was out of these things, I tried to wash them. It was rather hard underwater though.


    ''Maybe I should just head up the shore. It''s not like I''ll die if they see me naked.''


    And more importantly, I was still wearing my underwear, so it was fine. Moreover, it was almost impossible to just hold onto all these things with one hand let alone clean them.


    So, with a sigh I headed up and- stopped.


    I looked ahead. The water was cool, but- I was sweating.


    "Something wrong?" Viola said.


    My teeth started to clatter. My intestines in my lower half were crying out. Something, something just bit me there and it wasn''t letting go.


    "I- kind of removed my armor and pants to wash but-"


    "You lost your underwear?" Alisa asked.


    "Worse-"


    Alisa sighed and took a dip in the water.


    She wasn''t coming back up.


    Something else just touched it!


    Roughly a second later, Alisa came up, holding my shoulder as support. "I guess we have our lunch now." It was more like late noon though.


    In her hand was a big, a very big catfish. "That was attached-" IT was attached to you know where and it was sucking and biting pretty hard. I actually wanted to scream but had to hold back.


    Now that it was not attached, I could relax, but I still couldn''t feel anything. Anything other than pain that is.


    "Don''t worry, it''s male, so no harm was done." Alisa made a smug grin. She was in her undergarments, meaning she had a similar intention as me: all black.


    The hell was that supposed to mean though?


    But yeah, now I could rest easy as I strolled forward. The pain.


    The pain!


    This was not easy.


    Once, up at the shore, I just lied on the ground, face up: water covered most of my lower body. "Shouldn''t we head to the castle?"


    "I''m pretty sure everything is going according to plan. If you hadn''t butted in when you did, things wouldn''t have taken this long and we wouldn''t have to go through this." Alisa sat down next to me.


    "And her dad won''t be dead either." I sighed.


    "No, it was a good call. Her father would have died either way. And if you didn''t do what you did there, she would have either died or became a vampire herself."


    Viola came out of the water and sat beside me. "So, what are you going to do now?" She was also in her underwear: truly white.


    "Let''s dry ourselves and march into the castle. This time- we''ll make sure no one dies." Big words for a guy who couldn''t even save an old man.


    I really wanted to punch myself for promising such big things when I couldn''t even do anything.


    Viola chuckled. "Thank you for saving me but- I won''t forgive you for betraying me and killing father."


    "I don''t expect you to." I didn''t look at her. "What I did was for my own-"


    "But I will trust you for now," Viola said not letting me finish.


    I smiled. "Very well." At some point, I''d subconsciously started to copy those shitty aristocrats'' responses I so despised.


    "By the way-"


    "Yeah?"


    "We still stink." Alisa just had to ruin everything.


    I sighed.


    "There''s some sort of spring in the castle right?" I asked.


    "Yes? Though-"


    "Alright, we''re marching in right now! Today, we shall bathe in soap!"


    "But you said-"


    "NOW!"


    I stood up, wore my not-so-clean, still wet clothes and armor, and looked forward. "Which way was it again?"


    ***


    With the crystal ball, we reached the city borders in a matter of minutes.


    The guard did recognize me but he still stopped us. "EUU, you reek!"


    "Yeah, we''re in a hurry."


    "Sorry but- I''m ordered to let no one in today. There are some problems going on inside the city. Our faction is kind of losing, so yeah, let''s change sides, shall we?" He grinned pretty nicely.


    I grinned, pointed my sword. "We are the problem. So-"


    The guy''s eyes opened wide and a second later he was blasted away by water.


    Apparently, the fox girl with me didn''t want to wait.


    "Let''s go!" Viola said, flaunting her magic.


    We run inside.


    There were no guards around.


    Everybody was already in the castle, or so I heard.


    Apparently, a dragon came out of nowhere and a group of seven was now invading the castle along with the guild, led by Daarc green, a first-class adventurer and the Archduke of Alfeime.


    Was it me or were my friends using my name a bit too much?


    I really wanted to hide by the sheer embarrassment.


    People were actually praising me in broad daylight. Another faction was cursing me but that was all. There was no ruckus, and there was no chaos. Everything was normal, too normal.


    Did these people really care about their country or who even ran it? I had my doubts.


    By the time we made it back to the castle though, there was already a crowd outside. ''Wait, maybe I can use this.'' A certain Helsing flashback intensifies.

 Chapter 293 - Life Can Be Such A Drag Sometimes- STAIRS!

    There was a crowd in front of the castle and things were just getting heated up.


    When we approached them, the people in the back moved away, albeit looking a bit unhappy. This smell came in handy: I definitely didn''t want it though.


    These people looked like ordinary citizens, at least the ones at the back.


    We moved ahead and the guy in front of everyone was the guy in glasses. The guy I met last night; the guy from the guild.


    There were a bunch of adventurers with him and they were in a heated argument with the guards. It didn''t go as far as swords crossing though.


    I didn''t know why but everything so far was too peaceful. ''Something''s fishy..''


    It was almost like everything was preplanned. But who?


    "Need a hand?"


    "Lord DAARC!"


    When he said my name out loud, everybody kind of gasped.


    The soldiers just glared at me. They were actually just ordinary soldiers. There weren''t any vampires around. It was only the afternoon so, of course, they won''t come out in broad daylight.


    "Daarc?" The furball was among them too.


    "Yo."


    Viola came in front of me. "I, princess Viola Von Ohran command you, stand down!" Her voice was deep and loud.


    Wow! Did not expect that one.


    "Lady Viola!"


    The soldiers were looking hesitant.


    "But if you''re out here," The guy in glasses whispered.


    I sighed. "Don''t worry, they''ve got it covered." I most certainly hope so. "Move aside, gentlemen. You''ve all been played-" Playing this farce was a drag. "The duke is a vampire and he plans to build an eternal prison for you. He''d already turned the king into his follower and in an epic battle he fell." I tried to sound sad. "But fear not brave men of Xylax! I shall liberate your nation and make sure the princess gets the right to the throne and I will also make sure your nation is prosperous. In the name of Trerortra the god of light and Xerphas the god of courage!" I raised my blade and roared. "Let us vanquish the evil! FOR LOVE AND PEACE!"


    I really wanted to crawl into a hole right now.


    "YEHAHHH! LOVE AND PEACE"


    The people behind me roared and a second later they all charged, the guards stood aside. They''d just get stomped if they hadn''t.


    I really, really wanted to crawl into a hole right now!


    In a sense, this really felt like that night from Helsing. Just much, much more embarrassing.


    "Not bad." Alisa giggled.


    I sighed.


    And so we went into the castle.


    ''What the hell am I doing with my life?''


    ***


    With Viola leading and the crystal ball in Alisa''s hand, everything was too easy.


    The guards and the adventurers were behind us and I saw loads and loads of vampires but they were just running away.


    Obviously, I kind of evaporated every single one headed our way.


    They didn''t seem that hostile. Something really was up. And it wasn''t just the tree.


    "Can we really afford to let them escape?" Because some were running rather far away.


    "Vampires generally don''t have weaknesses other than holy but- remember I said the king would have died either way? He was a direct subordinate to whoever made him a vampire, meaning if we kill that person, all the subordinates should die too. At least that''s my theory. Therefore, this should all work out."


    But we were dealing with real things, not some theoretical stuff and it was already afternoon. No matter how strong we were or our magic was, once night came, everything would have been upside down.


    I learned a hard truth during my time in this world, ''never underestimate an undead during the night.''


    "Let''s just hurry."


    The lift was gone and so, we had to take the stairs for this long ass three-kilometer tree.


    This Crystal ball came in handy to find optimal shortcuts here and there. Some branches grew rapidly to take us up, while some floors themselves moved. This almost felt like a videogame at this point.


    But the stakes were real and I couldn''t stop now. I''d already come too far, and I''d already messed up too much to stop now.


    "By the way, is there a reason why you three smell so bad?" The guy in glasses said, holding his nose.


    I was already running out of my breath, he didn''t need to remind me that I smelled terrible.


    The people closest to us were literally either holding their noses or wearing cloths over their mouths. The furball- Zack was actually wearing some sort of wooden mask. A step further I guess.


    Sigh. "Blame the duke, not me."


    We were only one-quarter way up and it was already evening. How many floors did we climb?


    One hundred? Two hundred? I didn''t know.


    But the pixies in the air and the distant red halo in the sky wasn''t a good sign. Even if we could maintain our pace, even midnight have been only an estimate. Not a guarantee.


    "This is bad. Can''t we go up faster? Is there only one lift?" It wasn''t just about the speed though. I was getting way too tired!


    "All the lifts have stopped working," a soldier said. I recognized him. He was the same guy who led us back then to the throne room.


    "I wonder why." Running up these stairs while also having broken bones were beginning to wear me down way too much. The high potion''s effects were running out.


    When I fed Viola the elixir, a drop slipped into my throat too. That''s why I could move better, but still, it wasn''t enough.


    "Isn''t there any faster way?" Alisa was right behind me.


    "No-" Meanwhile Viola was already tired and was currently being carried by three guards. "You can come down quickly, but going up is strenuous without the lift or perhaps wings."


    I really envied royals sometimes.


    Oh well.


    Speaking of wings, there weren''t any bird types among us. More drag.


    "But-" Viola paused and looked serious. "There should be one or two teleports like the forest. After all, the dark elves made this place- surely there has to be!"


    "I''m on it!" Alisa was literally gluing her eyes to the ball. "There might be one just a few more floors up."


    We followed Alisa''s instructions and did make it to the teleport, but it wasn''t enough and so we kept our search for more.


    We run, we took shortcuts, and by somewhere around eight reached the top floor, totally floored. We were so screwed.


    I had to drink three potions just to be able to keep up with these monsters. How the hell did these people have so much frigging stamina?


    Argh.


    If we hadn''t found the teleports then- I did not dare to think of such dread.


    Anyway, we were right outside of the throne room and with a kick, we entered.


    But I was not prepared to see what I did.


    ''You can''t be serious.''


    ***


    "HAHAHAHAH! I told you, I''m invincible!" Yeah, I recognized the voice.


    He didn''t sound that hollow now. He didn''t sound the least convincing either.


    Ve, the half-elf, the dark night, my worst nightmare- Zori, Biteria, and an unknown guy was in one corner. While Gorgon alone was on the other.


    The whole room was lit by flying pixies and it was almost like there was a hundred-watt light bulb in here.


    The duke?


    "AHAHAH!" He laughed some more. He was currently being held by Gorgon, just his head, nothing else. He didn''t have anything else left.


    I sighed. "SO, what''s the holdup?"


    "Daarc." Ve looked my way and promptly looked away.


    Biteria was about to run my way and after coming halfway, she held her nose and went back.


    Yeah, we got that I stink, you guys didn''t have to literally do what you just did!


    "Oh, my lovely Daarc. Even the smell isn''t enough-"


    "Please stay away."


    What was this dude even doing here anyway?


    The rest of them didn''t bother saying anything.


    I sighed. "Why''s he only a head?"


    I didn''t see his body around.


    The adventurers behind me weren''t able to enter as all three us stood by the gates. And since we smelled they just waited patiently outside.


    And the ordinary folks were behind the adventurers and most of the ordinary people hadn''t caught up to us yet. I guess not everyone was a monster when it came to stamina.


    "The thing is-" Gorgon chuckled. "My holy isn''t working." He chuckled some more. "He isn''t dying."


    That was no laughing matter. These things didn''t die by fire, they didn''t die by sunlight, so if Holy was ineffective, then the hell were we supposed to do?


    "Why don''t you try?" Alisa said and both Viola and Alisa came a bit closer. "He must have been bit by a very highborn vampire. Your holy might work."


    I guess they were intent on not letting anyone through.


    "Might as well I guess." Making my way to the severed head on Gorgon''s hand, I placed my hand over him.


    Viola and Alisa were now totally covering the door. They weren''t letting anyone in. There weren''t any vampires around and this room was actually pretty big, so I didn''t understand why they were doing this.


    "IT''s pointless. I''m invi-AHHHHHHHH!"


    For someone who just claimed of being invincible, he sure screamed a lot. And what was up with this girly tone?


    "AAAHHHHHHH!"


    I kept on firing holy balls at him with three-second intervals and he just kept on screaming.

 Chapter 294 - This Is Not The Ending I Wanted!

    The duke was kind of dying. He wasn''t regenerating either. With each and every attack, his skin turned blacker and festered more and more. If this kept up, he''d die eventually but it''d be very painful.


    By the time I stopped, he looked almost like a typical undead with some meat attached.


    "Your holy is way more effective than mine," Gorgon spoke aloud. "You''ve really improved a lot."


    "He''s the real deal unlike you," Ve spoke on my behalf.


    The old man said something about men using fake holy magic too. I didn''t care though.


    It didn''t matter. And by the look on Gorgon''s face, he didn''t care either.


    "Why did you do this?" I slouched slightly.


    The severed head was now shivering. Where''d his hotshot ways of saying he was invincible go? "I-I can''t die!" I guess he still wasn''t convinced.


    "Yes, we established that. But can you really live like this? You can''t regenerate and you can''t die but you can feel the pain. Can you really live like this?"


    The moment he actually realized what I just said, he looked at me with wide eyes. Well, he lacked his eyelids, so his eyes were bigger anyway.


    "Don''t look at me like that, why''d you do this?"


    "I wanted to make this land prosperous as its eternal ruler," he said, speaking like an automated voice. And why the hell was he telling me that? I thought he''d be talking more like, how he was supposed to be young forever and how he would eventually rule the world and all, but just this land and making it prosperous? That''s it?


    I was almost disappointed for a moment.


    "Fair enough, but who made you a vampire?"


    The guy looked at me with surprised eyes. "Are you not angry with me?"


    "Trust me, I want to get rid of you right now, but I have to know what I''m dealing with. Besides, I already made a promise about making this land great and protecting it."


    He closed his eyes and smiled: he didn''t have eyelids so, this was genuinely a bit disgusting. "So, it really was true. You''ve already met my son, he''s innocent and I didn''t make him a vampire. I wasn''t going to make the princess into one either. You don''t have to believe me but please don''t kill my son, and I''d appreciate it if you didn''t just hand everything over to the princess, she''s still too young. There are some good ministers still around. Let her adjust first."


    Everyone was too quiet.


    "Why are you telling me all this and you expect me to believe you?"


    "A good ruler knows when he''s beat. MY brother was secretly dealing with the demons and planning an assault on the dwarves: this country was set for destruction no matter what. I did what I to ensure the survival of my country- you may hate my methods but- I am proud." The guy glared at me with a satisfied proud grin. "I took a gamble and it paid off."


    "Father would never!" Viola screamed.


    The duke ignored her. "Come, end me if you can! AHAHAHAH!" He seemed way too satisfied for some reason.


    I didn''t know what was right or wrong or what the truth even was, but I was going to end this.


    "Was planning on that. Throw it up."


    Gorgon nodded and threw the head in the air.


    I brought out the mystic blade, poured my mana through it, and sliced the tossed head cleanly in two.


    "In time, you shall see what I did was right. AHAHAHH!" His laugh reverberated in the air as he perished.


    I clicked my tongue. "Damn!"


    This went too fast and too easy. ''He planned all this shit?''


    I really felt like destroying the wall right next to me.


    ***


    I cooled my head. There were still a lot of people and guard just outside the door.


    I had to stay calm.


    "Are there any notable vampires who could have done this?" But my voice sure wasn''t sounding calm.


    Even if the duke had planned all this, his death probably wasn''t part of the equation and he was way too confident that he couldn''t die. There was something I was missing here.


    "Vampires are generally rare. And most of the ones that could have done this are either dead or sealed. That leaves only one I know-" Ve paused. Her face darkened a bit. "He''s one of the seven. But you don''t have to worry about him. Once I meet him-" Ve made a fist and glared. "I''ll crush him with my own hands."


    For once, she was actually mad. The pixies around her were so afraid that they ran for their lives.


    Both Alisa and Viola stood out of the door and everyone came inside. Not just the adventurers but there were soldiers and general people mixed in with the crowd too.


    All my companions came near me but everyone just maintained their distance. I guess this was normal.


    Gorgon however looked pleased. "Well, looks like we''re done."


    Was he forgetting our main purpose for coming here?


    "What about the prince and the princess?"


    "They''re both gone."


    "You can''t be serious. After all that trouble. So, where''d they go this time?" I really didn''t want this fetch quest to go on any longer.


    "Oh, I mean, they''re both dead." Gorgon spoke so casually that I thought for a second that my ears were about to fall off.


    "Dead? And how come you can be so calm? Wasn''t he your prince or something? Or was it a princess?"


    Actually, at this point, I wasn''t sure who was what.


    Gorgon chuckled. "A prince. And he was a good for nothing. He was the son of the old guy you met." He didn''t have a shred of respect for the guy. "Actually, if the prince was still alive eventually he would have been my lady''s enemy so I was going to kill him here. Though I suppose now that you resolved everything, that''s no problem."


    Was this guy really serious? And how the hell could he say such things in the open? There weren''t any humans here but there was a dwarf here. He didn''t realize that their princess was dead too?


    The dark knight guy was being rather calm though.


    "But, what about the princess? And you think the two nations would accept everything we just say to them?"


    "The princess was a vampire and was constantly tortured by other vampire soldiers. Eternal pleasure as they say." Gorgon cleared his throat. This guy didn''t even give a fuck apparently. "With you killing the duke, you just killed the princess too." Wait, Alisa''s theory was right? "Anyway, you can just take over Xylax by marrying princess Viola and then you''d be the king of two nations and even an empire, I don''t think either country would want to pick a fight with you. Even if they combined their forces, you''d still be victorious regardless without even needing to rally up your army. You''ve already proven that."


    No wonder he came along. This was his intention all along.


    "You''re forgetting that I''m already engaged."


    He chuckled. "That doesn''t mean you can''t have mistresses."


    I looked over at Alisa and she sighed.


    "You knew?"


    "Works out, doesn''t it?" She tried to put on a PR smile.


    "How!?"


    She didn''t answer.


    Meanwhile, there were all sorts of people here and they now knew the full scope of things.


    "SO, there you have it, folks. If you want your nation to survive, you better make Daarc king or both men and dwarves would combine their forces and destroy this nation for aiding the demons and killing their royals." Gorgon spoke like an evil guy. Was he the true villain all along?


    No, something was up. I knew Gorgon for a while longer than anyone else here. Yes, I was a terrible judge of character, but something just didn''t add up.


    It was almost as though- he was pretending to be the bad guy.


    The men grimaced and they all just stared teary-eyed at the princess. Well, that was an exaggerated reaction.


    I sighed. "Look people, I have no intention of ruling over you. But I do have the intention of saving you. I''ll negotiate with the two nations. Princess Viola will be the new ruler but- as her late uncle said, she''s too young and so we''ll consult with the rightful ministers. I have no interest in the throne of Xylax."


    I had no idea where I was going with this, but I had a feeling I needed to calm everyone down or this could have turned very ugly, very fast.


    Viola came my way and stood next to me, grabbing my right hand. "Lord Daarc green had saved me again and again. He saved me from my own father and he saved me from my uncle. He brought me back from death! And he never once tried to force himself on me. At times I felt like maybe I wasn''t attractive enough for him to look at me as a woman." She chuckled. "But- he is not driven by lust nor power. I think we can trust him with the throne. And-" She blushed slightly. "I''d like to get married to him: he stole my firsts after all."


    Gorgon chuckled and winked.


    ''The hell?''


    And brought her back from death? Was she crazy? And what firsts!?


    Jori in the corner grimaced and sighed while Ve, Alisa, and Bitera all looked at me like I was some sort of insect.


    I had a feeling this whole thing was staged to have their way and win the hearts of the men. But now- now I was sure of it.


    And the men weren''t stupid enough to buy-


    They were.


    They were now looking at me like I was some sort of god for something.


    ''You can''t be serious.''


    "Vi-Viola- I killed both of them you know- I ki-" Yeah, and I had a frigging fianc¨¦e!


    She stood up on her toes and kissed me on the lips.  "I know- but- as father said, you better take responsibility for it." She blushed slightly and kind of looked away.


    And so, I died.

 Chapter 295 - Maybe Mortals Really Are-

    I spent the next few hours in the spring. The water was warm and comfortable.


    There were separate baths for men and women, so I was free to use mine. Since I smelled and all, no one from the guys'' side even bothered to come with me. I had no qualms though. As long as I got soap and water, I was fine with everything.


    But was it me or was this smell not going away?


    Our equipment would be washed by the maids, while though they did say they''d wash my body too, I declined. For both their and my sake.


    As for my ring, I checked inside, and there was a bit of residue smell, but that was about it. All that left was my body and I had a feeling even if I didn''t do anything, the smell would eventually go away. Sure didn''t stop me from bleaching the hell out of my skin though..


    There was no bleach here, so I just rubbed the soap. There was a lot, and I repeat, a lot of soap bars here.


    After making my whole body- as far as I could reach- stark red, I dived into the spring. The warm not so smelly water welcomed me. This was a well-draining spring, so the water was constantly being renewed. We were actually up pretty high, so I didn''t know where this warm water was coming from. I didn''t care though.


    This world was weird.


    This was a large bathroom and the other ones were divided with large wooden walls. There were actually three baths. One for royals, one for the guests, and one for the nobles. And all three were divided into men''s and women''s baths. Meaning, there were six in total. ''They really went all out on the baths, huh?''


    This was the royal bath and as the name suggested, there was gold everywhere. Golden leaves that is. The floor was made of golden wood. For a moment I thought even the water would be golden in color- but I was glad it wasn''t.


    Though the bath wasn''t open air, the fact that it was part of the tree meant, there were leaves everywhere.


    Water came from the nether regions of an ugly mermaid statue: a golden wooden statue. Whose questionable taste was this?


    I really didn''t want to know.


    Sigh.


    But as I finally got to relax a little, wild thoughts just resurfaced. This whole thing, everything was a farce.


    The duke and everyone just played it. If this country had plans to strike a deal with the demons and attack the dwarves, then it was possible this country would have been obliterated. It could have been possible that the dwarves were going to be at a risk too though. But- if the duke took over and made his soldiers into vampires and attacked at night, things could very well move in the other way. But then I came and ruined everything. But what if my coming was part of the plan too?


    Hmm¡­


    Sigh. Lately, life was nothing but sighs. I came to these lands to get stronger and here I was getting dragged into more and more politics. ''Would Dick even wait that long?'' Today was the third day and I had four days remaining. But no matter how I saw this, this whole thing wasn''t simple enough for us to solve within a week.


    Getting stronger huh? I''d been consoling myself that I was getting stronger- but honestly, I wasn''t. I got better at using my magic and perhaps the stones were a great help. But in reality, without those, I was significantly weaker than when I fought that half-demon back in Alfeim. I roughly had three and a half months remaining and yet, I didn''t even have enough strength to go fight a typical monster without my magic let alone the emperor. These were my skills, but- was I anything without them?


    "HOOHA!"


    There was a sound in the distance, and promptly someone came inside. Once I saw his face, I wished I wasn''t here.


    But unfortunately, I was.


    "Oh, my lovely Daarc!"


    I really dreaded that voice, but I didn''t say anything and just stayed down. He came inside, washed his body on the sides and a minute later, and entered the spring.


    Jori- had just arrived.


    He sighed in relief as he looked up. "This bath really hits the spot." He almost moaned.


    "Why are you here? Didn''t you say you were a girl!? Get out of the men''s bath!" And wasn''t this the royal bath or something?


    Neither of us was looking at each other.


    He giggled, then chuckled, then laughed really loud. "You never change." He cleared his throat. "I''m actually traveling across the world by the orders of our guildmaster. This is just a coi-"


    "You''re not going to say this was a coincidence, right?" I looked at him. It was more of a glare though.


    This was anything but a coincidence.


    He chuckled. "Sharp as ever." His tone changed a bit. "The guild suspected this you know. And when I got intel that you entered the Dwarven lands, I kind of predicted this. So, I contacted my acquaintance here and the rest is history." Seeing the guy without his makeup waaas kind of weird.


    He really did have a handsome face: and without those weird clothes, he even looked like a decent guy. Why he dressed up like that, I still didn''t understand.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t history to me. "So, you knew these people had the prince and princess? And how did you even enter this place?"


    And how could he just surmise that I''d be coming here?


    He held a hand on his chin. "Dark elves I guess? And what do you mean? Isn''t that common sense?"


    Huh?


    "You mean everyone already knew?"


    Wait, what? Was I the only one in the dark or something? It couldn''t have been something like that right?


    "But that''s obvious. Of course, they knew. But without proof, you can''t just force a war down another nation''s throat and hope to prosper. That''s why the dwarves sent their messenger and that''s why the messenger died in a certain forest." Jori''s face warped a little. "Neither country cared about their citizens or royals. They were just looking for a way to get rid of certain lands and claim certain others. The whole war was just a farce and neither side was going to back down."

 Chapter 296 - Maybe Mortals Really Are- (Part Two)

    "But the dwarves would have lost and-" The dwarves were clearly at a disadvantage.


    Jori chuckled. "Sometimes you can be na?ve too. Though- I don''t dislike that about you." He squirmed around. I was disgusted and he probably knew that. "Ahem! Anyway, they were getting backed by the goblins you killed. They were going to use that whole city as bait. That was why they never exterminated the goblins. Everything was already set up. And as you might expect, the dwarves had very high firepower and they were going to use that- if only a certain someone hadn''t shown up. And once you got rid of their ace in the hole, they became desperate, didn''t they?"


    I hated to admit this but- I was played on more than just one occasion. And now that I thought about it- a lot of stuff did make sense, albeit in not the way I hoped..


    I sighed. "And I can trust your words because?"


    "Because you stand to make me profit and where there''s profit, there''s only truth. I would never sell you out or let you be deceived. My lovely Daarc!" He licked his lips and a shiver went down my spine.


    Yeah, I didn''t buy that. But he was right, there wasn''t any reason for him to lie. Or was there?


    Even if there was, I didn''t know any.


    With a sigh, I stood up. "I guess I''ll leave now. Thanks for the help."


    He grinned. "Looks like you''ve grown. I''m so proud." He blushed and almost leaked saliva as he stared at my crotch.


    Only then did I realize, I might or might not have lost my towel somewhere along the way.


    ''Oh shit.''


    ***


    I was out of the bathroom wearing a black robe: what happened just minutes before was already erased from my memory.


    My clothes were currently in the process of going through their first wash. I had a feeling they''d be going through at least ten or so washes. At that point was there any need for those clothes?


    I''d probably have to throw them away. The armor though was special and so was Boriosa''s pants and cape. I guess those three would survive regardless.


    Sigh.


    I was currently heading towards a room on the 98th floor. 99th floor was the bath and roughly a few hundred floors up was the throne room. Though none of the floors were actually numbered, so I just made the numbers up. Seemed like a fun way to pass the time and keep myself distracted.


    There were some soldiers scattered here and there. They saluted me as I passed by. The maids around were always bowing and looking up at me like I was some sort of god.


    Almost everyone treated me like a god though. I guess saying I had godly blood in my veins was basically saying I was a god to them. And since Viola claimed she came back from the dead, people were going crazy over my godly powers.


    Powers that I didn''t have.


    I did check Viola thoroughly for signs of her turning into half-dead and I found nothing. I did get loads of glares from my female companions though.


    ***


    The tree was lit up with pixies and this city and the castle were really beautiful. It was somewhere around midnight but the city was just too lively. There were so many pixies in the sky that I hardly saw any stars.


    I really hated being dragged into all these power struggles but- but at the end of the day, when I looked out in the distance and saw people just walking back to their homes without worries, I really felt peace. Perhaps I was just eluding my mind into thinking that but- I wanted to believe I was doing the right thing. And at the same time, I didn''t want to go through all this.


    I was a hypocrite and the fact that I knew that only made me feel worse. I snorted at myself and turned around.


    Sighing wasn''t getting me anywhere so I just walked on and reached my room in three minutes.


    I went in. I really hoped I didn''t end up in the wrong room.


    It was a single room with no extra fuss. Just a typical room: definitely better than all the royal rooms and stuff. There was just one pixy in here and upon seeing me we went out of one of the windows.


    I didn''t care though. I had broken bones and though they treated me with magic and potions, I needed rest.


    My robe was kind of wet, so I ditched it and got under the blanket.


    There was one bed, two chairs, and a table in there.


    Though I hated to admit it, that quack doctor in Jacour was probably better than most of the other doctors I came across in most of the lands. Hard to imagine I was thinking highly of that quack of all people.


    Sigh.


    I sniffed myself and as I expected, I still had a bit of smell- or it have just been my imagination. At this point, I couldn''t tell. It felt like my nose got corrupted or something.


    My companions were probably doing their own stuff. So without wasting too much time, I just tried to sleep.


    I used to sleep in my underwear all the time. But that was when I had my own room. Sure didn''t stop me from sleeping like this though.


    ''Everyone knew huh?''


    So even Alisa knew. And she already knew that the two royals were also dead. But she still chose to take us down and make me kill the king. Granted, the guy would have died either way and if the duke hadn''t turned into a vampire-


    No, no matter how I thought about this, this just seemed like a stupid plan. The previous king struck a deal with the demons. This country was small and the guards weren''t that many, but still, it didn''t mean they''d just take in two royals from neighboring countries and just start a war and become vampires and stuff.


    And it also didn''t mean the neighboring countries would use this as an excuse and do stuff for their own good.


    People weren''t that stupid and evil, were they?


    They weren''t, right?


    Honestly, I wasn''t sure anymore. They probably were. ''Maybe the gods really are right. Maybe humans- maybe we really are-''


    I fell asleep.

 Chapter 297 - Interlude: Lianne

    "SIGH! When will this end?" Lianne slumped down on the table.


    There was a mountain of paperwork for her. She was a free woman, she never liked to be stuck in one place, but for love, she changed.


    ''Just hurry up and get back already.'' Elves were a patient race. After all, they lived for a thousand years. But just this once, Lianne couldn''t find the patience in her heart.


    And she wholeheartedly believed that the man she was in love with was going to succeed and come back to her.


    There were two large black spots beneath her eyes and it was past midnight but- she didn''t have time for sleep. After all, there were so many things that needed to be resolved. And she had a promise to keep..


    KNOCK! Knock! "Your highness, you have a letter."


    "Come in. From whom?" ''And at this hour?''


    "One of Lord Daarc''s comrades. The one named Alisa." A maid came inside the room.


    "Not from Daarc himself?" Lianne was a bit disappointed but since she received a letter, she found herself smiling despite everything.


    ***


    Lianne''s early life had mostly been boring. When she was born, there was a bit of power struggle in the kingdom of Alfeim and by the time she was old enough to understand things, her father was already in the process of turning into something hideous and didn''t have long.


    Though it wasn''t long in elven years, in human years, she got to spend roughly 400 years with her parents: if she was a typical elf, she would have already been a middle-aged lady. But due to the curse, she was nothing more than a teenager.


    Both her parents were loving and though the power struggle existed, it wasn''t something she had to concern herself with.


    Her siblings and cousins treated her well: all the elders favored her too: she was loved. Her youngest sibling was a bit too attached to her, but for some reason, she didn''t like the kid.


    As time passed and she trained in etiquette, one of her important birthdays drew nearer.


    A day of victory drew near but it also brought thousands of conspiracies. The house Reraine was filled with traitors and the biggest one was the brother of the king.


    ***


    On Lianne''s 416th birthday, there was a massive party in the grand hall of Alfeim castle. It was a special year and a special age for elves. They''d just won the battle with the humans and secured themselves a new land. And the king''s daughter just entered her mid-teenage years. In just 80 or so more years she''d be ready to conceive and potentially be married. It was a grand occasion.


    But now- the king wasn''t a king anymore. He was now an emperor and he declared that he''d take over the rest of the continent in the honor of his youngest daughter''s birthday: of course, that was just a farce and he''d already set his eyes on the continent from the start. Almost no one but Lianne was surprised. They all knew this was coming and because of that- this party was a trap. A trap set by his own brother.


    The emperor''s brother, along with some of the generals and the elders made a grand plan. They even had the backing of some powerful nobles. And this was the perfect opportunity as the emperor was at his most defenseless state.


    Of course, the emperor didn''t know that. Nor did he suspect anything. Perhaps he trusted his family a bit too much.


    "NOW!" with just one scream the whole grand hall ended up being a bloodbath.


    The royal nobles were murdered and so were the guards.


    "Elandor, you-" The emperor was speechless for a second but his rage boiled the very next. "Gather up arms!"


    But no soldier listened to the emperor.


    The emperor''s brother took the initiative and usurped the throne. That day, all the princes fought and one by one fell.


    "Damn you! I trusted you!"


    Their swords clashed.


    "I too had trusted you brother but- you chose your desires over everything. This land doesn''t need you anymore."


    Elandor was the master of fire while the emperor was the master of ice.


    The emperor was stronger than his brother. But he was bested.


    His sword fell on the floor and fell on his knees.


    He was said to be the strongest elf alive, but his curse was too strong and as he fell in battle that day, he cursed his brother''s bloodline. "May you rot along with your kin!"


    But he didn''t possess enough mana to make the curse as potent as his or that of his children.


    "Unfortunately, that''d be you and your kin!" He''d shoved his sword down the emperor''s throat but- the emperor had only passed out, still alive. ''Monster!''


    "Father!" No one heard Lianne''s scream that day, no one cared.


    ***


    The emperor''s brother, ELandor, took over everything and exiled all the remaining princes and princesses and he was going to exile Lianne and her little brother too.


    But Anasia, the empress stood in his way. Anasia was one of the late emperor''s mistresses and she only bore him two children.


    Elandor loved Anasia and though Anasia wasn''t cursed or anything, just because she was with the emperor it was very hard to convince the elders to not exile her, let alone her daughter.


    SO, the new emperor- Joey''s father, made up another rule and exiled all the elders and the generals. He also married Anasia and made her the new empress. The whole country was in shock and an era of civil unrest began. But Elandor silenced everything as he portrayed the good of Anasia and in time people accepted her.


    Though Elandor''s wives and concubines hadn''t and they made sure Anasia was always treated terribly whenever their husband wasn''t paying attention.


    Of course, Lianne didn''t understand any of it and just cursed her uncle. To her, her uncle was nothing but a monster. A monster that destroyed her family and a monster that took everything from her.


    But she had her mother by her side and some of the new princes treated her well. She was not satisfied with that but- she didn''t have a choice.


    But- at the age of 477, she lost her mother to a deadly disease: the disease of the mind.


    Her mother too had contracted a bit of the curse. But she never let anyone be aware of it. But instead of being turned into a goblin like monster, she chose her death. Her complexion was already weak and her curse was at its peak- so the holystone in the treasury worked as poison and she died. Of course, she didn''t want to resort to that, but after hearing taunts and accusations against her character for almost half a century, she was at her limit.


    "Forgive me, my children. Live-" Were her last words to both of them. She was selfish but- she loved her children.


    Lianne was devastated. She didn''t leave her room for seven months. But during that time, she wasn''t just sitting in a room, crying. Gradually her mindset changed and her rage just grew.


    ''To hell with this curse and this place!''


    She ditched her dress, stole a garb from the treasury, and ran away from home.


    She was finally free.


    She knew a bit of swordsmanship and because of that, she stole a sword from one of the guards.


    But since it was too heavy, she just kept it as an ornament and used a wooden bow instead.


    The capital was in great shock due to the loss of the empress. As the people inside the court only made accusations against the empress, Elandor made her public image just as brilliant and shining. So the loss of the empress was devastating. Which in turn bred chaos.


    Lianne didn''t know how to use a bow but she eventually got out of the capital. Since the whole place was in chaos, it wasn''t that easy to run away: and it took her a whole month. She had to sell some of her ornaments for money but- she''d already decided to go down this path.


    But just outside the capital was the great forest. A vast forest protected by a demi-god.


    She knew she wouldn''t be followed. After all, she was the child of the late emperor and with her mother gone, she had nothing left. No one cared about her.


    ***


    Once out of the great forest- after being lost for one whole year- she finally breathed fresh air. Only to realize she was being tailed.


    "What are you doing here?" She turned around.


    This past year was nothing but excitement to her. She''d been locked up for too long. She''d suffered enough.


    So, living alone in the forest was brought fresh air in her life. It was tough living alone and her hygiene had suffered slightly for it, but she liked being free.


    "Not much. Seeing you make so many mistakes is kind of fun." The boy giggled. He was about three inches shorter than Lianne but about a hundred fifty years younger. He was in his early teenage years. He still had his boyish charm.


    "What do you mean!?" Liane was flustered.


    As fate had it, the boy actually saw her get out of the castle and since he was at the mischievous age, he followed her out. Sometimes he even brought her food but made it look like some animal had stashed food or something.


    He even made sure to deter any guards that might or might not have come searching for them. The forest was big, and it was easy for a genius like him to do so. Of course, no one actually bothered to issue a search for the two missing former royals. After all, the emperor, Elandor was too grief-stricken. Though he never spent the nights with his beloved Anasia, he still loved her and he was deeply hurt. One could say, Elandor took over Alfeim for the sake of one woman but still couldn''t get her.


    Though the boy did this for a whole year, to an elf, even a decade or two weren''t that long. And besides, it was fun. And the young girl was his only family.


    "Go back, I''m going somewhere."


    "Where?"


    "I don''t know."


    "I''m not going back without you. It''s been too boring since mother died." And since last year was so fun, he didn''t want to leave his sister''s side.


    "Don''t act so chummy!" Lianne glared, eyes glimmering. "Go back!"


    "I know. but-" The boy looked ahead. "I loved her too." And he had nothing else waiting for him back at the capital. "You''re coming back with me."


    Lianne clicked her tongue and just walked on. "Whatever." She didn''t look back.


    The boy just followed her without a word. He had a bow and a knife and a head full of dreams.


    And so, an epic journey began as the two elven siblings marched out of their homeland.


    At least for the next half an hour, and after that, Lianne finally realized, just how different the great forest and the rest of the world was.


    She''d encountered her first goblin!

 Chapter 298 - Lianne (Part Two)

    Lianne traveled all over the continent for many years. When she first started, she was lost in a sea of monsters and mysteries.


    They didn''t know where they were going and neither siblings had any idea just what kind of place the world really was. But they were fast learners and they weren''t going to give up on life.


    The two persevered and eventually reached a new city. They were barely alive by the time they reached the city but- their adventure had only just begun.


    Lianne was still young and the young elf with her was her insurance. Though at first, she hated him, they both grew closer as times got tough. After all, they had only each other left in this world.


    The boy- Seanne knew how to use a bow properly, he could also wield a knife in close proximity. Lianne on the other hand- though older- didn''t know how to use much of anything.. But she was a fast learner and she had motivation.


    Her motivation was simple. Live life, have fun, and explore. She never wanted to be chained ever again.


    They got into different adventuring groups and eventually registered at the guild: it was really tough at first but they were always training, always trying to get better.


    With each group, they learned more about the world, learned new things, and even gained experience in different types of weapons and people. Seanne almost always reverted back to his bow and knife though.


    People died, they killed monsters and they even fell in love.


    Lianne in particular was really popular among the adventurers. Though she looked like a teenager,  she was rather beautiful though petite.


    At first, she didn''t know what mating even was. But as a curious teenager, it didn''t stop her from experimenting. Obviously, she only experimented on her own and didn''t go man-hunting. But she realized, ''I''m too tight!''


    Elves of her linage generally couldn''t conceive before turning 500, and that''s why her mother had forbidden her to get involved with men before that. She respected her mother. But more importantly, she was too scared to even think about it, let alone actually do it.


    The young boy- Seanne however wasn''t so shy.


    He''d spend his evenings in gardens trying to blow a tube: a flute. He wasn''t that good but whenever he played at least three or four women flocked around him to listen. He never brought any women back to the inn though. And though he had the chance, he never got into illicit relationships.


    Those were fun days and since the world was plagued with war, demons, and monsters, work came in plenty.


    People generally didn''t like elves, but they couldn''t deny their strength. And this was a mixed city, so elves came in plenty.


    These two would take almost any job, with almost any party. They weren''t that strong, but as a duo, they were perfect.


    A year passed by in a flash.


    But then one day, Lianne fell in love.


    It was love at first sight and when she proposed the guy had actually accepted. She spent some nights with the guy and she was going to get married too: she was scared, really scared but she wanted to make the man feel that she really loved him. She for the first time in her life ignored her mother''s warnings and got in bed with the man.


    This was her first love, and she was drunk on that love. Her partner was a wolf demi-human and the man seemed rather charming to her.


    Enough so, that even giving him her first didn''t scare her- only on the outside. Inside she was freaking out and when they actually tried it, she felt pain: she already knew she was tight but she didn''t know it would be this painful. She didn''t know there''d be this much blood. She cried a lot that night being one with the man. She tried to be brave about it but it was too painful for her. But- she loved the man and wanted to get married.


    The man comforted her but he was conflicted for some reason.


    Lianne was serious about getting married to the man. She even had a fight with Seanne regarding that.


    But eventually, she realized her love story wasn''t as picture-perfect as she assumed. One day Seanne took her to a place in the town, a slum of sorts. She saw the man she was in love with- in the distance, hugging a woman. The man was also hugging some children. The man was happy. He had a smile Lianne had never seen, a genuine smile.


    "He''s already married," Seanne said.


    Her world was turned upside down. She gave the man everything but- the man had betrayed her. For just a moment she wanted to kill the man. But then she saw his children and loving wife, hugging him.


    ''I''m a homewrecker?''


    Streams of liquid flowed from her eyes without her noticing and she turned back.


    Seanne followed her silently.


    The next they, they were gone from the city.


    ***


    Seanne had seen everything- he knew everything but- he couldn''t do anything. What could he have done? Console her?


    But how?


    They moved away from the city and made way for the port city of Meim. It was a free city, and there were hardly any elves. But this city was the city of demi-humans and dark elves, so they weren''t welcome but they weren''t persecuted either.


    "Should we head to a new one?" Lianne said, looking at the ships from the top of a building. The two were sitting and looking out at the sunset.


    "I only came with you to take you back. I don''t care where you go, I''ll go." After all, the boy didn''t know what else to say.


    Lianne laughed to hide her tears, as they both watched the sunset.


    "Why did it always have to be like this?"  She held Joey''s hand firmly and cried just the next second. It was almost like a damn just got broken. "I just- I just wanted to live." She wanted to live, she wanted love, and she wanted to be free. "But- everyone- just leaves me."


    "I won''t leave you." Seanne held her hands firmly. "I won''t ever leave you."


    "Promise?" Lianne''s eyes leaked and they shimmered in bright red.


    Seanne was her last family. And Lianne was his.


    Seanne smiled. His eyes didn''t waver. He was totally serious. "Promise!"


    She was young and she didn''t know, people weren''t as pure as she thought and perhaps people weren''t na?ve like a certain not of yet age half-dead elf. But on this day, she trusted her little brother and got on a ship as stowaways.


    ***


    The ship was headed for the unknown continent. It was an exploration ship. Most of the world wasn''t mapped and that''s why there were many ships that ventured out and hardly any ever got back. Certainly didn''t stop people''s curiosity though.


    Obviously, both got caught on the very same day. And though the captain threatened to throw them at the sea, they didn''t. They weren''t going to turn back either. Instead, a deal was struck that the two would work on the ship, slay monsters, and in turn, they''d be given a spare quarter.


    The two were useful and they were hardworking. This ship was full of demi-humans but there were two elves. Both were dark elves. But for some reason, that couple always treated Lianne and her brother nicely.


    They later found out that the couple had just lost their children in a great fire and they didn''t have anything left in Meim. Maybe they were trying to see their lost children in the elf siblings? Or perhaps they were just trying to hide their sorrow.


    The duo tried to cheer them up at times by acting nice, but they didn''t know how to act. After all, they had nothing either.


    Sea travel was exciting and every day there were new challenges.


    There were new monsters and potential food. There were new islands and danger everywhere.


    The weather changed abruptly and at times it felt like the ship would break down and they''d die.


    It was always exciting. Every day was fun but there were boring days too.


    Seeing her little brother throw up twice a day was kind of amusing too. It wasn''t that amusing for Seanne though.


    But one thing was for certain, they were free. And they were happy.


    ***


    After nearly half a decade of sea travel, the two elves had reached a port in a faraway land and a faraway city. They didn''t know the name or anything about this land, but- it only made exploring even more exhilarating.


    Just the other day, they''d almost been caught in a great storm. There was something in the water too, something massive. The captain said something about being a grand sea snake monster or something but Lianne didn''t buy it. It was probably just a whale anyway.


    But more importantly, they had a city to explore!


    The two elves bid their farewell to everyone and even the dark elf couple and went their ways. It was a bit sad to bid farewells, but such was life.


    Though the people onboard the ship had changed and they were rather attached to the duo, the duo hadn''t changed much. But they too felt attached. But this really was time to bid farewell.


    "Take care!" Everyone from the ship waved at them.


    The two looked back with smiles. "Thank you for everything!" Lianne had screamed.


    In a new continent with new dreams, they marched on.

 Chapter 299 - Lianne (Part Three)

    "Is it me or is this place a bit too warm?" Seanne wiped his sweat and walked behind his sister.


    There were countless people going about their day. Everyone had desert garbs and some sort of cloths over their heads.


    "Deal with it, till we find an inn." Lianne was also sweating but there wasn''t much they could do.


    After spending half a decade in the sea, coming to a desert-like continent wasn''t really that great feeling.


    But eventually, the two found new work, adjusted, and moved on.


    They fought countless monsters, dealt with the undead, and even learned magic. Lianne could use fire magic while Seanne could use healing. The two really were a powerful combo.


    Lianne always took charge at the front while Seanne covered her with healing- they were inseparable.


    But sometimes Lianne wished she could use ice magic or at least water, so she could escape from this hellish temperature. When they''d arrived, it was actually winter. So when summer arrived, they couldn''t even leave the inn at the day, let alone work.


    Nights were also rather cold- but they could at least work. And since they didn''t need much rest, working didn''t prove that difficult.


    This new continent was mostly full of demons but- strangely these were a different type of demons and they were rather friendly too: they also looked humanoid like the Demi-humans. At first, Lianne thought they were probably pretending but- she later found out they weren''t and this continent was actually in the opposite corner of the world. The condition was harsh but the people were friendly. Humans were in this continent too but they were the minority and so were the other races.


    Working here was tough and finding work was tougher, but that didn''t stop the duo as they kept on working and living in the moment. Adventure was always thrilling.


    There were always ups and downs in life but the two dealt with everything together. They laughed together, they cried together. They always had each other''s backs. They were inseparable.


    ***


    For the next three decades, the two went into different towns and did jobs and after half a century of adventuring, they were mostly done with the new continent.


    They''d made new friends, new companions and they''d lost some along the way, to time and death.


    "What do you reckon we should do next?" The stars poked through from the heavens. It was a rather clear night.


    Seanne was entering his mid-teenage years while Lianne was finally about to hit the late stage. She was about to become an adult soon. She grew taller and everything about her was almost like an adult; everything except her chest.


    Seanne, on the other hand, looked fairly handsome and with training and practice, he was not only a master shooter and a powerful melee fighter but also rather good-looking. He was yet to bring a woman back to his room though.


    The two were under the same blanket holding hands. Their bonds as siblings only grew closer.


    "Go back home?" After all, that was why Seanne was here.


    Lianne giggled but she did consider the possibility. "Maybe next time." She was enjoying life too much and she didn''t want to go back just yet.


    ***


    They again got into another ship set for another continent. This journey lasted six months and they were already in another city in another land.


    ''Maybe we''ll go back after this.'' Lianne thought to herself and a second later- ACCHOO!


    Just when they finally got adjusted to the intense desert heat, the new continent brought snow for them.


    "Well, that was easy-" Seanne said, looking back into the distance. "But maybe this place won''t be." He grimaced slightly.


    "Too easy." Lianne glimmered. "But yeah. You''re right. It''s also too cold." She shivered slightly, holding her sleeves, and sneezed again.


    Neither brought heavy clothes despite warnings from the crew. But now- they knew, they needed to buy some fast.


    The continent did look rather peaceful though and there weren''t many monsters at sea either.


    They didn''t yet know, perhaps this continent wasn''t as friendly as looks suggested.


    ***


    The two learned a lot more than just how the world worked. Lianne experienced the bittersweet taste of love over and over again, over the course of the last century. Her loved ones died, some betrayed her while others just ditched her for new ones: when it came to love she was a bit gullible. As she was at that age, she couldn''t help but experience the same feeling over and over again. Of course, she had her trusty little brother with her and Seanne got her out of anything that was fishy before it got ugly.


    After a certain point, she got fed up with love and decided to go back to her country. She''d already made that decision before but after nearly a whole century, she didn''t feel like adventuring all that much. It was still exciting but she had this urge to see the grave of her mother again.


    She even made a rule that she wouldn''t sleep with another man unless she was certain the man loved him just as much if not more. She wouldn''t make the same mistake ever again: a determination that didn''t waver for the next millennia.


    But this was only the fourth year in this city and they didn''t yet know how they''d get back.


    They were running out of money too.


    The climate was also harsh for the two. Of course, Lianne could make fire but- it wasn''t enough.


    "Maybe let''s take a job?" Seanne suggested. They were adventurers by nature and they''d just been promoted to first-class last month. "We can buy our own ship and then head back." He was being fairly optimistic for once.


    "Okay." The idea seemed good to Lianne. She really liked the idea of commandeering a ship and yelling ''row faster ye'' sea dogs!'' She''d once heard it at a play and it was her dream to one day yell that. Just thinking about it made her giggle.

 Chapter 300 - Lianne: The End Of One Journey Is The New Beginning Of Another

    They took the job of slaying a wrath titan- a monster of lightning and frost. It was only half a mile away from the city and if it got near the livestock, the city would run out of food before winter made its way back.


    It was a tough job and three parties of first-class adventurers were required.


    But the guild could only ask another party. A human party of four. They were the best in town.


    The two parties headed to the frozen lands and when they encountered the monsters, the other party used the elf duo as shields and ran away. After all, instead of one monster, there were two.


    Just taking one down required three parties and they were going to take on two at the same time? The choice was already obvious.


    The duo however didn''t back down.. This was the perfect opportunity to prove they were superior to the rest and make way for the top. After all, they were in it for the thrill and if they made enough cash, they could afford a ship and head back.


    "Maybe we should pull back. It''s not working." Seanne fired arrow after arrow. "The other one went after them, so we can escape now."


    "We''ll win, don''t worry." Lianne chuckled as she fired fireball after fireball. She used so much mana that her head felt a bit light but she knew she was close. "Just another spell-"


    She never exerted herself like this and that''s why perhaps she wasn''t aware of her own limits.


    But then- "There''s another one!" Seanne screamed, shoved Lianne in the side.


    A stream of yellow hot thunder pierced through Seanne''s chest: his heart stopped in an instant. His knife and bow fell on the floor, followed by him.


    Blood scattered everywhere.


    "Seanne!" Lianne screeched and held her little brother in her arms.


    "Run." He touched her wet cheeks. "Live for the both of us. Run-" He managed but his hand fell on the floor. He was gone.


    "NO! We''re going back! Didn''t you say, you won''t leave me!? You liar." She cried- her cries reached far, but there wasn''t anyone to hear but the monsters. A fire covered her and spread like wildfire in the midst of the snow.


    The two monsters were still coming for her- and she- had to abandon the corpse of her brother and fall back. She did pick up the knife- the last memento of her brother but- that was all. "Farewell Seanne." She burned the corpse. "I will avenge you!" Her eyes burned in red.


    She fell back and waited.


    The monsters had devoured the remains of Seanne''s body that night- and Lianne had never cried so hard in the last two centuries even when her mother died, even when she did it the first time. Her pain was just immeasurable.


    But she wasn''t done. She had revenge to take. She used the chance and killed the two monsters who were busy devouring the fallen elf in one fell swoop for her revenge.  She used the knife and her burning fire. The fire had enveloped her blade


    Half of the corpse was gone but- Lianne carried the rest with her. She wanted to take him back to their homeland but she knew, his corpse wouldn''t make it.


    So, she decided to make a grave in the city grave. ''Forgive me.'' her heart roared, her eyes leaked. But her feet didn''t stop.


    ***


    On her way back, she met the party that had abandoned her and her brother. Lianne''s eyes were lifeless.


    "Sa-save us!" They were fighting another wrath titan.


    "Save you?" Lianne laughed.


    According to the guild, there was only supposed to be one monster, but the information proved to be wrong.


    ''To hell with his world.''


    She didn''t look back as the party behind her was murdered in the darkness of the night. Once everyone died, she used the chance and killed the busy wrath titan.


    Once she reached the city, she made a grave for her brother, went back to the guild, took the money, slapped the guild master, and quit.


    ***


    Lianne for the next whole year covered her whole body in a thick cloak and tracked down all the ships leaving port. She had enough money from the wrath titan incident but- there weren''t any ships leaving port and even if she could buy a ship there weren''t any crew willing to take the risk.


    But after 11 whole months, she finally found a ship headed for a place called Moire: the crew were human. It was the enemy lands and all the crew were her enemies, after all, Elves and men were at war- but she didn''t have time and she didn''t want to spend another second in this place. It was painful for her to be here.


    She bargained with the captain and the deal was struck that she''d be given passage in exchange for slaughtering all the monsters they''d encounter in the sea.


    Before leaving for Moire, she spent an hour talking to her brother''s grave.


    ***


    She never took off her cloak and she never talked with the crew.


    They traveled for seven years and there was not a night Lianne didn''t shed tears as she stared at the night sky, mourning her dead brother. She believed it to be her fault. Perhaps it really was.


    But the fact that it was Seanne''s choice, took Lianne three more centuries to understand figure out.


    As she didn''t have her trusty brother''s magic and support, fighting monsters proved to be rather difficult.


    Her life almost felt meaningless. She''d reach her kingdom, but then what?


    She didn''t know.


    When she reached the port of Moire, she concealed herself and got out of the city. There was a rumor going around that a human from another world was summoned and he was going to fight the elves on behalf of men. She didn''t know what summoning even was but she didn''t like the sound of it.


    But she had something better to do and that''s why she run for the mountains- the fastest route to Alfeim.


    She lost her way thanks to a certain grand leafy snake monster


    And that''s when she met him. Her father- and the rest of her kin. That''s when she gained another goal in her life. After losing everything she had, she really needed a goal in life.


    ''I''ll find a way to get rid of this curse.''

 Chapter 301 - Someone Just End My Misery Already!

    For once I actually slept rather peacefully. There weren''t any spirits hugging me and there wasn''t anything sucking my life either.


    Yawn.


    So I woke up in a very good mood. It was probably noon. ''This is getting redundant.''


    Why?


    Because there were girls on both of my sides. On one side, there was Biteria making my whole body a pillow, and on the other, there was Viola- hugging my right hand rather passionately. Well, there went my theory of no one hugging me.


    Both were asleep.. And both were drooling all over me.


    Yuck!


    And then I noticed Alisa sitting on a stool by the window reading a book, while Ve was in the other corner just looking outside through the other window.


    ''The hell?''


    I didn''t walk into another world, right? My life couldn''t have been this peaceful, right?


    Right?


    ***


    I got fresh and after chatting with Alisa for a while learned that I''d actually slept for three days straight. So they got worried and took turns watching over me.


    Or at least that was the plan but neither Biteria nor Viola ever left my side. Today was Alisa''s turn but for some reason, Ve showed up saying, I was going to wake up- or so Alisa told me.


    She didn''t even say morning to me though and jumped out of the window before I could talk.


    I had a very bad feeling about all this, but I just ignored everything.


    "So, what do you think we should do now?"


    Only me and Alisa were walking around outside. The other two were still sleeping peacefully so we didn''t disturb them.


    This place was not only tall but it was pretty wide too. The floors were spacious enough to have more than seven or eight rooms and the path was at least wide enough to fit seven Joris side by side!


    ''Why the hell did that guy just come to my mind?'' A shiver went down my spine.


    "I don''t know. If I say anything, you''ll just do the opposite. You don''t trust me anymore, do you?" Alisa''s voice had a tint of sadness though she was smiling.


    "I do trust you, just not as much as I used to before all this. But- I''ll believe your words."


    Then again, if I was being frank, I didn''t trust anyone in this world, not even my own self. So, I always took everything with a grain of salt. And yet, somewhere along the way, I kind of trusted Alisa a bit too much. This whole vampire thing kind of made me realize that trusting others blindly was definitely a flaw of mine that I hadn''t yet overcome no matter how much I tried.


    So instead, I was going to listen to everything. I won''t trust them- but, I''ll try my best to distinguish between what was true and what wasn''t.


    Alisa giggled. "I didn''t want to burden you, that''s why I hid the plan. You see, everyone already knew that the prince and the princess were captive. But they just used it as an excuse. And when their plans fell apart because of you, they just dumped all the responsibilities on you and hoped that you''d destroy this country for them. In the end, almost no one had their way thanks to you. I made sure, you were the one who got the most out of all this."


    ''So that''s why-'' A faint smile crept up my lips. Even if she was lying, even if, everyone just used me, I- I couldn''t help but smile.


    I chuckled. "Well, thanks for the compliment and your hard work. But maybe next time, try to not make it so complicated."


    "Both dwarves and men lost a lot from this war. You, on the other hand, not only gained new lands, but also a new woman." She grinned very devilishly.


    I dreaded over both of the facts. "Yeah, no thanks. I''d rather not have either." I sighed. But she was right. "About Alfeim-"


    "I''ve sent a letter to the princess and one more to the emperor, so no worries." She giggled and grabbed my hand and walked by my side. "So, you see me as your little sister?"


    She was still on that?


    Actually, she was holding my hand like a little sister too.


    "I used to call my sister Alisa when she was little."


    "We share the same name then?"


    "Yeah, she used to get pretty mad though." Remembering made me chuckle but- then sad.


    This floor was pretty wide but we were almost back at where we started. ''I should get a shower I guess.''


    "I see. So, I''m her replacement." Now, Alisa was sad.


    Honestly, this girl was too smart for her own good.


    I chuckled, ruffled through her hair. "No, not really. My sister is gone and no one can take her place. I just felt like I should treat you as a sister cause you looked so cute." Otherwise, I might not have been able to stop myself from committing things I had to take responsibility for. After all, I really, really had a thing for bunny girls.


    Alisa giggled again. "You''re weird." She did blush slightly and squeeze my hand a bit tighter as we walked though.


    "I''m aware."


    We both laughed a bit and walked around the corridors.


    Basically, all we were doing was showing the soldiers of this place that I was still kicking and I wasn''t some monster who didn''t laugh.


    ***


    The rest of the day went boringly.


    I got to talk with some of the ministers: they only had praise for me. It was more like they were worshipping me though.


    Some of my companions kept on following me all day. Especially Biteria and Viola weren''t leaving my side. When they woke up and saw that I wasn''t there, both of them got mad at me and pouted when I tried to talk to them.


    I almost felt like a novel protagonist. Where the hell was my cheat powers!


    Oh wait, I did have cheat stones, I guess.


    I didn''t see Gorgon and upon talking with Alisa in detail, I learned some interesting things.


    The dark knight had gone to Dwaram as our messenger and Gorgon had gone to the north capital as our messenger as well.


    But weren''t they messengers of their respective countries? How come they were doing us favors now?  Alisa just gave me a blank stare when I asked that. Did she think everyone was as smart as her or something?


    Ve took both of them. And according to Ve, we should be getting a reply from them in two or three days. It could take longer depending on the condition of the people above- or so she said.


    Probably by birds.


    I doubted it''d be anything positive.


    Sigh.


    "Why did it come to this? I was supposed to be meeting the friend of the geezer and learning one-handed swordsmanship you know?"


    Ve and I were watching the sun slowly climb down.


    "Look on the bright side, you''ll be able to learn to use a spear."


    Without two hands, even a spear was too complicated though. Sigh.


    "Well, I can teach you. I am well versed in using a rapier."


    An elf walked my way- a half-elf.


    "Really?"


    Even if she could, it didn''t mean my mood changed in any significant manner. Elves were great in swordplay but even Lianne couldn''t teach me much after I lost my arm. Most of the elven techniques focused on two-handed swordplay. And the few one-handed techniques they had were too strenuous for my joints.


    I learned it the hard way after spending half a day with Lianne practicing.


    "But-" She paused. "You''ll have to answer some of my questions."


    "Sure."


    It''s not like had anything better to do. It''d be evening in under half an hour anyway. In the worst case, I''d have some sore limbs.


    What could go wrong?


    "There''s a bit of open space right around the corner. Follow me."


    "Sure."


    Ve also followed us. I guess she didn''t have anything better to do.


    ***


    The open space was the size of maybe a basketball court: that explained why there were only three rooms on this floor instead of the typical seven or eight. There was just one soldier in the corner and that was basically it.


    This castle was massive so, seeing one or two soldiers per floor was the norm. But since we kind of got rid of half of the soldiers, this place was in dire straits.


    The half-elf was directly in front of me and she had a slender blade in her hands. She was holding it with one hand. "Though your sword is clearly heavier, your muscles have developed quite well. But- you don''t happen to have a specific style. You still swing that sword as part of your two-handed style. That''s why your sword skills have gone sloppy, but you try to conceal that with imbuing magic and perhaps even the speed you gain from those stones."


    She was spot on. I already knew I was significantly weaker than when I learned from the geezer. And I was just covering everything up with these cheat stones. In truth, I hadn''t grown all that much after losing my left hand.


    "Then? What do you suggest I do?"


    "Hmm?" She grinned. "Keep, ''imbuition'' was it? All-day long. And whenever you''re practicing- you''re not allowed to use magic or any of those stones. Elven techniques might seem like they are alien but once you simplify them even humans should be able to reproduce them." With that said, she charged in fast.


    She was literally shoving her sword at my head from left to right.


    "Are you trying to kill me!"


    I had a typical sword, and there was no frigging way I could block her attacks. All I could do was barely dodge without my magic.


    Her moves were like leaves falling from a tree, slow and yet unstoppable. I could see them, they felt slow, and yet she was cutting me with ease. She was almost dancing- not dancing but almost. What the hell was this? I could barely read her moves let alone ever hope to reproduce them!


    She wasn''t stopping, I kept backtracking more and more, and by the time my back struck the wooden wall behind me, she''d already cut in me in more than twelve places and held her blade straight at my neck: very light cuts but cuts regardless. "See, let''s say you ran out of magic and your flashy stones crack- would you just give up at this point? And for reference that was one-fifth of my speed."


    ''HOLY FUCKING HELL! You were five times slower!?''


    She really had a point though.


    But seriously, she could go five times faster than that? Wouldn''t that just mean I''d be dead if I happened to get on her nerves?


    This elf not only looked like Lianne but even her abusive training was like hers.


    She snorted and moved back. "We''ll be here for a while- so let''s do this often, shall we?" She looked back and the sun behind her was right against my eyes.


    I saw it. A demon- all elves were demons!


    ''Oh, man!''


    "And from now on you''ll refer to me as master." She proudly pumped her chest, and unlike Lianne, she actually had plenty of cushion.


    I was wrong. She was worse than Lianne!


    "I guess you get the afternoon. I''ll take the morning." Ve came walking this way.


    ''Someone just end my misery already!''

 Chapter 302 - Smooth Progression: Except It Wasn’t

    My days were mostly packed.


    My mornings were full of Ve, literally. She''d pound all sorts of techniques in me without explaining anything. She was not the best teacher, no.


    The noon belonged to Alisa and she more or less taught me well. I practiced magic with her.


    The afternoon however was the half-elf''s and unlike Ve, she was a good teacher. But strangely she was more patient with training me than Lianne was. I guess comparing her to Lianne over and over again was a bit unfair. After all, they weren''t the same person and Lianne was a princess. If this girl was related to her, then that meant one of her parents had committed adultery with a god and just the thought alone was kind of weird.


    Elves kind of looked similar to me, so I guess this was probably just my imagination.


    By the time the day ended, I was almost always in my bed, barely able to keep my eyes open.


    Today was a bit different though. I had some worries as I stared at the wooden ceiling.


    It was pretty dark in here. But I could feel that there was a ceiling above my head: I couldn''t see it though.


    Alisa told me that she''d already sent letters to Dick and even got a reply back.


    Dick apparently found a nice place to hang out and would spend the whole month in Dracona.


    By his nice place, he probably meant a brothel. The guy was going crazy over how he wanted to sleep with women and all.


    He was out having fun while I was stuck here training like crazy while also putting up a front that I was the new leader of this country.


    Whenever I wasn''t training I was dealing with nobles, so yeah, not the best of life for me.


    I turned to my right. I wanted a body pillow right about now.


    I sighed. Once this was all over, I''d be spending all my nights with Lianne and-


    Just the thought brought me happiness and might have raised my wood a little. And that''s when I realized, my wood was touching something through my clothes.


    It was rather dark in here and- well- now that I looked to my right- forming a small holy ball- Biteria was here, and her butt was rather close to my crotch.


    I sighed and just turned to my left: no one was there.


    If I happened to touch her even by accident, I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself. And I had no intention of doing anything immoral to my pet of all things.


    There wasn''t anyone else in the room. Both Viola and Biteria were clingy but only Biteria slept with me.


    As for Viola, no matter how much I said that I wasn''t going to marry her and I had a fianc¨¦e and all that, she never listened to me and demanded to become my mistress if she couldn''t become my wife.


    I also got pressured by the ministers as Viola was too young, she wouldn''t be suitable for being the leader without me. But I had a mission and I was going to get out of here sooner or later. People just refused to understand that.


    With another sigh, I lied on my back and just tried to sleep.


    I was so tired, and yet, I couldn''t fall asleep.


    Something was just wrong with my life.


    ***


    A week passed. I didn''t make much progress with either one-handed style or the spear. I did get the basics but anything more than that was kind of hard.


    Alisa recast the spell on the goblin child I was carrying in my ring. Through all the melodrama I''d kind of forgotten about it altogether.


    I had too many things on my plate.


    As for magic though, with Alisa''s help, I could now use healing magic freely and I could even maintain whole body Imbuition for two minutes before burning out.


    I imagined both my mana as different types of water; like seawater and normal water; and tried to make them combine and flow. So far it was going good and I was improving.


    The condition of the country was also improving. My mood wasn''t. Too much stress.


    And we were supposed to get the reply from Destoa today. A little late but at least it''d be arriving. More stress.


    I really hoped they didn''t declare war on us like morons or something. But there were morons everywhere, so hoping seemed like a luxury at this point.


    We''d get a response from Dwaram tomorrow. I still hadn''t received anything from Lianne or Joey though.


    Lianne was probably a bit mad that I was getting married here, but I didn''t have a choice. And she''d probably understand. It was a shame we couldn''t meet again.


    Wait, if this journey failed and I died, wouldn''t it be that I''d never get to see her again?


    Sigh.


    ***


    Around the afternoon before the half-elf came for my life, a letter from Destoa arrived.


    I was in the throne room, sitting like a king. Technically, I was the acting king. I didn''t want the job though.


    Alisa first scanned through the whole thing, sighed, and then gave it to me. At this point, wasn''t having me here pointless or something?


    The ministers and Viola didn''t agree as they were looking at me very eagerly. Viola actually had a throne like me and was sitting right next to me.


    The letter started off by pleasantries but then it got to business.


    "¡­ It would honor us greatly if you were to come to the central capital in one week''s of time on the holy night festival and receive your rewards¡­"


    It went on and the gist was that they just wanted me at the capital in a week. They were also willing to give me the land I wanted and the mythic blade. Plus they''d celebrate the end of the war on a holy night- or so they claimed.


    "Is it me or does this sound like a trap?" And it reeked of a trap too!


    The letter kind of smelled good though, probably some expensive perfume.


    "Yes, it would seem they are smart. They''d probably try to force you into a political marriage, making sure they have a connection with you so they can make do of what they have." Alisa spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    "Can''t we avoid that?"


    I''ve had it with marriages and all these lands. I just needed one half-dead elf, nothing more and nothing less.


    Alisa chuckled nervously. "In that case, you''ll have to negotiate a lot."


    I sighed. "I''ll bring you with me. Can I trust you with that?"


    After the stuff she did, my trust in her wasn''t the best. I did trust in her judgment but not blindly.


    She thought for a second and then smiled. "Leave it to me."


    "If you''re done your highness, it''s time for our training."


    Before I knew it, the half-elf was already here and she was grinning rather nicely.


    I had a bad feeling about this.


    She proceeded to beat me senseless in the training grounds.


    ***


    The next day, the letter from the earl came, and as promised he wanted to present another mystic weapon to me.


    But instead of going next week, this guy literally called me over tomorrow.


    "This isn''t a trap, right?"


    The sun was still rising and Ve was standing right next to me.


    "I don''t think so, no."


    The letter actually came before my morning practice.


    Now I had a whole day in front of me and a whole lotta worries. I also had to worry about my mindless practice with Ve.


    Sigh.


    ***


    Training for the rest of the day went smoothly and for once I felt like I learned something.


    I guess getting pounded by Ve for a whole week proved to be a bit more productive than I thought: I could at least do a proper thrust now.


    My Imbuition reached the 3 minutes stage and now I could heal the wounds of soldiers in a matter of seconds. But the level of healing I could manage was roughly skin deep. It was good for light cuts and bruises but not enough for deep wounds. According to Alisa, with the quality of my mana, it was possible to one day perhaps even restore lost tissue and perform what were called divine miracles and restore body parts. I didn''t buy that: after all, even elixirs couldn''t do that.


    It was progress regardless.


    But the afternoon practice was kind of bad. I didn''t make much progress and I couldn''t learn the new style all that good either. My old style kind of messed with the flow of things.


    "Let''s stop here."


    The half-elf disarmed me in a flash. She really was a skilled fighter. And she was still only going three-fifth her speed.


    BIteria and Viola had come to see me and were currently on the sidelines.


    I was already out of my breath and sweats kind of poured. "I never thought swords of all things would be this hard."


    Even when I basically knew nothing I could learn from Dune all too well.


    The guy would show me a skill, we''d both practice and then clash.


    Those were actually fun days. It almost made me feel nostalgic but then a bit sad.


    The half-elf however had hardly broken a sweat. "The two-handed style was kind of ingrained in you and that''s why you are lacking. You are learning the new style and at the same time, you are not learning it. It''s almost like you''re contradicting your own actions. Perhaps-" She paused. "You should find a way to regrow your arm?"


    "Is that even possible?"

 Chapter 303 - AHHHH! Not Again!

    "For us, no. but for gods, it should be child''s play. If I remember correctly, the god of light could heal even the most injured." So, it was impossible even for demigods? "And since you possess his mana, it''s possible if you should go past the demigod level, you can heal your own arm."


    Alisa had said the same thing but according to her, it''d take me at least a few decades before I could achieve that level if I spent the rest of my life just practicing magic and doing nothing else. Meaning, it wasn''t impossible but just not feasible.


    "He''d healed my eyes." I touched my face. "But- pass the demigod level? Is that even possible for a mortal?"


    Alisa hinted that it was but- I doubted that possibility. After all, there were no records of anyone ever achieving such a feat.


    "Actually, you have the relic of Anverosa, correct? Would you mind using it?" Well, she wasn''t answering me.


    I touched the pendant on my belt and I glowed. A stream of new mana flowed in me and my body glowed in blue.


    I had two arms now. I also used the stone of Damsel and my arm froze. I now had a solid arm. "If I use both of these together, I could move my left arm almost like normal."


    "Alright, let''s see how deep your technique is first and then we can start from there. Refrain from using magic as best as you can."


    I guess after training for a whole week she''d finally given up on me.


    But this worked for me. I held my sword with both my arms and focused. I sometimes even fought with a knife and a sword, but- I felt the most comfortable when I was using both hands on a sword like this.


    "That''s an interesting form you have there, who taught you so?" The half-elf took her stance.


    "A geezer."


    "An elf? Could you give me a name?"


    "No, he was human. Denkaborkarere." Probably the first and last time I spoke his name.


    Why the hell did he have to have such a ridiculous name?


    "I see." She closed her eyes, gathered her thoughts, and a second later, and charged at me.


    With the added mana of this pendant and the stone, my senses were sharper and I could predict her moves. This almost felt like cheating. Did my training have no value then?


    I could train and train and get nowhere. But just by using these two things, I could get this strong. It really felt like cheating to me and, I was frustrated.


    Her moves weren''t easy to dodge but since I already knew most of her style, I could dodge effectively. I couldn''t reproduce the moves though.


    And she was coming at me faster than before too.


    For once, I could even attack her. The geezer had taught me most of his secrets but he also told me to keep practicing and improving on his technique. That''s when my brute force style came in: whenever I couldn''t complete a combo, I powered it through. I was still an amateur compared to the geezer though.


    I took a full swing but she dodged swiftly.


    She again came at me and I dodged but this time she was faster, glowing green, and even managed to cut three strands of my hair.


    "You''ll be poisoned if you sustain an injury, so think carefully."


    I guess she was holding back significantly. So much for only using one-fifth of her strength. If I had to guess I''d she was holding back much more than that when we first fought. Now, however, she probably wasn''t.


    She came in hard and tried to pierce me from left to right. Her sword was sharp and slender and so was her figure.


    She was fast.


    I could use my full set of skills, which meant, I could block, dodge and even fight back.


    I was still getting drained though. This pendant wouldn''t last forever and I couldn''t use it for long either. My breath was increasing and with each swing and each dodge, I was getting sluggish.


    Swords clashed, sparks flew, sweat poured. For just this once I felt like we were on equal footing. But it didn''t last. My left hand started to melt.


    And taking that as an advantage she disarmed me and pointed the blade at my nose. I was completely out of breath and out of time.


    But she was already sweating and panting heavily too.


    If I had an actual hand and could use Imbuition, things could have ended very differently. But I had neither.


    "Well done." She actually never praised me before. At least not during training.


    "Thanks, do you mind moving this though?"


    It was almost touching my nose and the last thing I wanted was to be poisoned.


    "Ri-right" She sheathed her blade and caught her breath: the green tint around her vanished. "I think I understand your style. It focuses on countering your opponent''s attacks and surprise attacks rather than going through predetermined soft attacks: using two hands gives you a lot more flexibility and combinations. But when you''re using just one hand, you lose that flow and that''s why your style seemed so inefficient." She paused. "Your style is similar to an elf I once knew."


    The geezer did travel all across the world and he was a pirate too. So I wouldn''t have been surprised if he stol- ahem, learned from an elf and gave it his own twist.


    "So, I should always use the stones, or how do you reckon I get a hand? Dive into the ocean again?"


    She chuckled. "No, but- there is a certain doctor in the demon continent said to be able to restore limbs. Of course, I heard that during my time, not sure if he''s still alive. Though I also heard he was a pervert so maybe you''ll have to crossdress. But you have a good face, maybe you can crossdress well enough?" She was joking, giggling softly.


    "Actually, I have a bracelet that can turn me into a woman but-" I most certainly didn''t want to put it on.


    But if I hadn''t, I''d have never got to talk to Boriosa in the forest and this elf wouldn''t be here today.


    Actually, hadn''t Dick said the same thing about the demon continent having a perverted guy who could restore my arm?


    The elf looked at me as if questioning my sanity and then- "Let''s go back. You need a shower and then we should have dinner."


    I actually didn''t notice but it was already evening. And wait, I needed a shower?


    Yeah, I didn''t have to sniff myself to know that I actually smelled.


    Seeing me go through this routine they all laughed. By they- I mean the half-elf, Biteria, and Viola.


    I chuckled along with them started walking back.


    "Though as you process the curse of regeneration, maybe you can regrow your limb once your curse is fully acti-" She stopped. "Forgive me, I was being insensitive. For now please focus on improving your magic so you can heal your arm and regrow it one day."


    She walked faster and left rather fast too.


    ''What the hell was that about?'' I actually didn''t know how my curse worked or how it''d activate and stuff. Guess I could have just asked Alisa. She was knowledgeable in these things anyway.


    Meanwhile, both Biteria and Viola stood next to me and walked me to the baths. Fortunately, they didn''t come in.


    I really hoped I didn''t have to deal with Jori again. I actually hadn''t seen him around for the last few days. I didn''t have time to head to the guild- I kind of didn''t want to go either.


    But seriously, where did this warm water come from?


    The rest of the day went smoothly and I went to the bed before I knew it: I was too tired. I actually wanted to have a chat with Alisa regarding the curse but didn''t find the appropriate time.


    Again I was made a pillow by Biteria while the spirit made a pillow of me in my dreams.


    ***


    The next morning my fated reunion took place.


    My jaw almost hanged. ''Why? Why!"


    To Ve''s scaly back again!


    ''Oh no.'' It was almost as though all the blood from my face had been drained.


    I really didn''t want to get on her. And not to mention we''d be literally taking off from a tree branch!


    Argh.


    "Just get on already!" Alisa proceeded to drag me on top of the dragon though: Biteria also got on but the rest stayed back. A minister and a guard from this place came with us as the representatives of this country. The guard was Zack by the way.


    "Do we really have to travel on Ve?"


    "You''d rather want to go through the forest and through the mountains and deserts and spend two whole weeks?" Alisa grinned.


    She knew there was only one answer.


    "AHHH!" ''Not again!''


    As usual, my screams reigned supreme.

 Chapter 304 - This Is Incredible!

    Turns out, as long as you had permission from the dark elves, you could basically come and go in the forest without worrying about anything and that included flying.


    But the dark elves didn''t just hand over permission that easily. If that was true then the people of this country wouldn''t have had to carry around those magic balls just to get around the forest.


    Apparently, there were some deep secrets within this forest and that''s why the elves kept all the secret places, well, secret.


    Ve kind of beat all the dark elves into submission though and hence she could move freely. So, technically I had a cult of dark elves following me around without even noticing. Of course, that was only true as long as I was inside a forest. And some dark elves could even use something called forest-shadow magic allowing them to travel from one forest to another- within a set amount of distance. I didn''t know why but that sounded like a totally broken skill: I wanted it. ''I''ll have to make friends with them later.''


    I sighed but I had to admit, having Ve as an ally really made my life easy. ''Guess I''ll thank that flying lizard the next time I meet him.'' I didn''t want to meet him though.


    And for once I didn''t actually lose allies. Which was both good and scary. What if something bad happened next? My life always kind of got messed up whenever I felt like life wasn''t so bad.


    ''Maybe I should bid them farewell once I get to the friend of the geezer.''


    After all, no one really had any reason to stick with me. Ve perhaps was ordered to by her father. Biteria was attached to me and she was my bunny. But Alisa and the half-elf didn''t have any reason to stay with me: I''d bid the half-elf farewell after getting that land in Destoa.


    Alisa on the other hand didn''t have any need of me anymore. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and I was going to have to challenge the demon emperor in three months anyway. I didn''t want my companions to be with me at the time and die.


    I couldn''t ask that much of them. I couldn''t ask them to die.


    Actually, come to think of it, why did my companions follow me?


    "You seem rather quiet. Did you finally get rid of your fear of heights?" Alisa tapped me from behind.


    Which reminded me.


    "AHHHH!"


    ***


    We reached Saram by noon. Ve, after a long while finally stabilized as we hovered over the castle-manor thingy.


    My companions all gave me blank stares.


    I wasn''t sorry for having my fear of heights, no sir!


    There were plenty of people out in the streets and some were waving rather nicely at us. I could see them well enough. My vision really was amazing.


    I was definitely not boasting.


    Anyway, we got down, went to the throne room. The earl had somewhere from being amused to a nervous smile.


    Alisa gave him a brief report, omitting all the juicy details.


    Finally, after sighing he stood up. "So, she''s really passed on, huh? I did relay it to father and he kind of cut the communication immediately. We later got the info that he was preparing for another war. But Marcus kind of took care of everything and father seems to be calm right now: he finally accepted that his favorite daughter is dead." He shrugged with a snort.  "Let''s take this chance and just get the mystic stuff from the treasury." He winked. "And some extra ones too." He double-winked.


    Wait, wait, hold up!


    Who the hell is Marcus!


    And didn''t these guys know that she was a vampire and technically died because of me? Now granted, even I didn''t know, but that didn''t mean I wasn''t responsible. And this was the perfect chance for them to blame me?


    So, how come they weren''t?


    And why was I disappointed that they didn''t!?


    Alisa cleared her throat and elbowed me. "So, now we''re heading to the capital?"


    I was kind of in the clouds but the stabbing pain in my stomach brought me back to reality.


    "Yes."


    And so, another round of screaming began.


    ***


    The capital was kind just like how I last saw it. People were going about their day and looked pretty jolly, just like we''d seen them before the whole war fiasco. They didn''t really care about their royals I guess.


    But the heat- yeah, my skin was burning. Just screaming around wasn''t going to get me anywhere. So I started to sigh and groan too.


    When we got down, the dark knight- or rather, Marcus came to pick us up. He didn''t say much but apparently, the king would grant us an audience. I kind of had a bad feeling but after coming this far, I couldn''t just turn tails and run away either.


    The palace was kind of different though. People had heavy moods and some were even shedding tears here and there. Probably crocodile tears but I couldn''t be too sure.


    "Hasn''t it been already more than a week?" I whispered to my right.


    "Dwarves mourn their dead for fourteen days," The earl whispered back. "My sister was really beautiful and loved." His voice was kind of flat.


    That was news to me.


    Once we made it to the throne room, we saw the king. There weren''t many nobles in here and the soldiers didn''t number much either. So far, they showed no sign of hostility.


    The king was kind of glaring at me but he didn''t say anything.


    We all bowed and exchanged pleasantries. They weren''t that pleasant though.


    "Just take whatever and leave. We wish to have no relation with you or your country." He was almost crying but his voice was rather steady. Once he said that he got up and started leaving.


    I''d seen enough lies and political ploys but this was probably the most convincing one. It was almost as though he mourned his daughter''s death.


    "Saves time then. Thank you." I bowed. "I did try my best but I''m sorry my powers weren''t sufficient enough. I tried my best."


    With that said, I turned around and headed for the door.


    I heard a sigh from the guy but he didn''t say anything.


    Once outside, Alisa proudly grinned. "Looks like you''ve grown."


    Even my own mother was never this proud of me.


    ***


    Two soldiers and the dark knight led us to the treasury.


    When I talked to him about what he said to the king, he replied, ''What was needed.''


    I did not get the guy at all. For the time being though, he wasn''t my enemy.


    But I was glad things were working out. Of course, I never trusted any of them and I didn''t let my guard down either. I wouldn''t have been surprised if there happened to be an army just waiting inside the treasury to attack us or something.


    It was stupid, yes, but people were stupid anyway.


    The doors started to open and with a gulp, I prepared to imbue my body: I had my trusty knife and I was confident in my skills. I could only last for 3 minutes but it was better than nothing. My armor was still being cleaned but I really wanted it right now.


    Just as I was about to take my fighting stance, I saw it. A shining gauntlet in a sea of gold. There were jewels, weapons, and armor everywhere. But among everything, just one thing caught my eye and that was a gauntlet giving up a faint silver light and a bunch of other small different colored glows.


    Apparently, there weren''t any armies inside the vault.


    ***


    "So that''s the item?" I actually thought it''d be more of a weapon but this one turned out to be a gauntlet.


    I for once was glad because this way at least I wouldn''t have had to learn how to use something new.


    "Let''s go inside."


    The minister and Zack stayed behind while, Alisa, Ve, and the Earl entered with me. Bringing the minister kind of didn''t work out though. After all, if Dqaram didn''t want to do relationships with Xylax then was what the point of him being here?


    The duke did show interest though, so maybe¡­


    Even the soldiers weren''t permitted in apart from the royals of this palace. Which meant, there really weren''t any armies inside. Meaning, my being inside, was also kind of breaking the law of this place.


    I didn''t care though.


    "Try it on," Alisa said.


    The earl tried to get the thing for me but he couldn''t lift it.


    But the moment I touched the gauntlet- it glowed brightly. There was a white gemstone in the middle and the whole gauntlet was made of shining bluish silver. There were also five different colored smaller stones on each finger.


    Just by lifting it up, I could tell, this wasn''t just a typical mystic equipment. There had to be more. I could feel Trerortra''s mana but there was a lot more than just that.


    ''This is incredible!''

 Chapter 305 - Regrow!

    "There''s more to this, isn''t there?" My lips slipped before I realized.


    This feeling was just too incredible.


    The earl chuckled. "Well, when I said two, I only planned to give you this thing. Turns out that large gemstone you see was a god stone and a legendary smith roughly five thousand years ago forged it and the gauntlet together. All the other stones you see are also god stones. There have been three wielders of this gauntlet and all three died after putting it on for more than a day. So, do be careful." He giggled. "Well, you''ll figure something out I guess."


    I kind of grimaced at the whole thing and no, I didn''t want to put this on anymore.


    "Just put it on already!" Alisa gave me a slap on my butt.


    That actually kind of stung and at the same time it didn''t!


    Did Alisa have a butt fetish or something??


    I was wearing my ring but I wanted to wear this gauntlet without it and see how this worked: I didn''t want this precious ring to get scratched after all. So I just gave it to Ve. Why? Because I trusted her most in this room.


    Also, it was just a show of trust- so I could gauge her reaction and the reactions around me.


    I asked her to pull the ring out and put the gauntlet on me though. Because no matter how I thought about it, I couldn''t wear the thing on my own whether I liked it or not.


    Ve lifted up the gauntlet with one hand- promptly switched to both her hands and I could see her veins. Was it really that heavy? It really didn''t seem that heavy to me though.


    Anyway, she helped me put on the gauntlet.


    The feeling of I was wearing something quickly faded. "I can move my arm like normal. Doesn''t seem to be too heavy and it''s actually making me feel like I can take a punch or two even without armor. Kind of similar to what I felt when I used Dick''s shield. I also feel slightly stronger and more agile." Plus it almost felt like I was wearing a thin glove rather than a thick and heavy gauntlet.


    "Let''s see then-" Ve proceeded to punch me in the stomach without any warning.


    "OUCh! That hurt you know." Not enough to make me lie down on the ground and roll around though.


    "Good. I punched with enough strength to make a hole in you but seems like your defense has at least tripled. Or it could be more than that."


    Ve, scary.


    I gulped and tried to get the gauntlet off.


    "Why don''t you try to use the stones?" Alisa said.


    "I should use them all at once?"


    I used two because I only had two. But there were literally five here, not counting the large one. Frankly, I didn''t want to touch that, at least not yet.


    "Yeah, if anything happens we''ll stop you." Alisa gave me a big wide grin.


    Well, I did have two demigods with me. I didn''t like those looks on their faces though.


    The earl kind of grimaced. Yeah, I felt the same way.


    There were five colored stones: from the right; red, green, aqua, purple, and black.


    I tried to focus and only two of the stones glowed. The red one and the aqua one. I felt a familiar flow of mana in me. "One is Xerphas''s while the other is Anverosa''s." I never used Xerphas''s mana but I could tell it was his, after all, I wore an armor made from his scales for over a month. And I still remember that burning feeling.


    "Hmm." Alisa came close and inspected the stones. "The green is Elfanse''s: she''s the half-elf''s mother. The purple is maybe Dwaxine''s? I''m not sure about the black one though."


    "That''s Ashirnae''s," Ve said, eyes closed.


    I sighed. I didn''t want to hear that name. "How come I can''t use them?" I didn''t want to use Ashirnae''s though.


    And how the hell did people remember these names! ''Someone enlighten me already!''


    "In most cases, you don''t need permission from the gods but- in some cases you do. And that some case is you. Apostles of one god can''t use the stones of another without their explicit permission. You were already Trerortra''s apostle but then you met Damsel and he gave you permission. And then you met Xerphas and then Anverosa. Only Xephas made you his apostle but Anverosa gave you her permission. Meaning if you wish to use them you''ll need the respective god''s permission."


    Sounded like a drag. And it wasn''t like being an apostle made me anything special or something! "And we can''t happen to just go to them and ask either, right?"


    Wait, being Trerortra''s apostle allowed me to be able to use holy magic. Did it mean I could use the same magic as Xerphas too? Hmmm¡­


    Alisa gave me an awkward smile. "Well¡­" I didn''t need any more explanations. "Anyway, why don''t you try the middle one?"


    Right, the big middle one was Trerortra''s so- I did not want to try it. The reason? It was literally the size of a baseball. I was confident in my sanity but- wasn''t it a bit too big?


    The look on Alisa''s face suggested she''d slap my butt again if I didn''t just get moving.


    So, I tried to use that, albeit with a sigh.


    For a second, I felt a very familiar mana flow in me and it almost felt like my own. It was slightly different but since I was so familiar with it, it flowed well. My body glowed in white and some pale particles flew around. White particles. It was almost like my body was sparkling. The mana was almost infinite and I felt more and more powerful by the second.


    "How about you try to imbue yourself? And also try to use the rest of the stones you can?"


    These guys were really going crazy with the demands.


    The earl was kind of going pale. Meanwhile, I saw a lot of soldiers poking their heads in to see what was going in.


    I tried and for once, I felt really, really warm. Not only did my arm grow back as a transparent one but for once I actually felt like I could perhaps even grow it back for real- I felt that much strength within me.


    I still didn''t know how though.


    My body glowed in a rainbow like color but none of the layers meshed. And yet, I felt so full of life that I thought I could even fly if I wanted to. "Your arm¡­ regrow it." I heard the spirit''s voice in my mind. But Biteria was still standing outside.


    The name of a spell and how to use it flashed in my mind. I wasn''t sure if these were Boriosa''s memory or something the spirit gave me.


    But- there was one thing I had to make sure. ''Looks like my magic is amplified by at least a few hundred times.''


    "REGROW!" I didn''t know if it''d work or not or how it''d work but I just willed it and pictured my arm growing. I guess watching those videos in biology class finally came in handy.


    My arm glowed in bright white, but a layer of darkness was also visible: apparently, it wasn''t just holy. That darkness was the spirit''s or perhaps my curse?


    I could literally see bones forming and then muscles and then- skin?


    It didn''t hurt. I did feel dizzy though.


    I had an arm!  I couldn''t move it much, but I had an arm! I didn''t think it''d succeed. But- here I was.


    Tears threatened to break free and it almost felt like I''d just achieved the impossible. My body felt very sluggish though. I could drop at any moment.


    Before I noticed, Ve, Alisa, and the Earl were actually bowing before me.


    "What happened?"


    "It''s just-" Ve tried but stopped.


    "Though we hate Trerortra- you- you possess the mana of the supreme god and our predecessors, hence our blood compels us to bow before you. Only a true god can resist that power. Meaning-" Alisa looked up and winked. "You''ve finally surpassed us demigods." She smiled and gave my hand a stare.


    Which was good and all but I was literally feeling faint. Maybe just because I could, I shouldn''t have regrown an arm so quickly. The light started to flicker and before I knew it, I fell on the ground, nose first. Ve took out the gauntlet.


    I didn''t pass out.


    My head did throb a lot though. And I had just a tinsy bit of nose bleed.


    Alisa inspected my hand, poking here and there like a kid. "A grand success. Well done my disciple!" She was too damn proud. And since when did I become her disciple?


    I didn''t have the energy to criticize her though.


    Meanwhile, the Earl got up and ran around grabbing all the gold he could. Well, he looked happy.


    Almost made me chuckle but I couldn''t move.


    Ve sighed and picked me up like a princess. This was probably the second time I was experiencing this.


    I wanted to complain but didn''t. "Thanks, you guys."


    Both of them smiled and while Ve brought me out, the soldiers got in and dragged the earl out. The poor guy.


    All in all, I was happy for once.


    But it only made me more afraid.. ''I guess I really should say goodbye.''

 Chapter 306 - Sometimes, It Really Isn’t Fair

    I hadn''t realized at first but- being carried like this, was EMBARRASSING! Like what the hell!


    "Umm, can you just let me walk on my own now?"


    "No." Ve didn''t even look at me but grabbed me a bit tighter.


    She was wearing leather armor today instead of her usual scaly armor. And though she was flat, I could feel it, I could feel it all!


    I could really see the giggles in the soldiers'' and maids'' eyes and mouths too.


    Oh, the horror.


    I really wanted to cry right about now. This feeling wasn''t so bad though. ''Soft.''


    And I didn''t actually have enough strength to actually even attempt to break free of Ve''s grip.


    Yup, not enough strength at all.


    Meanwhile, Biteria was just patting my head like crazy and smiling. Was this thing seriously my pet bunny?


    I kind of wanted to bite her to make her feel what I felt but- since she was being nice, I didn''t. Moreover, she looked too cute for me to bite her and make her stop.


    "Should we head back now?" Ve said, looking over at Alisa.


    "Yes, our work here is done. Or-" Alisa gave a glance to the Earl.


    "No, I don''t have anything else. And I doubt father would even consider giving you more treasures." He sighed. He was holding onto some weapons and gold he stol- borrowed from the treasury.


    None of them asked me anything though.


    With loads of sighs, we finally got to the top of the castle and we were about to take off.


    There was just one problem though.


    That problem?


    How was I going to live?


    AHHHHH!


    ***


    We dropped the earl at his place and started to head for Xylax right away. This was farewell and we probably wouldn''t meet again.


    Apparently, was in Ve''s hands and she was grabbing me quite intently as we all hovered over the mountain top. I almost felt like a captured princess- I wasn''t a princess though. And the real princess was doing the capturing.


    "I must thank you for everything. If it weren''t for you this whole land would have been devastated. Though this was nothing more than people fighting over land and all- while just two people felt the actual loss, I-" The earl paused, I had no idea what he was going on about. "I must thank you." He bowed his head. "Please-please, save more people in need."


    He smiled and looked up. I guess that was reasonable.


    I sighed. I didn''t want more trouble honestly. "Don''t worry. All the troubles just keep on finding me. Good luck with your city."


    The guy chuckled and Ve slowly picked up more and more altitude.


    Since I couldn''t move to save my life, I didn''t bother struggling.


    ''Save more people huh?'' The thought echoed in my mind for the rest of the journey.


    ***


    It was already evening by the time we reached the large tree and my stomach rumbled. We actually didn''t get to have lunch today.


    Ve gently placed me on the ground and transformed back. But I was about to fall nose first. I still didn''t have enough strength to even stand on my feet.


    Of course, Ve hurried and again carried me like a princess. Her expression was totally calm and composed.


    The giggles of the soldiers were one thing but the maids fangirling over this simple carrying scene, kind of made me want to dive into a glass of water and die.


    Sigh. At least the soft feeling wasn''t bad. Ve''s smell was kind of similar to mine though- sweaty. So it wasn''t much of a turn-on.


    ***


    The state doctors, Alisa, Ve, and even the half-elf, all agreed that I needed three days of explicit rest. I had no idea what that meant but I guess they just wanted me to lie in bed and do nothing.


    In a world where there wasn''t much entertainment, to begin with, lying in bed all day long wasn''t really that great of an idea.


    And not to mention this world didn''t have many books. The few that were here were more or less the diaries of dead people.


    Sigh!


    But anyway, at least I got my arm fixed.


    "Looks like you''ve pulled off something rather impossible," The half-elf said, looking pleased.


    "Looks like it, doesn''t it." I was kind of pleased too.


    Ve came close to me and put a ring on the ring finger of my right hand. "This belongs to you. The gauntlet is inside, so use it wisely. I''d advise not using the gauntlet unless you are sure that you are about to die and you need to bring out everything. Because at your current state you''d end up like this and become unable to fight for half a week at the least."


    Well, that didn''t sound that nice. "Even high potions won''t work?"


    Alisa sighed. "You''ve been drinking too many potions lately. They are becoming more and more infective in your case. If it weren''t for you curse-" She paused. "Never mind. And no, you''re not getting any more potions."


    Well, that sucked.


    Viola was here but she wasn''t talking much. She looked rather troubled though.


    There were some maids in this room too and most of my comrades were just chatting among themselves.


    But Viola- she was just standing in the corner looking distracted.


    "You okay?"


    "I-I''m fine." Her voice was also quiet.


    Biteria though, was currently asleep grabbing my new left arm. I didn''t feel anything there. Though I did have a new arm, it was more or less paralyzed. I guess I needed some getting used to before I could use it again. I could move a finger or two when I really, really tried though.


    "Alright, let''s let him rest and- who''ll stay first?" Alisa declared.


    Before I knew it the girls were actually discussing something amongst themselves and a minute later they started to play rock paper scissors.


    ''What''s going on?'' I was utterly confused if nothing else.


    Alisa won and with a smile she sat down on a stool, opening her book.


    The rest of the group all kind of looked a bit pissed but they all left.


    Seriously, what was that all about?


    I sighed and just closed my eyes. Might as well, catch some sleep. Oh wait, I was too hungry.


    "Is there anything I can eat?"


    My back was against a pillow and I was almost sitting up. Of course, BIteria was still making me a body pillow. Lately, this damn bunny got a bit too clingy.


    "I''d already ordered some food but they said since dinner will be ready soon, a maid will bring some fresh fruits as appetizers."


    Yeah, I didn''t need appetizers, I was literally starving!


    "You really think I''ll have to spend three days in bed?"


    "Your curse is getting stronger so might just take two days or even one if you''re unlucky. But I won''t bet on it." Her focus was still on her book. Where did she get one anyway?


    There wasn''t anything written on the cover and the book was kind of worn out. A few centuries-old maybe?


    And wait, unlucky?


    "My curse is getting stronger?" Speaking of curses, I remembered something important. "And what does it mean for it to activate?"


    If I recalled correctly, the half-elf had said something about me being able to regrow my arm if the curse activated or something.


    And at the time when I actually regrew my arm, I did see a bit of dark layer covering my arm.


    Alisa stopped reading and gave me a stare. "Where did you hear that?"


    "Umm¡­ uh- let''s just say someone was saying I could regrow my lost limbs that way."


    Alisa sighed, got up, and walked my way. She came close to me, very close and her lips almost touched my ears. "You will die within one hundred days if your curse activates. But within that time you''ll be unkillable- immortal even. And after that, even an elixir won''t save you."


    Her voice was slow, it was quiet but I could hear everything clearly.


    I almost didn''t know what to feel. "How long do I have?"


    "Assuming nothing triggers it or assuming you don''t activate it on your own, I''d say maybe three-four years?" Alisa moved back and was about to head over to her chair.


    "Why didn''t you tell me?" I couldn''t look at her. I could feel my right hand shiver slightly. I wasn''t scared of dying and yet¡­ maybe I was.


    I really didn''t know what to feel. Should I have been scared? Should I have been sad?


    Should I have been angry?


    I didn''t know.


    "Didn''t I say? I didn''t want you to be burdened."


    I chuckled. "NO, you were just trying to pretend to be nice. You were trying to not have this conversation." I didn''t know what I was even saying anymore. It was almost as though the whole bed was shaking.


    Alisa didn''t laugh or glare. She just stared at me. "I won''t apologize for it. And you''re right, I was avoiding this conversation."


    "You don''t have to. Is there any way to get rid of curses?"


    "I don''t know. That''s why-" She paused and looked at the book.


    "You were reading that book?"


    "Yes. This is the possession my mother left me. I was searching for an answer. IT''S really old and hard to read. I''ve even forgotten some characters." She tried to smile but she couldn''t.


    "Mmmhh." Biteria stretched her hands and started to wake up.


    Knock! Knock! Looks like our food was here too.


    No wonder the little rascal was waking up.


    I chuckled. "Well, there''s nothing we can do now then. Let''s hope I can win- oh yeah, I''ve been meaning to talk to you about something." This probably wasn''t the best of time to be talking about it though.


    Alisa opened the door and brought in a plate full of peeled sliced fruits.


    The maid who''d brought it in bowed and left.


    Alisa locked the door and was about to come my way.


    "I think it''s time we split up." My words left too fluently from my mouth.


    "Meaning?" She stopped.


    "I''m going to fight the emperor in less than three months. I don''t want you guys near me. This is my fight." I didn''t want them to die a meaningless death.


    Alisa put the plate of fruit on the table near the bed and moved on the stool. "What I do, is not for you to decide. My will is of my own."


    Huh, wha? Excuse me?


    " You-"


    "Just shut up and eat!" And she finally snapped.


    Biteria pulled on my shirt and moved me forward and backward. Her eyes were shimmering like she was about to cry or something. It was almost as though she was saying ''are you going to abandon me?''


    I sighed and patted her head with my right hand. She seemed to calm down a little.


    ''Why did it have to be this hard?''


    Sigh, well at least the fruits were nice.. I wasn''t that hungry anymore though.

 Chapter 307 - Sometimes, It Really Isn’t Fair (part Two)

    I couldn''t sleep that night.


    I couldn''t remember what happened at dinner or what we even talked about.


    Did I even have dinner?


    Biteria for once wasn''t sleeping with me and there wasn''t anyone else in the room.


    It actually wasn''t that dark. There were thousands of pixies just out the window. None of them were coming in though.


    Kind of felt weird to stare at them all the way from here. My eyesight had actually increased just a tiny bit as I practiced with organ Imbuition, in a very controlled manner of course. And in theory, I could now imbue different parts of my body for short periods of time to see more or run faster and the like. At this point, maybe just training with my magic might have been a lot better than just practicing with swords and spears.


    Kind of didn''t matter though. After all, I''d die either way.


    It was probably midnight or a bit late. I kind of wanted to have a drink.


    I stopped drinking after my sister died. I did promise it to her before her death but still kept on drinking. But after she died, whenever I tried to drink I almost always threw up. My soul craved it but my body rejected it.


    I still wanted a drink though. Maybe I could just drink a high potion?


    And get hooked on it?


    I guess not.


    It was funny how the thought came to my mind after all this time.


    ''What will I say if I meet her again?''


    Honestly, I didn''t know. I wasn''t prepared for death and I didn''t know what I''d do, or what I was supposed to do.


    I just didn''t know.


    Alisa phrased her words very carefully. But I knew what she meant. In the upcoming battle, I knew I''d die trying. I just found new powers and I even recovered my lost hand. But- with my current capabilities I could barely go against a demi-god on equal footing let alone an actual God. The grand monsters were nothing more than husks filled with rage, so winning against them wasn''t the same as fighting an enemy who could use their brains. And the demon emperor claimed to be as strong as a God. But I had a feeling he wasn''t stupid enough to just sit back and relax while I acquired new powers. There was a chance he''d ensure I had allies only for them to backstab me.


    He could have abducted people, he could have done a lot of things.


    Anything was possible in this world.


    I knew just how frightening the possibilities were. But- what will I do if I won against him? What then?


    Would anything change?


    Wouldn''t I just die anyway?


    This world was plagued with many kinds of problems. Curses were just one of them.


    Lianne''s one was also a problem. She''d turn into a goblin-like thing soon. But I guess she was talking about Elf years, so she probably had at least a few decades. But, I didn''t have that long.


    "This isn''t fair." The words slipped out of my mouth- a faint whisper.


    To win the fight with the demon emperor I needed more strength and if I got cornered I might purposefully activate the curse- I didn''t yet know how. In that case, I''d win but I''d die just a hundred days later. But even that was the best-case scenario.


    On the other hand, even if I didn''t need the curse, I''d still die in a matter of four years. This was even more unlikely. And there wasn''t any set date for when the curse would activate on its own. It could have just happened tomorrow or something rather than four years later.


    No matter what, I was going to die and that was clear.


    "H ha hahh." My body let out a self-deprecating chuckle before I could suppress it. I guess even my body knew I didn''t have enough strength: that I''d given up.


    I wasn''t scared of death. I''d already seen it a thousand times: I''d already experienced the pain of death. I was, however, scared of losing my loved ones. I was scared of being away from them. The very thought made my body shiver.


    I didn''t want my friends to die either. I didn''t want anyone around me to die: I didn''t want to die. I was perhaps too selfish. I knew that and yet¡­.


    I had so many promises, so many things I wanted to do. At first, I wanted to leave this world and go back, but, now I wanted to solve all its mysteries and just move on and have a life.


    I wanted to live with Lianne and have fun with my friends.


    I really was selfish.


    But- I guess I couldn''t have things I wanted no matter how hard I tried. Hard work just wasn''t enough.


    I raised my hand up in the air, towards the black wooden celling. ''In the end, perhaps you were right, mother. I really am worthless.''


    "I''m worthless."


    A small squeaking sound reverberated as the door opened slightly.


    Someone just came inside the room.


    ''Viola?''


    "Did you need something?" My tone came out a bit coarse. I guess I might not have been in the best of moods.


    My voice froze her but she resumed a second later and came by my bed. It was dark but I could see her eyes and the glare.


    Did something happen?


    She was wearing a semitransparent nightgown and apparently, she was wearing black lingerie- and yes, stuff were very visible.


    She didn''t say a word and just stood by the bed.


    "Something wrong? Can''t sleep? Want me to cuddle you or something?" I was kind of in a terrible mood. And yet, I didn''t know what I was even saying. I guess I really needed a drink.


    A second later I realized, there was actually a knife in her hand. Was she possessed or something?


    Before I could even try to move, she got on top of me and held the knife on my neck: she was fast and precise. She used her other hand to pin my right hand down. I couldn''t move my left hand and I couldn''t move my legs either.


    Pinned.


    "WHY?" She whispered but the intensity was that of a scream.


    I was dumbfounded. I didn''t know what to say or what to think. Why was she suddenly trying to kill me and asking me questions?


    After all this time¡­


    "Why did you kill him and not me?"


    What? "What do you mean? I-"


    "Don''t play dumb. Everything was according to your plan. You used me, got the throne, and now, you''ll leave? Everything was according to your plan." Her eyes leaked as tears fell on my bare chest but her glare was real.


    So, she was holding everything back convincing herself that I saved her and her people. And I did everything for her and the nation. But when she learned I would leave soon, she finally put together that I used her.


    It wasn''t like I was hiding that I wasn''t going to stay here and I openly said that I just saved her for my own convenience and ideals.


    So, something didn''t add up.


    "You killed father, killed uncle, and even kept Edward in house arrest and now- now-" She kept on crying. Her grip was beginning to waver and her hands were shivering. She was too young to hold a knife to someone else''s throat. "I have nothing. Father loved me but- I knew that was hollow. He was just using me as an excuse. He loved power much more than me. When I said not to make a deal with the demons, he spread rumors about me and banished me to the countryside. Everyone believed I was selfish. Everyone believed it was me who ran away. Everyone believed I was the one at fault- but." She glared at me, still crying. "I just wanted him to spend some time with me. I just-" She cried. "And then I met you and I fell in love with you. But you used me as well. You also tried to discard me and now you will leave. You don''t even look like the same man you were yesterday! Were you just pretending this whole time!?" Her cries stopped and her shivering stopped as well. She looked at me, perfectly serious. "Say, something!"


    Pretending?


    She was right on the money. I didn''t know anything about this world. I didn''t know how it worked or what I was even supposed to do. Somewhere along the way, I picked up- a character and stuck with it. I played thousands of games, read thousands of novels, and watched thousands of movies. I created something of an ideal for me and just stuck with it.


    But she was right. I might just have been pretending?


    Was I even real?


    Was anything real about me?


    I didn''t know.


    All those memories, all those times, all those deaths, was I just pretending? Was I just-

 Chapter 308 - Sometimes, It Really Isn’t Fair (part Three)

    I just stared at Viola- moved my left hand over her head and patted her. It was a miracle that I could move my left arm at all, let alone do a bit of patting- but it didn''t matter. "I''m sorry. I never meant to use you. It must have been tough- but- whether you believe me or not- I- I will never discard you." I didn''t know who I was mimicking but the words felt cheap. "You see, I have to fight a demon god- I just have to. He''s very strong and because of that, I have to get stronger. I don''t know if I''ll live or die. I don''t know. That''s why I didn''t want to marry you and that''s why I''m leaving." I touched her cheeks and tried to wipe her tears. It wasn''t working.


    After all, I couldn''t even convince myself, let alone someone else.


    A new stream of tears started coming down from her eyes. "Then take me with you. Then- make me believe you will take my responsibility. Then love me!" She dropped the knife on the floor and came for my lips.


    Though I did kiss her on instinct, I stopped her a second later. "As I said, I already have a fianc¨¦e and I love her. I cannot see you the same way." Besides, I was about to die soon.


    "I don''t care. I will also marry you, so it shouldn''t be a problem." She proceeded to kiss me again.


    I chuckled, "Then how about you get ten more years under your belt? You''re too young to be my type."


    She almost slapped me when I said that but she didn''t. She held back.


    She started to get down from the bed and leave. She looked like a disaster, honestly. She looked the suicidal type in that one moment.


    ''You pretended so far-''


    I stopped her and dragged her inside my blanket: it wasn''t that cold but- I wanted to be a bit cozy. I wasn''t wearing my shirt, but I did have pants on, so it wasn''t that much of an issue.


    ''The least you can do is finish it.''


    "I thought I wasn''t your type?" Her voice was small.


    "You''re not. But- are you willing to spend the night with me, knowing I''d die in under three months? Knowing even if you bear my child, I won''t be here as the boy''s father? Knowing, you can never be my number one?"


    She rested her head on my shoulder. "I don''t care. I love you and want you to accept me." Her words were soft and her cheeks were wet. Unlike me, her feelings were real.


    She didn''t have perfume, she didn''t have anything special going on for her. I could bet she didn''t even know what sex even was.


    I smiled. "Alright then." I hugged her and made her my pillow. Nothing more and nothing less.


    I mean, she was too young. Even if she looked eighteen, even if my lighting rod was pointing towards the heavens, I wasn''t going to do something against my sense of morality.


    Of course, even that was fake but- sometimes you just had to fake it till you make it.


    The girl hugged me too. "Didn''t you say men put that in that place?" She tried to reach my crotch but I didn''t let her.


    This girl, this little girl knew nothing, and yet she wanted to be with me. I could respect that, but I couldn''t abide by that.


    "As I said, you''re too young. If you''re still interested in me after three more years, I''ll make love to you all night. How does that sound?" My words sounded cheaper, the more I talked.


    What the hell was wrong with me? Usually, I could talk with a calm demeanor even if I was turned on, even if I was going through pain, even if I was experiencing a loss. I could at least be calm about it: okay, maybe not always. But- this time, I felt like I was just copying someone else because I didn''t know what to do anymore.


    How did I talk? Was I even the same person?


    She paused for a second. "Can you promise me you won''t die?"


    Her words reverberated in my mind over and over again. Not die, huh?


    "I promise." For the first time, I felt like my lying wasn''t exactly bad. Somewhere along the way, I guess my lying skills had finally improved.


    Or was it that the girl was just a bit too na?ve?


    I didn''t know.


    She hugged me too and with a final kiss she proceeded to just close her eyes: my right hand was still pinned, this time by her head. I really hope it''d still be alive the next time I open my eyes.


    Her breath fell on my neck. "I love you and I''ll trust you."


    I didn''t reply, kissed her on the forehead and just stayed like that. I really didn''t know what to do.


    It was kind of hard to not think about certain things when my rising star was literally pressing against her thigs though. but oh well.


    She was soft and it was a pain to try to keep my urges in place but- but, I had my morals, I had my ideals and I wasn''t a monster. At least, not yet.


    Besides, I still saw her as a little sister.


    ''I''ve pretended so far, the least I can do is take this to my grave.''


    Well, having a rather soft pillow was enough to make me fall asleep after a certain time. I still had loads and loads of worries but- maybe having someone with you, someone who loved you was a good enough reason to be relaxed for a change.


    ***


    Yawn.


    So, after a good night''s sleep, when I finally woke up- I was in for a surprise.


    There was just Viola on my bed- still in her lingerie. Her nightgown was kind of hanging from her side of the bed. She was currently hugging my right hand- good to know it was still alive.


    However, there were three girls and a bunny in my room, the bunny was glaring very intently while Alisa just sat on a stool, reading her book as usual, and the half-elf was staring out the window.


    "We''re getting late. Let''s go," Ve said. Her tone wasn''t very friendly.


    According to my internal clock, it was probably around nine. By this time we usually finished training and here I was, still in bed with a beautiful fox girl clinging to my arm.


    I guess her rage was justified.


    I made Viola unhand me- carefully- and slowly got out of the bed. I was only wearing a pant- so I needed a shirt.


    To my surprise, I could actually move. And I''d forgotten about the fact that I was supposed to rest for three days. "Hey, my body actually feels better than usual."


    Plus I could move my left arm just like I could do with the right. It was almost as though the hand was never gone!


    "It would seem that you''re curse is on the verge of being activated. I was careless. You should have never used that gauntlet and to that extent." Alisa was still reading her book but- her face was covered in sweat. "I shouldn''t have pushed you."


    I sighed. "Well, I''ll go get fresh, and then we can practice."


    "Right," Ve said, looking a bit disheartened.


    Meanwhile, Biteria didn''t glare anymore and just followed me around.


    I actually had to walk to the opposite side to get my shirt and she followed me even when I came back.


    I''d forgotten that this thing was pretty sentient. "If only it''d take that cute-"


    In an instant, Biteria shrunk and got on top of my shoulder and looked at me with cute- shimmering eyes. Were my feelings that transparent or could it read minds?


    Ah, this feeling¡­


    Ah, this tenderness¡­


    Ah, this weight!


    My Biteria!


    I almost jumped in joy as I rubbed my whole face in her luscious fur.


    And a second later I jumped in pain as she bit my nose.


    "You damn bunny!" I kind of forced her to let go but still kept her on my shoulder.


    A bit of blood dripped down.


    Sigh. ''This thing will never change.'' She still made me smile though.


    And before I realized, the blood stopped and started healing. "Well, that''s convenient."


    The half-elf grimaced when I said that. "Yes, it is very convenient but it comes at a great cost." She didn''t look at me.


    Well, I knew what cost. But at this point, I just decided to accept it. But deep down- I knew I was just putting up an act. An act that made me want to cower into a corner but- I had to do this, I had to act. After all, sometimes you had to fake it till you made it.


    In my case, I''d just die.


    "Anyway, let''s go V."


    "It''s Veniolar XERCES, you moron. Are you incapable of remembering just a simple name?"


    Those were two names though.


    I chuckled and went out of the room with Biteria.. I did see Viola wake up but didn''t wait for her.

 Chapter 309 - The Hope Beyond Despair

    The curse wasn''t yet fully activated¡­ yet.


    But it did improve my healing by at least five times. And since my healing was already five or six times stronger than typical humans, I had effectively 25X~30X healing capability compared to typical humans.


    So that''s why, Imbuition wasn''t killing me anymore or making me faint on the spot. At least that was my best guess.


    After all, I was recovering at the same time as I was sustaining internal damage. And because of that, I wasn''t falling. Meaning, once this curse got fully activated, I''d be able to use Imbuition all the time and that meant- I''d be far stronger. And since I was actually getting better at Magic, I for better or worse, had some confidence in Imbuition.


    I guess having this power wasn''t bad.


    I could move my left hand pretty well too.


    And yet- something inside me had given up. Something just wasn''t working.


    Ve and I were currently sparring. Our spears were colliding, I was evading: moving my body was actually a lot easier now.


    "It would seem you''ve given up your desire to improve." Ve stopped her spear.


    Actually, training felt rather easy today as I didn''t have to worry about getting hurt all that much. And with my left hand, I could move the spear a lot better. A lot, lot better.


    "Really?" I stopped too, covered in sweat. I wasn''t breathless but I wasn''t quite relaxed either.


    "Yes, your curse makes you a lot stronger and you are possibly aware of the consequences."


    "I am." And I had a feeling everyone kind of knew.


    Ve looked at me with a glare. "Then!" She slapped her spear on mine and made my one fly. She pointed the blade at my neck. I just stayed put. "Why? Why are you giving up? I''ve seen you strive to do better. I''ve seen you train. I''ve seen you trying your best so you don''t die. But now, why are you giving up?" She wasn''t screaming but her words weren''t soft either. She was hitting me hard.


    "Because I''ll die regardless. I''m going to die no matter what!"


    "Then search for the answer. Isn''t that what you promised the elf? This isn''t like you!"


    "WHAT do you know about me? Huh!? What? Do you know what I am? Do you know what I was? Do you know what I''ve been through? How can you say that!? What gives you-" I grabbed her spear, a bit of blood dripped.


    Ve dropped her spear, came close and she hugged me: she literally caught me by surprise. "I don''t know anything about you. I don''t know what you were. I don''t know what you''ll become. But I do know what you are. I know how hard you tried and I know you''ll find a way like you always do. I know how hard you try to hide everything, hide your weakness. You don''t seem to realize this but you seem to be favored by destiny. After all, despite everything, you''re still alive."


    ''That''s so unfair.''


    "But I don''t want to be alive like this." After a long time, tears flowed freely. I couldn''t stop them. It was almost like a gate in me broke down and now there was no stopping the tears. "I don''t want to live like this. I don''t want to lose people. I don''t want to die before achieving anything. I don''t want to die." I hugged Ve. "I don''t want you guys to die either. I don''t want to die pretending like I''m some guy who can do whatever... I''m done pretending."


    She giggled. What the hell was so funny!? "You know. I was once like you. I traveled the world with father when he was still alive: life was amazing back then. There weren''t so many undead but there were different types of monsters- very strong monsters.


    "I''ve been alive for a long while. Mother lived long and died a natural death. She was happy that she got to live with us in our time. I really wished for all three of us to live forever and be together. When she died, I was sad but- now I am happy. After all, living a long life is very cruel.


    "That''s why I don''t think your curse is that terrible. If you''re not okay with what you have, you''ll just have to find a way to get rid of it. Just because someone else couldn''t, doesn''t mean you can''t either."


    I chuckled. "You''re trying to console me now?" If so, she wasn''t the best consoler.


    I was probably worse though.


    Snot was coming out of my nose and I started to feel disgusted by my own body.


    She was still pretty much hugging me. And I was hugging her. Strangely, I felt a bit more composed than before. She wasn''t letting go though, despite the tears and the snot.


    "No. I''m just saying, instead of seeing the negative in everything, maybe search for the positive? You''ve regrown your arm. You''ve found a way to potentially be stronger than gods. You''ve finally found a way to achieve what you set out to do. Maybe- just maybe you''ll win and then- you''d still have 20 days even if your curse activates tomorrow. 20 days is a lot of time! I can fly you all over the world three times in that time, you know!"


    It almost didn''t sound like the cool Ve I knew. And yet, it was so like her. Perhaps I just never listened to her enough.


    But to me, she did sound cool.


    I chuckled and then laughed aloud. "Sounds like a rather enticing offer." I got out of her grip: this guy was really, really strong. "But- sadly I''m afraid of heights."


    "Wuss." Ve snorted and wiped my tears. Why the hell was this guy starting to act like prince charming all of a sudden? "Even if you''re pretending, it doesn''t matter. Everyone mimics someone they respect, that''s just how people are. There''s nothing to be ashamed of. You are who you are, and no matter who you mimic, you''ll always be you. So be proud of that."


    She made my almost dry eyes leak some more. I really needed to hear someone say that. No, I wanted to hear that.


    Honestly, if I was a girl I''d have fallen for her. Wait, wasn''t Ve a girl too?


    Oh. I''d actually forgotten that for a second.


    Actually, if she was a guy, we probably would have been best friends or something by now. Then again, just because she was a girl didn''t mean we couldn''t be best friends either.


    If I didn''t have a half-dead high elf waiting for me, maybe I would have even considered these feelings to be more than just friendship, romantic even.


    Okay, maybe I was being a bit too hasty.


    For the time being, I just wiped the snot off my face with a handkerchief and wiped all the tears too.


    "Yeah, he''s a total pussy." Alisa popped out of nowhere: lately, she was acting pretty weird. "Who screams like a baby every time you get in the air?" It was almost like she was getting more and more comfortable around me: I really wished, she''d stop with the insults though. But since I deserved them, I couldn''t really complain. "It''s getting late, so let''s have breakfast before it turns out to be lunch and discuss what we can do about this predicament."


    "You mean-"


    "You thought I was reading this book all this time for nothing?" She smiled, albeit faintly. Her book was in her hand.


    I smiled. Perhaps the most genuine smile I could manage. "Alright, let''s go have breakfast." I genuinely felt glad for once.


    I could finally see a ray of hope- though I wasn''t sure if it was going to do me any good.


    I did accept the fact I was going to die- but Ve''s words kind of made me want to live. And as Alisa presented an opportunity, I wanted to seize it.


    I guess I really needed to thank both of them.


    "First you two should shower though. Your smells have combined into one and it''s unbearable." Alisa held her nose and kind of grimaced.


    Yeah, I didn''t need that information.

 Chapter 310 - Huh? Wha? WHY!?

    I got into the baths and Ve and Alisa both followed me.


    "The girl''s bath is on to the left you know."


    "I''m aware," Ve said, sliding down into the spring. She didn''t bother washing herself first.


    Yeah sure didn''t seem like she was aware.


    I also went in, albeit in the opposite corner. Ve was wearing a towel so it was fine.


    It wasn''t.


    Which left- "Alisa why are you here?"


    She gave me a dull stare. And then- "You were trying to get rid of me and just doing this with the dragon over there? Might I ask why the sudden change of heart?" she smiled. "Oh and please don''t say you''re worried about me, because I''ll get very mad." I actually had a hard time understanding what she was referring to. The bath or me wanting to separate? I had a feeling she was talking about both.


    And it wasn''t like I chose Ve, it was more like she chose me and I was stuck with her.


    Alisa actually didn''t take off her clothes and was just standing here. She wasn''t going to shower, she just wanted to talk I guess. Which was good, cause I didn''t want her to come here either.


    Ve was quiet and just enjoying her stay. Which was good cause I at least had one less thing to worry about.


    Me? I was kind of freaking out. What the hell was I supposed to say?


    There were two girls in the men''s bath and I had just a towel protecting my sanity.


    I took a deep breath. "I don''t want any of you to get hurt. I can''t bear any more deaths. I know it''s your freedom and I''m aware you guys are doing things according to your own free will but- I don''t want you to die." I gave her an honest answer, the best one I could. "And do you- do you have any reason to die for me?"


    The sound of water was the only thing present. Both of them were rather quiet. They didn''t say a thing.


    Finally, Alisa let out a groan. She looked at me, a bit teary-eyed. The tears threatened to come out but they didn''t. She was also glaring. She took a step forward, and then another and before I knew it, she was in front of me, clothes all wet, cheeks wet, and eyes full of fury.


    She grabbed my face with both hands: at one point I felt like she''d hit me but she didn''t. "A reason for me to die for you?" she came close, still glaring, and kissed me. She kissed me hard. "I love you, is that enough? Take a hint already, you moron!"


    Excuse me?


    What?


    Why?


    I was confused on so many levels. "What the hell is wrong with your brain? I thought you were supposed to be the demigod of wisdom or something? Then why the hell are you choosing me?"


    I was basically a disaster. I didn''t have any charisma. Most of my time was spent on pretending and the rest on training. So, why the hell was this happening?


    I could only think of one explanation. And that was perhaps she was joking- but that face didn''t look like that of a joker. ''She''s serious¡­''


    She cleared her throat. "I''m aware that my intelligence is advising me against this, however, my heart won''t listen, and therefore-" She again kissed and almost scratched my back.


    She literally forced her tongue in.


    "That''s enough!" I tried to backstep.


    Her lips were so close, very close. Obviously, I backtracked and slipped. My hands acted as support and my head barely stayed above the water: this wasn''t that deep. Alisa was on top of me and she looked rather serious. "So, what do you say? Good enough reason for you?"


    Her body was wet and her clothes were kind of transparent now. I could see underwear and a lot more than just that. I could feel the heat radiating from her body too.


    She was pressing a bit too hard on top of me. And it was getting way too hard to maintain balance- and my sanity behind the curtains- the towel to be more exact: yes, something was rising up.


    "Ahem! Let''s not indulge in impure relationships whilst in the bath," Ve said. Her tone was kind of formal.


    Alisa gave her a stare. "Oh? And taking advantage of him and hugging him, and taking your sweet time wasn''t impure? And I thought dragon born were supposed to be honorable."


    Huh?


    And Ve wasn''t actually denying anything either.


    "Say, something?" I looked at her and she stood up tall.


    Ve sighed, let go of her towel, and headed for me, completely bare. "Yes, I too have developed feelings for you, Daarc Green. However I respect your wish and would stay away from you as you have chosen the high elf," with a hand on her chest, she declared. "But you shall find me by your side until the day you die or emerge victorious against the heavens."


    Seriously, what the hell was going on?


    And those round- ah¡­.


    People, I was going to die soon. So, why the hell were they saying this stuff?


    Oh wait, they were saying stuff knowing I''d die soon, after all, they wouldn''t have another chance to say anything. That did make some sense but-


    I was yet again reminded that neither girl had any shame.


    "TH-the hell are you people doing!? This is a sacred place!" A sudden scream resounded.


    I didn''t want to turn my head but as I looked at the entrance, I saw Viola staring at us, blushing red, Biteria on her shoulder glaring.


    Shit.


    ***


    Breakfast was quiet. No one said a word.


    I was kind of embarrassed to look at anyone, especially Viola. I still stole glances at everyone though.


    Ve and Alisa were normal: too normal. Biteira had gone back to being a girl and was currently glaring at me while chomping on meat. I guess the bunny form was only temporary and it was to console me or something.


    Viola just looked flustered while that left the half-elf who just looked at us, a bit confused.


    I too was confused so I didn''t blame her. I was still pretty embarrassed though.


    We were the only ones dining. The royal family was basically non-existent. And I''d already put the son and wife of the duke on house arrest. So far, they didn''t have any charges against them, so there wasn''t any point in sending them to the dungeons or executing them. I did have plans to let go of them but for the time being, I was waiting for everything to cool down first.


    The silent breakfast just kept on going. It was somewhere around 11, so this was more of a lunch than a breakfast though.


    Finally, near the end, Alisa cleared her throat. "Alright, I seem to have found something."


    This was a small room and only some maids and soldiers were here apart from us.


    Our breakfast was pretty much done. So, I guess a discussion wasn''t going to hurt.


    "That being?" Ve asked.


    "Why don''t we make him a half-dead?"


    Half-dead? Like Lianne I suppose? Yeah, I didn''t want to live that long and turn into a goblin-like thingy. And I didn''t want to die either. I guess I was being too picky.


    "You already know his blood contains divine blood. So how would you accomplish that?" the half-elf said.


    This was going over my head so I just remained quiet.


    "That I haven''t figured out yet. But- this curse works very similarly to being an undead. If we could only figure out who cast it." Alisa thought for a second and then turned to me. "Do you know who cast this on you??"


    "The emperor? He''s the one who summoned Me." wasn''t it obvious before? Hadn''t I already mentioned it?


    I didn''t know why but I felt like we were on very different wavelengths.


    "Hmm¡­ Only a divine being could have achieved this level of a curse. I thought you''d know at least that much." Alisa sighed. Hey, how the hell was I supposed to know that? "Though, according to your friend Mig, you were never intended to be summoned. Meaning, it could have been very well possible that you weren''t actually summoned by the emperor. Rather someone else summoned you and that someone gave you the curse. The emperor just wanted to play with you and so, all that happened. Or it could have been that he was also collaborating with someone else- a god perhaps."


    "Wait, wait, you''re not making sense. All this time I took for granted that the emperor summoned me. And he himself said that he was the one who summoned me. But then-" A small realization hit me.


    Last time, there was Ashirnae present. And the guy was present in the forest as well when that demon first tried to kill me.


    "Then how come you weren''t summoned in Demonica? Didn''t you think it to be odd that there wasn''t anyone there to greet you when you were first summoned?"


    "No, cause I was too busy not dying." At the time my only goal was to get out alive. "Anyway, as you remember, last time there was Ashirnae there. So, it could be him."


    "I don''t think so. Ashirnae doesn''t possess any curses like this. All his curses either make you a full undead or kill you on the spot," Alisa said. "He doesn''t have anything regarding regeneration."


    Yeah, I had a hard time believing that. Someone who could make people turn undead, could very well give them regenerative powers and then kill them for fun. Yeah, so, I really wasn''t convinced.


    Besides, though Alisa knew a lot, it wasn''t like she was all-knowing or something. It was always possible that she was just wrong.


    Ve sighed. "Bickering won''t get us anywhere. If there''s no cure then how can we slow it down?"


    All eyes turned to Alisa. "Keep him from straining his body too much."


    "That''s kind of impossible," I admitted. "After all, if I don''t train, I''ll die."


    If I didn''t train hard, I''d die. If I did train hard and even won, I''d still die. The situation didn''t really seem all that nice. And yet, somehow I felt better than before.


    "That''s a fair point, but there are other ways to train instead of exerting yourself," The half-elf said.


    "Like what?"


    "You can practice just making your mana flow freely. That way, you''ll strain yourself less."


    Sigh.


    So far this wasn''t the least productive.


    But maybe practicing magic was the best answer after all.  I saw most potential to become stronger in that field. But the moment I''d lose my mana or run out of it, it''d become useless.


    "I didn''t want to do this but-" Alisa stood up and placed her book on the table, opening a certain page. "According to this- there''s a sure way to increase the longevity of one''s life." She blushed slightly. "I trust you two know what I mean?" She looked at Ve and then the half-elf.


    Both were quiet but they nodded.


    "Being?" I asked.


    "We- you and-" Alisa paused. "We''ll have to mate. Or to be exact, you''ll either have to mate with goddesses or find demigods. You possess divine blood and mating with us would slowly but surely increase that amount. The more divine blood you''d possess the harder it would become for the curse to fully activate and claim your life: in short, your life span will increase. Lucky for you, you''ve got three choices."


    My eyes kind of twitched after a long time. "Yeah, I think I''ll pass." Even my cheeks twitched.


    The feeling was very nostalgic and I wanted nothing to do with that.


    "HUH!" Viola stood up glaring. "You three are in love with HIM!"


    She was actually pretty quiet all this time.


    The half-elf sighed. "No, but these two are. I''m afraid I have no interest in him."


    Though I was glad I had one less problem to deal with, it did kind of stung. And wait, she knew those two were in love with me?


    How thickheaded was I?


    "However-" The elf continued. "I''d be happy to answer his call if he were to invite me to his bed. After all, who can resist a man of such caliber?" She was joking obviously, giggling slightly.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t a fan of such jokes.


    I was going to die, you frigging immortal morons!


    Sigh.


    Anyway, I stood up. "Let''s find another way. And even if you increase my lifespan and the curse activates, it''ll be pointless, won''t it?"


    Alisa kind of looked away. So, basically, she didn''t have a way to find a cure or slow down this. But she was just trying to ease my passing or something?


    The hell was she trying to achieve here?


    I sighed. "I''ll be in my room for now."


    I was mad, but getting mad at them seemed wrong, so I didn''t let it bother me.. Solitude was better for me anyway.

 Chapter 311 - Imma Try My Best!

    I had roughly half an hour of freedom.


    Afterward, I''d have to deal with the ministers.


    Then my noon practice with Alisa and then another session with the ministers, lunch, and finally afternoon practices with the elf.


    Sigh.


    "What the hell am I doing with my life?"


    Even from way up here I could see thousands of people going on about their days.


    Some were shopping, children were playing around, and some people were even going on dates. Yeah, having better vision only made me feel more jealous.


    Why I couldn''t I find peace like that?


    I guess in a sense, death wasn''t bad. But I just had too many regrets.


    "That really is the question, isn''t it?" Zack came into the room, bowed.


    "It''s okay, no need for bows."


    The door was opened, and he did knock, I might have just ignored the sound.


    "I never thought you''d actually be such an important person. So, you were a pirate and then you became the king of Alfeim, somehow?" He seemed very skeptical of the fact. He didn''t disrespect me though.


    The fact that he was still speaking frankly with me, made me both happy and a little better. I guess he thought me more of his brother''s friend than the king. I was fine with that and a little glad too.


    "The archduke of Alfeim. And no, I wasn''t a pirate. I just tagged along with them with a geezer: or more like the geezer dragged me along."


    Sometimes I actually missed the geezer. Only sometimes though.


    Only sometimes, okay!?


    "Isn''t that the same as being their king?" Zack chuckled. "Well, I saw you looking down in the hallway. I know we don''t have much in common or to talk about- since well, he''s dead." He got a bit sad. "If you ever need anything please don''t hold back. Perhaps you don''t see us the same as your loyal subjects'' but- I assure you, we the demi-humans are really grateful to you and your fellow companions. If it weren''t for you guys, this country would have been destroyed in the turmoil." He bowed on his knees. "And I''m really glad that you freed the princess and brought her back." I guess now he was switching to his duties. "Thank you."


    Come to think of it, wasn''t I forgetting something?


    What was I forgetting?


    "No problem." It probably wasn''t that important anyway. I yawned. "Guess I''ll head over to the throne now."


    I felt a bit better. I guess getting thanked for the stuff we did, was a good enough reward for me to at least try.


    "Oh yes, the maid and the princess''s escorts have finally returned. They are on their way to the throne as we speak. I was on my way here to give you that report."


    Oh shit, no wonder I felt like I was forgetting something.


    ***


    The maid was back and though she was surprised to see me atop the throne sitting next to Viola, she didn''t make much of a scene of it and bowed.


    Apparently, most of the escorts escaped with their lives intact. They were led by a dark elf who claimed to be a servant of the lord of darkness.


    Apparently, that was the nickname Ve chose for me.


    We weren''t in eighth grade you know!


    I didn''t have the capacity to throw a fit anymore though. At this point, I just gave up.


    "Your journey must have been tough. Forgive me for not being able to send a rescue party for you."


    It wasn''t like I forgot you or anything, okay?


    Okay!?


    "Your highness, just the thought alone warms my heart. And seeing you-" She smiled as she looked at Viola and me. "-Take her responsibility eases my heart. Ah, truly you two were made for each other. You two truly look splendid on the throne!" She finally let out a tear. "I assume I can hope to see a new prince or princess before long?"


    Well, that was a roundabout way of asking whether we were doing it or not.


    ''Why the hell are you looking at me like that?'' Seriously, why would anyone in their right mind want me to sleep with a kid for crying out loud?


    Viola blushed and didn''t say anything. Seriously, something was wrong with this world.


    It was too late for me to realize that though.


    I really wanted to pop her bubble but- "Only the future shall say!" For now, I just needed to get out of here and keep this charade up for as long as I could. "I have magic practice so-"


    So I just got off and ran for the lift.


    ***


    A few days passed.


    My practice went a lot smoother now that I had both of my hands. Especially the spear practice. I was getting more and more decent at it. Sometimes I even gave Ve a run for her money- for three whole seconds!


    Okay, probably wasn''t the best of achievement. Because after those three glorious seconds, she pounded me.


    Magic practice was also going smoothly and I had even more of a larger mana pool. Apparently, the more I strained my body with divine mana the more my mana increased. I couldn''t do the only thing that I actually needed to do.


    Perfect!


    Imbuition process kind of went better too. And it wasn''t that straining anymore. Partly because of the curse and partly because of my deeper understanding of mana.


    I could now manage five minutes. If I practiced like this for maybe a month more, I could potentially double or even triple this number without seriously straining my body.


    That was actually great news as Imbuition combined with the stones were overpowered cheats. And I needed all the strengths I could get. I still had doubts about my own strengths and fears, but for the time being, I kept practicing diligently.


    Alisa made some attempts at trying to seduce me. Sometimes she even crawled up in the bath or my bed. And sometimes, I was definitely tempted.


    Obviously, I didn''t do anything to her- the girl I saw as nothing more than a sister.


    Those bunny ears were very tempting though.


    ***


    The sword practice actually became a lot different now that I had both of my hands. The half-elf was almost always coming at me trying to kill me. And I often got poisoned. She held nothing back. She wasn''t teaching me a new style, rather she was just helping me refine my existing one.


    We were kind of equal if I used Imbuition but without that, she always had the edge: and she was fast! And boy was she scarier than Lianne by a mile.


    At least I was still learning something. I most certainly hope so.


    All in all, things weren''t so bad. And they just kept on moving. The sorry state of this place had improved significantly. The ministers were actually kind of capable- and Viola wasn''t the pampered brat I thought her to be at first either. The number of guards increased too though most of the newbies were just plain rookies.


    But as the end of the week draw near, my worries kind of increased.


    ''Guess I''ll be leaving this place for good, soon.''


    Tomorrow I had to head over to the capital of Destoa but- what then?


    I didn''t know what I''d do. And I didn''t have much time.


    I''d already talked to Viola about everything. I''d told her that I won''t live long and I''d leave this place in two days: I also told her about me not being from this world and all that. She actually listened to me rather attentively and without making a fuss. In the end, she just said, "You already promised me that you''d come back alive. If you can''t even keep a promise, then you''re not the man I fell in love with."


    It kind of stung but it was also encouraging.


    With loads of worries and pains, the day finally passed and morning came again.


    ''Imma try my best!''


    ***


    The Destoa party would consist of all three Demigods, a minister, Zack, and lastly Biteria.


    Viola wanted to come but it was a bad idea and even I knew that. So I didn''t give her my permission.


    And since I was the king, she couldn''t disagree.


    "Will you come back here?" Viola asked, looking at me expediently.


    Currently, we were atop the castle near the top of the tree. The wind was kind of strong and Alisa was pulling me towards Ve.


    I really didn''t like taking off from branches like this, but I didn''t actually have a choice.


    My eyes were twitching and it was getting harder and harder to maintain a straight face.


    Besides, they the hell were two bunny girls pulling me?


    "Well, I still have loads to do and I have to drop those two back, so yeah, I''ll come back." I probably wouldn''t stay though.


    Viola had something to say, but she kept quiet. She just sent us off with a smile.


    Finally giving up, I got on Ve''s back.


    For once, I didn''t actually scream as I held Ve tight. I had enough of fears. It wasn''t like I suddenly got less afraid. I just dealt with it and kept everything inside. So needless to say, I was screaming ''AHHHHHHHH!'' all the time, but in my mind.


    My only comfort was being sandwiched between two bunny girls.

 Chapter 312 - No More Hiding

    It was a two-hour-long flight.


    I doubted Ve''s claims about going around the whole world three times in twenty days. Or was it that she could but she was just going slow so she flew a bit steadier so, I felt less fear? It was also possible that this world was a bit smaller than earth. I didn''t know, I didn''t care. Because no matter what, flying was still scary regardless.


    "That''s the capital?" Trying to distract myself by looking down, wasn''t really helping that much either. But I still didn''t scream- at least not on the outside.


    This was my first time seeing the central capital of Destoa. It was a lot bigger than Moire and the northern capital.


    There were loads of villages around the place too: green in all directions and no forests! All in all, this whole land was packed with life.


    The houses weren''t as compact as the northern capital and the architecture was better and more modern looking than Moire. The walls were tall, thick, and sturdy: I could see it from even up here. They had large cannons on top of the walls. I guess the prototype I saw back in Moire had finally replaced the typical stuff.


    Obviously, they didn''t fire at us and there was plenty of space in the royal garden, so we didn''t need to land on the walls or anything. There were also plenty of people staring up at the sky. Actually, there were too many people in the streets and I had to admit the city looked beautiful. The city itself was decorated for some reason, almost like a festival. Wait, the letter did mention something about a festival.


    ''What''s a holy night though?''


    Kids were running around, people were dressed up and in the streets.


    Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I guess these guys didn''t really care about their royals either.


    It was so cheerful that it rubbed me the wrong way.


    ***


    We descended in the royal garden and there already were a group of people waiting for us. They bowed before us and they looked more or less like ministers of some kind. Or at least nobles possessing powerful titles.


    It was roughly 10 or maybe eleven. According to my skin and sudden winds, I could tell this was spring. How did I not notice the weather before?


    Deserts!


    Forests!?


    "It''s been too long lord Browly." Apparently, our minister knew one of them.


    "Yes lord Berreirie."


    Just what the hell was wrong with this world and its names?


    Sigh. Well, as long as it worked out, I didn''t have too much to complain.


    These guys worked something out and we started walking around the castle.


    In hindsight it looked like a replica of the castle back in Moire but- it wasn''t.


    There were more floors here and half of the castle was floating. Then again the castle of Moire also floated. The inner design and the appeal of the castle was slightly different though.


    Okay, maybe I was just being stingy but this place really did resemble the castle of Moire but maybe it was just bigger?


    Sigh.


    At this point, I just gave up on justifying that this place was actually different. Cause, no matter how I looked, I couldn''t really find too many dissimilarities.


    I saw about three gardens as we walked for the throne room on the second floor: this was a six-story castle. Our minister was doing all the talking. Alisa asked one or two questions in between. My input wasn''t necessary.


    I didn''t see Gorgon around though.


    What the hell was that moron doing?


    There were maids, soldiers, and even nobles running around. They weren''t glaring at me or even coming my way. Rather they were busy with something. It almost made me suspicious.


    Before long, we arrived at a large double door and as a herald declared our names, we went in, fully prepared to fight a whole army. After all, even I wasn''t dumb enough to let my guard down just because everything was going good.


    There were actually a lot of soldiers and ministers and other nobles in here. I did see Gorgon but he was actually chained and kind of beat up. He raised his head slightly but promptly looked down.


    Apparently, there was no army but-


    "Well, this just got complicated," Alisa mumbled. "Try to stay level-headed. They want you to snap," She whispered.


    Uh-huh.


    I also saw the princess and her head was down. I was already fuming over stuff I didn''t understand but for the time being, I tried to act calm. If I ended up losing my cool now, things would only get worse.


    A boy was on the throne: probably younger than me. He had a black robe, embroidered with golden threads.


    I bowed swiftly, just lowering my head slightly. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, your highness."


    He didn''t actually say anything. He wasn''t expecting me to bow on my knees or anything, right?


    Actually, come to think of it, all of us bowed, all except Biteria.


    I quickly signaled her to bow but it was kind of late.


    "Such insolence." A high noble raged. He looked like quite the dude: totally shaved, a lot of badges, and a haughty attitude. Probably a duke or something similar.


    "Yes, I apologize on her behalf." I gave a noble bow to the man.


    He quieted down, albeit forcibly.


    I forced Biteria to bow and she almost bit me but listened.


    Seriously, what was wrong with her?


    Anyway, with that done, I looked at the guy on the throne.


    "Yes, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Daarc Green Archduke of Elves." For a kid, he sure knew how to speak all high and mighty. Then again, he was a king after all.


    ***


    This was one of the most awkward moments of my life. There was a kid on the throne who looked maybe sixteen, seventeen? He had a haughty look and the room was full of people with puffed-up egos and one beaten-up friend of mine.


    I really didn''t know what to do about all this.


    Alisa was also quiet for some reason, isn''t this why I brought her here in the first place?


    ''Looks like I''m on my own.''  I sighed, and loudly too. At least it was loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Some actually even took a step back in fright. I guess they thought I was disappointed? Which I actually was.


    But I wasn''t going to give in and show rage. After all, that was what they were after.


    "Three weeks ago I had an audience with the king of the northern capital and we discussed some things. It was about me bringing back the prince who''d gone missing and ''ending'' the war. I did ''end'' the war but the prince was already dead when I confronted the duke who''d been turned into a vampire by one of the seven ''monarchs.''" My gaze wasn''t just fixed on the king.


    I looked at everyone. Obviously, I paused every now and then to emphasize on things. If they weren''t aware of the gravity of the whole situation then they didn''t have any right to fault me. But now that they did, I was definitely prepared to hear one or two insults and even accusations.


    "My sister once wrote me a letter." The boy started to speak freely. He actually sounded like an emo teenage kid: perhaps he was going through puberty. He looked pretty good though- almost like he wasn''t a guy. He didn''t have any facial hair and his hair was long plus he had long thick eyelashes: unlike his sister, he had pure black hair- kind of like me. I did not like this pattern, no sir! "She said, she met a rather peculiar man. A man who must defeat a monarch. I still remember the letter as if she''d sent it yesterday. It was the first time I read something so full of emotion." What the hell was this guy even talking about?


    ''Oh yeah, I did lie back then, didn''t I?'' I might or might not have forgotten what happened back then. Eight months was a long time ago.


    The boy continued. "But- if I take all your actions into account, you''ve already defeated two monarchs and even some grand monsters, struck a deal with a god. Tell me, what drives you now? Haven''t you accomplished enough? Why do you crave more power? More land? And more women?"


    I kind of went silent. More power? More land? Yeah, given my actions so far, that was reasonable. But more women?


    Sigh. I guess I had to explain everything properly. ''I don''t have much time, do I?''


    Besides, after lying for so long and sucking at it, I kind of didn''t want to go into a deeper hole.


    "Allow me to be frank." I kind of had enough of formality at this point. "I plan to fight the demon emperor." Gasp ran across the whole room. Everyone was shocked apart from Gorgon and the princess who were still just looking at the ground.


    My companions were kind of smiling though.

 Chapter 313 - No More Hiding (part Two)

    "The emperor? And that''s why you seek strength? But why?" The boy did seem rather shocked but he kept his face straight.


    I sighed. I didn''t have much time and I didn''t want to go through this bullshit. "Because if I don''t, if I can''t win against him, all of you are next. He''ll wage war in less than three months against all of humanity. I''m a summon. I''ve come from another world." I pulled out the Mystic blade from my ring. "Trerortra- the god of light entrusted this sword to me and I''m going to save the world." The lines were really cringe-worthy, but I had nothing better. "I''m the apostle of Xerphas, the god of courage. I''m favored by Anverosa and even Damsel. All for one thing- so that I can rid this world of evil. So, I can stop the emperor." Yeah, at this point, even I was embarrassed of the shit I was spouting.


    I was afraid Alisa would have frowned but she didn''t.


    My companions were just staying quiet.


    I was really glad for that.


    ''Ridding this world of evil huh?'' I could almost snort at my own words but I didn''t.


    I wasn''t doing all this for other people, rather everything was for my sake. It was all to please my morals and my ideals. In the end, I was just a pretender.


    "Yes, that would make sense. Your strength is comparable to that of a demigod. Yes! That does make sense!"


    How the hell did it make sense? Just how!


    And more importantly, why weren''t they surprised and stuff?


    Yeah, they were a bit shocked but that was all. No one was screaming ''we''re going to die!'' no one was screaming, ''It was only a matter of time'' and all that stuff. Like what the hell!


    People weren''t even turning as pale as I thought they would. Weren''t they afraid that war was so close?


    And why the hell was I so friggin disappointed?


    ''Looks like this guy is convinced.'' Somehow.


    But we were getting off track here. More importantly! "And that''s why I''m seeking more power. The land was kind of a byproduct. The women? Yeah, I only love one and- OUCH!"


    I got elbowed by both Ve and Alisa. Biteria was kind of biting my arm.


    Yeah, not pleasant.


    I had a feeling if Viola was here, she''d have strangled my neck or something.


    The boy on the throne kind of let out a chuckle.


    The whole room was quiet so it was no surprise that the kid was really a kid at heart.


    So much for my dramatic reveal!


    The boy composed himself a second later though. He cleared his throat. "I see. Welcome to Destoa and thank you for ending this war. I''ve never seen you battle but hearing your exploits give me courage and hope for a brighter future. We''ll aid you as best as we can in your conquest." He stood up. "And for your rewards, you may take the Mythic blade with you on your journey as my sister promised you before and you wanted the Alablaster wastelands if I believe?"


    ''Aid in my conquest?'' I had a feeling he''d propose something rather outrageous later, but for the time being, I rolled with it.  "Yes."


    "Very well, you shall have that. I imagine it would be tough for you to stay in the palace tonight but would you join our celebrations of the holy night festival? I wish to discuss some things with you tomorrow morning if that''s okay with you."


    Well, wasn''t this guy thoughtful?


    I chuckled slightly. "Of course." It wasn''t like I could deny it anyway.


    "Well, then a maid will lead you to the guestrooms." He gave a glance at the minister standing next to me. "And I''ll let the lord Browly handle the diplomatics."


    Our one was named Bere-something so, he was talking about his minister.


    Both ministers bowed once and started leaving the room. I guess these guys were willing to work with Xylax. But wait, they could have used this chance to make a pact with Helsing or maybe even Alfeim, but they didn''t. ''So, there''s more to this politics?''


    Meaning tomorrow morning was going to be very lit. I could almost grimace, but I didn''t.


    Well, that was fast. Our minister did bow to me once more before leaving though. Zack just followed him; he gave me a wave, before leaving.


    I wanted to head out right away but- "Your highness, if I may-"


    "Yes?"


    I saw a lot of nobles frowning. I could guess what they were thinking but- I had something even better. "Are you punishing this holy knight for failing to save your cousin?" Okay, that came out a bit too blunt.


    All this time, I was supposed to address that, but I didn''t know how to. They probably just assumed I''d be a bit enraged but, honestly, I had a better response. After all, I couldn''t just play into their hands.


    "No, his punishment is being taken care of by my sister, princess Beatrine. I have no say in this."


    "Oh?" I turned sideways and walked. "Then pardon me." I stood right in front of the princess and gave her a good glare. Yeah, I had to act a little rough, or I''d probably not get any answers. "Would you mind telling me what this is?" I pointed at Gorgon.


    "My trusted knight?"


    "Yes, but why is he chained and beat up?"


    "I gave him one mission and he failed." Her voice was soft. "He failed." She seemed to be oddly in pain. I had a feeling she might end up crying if I pushed her too hard.


    "And that''s why you''re doing this?"


    "Yes." Her voice was almost a whisper.


    I slouched down. "Mind telling me, why you didn''t quit or-?"


    Gorgon looked at me, nonplussed. He smiled slightly. "You know already. Yes, and I think she knows too, but why?" I had no idea if he was answering me or asking me questions. His voice was slow and kind of light.


    His lips were dry and he had bruises on that pretty face of his.


    He was barely conscious, so I didn''t blame him for his babbling.


    Alisa sighed. She was right behind me. "Keeping appearance is also a vital part of the nobility."


    The princess''s hands were tied.


    Come to think of it, this room was full of nobles and soldiers.


    ''Wait, didn''t this moron come here as my-''


    Well, a smile crept up on my lips. "If I remember correctly, the holy knight Gorgon came as one of my messengers, correct?" I spoke loud and clear. I actually had a rather dashing smile and I wasn''t allowing even a shred of rage to come out. Everyone heard me.


    "Yes, my lord." Alisa seemed to get my drift.


    "I can''t ''believe'' one of my messengers have been treated this way!" I was acting very dramatic if nothing else. "Oh, how ''cruel!''" I touched Gorgon''s wounds and groaned. This act was kind of cringe even for me but- "I wonder how Destoa will make up for this." I gave a blood-thirsty glare towards the nobles. There were plenty here so I didn''t need to do much glaring.


    Almost everyone in front went pale and fumbled.


    I did get one or two glares back but no one was brave enough to keep eye contact for more than one second.


    Nobles had to keep an act at all times. Meaning, they couldn''t really say anything about this either.


    For the moment, their former royal didn''t even matter anymore. It was either they listen to me or face my wrath. And I didn''t think they''d choose to face me of all things.


    "Don''t, you''ll only-" Gorgon tried, but I just ignored him.


    "Y-yes, it would seem we have mistreated your messenger. I believe there was a misunderstanding. If-if you''d forgive-" A noble tried. He was the same guy who started shouting when Biteria hadn''t bowed.


    Since he kept quiet back then- I had a better response now.  "Anyway," I spoke loud and clear, brought out the mystic sword, and sliced his chains.


    He was free but his wounds were still pretty deep.


    So, I cast a bit of healing magic: I was getting pretty good at this. Almost all his bruises disappeared, he was still pretty beat up though. It was enough for him to get back on his feet, barely. The princess acted as his support, her eyes glistening: She seemed genuinely relieved.


    I was yet again reminded that this guy was a lot sturdier than I thought. And the princess was a lot bold too.


    "I''ll overlook this just once." Acting high and mighty was kind of fun. I put a hand on Gorgon''s shoulder. "Don''t go too crazy now. I still want to punch your lights out, so I can''t have you dying on me," I whispered.


    He smiled faintly- while the princess stayed quiet.


    Anyway, we were done here. "We''ll be in the city. It''s been a long time since I''ve been to a human city, might as well have some fun."


    No one complained, no one said anything. ''Looks like my acting worked.''


    I really hope it didn''t backfire though.


    "It really was nice to meet you, your highness. I wish you good day." I bowed slightly before the king and started leaving.


    The king nodded once.


    I heard gasps, sighs of relief, and loads and loads of murmurs.


    I was kind of satisfied of this outcome though.


    ***


    "Is it me or did that go too nicely?" I talked as we walked toward the exit.


    This castle was pretty big and people were still running around. I finally understood why. The festival.


    Everyone was excited about the festival.


    "I suppose they were too afraid that you''d kill them all and take over," Alisa said. "You acted a lot more calmly and smartly than I had anticipated. Therefore, even I''m surprised. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn''t have been possible but you stating you''d take on the emperor, struck fear in them and gave them hope at the same time. Well-done. " She patted my back and then slapped my butt.


    Seriously! That was sexual harassment, you frigging rabbit!


    Yeah, I was just as much surprised if not more.


    "Didn''t you say they wanted to force a political marriage on me?" I was definitely glad they didn''t though.


    "Oh, you wanted a new one? We aren''t, enough?" She said, sulkily, poking here and there. She wasn''t the least sad though.


    And I didn''t have the time or the mood to complain.


    So instead, we just walked out.. "Hell no," I mumbled.

 Chapter 314 - The Holy Night Festival

    It was noon and we had the whole day.


    This was supposed to be the Holy night festival, meaning we''d probably end up staying late. So booking an inn was first priority.


    I still didn''t know what was so holy about this night though.


    "Let''s book a room first?"


    "I don''t think they''ll be any open. We can also stay in the castle without much of an issue I think," Alisa said. "They were too afraid of you anyway."


    "Fair enough. Let''s go check and if there isn''t any open, we''ll stay in the castle."


    I didn''t mind staying in the castle but I kind of wanted to spend the night in the town. I figured that''d be more entertaining. My life was kind of monotonous so a change of pace was always something I was searching for.


    Besides, I didn''t have all the time in the world. And I had a feeling I wouldn''t have time for festivals of all things in the near future.


    "Shouldn''t we first get the sword and the land?" The half-elf was being uncharacteristically impatient.


    Oh yeah, we should have gotten the land first and buried those two.


    "We''ll be staying and enjoying the festival together, therefore I don''t think we need to hurry. We can always just do them tomorrow and leave." Besides, burying those two would have made our mood way too gloomy. Then again just thinking about it was enough to make me feel sad, albeit slightly. ''I''ll finally be able to keep a promise.'' And yet, I found myself smiling despite all that.


    The half-elf seemed a bit unhappy but she didn''t complain. I wish she''d just tell me her name already.


    Biteria however, was looking around, eyes shining. She was also drooling no less.


    We were just out of the castle and already there were plenty of stalls. And the roasted scent in the air was alluring- to say the least.


    Food in this world was a hit or miss for me. Either it tasted amazing or just plain inedible. Most of the spices in this world didn''t really work for me. But for Biteria, it was different. She would eat anything and everything as long as it had meat in it. She was okay with even raw meat. I had to forbid her to not go near decaying meat or I had a feeling she''d start robbing graves or something. Then, again, this thing was also dead, so wouldn''t it be cannibalism? Sure didn''t seem like it though. After all, back at that island, I saw a lot of things, I wished I hadn''t: so cannibalism was the least of my worries.


    Anyway, though I wanted to head to an inn first thing, we decided to stop by a stall and eat some lunch.


    ***


    This was a human country and the capital no less.


    So the food was kind of expensive and smelled nice. It probably even tasted nice- or so my nose told me.


    We were only having it by the road, and not in a proper restaurant. This was more of an appetizer before the actual lunch, anyway.


    This stall had some sort of meat deep-fried with batter, salad, fresh fruits, and rice on the menu. Probably not the best combination for me but the first and the last one together were nice. I had a feeling I wouldn''t be able to eat lunch after this but I ordered some anyway.


    Nostalgia played a big part in all of this. I ordered some fruits for dessert.


    Okay, now I was certain, I wouldn''t be able to have lunch.


    Seeing so, my companions also ordered the same stuff.


    There was a crowd on this stall so the order would probably take some time.


    Biteria though didn''t care about anything as long as she had meat, so we ordered about ten plates for her.


    I still wondered where all that food would go.


    Anyway, we sat on the bench near the stall and waited.


    "Are they fighting or something?" Ve pointed at a couple in the middle of the road.


    The couple was arguing about something and hitting each other: they were the burly type, not too macho though. Neither had respect for the other: people just ignored them.


    The girl was hitting the guy in the crotch and the guy was squeezing her- ah, yeah, I didn''t know if he was winning or losing.


    I chuckled just by seeing that- it did seem painful though.


    After knocking the guy unconscious the girl picked him up and carried him away: we had a winner. Both were pretty tall and muscular but that woman must have been really strong.


    "I don''t get men. Why do you like these so much? Aren''t they just for the children?" Ve said, examining her modest chest.


    Alisa broke into suppressed giggles while the half-elf- looked away to hide her snort. Biteria was too busy drooling.


    "Yeah, no comment." I sure didn''t want to die by fire.


    ***


    After fifteen minutes, our orders arrived and we started. There were no spoons or forks, so we had to eat by hand. I personally didn''t care as long as my stomach was being full and the food was good.


    I did wash my hands though.


    And the food really was good. First of all, the rice was sour but it went good with the meat. The meat was baked in some sort of sweet and salty batter. I didn''t know how but it somehow formed a delicious combo.


    Or was I just too focused on nostalgia?


    Well, it was probably the latter as I took in more bites, the reality hit me.


    The rice was kind of sour and it was also a bit mushy for my taste. But the meat was good. It was so good that I ended up stealing a plate from Biteria. Obviously, I''d made sure she didn''t notice.


    Both Ve and Alisa seemed to be enjoying the meat too. They weren''t touching the rice though.


    The half-elf only ate salads.


    Oh well.


    The food was good but I probably wouldn''t be coming back.


    ***


    We finished and paid.


    I was almost full.


    But now we had an inn to find and a city to explore.


    There really were a lot of people here though. I definitely wanted to find out more.


    Besides, I still didn''t know what a holy night even was.


    But wait, I was literally walking around with four beautiful girls. Three of them were literal goddesses and one was a divine creature- the bunny! So, how come people weren''t staring at me with jealous eyes?


    What the hell!?


    And why the hell was I disappointed at that!?


    "That looks like an inn?" Alisa pointed in the distance.


    Before even setting out on our exploration journey, Alisa had already found an inn.


    The inn looked oddly familiar.


    But I''d never been to this city.


    Wait, the name- "Silver¡­fang?" Wasn''t the inn in Moire, named the same?


    I guess they had branches?


    "Let''s check it out." The half-elf said.


    So far she was quiet on this journey. I guess with her goal so close at hand, she was having second doubts. Or maybe just getting impatient?


    I didn''t know why but something about her felt¡­ odd.


    "Yeah, let''s check it out."


    With that said, we headed for the inn.


    ***


    It was the same thing, just with different people.


    The name was the same, the layout was the same and yet this place looked older.


    There was a lot and I mean a lot of people in here. The atmosphere really reminded me of that first-ever inn I stayed in. The scent was something I could not forget even after all these months.


    People were chatting and some music was being played in a corner by three traveling musicians. They were not good.


    After chatting a bit with the girl behind the counter, I learned that this was the starting place for this brand of inn, and all the Silverfang inns'' of Destoa are just branches.


    Yeah, I didn''t let all this bother me at all.


    What did bother me though, that there was just one room available but it was a big room shared by eight people. It was a medium room on the second floor.


    Two people had already booked two beds, which left six. And we were roughly five. The spacing was good and we could have slept without much of an issue: plus the beds were four bunk beds so we could have just bought all six- or rather three. But I was an advocate of privacy. So, "I guess we could just stay in the castle?" I whispered to Alisa.


    It wasn''t like I didn''t want to sleep in this hard bed or anything, okay?


    But she smiled faintly. "We''ll take the room."


    "Huh?"


    None of my companions complained. They were all evil.


    Seriously, what the hell was wrong with these girls?


    I had a bad feeling about all this.


    Sigh.


    Well, if they were cool with staying with unknown people in the same room, I was cool too.


    I wasn''t cool with this bed though.


    "Anyone up for lunch?" Because I sure wasn''t.


    And I just wanted to get out of this frigging room already.


    "I think I''d like to have lunch." To my surprise, Ve wanted to eat.


    Biteria did too.


    Well, that settled it. We came back down.


    I checked the menu and ordered some fruit juice for me, Alisa, and the half-elf. Ve and Biteria chose their food.


    I did ask Alisa and the Half-elf first but they just left it all to me so I chose the flavor I liked: something citrusy.


    We sat in the corner of the inn. There were plenty of people in here, chatting away.


    I often heard faint conversations but couldn''t really make out much since everyone was talking at the same time.


    The drink was mild-I didn''t like it. Who liked their lemon juice way too sweet anyway?


    Ve and Alisa just ordered more meat. Seriously, I didn''t get people.


    ***


    We lazed around in the inn till the afternoon. Time moved fast and it wasn''t that bad. The atmosphere was festive and I felt a bit of happiness surge. Perhaps I was just distracting myself from the reality but- for this one day, I wanted to move on and enjoy life a little.


    There was one problem though.


    Just one tiny problem.


    I knew nothing about the festival.


    When I asked Alisa, her only response was, ''You''ll see.''


    So, yeah, not the least helpful.


    I was watching the whole town through the window from our table, so I didn''t feel that bored. But, perhaps I was here too long. "Let''s go outside. The people seem to be moving." Then again, people were always moving anyway.


    But more importantly, I was the one who wanted to move.


    No one objected and we headed out.

 Chapter 315 - The Holy Night Festival (Part Two)

    When I did come outside though, I saw a lot of change. That change being, lights. Almost everything was lit up with lanterns, lamps, and even magic artifacts. These guys weren''t holding anything back. I could see most of these things from the inn, but seeing up close like this was a whole different story.


    But that wasn''t all, apparently, they were setting up more and more decoration. And people, in general, were going toward somewhere. It wasn''t just that they were moving but- they had a fixed destination.


    "The main event will be held in the center of the town. It''ll start just after the evening so we still have time. It''ll be rather crowded so we could always just climb on top of Veniolar Xerces and fly," Alisa said. Yeah, I definitely didn''t want to enjoy a festival while screaming for my life.


    Wait, she actually said Ve''s full name! And she said it with a straight face too!


    I cleared my throat. "Let''s secure a good spot and one that doesn''t include flying of all things."


    The awfully proud-looking Ve frowned.


    What did she want, actually what did any of them want?


    I was really going to wring out an answer today.


    ''Let''s wait and see how the festival goes first.''


    We had time, so we just went toward the central plaza while checking everything around us. There were a lot and really, a lot of stalls. Food stalls, drinks stalls, souvenir stalls, and even adult stalls. I definitely wanted to take a look later.


    The decorations were nice and every store had an orange lamp hanging.


    People had small floating lamps in their hands. Even kids had theirs. Then there were large floating lamps, animal lamps, and even large monster lamps!


    I saw a similar thing in a movie once. It was a rather sad event though, as someone had died in that movie.


    Come to think of it, the prince of this nation had died too.


    The expression of the people was a clear indication that this event was anything but a show of grief though. It was definitely a joyous event, and there was no frigging doubt about it.


    "So, people will let those floating lamps fly up and make a spectacular display in the night?"


    I could almost imagine it: Those lamps flying up, creating a marvelous view.


    So, what was so holy about it again?


    "Something similar." Alisa gleamed. But her tone seemed to indicate something else.


    ''So, there''s more.'' This was a different world, so I wasn''t going to be surprised if there was actually more.


    We walked along with the crowd and arrived at the center plaza. It was already half full and it wasn''t even evening yet.


    "Is it me or are there too many people here?" There were definitely a thousand or so people here. This plaza was big enough to maybe hold two- at best three thousand people. But it was suffice to say, those people would have to stay very, very close to each other.


    "This is why I wanted Veniolar Xerces to take over," Alisa said, grumbling slightly.


    Again, why the hell was she saying her full name?


    Come to think of it, lately, Alisa was actually paying her respects to Ve. And Ve was doing the same. In the past, they talked normally and even seemed to have some sort of mild rivalry going on. But lately, they were really acting weird.


    I had a feeling their behavior had something to do with me.


    "Anyway, a dragon taking flight and staying above the city won''t really be that great for people''s hearts." I was more worried about my heart though. I looked around. There were all kinds of people. Humans, elves, demi-humans, and even one or two demons. Obviously, the demons were hidden but I could tell that they were here. "By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask but, how come there are demons here?"


    Come to think of it, I''d probably seen these types of people around the world but at first, I just thought they were maybe demi-humans.


    "They are everywhere. Not all are savage, so we leave them be: these ones are classified under the term ''Demi-human.'' Pig demi-human to be more specific. They are even called orcs at times. The demons who caused trouble were banished to the burning continent- now known as Galbatia," Ve said. "And only those are called demons. The only difference would be that they have wings, and these don''t. These guys are a lot calmer, so people just ignore their existence."


    Well, that was news to me. How come I never- oh wait, I never actually ever asked about the demons in the first place.


    "Can you tell me more about the demons and-"


    Ve put a hand on my shoulder. "Sure, but how about later?"


    Yeah, talking about demons in the middle of the city and people, probably wasn''t a good idea. For a second there, I was just being plain stupid.


    "Alright." I looked around some more and noticed a rather peculiar thing. That being. "How come no one''s on the roofs?"


    The roofs were made of burnt clay and some buildings even had stone roofs. This world had floating rocks, so it wasn''t that surprising.


    The surprising part was that no one was using the roofs though the plaza was nearly full.


    "People tend to enjoy this event in masses, so being on the roof would only make you feel lonely," the half-elf said.


    Yeah, I didn''t get that concept, no sir!


    "So, I guess we could just be on the roof and enjoy this ourselves?" I mean there were five of us, so there wasn''t any need to feel lonely.


    Besides, I had some interesting questions that couldn''t be asked in front of so many people.


    The half-elf giggled. "Yes, that does sound like a fair proposal."


    Incidentally, there was a guild building nearby. A very large and fancy building, spanning three floors and probably twice the size of the one we saw in Tehram.


    ***


    "This place is shiny?" The half-elf looked at the marble floor with wonder.


    Come to think of it, she was pretty old. Maybe during her time, there weren''t white shining floors like this?


    Biteria was also looking around in awe.


    There weren''t many people in here.


    I saw a girl at the counter and two adventurers staring at the bulletin board and that was basically it.


    There were maybe one or two more staff around, but without paying too much attention I just strode forward and stopped right before the counter.


    There were about five counters but only one was open.


    "Hello, I don''t see any stairs and I hate to ask but- how do we get to the roof?" It felt too awkward to ask. And when I did ask, somehow my brain made it sure that the whole situation became even more awkward.


    "I''m sorry but only the higher staff and-"


    I brought out my card. "First class. This here''s my party and I''m Jori''s benefactor."


    "Lord Jori''s benefactor?" The girl looked a bit suspicious as she took my card in hand, took a look, and turned pale. "Lo-lord Daarc!" She screamed, bowed her head furiously. "My humble apologies SIR! Right, this way sir!"


    Her attitude sure took a drastic change.


    I could see the adventurers at the bulletin board- one guy and one girl staring our way but- I kind of didn''t care. ''Aren''t they those muscular-?''


    ***


    We followed the girl and reached the roof of the guild- everything was made of solid floating stone. And the sun was about to set too. The orange sky was the proof of that.


    This was a three-story building, so we weren''t that high but we weren''t that low either.


    "Sir, what would you like to have? Beverages, food? We could even provide-"


    I smiled. "It won''t be necessary. Please leave us be. And thank you for leading us here."


    "My-my pleasure sir!" She handed me my card, shivering slightly, and left.


    "You''ve really become adept to this." Alisa giggled.


    I, meanwhile, grimaced. The thought of me ordering people around scared me. What if I became lazy and like the nobles I oh, so hate?


    But we were alone and the sight was amazing. ''I guess I can take it easy for today.''


    I still had no idea what was going on though.


    But I had some questions and this was the perfect spot.


    "So, I had some questions but I want all of you to answer, truthfully. If you don''t answer me or don''t want to for that matter, I won''t ever ask it again."


    All of my companions looked at me. The setting sun was right behind them and the golden orange sun rays gave them a bewildering look. Their gazes almost seemed to be saying "That is?"


    "Why do you love me?" I spoke to three of them. The fourth- "You don''t have to answer.." I didn''t want to hear that stabbing news from the elf again.

 Chapter 316 - The Rejection!

    The people were murmuring things and the festival was probably just about to start pretty soon.


    Alisa stood in front of me. She looked directly in my eyes and didn''t blink. "I can''t really explain. I love you. I don''t really have any reasons for it." She was speaking normally and yet, there was some sort of nervousness in those words and perhaps warmth. "When I think about you, my heart flutters, when I get near you, my heart beats faster and when I''m really near you, I almost get too hot. Well, I know how to control my feelings so I might-" She really got close to me and held my hand over her chest. "I really do love you."


    Her chest was soft but- there was a different reason she was holding my hand over her chest. The reason- her heart. It was beating very fast.


    The sound of the world felt muffled. I could feel the warmth radiating from her. She was serious.


    I moved my hand. "Alright. Since you were sincere enough to tell me, I''ll give you an honest answer." I paused to take a look at her face and she was just staying quiet, waiting for my answer. I took a very deep breath. "I love you too- but as a sister. I don''t think I can love you the same way I love Lianne. She was my savior and-" I paused and snorted. "No, that''s not it. I might actually have a thing for elves: Lianne, in particular. They betrayed me, used me, and yet, whenever I see Lianne, I forget all her kind did to me. Maybe it''s not really about her being an elf, it''s just-my heart yearns for her. I can''t see you the same way. So, I''m sorry."


    Alisa looked down without saying a word. Her ears kind of bent down.


    "You''ve had your shot, now move aside." Ve walked this way.


    "No, wait," Alisa spoke softly and looked up at me, tears welling up. "I already knew that. But-" She hugged me. "Thanks for being honest. I''ve lived a long time. But you were my first love. As mother said, this really was a bittersweet experience." She buried her face in my chest. And after a brief moment moved aside, totally composed. She had a smile- a very painful smile.


    My heart stung. This pain was new- it didn''t feel like any pain I''d ever felt before. This was really something else, and I didn''t know what it was.


    Now, Ve stood in front of me. "As I said before, I don''t intend on intruding on your relationship with the elf, however, I do possess feelings for you, that won''t change." She was also serious. She was fully prepared to be shot down and she knew I''d probably shoot her down but- but she was willing to take the risk and she was willing to stake her pride.


    And I had to respond honestly to that. "I''m sorry but, you are a dear friend to me. I cannot give you any more than that." I''d already thought about this before. I gave it a long-long thought. "Can we just stay friends?"


    She grinned, very forced. Even her eyes shimmered. "It''s okay, I can respect that." She lifted her fist and held it in front of me, waiting.


    I guess she wanted a fist bump- which we did a second later and she moved back.


    My heart felt pained again. This wasn''t a stabbing pain and my chest felt weird. I couldn''t really tell what this was.


    It was finally Biteria''s turn.


    But she couldn''t speak. She just stood in front of me, eyes leaking. She hugged me, bit me lightly on my ear, and moved back without a word. The whole thing lasted no more than a minute.


    I guess she understood me without a word.


    None of the three cried. And yet, I was the one who felt like crying- I didn''t even know why.


    That left- "Don''t look at me. I don''t feel anything for you. Our deal was that I help you and you get me the land, that''s all," The half-elf said.


    It was a bit quiet. I guess the festival was finally about to start. It turned dark before I''d even realized it.


    "Fair enough." I smiled.


    She also smiled and the rest did too. But Alisa, Ve, and Biteria- all three of them had shimmering eyes. It was too painful to watch.


    But I was the reason. I was their pain¡­


    I''d been rejected before once in my life. I knew how hard it was to get rejected but- I didn''t want to play with their feelings. I was already engaged with Lianne, and I wanted to live with her. I personally took Viola''s responsibility as I was the one who killed her father. But these three, I couldn''t take theirs. After all, I was the type who could only love one person wholly. I didn''t possess the heart to fall in love with many at a time. I couldn''t treat them equally, I couldn''t treat them fairly.


    I was going to die soon whether I liked it or not. So binding them to me was the last thing I wanted.


    Being insincere and hurting their feelings was something that I didn''t want to do either. After all, I really treasured them as my friends. I did love them, just not in a romantic way. And they had every right to know that.


    And they had every right to hate me or condemn me for that.


    "It''s beginning," The half-elf said.


    A single lamp floated up in the sky, the speed was a lot more than typical flying lamps.


    It went up and up, and up and after a brief moment, exploded in spectacular colors: red, green, aqua, purple, all sorts of colors. The sun had set and there were plenty of stars in the sky. So the colors were really amazing. And the sound was kind of nostalgic. A muffled explosion.


    More and more lamps floated up and there were more blasts: these could put the fireworks of my world to shame.


    I looked down and the people were just getting started.


    There were all sorts of sizes and I could finally understand why the half-elf said that thing about being lonely.


    I was surrounded by my friends and yet, I felt lonely as I watched the kids and the people below laugh and look up at the sky with such enjoyment: perhaps it was because of the atmosphere I just created. My companions probably felt the same. But their pain was probably much greater than mine. ''Maybe I shouldn''t have had this conversation tonight¡­'' Maybe I should have just pretended to be ignorant and took everything to my grave.


    Maybe¡­.


    ''Fireworks¡­. Subject¡­ change¡­'' Actually, that gave me an idea. I was pretty good at magic right now, so, I condensed a bit of light and threw it up at the sky. It went high and exploded a second later. It didn''t have fancy colors but it was a pretty bright blast.


    "HMPH!" Alisa puffed up her chest. "Wimp!" She condensed a ball of ice and threw it high! "This is how it''s done."


    And a second later, the sky was lit with intricate ice and snow shapes. The snow never really came down but strangely the ice actually refracted light and it was even more beautiful than the exploding lamps.


    It really was beautiful.


    The general people were actually in awe. But they kept on sending lamps up. Even the big ones, the monster ones too!


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got more!" Besides, I knew how light worked. I couldn''t control the colors with the wavelengths but- I could definitely give it a shot!


    "I''ll give it a go as well!" Ve also condensed something- a ball of fire- in her mouth. She threw it up, literally.


    And this one was like a literal firework, exploding with fierce sound and light.


    Mine also went up and this time instead of just being a bright light, it also had subzones like a rainbow. It was night, so seeing all the colors was a chore. Still nowhere near Alisa''s level though.


    "I''ll pass. I''ll end up poisoning everyone." The half-elf giggled.


    Biteria purred and threw something at the sky. I couldn''t see it but when it exploded it covered everything in darkness for three whole seconds.


    All of us looked at each other in shock. "Well, I did say she had dark affinity," Ve said.


    And a second later, we all just laughed, throwing more balls at the sky and enjoying the night.


    The floating monster lamps were so big and bright that they made ours look like toys. We sure didn''t stop though. Each new one was better than the last. Alisa was still always ahead though.


    I knew my companions were just putting up a front. The pain of getting rejected wasn''t something they could just get over a few laughs. And yet, they were keeping everything in. I really loved my friends, and I was blessed to have them.


    So, even if I was pretending, I wanted to enjoy this night and I wanted to be their friends through thick and thin.


    After all, I didn''t have long.. And they deserved better.

 Chapter 317 - The Holy Night Festival (Part Three)

    The whole thing had lasted for about an hour. Apparently, it was started by the royal family, and then the commoners all joined in and then finished the event. We caught the general people and the royals'' attention when we threw the lights- but no one came this way, or complained for that matter.


    Though the lamp event ended, it wasn''t didn''t.


    It was just the beginning. After the firework-like thing, people started to come back and go about in the stalls and the whole city felt as lively as ever.


    "In the past when this country was first found, the first-ever leader, was a woman. She was thought to be a goddess. Perhaps she was one but- no one knows," Alisa began, standing right next to me. "She never got married. She never had kids. Every year, she would light one lamp and let it float above the city. Those lamps never exploded like this but- those lamps were far brighter and no one could ever hope to mimic them. That one night was like a grand festival for the general people who were plagued with all sorts of problems. After all, the world was filled with monsters and perhaps this one night was the proof to them that they were still alive. Perhaps the lamp in the sky was proof that their lives had meaning. The kind gentle light made them feel peace and that night was deemed pure- the holy night." Alisa sighed. "After twenty years of peace, she left this town and moved on with her journeys- never to be found again. In her image, this festival was found, and ever since then, every year, around that time, the people of this city hold this festival. The holy night festival. Or so it''s been written in the book of my mother."


    I''d been hearing a lot about Alisa''s mother lately but who was she? Alisa''s father was a god, but what about her mother? It sure didn''t feel like the best time to ask though.


    "That sounds amazing but- how come she left? And who was she?" I watched as the people below us left the plaza one by one. People were gradually flooding back into the guild building too, some were going to stalls, while others were going home. But the majority of the people were enjoying the festive mood. There were even shows here and there, depicting what Alisa just told me.


    "Her name was Elfanse," The half-elf paused. She was to my right, while the rest were to my left. "My mother."


    "Oh¡­" I kind of didn''t know what to say.


    "She left just after giving birth to me and every year on my birthday she''d let loose those lamps in the sky hoping I''d see them. I was just a baby though, barely able to move my head," She giggled. "But I still remember those lights in the sky, those bright lights that made me feel I wasn''t alone in my small rocking bed." She looked up, smiling faintly.  "It was funny how the goddess of poison came to be known as a pure maiden in this land."


    ''Goddess of poison!?''


    "Did she-" This was a very sensitive topic but- "Did she go back? To you¡­"


    The half-elf looked at me, and then back at the sky. "No, she disappeared from history. No one ever heard from her again. She probably turned into a monster like the rest."


    There were no more talks. It wasn''t hard to imagine. Almost all the gods were nothing but monsters now. Her mother probably experienced the same fate.


    But it was a bit weird to picture an actual goddess living and guiding humans. Gods stayed in heaven and guided humans from afar- that was the norm. But this goddess literally took this job and saw it through?


    Perhaps gods were different from what I''d imagined.


    Five minutes passed and then ten.


    "Let''s go back I guess?" Ve said.


    "Yeah, let''s."


    It was getting way too awkward here anyway.


    All of us climbed down the stairs and into the guild and well, it was busy. I expected this though.


    The sound was rich and there were maybe a few hundred people talking all at once.


    There were plenty of people and the almost empty guildhall was filled with chairs, tables, and adventurers!


    And where there were adventurers, there were drinks! ''Can''t I just drink this once time?'' Just the thought was enough to make me want to throw up- I guess that was a no.


    "Let''s thank the receptionist and be on our way I guess? You guys want to go anywhere or to the inn?" I just wanted to get out of this sweet-smelling place.


    "Maybe let''s check out some of the event stalls?" Alisa said.


    Though she was smiling, it was forced. Of course, it was.


    It really hurt to see that smile but- "Sure."


    The five of us went to the receptionist and thanked the girl there. She was acting a bit too frantic.


    All the receptions were open and I could see some bigshots heading this way, sweating in the meantime. She must have called the higher staff.


    "By the way, how come I don''t see the guildmaster?" I still distinctly remember that man saying I could find him in this city or was it the city before this one?


    I kind of forgot actually. So much for remembering distinctly.


    "Oh, you''re acquainted with Lord Ronald too!?" She seemed a bit too surprised about these things.


    "Actually I know Bojang and Slouder too." I really hope I didn''t mess up those names. My memory with names was terrible so I kind of didn''t know if I was saying the names correctly or just making things up.


    "My goodness!" The girl held a hand over her mouth. She calmed down a second later. "I should have expected as much. Pardon me my lord but none of them are present at the moment: however, we have the acting guild master, over there." She pointed at the higher staff who were coming this way: I gave them a nod and they bowed. "We have great rooms here in the guild and we even have connections with the local¡­"


    "No, it''s fine. Give them my regards." I didn''t want to throw around my weight anyway.


    With that, I turned around and started walking. I didn''t bother looking back as that would have been a drag to deal with. Maybe this was rude, but, I didn''t want to deal with this now- I just wasn''t in the mood.


    Okay, now I was getting stares. I was also getting jealous glares. ''Seriously? Now?''


    ***


    We saw some plays here there. Most of them were the same thing, but the story was a bit different from what Alisa and the half-elf told me.


    In this version, the first queen never really left the country and had two children. The children were a gift from the gods and she remained unmarried just like the original version. In this version though, the first queen passed her crown to her twin daughters and that day was first celebrated by these lamps: that was also the day when this country had won a war- though no one knew what war.


    Very compelling- but it wasn''t true.


    We had some street food here and there. None of my companions even showed a shred of sorrow. They were experts at hiding their feelings.


    It kind of hurt. But if I went with the flow and broke their hearts later. If I''d played with their feelings, that would have been far worse.


    And that''s why I answered honestly.


    And yet, why was it hurting so much?


    ***


    Around midnight we went back to the inn, had a light dinner, and went upto our rooms.


    The town was still celebrating but we had a big day tomorrow.


    Two people were already here and they were fast asleep. One guy and one girl. They were a couple I guess.


    "Goodnight everyone," I said, softly.


    "Night," Alisa said.


    The rest just gestured.


    Anyway, I took the bottom bunk while Alisa took the top one. Ve and the half-elf took the other double bunk while Biteria alone took over the last one.


    I let out an inaudible sigh and lied down. The bed wasn''t soft and it was kind of itchy.


    I didn''t feel sleepy.


    ''I really hurt their feelings.'' I knew I couldn''t make it up to them. I couldn''t really love them equally and even if I responded affirmatively, what if I just died three months later? Won''t it all be meaningless? Besides, Alisa and Ve were literal gods. They''d live a lot longer than- wait, Lianne would live long too.


    I chuckled but kept the sound to myself. ''I really am an idiot.'' But, I''d already made my decision.


    And I was going to stick by it.


    ''Let''s take these feelings to my grave too¡­''

 Chapter 318 - Doubts

    I woke up before dawn. Apparently, I was being hugged by a bunny as usual.


    Biteria had crept into my bed.


    She was hugging me very intently and from the front side too. So our chests were touching a bit more than I liked. Her face was literally a centimeter away from mine.


    There was nothing I could do about this plus she was a rather soft pillow, so- yeah, I just rolled with it. I saw her as my pet anyway.


    She often purred rather cutely in her sleep though. If only she was that cute when she was awake.


    I closed my eyes and just tried to sleep. It was very hard though when a soft, cute bunny girl was pressing her chest against mine and her breath was falling on my neck. Moreover, I could literally hear her heartbeat.


    Though technically she was supposed to be an undead, she had no smell and she didn''t have any rot either. She was warm too, almost like she was alive.


    It was odd and this just made me realize, I really didn''t know much about the world.  Even now, even after everything, there were so many mysteries.


    Also, the worries from last night came haunting back too. With an inward sigh, I got out of Biteria''s clutches, out of the bed, and finally out of the room.


    It was still kind of dark, so it was hard to tell if everyone was just sleeping. They probably were.


    The outside was also pretty dark- though the eastern hemisphere was starting to brighten up.


    I walked towards the water. I needed to get fresh. Maybe run for a bit and swing my spear around. This was my daily routine anyway.


    Something about magic was bothering me though. And seeing Biteria use dark magic last night made me even more curious. ''Shouldn''t I be able to use that too?'' I focused a bit on my hand and instead of darkness, warm light manifested. Failure.


    It did wake me up a bit more though.


    "Why are you wasting mana, first thing in the morning?" Alisa yawned.


    She was right behind me.


    "Did I wake you?"


    "No, my bladder woke me."


    Yeah, too much information.


    "I''ll go get fresh."


    "You didn''t answer my question."


    ''Shouldn''t you just go pee already?'' Thinking about it made me feel uncomfortable too.


    Okay, we were getting off-topic here. "I was thinking about last night."


    "Don''t let it bother you. You''ve made a choice, I''ll respect that, that''s all."


    Apparently, I wasn''t clear enough. And I kind of didn''t want to clear this misunderstanding either.


    So, "Anyway, you should be moving."


    She rolled her eyes and went away.


    I reached the bucket of water, washed my face, and went for the men''s room myself.


    ***


    Breakfast was brief.


    The couple from our room actually joined us.


    And I kind of recognized them. They were the same couple I saw in the middle of the street yesterday, who made a scene.


    It wasn''t like they had something to talk to us about- rather there wasn''t any space in the inn, so they had to sit with us.


    The inn was filled with adventurers. I didn''t see any typical townsfolk at all.


    "But young man, I have to agree, you sure are lucky." The man had three large scars on his face. He was pretty built- like really well.


    "Because?" I drank my soup.


    We actually didn''t talk much but he suddenly started talking.


    He chuckled. "The girls! Look at the cuties." Strangely he sounded nice- and he wasn''t being weird about it either. He was just being blunt, perfectly blunt.


    His partner was rather quiet though.


    "They''re just my companions. I already have a fianc¨¦e." And I hadn''t talked to Lianne about the stuff that happened in Xylax. Alisa said she''d sent a mail, but yeah, I personally had to send a letter too.


    My companions were pretty quiet too.


    The man was about to say something but he paused. "Ah, my apologies then. I got ahead of myself."


    The conversation died.


    It was awkward.


    I let out a sigh and just kept on sipping the soup.


    ''Was this- is this really alright?''


    "Sometimes," The woman began. "You have to discard certain ideals and sacrifice certain things in life. After all, who wants to be unhappy by clinging to blind ideals?"


    Who was she talking to? She was eating and her focus was on eating. We''d never talked before, so surely she couldn''t be speaking to me, right?


    And yet, I found myself staring at her.


    And she stared back. "Clearly, they have feelings for you, and you have feelings for them. Your awkwardness, your shyness, and the vibe you showed off last night were the proof of that. So, why are you pushing them away?"


    She was observing me carefully. Looking only at me. And I was looking at her.


    ''Wait, you saw us yesterday?''


    At the time they were in the guild too so it was possible they''d heard at least something when these three confessed and they happened to be coming up like us. The possibility was slim but it wasn''t impossible.


    "You''re wrong. I see them as-"


    She smiled. "Look, I''m a woman and I''ve been with this man for over thirty years, and traveled the world, met people, saw people get married, get killed, I know love when I see it."


    I let out a breath. "Well, you''re wrong this time."


    She giggled. "Hopefully, one day you won''t regret it."


    I stayed quiet for a second. "Even if hypothetically, I responded to their love, if I had similar feelings towards them, but disappeared- died just some days later, then what? Wouldn''t that be even sadder? And if I couldn''t treat them the same- if I couldn''t treat them equally-"


    And why the hell was I telling this to a random stranger? Something really was wrong with me.


    I felt like punching myself in the face. I was so confused and I was so agitated.


    "But that''s life. That''s how life works. No one lives forever: and life doesn''t treat anyone equally. It''s hardly fair. And if you know when you''ll die, that''s a blessing in disguise. After all, you get to live your remaining time just as you want, without worrying about the future."


    "But that''s just-" It was just another broken ideology.


    I couldn''t formulate an answer and I couldn''t really look at her anymore.


    Biteria was seated next to me, and she just patted my head, like I used to pat hers. Lately, she was treating me a bit more maturely, than even I.


    It was weird being petted by your own pet.


    And yet, I felt better.


    I didn''t eat anymore- I felt full.


    "After finishing up, we''ve to go check that land and the sword." And as any other person, I tried to distract my mind.


    "Right," Alisa said.


    The rest nodded.


    I could think about the complicated stuff later.


    ''But isn''t that just running away?''


    ***


    The eating phase and the paying phase were over.


    My companions packed up everything for me and were waiting just at the door.


    I, however, stood at the corner, near the woman and the man.


    "Thank you."


    She didn''t really clear anything and I was just as confused as I was before, but I felt a bit better. I was really dreading over my decisions and I wanted to-


    "Don''t mention it. Guiding poor souls is our duty." The couple puffed up their chests with pride.


    "Poor souls?" I chuckled.


    "Daarc let''s goo!" The half-elf sure was excited.


    I gave them a wave. "I''ll be there."


    I looked back at the duo but- they were gone.


    ''Wait, doesn''t that mean they wer-''


    "Miss, another beer!"


    Oh wait, they were just sitting behind me, ordering stuff.


    The woman kind of slapped my butt. "Go get ''em kiddo. You only get to live once!"


    ''That''s sexual harassment you know.''


    Everybody started laughing and it sure was embarrassing.


    I still moved towards the door with a smile though.


    This only made me more confused about my decisions but- I''d eventually figure things out.


    Hopefully.

 Chapter 319 - The Black Blade

    We reached the castle in due time. Just inside the castle gates, our minister was waiting for us and so was Zack. There were some other people here too but I just ignored them.


    Alisa and the minister talked in hushed whispers.


    It was almost like I was watching a drama. But oh well.


    "Daarc!"


    I heard a shout from my left.


    Apparently, the pretty boy had arrived and he seemed pretty happy to see me.


    I kind of wanted to punch him, but in the end, decided not to.


    "Hey."


    "Thanks for the other day." He looked at me with admiring eyes. I kind of wished he didn''t. "I''ll lead you to the showhouse."


    Gorgon was dressed pretty nicely today and he had a rather dashing smile- the kind you''d want to punch him for.


    "Show-house?"


    "It''s a royal room filled with our treasures and we show it to the high nobles and royals from other countries."


    Apparently, it was a museum for the rich. There weren''t any museums in this world though. So, this was new.


    "Sorry, don''t really have much time."


    Yeah, so said the guy who literally spent the last day sightseeing. I almost felt like a hypocrite- oh wait¡­


    Gorgon chuckled. "I know. Your sword is there, so we''ll take a look and after that, we''ll travel to the Alablaster and get the land, how''s that sound?"


    I guess then it was fine.


    "Very well. Lead on!" Now the half-elf was really excited.


    We''d probably be saying our goodbyes soon. After all, our deal was to just get the land and ensure nothing happens to that land.


    "Let''s go I guess," I whispered to my right where Alisa was.


    And so, we went to the fancy museum or rather the showhouse.


    ***


    "You sure seem to be in a good mood," I whispered.


    The castle wasn''t as busy as yesterday. There were still people running around but this felt more like Moire, than a capital. Oh well.


    "Oh, you see." He blushed. "She spent the last night with me." He looked like he was about to melt or something.


    I just rolled my eyes. "Good for you, but are you sure? I mean won''t it become a problem?"


    "I''m the son of an earl, so technically, I''m a noble, so it shouldn''t be a problem."


    Didn''t see that one coming.


    But he had an older brother, didn''t he?


    I had so many questions, but this wasn''t my problem, so I proceeded to ignore all of them. Besides, he seemed happy enough.


    We''d reached the museum.


    Well, it certainly was fancy.


    The floor was black marble, reflecting our blurry images. The ceiling was two-story high.


    There was a massive chandelier. I was a sucker for chandeliers so it kind of instantly drew me in.


    "What would it feel like it that fell on us?" I wondered aloud.


    Why did I have this crippling urge to be crushed by that chandelier?


    "Stop being cynical. And let''s go!" The elf grabbed my hand and pulled me along.


    There was plenty of things here and most of the people were just nobles. The rest were guards.


    Important gems, knives, swords, staffs, and even armor on display: this place was packed. And these guys actually had glass too, protecting the stuff. Gold was everywhere. ''Well, this is certainly fancy if nothing else.''


    But there was just one thing in here that drew my attention and that was in the back, a black blade. I still liked the chandelier more though.


    The sword was totally black and it almost felt like it was sucking the light out of its surroundings.


    "So, that''s the sword?"


    We went closer and Gorgon removed the glass.


    The sword was pretty much the size of the mystic blade. But there was just one problem.


    There was no handle.


    Yup, the whole thing was a curved black blade with a very, very sharp edge. It only had one edge.


    "How the hell do you even hold this thing? And shouldn''t we create a handle for it?"


    "Someone actually built the building centering this sword. It was said that a demigod once wielded this blade, fell in battle, and from then on the sword had stuck to this very spot- not responding to anyone but the worthy. And so far, the sword has cut through anything that tried to touch it be it alive or not- all except this stone it''s under."


    Well, that wasn''t good. I had a history with Ashirnae and if this thing decided to deem me unworthy then what?


    The sword was just resting on top of a stone. The bottom part was also sharp and it didn''t have a handle. But I got the feeling I could hold it at the bottom- and a handle might appear? I sure wasn''t betting on that though.


    "Should I just go about and pick it up?"


    Because if it could cut through anything, then yeah, I wouldn''t be having an arm anymore.


    "You could try," Ve said.


    Well, she wasn''t confident.


    "Let''s get this over with so we can move on to the next," the half-elf said. She wasn''t confident either.


    "The sword would determine whether you''re good enough or not, not the gods, not the mortals, no one. Just the sword, so relax," Alisa said.


    Yeah, no pressure.


    Anyway, I touched the sword, and a jolt of pain of run through my fingers as they fell on the floor. Yeah, I was missing three fingers on my left hand now.


    Blood rushed out and I- "ARHGFHHFGH-"- screamed in pain. This was unbearable but- it wasn''t over.


    The blood stopped about a minute later as I kept on sipping on hi-potions.


    "Well, that was something." I breathed hard. The fingers weren''t growing back. "That''s a no, I guess?"


    My companions were quiet.


    Some of the nobles had run away from here while some others just stared at us with fright and awe.


    But if I wasn''t good enough for this thing wasn''t then how come Xerphas told me to get it? Then why the hell did I spend so much time on this thing?


    I took a deep breath, covered myself in Imbuition, and grabbed the sword- my whole hand fell down.


    I writhed in pain and screamed but- I had another hand.


    ''I''m going to die anyway, right?''


    I grinned. "Yeah, I ain''t backing down, you little shit!" I pulled out the mystic glove or whatever it was called, wore it, and immediately used every stone I could- my whole body glowed and my arm regrew.


    "Daarc you can''t!" Alisa screamed and Ve dashed for me, but I ignored them.


    They''d actually given me about ten meters of space.


    I had about ten seconds of this power and I knew using this would surely make my curse activate this time but! But! I knew I was going to do this sooner or later- so- I held the mystic blade with my left regrown hand and this black blade- the mythic blade with my gloved right hand.


    I could see the aura''s fighting- I could see the black blade absorbing- stealing my mana, but I wasn''t stopping and I used my stones and the pendant too.


    Ve and Alisa were just in front of me, but they couldn''t do anything now.


    The glove was being cut and healed at the same time. I was being cut and healed too. This just went on!


    I was out of breath and I was out of time but- "YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!"


    As soon as the words escaped my lips- the world came to a halt.


    And everything turned black!

 Chapter 320 - The Black Blade (Part Two)

    My consciousness didn''t fade.


    It was dark- but I could see myself.


    I was glowing with a faint white light.


    The darkness was all around me and there was nothing here but the darkness.


    "Anyone there?" My words traveled far and echoed throughout the medium.


    I remembered everything for once and I didn''t feel like a floating spirit or something like that. Meaning, this was real and I was awake- not dreaming.


    "Why do you seek power?" A voice ran through the medium. It was just a single voice, not masculine and not quite feminine either. I''d never heard such a voice.


    It almost felt- divine.


    "To change my future and break through the set destiny. I''ve had enough. I need this sword to kill that monster and get out of this curse."


    I had no idea if that was possible or not but I was going to give it my best shot.


    "So you''ll defy the gods? You''ll defy what is set for you?"


    "Not sure what you mean by that but the gods are already dead and I have no reason to follow the dead. I have no reason to defy them either, after all, they don''t mean much to me."


    I had no idea where the voice was coming from and I couldn''t see anything either. It was almost scary in a sense but since the voice didn''t show any signs of hostility I just stayed put- with my guard slightly up.


    "Then why do you carry the blood of that snake?" It hissed. "Why do you possess its sword? It''s soul?"


    I thought my left arm was empty but it wasn''t. I had the mystic blade- I held it firmly. "Because Trerortra trusted me and because I gave him my word that I''d return this to him, once I''m done."


    "Such foolishness. Humans would never throw their greed away. You are greedy, you are weak and you are foolish."


    "Fair enough but I''ll die soon and I have no reason to break my promise. Whether it be god or just a mortal, I''ll try to keep my promise. And I know I''m all that but- but that''s why I struggle, that''s why I''m still struggling and that''s why I''ll keep on struggling. Even if I have to pretend to my death, even if I have to do this forever, I''ll do it. I''ll achieve what I set out to do, even if I have to lie to myself and the rest of the world."


    The voice remained quiet. "You are not worthy, leave."


    A felt a strong wind press against me, trying to blow me away.


    "I don''t care if I''m worthy or not, I don''t care if I''m good enough or not. But- I need this strength and I''ll take it whether you like it or not!"


    I had enough of gods and their selfishness. It was time, I become selfish as well. I wanted to win and for that, I sacrificed the rest of my time, I wasn''t backing down.


    Backing down wasn''t an option, not anymore.


    "Is that so?" The voice came close, it came close and it stood right in front of me. A face-in the dark- fair and eyes that looked like eternal darkness: beautiful. I couldn''t make out the features because of the darkness but every single part of that face looked like a piece of art: otherworldly beauty that I couldn''t comprehend. "Then show me!"


    A sword appeared in my right hand and it burned with a bright red flare.


    And now I recognized the voice as the darkness gradually faded and I saw those gemlike eyes. I could never forget those eyes. Those eyes had saved in the forest of death and those eyes were the reason so much shit happened.


    "Ashirnae." My voice grew deep as the darkness crept to me and my consciousness started to fade.


    ***


    "WHoah!"


    I woke up, wailing my hands around. I breathed hard and it was almost like there was no air in my body or something.


    I was actually on top of Alisa''s lap. And I couldn''t move my body around. "Looks like I kind of messed up."


    Alisa looked a bit grumpy. "You think?" She was in tears.


    I chuckled dejectedly and tried to get up. She shoved me right back in her lap.


    I guess getting up was a no-no.


    I looked around and my companions were surrounding me. The whole place was emptied and only one or two soldiers were in here.


    But everyone had some sort of over-the-top sad look.


    "SO, what happened?" Ve asked.


    "I met him, I met Ashirnae."


    "I see." She let out a bit of air in relief. "Well." Ve sighed. "At least you got the sword."


    "Wait, I did?" I looked down and I was holding the mystic blade with one hand and the Mythic one with the other. Both of my hands were attached and I was still wearing the glove. "That''s good news I guess." It even had a handle- a very not so comfortable handle.


    "Not quite. As you can see, it''s not as sharp as it was even just minutes ago."


    Now that she mentioned it, it was clear that this thing wasn''t even as sharp as the sword I gave Lianne.


    It wasn''t curved anymore either. It just looked like a one-edged, straight, dull sword.


    "Well, that sucks." I sighed and tried to remember what he said. "He said something like, ''then show me'' and worth and all that stuff."


    "He''s probably thinking of testing you before actually allowing you to wield the sword. Ashirnae was said to be unable to use this sword, and the demigod your friend spoke of- died trying to use this in battle too." Ve reminisced something. "This sword was basically useable but it wasn''t impossible to wield. Legend had it, Ashirnae used this sword to cut the soul of Trerortra. So, maybe you''ll get better with this as you progress. After all, now you can''t be killed."


    All these legends were all over the place. One legend said Ashirnae couldn''t use the sword, the other said, he could cut god''s souls or something. Seriously, why couldn''t anything be accurate?


    Wait, what did Ve just say?


    I got up on my hands and gradually stood up. "Come again?"


    Alisa also stood up. "Your curse- it''s fully activated and you just came back from the dead."


    "Wait, what?"


    Huh?


    Me?


    Dead?

 Chapter 321 - Doubts (Part Two)

    "Are you serious!?"


    No one said anything, they were serious alright.


    "You have one hundred days starting now and in this time, you''ll be unkillable. You have 67 days till your showdown with the emperor if I''m not wrong. Since you won''t be injured from now on, let''s try to make a very effective training regimen. But remember, you might be immortal in these 100 days, but you won''t be immune to pain, meaning torturing you would be quite fun for the emperor in case you happen to lose. " Ve was quite adamant and she looked utterly serious. "So let''s make sure you don''t lose."


    "And I''m guessing that''s why he made such an arrangement for you," Alisa sighed.


    The rest were just quiet.


    I sighed too. This was only normal. After all, I just did something I shouldn''t have. And I should have been prepared for the consequences.


    But assuming I could win this with this power, there was a very good chance I could travel the world and search for a way to get rid of this too. After all, the world was big and I was desperate.


    "Alright."


    ***


    We moved on to the garden next.


    Apparently, both the prince and the princess were there, having their tea.


    And since the prince- or rather the king wanted to have a chat with me, I had to show up, whether I liked it or not.


    I wasn''t feeling that great though.


    "Your majesty." I made a small bow.


    "Your Excellency." He also bowed accordingly and the two of us took our seats. "I take it you''ve already secured the sword?"


    There was an umbrella-like thing above our heads only the prince and the princess were here and some guards. My companions were all behind me, and that included Gorgon.


    Beatrine and Gorgon exchanged smiles and their looks suggested they were enjoying themselves quite a lot.


    None of my business.


    "Yes, yes I have. Would you like to see it?"


    The sword actually came without any scabbards. And if I tried to put it into something, that something would have just gotten sliced. This thing wasn''t that sharp though but it was almost like it had a mind of its own or something.


    So basically I was just carrying it around on my waist while keeping it naked. Yeah, so everyone was already seeing the damn thing. It was really black so it attracted attention as well.


    "Yes, please."


    Well, wasn''t he humble?


    I took out the sword. And I could touch it even without the glove now. Wielding it or taking a swing was a chore though. Not only was this thing kind of dull, it was also heavy- like really heavy. SO just keeping it on me was basically like wearing weighted clothes. I''d rather have worn full plate armor if that was an alternative.


    This thing was still pretty good though. I had to be careful about how I could use it. If used idiotically, I could have just sliced the king in two pieces without actually wanting to.


    "This is the Mythic blade, the sword of Ashirnae- the god of the underworld. I''m sure you already knew that much."  And I made sure to keep the sword at least a meter away from him.


    He smiled knowingly and took a sip of his tea. "I''d have expected no less from the man my sister trusts. Tell me, why did you go over to the side of the elves? You even got engaged. Are you truly in love?"


    "Well, aren''t those too many questions at once?" I chuckled. "Yes, I am in love with Lianne. And I''m acquainted with the current emperor- Jowy. He''s my friend."


    I had a feeling these guys were going to try some political ploy, so made my standing clear.


    "I suppose if love''s involved then there''s nothing left to be done. But- what about Xylax? I heard you are planning on wedding the princess of Xylax. Her name was Viola if I remember correctly."


    "Yes, but currently I only plan on getting engaged with her and just keep it for appearance''s sake till she grows up and becomes good enough to take over the throne. If-" I paused, took a deep breath. "I''m successful in my mission and she still has feelings for me, I plan to marry her and-" I smiled. The thing from this morning was still fresh in my mind. The words of that woman and my feelings. I was about to make a very stupid decision but- "And I also plan on marrying the three behind me- of course, I don''t mean the elf. Well, that''s assuming I can find a cure for my curse and I''m still alive at the time."


    I gave a look behind me and- well, they all were surprised.


    Alisa in particular held a hand over her mouth but smiled a second later- she was glad. Ve smiled proudly. Biteria was flabbergasted and just stood behind me, not saying a word- wait, she couldn''t talk.


    These three were okay with my decision. Convincing Lianne though, yeah, I didn''t want to think about it. ''I''d better send her a letter and hope she doesn''t come for my head.'' Well, it was too late anyway. My face formed a grimace of its own accord.


    The king almost giggled but suppressed it. He did leak a bit though.


    "So in the end, you went that route?" Beatrine said. She was all smiles. "Well, it''s not uncommon for kings of your caliber to have multiple wives. Though I''d assume the elf won''t be pleased. Elves have a tendency to believe in monogamy."


    Well yeah, I guess even if I survived she''d pretty much kill me, now that I think about it.


    I really didn''t want to send that letter- but I had to see this through. I had to clean my own mess. And as my fianc¨¦e, she had every right to know about that.


    "It would seem so, yeah. Well, that''s assuming I live and also assuming I could find a cure, and also assuming they still have feelings for me." I chuckled. "Wait, that''s too many assumptions."  And yeah, then there was the thing about Lianne actually allowing me to marry other people.


    Yeah, way too many assumptions.


    Everyone chuckled.


    The king cleared his throat. "But can you win?"


    Yes, that was the question, wasn''t it?


    "As I am, no. that''s why I''m training and trying to obtain new powers. However, I''m fairly strong now and I believe I have a shot."


    At least I wanted to believe that.


    "You mentioned they''d declare war on humans- or rather the world if you can''t stop him. Assuming the worst-case scenario if you lose, what about then? What''ll happen to your lands and the people?"


    I actually hadn''t thought about that. I knew the possibility of me dying existed and I knew I''d eventually die. But I never even considered what''d happen to the people and-


    I took a deep breath and smiled. "I don''t know. I''m very selfish."


    He burst out laughing. "I''ve never heard kings being this honest."


    "Well, I''m a different breed. But to tell you the truth, Lianne manages Helsing and Xylax is also in good hands. Alfeim already has their rulers. So in the end, I have little part in state affairs."


    "That is true yes. We were already aware that the demons would eventually invade, so that''s why it wasn''t as surprising when you said the very same thing we heard for over ten years now." He finished his tea. "One last question. Why the wastelands?"


    Ten whole years? What the hell was that moron of an emperor doing all this time?


    I took out Boriosa''s scepter from my ring. "This was the staff of the grand mage of six clouds- Boriosa. That wasteland was his father''s birthplace. I have the severed heads of his mother and sister, I plan on burying them there and I plan on turning that place maybe something other than a wasteland. What that something would be- will be decided by the elf over here. She''s a demigod and she was Boriosa''s friend."


    He smiled. "You''ve truly had quite the adventure. I wish to have a long chat with you but, it would seem you don''t possess enough time. Would you like to have tea with me again, if you should succeed and-"


    "Sure. I do have a request though."


    "That is?"


    "If a war should break out would you- would you be interested in forming an alliance with us."


    If a large-scale war broke out and people just focused on their own survival instead of the survival of everyone, things would get ugly fast- like very fast.


    He kept quiet. Beatrine just smiled without a word.


    After a minute he and the princess started to whisper.


    Alisa also started whispering behind me. "A bit rough but good job. Perfect timing."


    The prince sighed.  He grinned. "Alright." He stood up and spread his hands towards me. "I can''t make promises but I''ll try my best. It''s a deal."


    "And it''s sealed." I gave his hands a shake.


    We did chat for about ten minutes more and then we took off from the garden on Ve and finally headed out of the city.


    I said my farewells.


    This wasn''t as bad as I thought it was, but- my limited time just got a lot more limited.

 Chapter 322 - Alablaster

    We were flying above the city and well, there weren''t that many people up.


    When we first headed for the castle, even then there weren''t many people out. Now it was basically almost noon and still, there were only few people out.


    And the ones that were out were mostly just soldiers or adventurers.


    "Are people sleeping or something?"


    I really needed something to think about so I didn''t end up screaming.


    "They spend the day after the festival with their families. They''ll resume working from tomorrow," Alisa screamed from behind me.


    "Basically, it''s a holiday?" Sure sounded like a holiday.


    No one really answered me. ''Talk to me, people, talk to me!'' Otherwise, I''d just scream!


    And before long we passed the city and headed due south for two whole minutes.


    I didn''t scream- no. It was hard.


    Ve slowly took us down and when I did reach the ground, I lied down on the soft grass.


    Brought back memories- terrible memories but- at least no more flying.


    I could just kiss the ground!


    On second thoughts- after remembering the nightmares- no.


    "This is the outskirts of the town. You see those planks of wood and some stones here and there- those were houses once," Gorgon said, looking around.


    I got up and had a look myself.


    This place- basically the size of a typical village was covered in a moderate amount of grass. There were some trees here and there. There weren''t many graves either. I saw three- no four graves and about twelve or so places which looked like there were houses there in the past.


    In the past, this place could have been lively, but now- it was nothing but a wasteland.


    There were one or two villages in the distance and the city wasn''t quite far away either. But- but I guess just because this place was close- didn''t mean it couldn''t be abandoned. According to Gorgon- this place was gradually became abandoned some centuries ago when a drought nearly wiped out all the vegetation of this place.


    ''But centuries are a long time¡­''


    Wind blew past us and then I realized, one of us looked really dazed.


    Her eyes were shimmering and she was distantly looking ahead. Almost as though she wasn''t even here- looking into the past.


    "You okay?" I stood next to her.


    "I''m fine, I came here once." Her voice was soft. "Back then- this place- the village was really wonderful." The elf smiled faintly. "This was a prosperous village. When I came here, humans and elves weren''t quite at war yet. It was peaceful and Boriosa was with me. I have a confession to make." She stared at me.


    "Yes?" Well, I basically had time.


    After doing this, I''d be free. I''d have to go back to Xylax, drop off the minister, and then head to Dracona. But now that I had both my arms, I didn''t know if I even needed to practice one-handed swordsmanship anymore.


    I had to write a very convincing letter to Lianne first though.


    She took a deep breath. "I was born into the royal family. I''m a half princess."


    I stayed quiet for a minute.


    And then- "Why is my life filled with princesses? Like seriously! It''s just prince and princesses! Why can''t there be normal people! Argh!"


    Every single one of my current companions were royalty: princesses to be more exact.


    ''Calm down, calm down Daarc. Calm down¡­'' Deep breaths.


    Okay, I was calm.


    Gorgon''s giggles from the side weren''t actually helping. "I suppose you were lucky?"


    "How?" I took more deep breaths and faced the elf. "Go on."


    Meanwhile, the other two demigods were also gigging- just hiding it before any sound could come out: the sound was still coming out.


    Biteria was purring though.


    "I don''t know if Boriosa told you but- during my time half breeds were treated as garbage. They weren''t real people to the elves. By my thirteenth birthday, I''d already learned about the world and how it worked. I didn''t have any experience but I knew I couldn''t stay in the castle: I didn''t want to. I had this feeling that they''d eventually get rid of me. Since I was a half-breed and a demigod, I aged fast- at least faster than humans.


    "I don''t know how but I slipped past the castle guards and somehow managed to sneak into the city. I was amazed at just how much the city was different. There was food, there were kids, there were people! They were a bit different looking from me and somehow I really, really stood out. I didn''t care though- after all, I could finally walk around all by myself, talk to people, play with kids my age.


    "But almost no one spoke to me. In the castle, the maids still talked to me and the ministers and the guards treated me well because of who I was. But outside, everyone just treated me as a half-elf, nothing more, and nothing less."


    She stopped and her voice was tinged with sadness.


    "You don''t have to force yourself to tell me. After all, sometimes it''s best to leave the past in the past."


    "No, it''s fine." She took a deep breath. "I didn''t lose hope and just walked around all by myself. I was in a maid''s attire- and since the attire was that of a royal maid- no one really try to harm me but they did keep their distance." She smiled faintly. "Eventually, I got lost in the city and no one helped me: asking for help only resulted in jeers and insults. Soon it was about to become evening and I didn''t really know how to go back. The soldiers around the town didn''t even look at me. I was hungry and miserable. And I knew bad things were about to happen. There was a busy street in front of me and people were just passing by, but no one was looking at me. no one was asking me ''what''s wrong.'' I thought I was really mature- but I wasn''t.


    "The sun had sunk and people were going back to their home. I was just sitting on the pavement, hoping to see someone I knew. But just when all hope seemed lost, just when I thought this whole thing was a bad idea, I met him, I met a young boy holding a piece of bread towards me. I still remember the words he said. ''Your tummy was rumbling so loudly that I could hear you from across the street, you know.'' I was so embarrassed that I took the bread and hid my face behind the bread."


    I chuckled subconsciously.

 Chapter 323 - Farewell

    The half-elf also chuckled. "From that day on, I always sneaked out of the castle and met up with the boy. We talked and explored the city together. Turns out, he was also a half-breed like me but he was kind of a genius. He wasn''t happy with his life and because of that, he wanted to go out exploring. For that, he often practiced magic- he was really good at it. I also picked up some spells from him and time moved on. That decade was one of the best decades of my life." She smiled, looking over the horizon. "When the day came for us to part- I- ran away with him. I made a very convincing case of suicide in the castle and faked my death: I asked my little brother''s help and he jus." She snorted loudly. "It was not easy, I assure you." she sighed, controlling her laugh. "But it was worth it. I traveled the world and after a while, we made it to this village, this village where he was born: we had friends, and some of them settled down in this place. A lot of things happened after that- a lot of devastating things but- my time with him were really precious and he loved this place: I loved this place."


    She smiled. "Sorry, you had to go through this boring story of mine. I really can''t tell you, how much it means to me that you did this for me. Even if I went back to my country and asked my kin to get this land for me, it was impossible. Besides, to them, I''m dead."


    "Don''t worry about it. And your story wasn''t boring at all."


    I''d already made the promise anyway. If I hadn''t met Boriosa, a lot of things wouldn''t have worked out this way and my journey would have been a lot, a lot harder. So I was really grateful to him and for that, I wanted to keep my promise.


    I opened the portal to the ring and carefully took out two heads. The last remaining pieces of Boriosa''s family. The head of his mother and his sister.


    While we were talking, Gorgon and Ve were actually competing to dig up two graves for us. Ve won but- seriously, they were competing for something like this?


    I seriously didn''t get people.


    Alisa cleared her throat. "Don''t just hold them like that, use your magic and free them from the crystal or they''d forever stay like that."


    The heads were actually made into crystals. I Imbued the heads and my body. I gradually poured mana into the crystalline heads. The severed heads actually looked pretty much like they just died moments ago. They were still pretty much dead though.


    "Won''t they turn into undead?" I said.


    "Your mana is rather pure so I don''t think so. Besides, the elf will probably stay here, so it should be fine."


    The crystals broke down and I gave one head to the elf. "You will?"


    "Yes, I plan to stay in this land and create an orphanage of sorts for all the half-breed children who have nowhere to go. It''ll be free from racial discrimination. And as I have a long life ahead of me, I think I''m the best fit. And since this land is owned by you, I don''t think anyone would dare mess with us."


    She was a demigod so I didn''t think anyone would be dumb enough to even think of messing with her.


    We both placed the heads in the grave as Gorgon said some prayers. Apparently, he''d taken priest lessons before.


    Afterward, we started to throw dirt.


    "About that-" Gorgon stood before the half-elf. "I can help you maintain this place."


    Well, wasn''t that nice of him?


    "Really?" But the elf was skeptical. "I''m assuming you are looking for something in return?"


    Gorgon was a nice guy but this offer seemed a bit too nice, even for him.


    "Yes, I would like to be trained by you. I''ve learned that my training is not enough for what is yet to come, therefore training under you would be the best solution."


    I rolled my eyes as I finished the grave.


    We were basically done.


    The elf didn''t actually answer him though.


    "Should we make a third grave for Boriosa?" I still had his clothes and scepter.


    "No, he did always say, no place could bind him, so I don''t think he ever wanted a grave."


    I chuckled. "I suppose so." If he did want one, he''d have asked me to make one for him too. "You want his things? I have his scepter and-"


    "Keep them, they were a gift to you. I can''t-" She paused. "I can''t take them."


    I moved back a little towards Ve, Alisa, and Biteria.


    Our minister and Zack were further back, resting beneath a tree. They never interrupted us unless it was absolutely necessary. I forgot they were even here.


    "That takes care of your promise then?" Alisa said, as she stood next to me.


    Ve and Biteria were just behind us.


    "Yeah, pretty much. Took me a while but- I''ve finally kept at least one promise."


    The graves were done and I did feel much better.


    Alisa didn''t say anything. But then- "You''d marry all three of us if you survived?"


    Well, it was complicated. "There''s a lot of ifs involved but yeah. Lianne would probably kill me, but yeah."


    She smiled and grabbed my hand, squeezed it gently. "Fine by me. It''s a promise then. And don''t worry, I''ll protect you," She winked.


    ***


    We spent the next half an hour here and after a while, we decided, it was time to leave.


    Gorgon and the elf would stay behind while I''d be going back to Xylax with the rest.


    "You know, if I happen to survive this whole thing, I''d be dropping by this place once and see the progress myself. Good luck," I said.


    Ve was already in her dragon form, waiting. Alisa and Biteria were behind me while the minister Zack were atop the dragon.


    "Yes, of course."


    "By the way, you''re a relative of Lianne in that case?"


    She looked pretty much like her and she did say she came from the royal family- so this could very well have been possible.


    "I am Joanne Reraine." She gave me a courtly bow. "From your description, I''d say, she should be my niece."


    "And now you tell me your name!?"


    I''d asked her at least a dozen times about her name but she just plain refused! And now she just casually gave it to me?


    What the hell!?


    She giggled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Daarc Green. May you be prosperous and not die a painful death."


    That was both nice and ominous at the same time.


    We shook hands. "Likewise." I was definitely not comfortable thinking about the second half though.


    And with that, I turned around. I saw her nodding at the rest of my comrades and them nodding back.


    This almost didn''t seem like a farewell.


    Then again most of these folks were either immortal or they just had long times, so they probably didn''t think they wouldn''t be meeting.


    I was the only exception.


    I got on top of Ve, still a bit uneasy.


    Biteria sat in front while Alisa was behind me. As Ve took off slowly, I waved at the ground. Joanne and Gorgon waved back.


    "Farewell- Daarc Green!"


    As their faces become too small to see, I let out a small sigh and looked ahead.


    ''How the hell am I going to write that letter?''

 Chapter 324 - The Hypocrite

    As we crossed the borders to the human country, aka, Destoa, I kind of regretted something. That something being, I''d made a rather stupid decision by just sheer impulse.


    And I didn''t even bother consulting anyone for that. Maybe, I was being stupid, maybe I was being disrespectful while trying to be respectful but- I took a deep breath.


    "Turn left."


    "Left?" Ve let out a small growl. "To?"


    "Where we first met."


    There was silence, almost as though she was expecting me to say the very same thing¡­.


    "Very well."


    Ve didn''t say anything and just turned. The two bunny girls in front of me and behind me didn''t say anything either. Meanwhile, our minister and his guard- Zack were quite confused. They didn''t bother saying anything either though.


    ***


    Instead of going back to Xylax, we went to Tehram. It was a long flight and kind of late.


    I dreaded the whole way. This was my decision and yet I couldn''t help but wince at the fact that I actually didn''t have a good response to what I''d done.


    But this was unavoidable. I couldn''t run away forever and I didn''t have much time anyway.


    It was late and since they was no moon, it was entirely possible, no one even noticed, something was in the air.


    Some soldiers, despite the darkness, still spotted us in midair but they refrained from firing. I had no idea if they knew it was me or just assumed the town would get eradicated if they attacked a dragon or something.


    "You sure you want to do this?" Alisa whispered as we set our feet on the ground.


    She hadn''t talked in a while, in fact, everyone was quiet.


    Oh sweet, sweet ground!


    "Uh-huh." Mostly definitely, not.


    Lianne would chew me up! I''d just broken her trust.


    But yeah, I had to come out clean.


    She deserved to know the truth.


    The soldiers in the garden were flustered but as they spotted me, they all settled down with bows and salutes. Some were even shedding tears and stuff.


    More and more soldiers, maids, guards, even nobles in their nighties were here to greet me.


    Talk about an exaggeration!


    "Lead me to where she is." I ordered one of the soldiers.


    "Right, away my lord!"


    Good to know, he actually understood what I meant.


    Would have been nice if he''d misunderstood me and taken me elsewhere though, cause I really didn''t want to run into Lianne. I came to see her and to talk to her about the mess I was getting myself into but- I- I really didn''t know¡­.


    ***


    The halls seemed oddly empty.


    It was maybe, ten-eleven?


    And though the pyres were burning it felt rather cold.


    Oh wait, then why was I sweating?


    Was I¡­ afraid?


    I couldn''t be, right?


    Right?


    "You okay?" Ve whispered.


    "Uh-huh, totally."


    Like, totally.


    Even my mouth was slightly shaking. Everything was under control though.


    "Well, you sure don''t look the part¡­" Alisa mumbled.


    ''Hey, I heard that!''


    Like totally.


    The road just went on and on.


    Each step reverberated in the empty halls and even the smell of this place brought back memories.


    I remembered the gardens we''d passed by, the merciless training I had in there, and all that.


    ''I love her and she loves me¡­ she''ll understand, right?'' I really hoped she would. But what if she didn''t.


    Then what?


    I didn''t have an answer.


    ***


    After what seemed like an eternity, we reached a double door. It wasn''t the throne room, rather one of the royal chambers. Not a bedroom, but rather an administrative room of sorts- or so I''d been told along the way.


    ''Should I really...''


    I was really hesitant but after coming this far, after all this time¡­


    I gave a firm knock on the door.


    "Come in."


    And entered. I did not want to think about this, no sir!


    There was only one girl inside- the high elf.


    "Daarc!" Lianne jumped from her seat and ran my way, grabbing me and kissing me without a second of delay. She really was fast. "I''ve missed you."


    Well, she sure wasn''t expecting me.


    This was probably the fourth time I actually saw this elf this emotional. She almost looked cute.


    Mature, but cute.


    And I felt guilty.


    "Is everything alright?" I kissed her as well and cleared two stray strands of hair from her face.


    "Yes, it''s just, that letter¡­" Her voice trailed off as her gaze drifted towards my companions behind me.


    I instinctively straightened my back and gulped. "I can explain?"


    "And I''d love to hear that." Lianne smiled, rather radiantly.


    I''d seen that smile before, that day when we shared our first night. That smile of doom.


    I cleared my throat, shoved the soldiers and the minister of Xylax out of the room, and locked the doors, and well, began a discussion I never, ever wanted to have.


    But I created this mess and I had to do something about it.


    ***


    "SO, because you think it''s insincere of you to ignore their love, you''d acknowledge them and make them your concubines? Is that what you''re trying to say?" Lianne was seated on her chair, legs crossed, and a hand on her chin while the rest of us just stood in front of her like naughty children being scolded.


    This was not how I planned this to go.


    My plan was to slowly break the ice and with a bit of a romantic mood, make her understand that I loved her the most and though I did like the others, I was merely respecting them.


    Then again, even I knew that was just stupid. And I, myself wasn''t convinced. And I didn''t have a definite plan. My plan was more or less a ploy to fool myself into thinking all of this will work out.


    Just what the hell was I thinking?


    And, I might have come out a little too desperate in my attempt too.


    Then again, considering I was going to die in three months regardless, what was the point of even doing all this.


    Honestly, I didn''t know.


    I really didn''t know.


    Was I even remotely close to doing the right thing?


    I didn''t know.


    "Tell me," As I was silent, Lianne continued. "How many do you plan on marrying? I''ve heard that you already promised to wed the princess of Xylax and now these three? Are there more? Did you even mean what you said that day?"


    I cleared my throat. "I''ll be honest. Everything happened due to the circumstances. I can''t do anything about them. You, however, have every right to criticize me and even¡­ leave me. But, I love you and-"


    Lianne sighed. "And now you tell me, you love me." She looked distant as she stared at the floor. "I always believed in love and my youth was quite colorful. I had countless experiences and almost whenever I thought maybe, this guy is the one, he wasn''t. I made a rule for myself, that I''d refrain from being in a relationship with someone unless I was one hundred percent certain that the other person felt the same and yet¡­ I''ve made the same mistake all over again." She chuckled slightly. "History does repeat itself."


    I took a deep breath. This was getting out of hand.


    And I knew she was old, but really, countless experiences?


    Well, the past was history anyway. More like, I didn''t want to think about it.


    ''And forgiving her and acting like a great guy? Nice going Daarc Green.'' Even my own subconscious was mocking me.


    "let-let''s talk. I know, I''ve wronged you but- let-let''s talk."


    "I don''t wish to talk to you tonight." Lianne didn''t look at me. "You should already know where the guest rooms are. It''s late so preparing the royal chambers would be a hassle. The guest rooms are always prepared, so go rest there. You must have been traveling for a long-" Halfway through Lianne stopped as she violently wiped her eyes. She didn''t let a single drop show.


    God was this woman strong¡­


    And, here I was¡­ the hypocrite.

 Chapter 325 - The Hypocrite (Part Two)

    We did find the guestroom, but there was no sleep in my eyes.


    I couldn''t.


    I just couldn''t.


    "Still awake?"


    Around midnight Alisa started talking.


    This was one of the larger guest rooms with two beds. Ve and Alisa shared one, while Me and Biteria, the other one.


    Biteria was fast asleep and I had no idea if Ve was sleeping or not. It didn''t matter though.


    "Yeah."


    "I admire your choice to respect us but- I think you shouldn''t. Or more importantly, there are more pressing things you need to concern yourself with at the moment. Your first priority should be to survive and beat the emperor, then to figure out a way to win. And then think about all this." Alisa paused for a moment. Her words weren''t forced and she was speaking frankly. "Besides, we all know you love the elf. So, even asking that you think about us instead¡­ is just wrong."


    "I-"


    "You don''t need to answer. I''m merely just speaking out loud. Anyway, I think I''ll catch some sleep. Do you want me to put you to sleep? I could even teach you the magic." She let out a faint chuckle.


    It was dark so I couldn''t really see her face. But I knew, she was sad, just from her tone. It was hard to tell, but somehow¡­ somehow, I knew.


    "No thanks."


    I needed to think. I couldn''t just wander in dreamland and hope everything will be alright.


    "Alright."


    ¡­


    ¡­..


    .....


    And no more sound reverberated. No more nothing. Biteria was right next to me, so I could feel her breathing but that was it.


    I couldn''t feel anything else.


    Nothing.


    There were certain things I needed to account for. One, the whole concept of respecting their wishes, was probably just a hoax. I didn''t know what I wanted to do, so when that woman back at the inn gave me advice, I acted like an idiot and thought that was the best course of action.


    But it wasn''t.


    After all, I loved Lianne and she wasn''t okay with this. And my friends weren''t chew toys either. I couldn''t just toy with their hearts and throw them away.


    I couldn''t just promise them something and then dismiss them out of nowhere.


    And the fact about me dying remained too. I didn''t have much time and I was wasting the small amount of time I had in domestic turmoil.


    I clutched my hand to my chest. ''It hurts.'' And I was the cause of all this.


    If I''d thought things through a bit more, if I were a bit more mature in my decision-making¡­ it would have never led up to this.


    "Mmmghmm¡­'' Biteria made a pillow out of me in her sleep. This was typical of her but- I had a feeling she sensed my distraughtness. Or maybe even this was just a way of my mind pretending and thinking something happened because of me- for me.


    But I the end, the truth was, I was just trying to justify things without actually giving a damn about what the reality was. I was just trying to make things work my way, not the best way.


    I was just pretending.


    ***


    I woke up when the rest of my comrades woke up exactly at dawn. I wasn''t quite sure when I fell asleep but one thing was for certain, whenever it was, I didn''t get enough sleep.


    "You look like an undead," Ve said.


    And I didn''t have a response to that.


    All I could do was Yawn and wipe my almost dead, tired eyes.


    Ve and Alisa were dressed, so maybe they''d got up a little earlier than me.


    Still, seated in bed, I watched the warm light coming through the window. It was probably spring. And soon it''d be summer- the same season when I came to this world. ''My time''s almost up.''


    Biteira was still sleeping, grabbing my pillow, thinking it was me. It was almost cute. Why couldn''t she just be the cute fluffy white bunny instead of a bunny girl? I liked bunny girls but still¡­.


    "I''m not familiar with this place, so could you lead me to the showers?" Alisa said, looking at Ve.


    Ve looked a bit troubled. After all, she didn''t quite know either. Last time she''d just showed up moments before our departure and that was it.


    "We could always just ask a maid," I said. "Or maybe I could take you. I''ve been there myself."


    "Fair enough but don''t you have something bigger to worry about."


    As a matter of fact, I did and I remembered every little bit of that too. The only problem was, I had no plan whatsoever and I knew nothing about what I could do to make all this work.


    "Look Daarc-" Ve paused. "You should patch things up with the elf. I''m content being your friend."


    Alisa smiled and nodded along.


    Meanwhile, Biteria woke up and grabbed my hand. Apparently, the bunny wasn''t okay with things. Talk about a selfish rabbit!


    I chuckled. "Alright, you guys head over to the bath. I''ll fresh up a little and see what I can do."


    The two nodded while Biteria just pouted. None said anything.


    Not the best start to this day but it was better than nothing.


    ***


    I couldn''t find Lianne. She wasn''t in her room and she wasn''t in the courtroom either, actually, no one was in the courtroom.


    The guards outside had seen her leave but they didn''t know where she went.


    About five minutes later Bryce showed up from nowhere. He almost cried seeing me. Good to know the guy was doing good but I had other things to worry about.


    "Know where Lianne is?"


    "No, my lord. I haven''t seen lady Lianne all day."


    All-day? It wasn''t even time for breakfast yet. What was all day to this guy anyway?


    My breathing became a bit erratic and so did my heartbeat. Did she leave this place without me knowing?


    She wasn''t that irresponsible and impulsive, was she?


    I guess after what I pulled, even if she wasn''t, it didn''t matter.


    ''What would I have done if she''d done something similar to this and asked me? Could I have accepted such things from her? Could I even picture her with-'' I stopped.


    My heart ached. I could finally feel a glimpse of what she felt¡­ and though I knew this feeling was fake- I had to do something.


    Sighing wasn''t getting me anywhere. I needed to think and I needed to wake up. I needed to make this right.


    "Say, is there any warm drinks that can make you feel refreshed or something?"


    The stuff I''d bought in Saram had sadly run out. They weren''t that great tasting but they got the job done.


    "I think you can get a glass of warm milk if you asked the chef nicely."


    I guess he was speaking from experience. The guy probably forgot for a second that I was actually the king of this land. Because his next words were "Le-let me go and bring it right away my liege!"


    And he was shaking too.


    "Don''t bother. If I drank milk now, I''d be sleeping again."


    I believed in Lianne that she wouldn''t run away. I didn''t know why, but I wanted to believe and when I finally meet her, I''d be sure to have a talk and make her understand, my feelings for her weren''t lies. I didn''t care about anything, I only loved her. And if she wasn''t okay with this, then I''d go back on my word and not make a single effort in this regard ever again. Lianne mattered more.


    And I wanted to make sure she knew that. I''d have to apologize to my friends extensively for making this harder than it should have been, I''d apologize to Lianne as well¡­


    I had enough of trying to fix everything with my stupid fixes.. It was high time, I had a face-to-face, real conversation with her regarding our future.

 Chapter 326 - A Second Chance

    I had way too many worries but I had no answers.


    Walking around, looking gloomy was only making the people around me worry too.


    So, I put on a face and went around the palace, looking around: I tried my best to look normal and pretend like I was just doing a routine check on my kingdom. It was a lot livelier than last night and people just kept pouring and pouring.


    The nobles in particular were kind of surrounding me every now and then. And out of nowhere the count showed up and managed everything, every single freaking time. The guy had greeted me and I''d greeted him but that was all.


    It was almost like we had an understanding between us or something. The last time I''d behaved really rudely to him but I guess the apology really had worked. He didn''t seem to harbor any ill feelings towards me. He didn''t quite like Bryce though.


    But I was glad nothing bad happened between the two.


    What surprised me the most was the fact that no one asked me any questions about how or why I came back. They just assumed I missed this land and came to check on the people. I guess people liked to believe whatever made the most sense to them and whatever made them feel safe.


    But I couldn''t fault them for it. After all, I was the same.


    ***


    It was almost time for breakfast but I still hadn''t found Lianne.


    Apparently, no one had seen her. One or two maids told me they saw her heading towards the bath- some said she went towards the garden while others said she left the palace entirely. None were credible and I couldn''t find her anywhere.


    In the end, I had to give up.


    I did get to know that this kingdom was doing well though. People weren''t revolting and things were calm. Boring, but calm. Meaning, Lianne had been doing a great job.


    The people really liked her and because of her everything was going great.


    And here I was, making a mess. I really felt bad- tired and guilty. But- but there was something I could do about this and for that, I had to first find Lianne.


    "We''ve prepared a feast for you my lord," The count said.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t feel like even thinking about food, let alone eat some.


    My mind was elsewhere.


    "Please lead on."


    But I had enough of worrying. So, I just went with the flow and showed up in the dining hall. Though I didn''t feel like eating, I knew for a fact, my body wouldn''t work properly without sleep and food.


    Strangely, my comrades were already here. No wonder I hadn''t seen them after the whole bath thing.


    But more importantly, Lianne was here.


    I almost felt like a rock had been lifted from my chest.


    Nothing actually changed but- I was really, really glad, she didn''t leave me.


    So, with a shivering heart and body, I took my seat right next to her.


    Our seats were separate from the rest of the people who had joined us for breakfast. Our comrades and the nobles, that was it. Some guards were in here, but they were just guarding us.


    Everyone was actually waiting for me to show. And when I did show up, the breakfast- or the so-called feast finally began.


    I remembered this room- the very same room where the previous duke had girls surrounding him. Back then I''d turned into a girl and tried to seduce the duke. Lianne was trying to do the same¡­ that night wasn''t that great but I did get to become Lianne''s fianc¨¦ and well¡­ though I acted like I wasn''t really into it, I knew I liked her. And I had a hunch she liked me. At the time, I didn''t know if she did like me or not but-


    I chuckled. Yeah, things were really something back then.


    Now that I looked back, the past wasn''t actually that bad. It just¡­ things gradually just went on being worse as time passed.


    I made them worse.


    ***


    Breakfast began and everyone started eating without a word.


    Only the forks and spoons made sounds- the people did not.


    No one said a word. So, talking to Lianne about anything didn''t really fly.


    I couldn''t eat much as my mind was elsewhere but- I did pay close attention to Lianne. She ate modestly and her eating was overflowing with elegance. She looked really different from back then.


    When I''d first met her, I distinctly remembered her skinning a deer. She ate it with me that night- and she was just like me at the time, eating with her hands, smiling, giggling as the two of us ate.


    And later too. During our journey, she never let me feel like she was any different from typical adventurers. She was down-to-earth and very practical.


    But- but now she was different. There wasn''t even a trace of happiness on her face, she had dark spots beneath her eyes and her face was tainted with worries.


    Half-dead didn''t need much sleep. Just an hour- or maybe two was enough for them to function normally.


    But- Lianne- she probably never slept even for a minute. And that pained look on her face only made me feel worse.


    ''Damn!''


    ***


    Breakfast was over and Lianne moved out of the room. I followed her.


    "Lianne!"


    She didn''t look back and just walked.


    "Lia!"


    She still didn''t look back.


    "Please, we need to talk!"


    She didn''t turn around. "Talk about what? How popular you are?"


    "Please!"


    I caught up to her and grabbed her hand.


    She jerked it off. And glared at me. Her face was covered but her eyes were clear, she despised me. "Very well. But bring those girls with you. We''ll talk after dinner." And yet, there was sorrow in them.


    With that said, she left hastily. She seemed angry but she was perhaps pained than angry.


    It only made me feel worse.


    I stood alone in the hallway, looking down at my feet.


    "Elves take matters of the heart very seriously. It''s rare for an elf to fall in love with a human." The minister of Xylax was behind me. And so was Zack. "Normally the tradition of Alfeim is to take in one bride and one mistress in case you need more heirs. Anything more than that however is not only frowned upon but- even regarded as high treason in the royal family. I guess you didn''t know that." He became a bit quiet. "Forgive me for not realizing this sooner."


    "It''s not your fault." Besides the guy wasn''t with me when we had the conversation with the king of Destoa. I chuckled. The king must have thought me to be a fool to claim I''d take in my friends as my wife while I was already engaged to the princess of Alfeim. Or maybe he thought I''d be able to pull it off.


    I chuckled again. "There are so many things I don''t know¡­."


    But- one thing I did know, I''d just got a chance to make things right.


    And there was no frigging way was I going to let it go by.

 Chapter 327 - The Magic Words

    Lianne was very happy that night.


    Daarc had shown up.


    But her happiness soon turned to dread.


    Daarc hadn''t come alone. He''d brought three beautiful girls with him and two of them were literal demigods.


    The betrayal had hit hard.


    She''d been in love before and she''d been betrayed before. After a while she''d made up her mind, she''d never be with another man unless she was sure the man felt the same and she kept it up for seven whole centuries- almost eight. After all, she didn''t want to go through the pain of rejection and the pain of betrayal.


    But- when she finally opened her heart again, when she finally loved another- she got betrayed- again.


    Life wasn''t fair, it never was. She lost everything- her family- her brother and now even her love, the same man he thought to be ''the one''. She''d lived a long life, but it was far from being a fulfilling one. Whenever she cared about something- it was always snatched away by destiny.


    Lianne had fallen in love before but- this was the only time she''d been drunk on love.


    And because of that she couldn''t look him in the eye- she couldn''t forgive him. She knew Daarc probably had no choice, but she couldn''t believe him, she couldn''t believe his words.


    She didn''t want to- not anymore.


    She couldn''t work, she couldn''t sleep.


    Nothing worked anymore.


    Nothing did.


    Time passed as she stared at the empty ceiling, darkness became light and it was almost dawn before she knew it.


    ''Maybe if I disappear, he''ll have an easier time with the girls.'' After all, if she wasn''t involved- no, she didn''t want to disappear. She didn''t want to. But she still got out of bed and she still got out of her room. She needed some fresh air.


    But just outside, a girl was waiting- a bunny girl.


    "What are you doing here?" Lianne said, voice low.


    "I know we don''t know each other but- I''d appreciate it if you''d at least hear me out."


    "¡­" Lianne stayed quiet. She had nothing to say. ''Just how long has she been standing here?''


    "He''s still asleep and he''ll wake up exactly fifteen minutes from now. I''ll make up a lie and bring the rest of the girls with me. Let''s meet in the bath and have a chat."


    "I have nothing to talk to you about."


    The girl in front of Lianne was a demigod. And as Lianne knew one personally, she knew they held much power and defying a god was something she shouldn''t have even thought about doing- let alone doing it. But she didn''t care.


    "I know but- he doesn''t have long and I think you need to know why. You must."


    Lianne squinted her eyes. "What do you mean he doesn''t have long?"


    ***


    The four girls bathed together. Lianne rarely bathed with other girls. But today she didn''t care.


    "So, what is that you were talking about?"


    Alisa took a deep breath and started explaining. The other two girls stayed quiet. Actually, one of them couldn''t speak.


    Lianne heard something that piqued her interest and as the half-god explained things to her in detail her eyes opened wide in shock and she became speechless.


    The more she heard, the more her heart ached. ''But that can''t be!'' But she couldn''t say it out loud.


    The bath ended.


    All four headed to the dining hall and waited there: Lianne in particular looked like an undead- lifeless.


    Eventually, Daarc showed up and took his seat next to Lianne. It was almost as though he never slept- the dark circles beneath his eyes, the awkward nervousness he bore- Lianne saw it all. But she couldn''t say anything, she didn''t know what to say.


    It was quiet, too quiet.


    Just like that breakfast was also over.


    She knew she was running away from reality but she didn''t want to see Daarc''s face. If she stared at him for long enough, if she thought about him, she knew she''d cry.


    She was angry but she was also sad. What if-


    But Daarc eventually reached up to her and despite her best efforts, she promised to have a talk.


    She couldn''t run away this time.


    ***


    Throughout the day, she saw Daarc doing a lot of things. Training, running around like a fool, talking with guards, maids, nobles, even commoners who came to see him. People liked him, respected him.


    But he looked really tired and Lianne knew, he was.


    Her heart ached and raced. She knew the truth but even now, she didn''t want to believe it.


    She just couldn''t.


    ''What if he di-'' She stopped herself. Staying away from him, distancing herself from him was one thing. But imagining he''d die was- unbearable.


    She already knew he had to fight the emperor but she had faith in him. She believed in him. But the sudden news of him dying regardless of whatever happens was really shocking. She already knew just how frightening a curse could be.


    That''s why- it was unbearable.


    ***


    She didn''t have lunch- she didn''t want to see this Daarc. This miserable Daarc, who was going to die soon. If she had, she wouldn''t have been able to stop her tears.


    ''How will I talk to him tonight. What will I talk to him about?''


    She didn''t know and she had no answers. What Daarc did and this whole mess was another issue- his life was more important to her.


    ***


    As her worries grew darker and darker, the sun set, and the silent dinner was also over.


    There was a saying ''time flies when one''s having fun'' but time also flew though no one had any fun.


    It was odd. Lianne didn''t quite understand how this happened but-


    The five of them, the three girls, Daarc and Lianne herself were back where they started last night.


    Lianne had made up her mind. She was going to forgive Daarc but she was also going to go with him- spend the last days of their time together- make sure he didn''t die fighting the emperor. She didn''t care anymore- she loved him and he gave meaning to her almost meaningless life. She had her goals but she knew those were pointless. Her curse had no cure and she didn''t have long either. Almost all of her immediate family were either dead or exiled. She didn''t have a place to belong.


    But with Daarc- this- she had a place. She loved him and that''s why-


    That''s why- that''s why she wanted the last days of her life to be with him and be merry. And if he was going to die soon- all she had to do was hasten the plans. Screw tradition, screw the rules, screw the emperor and destiny, she didn''t care.


    She wasn''t going to forgive him but- she was going to love him. She was going to make sure, he at least made it out alive, so when it was all over, she could scold him to the best of her abilities.


    But just when she least expected it-


    "I Love you!" She was hit with a bombshell as Daarc Green kneeled before her and was on the verge of tears.

 Chapter 328 - The Magic Words (Part Two)

    I took a step forward and got on my knees right before Lianne. I held her hands, looked her in the eye. "I Love you. Not anyone else. You!" I kissed her, I shoved my tongue in her mouth, I squeezed her, hugged her tight, and though at first, she resisted, in a mere second, she herself took the advance, and before we knew it, boy was something pressing up. "I love you!"


    I almost teared up- no, I cried. I cried like a baby. I really loved her and I didn''t want to lose her. I knew I was going to die soon, so it was pointless to be thinking about losing her and all that but still, I loved her.


    "I can take your word for it?" Lianne, a bit out of breath, whispered.


    "YES!" I hugged her ever so tightly. "I''ll break all the engagements and everything. I love you and only you!"


    Our eyes were locked together. There was only her in my vision and me in hers! She was a bit teary-eyed herself.


    "We''re still here you know?" Alisa cleared her throat.


    I''d actually forgotten about these guys.


    But it was too late to control all these emotions. "Sorry guys." I tried to chuckle but it sure wasn''t working.


    Alisa just rolled her eyes though.


    Lianne''s breath was a little erratic. "Well then, it''s late and I''d like to catch up with him. How about we have this conversation in the morning? The guards outside will show you to our chambers. I believe we have better rooms for you all tonight." She cleared her throat. "And I apologize for overreacting."


    The three were actually kind of speechless. They weren''t expecting something like this. Though reluctant, the three left: the reluctant one being Biteria- she did not want to leave- no sir! Alisa in particular gave me a dirty look though. Yeah, she understood this all too well.


    Meanwhile- "We should-"


    "Take this in our room?" Lianne whispered.


    Well, that escalated quickly.


    ''Please tell me, you''re not going to torture me in there.''


    Needless to say, I was more scared than happy that all of this worked out.


    ***


    My day had been pretty busy. But that was only because I was trying my best to not let my mind wander.


    I couldn''t focus on anything and I was restless but still, I tried my best to make myself busy and pass the time.


    And when the time finally came, I couldn''t help myself. I had to do it. I had to say it.


    I loved her.


    I loved Lia.


    And the fact that she was leading me to her room made me beyond happy.


    But that didn''t mean I wasn''t scared. I still remember the scene of her skinning a deer very clearly. What if she didn''t forgive me and ended up skinning me instead?


    With my current condition, I wouldn''t die but- it sure would hurt!


    And as we got closer and closer to her room, my legs kind of started to shake.


    She won''t do that, right?


    Right?


    We''d arrived.


    The doors opened.


    I went in. it was a big room- Lia''s room.


    And now the doors were locked.


    There was no escape.


    As my teeth rattled and I slowly turned around- instead of meeting a knife- I met Lia''s lips. Or rather my lips met hers.


    It wasn''t a French kiss- just a kiss.


    Her lips were warm, her scent- divine.


    "I''ve heard."


    "Heard what?"


    She wrapped her hands around my neck. "You don''t have much time."


    "Oh, that." I chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I''d been meaning to tell you that but this whole mess happened." I took a deep breath. "Viola''s father- the king of Xylax died because of me. It was partly my fault but my fault regardless and his dying words were for me to take responsibility. I screwed up there so I had to take responsibility. That was all. And I''m sorry about my friends as well. At the time I didn''t know what I was thinking. I know I''ll break their hearts and I know I could have avoided this but- but I''ll apologize to them too. So, please don''t leave me."


    Lianne hadn''t actually said a word. She just stared at me as I kept talking but when I was done, she smiled. "I won''t leave you, in fact, I''ll haunt you."


    "That''s scary." The thought of a high elf haunting me¡­ yeah scary.


    I was definitely, definitely happy beyond measure that she wasn''t going to leave me though.


    She giggled. "Take me with you, on your journey. I''m confident I can teach you good skills and I can aid-"


    "No."


    "But-"


    "No, Lia. I won''t take you. It''ll be dangerous but that''s not all. The people here- they need you. This land is only peaceful because of you. I can''t take that away from the people."


    But that was just an excuse. The truth was, I didn''t know what dangers lay ahead. What if everything failed, and we got annihilated? I didn''t want her to get hurt. Maybe, that was just selfish of me. And I had a feeling she understood it just fine.


    She let out a breath and rested her head on my chest. She was almost as tall as me so she had to bent down slightly for that. "Can you promise me, you''ll come back?"


    "I- I can''t." I wanted to lie but- not this time. "I don''t know if I can. I''ll try my best but if that''s not good enough, then I don''t know."


    She almost bit her lips but she didn''t. "We''re not married yet, so you''re free to be with other girls. I overreacted."


    She moved her head and didn''t look me in the eye.


    "No, you weren''t overreacting. What you did was totally normal: I was the abnormal one. And no, I don''t want to be with just any other girl- I only want to be with you."


    She snorted and stared at me. "Even so, they love you. I can''t deny you of their love." She cleared her throat. "Assuming you win and find a cure to your curse, let''s-let''s at least treat them with respect and if they wish to become your concubines, I won''t object. But- only after all this. And we''ll have a very long conversation about that."


    I couldn''t believe she was actually agreeing to that.


    I chuckled. "Well, if you say so."


    But how long were we going to stand in front of the door again?


    I mean this room was big and there was a large bed, so why were we standing in front of the door?


    We could have at least sat down.


    "Alright then, shall we?" Lia said.


    "Yeah, we have a long day tomorrow. I''ll have to get back to Xylax. And I''m tired. Let''s catch some sle-."


    She kissed me before I could finish and her tongue went in.


    Breaths heated up, clothes fell on the floor, we fell on the bed, and we got on top of each other.


    "You sure?" I said as I unhooked her top.


    "Yeah," Lia said, a bit breathless.


    I kissed her, held her, and as moans of pleasure reverberated in the air, we united.

 Chapter 329 - Still As Na?ve As Ever

    I woke up in the morning under the sheets. I wasn''t alone. Lianne was in my arms and well, neither of us were wearing anything.


    Just as I regained my senses and felt her skin, my member had risen up from its long slumber.


    Her scent was too damn alluring.


    It was pressing up directly against her soft warm thigs.


    Yeah, it needed attention but my attention was on Lia and her face. She was sleeping peacefully. I didn''t usually see her asleep. She''d sleep after me, and wake up before me. But today, she was sleeping in my arms. She looked beautiful- gorgeous.


    This almost felt surreal but I knew it was real¡­.


    Her hair, her nose, her face- her breath, everything about her was charming. I guess this is what they called ''madly in love''. I didn''t want to get out of bed yet, so I just hugged her and kept on sleeping.


    Unfortunately, life wasn''t so amazing.


    "You know, staring at someone like that is awfully rude, and not to mention your leaking all over my thigs."


    To my deepest surprise, she wasn''t asleep.


    "Sorry?"


    She opened one eye, giggled, and hugged me back. "We could do it again if you want to," she whispered. Her breath was close and boy was she warm.


    Judging by the light coming through the window it was already past the time for breakfast- we were late.


    "Let''s save it for when we actually get together. I''ll have a reason to try my best."


    I totally wanted to do it and if she said it one more time¡­ yeah. On second thought- ''Let''s just say it!''


    She was a bit disappointed. But- she kissed me on the cheek and went inside the cover before I could say another word.


    Maybe¡­ I messed up.


    A second later she emerged with her underwear on and got out of bed.


    She picked up her clothes and put them on, playfully- it was a sight for sore eyes. She was definitely teasing me for saying no.


    I wholeheartedly regretted my earlier decision. I should have just¡­sigh.


    ***


    I got fresh and since it was late- skipped breakfast.


    Ve and Alisa were waiting for me in the garden- or so Bryce told me once I''d come out of the royal chamber, aka, Lia''s room.


    But when I actually went to the garden, I saw Lia there as well, along with Biteria. Well, these girls sure worked fast.


    "Alright, we have 56 days remaining and as we''ve discussed in the past, with your curse fully activated, you can now use risky techniques," Ve said.


    "So, try using Imbuition on your whole body and come fight us-" Alisa smiled. "Let''s see how far you''ve gotten."


    Weren''t they supposed to know that regardless?


    Anyway, I took out a sword from my ring and started Imbuition. Judging by the initial flow of mana, I was at least five times stronger and three times faster than usual- and I could probably maintain this for half an hour or so.


    There were some spectators. Nobles and guards, even maids. This was a large garden and for roughly twenty meters, there wasn''t anything other than grass. Not bad for a training session.


    "Both of you?"


    "Yes." Alisa smiled.


    This was a first. Normally, they''d never cooperate during a fight- unless we were in mortal danger or something. So- this was really rare.


    Alisa didn''t have a weapon so, if I could just go past Ve, I could win this.


    I smiled. "Alright."


    ***


    I charged forward, straight for Ve. But that was just a ploy.


    Ve, as usual, put up her guard and tried to intercept- but I passed her and went straight for Alisa.


    Alisa mostly used magic in battle, not weapons- so if I could take her out first, the rest of the battle would be far easier.


    "You''re too predictable, you know." But- Alisa just smiled and formed a barrier of ice over her- a dome of sorts. How the hell did I forget the very same move we used when we were fighting the dragons? I had no idea.


    And the thing was hard!


    "And you should never look away either." Now, Ve came from behind me and thrust her spear. I dodged at the last second but- her spear scrapped through my cheek.


    Neither was messing around, so I shouldn''t have either.


    I hadn''t fought an actual serious battle in a while. At least not since Xerphas. And along the way, my curse kept getting stronger and stronger, so I never had to put in much effort.


    But- this time, this time I didn''t really want to hold back. I didn''t have much time and I had to find out my limits.


    With a deep breath, I took a stance. I kept my eye on both Ve and Alisa. Alisa was still hidden in the dome but she occasionally threw icicles at me, which I dodged. Ve meanwhile, maintained her distance and waited to strike me. She was an expert at reading the battlefield- a key strength I lacked.


    So far this more or less became a stalemate, but that''s when I remembered.


    The sword wasn''t everything I had.


    It was true, I had better strength and speed right now but- I was forgetting something important: my magic.


    I poured mana in my hand and just as I was about to gather it, Ve charged.


    But I led her to me. This wasn''t just any mana, it was holy mana, and that meant excessive light.


    I was resistant to my own light but the same couldn''t be said about people around me.


    Before Ve reached me, the mana exploded and I saw a path to victory.


    Ve had to shield her eyes and in that time, I slashed her spear- making her fall on her knees. I was more or less out of breath and in that last moment I had to exert way too much mana to achieve even greater speeds.


    But just as I was about to claim my victory over her- an icicle pressed against my neck- a trickle of blood fell. "You know, just because I was hiding, didn''t mean, I wasn''t in the fight," Alisa whispered. "You lose."


    With a sigh, I dropped my sword.


    ''Damn, that''s cold!''


    I also saw Lia sighing. "Still as na?ve as ever." Did she really need to say that? "You have improved though."


    Ve got up and picked up her spear. "You have gotten stronger and your mana seemed much more stable than usual. You''re also a natural when it comes to trickery- but you''re far too simple-minded. And as the elf said, na?ve."


    Was this guy praising me or dissing me? How could I be a natural at trickery but also simple-minded? Honestly, she didn''t make sense. Sense to me, that is.


    These guys were really starting to piss me off.  But I couldn''t deny that fact that they were in fact, correct. I was really na?ve when it came to battle. I came from a rather domesticated society, so the idea of constantly fighting, changing tactics, looking out for feints was new to me. And I was still learning, even now. And perhaps whenever I learned something, I felt like ''maybe I could win now.'' But that was just na?ve, and I knew that.


    Alisa let out a chuckle. "We''ll leave before noon. I''m assuming the elf will come along?"


    She did realize she was saying that in front of Lia, right?


    Judging by that look on her face, she sure did.


    "No, she will stay here."


    "Oh? Really?" Alisa gave a stare at Lia and the two exchanged voiceless glances. "Anyway, I''ll be with the minister. Let''s meet at the front garden before noon. Oh and-" Alisa came close. "You reek. You should have taken a shower," she whispered.


    My face heated up.


    Damn- I''d actually forgotten.

 Chapter 330 - Moving Forward

    With a gloomy mood, I finished showering and got my things ready. It was already close to noon, so we didn''t have much time.


    Apparently, the nobles and the people wanted to throw a party in my honor- so when they learned I''d leave today- or rather now- they were heartbroken. Bryce even cried like a toddler, wailing even.


    Sigh.


    Things were not going great.


    Once I got my things, I moved towards the garden. On my way, countless maids, soldiers, nobles wished me luck on the battlefield and my quests. I still had no idea what the people actually thought of me or what I even did- according to them.


    But I was still glad.


    And at the same time, perhaps slightly guilty.


    ***


    "I''ll miss you." Lia hugged me.


    We were pretty much on the verge of leaving. Ve had transformed and our party had gotten on top of her.


    Lia was being strong but the occasional wailing from Bryce from the corner was kind of making me feel guilty.


    "I''ll miss you too." I smiled. "Oh, I forgot to tell you but- I met your aunt."


    "My aunt?" Lia cocked her head slightly in confusion. I couldn''t put my finger on it, but something about that was awfully cute.


    "Yeah, remember that woman inside the crystal? Turns out she was your aunt."


    "Really!?" Lia was visibly shaken. I guess realizing she had another family member- was something she couldn''t process at this very moment.


    "Don''t worry. She''s currently supervising a plot of land I secured in front of the central capital. If everything works out, maybe you''ll meet her soon."


    Elves lived a long time, so even if it took a few years, it''d still be soon to them.


    "Wait- you mean you took the land of men and they let you?"


    "Well¡­" I smiled nervously. "It''s complicated and I''m sure a messenger will come soon. Anyway, I''m getting late so-" So, I kissed her on the forehead and started leaving.


    ''Leave before you end up complicating things even more!''


    But she swiftly got in front of me and kissed me on the lips- a bit of tongue-to-tongue action. "Take care." She smiled- a genuine smile. And she had removed her half veil too. She only removed it when we were alone- but I guess this was a special sendoff- so.


    "You too." I tried to smile too, but I guess my smile probably came off as a bit awkward. I hope she didn''t mind. "And man up a little, Bryce!"


    With that said, I got on top of Ve and we slowly started to take off. My fear or heights made a crippling return.


    "I really thought the elf would come with us," Alisa said.


    "Me too, but I couldn''t bear to take her along. I have this bad feeling that something will go wrong."


    Then again, I had this bad feeling ever since I came to this world. Maybe I ended up with complex PTSD after that first night in the forest.


    "Funny- I have the exact same feeling." We were still gaining altitude and not going forward, so there wasn''t much wind to hinder our speech. "However, as long as we''re together and united, I don''t think we can be defeated that easily."


    ''If only it was that simple.''


    But worrying wasn''t going to get us anywhere. Instead, I had to remain vigilant.


    And hope I didn''t fall to my death¡­.


    ***


    We reached Xylax by the evening and explained things to Viola over dinner.


    She was not happy that I wasn''t going to marry her before leaving the next day. But- she did understand the situation and agreed to hold off the marriage for exactly 58 days- meaning just two days after the big fight. But that was assuming I''d live after that fight.


    But I was glad she was willing to compromise.


    Dinner went smoothly and afterward I went to my room- my private room which wasn''t private at all.


    I was really tired, so I kind of fell asleep almost immediately and when I woke up, I had Viola and Biteria making pillows out of me. Alias was reading a book in the corner while Ve was looking out the window. Typical.


    Life was really weird.


    It wasn''t that bad though.


    ***


    I got fresh, finished my training with Ve, and took a shower afterward.


    We''d finally leave for Dracona today. I reponed the letter of the geezer and scanned through the contents. ''If everything goes alright, maybe winning won''t be too farfetched.'' But anything hardly ever went according to plan. As the geezer once said, if everything went as planned, there was either something wrong with the plan or the world.


    "Why are you always looking so glum? Shouldn''t you look fired up and try to survive so you can find a cure for your curse or something? Or are you thinking of giving up?" Alisa said as she walked over to me. She was joking.


    I was busy watching over the city from up here. We were about seventy floors high and even from up here I could see the people rather well. My eyesight nowadays was almost on par with the eyes of the elves- perhaps even slightly better.


    So, staring at the people going about their day, living peacefully always made me envious for some reason. And yet, I was almost always passing my time like this.


    "No, just thinking about things."


    Alisa giggled. "Well, I wouldn''t fault you for worrying. The demon emperor is said to be as strong as a god. And I guess that does make one worry, doesn''t it?"


    "Yeah," I admitted. "By the way, you know much about the demons?"


    "Being?" Alisa came over and stood right next to me, staring at the very sight I was staring at even just a moment ago.


    "I don''t know. I mean there were a lot of conflicting things I''ve heard about them."


    "You''ll have to see them with your own eyes to believe it. But- shortly, there are three of their kind. The malicious ones who hurt others, the good ones who live in a faraway continent, and the neutral ones who roam the world. Only the malicious ones are called demons- they live in Galbatia and the rest are classified as demi-humans." Alisa paused for a second. "Although, even the demons, have their own unique roles in this world, and maybe not all of them are as hostile as we think they are."


    "I see. No wonder, people didn''t run away from those ox demons."


    And I did hear a lot of things about the demons, sometimes good, but the rest just plain bad. Susan had said something about demons being hunted by men while I saw demons pillaging the villages- wait, so far, I never actually saw demons do stuff like that.


    The only times, the demons acted, were times I was involved. I hadn''t seen or heard about any recent demon attacks. In fact, I''d heard that the world was relatively peaceful for the last ten years or so¡­


    It made me wonder a lot of things.


    "Yes."


    "I actually want to travel to Galbatia as my last place before the fight."


    I still had time and I needed to know more about those things, why I was summoned. As Alisa said, the best way to figure this all out was to see everything with my own eyes, so there was no choice left but to go to the land of demons.


    "Yes, I think that would be for the best. You need to know your enemies before actually fighting them."


    "You''re going to come along?"


    "But of course, I will." She grinned.


    "Who do you think summoned me?"


    This question was really bugging me lately. All this time I thought that the demon emperor had summoned me, but honestly, I was kind of afraid to ask. I didn''t know why, but- I was afraid¡­.


    But it was time for me to face that fear.


    For a second there she became serious. "I don''t know. It could be the emperor to see if how you''d survive in that forest. It could be some god who escaped death or maybe even the grand monsters, without actually realizing." She smiled faintly. "There are just too many answers."


    I snorted slightly. "Let''s go. We''ll be late for lunch." I turned around and walked. "Thanks," I whispered.


    I didn''t look back.

 Chapter 331 - This Place Was Really- WoW

    We had lunch and not much happened.


    For once, things were uneventful.


    Dracona was relatively close and even if we left before the afternoon we''d arrive just after sunset. So, Alisa convinced us to leave right afternoon, as then we''d arrive before the evening. I didn''t see why not. I didn''t have to do in Xylax anyway.


    I was supposed to look for a guy named Travador. Since it was similar to travel, I actually remembered a name for once. Finally, my memory wasn''t failing me!


    Since we''d be leaving in roughly an hour, I began to pack my things. I didn''t have many things to pack since I had this ring.


    But still, there were plenty of things I wanted to bring along- like this herb for example. It had a similar look and benefit as green tea but tasted like lime water once boiled.


    Very sour, very effective.


    "Would you-" Viola''s voice came from behind me. "Would you take me along? I know I can be a hindrance but- but I''ll try- no, I will keep up!"


    I stopped and turned around.


    She was looking very expectantly at me. I could tell, she was shivering and trying her best to say what she did but-


    "Look, it''s not about you being a hindrance, it''s just this is a very dangerous journey. After meeting the person, I want to meet in Dracona, we''d travel to Galbatia, and after that my fight with the emperor will break out. Let''s just say, I don''t want anyone near me at the time. That includes all of you. I don''t want anyone of you getting hurt."


    There were times where honesty really was the best policy.


    "Really?"


    Another voice came from the door- this time Alisa and Ve entered. Biteria had followed them in.


    Apparently, this wasn''t one of those times.


    "So, you plan to ditch us in Galbatia or maybe-" Ve cracked her knuckles. "Before that?"


    I got the feeling I shouldn''t have said that last part. I gulped and as the four girls inched ever closer to me, I kind of wanted to run away.


    Jumping out of the window wouldn''t kill me, right?


    It was just 70 or so floors high anyway.


    So- jump!


    Or so I''d have jumped if both Ve and Viola weren''t pulling the hell out of me. They''d dragged me back in and I was currently on the floor as Ve and Viola were holding my hands and Biteria, my legs.


    Where the hell did my bunny come from and why were these people so damn strong?


    "What are you going to do to me?" I was almost scared. The surroundings around me almost felt dark. Just what were they planning to do to me?


    Alisa grinned and let out a villainous laughter. "The world shall never know." She locked the door and slowly climbed on me¡­


    She took off my armor and well¡­. Tickles!


    "AHAH UAH AH HAHAHH!"


    She kept on tickling me, my underarms, my neck, my feet, my stomach!


    "AHAH STOPLE! SHs ha HA AH Ah! Stop stop!"


    I had no idea what I was saying anymore.


    After roughly five or so minutes- which felt like an eternity, she stopped and the rest of them let me go. But I didn''t have any strength left.


    I hadn''t been tickled like that since the birthday of my third cousin, eight years ago. All my cousins thought it''d be funny to tickle me all at once¡­ well, it sure wasn''t funny for me.


    I breathed rapidly and barely kept my sanity.


    "We''ll go with you, whether you like it or not," Alisa said. "And I believe I''m speaking on behalf of these two too."


    Ve and Biteria nodded.


    "Me too!" Viola said.


    "No, you''ll have to stay here. I''m sorry to say but you''ll slow us down."


    Alisa ruthlessly shut Viola down. Viola didn''t fight back, I guess she knew.


    I still couldn''t catch my breath.


    "Let that be a lesson to you Daarc Green." Ve crossed her arms and puffed her non-existent chest with pride. "Never underestimate women''s resolve."


    Uh-huh!


    ***


    Eventually, it was time for farewells, and though I wanted to have a normal farewell, Viola kind of cried way too much: silently, but crying regardless.


    She didn''t say anything either. She just hugged me and wasn''t letting go. I couldn''t really hug her back and my hands just hovered but at the very last moment- I hugged her with one arm and patted her head with the other.


    "I can''t say I''ll be back, so you''ll have to be strong. I''m not the type to force my will on others- well, not always." I chuckled. I might or might not have tried to force my will on others in the past and even now but I wanted to avoid that. "But- I''d like you to grow stronger and do things you like. I''d also like you to become a better ruler, so one day you can lead your people to prosperity."


    Hearing what I just said with my own ears, almost made me sound like a hypocrite. I didn''t want to force my will on her and yet, I was just laying out my vision to her without thinking what if she didn''t want that.


    So- "But- feel free to ignore what I just said. Your life is yours and what you''ll do with it is also your freedom. Stay strong and enjoy life while it lasts. Now I know that''s really hard at times but really- good luck and goodbye."


    I again realized, I sucked at bidding goodbyes. Like what the hell, me!? I couldn''t even say a farewell without being cringe about it?


    And yet, I found, everyone here just crying. Viola, crying was one thing. But the guards, maids, and even the ministers?


    I honestly didn''t know how to react to that.


    So- "Goodbye everyone. Take care of her for me." I spoke to everyone here in particular but then remembered something and looked at the head minister. "Oh yeah, try to see if the son of the duke can be trusted with some responsibilities like we talked about."


    He smiled and nodded.


    As for the rest, they too nodded.


    Anyway, I was done.


    I climbed on Ve and well, lift-off. After a long time, it was just Alisa and Biteria with me on top of Ve.


    Viola and others all waved as they gradually got smaller and smaller. I waved back for a short period of time but then stopped looking down. It wasn''t because I was afraid, of heights, okay!?


    ''Aren''t I riding Ve a bit too much these days?''


    I laughed at my own joke as we gradually picked up altitude.


    Something was wrong with me. I was cracking jokes and laughing at them on my own too.


    ***


    Roughly three hours later, we saw the large walls of Dracona. About a kilometer away, we landed and then started traveling.


    Unlike Saram, this place wasn''t a crackling mess. But instead of being hot and dry like that dessert full of cracks, this place was both hot and humid.


    And there were far too much grass and trees. What was this, a forest? It was too thin to be a forest though.


    "Well, guys stay sharp for goblins."


    "I don''t think there''s any around," Ve said.


    "Oh, trust me, they are everywhere." This did remind me something though. "What are we going to do with the goblin in my ring though. I mean it looks so humane."


    "Oh yeah, how about we take a detour to the west region of Galbatia first. My old kingdom was in that region and I heard there were ancient ruins there built by the ancestors of the goblins."


    "Really?"


    If it was ancient to Alisa, I guess those stuff were really old. And wouldn''t that mean Alisa was a demon? Oh, wait, just because she lived there didn''t mean she was a demon. After all, most demons were categorized as demi-humans in the first place.


    But boy was this place hot. I was sweating like crazy and this way too much humidity didn''t really help.


    But just as Ve said, we didn''t come upon any goblins. We did kill several large beetles though.


    By evening we''d reached the city gates. If it weren''t for the forest-like environment, it wouldn''t have taken us this long.


    And even now it was still way too hot and there wasn''t much wind. Damn, even deserts were better than this. At least those places cooled down at night¡­


    Okay, maybe they weren''t that better but still!


    "HALT!"


    And as usual, we were stopped right before entering.


    I guess one guy and three beautiful girls weren''t something these people were used to seeing. Actually, this world didn''t really have the concept of having multiple women as slaves or stuff like that. It wasn''t quite absent from the culture but it was really rare.


    "First class?" There were about five guards and we were the only ones entering.


    The guard had a very suspicious look when he stared at my card.


    "Yes, and all of them are members of my party."


    The guard kind of looked at me with something in between envy and disgust. the guy couldn''t decide, I guess. "Next!" He returned my card.


    But there wasn''t anyone next.


    Anyway, finally, we entered.


    But I was not prepared to see the city. "WoW!"


    Compared to the rest of this world''s cities- this place was really- wow.

 Chapter 332 - Interlude: The Darkness Deepens

    Dick Miggins had three priorities in life.


    One, get stronger and have fun.


    Two, get laid and have fun.


    And three, have some more fun.


    He was awfully laid back and lately, with frequent visits to brothels, he almost looked like someone flying through cloud nine- all the time.


    His partner, the demon Servesta wasn''t with him to keep a leash on him and as he was finally free, he went nuts. A bit too hard.


    He was currently waiting for his so-called friends to arrive so he could hand some of their equipment over and be on his way.


    But after literally spending three whole weeks in this town and being with over ninety women, he couldn''t find it in him to leave.


    Perhaps¡­ he''d gotten addicted to the feeling.


    He was young, and he had a lot on his mind. And the best way to get rid of those complicated things?


    Sex and booze.


    He only had two months of life left. Though his life was amazing and he had his fun- he knew it''d all end. He knew everything would eventually come to a stop. He wasn''t the protagonist.


    But he laughed at that and drank his feel. If everything would end whether he liked it or not, why wouldn''t he just enjoy his current life to the fullest?


    "Miss, another one! REFILL"


    The bartender looked at the young man with pity.


    But the waitress gave him a refill anyway.


    He''d already been to two brothels tonight and he just finished four mugs of ale. To say he was drunk, was an understatement.


    He''d been living on the edge. He had enough money to carry on this way for maybe another three or so months.


    But he looked dreadful- his health was taking a turn for the worse and lately, he might or might not have had started to take a particular drug for enhanced pleasure during those amazing times.


    "To think, you''ve fallen this low."


    A young hooded man- or perhaps not so young, sat on the same table.


    It was moderately late and the pub was mostly empty.


    Dick grinned. "But of course. Are you looking for a one-night, miss?" Dick didn''t know what he was talking about. He wasn''t even conscious anymore.


    But he was right about one thing, the hooded young man on the opposite side of the table, was in fact a girl.


    The girl sighed. And started to chant certain words, but very softly.


    In an instant, a small amount of light enveloped Dick- small enough to not be seen by the naked eye. Dick''s drowsiness wore off and for a minute, he''d regained his composure.


    "What the hell?" He stared at his own state in disbelief.


    He hadn''t been sane these past three weeks. The drugs, the drinks, and the women had been pretty much all that was on his mind.


    But for the first time, he could see past them.


    "Now." The girl took off her cloak.


    "Su-Susan!"


    "SO, I have a proposal for you."


    ***


    From morning, Jowy had been receiving messengers after messengers.


    There were far too many things to deal with.


    His father''s condition had worsened and lately, more and more lands were being enveloped in chaos. There were far too many elves who didn''t like the current royal family and with the emperor bedridden, they were rising up and putting a resistance.


    Jowy had already received word that Daarc had made some sort of pact with men, the dwarves, and the demi-humans. And he was receiving their messengers.


    And the word of it was spreading rapidly.


    But this was only a trigger. A trigger for a revolt.


    After all, appointing a human for the post of the Archduke was already stretching the limits of their patience, even though Daarc was an apostle. And then there was the fact that humans and elves never saw eye to eye.


    In the distant past, there was a time when humans and elves fought battles, hand in hand. But that was a long time ago and no one remembered that past.


    Even if all the races of the dark realm were to unite, the old memories of war and disasters would never disappear. And that meant, so wouldn''t hate.


    Meaning, the deal with men, dwarves, and the demi-humans were anything but welcome to the elves of the old.


    "You just had to go on and create a mess for me." Jowy sat on the throne with one hand supporting his cheek and the other hand dismissing his ministers.


    As all the people left the court- he let out a huge sigh and looked at the clandestine ceiling.


    "You know, sometimes, maybe having a bit of fun would help you vent your stress." But one woman hadn''t left the court- she was part god.


    "Umm¡­ but my lady-"


    "Didn''t I say-" She put her finger on Jowy''s lips and sat on his lap. "Call me-  Imazael," She whispered in his ears.


    Jowy, flustered, breathed rapidly. His face heated up and he looked beet red.


    Imazael giggled and got down from his lap, standing next to him. "One step at a time, Jowy. If you should do everything at once, you won''t be able to do any of them with enough quality: and you''ll only make a mess." Her voice was too soothing.


    For a second there Jowy thought his heart would stop. Lately, Imazael was actually being a little too aggressive. Ever since Daarc had left, their relationship had only developed further and further.


    But even now Jowy couldn''t bear to be near her. He respected her and loved her and yet- those two very feelings prevented him from being near her.


    ''But- but- tonight-'' But after three whole centuries of one-sided crush, he finally made up his mind. He couldn''t let the lady make all the shots. After all, wasn''t he a man!? ''I''ll-''


    ***


    Yawn!


    A girl yawned way too loudly. She stretched on the ever so soft bed.


    She wasn''t wearing anything, but her fur covered the most delicate parts of her body. Her golden yellow fur had brown stripes. A majestic pattern.


    "MY lady, please show some shame!"


    There was only one maid in the room.


    "Shame? I don''t need such filthy emotions." The girl laughed haughtily. "Bring me my axe." She climbed down and stretched again.


    Her skin was brown in color, her eyes were long dead, all she had were her round fluffy ears and a nose that''d bring the snow bears of Mont Hilda to shame.


    The old maid couldn''t help but sigh. "I will but please at least wear some underwear."


    Annoyed as she was, the girl laughed again. "Fine." She put on the bare minimum and blasted open the door. Though it looked like a room from the inside, from the outside, it was nothing more than a tent: a rather sturdy one. There were various other such tents in the immediate vicinity. "Tonight''s your last night, Gregor!" She laughed even louder as she glared straight ahead. She couldn''t see anything, but her senses were telling her- there was a massive army up ahead- ten times more massive than hers and perhaps her death even.


    But there was no way she was going to back down now. After coming so far- there was no way.


    The only thing on her face was a grin and the lust for blood and revenge.

 Chapter 333 - Well, Someone Was Certainly Having The Time Of His Life-

    I''d been to many cities. There was all sort of amazements in this world.


    There were all sorts of things that almost always captivated me.


    But this city, the city of Dracona was different.


    Not because it had fancy machinery or fancy buildings, or even fancy trees, no. but because of dragons. Very fancy pets.


    "Weren''t dragons technically going extinct?"


    There were dragons everywhere. Some were handling flying chariots, others, just ground chariots and some were even roaming freely. Very fancy indeed.


    These looked slightly different than Dragons though. Some just looked like iguanas while others looked like dinosaurs. Some had scales, while others didn''t. the flying ones had wings.


    "Those aren''t dragons, but lesser lizards. The flying ones are wyverns."


    Well, Ve sure wasn''t happy that I called those things dragons.


    But- "Can you tell me the difference, it''s hard for me to tell. And aren''t wyverns a type of dragon too?" At least that''s what my gamer knowledge had told me.


    Ve looked at me like she couldn''t believe me. Was it really something that hard to believe?


    "Dragons can do breath attacks and fly much higher than these creatures. Dragons are also far, far stronger," Alisa said. "And no, wyverns and dragons aren''t the same. It''s actually an insult."


    So my gamer knowledge had betrayed me.


    Meanwhile, Ve was really offended that I''d even bothered to ask that question. Enough so that she didn''t even look at me for the next half an hour.


    It''s not like I knew or something!


    Anyway, after roughly going through the first part of the town, we found a guild building.


    "We can ask the guild for information, right?"


    "With your status, yes. But it''ll cost us money- assuming they don''t know your actual identity," Alisa said.


    Ve, still didn''t talk to me.


    Everything revolved around money, so it wasn''t that surprising. And my actual identity, huh?


    "I guess we can afford to waste a little cash-" I yawned. I didn''t know why but my body felt kind of sluggish.


    Maybe I needed a little rest.


    It was barely eight, so there was plenty of time. We also had to find Dick. I could always just rest afterward.


    ***


    We headed for the guild and on the way, Alisa filled me in where we could probably find Dick. Her best guess?


    The pub.


    I did not doubt her, no.


    A bell above the door ringed as we entered the building. There were some buildings in this world where there were bell systems like this- mostly in the large stores. The smaller ones didn''t quite implement this yet.


    This was a small branch and there weren''t many people here. The few that were here didn''t quite bother with us.


    We went to the front desk and handed over my card.


    The receptionist greeted me cordially and froze when she saw my card.


    I guess this much was normal.


    "Da-da-da lord Daarc!"


    I guess I was more famous than I thought. ''Should have seen this coming.''


    Judging from her reaction, she probably knew my real identity too.


    "No need for you to get all worked up, miss. I''m just looking for some information, I''ll leave right afterward."


    The girl was so shocked that for the next three minutes, she was speechless. She did not hear me, no.


    But finally, a rather burly looking woman descended from the second floor of this place, and with a small tap on the nose she brought some sense back to the girl at the reception.


    "I apologize Lord Daarc Green. What brings you here today to our humble branch?"


    The woman was wearing minimal clothing and her muscles were on full display.


    "No need for apologies. Just looking for some information."


    "Really?" the girl looked slightly surprised but she didn''t make a fuss.


    I guess she was the guildmaster here.


    "Yes. I''d like to know where I can find the individual named Travador."


    I drew in some attention when the name was mentioned. Funny, these people didn''t care about me but the moment I mentioned that name they more or less focused on me.


    ''Better be careful I guess.''


    "Hmm? And why would you be interested in this fellow?"


    The woman carefully observed me. Anything I said here, would probably have backfired on me later- so¡­.


    "One of my acquaintances knows him and I''m just here to deliver a message."


    I had a feeling this man meant trouble and it was best for me to not state my business to these people.


    "Normally, he drinks till midnight in the pub of Eagle''s Eye. You should find him there."


    "Really, thanks." I stared at her, with a bit of seriousness. "How much do I owe you?"


    "Not causing a commotion there or perhaps taking a job or two at the desk?" With that said, the girl turned around and started walking back up. "A word of caution Lord Daarc Green. Sometimes it''s best to let the sleeping dog sleep."


    She kept on walking and left.


    ''What the hell was that about?''


    But we got our information so we didn''t need to spend time here.


    Once outside, Alisa let out a sigh. "Looks like our pal''s a criminal."


    Yeah, I figured as much.


    The geezer was a pirate and more or less a wanted criminal. So, it was normal that his friends would be the same.


    "Well, only one way to find out."


    "But first, let''s look for an inn and get our things from Dick."


    "Yeah."


    ***


    We located the pub first and searched for an inn near the pub. Turns out the pub was in a back alley of sorts and it was in the sketchy part of the town: big surprise.


    There weren''t any good inns nearby so we had to walk about ten minutes away from the spot.


    It was still close enough for our purposes.


    We had dinner at the inn and with everything done, went for the pub.


    On our way, we''d talked to some people and went to various pubs but so far, no sign of Dick.


    "What are the odds of him being in that same pub?"


    "I''d say over fifty percent. That place is filled with sketchy people and it''s near brothels, the best place for him." Alisa didn''t think highly of the guy, that was for sure.


    We were just outside the pub. The building looked old and there was a wooden carving of a big eagle snatching away an Eye of a sea monster of sorts, a squid maybe?


    "He''s not that bad." I jested and a moment later realized, we were talking about a teenager here. Even if he wasn''t, it wouldn''t take long for him to get hooked to something bad. "Never mind."


    We entered and what''s the first thing we find?


    I sighed.


    We found a grinning Dick enjoying his Dick with three women side by side. He hadn''t seen us, but we sure saw him.


    "DO we really need our things?" Alisa mumbled.


    I was starting to doubt that too, but.


    "Yo, sorry to ruin the fun but- how''s it going?"


    All the seats on his table were occupied so I just stood next to him.


    He was actually squeezing this and that in broad daylight- or rather, the light of the pub.


    He wasn''t that drunk, so it didn''t take him long to recognize me. "Woah Daarc! Good to see you and wait, you have an arm now? Cool."


    Yeah, he was sane at the very least.. It did become terribly awkward the moment he realized the whole thing though.

 Chapter 334 - How The Hell Do You Pronounce That Again?

    "I-I can explain you know." Dick chuckled nervously.


    I sighed. "I don''t need an explanation, it''s not like I''m your dad or something. Where''s our stuff, and I''m guessing Servesta isn''t with you?"


    The more we''d talk about this, the more awkward it''d get, so it was better to just ignore it.


    "The stuff''s at the inn. And Servesta left for his country, remember?"


    The dude acted like he''d told before, but had he? I couldn''t remember.


    Drinking aside, this was a lively place. There were people drinking, hitting on the waitresses, even bringing in girls and some girls were hitting on the waiters- yeah, rather lively place. Weird, but definitely lively.


    "Look girls, wait in the inn, I''ll get back to you in about half an hour!" Dick whispered, very vigorously.


    What was the point in whispering though? I could still hear him clearly even through all this background noise.


    The girls were mostly beautiful but one thing was clear- those were prostitutes. And those broken-off horns and caramel skin color¡­ Susan was right, I guess. These three girls were demons. But that didn''t mean she was entirely right. These girls didn''t seem like they were being fondled by Dick against their will and just because the guy was into demons, didn''t mean that every prostitute was a demon. And also, these three looked awfully human, so I guess they fell in the demi-human category rather than demons¡­


    Anyway-


    This guy had bought all three of them for the night- meaning, he''d been having perhaps too much fun these days. ''Does he really need three women though? Even if he went twice with each¡­''


    I was definitely getting an inferiority complex.


    "Well, you sure are having the time of your life."


    "Yeah," He admitted with a chuckle. "I was actually going a bit crazier but have learned the meaning of not overdoing it."


    Yeah, so said the guy who was going to sleep with three girls and with two extra-large empty mugs on his table.


    Sigh.


    That did make me wonder, just what the hell was he doing before this?


    But I guess this was his life and his freedom. It wasn''t like I didn''t want to think about it, so I was ignoring the whole topic, okay?


    "Well, we''re staying at Brom''s Inn. Let''s meet up tomorrow."


    "OH yeah, I''m staying at the inn just next to it. Clom''s." Dick stood up, dropped some money on the table, and grinned when he stood next to me. "I ordered some stuff but I''ll be busy now," He whispered. "So, feel free to use them." He left with a wink.


    I was more or less speechless at the guy. Was something wrong with him?


    Come to think of it, he never really bothered to talk with the two girls with me- two because we''d left Biteria behind at the inn. The damn bunny really made a scene but we''d just locked her there.  It would have been too much hassle to bring her along anyway.


    Wait a second, I looked back, and well, the girls weren''t actually here.


    I looked around and couldn''t really find them.


    So that''s why, Dick never mentioned them, after all the girls weren''t even here.


    I took a seat but couldn''t really see those two¡­.


    After about five minutes, they showed up.


    "Where the hell were you?"


    "The washroom. I didn''t want to deal with the guy," Alisa said.


    Oh well.


    A moment later, a waitress brought three mugs of ale and a roasted duck with some potato sauce and a bit of fruit tart.


    Dick sure knew his stuff.


    "And you even ordered stuff?" Ve said, looking a bit displeased. She was definitely ogling at the food though.


    We''d just eaten at the inn, so I knew I couldn''t eat. I didn''t know about Alisa but Ve was totally good to go.


    "Courtesy of Dick."


    Ve and Alisa took a seat.


    Ve ate normally like she hadn''t had dinner. Alisa only ate the portion of her tart and nothing else. I didn''t eat anything, so Ve was doing my part of the eating too. I had a feeling she could eat a lot more if I ordered stuff. I sure didn''t though.


    This place was full of drunkards and every now and then some were whistling and playful gestures at the two girls. Alisa was silencing them with sleep spells almost immediately.


    I sure hope we weren''t going to get kicked out of here for that.


    ***


    It was roughly 11, meaning our criminal friend was probably in here or he''d show up around now. We couldn''t just ask around about him judging from the reactions I had in the guild, but we did have a good way to fish him out. That being, look for the lone wolf.


    But that idea almost immediately died as I spotted about half a dozen lone wolves.


    Oh well.


    Then maybe looking for lone wolves who were rough looking? That was also a no go, after all, in this world even ordinary people looked super strong- most weren''t though.


    Time moved on and by midnight more than half of the people disappeared and the few that were here were close to leaving. We still couldn''t tell who was our mystery man though.


    "Got any ideas?" I said.


    "None," Ve confessed.


    About half an hour ago Ve had ordered some more meat and tart. The money Dick had left on the table was actually good enough to cover all that. The guy was really being generous for once.


    "That man in the back and that man near the front table look suspicious." Alisa pointed out.


    But a minute later, the man at the front table paid up and left.


    So which left-


    The man in the back.


    There were still two more lone wolves in here but they were also done and they were about to leave.


    Ve was kind of done with her food too, which meant, it was time for us to get up.


    So- we were about to head over to the man in back when a waiter came our way and smiled.


    "Pretty sure, our friend had already paid the bill." I pointed at the money on the table.


    "You mean, your friend," Ve mumbled.


    "No sir, it''s just-" The man came close. "Travador will see you now," He whispered.


    ***


    The waiter led us to the back, just where we were headed.


    ''Well, that went nowhere.''


    After all, I recognize the man in the back.


    "Heard you were looking for me?" the man said. He signaled the waiter.


    The waiter clapped his hands. "Alright gentlemen, the shop''s closed."


    Men, women, everyone stood up, paid, and left.


    We were basically the only ones in, even most of the employees left. The waiter didn''t though.


    "Yes, we were looking for you. So, you were Travador. I guess then all that running around was meaningless and we should have just exchanged names then. Oh wait, I did ask your name but you never bothered!"


    What did the guy say again? A humble mercenary?


    He chuckled but then laughed haughtily. "Can ya blame me? We were about to be boiled alive, of course, I wouldn''t bother. Anyway, Travador Monroon. Nice to meet ya."


    "Daarc Green, a pleasure." I shook his hand. "You happen to know a geezer by the name Denkabo- something?" I didn''t even bother. I couldn''t even pronounce the geezer''s name anyway. How the hell could people even hope to remember that let alone pronounce it!?


    He again laughed haughtily. "Yeah, what about it?"

 Chapter 335 - There’s A Price For Everything

    "I''m his disciple. I was sent to you by him."


    It felt really weird to say that. Then again, could I have really counted myself a disciple?


    Didn''t matter now, cause I already said it anyway.


    "Say, what? That geezer? A disciple? Hmm?" He looked over me, examined me, and a second later. "I guess appearances could be deceiving-" He closed his eyes and a second later I felt bloodlust. A sword flew straight for my eye in an instant as he slowly but surely got up. It seemed slow as adrenaline pumped but I knew for a fact he wasn''t slow.


    I was always carrying a second sword on my hip and it didn''t take much effort to bring it up and block him- but just barely. I was really, really glad I practiced with Joanne- otherwise, I could have never been able to block that.


    And he wasn''t even serious about that attack and yet, he could almost severe through my defenses. "Not bad. Geezer taught you well." He admired me and sheathed his sword, and again sat nicely. "So, what brings you here?"


    The tension in the air vanished and so did his bloodlust. The guy did not even attempt to hide his bloodlust when he was going to attack. I guess he was giving me a head start to make sure, I didn''t get seriously wounded? Then what if I couldn''t block? What if-


    I was already sweating.


    That was a lot more stressful than I''d imagined. But I''d blocked and worrying about the otherwise, wasn''t going to get me anywhere.


    "Well, the geezer told me to give you a greeting and ask for your help with a bit of training."


    At this point though, was there any point? I already got my hand back and I didn''t need one-handed swordsmanship.


    "Well, have a seat."


    The man ordered some drinks. Though I said I didn''t drink, he wasn''t listening. If push came to shove, I''d just ask Ve to drink everything anyway.


    "Why do you want to learn the sword? From I can tell, you''re already pretty strong- maybe even stronger than me."


    Oh, so he was the modest type?


    No, I had a feeling he was the boasting kind. He looked ready to boast.


    "I need to fight an impossible foe- that''s all I can tell you." But I didn''t have time for all that I got straight to business.


    He closed his eyes and snorted. "Fair enough I suppose. So, what''s the payment?"


    Well, the geezer never talked about payments. Nothing was free and I should have known that.


    I had enough money but wait!


    I distinctly remember the old man giving me gems¡­


    I pulled a bag out of my ring. The man looked slightly confused for a second but he understood what this was in a matter of seconds.


    Items like this were rare in this world but it wasn''t impossible to find. So, even if people were shocked at first, they generally assumed either I was super-rich or just a super-strong adventurer. I was neither though and just got lucky.


    The bag contained some gemstones, I never got to use them and as things stood, I never really needed them.


    But I was a miser so- I took out one gem and put it on the table. "One week." If he was good, then I could always just increase the payment.


    It was a red gem- a bit crude but a ruby regardless. I had no frigging idea how expensive this was. But since Alisa wasn''t freaking out, I guess there wasn''t any need to panic just yet.


    ''Why the hell didn''t look into these things some more?''


    Seriously, something was wrong with me. I had all this time but I never bothered to actually get knowledgeable about things.


    "Sorry, but I believe in live cash."


    Well, that went nowhere. And his grin sure was annoying.


    "Would one dwarven gold do?" Alisa said.


    "Make it five and we have a deal." The man grinned.


    He sure wasn''t in the mood to negotiate that was for sure. He was deliberately trying to piss us off. It was almost like he didn''t want to teach me and this was just an excuse.


    "Ninety silvers." Alisa also grinned.


    "Hey, you should be going up not down!" He was slightly agitated. And definitely pissed. I guess he was also drunk.


    "And you should negotiate reasonably, not try to rob one of your friend''s disciples."


    He clicked his tongue. "Some friend he is. Haven''t seen the geezer in over fifteen years and suddenly he sends over some random guy and asks me to teach him? He didn''t even bother sending a note! Why shouldn''t I rob you?"


    Wow, he was actually admitting that he was robbing us.


    But wait these two were friends? I could see maybe an age gap of maybe twenty to twenty-five years?


    Then again, I did consider the old man my friend- or maybe even my fath- never mind.


    "Well, the geezer was in a snake''s stomach for who knows how long, so can you really blame him?"


    He was totally free now though.


    "Really? Can''t kill that geezer can ya?" the man laughed. "Fine, I''ll settle for one gold and 90 silvers but no less."


    I had a feeling he was kind of desperate for money- just a feeling though.


    "Very well." Alisa crossed her arms and looked proud. "The gemstone was probably worth about five or six gold though- so."


    So, the guy was about to jump at the stone but-


    She giggled, took the stone, and put exactly one gold and ninety silvers on the table.


    She handed me the stone with a toothy grin.


    ''Where the hell did you get the money from?''


    Travador looked kind of dead on the inside as he crashed onto the table with his face- poor guy. Actually, even I didn''t know how expensive these gems were. Oh well.


    "Meet me by the back alley tomorrow morning before sunrise." The guy sniffed slightly as he examined his wound on the left side of his forehead and sulked. Talk about a drama queen.


    And with that said, he got up and left. He didn''t even give us a chance to talk about anything else.


    Where the hell was the back alley? What was the back alley? Why the back-


    Ahem!


    And a moment later the waiter came and asked for money- apparently, the guy hadn''t even paid.


    So much for first impressions.


    I paid for everything as Ve gulped down the drinks.


    Sigh.


    ***


    We got back at the inn slightly after midnight. The reception was mostly empty.


    Customers were probably in their rooms and most of the staff went home or maybe sleeping.


    Our rooms were on the first floor, so we just took a left and arrived. We''d booked two rooms this time. One for Ve and Alisa and one for me and Biteria.


    "Alright, see you tomorrow." Alisa waved as she carried Ve into the room.


    Ve wasn''t quite drunk but she couldn''t really stand on her feet. She even threw up outside- okay maybe, she was drunk.


    I was definitely not going to let her near a drink again. Then again, she did drink roughly four bottles worth of ale- so¡­ yeah.


    Anyway, I went in and found a pouting bunny on the bed. It was a white fluffy bunny which had half of its head looking sideways, pouting divinely.


    Ah, Biteria had gone back to normal. My lovely bunny.


    All the troubles of this world were meaningless! My bunny!


    My sweet, sweet- AHHHHH!


    The damn thing friggin bit my hand like it was its chew toy. "Let go, let go you damn bunny!"


    It almost made a clicking sound and let go and went to the corner.


    I guess the little thing was too mad.


    "Sorry, okay. I didn''t want you to go to a place like that."


    She did not look at me, no.


    Anyway, it was late, so I turned off the lights, locked the door, and lied down on the bed. Removing my armor was too much of a drag anyway.


    It didn''t even take a minute for me to fall asleep.


    And I was back- to the hugging spirit.


    Was it me or had its chest grown?

 Chapter 336 - A Very Weary Premonition

    The spirit was hugging me much tighter than usual and with her chest a bit bigger than usual- the feeling wasn''t so bad but-


    "Is something wrong? I haven''t heard from you for over a week but now you suddenly-"


    This place was quite dark and I couldn''t see. I couldn''t hear any sound: I could just feel her. And for some reason she smelled citrusy.


    "Your life is in danger. I cannot foresee the end of tomorrow in your future." She hugged me slightly tighter, it was almost as though she was afraid on my behalf.


    I chuckled. "Really, you could see the future?"


    The fact that she couldn''t see tomorrow''s future and what it meant, hadn''t quite occurred to me yet.


    "Yes, and your future for tomorrow is blank. I''m afraid you might die."


    The way she casually said that almost sounded like she didn''t really care all that much.


    "Die?"


    I had my curse on full throttle and as Alisa said, me dying for the next three months or so was impossible. Meaning her thinking or prediction was also impossible.


    But it did make me feel weird and even gave me shivers.


    "And it would appear you will lose important people from your life tomorrow; betrayals also bear a high probability."


    I was asleep and I shouldn''t have been feeling cold but- the blood from my face drained. Me getting hurt was one thing but what about my friends and- "How credible is your future sight?"


    "I rarely get visions. After I became this- I- I''m not sure."


    I started to shiver slightly. This wasn''t good. This wasn''t good at all.


    And- "WHOAH!"


    Too bright. Apparently, someone just stole my blanket!


    "You know, you were the one who asked for the training, so you should at least make it in time?" I heard Alisa''s voice but I couldn''t keep my eyes open.


    It was too bright.


    It took me a second but- when I opened my eyes both Ve and Alisa were in the room. Biteria was back in her girl form and she was hugging me tight, still asleep.


    "You''re already late and you didn''t even try to get up early," Ve said.


    Wait, wasn''t I supposed to be meeting that guy in some sort of back alley before sunrise?


    Sigh- it was definitely not before sunrise that was for sure. My head hurt- I definitely needed more sleep. Lately, maybe even becoming half dead didn''t seem that bad. At least I wouldn''t be sleep deprived.


    Wait, the hell did I just think!


    "Anyway, get fresh and let''s leave after breakfast. We''re already late, might as well make the guy wait a bit." Alisa dropped the blanket near the edge of the bed after folding it nicely.


    "We were also supposed to meet Dick after breakfast too."


    So far, not the best start to this day.


    The spirit''s warning was on the back of my mind and I was very much aware of it. ''Let''s make sure these three aren''t near me today, at least.''


    ***


    I got fresh and went for the back alley before breakfast: I told the three, I''d be back before dinner.


    It was late, but I could still make it- or so I hoped. But the back alley was kind of hard to find. There were apparently a lot of back alleys in this town. And they were all over the town.


    So, running around in my armor was already proving to be more draining than my morning sessions with Ve.


    After roughly wasting an hour or so, I became really, really hungry and went into a small street stall.


    I was pretty much alone. The other three were back at the inn. I made a grand plan of not returning and meeting them the whole day. They were definitely against me hanging out with the guy all day without them but that was just an excuse and I didn''t know how long my training with Travador would last anyway.


    If I was away from them then trouble wouldn''t find them- or so I naively believed. I knew this was childish and pointless but, I had to start somewhere. I didn''t yet know what would happen for things to go south. And the spirit also mentioned something about betrayal. I didn''t think Alisa or Biteria would betray me. The chances of Dick and Ve betraying me were also low. But just because they were low and just because I didn''t think they would betray me, didn''t mean they wouldn''t. I never thought that bratty elf would betray me either- but he had. It was impossible to predict these things so the best I could do was be careful and-


    "Young man¡­"


    "Oii! Hey!"


    "Young MAN!"


    Someone shoved a stick of hot meat in my face.


    It smelled great but it almost burned my tongue and lips.


    I took it out and ouch, did it hurt!


    "What was that for!?"


    "Pay attention, kid. I have other customers to tend to." Apparently, it was the owner of the stall. The guy took the money from me and went over to his stove.


    Booming business.


    I guess I zoned out.


    I ate the meat, drank some water and again started the search. Again, nothing.


    Just where the hell was the guy? But what if he got bored and left and I already passed that place?


    Argh!


    "You know, you have some nerve walking around looking sad, when I had to legit wait there all day!"


    Before I knew it, someone dragged me inside an alleyway.


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out who that someone was. Well, he certainly was angry.


    "I''ve been looking everywhere for you!"


    "That''s my line you damn rascal. I didn''t even have breakfast for you!" Travador spat on the floor.


    He wasn''t just angry, he was furious.


    "You think I did?"


    He came over and sniffed me. "Pretty much."


    That was very inappropriate but I didn''t bother saying it out loud.


    Well, he certainly wasn''t wrong. "Look, I''m sorry but I''ve been searching for you for a while. You never really said which back alley, I''ve been going all over town looking for you."


    "Fine, apology accepted just don''t ever be late. And it''s the north gate alley, remember the name well."


    He was a lot more reasonable than I thought. "Alright."


    He clicked his tongue. "Now, tell me where you got your stuff from. I''m famished!" Wow, he didn''t care about being late and all that stuff anymore.


    Screw training, we were going for food first- or so he commanded.

 Chapter 337 - Why Do I Feel So Ripped Off?

    After eating our fill, the guy and I rested on a bench. It was somewhere around ten, not quite midday yet.


    "Where''re your pretty friends?"


    "I left them behind. I have a bad feeling about today."


    He looked at me a bit funny. I guess I was saying weird stuff. "Yeah, the geezer used to say that line too."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, and most of the time, nothing really happened."


    "It''s good then."


    I couldn''t remember if the old man ever said something like that- wait, just before we set foot on that cursed island- the one where all the pirates had died, he did say something like that¡­.


    "But sometimes, hell broke loose. It was a day like this when the two of us were on top of a wall lazing around."


    Wait, he was going to do a flashback now? Why?


    He continued. "I was a rookie and the geezer was kind of a veteran: we were both mercenaries. He came from a faraway land and supposedly he was a criminal there. But he was really good. He kept on saying he had a bad feeling and felt restless." He chuckled. "I was kind of pissed, my wife threw a tantrum at home and I was in a really bad mood so I lashed out at him and he gave me a whopping."


    Should I have been laughing or crying? I didn''t know.


    People were passing us by and we were basically the only ones sitting, looking around. Everyone else had a purpose and they were working towards that- or maybe they were just walking aimlessly- who knew.


    "So anyway, the day goes on, and eventually, evening comes. My shift was almost over, I walked towards the geezer and asked him if he wanted a drink before going home. Normally we didn''t get along but when alcohol was involved, we were best friends." He let out a mighty laugh. Yeah, I believed him. "He didn''t answer me: Normally, he''d never turn down the offer to drink. He was looking straight ahead, speechless. I said it again and since he wasn''t responding I looked ahead too. I couldn''t move my head."


    "Why? What happened? And I don''t think the walls here are tall enough for you guys to see that far anyway."


    The walls of Dracona were barely one and a half guy tall; roughly, three meters.


    "It was a city to the far left of this country. Anyway, there was something headed over this way- something flying our way- a black cloud and a massive threat: death." He gulped. "It was the emperor of death."


    My eyes opened wide. The old man once talked about his encounter with the emperor too. I probed a bit too much but the geezer never said much about that.


    "Then?"


    "Nothing." He chuckled. "He destroyed the town and about twelve of us guards survived and a handful of other people too. The geezer actually challenged the emperor and lost badly. How he made it back alive, I still don''t know till this day. He was a bloody mess though."


    ''Well, he certainly didn''t tell me that.'' I guess losing was too embarrassing for him. Or maybe scary?


    Or maybe the old man was just saving me from depression by not telling me?


    I could imagine the emperor giving a line like ''You''re too good to kill, entertain me some more in the future'' or something along those lines. I chuckled just by thinking about it.


    "Anyway, sorry to scare ya but I''m an expert at surviving, so rest assured, you''re in good hands!" He puffed up his chest in pride.


    I guess that''s why he was talking about this story- to boast.


    I gave him a slow clap. But it did give me a bit of clarity though- the emperor wasn''t something I could just go up against and hope to win just like that. I needed a rather complicated plan.


    The geezer I knew was strong and maybe I was a bit stronger than him at the moment with all my things combined, but that wasn''t enough and I knew that. I needed more strength and more skills.


    ''We got this!'' I was definitely trying my best to not get discouraged and lose hope though.


    ***


    The guy took me to a children''s playground. Since it was more or less midday, there weren''t any kids around.


    "Are you sure we can practice here?"


    "Sure, sure, probably."


    Yeah, he definitely didn''t sound sure.


    Anyway, we proceeded to draw swords. He had a normal sword which he was wielding with one hand.


    I had a slightly heavier sword and I was using both hands.


    "Now, I''ll first gauge your current capabilities, so try to hold nothing back."


    Now that I paid close attention to the guy, he was about two inches taller than me, rather fair and he had a very good build. He didn''t seem human but he didn''t seem like a demi-human either. And since only dwarven nobility were like this, I had a feeling his origins were full of mysteries. I didn''t bother asking though.


    "Alright." Sounded good to me. I wasn''t going to use any magic of Imbuition- just pure skills.


    The moment I said ''okay'' though, the guy came straight for me. As I thought last night, he was fast- probably not as fast as Ve or the half-elf but definitely fast.


    I blocked him and sparks flew. He packed quite a punch.


    "Good on defense, now try attacking."


    He tried to step back but I went for him and swung from up towards his head.


    Instead of blocking, he parried it and gently moved to his right. That was an excellent deflection but I didn''t have time to admire him as he was set to launch another attack on me. But instead of just one swing- he made a number of consecutive attacks like he was using a knife of sorts, and with his free hand, he was often following up things with a punch or sometimes even a kick. I could almost see entrails, even in broad daylight.


    Dodging was hard and eventually, a punch landed on my nose.


    I held my nose and the guy sat down on the ground panting. "Gosh dang it kid, you''re too strong. What the hell do you want to learn from me?"


    My nose was stinging but I talked anyway. "Even I don''t know. But how were you keeping your balance? You were both swinging and punching me and even kicking at the same time." With my nose kind of busted, it was really hard to talk.


    The pain was slowly dissipating though.


    He chuckled. "Just some stuff I picked up during my thug days: and I had loads of fights with the wife so maybe..." He went a bit too quiet in the last part.


    "During your thug days? So, you''re good now?"


    "Mostly."


    ''Then why the hell did the guild master say those stuff about letting sleeping dogs sleep?''


    I still didn''t know if that woman was the guild master though.


    "Anyway, can you teach me how I could at least be better one-handed in case of emergencies? And I want to move faster too."


    "Sure?" He didn''t really seem that convinced.


    Of course, I could be faster than him if I imbued myself but that was another story.


    I tried taking a stance one-handed. The way the half-elf, Joanne had taught me and fought Travador a couple of times.


    He corrected some of my mistakes but that was it. according to him, my form was already superior to his, just a bit on the crude side. If I practiced enough, I could get much better. So, he suggested swinging with one arm every day and practicing more and more. This way, I''ll strengthen my arm while also improving my technique.


    I almost felt ripped off at this point.

 Chapter 338 - Trouble Just Came Out Of Its Way To Find Me

    "But seriously, kid, you''re this strong and you want to get stronger? Just who do you wanna bust up."


    The guy got up and started stretching.


    "He''s too strong and I''d rather not talk about him."


    Actually, even thinking about that guy was trouble in its own right. My nose had more or less healed.


    "Hey! I told you to be at home by noon!"


    A scream came from the west side. This wasn''t a busy place and only a few people were passing us by every now and then.


    ''Isn''t she from the guild?'' I didn''t know if she was really the guildmaster or not but I had a feeling she was. Besides, I''d already assumed she was the guildmaster anyway.


    The man with me, Travador, started sweating. "I''ll be there in half an hour." He said nervously.


    I did not expect this, no.


    The woman went away while grinding her teeth.


    Wow, this really was a weird sight. I did understand how things were though.


    But anyway.


    "Stop grinning." The guy hissed and wrapped his arm around my neck. He was also grinning. "Tell me, tell me, I won''t tell anyone. Besides, if you give me enough coin, I''ll tag along as a mercenary. I''m kind of broke right now." He sighed. "Wife took it all. Can''t even drink in peace." No wonder he ran away yesterday without paying.


    So, when his wife talked about letting sleeping dogs lie, she probably meant, not making this guy go bad again. Then again, I was assuming that woman was his wife¡­.


    "Trust me, you really don''t wanna get involved."


    So why the hell were people acting like this guy was a handful or even a criminal?


    I started walking and so did he. "But I do, tell me."


    Well, he was certainly a handful, that was for sure.


    I sighed. "The emperor."


    "Where! Where!"


    He started jumping around. This guy jumped around just from the mere mention of the emperor and he wanted to tag along?


    "No, I mean, my target."


    ''Is it me or is it getting slightly darker?'' I guess it could probably rain today.


    He looked confused for a second and then the color from his face drained. "The emperor."


    "Yeah, so that''s why I have to- are you even listening to me?"


    The guy was staring up, rather strangely.


    It took me a second but I looked up and¡­ there he was.


    The demon Emperor. Namcha Miallianase.


    ***


    My throat clogged up. I still remembered the horror in Moire.


    I still remembered his voice, his presence. I still remembered his name even though I''d only heard it once from his mouth.


    How could I ever forget?


    "I''m not hallucinating right?" Travador spoke, slightly shivering.


    "Well, pretty sure we don''t share the same head, but honestly I would have liked hallucinating."


    The emperor of the demons was in the sky, just staying here. Dark clouds were forming and I could never forget that cloak of darkness. There was nothing else in the sky- other than him and the dark clouds- not even the sun.


    "He''s the real deal." The words escaped from my mouth.


    "We have to get out of here! You get your friends and get out of town. I''ll go get my family. Trust me, you don''t want to mess with that thing!" The guy grabbed my shoulder and stared straight into my eyes. "Look I know it''s frustrating and I know you''re strong but I''ve seen much stronger guys than you die a dog''s death. I don''t know what''s your beef with the guy but don''t die meaninglessly. Think of your friends, please get them and just leave, okay?"


    He didn''t wait for a confirmation but just ran straight west.


    I looked at my hands. "My friends?"


    I could finally understand why the spirit had said those words¡­


    "But wouldn''t getting involved with me kill them?"


    But it was also possible if I ran away now, they''d get killed with the rest of the city.


    And what if the same thing happened like Hellsing? What if I ran out of the town but the emperor didn''t even look at me?


    So, there was only one thing I could do- run to the center and get the emperor''s attention before any of my friends could get here. As soon as someone would spot the emperor, panic would befall and people will run for their lives.


    But didn''t I have a contract with the emperor?


    ''For fun.''


    The words rang in my mind. Everything was fun for the guy. And if the fun ran out¡­


    I had to hurry.


    But my legs weren''t moving.


    ''Fear?''


    My body was shaking. I couldn''t feel my legs.


    "Move!" I punched my thighs and though painful, started running.


    I had to get there, I had to get there and attract his attention before any of my friends ran into me, I had to make sure I was the only one. This was my fight and I didn''t want to drag them in though they wanted to.


    ***


    It took one minute. Just one minute for panic to set loose.


    The people of this land already knew just how terrifying the emperor was and because of that, they weren''t taking chances. The moment someone spotted the emperor, everyone started running. Didn''t matter if they were beggars, guards, or even nobles, they just ran. Life mattered more.


    There were screams, there were cries and people were being run over by other people.


    The colors of the world had become washed up and it was almost as though everything was muffled.


    And since everyone was running my way, and I was the only one heading towards the center- it was more than just hard to move.


    People crashed into me, I crashed into them but I had to move. I just had to.


    If I stayed with the crowd and somehow a fight broke out- it''d only cause more casualty.


    "Daarc!" Before I could turn around, Ve pulled me up. She was in her hybrid form- a form where she partially transformed and made wings appear though she remained humanoid: her whole body was covered in scales. She sighed in relief. "I know what you''re thinking but we have to leave. Daughter of Damsel and the rabbit have already evacuated to the edge of the city. Let''s leave before that thing sees us."


    She probably assumed I was going to challenge the emperor or something- I mean she wasn''t wrong.


    She was gently flying over the buildings and definitely making sure the emperor didn''t see us.


    "It''ll be very bad if he sees us and starts a fight in the middle of the crowd," I said.


    I know I wanted to run away from my friends but at the moment it wasn''t possible. And I couldn''t just say I was afraid one of them was going to die and maybe another was going to betray me. I just couldn''t.


    "You''re right." She thought for a second and stopped behind a rooftop. "How about we move towards the opposite gate and wait there? Daughter of Damsel is wise enough to figure everything out."


    "Good enough, but what about Dick?"


    "We haven''t seen him."


    We didn''t have time to worry, argue or even think about all this, so we decided to just move towards the other gate.. This wasn''t even remotely close to a good solution but we had nothing else.

 Chapter 339 - Confusion

    There were three main gates to this city. One led to the ocean, one led to the forest from where we came, and the last one led to a cruel desert. The desert route was abandoned as it was almost summer.


    Since most of the town was already heading in different directions, from halfway we didn''t need to fly above. Instead, we hid in the alleyways and slowly moved forward. This was definitely a better solution.


    There wasn''t anyone around- not even kids. The only people lying around were mostly dead ones who got trampled over. Some were barely alive but- all I could do was heal them slightly, from faraway.


    We were moving quite fast but it almost felt like an eternity as we gradually moved forward.


    The city felt like a ghost town and the emperor hadn''t quite done anything yet. He was just standing way above the city- not even searching for anything. He was just standing there.


    Just what was he doing? And he hadn''t brought any demons either. So, it did make me wonder, just what the hell was he doing!


    "Once we reach the gates, we''ll wait exactly ten minutes for them. If they don''t show, we''ll take the underground path and move out of the city. Any other path would be too risky," Ve said.


    I didn''t say anything. More like I couldn''t.


    ***


    We''d reached the end of the city and the gates just moments later. A man was already there. Dick.


    I vaguely put together things from the spirit''s warning but I didn''t think act too much on it. And I surely didn''t let my guard down- even from Ve.


    Dick was alone.


    "Dick! We need to run!"


    I was trying not to look suspicious of anything and was going to move close to Dick but Ve blocked me with her spear. "He has company with him."


    And a second later- from Dick''s meager shadow, someone emerged.


    "What''s a vampire doing in broad daylight?"


    I could tell he was a vampire- after dealing with them in Xylax, there was no mistaking it- the demon in front of us was a vampire and it was a powerful one, no doubt.


    The emperor''s clouds had covered the sky but still, it was daytime and daytime was hell for vampires. The fact that this one moved without any issues sent out shivers down my spine. This one was trouble.


    The vamp smiled. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance lord Daarc Green. I am Sorain. The demonic vampire of the Ile: one of the seven." He bowed courteously.


    "That one is mine Daarc." Ve took a stance and she was utterly serious.


    "So, you betrayed us, Dick." I already knew he did, but even now, it was hard to digest this. This really felt surreal. One moment I was enjoying my peaceful time wandering the city and another moment, everything just came crashing down.


    Dick didn''t say anything and just drew his sword. I also drew mine, the Mystic blade.


    An aura covered my whole body. I didn''t know if he was possessed or betrayed us with his own will or what his goal even was, but- I couldn''t waste time here and I had to get out of this place. I was strong but I had to get stronger. As I was, I didn''t have much of a shot with the emperor and though sad, it was reality.


    Actually, I didn''t know what to do. Ve was here. Alisa and Bitiera were on the other side: I hope they were safe. But as things stood a lot of people were about to die and I didn''t know what to do.


    Dick had betrayed us and this whole city would probably be eradicated. There were a lot of people here and even now almost half of its residents couldn''t get out.


    Meaning- blood would be spilled whether we liked it or not. So- wouldn''t it be better if we could- no, if I could just get rid of them and end this once and for all?


    Could I do that? Was it strong enough? Was it even possible? I didn''t know.


    I really didn''t know.


    The only thing I could do- was take in a deep breath and charge straight ahead. If my way was blocked, I''d just have to curve open a new one.


    A path I didn''t yet know.


    As mine and Dick''s sword clashed, sparks flew, he smiled slightly. "Sorry about this." He pulled out his shield and threw me back. "This really doesn''t want to harm you it would seem." He put the shield back in his pouch. And pulled out a rather ominous-looking shield: blood-red circle-ish and black spikes.


    I was unharmed. "Why Dick? Why?"


    "For survival Daarc. I''m sure you understand."


    But I didn''t.


    ***


    Things heated up.


    In a second, hell broke loose.


    I didn''t hold back and used Imbuition and my pendant right off the bat. I knew Dick was strong and holding back would have cost me heavily.


    Dick didn''t yet know about my curse''s activation, meaning he didn''t know I could fight for long periods of time. So, he''d probably aim to end this fight under three minutes or at the very least prolong it- meaning, he''d try his best to keep me in check till I ran out of steam.


    So- CLASH!


    Sparks scattered around.


    The cool atmosphere became sweat dripping hot. My hair was getting way too big and thanks to the excess sweat, it was drenched: not the most pleasant feeling.


    But- though his sword was locked onto mine, he could slam his shield- which I avoided every single time. I did not like that shield. That shield had ''I''ll curse you'' written all over it.


    "Being weary is good but you''re too weary. You sure you can afford to laze around while your timer''s ticking?"


    I grinned. "I wonder." I looked up through my peripherals but the emperor showed no signs of moving. "Why the hell is he here?"


    Dick grinned. "I don''t know. Maybe to kill someone?"


    "VE!" I forged a large enough holy ball and blasted the whole place. It was large enough to probably even draw in the Emperor''s attention but I didn''t have a choice. At this point, it certainly didn''t matter. He''d see us sooner or later anyway.


    "Argh!" A groan came from my right where Ve and the vampire were.


    Ve had used my cue and shoved her spear through the vampire.


    And the blast had actually hurt the vampire since its weakness was holy. Glad to know Ve was winning.


    But it didn''t have much effect on Dick as he had closed his eyes when I shouted Ve''s name. My strategy backfired on me. Guess I should have expected as much.


    But- I focused on another ball.

 Chapter 340 - What Is Going On?

    "Too slow!" Dick glowed in a fiery light and made a massive ball of fire in an instant.


    I also took out the stone of Damsel and as three distinct mana flew through me, I fired my light- wet- slightly cold ball at his fiery hot ball. Probably not the best description but there were loads of steam.


    I had my senses sharpened thanks to Imbuition, so I could tell where who was even in this misty weather- but- slash!


    I cut through air. I could have sworn I''d heard him there.


    Dick could apparently, let out faints.


    And the steam wasn''t going away. ''So, he could produce steam?'' It seemed most probable otherwise, how come the steam didn''t disappear and how could he move freely and create dummy presences?


    I guess just relying on Imbuition wasn''t working and the fact that I didn''t know how to beat the guy still stood firm.


    "That''s odd you''re not running out of strength. I guess you''ve found a way then." Dick''s voice reverberated across the place. It was like he was everywhere- yet nowhere.


    "Who knows."


    Judging by Dick''s tone of voice, bluffing wasn''t going to work anymore.


    I took in slow breaths to calm myself.


    "You okay Ve?"


    "Fine."


    It wasn''t that I was announcing my location- but just the opposite. I knew Dick would strike at the precise time when he thought I''d be the most defenseless.


    From the left!


    Smash!


    Though I knew where he was coming from, though I knew where our swords would meet, I failed. Our swords did meet but my left arm met his shield and the spikes kind of broke off as it easily pierced through my armor and body.


    "Damn it!" I groaned and backstepped. These things were big like my finger but sharp as needles. They stung- they really did. I pulled out four of the spikes. My wounds started to heal but I kept my composure.


    Painful didn''t even begin to describe the feeling: I literally wanted to cry. And that wasn''t even all!


    ''Poison?'' I felt drowsy and I kind of wanted to roll on the ground, but I had to look sharp- even if I had to pretend.


    So far, I was losing.


    "I knew you were resistant but to think you''re good even when it comes to a poison of this caliber. I have to hand it to you Daarc, you truly are the protagonist." Dick smiled, sweats forming.


    "Again, with that shit." I chuckled, focused, and released another set of light blast. This one had a much smaller radius and I didn''t yell anything before firing, catching him off-guard. ''Got you!''


    I didn''t care if he was going to use that shield of his or not but I sliced at him and he sliced at me. I took a cut on my neck and he took one on his right arm. He didn''t forget to slam the shield at me again but this time I countered with the mystic spear and pierced through his left shoulder. The guy probably never thought I''d be pulling out weapons from my ring- after all, he wasn''t used to seeing me use two weapons. More like he wasn''t used to me having a left arm.


    He threw up blood and backstepped.


    I held both the sword and the spear. To think the guy had made me use this much of my strength and he still wasn''t done: I was more or less exhausted though. So, a high potion it was.


    "That''s criminal you know. Not only do you have op healing, you''re also using elixirs." He chuckled, spitting out some blood.


    "This is a high potion, you moron."


    And why the hell was I even bothering with him?


    I didn''t know why but, somehow this didn''t feel like a fight to the death. And the emperor above wasn''t doing anything either. ''Seriously. What is going on here?''


    "You done yet Ve?"


    But there was no response from Ve. I guess that wasn''t good.


    "I heard they fought once before too." Dick smiled as he drank something. "You can guess who won."


    "Sorry but- I trust her."


    I slipped both of my weapons back in the ring and solely focused on a spell, definitely big enough to envelop half of this city.


    Dick clicked his tongue and dashed straight for me.


    It was a multilevel holy attack- I''d cast it just once before in my life. I sure hoped it worked.


    ''Here goes!''


    Dick came charging in but- before he could reach me the spell activated and a white ball of shining light slowly flew up and spread everywhere- the grand spell. The very same spell that had saved Moire. But there was just one problem- it only worked on the undead- and perhaps vampires.


    I knew it wouldn''t work on Dick and he took the chance to pierce me through my heart. "I know this won''t kill you but- bear with me," he whispered faintly.


    This pain was different. It was a sharp pain but- it was much, much stronger than anything else. Just staying conscious was a pain. But-


    There was a good reason behind that spell and there was another good reason why I didn''t bother dodging or even trying to guard. That being- now Dick was stuck with me. Which meant-


    "HUH!!" Ve pierced Dick through his chest. Her spear almost reached me, scratching a bit of my armor.


    Dick had blood leaking from his mouth as he slowly fell on the ground.


    Ve breathed very rapidly. "I thought I told you it was my fight." She pulled out Dick''s sword from my chest.


    I immediately pulled out another high potion but the pain was just too strong.


    "My hearing''s been acting weird lately." And I couldn''t even speak clearly now.


    Dick bled on the ground. He was alive- probably.


    "The vampire isn''t dead yet. It retreated thanks to your magic but it''s out there: though I hate to leave but, we have to get out of here now, before that thing comes down." Ve was out of breath.


    But that thing hadn''t noticed us even though we were being this flashy. Though after using that last spell, I had a feeling it''d come down any second now.


    "Right!"


    Ve lent me her shoulder. Even with the curse, getting pierced through the heart was not something I could just brush over. It was really painful, even after drinking the potion. If it weren''t for my hyper tensed state, I''d have probably passed out a long while ago.


    Dick grabbed my feet. "It''s pointless. Get Alisa and-" He threw up some more blood and passed out.


    What the hell was up with this dude?


    I looked over at his wound and gave him just the right amount of healing so he wouldn''t die of suffocation from his own blood.


    All this time he was fighting me but- he never once had any intention to kill me, probably. I really wanted to believe there was a good reason for this type of his behavior but- we didn''t have time.


    But just when we finally tried to run-


    Crash!


    Something had descended on the ground- shattering everything.


    Something dark.


    Something deadly.


    The emperor had descended. "Times up!"


    I guess ''that something'' had finally come down.

 Chapter 341 - He Was Just Here For Some Fun

    "I didn''t think you''d be coming down." I tried acting tough.


    Ve was still handling most of my weight. My chest was burning and I was still leaking blood. This curse was strong but it wasn''t all powerful.


    But one thing was for sure, even without my heart beating, even though my blood had gone cold, even though I couldn''t feel half of my left arm, I wasn''t dead. I could still go on. The pain wasn''t receding though.


    ''Damn you, Dick!''


    The poor guy was resting peacefully on the ground. I still hope he wasn''t dead though. It would have left a bad taste in my mouth.


    "IT WAS GETTING TOO BORING, YOU SEE."


    His voice was somewhere in the middle of seriousness and mockery. But even so, it made me tremble. And seriously? That was his reason?


    I could almost roll my eyes, but at the same time, I couldn''t.


    "Why are you here? I thought we had a deal!"


    "AND WE STILL DO! YOU HAVE PROGRESSED RATHER WELL IN THESE PAST TEN MONTHS. AND THOUGH I''D LIKE TO CRUSH YOU AND SAVOR THE FUN, I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO ATTEND TO." He was almost disappointed at the thought he couldn''t fight me now. But then- why?


    I couldn''t see his face; I couldn''t see anything past that darkness. But I could see the madness in his glistening eyes and that mocking grin.


    "To destroy this town?"


    "HMM¡­ IF YOU SHOULD STAND IN MY WAY- THEN." His grin widened. "OTHERWISE, I''D TURN A BLIND EYE, IF YOU TURN A BLIND EYE."


    If I turn a blind eye to what? If he wasn''t here to fight me or destroy the city, then why was he here?


    I seriously couldn''t find a valid reason.


    "What?" Ve let out a small mumble. "He''s crazy."


    "Uh-huh." I couldn''t disagree with that. But- I took a deep breath. If he wasn''t here for me, then what the hell was he here for and why did Dick of all people betray me? "Why are you here?"


    I took a good look at my surrounding. It was all but empty. The houses were in the distance and the vampire was nowhere to be found.


    We were alone.


    He slightly tilted his head to his left. "WHERE IS THE DAUGHTER OF DAMSEL?"


    Alisa? He was here for Alisa?


    "And what do you plan to do with her?" Ve asked, anger evident.


    "NOTHNG MUCH. OUR DEAL IS OVER- THEREFORE I''VE COME TO RECLAIM MY COMPENSATION."


    "Compensation?" I was confused, I really was.


    "YES, SHE MADE A DEAL WITH HER LIFE. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, THEREFORE, ALL WILL BE OVER IF YOU WERE TO JUST REVEAL HER TO ME, AND I''D ME ON MY WAY." It was almost as though he was showing me mercy.


    It was almost as though he was mocking me.


    And it was almost as though, he knew, I wouldn''t.


    I grit my teeth. "And you think I''d sell out on her?"


    He stopped grinning.


    "IN THAT CASE, PLAYTIME WOULD BE OVER AND I''D HAVE TO TORTURE YOU TO DEATH BEFORE YOU SHOULD REVEAL HER." A large sigh. "IT WOULD BE SUCH A SHAME."


    "Well, Goodluck with that."


    I gripped the mystic blade tight, broke a small vile of elixir and downed it on one go.


    Ve was wounded but she looked fine. She was good to go.


    And with that small drop of elixir, I was also good to go. The wound was barely holding and didn''t leak. It also didn''t hurt as much. But my heart started beating again. And with every beat, a pulse of pain shot through my body.


    But I was still alive.


    This curse really was something.


    Dick was lying on the ground, so I took out the mystic shield from his pouch. It was a small shield enough to slot in between my mystic glove and arm guard. But the moment I wore it, I could feel a tremendous amount of power surging through me and it was as though I could take hits everywhere. The added benefit of wearing my mystic glove was also showing its effects as it hastened my healing.


    Sorry Dick, but I definitely had no plans on returning this thing anymore.


    The shield slotted in on my arm, so I didn''t have to bother with using a hand on it. instead, I used the mystic sword with my right and the spear with my left hand. The four mystic equipment felt way too natural to me and gave me new strength.


    All the gems, the stones, everything glowed and covered me. I also used Imbuition and downed my second last high potion. I also threw a potion Ve''s way.


    I was glowing- I was out of breath, and all the wounds were disappearing. I was on the bleeding edge of my limit.


    All this time, the emperor was just looking at me, marveled. "AH, SUCH PROGRESS. YOU TRULY WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!" He didn''t even bother trying to stop me. His eyes were clearly saying, ''come at me with everything.''


    I didn''t let his words bother me. "Ve, I know you want to fight but I think it''s better if you were to run away now."


    "Did you forget why Xerphas sent me with you?" She didn''t need to support me anymore, but she still took her fighting stance.


    "I didn''t. but I''m pretty sure he sent you for a different reason than to just throw your life away."


    The dragons were dying out.


    And I killed most of the last ones. Their leader was also dead.


    It was only natural Xerphas would send her daughter with me in the hopes of preserving their race. I guess that dude trusted me a lot more than I thought and I was just a blockhead who never even considered that.


    So it was up to me to ensure that her daughter didn''t pass away like this.


    "Even so." Ve stood by my side. "I won''t leave. I''m a proud warrior of the dragon and the Alf race. I can''t back down now." She snorted. "However, I won''t throw down my life either. I''ll aid you the best I can, if that''s not enough, I''ll fall back."


    ''Sounds good to me.''


    Then- "Sorry to keep you waiting but- why do this? I''ve asked you before but- this time, I expect not a flimsy answer like you''re bored." I glared. "We both know, it''s not that simple."


    I was just shooting stones in the darkness. I had no idea if he actually had any reasons or not but-


    He let out a snort. "You''re too sharp for your own good." His voice almost felt humane for a second. "HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO ULTERIOR MOTIVES HERE. I''M JUST HERE FOR SOME FUN."


    "Uh-Huh." Too bad.


    I dashed forward in blazing speeds.

 Chapter 342 - A Fatal Mistake

    The emperor didn''t move.


    He just blocked my sword with his- a sword blacker than darkness. Even Ashirnae''s Mythic sword wasn''t that dark.


    "YES, TRULY MAGNIFICENT. IF ONLY YOU''D LISTEN."


    "But wouldn''t it become boring if I were to just listen to you and dance on your palm?"


    I hit him with a holy ball out of nowhere. I''d made it seem like I was going to use my spear, but I switched at the very last moment.


    My battle with Dick was a good reminder to me, that I could use fast transfers with my ring, assuming I had enough mana.


    It was a positive hit and I took a step back.


    But nothing happened.


    "AHHHAHHHASH!" Even his laughter was ominous. "BUT ARE YOU SURE YOU''RE NOT ALREADY DANCING ON THE PALM OF MY HAND, NOW?"


    Well, he did have a point.


    Flick!


    Ve was trying to catch him by surprise but she was flicked back: it was almost like an invisible hand had attacked Ve. "ENOUGH LYING AROUND. GET HERE AND HAVE SOME FUN!"


    "Yes, my lord."


    Sorain, the vampire appeared out of nowhere and took his battle stance again.


    I guess that took Ve out of the equation.


    I took deep breaths. Though the elixir and the potion did wonders, it sure wasn''t enough to stop a bleeding heart.


    "I could heal you to full health if you find that troubling." The emperor said in a rather emphatical voice.


    But it was fake and I knew it. "NO thanks."


    I charged in again, I wasn''t charging blindly. I didn''t know the extent of his powers and I didn''t know just how deep it went. So, I gradually just increased my attacks, gauging his response. He was still messing around and he could easily keep up even though I was in this state.


    He was by far the strongest opponent I''d faced.


    "You''re progress is impressive." The emperor said in a cold voice as he closed his eyes. This was the perfect chance. I went in for a solid attack. "HOWEVER- YOU''RE FAR TOO PREDICTABLE AND YOU HAVEN''T RID OF YOUR NAIVETY!"


    He grabbed my head at lightning speed: I couldn''t even see him move. He just grabbed it and stared at me. He lifted me up and started crushing my skull. "ARGH!" I screamed but to no avail.


    I''d been in a similar situation before- but- I used the mystic blade and sliced off his hand while I was wailing around!


    He let me go and quickly healed his hand. The sword was effective and so were holy attacks. But he healed his arm like it was a joke. His regenerative powers were actually stronger than mine.


    He grinned and swung his sword horizontally. I blocked it with my shield but- just barely. He was heavy and his swordplay was nothing to sneeze at.


    But so far, he didn''t seem like someone invincible. He didn''t feel like a God. Maybe he was hiding his true strength, maybe he was just playing around.


    But some part of me was hopeful. And that''s why- I used all my knowledge, all my skills, and swung around.


    Our swords connected, he deflected me, I blocked him. I was definitely not going to back out now and I knew if I didn''t do something now, something bad was about to happen.


    The light of the auras had mostly healed me and I felt the better the more I used this power. If this kept up, I''d be in full health soon. I knew I''d run out eventually, so I had to hurry.


    But just when I thought things were looking good for me- HE SIGHED. And that was no frigging small sigh.


    The area around the emperor started to shake and vibrate: it was almost as though reality itself was being warped. Darkness gathered around him- no, the light just vanished from that place. "AND THAT NAIVETY SHALL COST YOU!"


    In an instant, he gathered a lot more darkness than I''d ever seen in daytime.


    I tried my best to gather light and make a holy ball but his was far- far bigger than anything I could manage. Even the grand spell I''d used moments ago- paled in comparison.


    ''We aren''t even in the same ballpark-''


    The realization only made my blood curl and go cold- but-


    He threw his dark ball; I threw my light. They clashed and my light got dwarfed. It wasn''t working, the massive ball of darkness was headed my way whether I liked it or not.


    I used the shield and tried to protect myself but- The darkness was just too much and it was enough to cover this portion of the city. I was about to be consumed.


    In that moment, it was almost as though- something came inside me and-


    And a dark aura hovered over my other auras.


    "A SPIRIT?" The emperor chuckled menacingly. "HOWEVER, IT WON''T SAVE YOU!"


    The Darkness covered everything.


    There was no light. Even though I produced light, I couldn''t see anything. I couldn''t feel anything and I didn''t feel like I was taking any damage either. It was almost as though the darkness just absorbed me and there was nothing left.


    I couldn''t even hear anything: there were no outside sounds. The world had gone silent.


    ''Don''t be fooled. He''s coming.''


    I heard the spirit''s voice inside my mind.


    He''s coming? But from where?


    I couldn''t tell left from right, let alone predict where I was going to get attacked from.


    "There!" But even so- I could tell where the spirit was pointing.


    I couldn''t see the spirit, but I could feel- and that''s why I raised my shield up and waited.


    I didn''t know how- but I knew he''d be here¡­ now!


    "NO!" The spirit cried out.


    I thrust the sword forward while maintaining my shield. I didn''t know what it was going on about but it was too late to stop now.


    Something solid hit my shield and it didn''t go through, but my sword flew through something and I knew it was a positive hit.


    But blood? The emperor had blood?


    The darkness cleared.


    Someone threw up blood- it wasn''t me.


    It wasn''t the emperor either.


    It was Ve.

 Chapter 343 - A Fatal Mistake (Part Two)

    Ve was hit and I was the one who hit her.


    I caught her before she fell on the ground and slowly lied her down. "Ve¡­"


    Her body was warm but it was going cold. My hands shivered and my breathing got erratic.


    Her blood was on me. The blood I spilled¡­.


    Red.


    She was conscious but- "Sorry, they can use spatial magic, be careful." She passed out.


    With shaking hands, I pulled out that sword and tried my best to heal her. but I didn''t have enough magic.


    The wound wasn''t closing.


    My magic was not enough. ''Th-the elixir!''


    I had one last small vile of elixir on me and though Ve was unconscious I slid it down her throat. She couldn''t swallow and it barely passed her throat.


    Her breathing stabilized but she wasn''t out of danger. The wound was still not fully closed and she was in a lot of pain.


    "AHHHA SA HAH AH!" The emperor just laughed: his laughter, ominous. "See, how na?ve?"


    I shook with rage, but I couldn''t move from Ve. The vampire was just in the corner, waiting and the emperor had his sword drawn.


    I had one more high potion but I knew it wasn''t going to be enough. Even so-


    ''What have I done?''


    I wanted to feed her the high potion but I knew she wouldn''t be able to take it, so I mouth fed her.


    Tears almost welled but- I controlled them.


    "How touching." The vampire almost shed a tear.


    Both of them chuckled. It was frustrating, it really was.


    But- her wound was barely holding up now.


    With all that done, I stood up.


    "ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN AFFORD TO FIGHT US BOTH WHILE PROTECTING YOUR FRIEND?" The emperor showed his teeth. "AFTER ALL, ALL WILL BE OVER IF YOU WERE TO HAND OVER THE HALF GOD. I''D EVEN RESTORE YOUR FRIEND HERE. HOW ABOUT THAT?"


    "You really think I''d give you anything at this point?"


    Most of the mana died out. The stones stopped glowing. My time was up. But I didn''t faint and I didn''t fly around in rage.


    If I lost my cool now, it''d all be over and Ve''s injury would have been for naught.


    I didn''t feel weak, and I didn''t feel any pain either. I ignored all that.


    I just glowed white. I had three pieces of mystic equipment on me.


    And all three auras covered me and meshed together. I''d gotten a ring from earl of Saram but I never got to test it out. I never needed extra mana. But- I used that too.


    Just mine and Trerortra''s mana.


    I glowed.


    I glowed white.


    The mana from me spread and covered this whole area, almost like that grand spell but this one just stayed like that, not vanishing.


    "Ach!" The vampire let out a scream as it slowly started to burn.


    It escaped into the emperor''s shadow while Ve started being slowly healed.


    It didn''t take much focus to maintain this holy field and it didn''t take all that mana either. It was a weaker spell than the grand spell but it was definitely powerful. And I was just doing this subconsciously...


    "Impressive. This one indeed seems to be the strongest, my lord." Sorain said from the shadows.


    "YES. SO IT WOULD SEEM. BUT STRENGHT ISN''T EVERYTHING."


    "Tell that to the weak." I focused and with a full body Imbuition, charged ahead while maintaining the holy field.


    I didn''t need the spear anymore, I only focused on the sword with both my hands. My blood-stained hands.


    The moment I was about to strike the emperor he brought Ve''s body in front of me: teleportation. "BUT YOU DON''T LEARN"


    "You really think so?" But the sword shifted and instead, a cane came out. And on top of that cane, a special holy ball formed. A powerful hot ball that forced the air around it to superheat and form plasma.


    I''d used this magic before and I knew much damage it could produce.


    I shot it- I shot it past Ve, straight at the emperor.


    It took him off guard and it was a full blast.


    Meanwhile, I caught Ve and fell back. The holy field was still active, meaning the vampire was out of the picture.


    Smoke came out from the cloak of the emperor. "IT WOULD SEEM I HAVE UNDERESTIMATED YOU MORE THAN I THOGUHT." The emperor let out a bone chilling laughter as half of his cloak burned. He threw it on the ground. From within that darkness a warrior came to light- a warrior covered in scars, stitches, bruises, and eyes. There were eyes everywhere. His skin was red: Blood red. His stitches had dark hands oozing through- souls. And all of that was on display now that he was half-naked.


    "BUT ALAS, YOU SHALL DIE NOW." He laughed again and headed straight for me. He came so fast that even the sound made a boom.


    But I was holding Ve and I had to just rely on the shield. "Damn it." But I wasn''t going to drop her or forsake her. It was possible the emperor could easily use her as a shield again. So, I held on to her, tight.


    I still had my cane on hand and focused to make another holy ball.


    Just before the impact though- something hit the emperor- an icicle.


    The emperor fell back.


    "Sorry it took a while. I got lost with all the people there."


    "Wh-what are you doing here? Run away! NOW!"


    Alisa smiled. "But I can''t do that. He''ll find me even to the ends of hell. After all, I''d made the deal with the devil." Alisa ran my way and stood behind me. "Besides, he''d kill you guys¡­" She mumbled.


    I gritted my teeth. "But-" I took a deep breath. "Hold Ve." And why the hell did she have to bring Biteria of all things here! "AND YOU STAND BACK!"


    I didn''t need my dead bunny to die again.


    Anyway- I didn''t have to worry about that and with the holy field maintained, I could finally focus on just the emperor.


    But- he looked and felt different. He wasn''t smiling anymore and he looked serious for once.


    His face wasn''t covered and, on that face, there were just two eyes, one nose, and a mouth: awfully human. And yet- it was bone-chilling. He had no skin, no muscles on that face. I could see the bones; I could see the bugs eating his flesh. His eyes were just red balls of light. He was an undead, and the finest kind. So fine, daylight did nothing and even with the holy field activated, nothing happened.


    ''Shit¡­''

 Chapter 344 - A Fatal Mistake (Part Three)

    "Your business is with me, so would you mind letting them go?" But before anything, Alisa tried to reason.


    "What the hell are you saying?"


    I was finally going to fully focus on the emperor again but Alisa was saying weird stuff.


    The emperor poised his sword at me. "UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT PERMIT THEM TO LIVE AFTER WITNESSING THIS FORM."


    "Sounds kind of clich¨¦." I took a stance. I was out of options.


    I could use magic but that wouldn''t be effective and so far, I couldn''t hit him properly, unless I took hits. Even if I took hits and hit him, there was no guarantee it''d be enough.


    And with all the stones dry, my physical capabilities weren''t quite what they were even minutes ago. Just Imbuition wasn''t going to be enough.


    That''s when- "Then we''ll just have to defeat you right here, right now." Alisa gave me some of her mana and a pale blue aura covered me.


    Well, at least I had her backing.


    She froze Ve''s wound and was trying to heal her.


    Meanwhile- the Emperor was being courteous again by not attacking¡­ He was serious, I could tell, but even now, he didn''t really try any cowardly attacks- at least not yet.


    Meaning- he wasn''t the least concerned about or he hadn''t even considered the possibility of him losing.


    I didn''t rush in; I didn''t quite wait for him to strike either. Instead, I was waiting for him to try to make a move. I knew what his target was- so if I could only react just before he attacked-


    He came my way- fast.


    No time to think!


    But I took a step back and as expected he showed up just behind me, swinging his sword over at Alisa''s head. I blocked it.


    And he called me predictable!


    The almost invisible translucent hands punched me on my chest and stomach. I almost spat blood but- I kicked the emperor''s chest and threw him back. I guess fighting that guy this morning wasn''t a waste after all.


    "Careful, he can teleport," Alisa said.


    "Uh-huh. He could also teleport you guys and use you as shields, so be careful."


    The emperor hadn''t fallen. He merely shrugged and grinned. "GOOD, GOOD, BUT NOT ENOUGH."


    For someone who talked about power and all this crap, he sure wasn''t all that great either.


    I was basically running on fumes and he couldn''t take down me, so why the hell was he enjoying and saying I wasn''t enough?


    Weird.


    Anyway. He dashed forward again and I blocked him again. The whole thing repeated as I kicked him, punched him, he punched me, and vice versa. It just went on.


    We punched each other, bled, but in the end, he had better healing and he was back to normal before long. Meanwhile, I was out of breath and potions.


    This was not working.


    He cracked his knuckles and neck. "ANYWAY, THAT''S ENOUGH WARMING UP. SHALL WE GET DOWN TO BUSINESS, PRINCESS? OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GET SERIOUS?" He was speaking directly to Alisa.


    So, he wasn''t serious till now?


    What?


    He didn''t seem like the type to be bluffing. Or maybe he was just an expert.


    But wait, even moments ago- he wanted to kill me. But now he didn''t?


    Something didn''t quite add up.


    "So, now you want to talk?" Alisa grinned.


    She probably had a plan, judging by that look.


    "AS PER OUR DEAL, I''VE COME TO CLAIM YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CORE."


    Her life and her core?


    Basically, he wanted to kill her.


    "Unfortunately, I''ve changed my mind and I''d appreciate it if you didn''t kill me." Alisa met him head-on. She didn''t look away even for a second. "And I''m assuming you''d kill us all here even if I were to just hand over my core to you."


    The emperor stopped grinning. "A DEAL''S A DEAL, PRINCESS. NO MATTER WHAT, YOU CANNOT BREAK A DEAL WITH A DEMON. AND ARENT YOU GODS SUPPOSED TO BE TRUE TO YOUR WORDS?" He mocked.


    "Well, it''s a shame I''m only half a god." She grinned and kicked the ground. "Ice Bind Fury!"


    The floor beneath the emperor lit up in blue writings. He let out a scream in agony. The scream gradually got worse and worse as blue chains, chained him down. The chains had thorns and it looked awfully painful. His new wounds started to freeze and I finally got why Alisa was being so optimistic.


    "NOW!" Alisa screamed.


    "Right!"


    I gripped my sword tight and ran for the emperor. I didn''t know why but this three-second run felt like an eternity but- I finally reached him and shoved the sword straight through his chest.


    The light of the emperor''s eyes ceased to be.


    The chains shattered. The light disappeared.


    ''Finally.''


    My heart raced. Everything felt surreal. We''d done it.


    But wasn''t that too easy? ''Could it be-!?''


    We''d-


    "Oh no!" Alisa grunted.


    The emperor''s eyes lit up again and he caught me in a split second, lifted me up by my neck. Dark liquid oozed out of his wounds and healed him. The invisible hands grabbed all of my body so I couldn''t move.


    My sword was still in him but I couldn''t move it anymore.


    The holy field which was active till now- vanished.


    "AS I SAID, NOT GOOD ENOUGH. YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST LISTENED TO ME AND HANDED HER OVER." His voice was much colder and he looked at me with the intent to kill me. "AND I EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO SPARE YOUR LIFE TOO¡­ SUCH A SHAME¡­"


    But I tried to just shove the sword deeper and- he caught my hand- he tore my whole arm from my shoulder.


    "AHAHHQHQHQHHDHDFHFHFHFH!"


    I''d never screamed like that in my life. The pain was unbearable. Even being punctured in the heart paled in comparison.


    My muscles, my bones, my everything- torn.


    Tears streamed down my face and I couldn''t control them. Blood gushed out at first but soon it ran out.


    The pain was too real- so real, I felt like going mad. I couldn''t hear much- I couldn''t see much: I couldn''t even comprehend my own screams. Everything went blurry and the only reason I was still conscious was the thought in the back of my mind ¨C''I''m dying?''


    He threw me on the ground and used my sword to impale me. "ARh!"


    Icicle after icicle hit him but nothing happened.


    He pulled out the sword and looked at it. "This sword gave you so much courage that you thought even if you lost everything, as long as you had this, you had a shot? And you thought just because you got new equipment, you got training, you could win?" He smiled, threw the sword on the ground, and stepped on it. "Naivety at its finest."


    The mystic blade shattered.


    Then he stepped on my chest. I screamed but at this point, I didn''t have the energy to do anything anymore. The pain had mostly dulled and at this point, I didn''t think even the curse could save me.


    Immortal my ass.


    The emperor lifted his sword up and punctured my chest, slowly making the sword cut up. "It would seem you are almost immortal but- how about your memories? Are they too immortal?"


    The sword came up and up and arhgghgh!


    I couldn''t scream anymore- nor talk. I could only cry and drown in my own blood.


    "Get away from him!" An unknown voice came from behind me. The bunny girl- Biteria. She could talk!


    But the emperor just struck her with black lightning and she fell on the ground, twitching.


    I couldn''t even raise my hand-


    "Please- don''t kill him. You can take my life and-" Alisa came forward. "Let''s, let''s make the deal."


    The emperor''s voice was too stable. "This is why I despise your kind. You knew very well this would happen, and yet, you enraged me on purpose: hope really is a fickle emotion. I''m a lenient demon, but- I''d take your life regardless. And since you caused me so much waste, I''ll make all your deaths extra painful!"


    The emperor lifted up Alisa by her throat just like he''d lifted me.


    "And since-" He looked at me. "I''ll tell you a story."


    A story?


    What story?


    I was on the verge of fainting and-


    "Once upon a time, there was a certain kingdom which was on the verge of being destroyed because the queen had slept with a cunning god. The king disowned her and the queen had to run away for her life. The king had married into the family and the queen was the only real royal, hence a war broke out. Revolts awoke everywhere and by the time the rebel soldiers caught the queen, she''d already given birth and was dead: murdered to be precise." His grin intensified. "The newborn was a god and her cries summoned me to this world: She offered me her life in exchange for me to avenge her mother and let her escape. I obliged and the country met its end. Our deal had a grace period of five thousand years. And it''s exactly five thousand years today, therefore don''t be sad, I''m only easing her pain of losing everyone she ever loved or would have loved." His grin widened as his cheeks made an almost V curve.


    So- this guy destroyed her whole kingdom?


    "Sorry- Daarc-"


    Crack!


    Blood spilled everywhere.


    Her corpse fell right next to me. Her blood-


    But even though her neck was shattered, her arms moved. She picked up my pendant, broke it, and said something. "I love you." She caressed my face with her blood-stained hand: her hand fell, her breath was no more.


    "How touching." The vampire arose from the emperor''s shadow.


    "NOW-"


    Something broke within me: Something died.

 Chapter 345 - The Seeds Are Sown

    It had started five thousand years ago.


    A girl was born.


    And the first thing she saw was her mother being murdered in front of her.


    She screamed; her screams reached the heavens but no one came to her rescue: not even the god who sired her. She cursed the world- she cursed the land, she cursed the people and seeing her desperation and rage, a demon responded. Not the gods, nor the angels: but a demon. A demon born from the sins of mankind- the true demon. A demon that came from another world.


    The girl- though she couldn''t even move- offered the demon her life in exchange for revenge.


    The demon obliged and formed a pact- a pact that would last five thousand years. At the time, the girl did not understand that perhaps innocent people; and maybe people that aided her mother escape; and wished her well, were also part of the country. But it was too late and the whole country was wiped.


    The demon at first laid low and waited for the right time, planted the seeds¡­ and waited¡­ and waited¡­.and in time¡­ he become the greatest threat to the world- at least according to its residents.


    ***


    Ve saw it.


    Her eyes shimmered as she witnessed how Daarc and the emperor clashed. She wasn''t quite conscious and she couldn''t really move. The pain was too much.


    Alisa had arrived and she was holding her tight- but Daarc was losing and she knew it.


    Maybe it wasn''t a great idea to stay here and Ve knew it. But she loved the man, and she didn''t want to abandon him. She''d lost her mother to time. She''d lost her father to jealousy and deceit¡­ she didn''t want to lose this man- her first love too.


    And as Alisa made the effort to bind the emperor, Ve hoped- she hoped for a future where she and the rest of them would be happy- where she''d be together. Where they''d be together.


    But that''s when everything crumbled.


    The emperor had impaled Daarc and- though Alisa lied her on the ground and ran for him- she too got herself killed, just like that.


    Biteria was struck by lightning- not moving.


    Everything just crumbled, and just like her past, she again lost everything she held dear.


    Ve couldn''t bear it. She couldn''t be any help and she couldn''t do anything¡­ her eyes watered up slightly- but it was all over: she was powerless.


    Tears streamed down as she watched¡­


    She passed out the very next second.


    Whether she''d open her eyes ever again- she didn''t know. ''Next time¡­I''m not-''


    ***


    "ARGH!" Daarc screamed as the tears streamed down his face.


    He didn''t know how he''d move his arm but he was going to move it no matter what. He only had one arm- and he couldn''t even move it.


    Alisa''s lifeless body was next to him and her lifeless eyes were on him.


    The vampire, Sorain had dug into Alisa''s chest and tore out a crystal- Alisa''s core: her almost cold blood splattered.


    The core of a demigod. It was perfectly spherical and blue. Almost like the stone of Damsel- just much, much more refined. It was her life itself.


    "ARGHHH!" Daarc tried his best- but he couldn''t move. The stones on his wrist didn''t shower him with their light. The pendant was broken and it leaked water beneath him but it also didn''t give him light.


    "HMM? THIS PENDANT?" The emperor''s eyes lit up. "BUT IT WON''T SAVE YOU." He still kept his foot on Daarc''s chest and gradually moved his sword up, savoring Daarc''s agony.


    There were three shards right next to Daarc. The broken shards of the mystic blade.


    "But-" Daarc breathed hard. He couldn''t take in oxygen and he couldn''t really feel anything anymore. "I will kill you." He said the words calmly and carefully. It was hard to imagine, just a second ago he was in so much agony but now he looked so composed.


    "Oh?" It piqued the emperor''s interest.


    Daarc picked up a shard- the bottom shard that was still attached to the handle of the sword- with his still attached arm and sliced it through the emperor''s leg. He could move his hand.


    "WHERE DO YOU GET SUCH POWERS?" It was puzzling, and also interesting. The emperor was intrigued. ''Perhaps-''


    Even on the verge of death- he managed to almost rip the emperor''s leg off: if the sword wasn''t broken, he''d have probably cut through the leg completely.


    His own light flickered and so did the light from the stones¡­


    The broken shards of the mystic blade all flickered and it was almost like they had formed a connection with Daarc through a rather transparent cord.


    But Daarc wasn''t done. He was being sucked by the water below him- the same water that came from the broken pendant, the same water that constantly mixed with his blood and drew in the remnants of mana from the air and his blood. He couldn''t move from the water puddle but he''d grabbed the leg of the emperor.


    And he glowed.


    This time, all the stones gave him light- every single one of them, even the ones that weren''t supposed to: no, he made them give him their light. The colors meshed; he made them mesh. He wasn''t human anymore.


    The emperor''s feet started to crystalize. The combined mana of all the stones and the gods- it was pure godly mana and with Daarc''s own mana- the power was too great and the moment the mana touched something else- dense crystals formed.


    Matter decayed.


    Daarc started to sink.


    "ARGH!" the emperor screamed- he was in pain- severe pain.


    "Scream, wail, writhe." Daarc wasn''t conscious anymore. He''d long been dead. Because of the curse, he was still moving- but he was not among the living anymore. He was an undead- an undead that could withstand holy mana- his mana: an undead with burning red eyes and only one passion: one reason. "I WILL KILL YOU, YOU FILTH! I will kill you! I''LL KILKL YOU.. AKISLL KILL KILL !" A husk!


    But he still couldn''t move. And he was being sucked into the water more and more. Watery hands were pulling him down.


    He was already well beyond his body''s limits too.


    The emperor''s legs were being consumed by the crystals and it was spreading like an infection. He gritted his teeth and tried to slice at Daarc, punched him but nothing worked. Daarc just didn''t budge: he was gone and he didn''t feel any pain. He was but a husk now, waiting for revenge. In the end, the emperor sliced his own leg and broke free.


    "My lord!" Sorain caught him before he fell on the ground.


    The emperor grinned. "Anverosa and the daughter of Damsel sure played us dirty."


    Daarc wailed around, he was a mad animal- reason was dead to him. He''d lost everything and he just wanted revenge. And he wanted it now!


    But- the watery hands just dragged him down, and within a second, he was totally submerged in water and the puddle ceased to be. All that was left were two shards of the mystic blade and his broken pendant.


    The emperor sighed. "The seeds are sown." He looked over at the fallen girls and his hand- the core. "And that makes all the cores."


    "But my lord- was it really necessary? With this core, it should have been enough, but now- Your leg¡­"


    "The world will be destroyed whether we like it or not- if perhaps this doesn''t work then the human-" He laughed hard as he regrew his legs with magic: they were far from being like his original legs. "To think, I''d fall so low to put my faith in a lowly human." He laughed again- no one was conscious to hear that terrifying laughter.


    His leg wasn''t being healed like he would have liked it to. And even now, he couldn''t bear the pain. The pure mana of so many gods wasn''t something even he could deal with, at least not without writhing in pain.


    But he was the emperor- the emperor of the demons. He couldn''t just show weakness in front of his loyal subject.


    Sorain smiled. ''But we all were lowly humans my liege..'' He didn''t dare utter those words.

 Chapter 346 - Meaningless

    Daarc''s body flowed with the water.


    He wasn''t conscious and he didn''t suffocate. Neither were true.


    The water gently guided him forward- deep within- deep in the darkness.


    It wasn''t that Daarc wasn''t conscious, no- it was more like he couldn''t care less. He was just staring at the distant waters, no light in his eyes. And it wasn''t that he wasn''t suffocating either- he just wasn''t breathing.


    The sound of the flowing water didn''t quite reach his ears and he didn''t have any thought whatsoever.


    His arm had stopped bleeding. Mostly because he didn''t have any blood left. His eyes had a red tint- he wasn''t alive.


    He just lost everything and living itself, was meaningless. He wanted revenge but he knew that wasn''t possible.


    He was still holding the broken handle of the mystic blade. He wanted to just throw it in the water- but- he didn''t.


    Was it hope?


    Was it weakness?


    Was it pain?


    Nothing.


    He didn''t feel anything: or rather, he chose not to. He couldn''t let go.


    The water went on- he went on.


    He didn''t know how long he''d been flowing and he didn''t know how long he''d go.


    He didn''t know anything.


    He just didn''t.


    Minutes passed, then hours, then days¡­ still nothing.


    He felt nothing. No emotion, no rage, no hunger. If perhaps the emperor was right in front of him, he would have exploded with rage, but now, he was just a husk, a husk devoid of emotion: a husk devoid of desire.


    He didn''t sleep, he didn''t blink, he didn''t think. He just stared at the water. He was underwater but he never once thought of the fact, why wasn''t he suffocating- was he even breathing?


    After a long time, a long, long time, he finally stopped.


    He knew this place. He knew these waters.


    "Daarc Green¡­" The woman said- looking at the broken man. She also looked at the broken sword. "So, it was true, you were the apostle of Trerortra after all¡­ why did you lie to me?" She didn''t have contempt in her voice, rather, pity.


    After all, to gods, mortals were nothing more than insects. And all mortals were more or less same in their eyes.


    But perhaps-


    Daarc didn''t say anything, he didn''t even look at the woman''s, at Anverosa''s eyes.


    "Why, Daarc Green? Why did you lie to me? Why did you give me hope?" Perhaps this goddess was different. After all, she''d been stuck here for over four millennia.


    Daarc didn''t say anything.


    "Why do you bear my daughter''s protection, why do you bear Xerphas''s blessing when you clearly betrayed the world by siding with the snake?"


    Still nothing.


    "Why-" Anverosa stopped. She saw something- something dark in the distance. "You." She sighed. "Fine, leave. It was but another folly of a foolish goddess, such as I to have put faith in a mortal such as you."


    Water surrounded Daarc like a bubble and he again started flowing, this time, a bit faster.


    She was disappointed. Very disappointed. But Anverosa only glared ahead. "You. Why have you returned now? After all this time?"


    The man was hidden in darkness. A rather old-looking cloak. "TO make things right once and for all."


    He came close to the vortex of water that sealed Anverosa and planted his own hand. It didn''t go through and there wasn''t any way he could free her.


    Anverosa also raised her hand and tried to touch the man''s hand- but- she couldn''t.


    The seal was too strong.


    "But that''s just too selfish."


    Anverosa didn''t shed a tear, but in her stead, the whole ocean let out a grief-filled moan.


    ***


    Daarc woke up.


    He coughed up some blood and water.


    ''Sand?''


    So, he''d washed up on a beach?


    He looked behind- the sunset and the ocean. In front- palm trees and some coconut trees and a rather wide beach. So far, no sign of civilization.


    But it didn''t matter and he didn''t care.


    He looked to his right and he didn''t have a right arm: he felt a slight stinging pain but before it even registered, it disappeared, or rather, he didn''t even acknowledge the pain. He only had a left arm and the mystic blade was still here- just not all of its pieces.


    He laughed. He laughed his guts out. And then he cried. "Damn it!" He punched the sand- but he felt nothing. He chose not to.


    There was no one here for him. Not the old man, not his friends, not Lianne, and not even monsters- nothing.


    He tried to get up but his head felt fuzzy. He felt oddly weak and the world spun around him. He didn''t have the strength. Not anymore.


    The blinding rage that compelled him to move forward, that drove him towards revenge, didn''t quite work anymore. It was almost as though that rage was snuffed out by the calm waters.


    He remembered it all. No, he forced himself to remember.


    Even now, he felt his consciousness being torn. He could forget everything at any moment and forget this purpose. The only purpose he still wanted to go on. To slay that wretched demon.


    But it was pointless- or so his dead self-proclaimed. And so far, his dead self was winning. He didn''t quite understand why he had two perspectives though.


    He was still wearing his torn armor and both the mystic shield and mystic glove were lost with his other hand. But the ring was strangely stuck to the chainmail beneath his armor.


    Perhaps, the ring had a mind of its own, perhaps it was fate, or perhaps just a coincidence.


    Sigh.


    But he didn''t care.


    He took a step- then another- then another¡­ He didn''t have the strength to walk, so it was more of a crawl.


    Gradually he reached the first coconut tree and sat down, looking at the distance. Nothing was at sea and the sun just set, giving rise to darkness: night.


    Sigh.


    He wanted to die- he wanted to just get this over with. But he knew he couldn''t die, not because of his curse no, but because he needed revenge: the fact that he was already dead hadn''t quite occurred to him yet. He couldn''t really think- and he couldn''t feel anything either. It was almost as though he wasn''t there, he wasn''t awake.


    And in fact, half of him wasn''t. The moment he died, he lost something precious- he''d lost his humanity.


    "I''m sorry, it was all my fault. I should have never-"


    The spirit with him- the dark spirit manifested. All this time, it had tried its best to protect him.


    But Daarc didn''t say a word- rather he just stared at the sea, no particular emotion.


    Perhaps he truly felt nothing, or perhaps he pretended to feel nothing, to escape the pain.


    As the night drew darker, the red tint of his eyes got deeper and grew more and more.


    He wasn''t a half-dead, rather he was an undead.


    The night passed and so did a few days. Even in daylight, he didn''t feel anything as the spirit''s shadow magic protected him but truly- he gave up on being a human.


    Daarc didn''t move. He didn''t need food and he didn''t need sleep. He wasn''t going to die from this but- he was slowly losing weight and he was becoming bones.


    This was when he understood. ''Oh, so, I''m already dead.''


    So, there weren''t any chances of him dying from this in the first place.


    Meaning, everything was meaningless after all. The curse, the journey, everything.


    Meaningless.


    "Please- you have to eat something!" All this time the spirit tried to speak with Daarc again and again, but nothing reached his ears. He wasn''t even alive anymore. "Please! Even if they''re dead- what about your beloved? What about your people?"


    But nothing reached Daarc- at least nothing before he thought of Lianne. ''My beloved?''


    For a second his consciousness fluctuated.


    The name of Lianne, the very memory of her ran in his mind- in loops. How could he have forgotten something so important?


    But it didn''t stay long and he again lost that bit of consciousness.


    But it was enough. Enough to make him remember for a second that everything wasn''t meaningless after all.


    After nine relentless, sleepless, foodless, and blink-less days, he finally closed his eyes and fell to his left. Sleeping soundly- after a long, long time.


    Whether he''d open his eyes ever again, was a different matter.

 Chapter 347 - Is It Really Meaningless?

    Consciousness.


    Daarc''s consciousness floated.


    It didn''t just float anywhere- no. It floated in a very white place.


    He''d been to this place before- no, he''d been to the place just beneath this place- the river of life.


    This was a place above- a place where no soul alive was permitted.


    Daarc could see everything and he could feel the warmth. But something within him felt empty. He couldn''t quite understand what.


    His memories were a little fuzzy but he could remember that all his friends were now dead and he too had died.


    But- he didn''t feel restless. He didn''t really feel any emotions.


    It was almost as though- nothing had any meaning anymore.


    Everything was meaningless.


    Perhaps it was because he was dead, or perhaps this place had some sort of effect on him¡­ he didn''t know.


    "Welcome Daarc Green." A woman appeared before him. A woman clothed in light clothing: golden hair and a beautiful face.


    Daarc didn''t feel a thing and he didn''t reply.


    Many men and women alike manifested behind that woman. All of them were wearing similar clothes- the clothes of heaven. And they all had similar looks- divine.


    Demigods.


    "This place is?" Daarc''s eyes were lifeless and he couldn''t really feel anything even if he wanted to. It was all meaningless now anyway. Despite all that, he found himself asking the question.


    "Heaven- the afterlife- the world of death- the final resting place- it has many names."


    Daarc would have chuckled if he wasn''t in this state. But he was.


    That''s when it occurred to him- "What about my comrades? They all died too, right? So why aren''t they here?"


    Actually, he didn''t really see many people here. Only the demigods were here, no other mortals.


    And if he was the only mortal here then- even in death, he couldn''t be together with his comrades that gave their lives for him?


    "That''s because-" A shadowy figure warped just next to Daarc.


    For a second Daarc almost jumped and tried to draw a sword.


    But then he realized, he was just wearing a shirt and a pant- no swords. And he was dead- so it was all meaningless now.


    The shadowy figure snorted. "That''s more like it. This is just an imitation. The real one was destroyed." The shadowy figure took of his cloak and glared at Daarc. "By me, to be more specific."


    The demigods maintained their distance- most of them quivered at the sight. The warrior demigods took the vanguard and waited. They knew they stood no chance- and so they just waited, breathing heavily and sweating as they did: any wrong move and their whole existence was in serious trouble. They didn''t look like gods anymore.


    "Ashirnae¡­" Daarc spoke softly. "What are you doing here?"


    Ashirnae, the god of the underworld was here and everyone feared him. The darkness oozing from him was engulfing the light near him.


    Ashirnae spread his hands toward Daarc. "If you wish to learn the truth- take my hand."


    "It''s meaningless now. Everything''s over. I was too conceited." Daarc looked at his arms. Everything was intact and it was almost like he was normal- but he knew he wasn''t: this wasn''t real. All those scars, wounds, all those deaths- they could never be undone: they could never disappear. "It''s all meaningless."


    And why would he trust Ashirnae of all people after all this time?


    "Yes, don''t listen to him Daarc Green. You''ve tried enough. Come with us, rest in eternal peace." The golden-haired woman invited Daarc in her embrace.


    "Yes, be in eternal peace by being reborn on that cursed world and reliving the same past over and over again till the world is destroyed."


    Daarc''s eyes twitched slightly. "What?"


    "I''ll say it again." Ashirnae looked at Daarc with a glare befitting a God. A glare that sent shivers down Daarc''s spine but also gave him courage: divine. "Take my hand if you wish to learn the truth- Daarc Green."


    "But everyone''s-"


    "Don''t count on things you''ve lost. There are other things to look forward to. There are other people to protect. There are promises to keep. Or have you forgotten everything?"


    Daarc already knew that. And he badly needed to hear those words. He just wanted someone to scream at him, tell him, ''It was okay'' even though it wasn''t. Tell him, ''It was going to alright'' even though it''d never be.


    He just wanted to be comforted.


    He wanted to cry. Let it all out: let it all go.


    But he sure didn''t expect Ashirnae to say that.


    "But I''m dead. I-"


    "You are dead only if you choose to be. Your curse can keep you alive if you choose so- though you''ll still be dead, an Undead. You have a choice, either be dead and stay dead, be reborn. Or, be dead, and come alive and live as an Undead- achieve what you set out to do before perishing for good."


    A slither of emotion returned. Daarc''s heart quivered. The pain of losing- the hope of returning and preventing further loss. His heart shivered with pain and hope.


    His chest burned. His right arm disappeared and he met with pain.


    Pain- after all this time. The pain he ignored¡­ the burning PAIN!


    And a desire for revenge.


    "No, Daarc Green don''t listen to him. Your pain will only increase!" The woman said. But she didn''t have enough courage to come forward.


    "Then so be it. I''ll see the end to this even if I have to die over and over again!" He went closer to Ashirnae and grabbed his hand. "Even if it means I have to live as an Undead. Even if it means, I''ve to be indebted to you!"


    Black miasma flowed in the air- surrounded the two, and they disappeared.


    ***


    The blinding light ceased to be and in turn, darkness reigned supreme.


    "In the beginning, there was the world tree and only that- I''m sure you''re aware of that."


    The two were alone in this dark place. Both could see each other, but Daarc could understand, this place was really, really large.


    But he wasn''t afraid.


    "Yeah, Ve told me."


    Even with Ashirnae- his sworn enemy, Daarc didn''t feel any emotions. He didn''t want to do anything anymore.


    And yet- he couldn''t really run away from hope either. He was torn between the choice but for the time being, he put everything on hold.


    "But that''s not quite true. It wasn''t true for this world and there is a lot more than just this world. I''m sure you''re aware of that much."


    "Yeah." After all, he himself had come from another world.


    Ashirnae waved his hand and a slither of light appeared before Daarc, showing him the past.


    "The world tree, is the world itself. Bestowing us life and blessings. The one you see in this picture is the physical representation of the world tree in the original heaven.. The roots of that tree gave birth to us gods and the fruit, the grand monsters."

 Chapter 348 - Into The Darkness

    Daarc remained quiet. He saw the picture silently. In that picture, he saw heaven. A much warmer place than the one he''d seen just moments ago. And gods, plenty of gods just walking around, living in peace and prosperity. And a mighty tree that''d put even the massive tree of Xylax to shame.


    The tree was large, really large and its shade covered almost the entire place.


    "We thought of the world tree as our parent, our salvation, and our leader. We worshiped it." Ashirnae sighed. "But we were wrong."


    "What do you mean?"


    The picture in front of Daarc caught fire or to be more precise, things were being destroyed, Gods were falling one by one and were being killed by a god. A god with blazing blue hair, a bleeding chest. Half of the god''s body had turned into that of a snake''s and it was growing. He was enraged beyond reason.


    "The world tree- is a parasite that latches onto new worlds- constantly sucks life out of them, mutates the general people to such a degree that mana can be harvested even from the air and after an adequate level, sucks everything and moves on to the next world: this is how it lives through eons. The monsters you fight are the product of that movement. They were the residents of the previous worlds."


    Daarc''s eyes opened slightly but he wasn''t convinced. "Weren''t you the one who gave men mana and created the age of different races? Besides, you betrayed Trerortra and the other gods: you created the undead."


    "It is true, yes. At the time, I was the favorite son of the world tree. I listened to everything; I did everything it asked. The gods loved me, the mortals praised me, I did everything to be better than my brother."


    "Brother?"


    "Yes, Trerortra." He let out another sigh. "But that is in the past. By the time I''d learned of the truth, I''d already done the bidding of the world tree and set the world in chaos. Once I learned of the whole thing, however, I devised centuries'' worth of plans and I even tried to execute them: I told my brother everything but he didn''t believe me. I tried to slow down the progress, I tried to make people aware- the gods aware. No one believed me, not my brother, not my family. The world tree found out and then it made a god betray me- the goddess of trickery. She betrayed my wife and locked her up in the bottom of the ocean- she tricked me and Trerortra and started the war. Trerortra ate the forbidden fruit, turned into a monster, and killed everyone, creating the grand monsters: all part of the grand plan of the world tree. In the end, everything was destroyed but it set an age of mana and hastened the eventual destruction of this world. If only I hadn''t acted, perhaps things would have been different. Perhaps there wouldn''t be any undead, and perhaps the world wouldn''t have been on a path to be destroyed so soon."


    "Then-"


    "Then you''re wondering a lot of things. and you must be thinking, perhaps all this is a lie made up just for you."


    Daarc remained silent.


    There were no sounds and he couldn''t really-


    "Then let me tell you Daarc Green. Why? Why would I- the god of the underworld, the god of war, the god of death, go out of my way to deceive you, a mere mortal?" Ashirnae didn''t scream, but his words had weight. "I have no reason to lie to you and I have no reason to put my faith in you. This all but a mere jest of mine- to pass the time if you will."


    Finally, after all this time, Daarc chuckled. "I don''t know. Nothing makes sense. Even if the world is destroyed, then what?"


    All his friends were dead and he also got himself killed.


    "Then it moves on to the next, perhaps not your world, but another. Then another, and one day, your world. All the people that you ever thought to be friends or family will eventually turn into monsters."


    "Is it stoppable?"


    "Everything is. Nothing is immortal, not you, nor the gods. And not even that tree. However, its powers are beyond us."


    "You speak like you know it all."


    "No, I''ve seen it all. I''ve seen it too many times." Ashirnae clapped his hands.


    And with that Daarc could see something in the faraway darkness. "I''ve met her before."


    In that faraway darkness, a woman remained chained.


    Though Daarc could see the woman, he knew she wasn''t here and that he couldn''t interact. This was but a mere recording.


    "Yes, she''s the one who summoned you to this world- the first goddess. The goddess of darkness. Endroma."


    "The one who summoned me?"


    "Yes. She called you to this world to free her, so she could once more reclaim her name, her worth, and be free. So she could fight back and make sure the world isn''t destroyed. She was the survivor of the last world you see, and she was the one who showed me the truth. Even now, I question reality, I question the truth, but nothing ever was that simple. Tell me Daarc Green why do you fight?"


    Daarc thought for a second. "I don''t fight for the people nor the world. I fight for my friends and to escape this fate and for the first time in my life, live in peace."


    And that''s why he didn''t have a purpose anymore.


    Ashirnae snorted. "Mortal dreams are so simple yet-" He paused. "Very well, I name you, my apostle." He covered himself in his cloak again. "That way you''ll at least have a shot revenge." He paused to put emphasis on his next words. "The stairway to the heavens is lost- only when you become a god yourself, can you find and reopen those. Once you do become a god- you shall know true despair and only then can you save the world- and all who are in it- your friends, your future. And to become a god, you must first assimilate enough mana to rival that of a god¡­. How, that is forgotten¡­"


    "But they''re dead."


    "What about your love? Your other friends? Your comrades?"


    Daarc looked up- he looked at Ashirnae. "And you''re telling me, if I oh so happen to become a god- which I don''t know how- I''ll mysteriously be able to travel to heaven and then mysteriously be able to beat the world tree or whatever? Then what? Did you forget that I couldn''t even beat that fucking bastard?"


    Ashirnae chuckled. "Good, good, you''re returning. The chances of you ending the world Tree, when you couldn''t beat the emperor, is nigh zero. It isn''t zero but it''s very close. I was a god and yet, I failed. I don''t expect you to win, no. The world tree is powerful and it could easily create gods from its roots. And you may choose not to do anything about it. The world still has a century, give or take a few decades. With your current state, assuming you could perhaps defeat the emperor, you could still live in peace for the next century or so."


    Daarc also chuckled. "I want revenge and I want it now. But- you''re right. I may have lost what was important to me, things I valued the most. But I still have others, I treasure. I still have-" Daarc closed his eyes, made a fist, and smiled. "Thanks. And I still don''t trust you or what you''ve said. But- I''ll judge them all with my own eyes. What I do, is my decision alone. As for the tree, that''s not my concern right now. All I want is to pummel that bastard. "


    Ashirnae snorted. "Very well. May you writhe in the fires of hell and be reborn anew."


    ''The hell did you just say?''


    And Daarc caught fire.


    His whole body burned and he could swear the fire was by far the hottest thing he''d ever experienced in his life- but he didn''t scream nor writhe. "I guess I won''t be seeing you again," He managed.


    Ashirnae didn''t say a word and Daarc''s consciousness faded into the darkness.

 Chapter 349 - A Reason To Move Forward

    When I first came to this world, I was powerless.


    I was hunted.


    I was left for dead.


    But I strived to live, and I was rescued. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was just a bit of good luck, or maybe just a plain coincidence, but, I lived.


    For me, a lot of people died. For me, a lot of innocents shed their blood: they died. And for me, a lot suffered.


    But even now, even though I regret a lot of my decisions, I wanted to live.


    I wanted to grow old with my friends, I wanted to live the rest of my life with Lianne in peace. I wanted to- live.


    "But I guess that''s impossible now."


    I''d just woken up and the sun was already setting. I had no idea how long I was out and I didn''t know if I was breathing or not- I couldn''t tell. But I wanted to live.


    The boundless ocean was in front of me and seagulls were flying away- nostalgic.


    Behind me was a large forest and beneath me was sand- nothing more and nothing less.


    I didn''t have a mirror but I could tell, I was mostly bones. My skin and muscles were still intact but if I didn''t eat anything in the next few hours, I''d probably never be able to stand. And more importantly, I wouldn''t look human anymore.


    Then again, undead didn''t look like humans in the first place.


    And as I remembered, I didn''t have a right arm anymore. It did sting but nothing unbearable.


    There was one sure way of securing food- that being cut off this tree: the very same tree that had given me shade and protected me so far.


    "But in the end, the world only takes more and more from those who give."


    I chuckled, snorted, and used the shard of the mystic blade to cut the tree.


    Bam! A loud noise. I just killed a tree, never had I ever felt so strong an emotion towards trees.


    I guess now that I didn''t have my own life, the value of life kind of clicked.


    But now, I had to crawl to the other end. Which I tried to but moving, was tough. And I was panting- so I was breathing at least.


    It took me ten minutes to cross a distance of three meters but I reached the green coconuts and used the shard to cut it. Even though the blade was broken and jagged, it still cut well.


    I''d made a promise to Trerortra about returning the sword but- it was impossible now.


    I guess, next time I met Trerortra, I''d just let him eat me for good this time, problem solved.


    I sliced open a coconut and drank the water- sour and salty. It didn''t even have an ounce of sweetness. The flesh was also mild and sour.


    And it only made me hungrier.


    Rustle!


    Something was in the bushes.


    It was already night and I could see pretty well. My senses were high and I was fully alert.


    ''A deer?'' No, a boar.


    My sense of smell was off the chart. I could smell its blood even from here.


    The taste of its flesh: my mouth watered up.


    I couldn''t think of anything other than food.


    Food.


    It was a boar.


    It was a boar!


    IT WAS A BOAR!


    Before I even realized what I was doing, I was already on top of the boar and my body was littered with its blood. I was drinking the blood and eating the flesh- raw. It was delicious.


    And smelled wonderful.


    I couldn''t control myself- no, I didn''t want to control myself.


    I didn''t feel fear- I didn''t feel disgusted and I certainly didn''t hesitate to take a life. ''So, I''m more compassionate towards trees than other living things?''


    I let out a snort. But I couldn''t stop eating. I ate- I ate- I ate. And the night passed just like that.


    By the time I was completely finished- there weren''t even bones left of the poor creature- I''d eaten everything apart from its guts.


    My body was back to normal and my skin was tight- almost like I was alive or something.


    I went over to the water and took a look at my face- totally normal apart from my eyes. My eyes were now like Lianne''s. ''So, I''m not completely dead?''


    And my arm had regrown as well. ''Well, this is different.'' I looked around my body. I was actually slightly fairer too- and I looked healthier. Last night, while I was eating, I noticed about a dozen or so more animals but I didn''t feel the same amount of blood lust or loss of control. ''So, that''ll happen whenever I''m hungry?''


    But now that the sun was rising- now what?


    Come to think of it, even though I was out in the open, even though I slept here and stayed here for who knows how long, I wasn''t quite damaged. Sunlight didn''t have any effect on me. ''Are you there?''


    "I am." The spirit manifested.


    "I''m assuming this was your doing?" And if I recall correctly, Biteria could use shadow magic to a degree that allowed her to be able to walk in sunlight too. "You protected me from the sunlight?"


    "Yes, I''ve cast shadow magic over you, again and again, to keep the sunlight in check. I''d suggest walking through the shadows of the trees if you wish to travel in daytime."


    I didn''t really feel hate towards the spirit. It kind of looked like Biteria, after all-just with black hair and a translucent body. But- I did feel terribly angry whenever I looked at it and I remembered that I was the one who struck down Ve.


    But that had happened because of my own weakness. I couldn''t just blame it on others.


    Damn! I punched a tree and it fell down. "I''m more powerful now?"


    I didn''t anticipate that I''d just punch a tree and it''d fall down like that. ''Better keep that in check.''


    My rage almost disappeared. I was getting frequent mood swings.


    I felt very different and though I had sorrow and grief and all that, I was just putting everything on hold. The reason I was still going was for revenge and to make sure the world didn''t end. This world was my current home and countless of my friends had given their life for this world and me. And countless of them were still living here. Just because I was dead, didn''t mean I could forget that debt. And it certainly didn''t mean I was going to forget this rage and not beat the crap out of that fucking bastard.


    I had to get my revenge and I had to protect this place.


    No, that wasn''t quite it. Even now, I felt fake, my emotions felt fake.


    So, in the end, I just wanted to find an answer and I wanted meaning in my life.


    I was perhaps just- selfish.


    But I was damn sure of one thing, I wanted revenge and I was going to get it no matter what.

 Chapter 350 - It Wasn’t My Problem

    I used the shades to travel


    There weren''t any roads and most of the place was riddled with trees.


    There were animals but most were alive- unlike me.


    I did try to experiment with the sunlight and so far, though painful, nothing much happened to me even when I was fully exposed to the sunlight.


    "Is there any civilization nearby?"


    "I''m only aware of what you are. I cannot escape your presence."


    So, I couldn''t use the spirit as a scout?


    "What happened after I lost? What happened to my friends?"


    "I do not bear that knowledge. I broke free from my host when I switched to you, severing all connections, therefore, I only know what centered around you. Though I do pray and hope that the two of them are alright."


    A malicious spirit praying and hoping? I almost wanted to chuckle but stopped. Maybe this thing wasn''t malicious after all. Even now, it desperately tried to protect me, and what had happened because of my folly, it wasn''t its fault.


    I kind of didn''t want to talk about all this, and yet I found myself asking about all this over and over again.


    "Then- where the hell are we?" I mumbled.


    The trees were like charcoal and most of the animals here were brown. Yes, most were alive, but somehow, they felt different even by the standards of this world.


    "Perhaps in the West of where we were. The trees and the harsh climate indicate as much, or it could be far north, as that place too, bear similar terrain. Up ahead, there are marshes just past the forest toward the mountains." The spirit floated about two story high and gave me directions. After that it disappeared for a second.


    I remembered certain things while I was in that phase of mine. Apparently, I''d run into Anverosa¡­ ''SO that pendant-''


    The pendant was Imazael''s. And it was related to Anverosa, meaning Imazael was probably Anverosa''s daughter. But Anverosa was married to Ashirnae- meaning, stuff happened during the glory days of the gods.


    When I''d run into her, she was kind of disappointed and mad but- at this point, I didn''t really have the power or will to live up to people''s expectations.


    Anyway, that wasn''t my concern, my concern was something else.


    "Isn''t there anyway to know where we are precisely?"


    "Perhaps we could travel up the mountain and figure it out?" The spirit manifested again. So, it couldn''t stay manifested for long periods of time?


    There were mountains in the far, far north of here, but those were really far- maybe thirty-forty kilometers away.


    I had a map with me, a map I''d got from the old man. But I never needed to use it as I had people with me who knew where what was. But now, I did need the map but- I didn''t know where we were, so it was kind of useless.


    The ring was still kind of stuck to my chainmail. I put it in the index finger of my right hand.


    I didn''t want to lose the little thing.


    Without actually talking more, I kept on walking.


    The forest thinned but nothing was in sight. With full speed, it''d take maybe two or three days to reach the base of that mountain in the distance. At normal speed.


    But I wasn''t quite normal right now.


    I didn''t feel hungry and I could basically walk like stamina wasn''t even a thing.


    I guess I could give Lianne a run for her money in this state.


    Sigh.


    But at least I was going to reach that mountain faster.


    ***


    By evening, I was out of the forest, but in front of me was a grassland. Or grasslands and swamps to be more precise: marshes. No civilization.


    And there were large phytons and crocodiles here and there. This place was crawling with reptiles- deadly reptiles.


    So- I backtracked a little and set up camp on top of a large tree.


    I also hunted a small croc and feasted upon its flesh. I could have hunted the snakes but I didn''t want to. I''d rather eat crocs than snakes.


    Cooking food made them terrible though. And I only felt full once I drank enough fresh blood. ''Is it possible I''m turning into a vampire?''


    Perhaps it was possible, perhaps not. But I didn''t care.


    I looked fairly human and I didn''t have overly uncontrollable bloodlust towards anything that lived as long as I was satiated. If I had to say, I''d say I was a half-dead at the moment. But there wasn''t any way to make sure. At least not on my own.


    I hunted another croc and ate it raw.


    My mana capacity had seemed to triple or maybe even quadruple and I was kind of growing with every bite. And since my armor was still attached, by supplying it mana, I could regrow it. It didn''t look brand-new but it was good enough for me.


    Oddly Boriosa''s robe was still good to go. Hard to imagine, this thing was still here. But it was here and in one piece too.


    With everything done, I just stared at the night sky and the distant moon¡­


    Wait, moon?


    There was a moon in the sky- half of it was just debris. ''Where the hell am I?''


    Sigh.


    I knew it wasn''t quite my fault. I knew that.


    But- but I couldn''t just forget it. I couldn''t just not think about it. I couldn''t. Alisa had died because of me. And the same was true for Biteria and Ve. I didn''t know if they were dead or not but at this point- I didn''t have a choice but to assume.


    Sigh.


    The night passed.


    ***


    In the morning, I started to travel again. I didn''t really sleep last night, more like I couldn''t. I didn''t need sleep and I didn''t want to have nightmares- so maybe I should have just traveled but I didn''t do that either.


    I was really torn, even now on what to actually do. But moved ahead anyway. I needed something to distract myself.


    I was glad the mountain was a bit far, at least this way, I had something I could do while not thinking too much. Revenge was the one thing that kept me going but- what will happen after I get it?


    I really didn''t want to think about that and just wanted to keep myself busy.


    Hypocrite. A pure hypocrite I was.


    "There seems to someone in the distance." The spirit pointed out.


    She was kind of following me like a ghost, manifesting even in the middle of the day every now and then. She couldn''t stay longer than a minute at best though.


    I traced the spirit''s gaze and found someone in trouble. Crocs and snakes had a knight surrounded. He was wearing silver armor and judging from the curve, he or rather she, was probably a woman. She was covered in full body armor and even her face was under a rather strong looking helmet.


    "I don''t think that''s our business. We''re here on a different mission."


    At this point I didn''t just want to randomly help people and end up in more shit. I already had enough on my plate.


    The spirit didn''t say a thing and we kept on walking.


    "You there, Sir, please help me!"


    I heard her voice, but I proceeded to ignore it. It had a rather masculine tone to it.


    But it wasn''t my problem.


    "Please, I need your help."


    I didn''t even look at her.


    "Please!"


    Sigh.


    This was getting more than annoying.


    "Saving a local and using her as a guide might prove to be more logical than wandering around yourself." The spirit kind of wanted to save her, it would seem.


    Obviously, I didn''t care.


    But-

 Chapter 351 - And Then It Became My Problem

    Slash!


    Swing!


    Blast!


    I cleared all the snakes and crocs and it almost rained blood.


    I''d changed my mind, mostly because I reconsidered the spirit''s logic. If I could save a local, I could extract information. So in the end, it was just for my own sake I''d saved her.


    The young knight had her bottom clenched tightly to the ground, soaking wet. She''d fallen down when I''d used my magic to blind the monsters and attack them.


    She was breathing very weirdly and it was almost as though she was afraid of me. Talk about being grateful to your savior.


    She already disgusted me.


    "Is there any villages or cities nearby?" My voice came out a bit crooked and loud. Unintentional.


    She remained quiet. Sweating, teeth shaking, and clattering. Her whole body was covered, her joints were less guarded but it sufficed to say, that the armor was heavy. I couldn''t see anything other than just her eyes: shining blue eyes.


    She was perhaps a bit too scared of all this or startled, I guess.


    I tried my best not to shout. "Is there any villages or-" Language shouldn''t have been a problem.


    She shook her head very vigorously.


    I guess that was no.


    Was she mute?


    No, she called for help just moments ago. So then what?


    ''She''s that afraid of me?''


    "Where can I find civilization or on second thought, where am I?" I tried to speak a bit more calmly.


    I needed information from her, so I had to tread carefully.


    There were crocs and snakes nearby and I could even spot other kinds of menaces here and there. So, time was of the essence.


    "Y-yo''you''re lost?" She finally spoke, after stuttering for a good long minute.


    I couldn''t make heads from tail but- I understood her regardless.


    "Kind of."


    She still breathed hard but was about to relax when- I pulled my knife out of my belt and sliced straight at the knight. Or towards her shoulder to be more specific.


    "EKKH!" She let out a rather high-pitched scream as blood again splattered like rain. She was still breathing audibly and gasping for air. "Th-thanks." But her breathing calmed as she looked behind her.


    She was more afraid of the environment than me.


    "No, problem." Apparently, a rather large snake was about to bite her shoulder. I''d taken care of it before it got to that state. "There''s more coming, so I''d hurry up if I were you."


    "Who are you?" She finally stood up; a bit composed. She was slightly taller than me. I couldn''t tell if she was larger or not though, thanks to that armor.


    It took her a while but- she was still breathing erratically. She did seem a lot more composed than before. She calmed down significantly when she understood I wasn''t a foe and the monsters here posed no threat to me, in turn, her.


    "Just an adventurer. Now, where are we and where should I go to find people?"


    "You-you''re in the outskirts of Galbatia," she said. "We''re in the west region. To reach a village in the far north, we''d need to travel for a week at the very least."


    Galbatia, and the west no less?


    ''Did she just say we?''


    But I was a human and this knight didn''t even once try to say anything about my race and all that¡­ Very suspicious.


    ''Or maybe she just thinks I''m a half-dead or something?''


    Hmmm¡­


    "And what might you be doing here so far away?"


    This knight seemed a bit suspicious to me. She was in her full body armor in this terribly humid weather and she only had one slender spear. This kind of gear was definitely not suited for this type of atmosphere.


    Her equipment was designed to fight large opponents and things that weren''t naturally protected. But- yeah, very suspicious.


    "I-I came to escape this place and gather allies to fight beside me. The whole kingdom is in trouble."


    She wasn''t lying- at least it didn''t seem like it. But why the hell would someone just say something like that to a random stranger?


    I chuckled; I couldn''t control myself. "Pardon: didn''t mean to laugh." I controlled myself. "There''s an ocean just crossing this forest, straight ahead. Oh and- is there any ruins nearby?"


    According to Alisa-


    Alisa.


    She was dead. But she''d talked about the remnants of her kingdom, and the ruins of the goblins and all that, their location. I couldn''t save her but- I could at least take a look at her destroyed kingdom and find out more about the goblins before confronting the emperor. At least that way I had another purpose.


    Our plan was to get to west Galbatia after the training in Dracona. But in the end, everything just got messed up.


    "Ruins? There might be some behind that mountain but-"


    "But?"


    "But what about you? Why are you here and you haven''t told me your name?"


    I guess it''d only make sense that she''d be curious. But just after I''d asked about the ruins, she could have at least taken a bit of a hint.


    I was actually not even remotely interested in her but I pretended to be, just for the sake of information gathering. It didn''t hurt to be nice.  "Shouldn''t you say your name first? Anyway, it''s Daarc and I''d appreciate if you didn''t make any witty comments about my name."


    "I see. I''m Marmine. A knight of Bravendale." She clenched her hand on her chest and did some sort of a salute.


    I wasn''t even remotely interested in that.


    "Great, and thanks for the info." And I was done now. "Good luck on your journey."


    There was another reason for me to act nice. The fact that this knight was trying to save a kingdom meant, she was probably some highborn noble''s daughter or something. In that sense, it was best for me to not antagonize her. I didn''t want to get involved but I didn''t want to make enemies either.


    "Daa- no, Sir Dark! Would you please aid me? I don''t have much now, but I can promise you an adequate amount of compensation. Your skills, they''ll be very valuable and-"


    And she almost got my name right too.


    Almost.


    "Sorry, but you should look elsewhere. I have my own shit to worry about."


    She looked a bit down. "Very well, Sir Dark. May we meet again."


    With that said, she left hurriedly. ''Rather straightforward.''


    Now that she wasn''t surrounded, I saw more of her strength. She was fast and that armor wasn''t slowing her down one bit.


    I didn''t know why she was going around searching for strong people but it certainly had nothing to do with me.


    ''She has a way to cross the ocean, I guess?''


    I watched her go and walked ahead myself.


    The marshes were full of monsters and other animals but they were strangely avoiding me. It was almost as though everything was afraid of me.


    Oh well.


    ''The ruins, huh?'' And I guess the geezer was right. There was a moon in Galbatia after all. Even during the day, I could see a broken moon in the sky.


    On that note, I actually had forgotten about something.


    I opened my ring and looked around inside it. The monsters here were completely avoiding me, so I had nothing to worry about- yet.


    I couldn''t find the sleeping goblin- meaning, it had probably woken up.


    This goblin was different and I''d promised some goblin to look into this whole thing. Maybe I was just being stupid, maybe I was just looking for another thing to give my life meaning but- in the end, I really wanted more reasons.


    But at this point, even that felt like hypocrisy. I wanted reasons, but I didn''t want to get involved in anything¡­ I just wanted revenge.


    Hypocrisy.


    Sigh.

 Chapter 352 - There Was A Reason- Probably

    I looked over things inside the ring but couldn''t find anything.


    I made the portal a bit bigger and went inside. It was dark in here so I had to make light with my magic.


    My light- holy magic didn''t burn me. ''Maybe I''m only a half-dead.'' I couldn''t be too sure. It was also possible that I was a vampire-undead hybrid but so far, I didn''t really know what to believe.


    And it didn''t matter that much.


    But anyway- I kept on looking.


    I looked around but so far, nothing.


    "Kar ma slael!" I heard some random murmurs and looked to my right. Immediately my magic ran out.


    Darkness!


    ''What the hell?''


    I pulled out my knife and the broken mystic blade. Both glowed faintly. But their light wasn''t enough for me to see much.


    Rustle!


    Footsteps!


    I looked around: turned abruptly and even saw tiny feet but- I couldn''t keep track of it.


    With my mana and vision in check, I couldn''t really keep up with this agile creature. It wasn''t attacking me but I had a feeling that was because it was just being cautious. I wouldn''t be too surprised if it suddenly decided to throw knives at me.


    However- I closed my eyes and focused on the sound and the smell. They were both a lot sharpened than when I was alive.


    There.


    No, there!


    I moved my head accordingly and-


    Grab!


    I caught the little critter.


    I''d grabbed both its arms and lifted it above ground.


    "Grr! Arr! Rrr!"


    It struggled and bit me- almost ripping off a bit of flesh. But I didn''t let go and slammed it on the ground.


    Thud!


    It groaned.


    I kept it pinned to the ground with my feet: moderate pressure. "Now listen here, I don''t mean trouble but, how''d you seal my magic?"


    It didn''t speak but just growled.


    This thing was awfully humanoid and pink in color like a pig. And it resembled humans more than goblins. The size- half of a typical goblin- a little shorter than a human toddler.


    Goblins could understand human speech, so it was possible this thing could understand me. Then again, this thing was pretty young, so that probably wasn''t a good idea.


    "You killed my mother, my father, my people and now you say you don''t mean trouble!"


    To my surprise though, the little thing did speak my tongue- or more likely, I understood it. And it was rather fluent too.


    It also had a nice voice- more like an edgy toddler than a baby.


    "Well, that was in the past and I''d probably just return you to maybe another settlement, assuming I can find a good one. I promised as much to the goblin protecting you." Then again, I couldn''t really remember what I''d promised that goblin so I had to make shit up.


    If what Ashirnae said was to be believed then it was totally possible these goblins were the residents of the previous world, so-


    I couldn''t undo the past and I didn''t have any means to make up either- so the only thing I could do was try not to screw this up even more.


    "And you expect me to believe you?" Its voice was cold and it had bloodlust.


    Too bad.


    "No, but I expect you to trust me, so that you may live. I''m very angry right now and also kind of hungry. So, let''s just say, you wouldn''t want to mess with me right now." I also growled and I could feel my eyes lighting up with a red tint.


    How?


    I saw my reflection in the goblin''s eyes.


    The feeling was weird though.


    The goblin gritted its teeth and gave up struggling. "The parchment. The parchment had the spell to be able to cancel spells and restrict mana."


    It was intelligent- very intelligent.


    I had to be careful.


    And a parchment? I distinctly remembered a bunny from the ones who kidnapped us throwing something at me but I''d forgotten about it altogether.


    I let go of the goblin and pulled my foot away. "Hand it over." But I sure wasn''t going to let my guard down.


    "I already ate it."


    I smiled and held the knife to its throat. "Hand it, over."


    "After you return me to my people!"


    For a goblin, this thing sure was something.


    I pulled the knife away. "Fine. Now, cancel it."


    It clicked its tongue and my mana came back. Looks like with this it was possible to both cancel and return mana in an instant.


    ''This could be useful.''


    I made a ball of light and another portal.


    I went out of the portal and the little thing also came out.


    The moment it came out, it almost shrunk in fear.


    Inside the ring, it was quiet and calm and the little thing was safe, but out here, not so much. Snakes and crocodiles were everywhere and the sound- the smell- the scenery- very frightening to a goblin. It would have been frightening to me too in the past but now I didn''t care.


    "Try to run and you''re dead. Disobey me and you''re dead. Talk back-"


    "I know. Now shut up already. I''m pretty much defenseless, so I wouldn''t bother running in the first place."


    Talk back, and you''re dead. I was about to say that but I guess that was impossible for this thing.


    This thing sure was sassy if nothing else.


    "Whatever kid."


    Anyway, I kept on walking and I also my eyes on the goblin with my peripherals.


    There was just one reason I was letting this thing still live- and that wasn''t because of the parchment, rather, because my old self had a promise to keep. And I needed a good reason to go on.


    So, in the end, this was all for my sake.


    So, in the end, I was just a fucking hypocrite.


    But I was fine being one.


    ***


    I was hungry and there was food everywhere.


    The fish here were mostly small.


    And the crocs were kind of running away from me, so I couldn''t just go on hunting without leaving this brat.


    I could always settle for the phytons which were basically just pretending to be dead when they saw me, but I didn''t want to.


    Which meant- "Wait here, I''m going swimming."


    We''d finally found a big enough pond that could potentially have large fish. Though it could instead have plenty of crocks or snakes, who knew?


    I didn''t quite know how deep it was either, but I kind of didn''t care. I just wanted something to eat, and I wanted it now.


    "Yo-you will be coming back up, right?" It stuttered.


    Was this thing worried about me?


    No, it was worried about me dying and it dying as a consequence too.


    "You want to get into the ring? You''d be safe there."


    Its stomach growled. How typical. "No, I''m fine."


    "Uh-huh." With that said, I coated my body in mana and jumped straight into the pond.


    I didn''t feel hot nor cold, so it didn''t matter even if I was drenched all the time.


    The water reached up to my neck. I dived in.


    I got back roughly a minute later with two large fish and about twelve water snakes biting me.


    I dropped the fish on the ground, chopped their heads off and also cut the water snakes in pieces. With my mana coating they never actually even not near my skin- but- I was not in the best or rather lenient of moods.


    So chop, chop, it was.


    Anyway- I ate one fish head right away and was about to eat the rest of the fish too but paused. "You can have that head."


    It gulped. "Wouldn''t cooking be better?"


    It was the last thing I expected of a goblin. "Why? Weren''t your kind keen on eating raw flesh?"


    Even now, after all this time, I still vividly remembered how that goblin tried to eat me the first night when I came to this world.


    "I''m not like the rest of us. My parents and the people said I was special."


    So, a spoiled brat.


    "Sorry but all goblins are the same to me. Now stop bitching and just eat."


    It picked up the other fish head, ate it, and promptly threw up.


    Meanwhile, I ate the rest of the fish without actually batting an eye. I didn''t care.


    ''Better start a fire, I guess.''

 Chapter 353 - Monsters

    There were a bit of dry land and some cattails in the distance. And two or three medium-sized trees too: the trees were mostly scattered though.


    We went there. I gathered some wood from the trees and the cotton from the cattails. But there was just one problem. All my godstones were gone thanks to my arm being cut off- so I didn''t quite know how to make a fire in this place. Last night I could make a fire with flintstones cause it was dry. But this place was anything but dry.


    I did have a flintstone but I doubted it''d work with this humid condition. I still gave it a few shots and after half a dozen tries, gave up.


    "You better get used to raw food kid."


    The thing gave me a rather disgusted look. "Gryole."


    "What"


    "That''s my name."


    A goblin. A name.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Oddly my sense of humor was still here, it must have been changed a little.


    Who was I kidding- I was laughing manually. I didn''t feel anything particularly funny or appalling. It was all just a show.


    My last-ditch attempt to cling to my lost humanity.


    "Good for you, but I don''t care."


    Anyway, with that said, I tried to use light to light up the cotton. I focused a bit too much and it worked.


    Why hadn''t I tried that before?


    Hazy memory syndrome.


    Or maybe it was my innate fear of fire?


    Undead were inherently afraid of fire, but in my case, that was probably subconscious. I bet I could even purposely put my foot in the fire- not that I''d ever do something like that.


    ***


    The brat ate plenty, after complaining for a good ten minutes how it tasted terrible.


    But that was all and we were back on the road.


    I hated this thing and yet I was somehow glad it was here.


    The feeling was weird and hard to describe. Maybe I just wanted to cling to my humanity. But then again, no sane human would want to travel with a goblin of all things.


    ''This was never normal, was it?''


    Sigh.


    I''d stopped worrying about all that though.


    The thing didn''t quite keep its mouth shut. Every now and then it asked me stuff, bothered me, cursed me when I didn''t reply and this went on. I just ignored it.


    And when I ignored it, it went on ranting¡­ I still ignored it.


    We''d reached the end of the marshes by the evening. We still strode about a mile further in and then set up camp. According to the thing, it could still go on. About two minutes later it fell asleep while walking- so I couldn''t really believe it now, could I?


    Sigh.


    With the thing asleep, I just watched the fire burn.


    No fear.


    ''Am I not an undead then?''


    Even now, even after all this, I couldn''t quite be sure of what I was. My body acted like it was alive, but I knew I wasn''t. After all, my heart wasn''t beating- but I wasn''t quite cold either, my body was warm like I was alive. If I was a halfdead, then I wouldn''t be craving blood and if I was a vampire, then I wouldn''t be craving meat. But I craved both and went mad when I was hungry.


    So- even now, I couldn''t really understand what I was.


    "I didn''t expect you to take this one in. I thought you''d avoid this goblin just like that knight we encountered earlier."


    The spirit manifested.


    Frankly, I thought so too, but here I was.


    "Why are you doing this? I mean all this time, you never bothered to show up. You only came in my dreams and now-"


    The spirit looked like Biteria but with just black hair.


    It looked at me with dull eyes. "Long ago- I was a benevolent spirit of light. In time, due to circumstances, I got corrupted. Or rather, I let myself be corrupted. When I saw your light, I was attracted to you, but due to your intense burning light, I couldn''t get near you, so I had to use your pet as a medium. However, once you died, I switched over to you and am now devoted to you as per accordance with my contract."


    "But I don''t recall ever making a contract with you."


    "Our kiss- the kiss of that night- settled it. That was the contract. It bound us both till you die."


    "But I am dead." And I couldn''t really remember that first kiss the spirit was talking about.


    "Mmmgh?" The goblin woke up. Its eyes went wide and it dragged itself away. "Go-ghost!"


    The spirit disappeared.


    "Why the hell are you, a monster, afraid of ghosts all of a sudden? And that was my spirit."


    And there were no ghosts in this world. There were plenty of undead though. Then again, I guess spirits could be classified as ghosts, especially the malicious ones like this.


    The thing slightly calmed down. "From our perspective, you''re the real monster." The little thing grumbled as it set next to the fire- a meter away from me.


    "Oh? You attack us, kill us, use our women as breeding tools and you call us monsters?"


    The little thing snorted. "OH really? And who do you think struck first? You don''t kill us? You don''t hunt us? You don''t go around exterminating our whole colonies? Why do you think we even need to breed so quickly? Did it not occur to you even with that kind of breeding we don''t have enough of us to raid a village let alone launch an attack on your cities? Besides, why''d we even bother attacking you."


    Fierce- the words were fierce.


    Now I snorted. "That''s what I wanna know. But I guess I can''t just make assumptions knowing just one side. From my point of view, you''re monsters. From your point, I am. And that''s okay. But- when I find out more of this and solve the whole puzzle, I''ll make a decision then on what to believe."


    "And if you truly think we''re monsters?"


    I smiled. "Let''s just say, heaven will welcome you with open arms." There were no heavens though.


    It growled but didn''t say anything.


    I had a feeling that answer did not please the little thing.


    I snorted again and just stared at the sky- the stars, and the moon.


    ***


    I didn''t sleep tonight either.


    My head was just clouded with thoughts.


    I''d made a promise to Brenda about how I''d solve the mystery of the moon and all. But- at this point, promises sadly meant nothing. Everything felt empty. And I was gradually becoming more and more emotionless, I could feel it- the remnants of my humanity going away.


    Perhaps I''d turn into a full undead soon and my curse was keeping it all in check, speaking of the curse- wasn''t it supposed to keep me alive even though I was dead? Well, technically this was that but still-


    Sigh.


    Thinking wasn''t getting me anywhere.


    But at least the time was passing.


    At least I had another reason to go on.

 Chapter 354 - A Slither-

    I woke the little thing up just before sunrise.


    It wasn''t happy, no, but we had another frigging forest to cover today before we''d reach the base of the mountain.


    And this forest had undead in it. Most of the undead were just rabbits and squirrels though. Brought back memories but I didn''t have time to be nostalgic about all this.


    So, I just kept on going.


    The little thing clung to my cloak like I was its parent or something. I guess undead scared it more than me.


    Actually, it wasn''t quite scared of me though. I guess it didn''t understand that I was also an undead- but oh well. Or maybe it just thought I was necessary for its survival and adapted to the whole situation?


    Speaking of the undead- they also left us alone.


    ''What the hell is going on?''


    Did I have a sign on my back saying ''don''t attack this moron'' or something?


    Last time I checked, undead ate each other when they were hungry- so this was kind of weird. I had literal meat on my body, so the least they could have done was try to attack me, right? Of course, I''d have blown through them with my holy magic but still!


    And why the hell was I disappointed that they weren''t!


    "This smells!" The goblin held its nose and complained as usual.


    "Deal with it."


    I actually didn''t find it that disturbing. I guess I ceased being human to such an extent that even this shitty rotting smell wasn''t even remotely bothering me. I almost felt disgusted at myself.


    And my sense of smell had actually grown, so technically, it should have at least bothered me to some extent, but nothing.


    The undead here were mostly just monsters and animals. But sometimes I saw one or two humanoid ones. Elves, half breeds, and demons.


    So far, no humans.


    "Why are you doing this?" Halfway through the little thing asked, not quite looking at me.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You first killed my colony and now you''re returning me to a new one? Are you here to destroy that one too by using me?"


    Well, wasn''t she straight?


    Low-pitched growls came from all around us. The rotten smell brushed off my nose and gave an eerie vibe to the atmosphere. The sky was clouded with the black trees and their rotten leaves, but- I still didn''t find this disturbing. The feeling was rather new and rather weird.


    "No, I didn''t come here for that. If they attack me, I''ll kill them. Otherwise, I won''t bother. I''m just here for some answers. Once I get them, I''ll leave you alone and go on my main quest."


    "That is?"


    "Destroy Namcha Millianese and kill the damn thing that created the gods."


    It gulped, gripped my robe a bit tightly, but didn''t say a word.


    Did it believe I could do it?


    Or perhaps it just thought I was a retard.


    I guess that was obvious. Everyone knew the emperor was strong as hell, and the thing that created the gods? Did people even know about the world tree? I didn''t know. There was no way I could know.


    Or to be more precise, I didn''t want to know.


    And why the hell was I saying all this stuff to this thing anyway?


    I really know didn''t know.


    ***


    The forest kept on getting thicker.


    And we didn''t stop at noon. Mostly cause of the undead and even if we''d stopped, the little thing wouldn''t have been able to eat anything in this place. Sure didn''t stop me from eating the stored fish in my ring though. I needed all the sanity points I could get my hands on.


    We did stop in the afternoon when the forest thinned and the smell was minimum. Even now the little thing didn''t want to eat- rather picky.


    It still ate though, after complaining for a good ten minutes.


    Afterward, we traveled further in and finally reached the bottom of the mountain by nightfall. Judging by its height- it was about half the size of the mountain back in Moire.


    I used my magic to light up a fire and made a camp. The fire would keep the undead away- not that any of those things were coming this way, anyway.


    "Why?" It spoke.


    "Why?"


    "The name you mentioned. Why would you want to kill that person? He is the god of the demons, is he not?"


    This thing was really talkative for a goblin. Sometimes it made me wonder if it was really a goblin.


    Undead growled in the background and crickets also buzzed.


    "More like the emperor, and I guess you could call him a god. But- I have my reasons."


    There weren''t many clouds in the sky and so far, I didn''t see anything hostile.


    Were we really in Galbatia?


    "Those are?"


    "NO comment."


    It didn''t say a word and finished its meal: charred fish.


    I''d caught a bird before evening and I ate that. Feathers were a drag.


    "What if you lose?"


    "I already lost once. This time, I won''t."


    "How can you be so sure?"


    I stared at it for a second.  "Because I''m already dead and I won''t stop till I cease to exist. I will win, and that''s the only reason for me to go on."


    Well, now it shut up.


    I didn''t really say anything else either.


    ***


    Nights were always a drag. It forced me to think.


    I didn''t want to think.


    But here I was.


    The undead were kind of roaming around and they were just ignoring us. Red eyes just lurking around.


    Now that I wasn''t being constantly attacked, I could actually tell, they were in pain. They often growled in pain, hit each other, tried to say things but then just disappeared and came back again. It was amusing in a way- and also very sad in another.


    ''I''d eventually turn into those¡­''


    The thought itself was more than just unsettling.


    ***


    The next morning, we started to climb the mountain. My goal was to be at the base on the other side before sundown and for that, we had to hurry.


    Which this little thing didn''t understand.


    It often fell behind and lagged. And even then, it complained.


    Like what the hell was that high agility good for if it didn''t have stamina?


    Anyway, we kept it up, and often, I carried it on my back.


    I always made sure to keep my guard up in case it decided to bite me on the neck or something but it didn''t.


    This goblin was intelligent. There was no saying what it could do- so I just carefully observed it and moved ahead. So far it was playing nice, as its survival depended on me. But the moment it''d deem the otherwise, who knew what tricks it''d use to attack me.


    But since it was on my back and I was doing the climbing, things were much, much faster. And we reached the top, just before noon. If we kept up this pace, we''d be at the bottom in no time.


    There wasn''t anything on top. No nests, no holes, no large green leafy snakes: no grand monsters.


    The bottom however- I could see ruins- brazen wastelands and in the very, very far- about a hundred kilometers far- a small city surrounded by walls.

 Chapter 355 - Not Again

    Climbing down was much easier than climbing up.


    Though in my case, I was climbing down less, and falling more and more.


    "AhHHH!"


    The little thing screamed as it grabbed my neck tight.


    I didn''t care how but I was going to get down before the afternoon, whether this mountain liked it or not.


    Sliding- jumping off, sometimes even just trying to glide- and failing miserably, yeah, I tried everything.


    I did still retain my sense of pain and a bit of fear. But both were dulled to such an extent that I could just ignore them. And even if I chipped off a finger or two, assuming I had enough fresh blood and meat, I could regrow them.


    Probably.


    ''Is this why undead are constantly searching for living food?''


    It was a fair concern but- I couldn''t be too sure. After all, there was still a possibility of me being a vampire as I was bitten or scratched by Viola''s father. I couldn''t quite remember what had happened though.


    "No more." The thing screamed and screamed and then started crying. "NO more!"


    This went on.


    Eventually, it''d given up.


    Sniff!


    It did sniff pretty often and leaked snot everywhere though.


    Sigh.


    ***


    After roughly another hour or two, we found ourselves at the base of the mountain and took a break.


    Early!


    It wasn''t even afternoon yet and I could go on regardless of the minor cuts and bruises. The thing with me though, couldn''t. It had lied down on the ground, panting, looking up at the blue sky and the white clouds.


    I guess the sky was blue no matter where we went. Too bad most of it was covered by the black leaves above our heads.


    "What could be-such a reason that you''d want-to keep going even -if you die?"  It stuttered about four times, trying to say that.


    I didn''t quite understand why it was tired. After all, all it did was just sit tight on my back while I did most of the climbing- or rather falling.


    "It has nothing to do with you."


    It didn''t try to get up, rather it reached for the sky. "You''re such a handful." Was it trying to grab the clouds in its imagination or something?


    "Yeah, you''re the last thing I want to hear that from."


    It snorted. "Gry-o-le. Or are you incapable of remembering names?"


    That almost struck a nerve. I clicked my tongue. I guess it was about time I acknowledged it as a living being, rather than ''it.''


    But this thing was a goblin!


    ''But a living thing regardless.''


    "That bastard killed my friends, innocent people, toyed with my life- sent-" I paused.


    Now that I thought about it, the emperor always had a reason to lie to me: there was always a reason behind his acts. He wanted me to get stronger, he wanted me to come fight him. For that, he was willing to even let me go back then but I persisted and-


    Was there more of a meaning to it?


    Perhaps-


    Or, maybe he was just too bored and-


    I snorted. No matter how I tried, I could never understand something like that monster.


    It could have been that he just wanted to kill time and that was just a prank he thought of, it was certainly possible.


    "So, you want revenge?"


    "Something like that, you can say. I''ll get rid of the emperor and-"


    Gryole sighed. "And then deal with the demons? Humans outnumber demons by three to one. And demons outrank goblins by four to one. In the end, everyone is just trying to survive. By killing their emperor, do you think you''d be able to maintain the balance? What if humans get greedy and decide to just eradicate the demons and then conquer the world?"


    I thought for a second. "Aren''t you like a baby compared to others? And you''re a goblin, why are you saying these things? Or to be more precise, how''d you know?"


    She didn''t look at me, rather just stared at the sky. "I told you, I''m special. Maybe-" She paused. "Maybe you''ll kill me soon, so I''ll tell you while there''s time. I''m a special goblin who''s born every ten centuries to guide my people to salvation. This knowledge is imprinted in my brain. These thoughts- these memories- these feelings, are not of my own. Perhaps- I don''t even exist."


    For someone who didn''t exist, she certainly knew how to complain.


    "And that salvation is?"


    "I do not know."


    She didn''t seem to be lying but I couldn''t just trust the words of a goblin, even I wasn''t that na?ve.


    "Anyway, that''s enough dillydallying. Let''s get to the ruin."


    We were almost there. If we kept pace, we could reach the ruins in maybe half an hour. I didn''t see any goblin settlements around. Maybe they were hiding, or maybe they were a bit to the west of here.


    I did see the remnants of old walls, buildings, houses here and there. Just rocks, bricks, one or two pavements.


    ''To think once this place was full of life.''


    There were still undead everywhere and the ones here were mostly just half breeds. Demons.


    I guess where there was life, there was always going to be death.


    Gryole stood up and instead of clinging to my robe, walked ahead. "It''ll be best for you if I were to walk in front." That way she''d be able to prevent any unwanted attacks from goblins- or so her reasoning went.


    I was wary. I didn''t trust her, not one bit.


    "Sure." But I didn''t let it show- at least not too much.


    ***


    Sometimes, out of nowhere, people could get sick.


    Out of nowhere, you could contract a terminal illness.


    Out of nowhere, your parents could die in an accident.


    And sometimes, even if you tried your best, even if you stay as careful as you could, even if you pray as hard as you could-


    You could die. And so could the people right next to you.


    My friends died- they died right in front of me. They were killed. I failed to protect them, but they didn''t fail: after all, I was still here. I was the one who let them die- it was my fault.


    My fault.


    I wanted to bury those feelings- I never wanted to remember those- and that''s why I was keeping myself busy with revenge and that''s why I was running away.


    But-


    It was almost as though those very feelings were being played right before my eyes.. Someone I knew, someone I swore to protect was about to die.

 Chapter 356 - To The Goblin’s Nest?

    "Damn you!" But no, not again.


    I dashed forward, grabbed Gryole, hid her in my robe, and let out a pulse of hot, burning, holy light. It enveloped me and in a split-second spread through the air with blazing speeds- eradicating all the undead in the vicinity.


    I didn''t know why but- for a second it was almost as though my feelings had returned, it was almost as though I was human again. The feeling dulled the next second but- I knew, they weren''t gone, just yet.


    "Don''t wander off like that."


    "Ri-right!"


    When the goblin had first taken the front, she was being rather diligent. But after a while, when she understood there were other goblins in the distance, she took off and the undead around us took that chance to attack her. She was almost about to be eaten.


    And he would have been if I hadn''t acted on impulse like that. Who knew there were undead even pretending to be just dirt beneath our feet?


    But with that bit of light show, we''d attracted the attention of other things- namely, the goblins in the distance.


    And with the undead gone, now nothing stopped them from surrounding us.


    The goblin with me, was still clutching on to me, tight.


    There were about twenty or so goblins surrounding us, weapons drawn. They mostly had crude stone weapons. I didn''t see any hobs.


    "I''ve just come to have a talk with your leader." I tried to raise my hands above my head. "I don''t mean any trouble." I hadn''t drawn my sword, there was no need.


    Yet.


    One of the goblins came forward, ogled at the girl with me, stared at me. It had a large scar over its face.


    Our eyes were locked on. Its eyes darted, but it didn''t look away.


    I didn''t either. I had no reason to fear goblins or even remotely feel intimidated by them.


    I stared- no, I glared. Murderous aura leaked and I didn''t hide it.


    It was either they''d listen or they''d die.


    It was fairly simple.


    And though the goblin growled, sweated, it wasn''t backing down either. It was about to attack.


    And I guess that''d be it for all of them.


    "Please take us to the one who''s in charge here," Gryole screamed.


    The goblin that was about to attack me, took a step back, almost reconsidered everything and let out a screech. It was almost as though all the goblins were frightened of Gryole.


    No, that wasn''t quite it. They were frightened but they were also acting like a bunch who just got a glimpse of their god: I guess this thing wasn''t kidding about it being special.


    My best guess was, at first, they thought Gryole was also a human child, not their god or something. And that''s why they were going to attack us- but once they saw her- their attitudes changed.


    The goblins grumbled among themselves and they turned their weapons down.


    "Thi way hooman." The screeching one led the way.


    I followed and Gryole followed me.


    So far, not a bad start. ''But how long will this last?''


    ***


    It was just down the mountain path.


    Everything seemed normal at a glance. Just trees, some undead here, some undead there. A small cave, some rocks here, some large ones there.


    Everything was normal- too normal. And if life taught me anything- whenever something was too normal- it definitely wasn''t.


    The goblins were leading the way and they were dealing with the undead if any were stupid enough to cross our path- which most weren''t.


    I was fairly confident in my powers as I was, so I didn''t fear the goblins. Frankly, I didn''t feel much of anything.


    The leading goblin, the screeching one, tapped on a rock in various specific ways, and about roughly a minute, the whole thing moved. A hole formed- it was the size of maybe two meters across. The path led underground.


    The goblins all went in and so did we. Inside there were three hobgoblins and as we entered, they sealed the entrance. None of them were acting hostile- that was a good thing. For them.


    Once the exit was mostly sealed, I kind of went blind for a second. But then my eyes adjusted pretty quick. Almost all the goblins jumped when they saw my eyes but they calmed down a second later.


    I guess even to goblins, undead were a scary bunch.


    There were pyres here, probably in case, some undead decided to invade. Or maybe goblins weren''t a fan of darkness either. I kind of didn''t know, I kind of didn''t care.


    Gryole was still attached to me. I figured it''d run off or something, but it still didn''t. It probably trusted me more than typical goblins.


    I''d never seen goblins fighting each other, or eating each other but there was no way to be sure of anything when it came to goblins.


    "Thi way." The screeching one kept on leading us.


    There were goblins everywhere. Some were large, some were small, some were just babies.


    Now that I looked carefully, this place was nicely built. Everything was made from clay. There was occasional other stuff like bricks and stones and even wood, but mostly just clay. The whole place looked more or less like an ant''s nest.


    I''d been to one colony before but that one just felt crude compared to this one.


    The smell was kind of intense though: very sulfuric. These things had some sort of sewage system- but yeah, I could still smell a lot of things. They were hygienic but they could certainly use some help with how the place smelled.


    ''At least it''s better than the forests¡­'' Then again, neither smell bothered me anymore.


    And goblins weren''t just roaming around randomly no, they were often roaming as couples and with children too. Almost like-


    As the realization dawned on me more and more, I kind of fumed. But I kept it all in check.


    Right now, I just needed to deliver Gryole, get some answers, and move on to my primary quest.


    ***


    The corridors were also made of clay but those were hard clay. The ceiling was mostly clay but they used some sort of sticky black stuff to make sure it didn''t fall?


    Anyway, as we kept going, we saw more and more goblins. They even had houses for themselves and there were places for young goblins to train, play and there were even amphitheaters for sports! What kind of sports?


    Yeah, I seriously didn''t even want to think about those.


    Today I was going to gloss over everything.


    Or so I thought until I saw that.


    Saw what?


    A woman tied to a pole with barely any clothes.. Probably a demi-human.

 Chapter 357 - To The Goblin’s Nest- (part Two)

    The amphitheater was maybe two or three floors down from where we stood.


    And judging by the growling and giggling goblins, it was clear, this was a sport. But by the sheer number of spectators (roughly two thousand) and the excitement, this was probably a rare sport.


    "All who dare challenge Ze Thell and beat him shall claim this prize!" The announcer was a lean tall goblin, almost like an abnormal. His accent was kind of Russian-ish. His speech however was quite fluent: obviously, he was speaking in goblin tongue.


    This Ze Thell thing was a very round and large hobgoblin.


    There were plenty of challengers and they ranged from normal goblins to large ones.


    All were defeated.


    Clubs, knives, spears were on the sideline but this large goblin only used its bare hands. And it was good enough to stand tall with nothing just bare fists.


    "Is there no one else!? Then Ze Thell shall claim her himself!"


    "So, basically if someone beats him- they claim the girl as their prize?" I said, aloud. I was maybe two-three floors above the actual place, but since the roof was kind of open, I could always just jump down there.


    All eyes darted my way. There were a lot of goblins here- at lot!


    The goblins didn''t quite create a scene as they noticed the other goblins with me. But I clearly wasn''t welcome.


    The girl who was tied- noticed me and stared at me. "He-" Before she could say anything, they taped her mouth. She tried to struggle but it was of no use.


    Her clothes weren''t even remotely covering her- the same went for her underwear. There were still patches of cloth hanging here and there, but anyone could clearly see everything. Through shame and despair, her eyes leaked and she just stared at the ground.


    I''d heard that voice before somewhere. Maybe yesterday?


    Oh yeah, that knight. So, she ended up getting caught.


    The goblin with me, the screeching one, kind of signaled something.


    "Yes, would you like to challenge Ze Thell? Though since Ze Thell would go weaponless," The goblin announcer grinned.


    I could see where this was going.


    I didn''t want to make a scene and end up antagonizing them, so I went with their rules.


    "Sure, I won''t use any weapons." I jumped straight to the ground.


    I didn''t need Imbuition to make this much of a jump.


    The ground was fairly solid and there wasn''t much dust.


    I took off my robe, my armor, and with just my shirt on, stood before the goblin, Ze Thell.


    The crowd cheered on- obviously, they were cheering the goblin.


    But oh well.


    Ze Thell seemed quite pleased. It was probably about twice as tall as me, but about ten times wider.


    It came swinging. No need for warnings, I guess.


    A left punch- I dodged to my right.


    I grabbed its hand. "You know, just because you''re bigger, doesn''t mean you should just throw around your weight." With that said, I used its own weight and gently tipped it over.


    Thud!


    It barely evaded falling by planting one of its hands firmly on the ground, and used one of its legs to kick me, almost like a horse. I backstepped, evaded, and then with a quick closeup- punched the back of its throat.


    The crowd stopped cheering.


    The poor goblin made choking sounds and got on its knees.


    "I will now be taking my prize."


    I axe kicked the goblin on its back and it dropped to the ground, unconscious.


    It was too quiet.


    But I walked towards the girl.


    "I can, take my prize now, right?" I looked at the announcer.


    That goblin was sweating quite hard. "B-but of course!"


    Oh? How noble. And here I thought they''d start a fight over this. But they didn''t.


    And the goblins in the stands just groaned, sighed, and started leaving.


    Odd.


    I picked up my armor, put it on, sliced the ropes of the girl, un-taped her mouth, and gave her my robe.


    She held her head low. "Thank you."


    "Don''t mention it. I''ll need that robe back so go find your clothes or something."


    I didn''t see her armor around though. The few pieces that were here, were kind of broken.


    As for the girl herself, she was kind of injured and battered and not in the best of shapes.


    "They tore it-" Her voice was low. "They-" She shook. She let out a battle cry and was about to steal a nearby club. Even this injured, this girl had some fight left in her.


    I stopped her. "Now''s not the time. Patience," I whispered.


    I''d been in this world for a long time. I knew how to manipulate people just like people manipulated me. I was too na?ve to never try that. Now, however- not so much.


    The girl calmed down but I could tell, she wanted all the goblins dead. But though I hated these things, I needed answers from them. And though a good goblin was a dead goblin, they couldn''t give me the answers I was looking for.


    Anyway- I picked the girl up in my arms, coated my body in mana, and jumped. My normal jump was enough to actually go about a whole floor now. But with Imbuition, I could easily climb back to where Gryole was.


    I gently let the girl off and healed her.


    But now what- I couldn''t just leave her here. There was no saying what the goblins would do to her this time. And though I''d let go of her, she was still holding on to my armor with one hand, and the robe with the other.


    "You can understand them?" She whispered.


    I nodded.


    "Then you have a plan?"


    I nodded again.


    Perhaps she thought I was going to destroy this place or something? In any case, I did have a plan- so it wasn''t a lie.


    She exhaled. But stuck close to me. I guess I had to take her with me, now that I''d complicated all this myself.


    And with that, the tour continued.


    I was glad I didn''t see any more amphitheaters.


    ***


    "Wat here Hooman."


    Before long we''d arrived before a much larger area and this place actually had a wooden door.


    The goblin knocked a few times. A small hole opened in the wall, an eye looked around through it, and they exchanged some words.


    A minute later, the door opened.


    Once we went in, it closed again.


    I was kind of speechless. This room was large- but that wasn''t the reason. The real reason-


    We went in and found ourselves, some good old fashion abnormals.


    Not just one no, a whole counsel of them. And who was in charge of this counsel?


    A frigging goblin king no less!


    ''Am I lucky or just unlucky?''


    Well, I was going to get some answers, one way or the other.

 Chapter 358 - Interlude: Chaos Descends

    A messenger broke into the courtroom.


    He didn''t wait, he didn''t even let the guards stop him. Rather he just stood before their ruler. "I bring ill news, your highness." He bowed on his knees and his head was down, he couldn''t look up.


    Sweat dripped.


    The courtroom that was ridiculed with arguments even just moments ago became silent. A scent lingered in the air: the scent of distress.


    Their ruler- the high elf- Lianne exhaled but she didn''t lose composure. "Go on."


    "Archduke Daarc Green, is no more."


    Lianne blinked twice. Once to make sure she heard right, twice to make sure, this was reality. Unfortunately, in both cases, she met with disappointment.


    She was a half-dead. Her sense of fear and the pain of loss was very much the same as normal elf''s: dulled. But- but the news hit her hard. She couldn''t quite believe anything and neither could anyone else in the whole room.


    One of the guards dropped on the floor, looking pale, and distant. The nobles and ministers froze.


    "How?" Lianne spoke. Her voice was dry but her eyes were not.


    She didn''t believe it: no, she refused to believe it.


    "There was a raid in Dracona. The emperor- the demon emperor himself raided the city and Lord Daarc stood up to him, fought valiantly, and fell in battle. His body and the bodies of his comrades were not recovered. No other lives were lost." The messenger did not look up. He silently cried. "He''d saved everyone there, your highness."


    Drops leaked, but Lianne didn''t cry. "Leave me." But even so- there was hope. What if-


    What if he survived. Didn''t Daarc always find a way to come back? He came back from the ocean! He came back from the forests! Could he not-


    But- but- but her heart refused to calm down. Her body shivered and if it weren''t for the nobles staring at her face- she''d have broken down in tears.


    However, the messenger didn''t move. "I bring more ill news, your highness." Even the messenger knew just the first news alone was tormenting enough. But he had to deliver the second one- at any cost. "The demons have declared war."


    The grief-filled courtroom descended into chaos. A war? Now!?


    Lianne was hurt- no, she was heartbroken. Her pain was immeasurable. She''d just lost her love. She''d just lost Daarc and now a war?


    Cries, gasps, murmurs flew. The nobles looked already ready to give up. Their greatest military asset and their leader was no more. A war right now would not only tear the whole nation and the people would be devasted regardless.


    It was hopeless.


    "If a war they want-" Lianne shook. She shook with grief- she shook with rage. "IT''s a war they''ll get." She glared forward. She just lost her love; she wasn''t going to lose her people either. "Send word to my brother."


    "But your highness-" The count started. "We can''t possibly-"


    "Think again." Lianne raged. "If we don''t fight now, there won''t be a tomorrow and this time, there won''t be anyone to save us."


    ***


    The news of Daarc''s death spread across the continent. He was perhaps one of the most notable warriors of his time and perhaps people would one day sing the songs of him and his journeys. One day perhaps he''d become a legend, one day perhaps he''d be forgotten.


    But his passing heralded the end of an age. War was just around the corner, and if people didn''t band together- they were next. The age of men was about to end.


    Some wept at his death, some sighed and looked up, others just lived on, after all, life was just like that. One day, someone was here, the next day, they weren''t.


    The news of the war also spread like wildfire. The demons had declared war on all the races. The elves prepared for battle and so did men. Dwarves however were still hesitant. They could always just hide in their fortress cities but- they too were considering the war.


    Before Daarc''s passing, he and the king of men had signed a treaty in which the two agreed that they''d unite in case of a war like this- or so words went. Some part of it was fabricated by men: some by the elves, but in these desperate times, people had to stand together, or they''d get eradicated. So even if a little lying was necessary, it was a good cause and almost every nation agreed as much.


    There was going to be a war- and it was going to be big.


    ***


    "Heh!" An old man snorted. "He ain''t gonna go that easy." He was on top of a wall, just looking out in the distance. Despite his words, he was wounded. And just perhaps a bit of wind would have made the shimmering water in his eyes fall down.


    "Well, he was a tough cookie. I''d say he''s still kicking somewhere." The man''s son stood by him.


    But neither were confident.


    "You bet he is. That brat''s too good to be dead." He chuckled. But there was no joy in his voice.


    The man''s son didn''t say a word and just watched the horizon.


    The sun was setting.


    ***


    All her life she was told she was special. Everyone treated her like a god, they worshiped her, protected her with their life.


    She didn''t quite understand why. Why was her color pink while the rest were purple?


    Why did she have so many weird memories of a time she never lived? Why did she remember things that never were? Who even was she?


    Was she real?


    She never really found the answers.


    She didn''t know what she was going to do or what she was even supposed to be doing.


    Everyone treated her differently, she never got to have a childhood and no friends. Goblins were a very delicate race. One day they numbered one thousand, the next, less than a hundred. Their youth had the highest mortality rate in all of the dark realm. And yet, even though food was scarce, even though sometimes goblins died of hunger, they still gave enough food to her. Her life was more important than every single goblin and that was made clear to her from an early age.


    And then one day, out of nowhere, everyone died.


    No, they were killed. They were killed right in front of her. They were killed by a man. A man had shattered the bounds of her destiny.


    And that very same man was now protecting her. The same man who treated her the same as the rest of the goblins.


    She thought about revenge over and over again. She thought how she could kill him, how she could destroy the man. But in the end, she couldn''t find any way. After all, the man was already broken. And he was already dead.


    The goblin- Gryole wasn''t afraid of the man. She knew he''d probably kill her eventually. But still, she wasn''t afraid. After all, she wasn''t even a real being. After all, she was just a tool for her race to live on. Just another sacrifice.


    She didn''t exist.


    And yet, when the man screamed and ran for her- to save her- for the first time ever in her life, she felt something. She felt real, not just some fake god the goblins worshiped.


    And that something led her to clutch to the man''s robe and just forget about everything just this once.


    She wanted to exist.

 Chapter 359 - A Disturbing Truth: The Goblins

    There were Abnormals everywhere.


    If I didn''t know better, these things were bad news.


    But they weren''t alarmed of me, rather they were alarmed of the girl next to me. Gryole.


    This was a large room and kind of like a conference room of sorts. And the goblins were in their round table, almost like they were having a civilized meeting or something.


    "I welcome you, O, holy lady of yonder." The king of the goblins, along with the rest of the Abnormals and the goblins behind us, all bowed. Most of the king Abnormals looked rather young. The king however was old, a long white beard and perhaps what could be described as a hobgoblin with an Abnormal sized head.


    Holy, what with the what now?


    "Why are they bowing?" The girl in robes whispered.


    "I''ll explain later."


    Because I might or might not have been wondering the same thing.


    "Please-" Gryole raised her hands. "No need for bows."


    The goblins were overjoyed. Some were even crying.


    ''What the hell is wrong with these things?''


    The king, however, looked at me next. "And what brings you here?" And he spoke fluently in English. Or whatever the main language of humans was in this world.


    All this time, I never really questioned it.


    "I''m looking for some answers. I was asked to deliver her here, and I did. Now if you''ll answer some questions, that''ll be appreciated." My tone was somewhere in between a command and a request. I wasn''t sure which way to sway yet.


    The goblin almost looked a bit disturbed. "Then I''d assume you can understand this too?" It spoke a different language.


    I nodded.


    The girl in robes seemed out of place but she didn''t complain. With the situation we were in, she had no right to.


    The king of the goblins dismissed the Abnormals and the other goblins. "Leave us be."


    The goblins all walked out like it was the most natural thing to do.


    "You sure you want to be alone?"


    "The girl with you caused us quite the trouble but as long as you don''t go around spoiling our secrets, it''s fine." The king paused looking at the girl in robes. He was still speaking in goblin tongue. "And surely, you can''t expect me to even attempt to try anything funny to the very same man who destroyed our colony in Saram and even defeated a god? Why would I purposefully incite his rage?"


    "News travels fast in goblin town too, I suppose."


    Well, it was nice knowing that these people actually knew about stuff.


    But I never defeated a god¡­ the grand monsters didn''t count.


    "Now, the questions?" He took a seat and signaled for me to have a seat.


    "What are goblins?" I also took a seat.


    This was a round table of sorts. Gryole also took a seat but the girl in robe stayed put.


    The table was long and the king was basically over the other side.


    "Normally, people never get the opportunity-" The goblin paused. "And even if they do, they ask stuff like, why are we killing and eating them, but-" A burst of laughter. "Never has anyone asked that in my eighty years of service."


    Service? It almost spoke like a civil servant.


    "Good for you, now start."


    "I''m not so sure. But-" He looked over at Gryole. "Shouldn''t you be aware, your holiness?"


    Holiness?


    Seriously, Gryole wasn''t kidding she said she was special.


    Gryole tried to say something but paused for a minute. If she''d known about all this, why didn''t she tell me?


    ''Wait, she did try to tell me¡­'' Back then when she called me a monster, she did try to tell me. But I wouldn''t have listened.


    "We''re the inhabitants of the previous realm the world tree had devoured." Gryole''s eyes glowed in a pale blue light. "After consuming our world, the world tree consumed us whole and from that tree''s wastes, we the goblins and the monsters were born." It was almost like someone else was speaking through her mouth. That blue glow felt ominous if nothing else. I''d never seen something like that.


    So, the roots were the gods, the fruits were the grand monsters and the feces were the monsters?


    Wow.


    Well, technically, Trerortra ate the fruit and became a monster himself, and then killed the gods. But I guess it was definitely possible that the other gods also ate the fruit and fought back. And that''s how everyone became immortal monsters? It was feasible at the very least.


    But Gryole did confirm one thing. Ashirnae was right- at least so far.


    "And you know that because?"


    "I don''t know." Her eyes stopped glowing. "These are the memories of my ancestors, engraved deep in my soul."


    "Do you know what the world tree is or where it came from?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Then how about, any ways to return your people back?"


    She looked at her feet. "I don''t know."


    I sighed and looked at the goblin king. "What about you?"


    "I''m merely a king. If her holiness don''t know, how would I?"


    And yet, somehow it felt like he was hiding things. But- anyway, I got one of my answers. "Next, why do goblins tend to attack people? Now, I understand people attack goblins too, but- why do goblins not hunt animals or raise them?"


    The king and Gryole looked at each other and after a bit of nodding between them, the king sighed.


    "We are monsters. Our ancestors tried to cope with people and they even succeeded to a degree. But- due to outside interferences it didn''t work out. Now, some legends speak of how a god caused a bit of mischief and fucked everything up, while others depict the savage war as just another human thing." He smiled. "But whatever it was, it was in the past. Right now, we do what we do to survive. And as you might already be aware, we can''t just go hunting or raise cattle without being constantly eradicated by men. So, we hunt our hunters instead. Good food, good safety."


    Fair point. "But- what about women? Why go doing that?"


    "Our women can''t reproduce enough. The mortality rate of goblins is the highest among all the races. Our women often die trying to give birth. And with the dwindling numbers and constant threats- we have no choice. The women we steal- we steal for survival, not pleasure."


    Though the goblin said that, I didn''t quite buy it.. Who knew, just how convincing of a lie it could conjure up.

 Chapter 360 - A Disturbing Truth: The Goblins (Part Two)

    "Alright, then how about a truce? To my knowledge, goblins and men always fought. When let''s say a human got lost or injured, why didn''t you offer your assistance and try to sort this out? Assuming you could help one guy maybe once a month all across the world, wouldn''t that have-"


    Even if things went bad once, it was always possible to patch things up, given that both sides tried. But I guess, it wasn''t that simple.


    The goblin king shook his head. "It''s pointless. We have lost countless that way. We have lost¡­" He glared straight at me. "I''ve answered your questions. Now, what other purpose do you have here?" I guess I stepped on a nerve there.


    I had a feeling they were ready to attack me.


    Though the room was seemingly empty, there were probably goblins here and there, hidden.


    But the only reason they weren''t, was because they thought I had the power to destroy this settlement too. Which was why they were trying to avoid a conflict no matter what. But I guess they weren''t aware that last time I had my comrades with me¡­ This time, I didn''t.


    "Nothing much." I stood up. "I just came here to deliver her get some answers and I''m done."


    I could have killed them, I could have killed them all. That would have made human lives or demon lives to be more specific, a bit easy.


    But why?


    I didn''t see any reason. In the end, everyone was just trying to survive. It wasn''t like I was totally believing them or anything but- for the time being, they didn''t seem like my enemies.


    He visibly paled. "You''re not here to destroy us? You believe us?" The king actually didn''t think I''d believe them. He was sweating the whole time but for once, he looked even worse.


    From his perspective, I guess that was a valid reason to be worried.


    "No, not really. I don''t plan to destroy you and I don''t believe you either. I just don''t care, anymore."


    But now, now the king almost sighed in relief. It was commendable how much he could hold in, despite being a goblin. I guess he wasn''t a king for nothing.


    "We-we''re done?" The girl in robe kind of fidgeted. She was awfully confused as the conversation we just had was in goblin tongue.


    "We''re leaving."


    I figured it''d be better if I didn''t leave her here. It''d be much faster if I were to get directions from her once we got out. Besides, I couldn''t just leave this girl in a goblin minefield either, after all, I knew how terrible goblins were to women.


    "That''s it? What about-" Did she seriously want me to destroy this whole colony or something?


    Because she was awfully disappointed if nothing.


    "Later." I raised a hand and gave a side glance to Gryole.


    We were done here.


    But Gryole ran to me. "Wait-"


    "What?"


    "Will- will I see you again?" She slightly fidgeted.


    "Why would you want to see me again?" Why on earth would a goblin really want to see me?


    For revenge?


    "I-" She averted her eyes.


    "I don''t have all day."


    "I want to travel."


    "You? Well, then go travel. What does it have to do with me?"


    Because I for sure didn''t want to get involved with her.


    She inhaled and looked sharp. "I want to travel with you."


    "Sorry but- I''m marching onto death itself. And even if I were to survive-" I was still going to be dead.


    And I didn''t know how long this curse would last either. Alisa said something about me living for about a hundred days of which I had like eighty-something remaining. I didn''t know if the clock was still ticking but- I couldn''t just discard the possibility either.


    Besides, I for one didn''t want to travel with a goblin even if it was feasible.


    "Who cares what you think-" She almost screamed. "I''m coming with you the next time, whether you like it or not!"


    Actually, this goblin really liked to speak its mind, didn''t it? At times I thought it was annoying and a nuisance, but at other times, I got this fake strong vibe. Was she trying too hard or something?


    "Your holiness- you-" The goblin king tried but- yeah, things weren''t working.


    I''d probably never see this goblin again anyway. "Sure, whatever."


    I kept walking.


    Goblins were trouble. They were everywhere.


    They were my fear, my distress.


    But now, everything felt fake.


    Everything just collapsed; all my belief, all my dreams, and all my being.


    I truth I believed all along, weren''t true anymore.


    And to my deepest sorrow, regret, and surprise, it was a goblin of all things that reminded me, that perhaps- perhaps even now, ''I might still have a bit of humanity left in me¡­''


    Sigh.


    In the end of the day, I didn''t know what to believe.


    "Wait!"¡­ "Hey, you forgot this!" Just as I was about to get out of the room, the goblin, Gryole threw me something.


    I caught it in sheer reflex. It was covered in slime- a piece of rolled parchment. "EW! You did eat it!"


    I thought she was joking at the time. But seriously?


    I almost wanted to gag but- "Thanks."


    "You''re welcome." She almost sang.


    I proceeded to leave.


    Well, maybe-


    Just maybe- things could change.


    This slimy thing didn''t really invoke anything other than disgust though.


    ***


    Once we were almost out, the goblins opened the exit. They all just let us go.


    The girl with me was worried and she was very wary but- but nothing happened.


    The smaller ones just stayed the same as they saw us out. The large hobgoblins had their head down as they saw us off. It was almost like they were bowing or something. Like they were respecting us?


    Yeah, probably not.


    We were out and the exit closed. No sign of goblins anywhere but undead were here.


    And once we were out, the girl with me breathed a sigh of relief and bowed. "Thank you for saving my life. Not once, but twice. I shall be forever indebted you, or lord-" She paused and raised her head. "Your name?"


    It was surprising how she didn''t question me about the goblins or how I didn''t kill them and just went to my name instead?


    Suspicious.


    "Daarc as I said before."


    She could at least remember my name, right?


    I kept walking.


    She seemed a bit hesitant. "Surely you jest my lord. Daarc Green is the lord of the elves and is said to be a human." She followed me.


    ''Oh, right, I''m not human anymore¡­''


    But to think my name was popular even in the demon lands.


    This woman- she was a demi-human. When I first met her, she was in full plate armor but now I''d seen even stuff that were not supposed to be seen. Anyway- she seemed to have leopard ears and a tail, that was it. Meaning, she was probably a local- a demon.


    And since when was I the lord of elves?

 Chapter 361 - Talk About A Talk

    "Call me whatever you want. The name''s not important."


    She straightened herself. "Then, I shall call you Sir." She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Sir!"


    And yet, she didn''t feel the necessity to mention her name.


    "Don''t mention it." I didn''t save her for nothing. I needed information and that was clear.


    ''Wait, couldn''t I just have asked the goblins?''


    Fuck!


    Facepalm sigh it was.


    "What, Sir?"


    This sir business was rubbing me the wrong way. But I couldn''t just say anything either.


    "What do I look like to you?"


    "A handsome man?" She said that deadpan.


    "I meant my race."


    "OH!" She again straightened her back. "I''d say a half-vampire Sir!"


    A half?


    But a vampire, regardless?


    Hmmm¡­. Didn''t seem farfetched.


    I did feel the urge to drink blood but I also felt the urge to eat raw meat. But just because this girl said so, I couldn''t just accept it. The vice versa was also true. I couldn''t just disregard that either.


    "Anyway, I''m looking for the ruins of this place, that''s it. And stop calling me Sir!" I started walking.


    Though at this point, visiting the ruins had no value for me. The reason for me to go looking for the ruins was to find the answers about goblins. But now that I found the answers- there was no point in going there. Besides, Alisa herself had said that goblins lived near the ruins- not in them. So technically- sigh.


    I was really just running away.


    I really was.


    After all, what was the point of confirming all this? Was it going to get me anywhere?


    In the end, I still didn''t know how to beat the emperor. Yeah, I got a parchment with the ability to cancel magic but still- wait, the parchment!


    I hadn''t thrown it in my ring yet. I forgot that I was still holding it in my left hand.


    I just opened the slimy-eeky- gooey parchment and read through the contents. It described a complicated method of how to prevent your enemies from casting and how to suppress their mana. The method was complicated and there were certain criteria to be fulfilled beforehand. But- ''This could work!''


    "I actually don''t know their location but- are you looking for the Dale blade? And that''s why you''re interested in the ruins? Personally, I don''t think that''s worth it. There is supposedly a knight sleeping in the ruins- an eternal knight."


    "Basically, an Undead." With that said, I cut a demon undead in two which was coming for us.


    This broken mystic blade was still good enough for me to use but- it kind of reminded me of my broken promise.


    "Yes."


    "Well, then it''ll be a fun place to raid."


    And to test this parchment.


    Undead mostly didn''t have mana. Some goblins did but I had a feeling no goblins would attack me here. The monsters here were mostly just undead and they were keeping their distance. I also needed to find out my current limits. This body was fully healed and I could move faster than before. My senses were also sharpened but I didn''t know just how good this body was, yet.


    I could have just used this girl as a guinea pig but- I didn''t do that for moral reasons. Those reasons being- excuses.


    I just wanted excuses to delay my eventual confrontation with the emperor.


    ''Am I running away?''


    But I shouldn''t have been feeling fear- then what?


    Oh-


    And then a bit of realization hit me.


    I wasn''t running away from the emperor.


    I was running away from the death of my friends.


    ''That''s right, all of them died for me.''


    I was just running away from them. I was trying to run away from the feeling. By focusing on revenge, I could forget about them and by sidetracking myself I could forget about the revenge.


    After all, the moment I''d confront the emperor, I''d have to accept that my friends were dead because of him.


    I chuckled. Talk about being a hypocrite. I was the finest kind, contradicting myself with every thought.


    An audible sigh. "Well, you are strong, I suppose you can manage. But-" She fidgeted slightly. "Do you- perhaps have clothes I can borrow?"


    She eyed my whole body and then became disappointed as she saw nothing.


    "I do actually." I pulled out a shirt, a boxer, and pants from the ring. All were washed. I was supposed to change into them after my training session and after a shower. But- then a lot of things happened. "Well, I guess you won''t like men''s underwear-"


    She snatched all of them. She didn''t even ask if they were washed or not. She didn''t care where they came from.


    On that note, I might have had my old underwear from when I disguised myself as a woman.


    With a sigh, I again threw my hand in my ring and brought out a pair of panties and brassier.


    The girl gently took that inside the robe. Talk about double standards.


    Though she was covered inside the robe, I turned around.


    There were plenty of undead around, but they mostly just ignored us.


    My girl clothes weren''t washed and I didn''t want to give them to this girl either- after all, those were a gift of sorts.


    Besides, in this world, clothes by gender weren''t as big of a deal.


    "These are a good fit. Is that a magic emblem you''re wearing?"


    "No idea."


    "Oh? And I''m guessing these are washed?"


    "Probably?"


    "Your lover''s?"


    "Something like that."


    Better than saying I used them to disguise myself and stuff-


    "Since you''re carrying them, I can assume-"


    "She''s far away now." And hopefully, It''ll stay that way. Even now, even though I''d turn into something like this, I didn''t want to turn into a girl again, no thanks, I liked my junk. At least it didn''t give me cramps.


    "I see, I''m sorry. And I''m done."


    Well, that was fast.


    Probably the fastest I''d seen or rather not seen a woman change.


    She unhooked the robe and gave it to me. Meanwhile, she had my boxers in hand. "You''re not into briefs?"


    She actually looked good- though the shirt was a bit baggy.


    I took both, chucked the underwear back in my ring, and put on the robe.


    "I''d rather not have that conversation."


    Why the hell were we talking about underwear in goblin and undead territory anyway?


    Best novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net

 Chapter 362 - I Chose To Be Human-

    The girl cleared her throat. "I''ll lead you to the ruins."


    "I thought you didn''t know their location."


    "I changed my mind."


    Meaning, she was lying to me.


    "Reason being?"


    "I want your help."


    Just some minutes ago she was treating me with respect and ''Sir'' and all that. But when I said I didn''t want her to call me that, she started to speak like we were friends or something.


    I did like the not using ''sir'' part. But her over-familiarity was getting on my nerves.


    "I already helped you, saved you twice-"


    I could see where this was going. The last time when I helped her, she wanted me to go fight for her country or something.


    "And I''m eternally grateful for that but- I need, no want your help."


    The trees were mostly just black. their leaves were also black. And as we walked ahead, the leaves kind of made rustling sounds. Sounds that only got worse with the groans coming from the undead in the background.


    "Sorry, but I''d rather not get involved with your country. I''m guessing you''re the princess of something trying to reclaim your lost kingdom?"


    Because no matter how I thought about it, my life always, always included princesses one way or the other and they were always trouble.


    Besides, I had my own shit to worry about.


    She stared at me for a second. "I''m not actually. I''m just a royal guard- or was, until my mother- the general fell and got captured. I want to save her and that''s it."


    "So, all that talk about saving the kingdom-"


    "Was just some patronizing shit I made up so I could use the people save my mother." She delivered it deadpan.


    Wow.


    "And you told me that because?"


    If she wanted to save her mother, wouldn''t just hiring some mercenaries or something work just as good?


    "Because I have a feeling, you''d rather not get involved with me otherwise."


    "I''m still not going to get involved. Besides, there''s no merit in this for me. I could always just spend some time and find the ruins anyway."


    "I''d offer you, my body!" She placed a hand on her chest and looked straight. "I''m not experienced but I promise to be good in bed."


    She was serious.


    "Not interested."


    She clicked her tongue. "I have nothing else to offer."


    "Funny you went around with nothing to offer and hoped people would come and help you."


    The world wasn''t as simple as just begging for help and getting it without any sacrifices. Everything had a price: everything had a cost. And everyone had hidden motives.


    She looked slightly down. "Then what was I supposed to do? I''d been stripped of my position; all my treasures are gone. And everything that I had were lost in battle. And even my armor, my clothes- What I was I SUPPOSED TO DO?"


    "How the hell am I supposed to know?"


    She almost shook. "You have the power, just because there''s nothing in this for you, you''d ignore me? You''d ignore helping me?" Her eyes threatened to leak. "Even though I''m begging this much to you? Aren''t you an honorable fellow?"


    The hell was that supposed to mean?


    Me, honorable?


    Maybe in the past, now, not so much.


    And was she under some impression that just because people have power, they''d risk their lives for others without a reason?


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    Just because one had power didn''t mean he''d go around saving people left and right. I''d done that before and learned my lesson.


    "Please!" She got on her knees and begged. "Save my mother. If my body is not enough, I''ll- I''ll-" I guess she couldn''t think of anything. "I''ll forever be your slave. Burn me, beat me, eat me, whatever-"


    "For the last time, I''m not interested in your body."


    She sniffed. "Then I have nothing to offer. As per my word I''ll lead you to the ruins. I have nothing to offer for your clothes either. I''ll just remove them, then-" Her head was down and she started stripping.


    Talk about a ball of pride.


    This girl was all over the place.


    I rolled my eyes. "Keep them. And you don''t have to lead me there either."


    I didn''t want to get involved, no, but at the same time, it felt terrible to leave a girl out here, with not even a knife.


    But I still didn''t want to get involved.


    Maybe helping her would make me a bit more human than I was.


    Maybe that was just me convincing myself.


    Maybe that was just stupid.


    ''It''s best to have a guide. And if she''s from a noble family, she can be fairly useful.''  But as usual, the spirit had a big heart despite it being a malicious spirit. Though the fact that it suggested using the girl, was probably for malicious intents and purposes. The spirit never really came out though.


    I thought over it. The girl said she was the daughter of a general and a royal guard. She was probably a noble in that case. Also, I didn''t know much about the demon continent, and- she didn''t seem like the backstabbing type. But then again, she was a demon and I didn''t trust her one bit.


    But-


    But I guess that was the push I was looking for.


    "Fine, go lead me. I''ll think about saving your mother."


    For a second there, her face almost seemed to brighten up a little as she looked at me with surprise.


    "Right- this way!" And she was awfully energetic too.


    Oh well.


    In the end, though it was fake, though I knew I was pretending, I wanted to be human.


    I chose to be human.


    ***


    Though I thought the forest was almost over, it wasn''t.


    There was still about a kilometer left.


    The undead around these parts were kind of harmless though. They never tried to attack me and sometimes I even considered that there could have been an angel statue around. But as these things were targeting the girl with me every now and then, I reconsidered.


    "So, tell me more about these ruins and the monster."


    "Legend has it that about five thousand years ago there was a beautiful country here. For some reason, it got destroyed. Around two thousand years ago a famous adventurer came to raid the ruins for treasure. But he instead succumbed to an illness and passed away. His spirit, however, lingered and now he haunts the ruins. It was said that he possessed immense strength and a sword that rivaled the weapons of the gods."


    That didn''t sound very convincing to me.


    "Any chance the story is made up?"


    "I mean, it''s just a story. And I''ve never actually been inside the ruins." The girl had fashioned a spear from a sharp stone. She didn''t ask me for anything other than just clothes. I guess she was much more a ball of pride than I initially thought.


    Actually, though she spoke politely, her actions were kind of awkward. Almost as though she''d never been out in the wilderness.


    Fair enough, I guess. "How far is the capital from here?"


    "About two weeks by carriage. Are you interested in traveling there?"


    "Yeah." We were nearly out of the forest. "And this kingdom you spoke of? I mean your kingdom."


    "Two days."


    And just outside, again, grasslands. This time proper grasslands rather than marshes.


    Which meant, there were goblins roaming about. They kind of all stayed away from me though.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask but-" The girl sat down on the ground, panting.. "How could you understand them? And how did you bargain and convince them to let us go? With so many of them and the Abnormals, I thought they''d kill us for sure."

 Chapter 363 - The Ruins

    Abnormals were supposed to be abnormally strong. The old man had said as much. Even in his glory days he barely won against one. But the old man went into a goblin''s nest alone, killed all of them, and then dealt with the Abnormal, so I guess he was just being modest.


    But with the numbers, we saw in the nest and the number of Abnormals, it was only natural this girl would be concerned. But I guess she had the misunderstanding that I bargained out of there, rather than just letting them go instead.


    "Don''t worry about it. I had a bargaining chip."


    Which meant, I didn''t have to go out of my way to make up lies and convince her.


    "You mean, that pink goblin?"


    "Yeah."


    It was more like either they''d tell me what I wanted to know or get eradicated but oh well.


    The girl exhaled and stood up. "Just a bit further and we''d reach the ruins." She still breathed a bit fast. "Sometimes I''m really jealous of the stamina of you guys."


    You guys?


    Did she mean my race?


    "Tell me," We kept walking. "What are half vampires."


    She was a tad surprised at first but spoke regardless. "Frankly, I''m not so sure. They''re like half-deads but not quite. Your eyes only glowed in there but you''re fine out here. That''s the sign of being a half-dead. But you also need shadow imbuement to survive in the sunlight- which was why I concluded you to be a half-vampire. After all, half-deads wouldn''t require protection from the sunlight. Or are you something else?"


    Walking on grass brought back a lot of memories; some wanted, others, definitely not.


    "I''m not sure." That was a fair point. The shadow was- wait, she could tell? "You seem pretty experienced in Imbuition, I suppose?"


    After all, I could hardly tell if someone was imbuing themselves unless it was night or they glowed a bit more than usual.


    "Imbuition? You call imbuing that?" She cleared her throat. "My mother was an expert. I''m just a novice."


    The sun would set in maybe a few minutes. We weren''t that long in the goblin''s nest.


    I didn''t know why but it felt nice to talk to another human being. Though I guess she wasn''t human, I still felt better.


    So, all that stuff about me being dead and no feelings weren''t quite accurate. I guess I was just in a state of shock. And I was just running away. Even now, I was running away. But- I was slowly gathering strength to face those feelings.


    And yet, I was slightly glad¡­.


    Maybe because the goblin was a goblin, I didn''t feel much of anything towards it other than just hate and disgust. Perhaps it was unjust, but I couldn''t help it.


    But- but I could see myself changing.


    Even now, I didn''t quite understand it but- maybe, maybe something was different¡­ something-


    ***


    We traveled till midnight and then set up camp near some trees. The girl though tired never complained.


    Since the girl knew I could use shadow magic (which I couldn''t), I didn''t show her my holy magic. Reasons being, both were super rare. And if she knew I could use both of the rare stuff, yeah, needless to say, that''d be a hell of a mess. And I didn''t want to go out of my way to explain to her that I had a malicious spirit guiding me.


    Luckily the girl knew how to use flintstones and unlike last time, things weren''t so humid.


    The fire was lit up and we cooked some salamanders.


    Though I say we, I meant she.


    She cooked her portion, meanwhile, I ate the tail of the salamander raw. She didn''t once question me about my eating habits. She wasn''t wary of me either. I guess she was just too desperate.


    Anyway, I took a look at the parchment.


    ***


    To suppress mana, one first had to recognize the type.


    I guess me lighting up the darkness inside the ring was a dead giveaway.


    Mana circulates throughout the body but it is most concentrated in the chest.


    So, by restricting the mana inside the chest and trapping it, one could in theory suppress the opponent''s mana. But- the method was unclear. It just included a chant but how it worked wasn''t specified.


    Also, one had to be in a two-meter radius of the caster and have in-depth knowledge about the nature of the spell and mana type.


    "Hey, can you use magic?"


    "Yes, I can use earth magic."


    We were both just sitting by the fire.


    Earth magic, huh? I didn''t know much about it but I did know how mana flowed.


    "Alright, try to conjure up a small spell."


    The girl nodded and formed a small ball of earth in her hand: the shape was crude and it was maybe the size of a small ball? She did speak some chants but it was too fast and too short for me to get.


    I focused.


    I said the chant. "Enshrined embellishment of yonder commands thou ''oh heathen! Suppress!" It felt awfully condescending if nothing else. I felt a bit of my mana drain and I could almost see the mana around us slowly evaporate, mostly from the girl. ''I can see it because I cast the spell?''


    It was almost like steam but a mix of blue and brown in color.


    The earth ball in the girl''s hand kind of shrunk but it didn''t disappear. The evaporation stopped. The back of my head hurt.


    "Wow!" The girl cried out. "What is this?"


    "I don''t know, but I guess I need more practice."


    Not only did it take way too much focus and mana to cast, it wasn''t even that effective. And now I had a headache.


    So, I did need tons of practice.


    The girl was very surprised but even now, she didn''t quite ask me questions. I guess she was being too careful about all this.


    Or maybe she had more hidden motives.


    In any case, I didn''t let my guard down, and since I didn''t need sleep, I spent the whole night, practicing and memorizing the chant properly.


    I also hunted some raccoons and squirrels in the area for a bit of a snack.


    ***


    The next day we headed straight for the ruins, walked nonstop, and reached the outer ruins by midday.


    There were broken houses everywhere. Pavement here, roofs there. Trees and mostly vines of sorts had this whole place domesticated.


    "The inner ruins are deeper that way." The girl led me. "There are supposed to be spirits here, so do be careful."


    Spirits, huh?


    If they were going to be useful, then I could form pacts with them and use them. But I had a feeling anything that''d be here would be more or less malicious.


    We walked.


    Something about this place was different.


    Something felt odd.


    Even though it was the middle of the day, there weren''t any animals, there weren''t any birds: there wasn''t anything here.


    It was too quiet.


    "We should rest for a while. The sun is at its peak." The girl said.


    She was right. Though I didn''t feel tired, my skin kind of burned as I came in contact with the direct sunlight. It wasn''t fatal but, it certainly drained my almost limitless stamina.


    There were broken houses everywhere. And most of them didn''t have roofs but their walls were still intact.


    Even some roads were here.


    I didn''t see any signs of toys, furniture or cooking ware, or anything like that though. Just plain old bricks and roads.


    "Sure."


    It didn''t hurt to rest for ten minutes. After all, the girl wasn''t a half-dead or a half-vampire like me. I had to consider that she was helping me out with this. Besides, I didn''t need shade but every now and then, I had to spend a few minutes in shade.


    Though even now, I didn''t know what to do.

 Chapter 364 - The Ruins (Part Two)

    We kept on walking.


    "Is there any reason why your mother was captured?"


    I tried to mostly stick to the shadows but with all the walls and houses barely standing, it was a lot harder than I thought.


    "We," she sighed. "The people revolted. The top bunch wanted to go to war but the people didn''t. And so, a revolt took place, mother led the rebels and we fell."


    A war, huh?


    Only people who didn''t know what war truly was and just how devastating it was, were dumb enough to go out seeking it.


    "Wouldn''t it have been easy for you to rescue your mother once the war broke out and-"


    "Yes, it would have. But I''m afraid I''m no longer a royal guard and they will probably behead her before setting out for the battle, anyway."


    It made sense.


    Anyway, this place kept getting denser and denser.


    The houses were now much closer to each other and some were larger than others. Some of the houses were even intact- kind of.


    We were getting close to the center of the city?


    "And where do you think we''d find this undead?"


    "I actually don''t know. Most of the legends say he died in the throne room and never left. Though, I doubt that''s true."


    "Well, we better find out."


    After all the castle- the almost falling down- but it wasn''t falling- castle, was just in front of us. We were still maybe half a kilo away but damn that thing was large.


    Some groans came from around us. There were undead here, though the number was far less than the forests. And the few that were here, were mostly just hidden in the shadows. After all, it was daytime and without the protection of the forests, they were kind of useless.


    ***


    Our footsteps reverberated.


    The castle was empty in hindsight. But I knew for a fact, this place was crawling with undead and most were humanoid.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask but-" But the girl paused and stayed a bit too close to me.


    We both had torches in hand.


    The fire was burning bright and the light was keeping the undead and darkness away.


    Why did we need torches?


    The castle- was mostly intact. But, with all the vines and trees and all that, light kind of didn''t penetrate in. Meaning, this place was pretty dark, almost as though night.


    "What?"


    "The undead mostly just ignore you. Is there a reason for that?"


    "Not sure." Did undead only attack the living? No, they ate their kinds too, and that''s why I wasn''t sure. Though it kind of didn''t matter.


    The girl became quiet. But we kept walking.


    There were rooms here and there. None of the rooms had any doors or windows. And the rooms were empty too.


    The stones had mostly worn out but they were still holding their place. This place was very well built.


    The vines here were thicker than my arm. They were even crawling on the ground and had veins like they were alive or something.


    Then again trees had life too but this was something different.


    And most of the vines were coming from the second floor. This was a three-story building and the stairs were almost saying ''stay away from me.''


    Frankly, I didn''t like where this was going.


    "I''m guessing the throne room is on the third floor?"


    I figured there''d be plenty of undead here. But to my surprise, the number was actually less than what I saw just outside.


    "That would be my guess too, yes."


    Sigh, but it was too late to backtrack.


    The stair was normal, not the spiral type.


    The architecture of this place was reminding me of the Roman ruins back on earth, though the interior of this palace was more reminiscent of the Egyptians than the Romans.


    There were scribbles on the walls but they weren''t readable.


    Anyway, I carefully placed my feet on the stair and saw whether it''d collapse or not.


    It didn''t.


    "Let''s go."


    I kept going up, but I kept all my senses on full throttle. In case, there was an undead attack, the stair breaking, or maybe the girl betraying me, I''d be ready.


    But none of that happened. The stairway didn''t break. The undead just left alone and the girl was too concerned about our surroundings than to attack me.


    Anyway, we successfully reached the second floor and started exploring. The layout was basically the same but just with fewer rooms. The number of undead was also lower but I did notice one or two floating ghost-like things: spirits, probably. Everything left us alone though.


    All the rooms were empty and surprising there wasn''t any dust.


    "If everyone died, wouldn''t there at least be dust or the debris of their things?"


    But I didn''t see anything. Five thousand years was no joke, but still nothing?


    It was almost as though¡­


    "I think the vines are moving¡­" The girl said. "It''s possible-"


    I''d seen predatory trees before. It reminded me of the pirating days but, yeah, those were good days.


    It was possible this tree was responsible for finishing up the remains. But that was just hypothetical.


    Then it was possible the undead the girl talked about wasn''t real. Though I couldn''t be sure about either.


    "Let''s be careful." With that said, we finished scanning the whole floor but as our first guess stood, the throne room was probably on the third floor. Cause this whole floor was also empty.


    Even the stairway was filled with vines. And this one was perhaps a bit too cramped. There were vines stretching from the bottom of the stair past the ceiling, obstructing our path.


    ''So, the vines are actually holding this place together?'' No wonder, this three-story palace didn''t crumble yet.


    I unsheathed my knife and with quick slices, cut open a path. Once cut, the vines throbbed like veins and leaked a white musky substance, and gradually stopped leaking. ''This thing''s just like-'' Yeah, there was no need for guessing, these plants were dangerous and they were definitely alive. And that white substance was corrosive.


    I signaled the girl and we kept on going up. I often cut the vines but I also tried to avoid it as much as possible.


    Once up, things were different.


    For one, the vines were abundant but more importantly, there were no more undead and there were maybe three-four rooms on this whole floor.


    The first two rooms were empty but judging by the size, I''d say those were the royal rooms.


    As for the third?


    Yeah, it was the throne room. And though I didn''t know if there was any undead in here or not, there was certainly a plant here.


    A plant that wiggled its vines like tentacles.


    Sigh.

 Chapter 365 - The Ruins (Part Three)

    Tentacles.


    They were everywhere.


    Now I understood why there wasn''t even the speck of dust in this place.


    I understood why there were no bodies, no bones, no clothes.


    Everything was dead and everything was consumed.


    "Stay behind me at all times." I stood in the front. "I''ll take care of this."


    "Wait, we''re not running away?" The girl said, oddly confused and slightly panicked.


    "Who runs away after coming this far?"


    Anyway, I held the remnants of the mystic blade with one hand and my knife with the other and casually walked ahead. This place was kind of dark, so both glowed.


    My torch kind of lighted up everything on the floor, so I could clearly see the tentacles down there, but still, I had to keep a very sharp eye on the flying ones.


    The tentacles swung around and tried to attack me. I just cut them.


    That was it. I cut them.


    I cut them and walked ahead.


    Nothing more and nothing less.


    The white liquid was actually acidic and it was burning my skin, but I didn''t stop.


    Every time a tentacle got close to us, the girl shrieked. The torch in her hand wiggled around but she didn''t quite drop it.


    She was too much of a wuss when it came to actual attacks and all that. Was she seriously a knight?


    Wait, wasn''t she scared stiff the last time I saved her and before that too? ''Then what the hell was that show she put on in the goblin stage?''


    Well, who cared?


    Slash!


    Slice!


    Thrust!


    This thing was strong and the vines were very vigorous. But there was just one problem.


    I didn''t care. It tried to grab my arms and legs on several occasions, but I wasn''t stupid enough to let it.


    SLASH!


    And it couldn''t really do much without actually grabbing me either.


    I walked closer and closer to the plant monster in the center of the room. A typical large plant- the size of an elephant. There was a massive moving red eye in the middle of the plant- reminding of the fun times I had on the island back in the pirating days. Well, I nearly died at the time, so maybe it wasn''t that fun?


    This was probably the same species of monster from that island though.


    But- I sped up and ran straight for the monster, digging my broken sword through its eye.


    A mild wound. I needed a bigger sword.


    Or at least something that wasn''t broken like this.


    Even the purple liquid from its eye was corrosive and now it tried to attack me like crazy, finally grabbing my left arm. But I was already this close. And the tentacles just weren''t strong enough to hold me.


    Tear!


    I used my other hand to cut any and every other tentacle that was coming for me. More liquid, more burns.


    And this thing was already in the process of dying. The skin was falling apart and its vines were kind of wrinkly. It had probably outlived its lifespan. And with no fresh source of food and nutrients. It couldn''t really fight for long.


    Then how about- I forced my hand in. And it went in, no trouble. My hand burned.


    But I didn''t care about the pain.


    I was again surprised of my strength. I knew I was stronger than before, but this much strength even without Imbuition?


    Screech!


    The sound almost hurt my ear, but, pain didn''t really bother me anymore.


    "Bravo, Bravo." The voice came from a corner. "I didn''t think anyone in this world was strong enough to damage this thing to this extent."


    I looked but there wasn''t anything there- on first look that was. As I squinted, I saw a vague ghost there.


    "So, you''re the knight I''d assume?"


    Or more like the ghost of the knight. It wasn''t even a proper undead.


    "Kind of?"


    But just piercing this thing wasn''t killing it.


    Wait, my hand was inside it, right?


    I quickly focused and made a condensed ball of light inside it.


    Light and heat started to radiate out. I kept at it and with adequate focus created plasma.


    The trunk started to melt and the tentacles became flaccid.


    Grab!


    I made a fist and the plasma exploded.


    The tree also exploded, showering me with all its juices.


    My body burned and I might have charred my arm. It was still holding on, barely.


    The girl was right behind me, taking shelter but the plant juice had sprayed on her too. And those places were burning.


    "Potion works on you, right?"


    I didn''t know if it worked on me or not but I didn''t have time to experiment. I gave her a potion and took out a skinned raccoon from the ring, ate it at one go. My arm and body recovered. ''This is really is handy.'' Apparently as long as I had fresh food, I could survive anything.


    The girl drank the potion and looked awfully relieved. Her body was still steaming.


    The tree had mostly just died.


    But we weren''t done here.


    "Get ready for round two."


    I glared at the spirit in the corner, which still hadn''t moved.


    The tree was dead and its vines were withering. Which meant we didn''t have long in this place either. After all, the vines were keeping this place intact.


    "Now, now, easy. As you can see, I''m just a spirit, can''t do anything." The voice was kind of on the masculine side.


    "Yeah, I''m not falling for that."


    He chuckled. "If you want my treasure, I have conditions." It was transparent at first but as it manifested more and more, it turned dark. Everything apart from its head was covered in darkness and since it was in a corner, I couldn''t see much in the first place.


    A malicious spirit.


    "Unfortunately, I''m not in the mood to fulfil your wishes. Not a genie you see."


    "You can understand spirits?" The girl whispered.


    I didn''t respond.


    "The hell''s a genie?" A very manic laughter ensued. "It doesn''t matter. Either you listen to me or waste some years trying to find things through the rubble that may not be here. Your wish."


    It understood that we didn''t have enough time. And it understood that really well.


    "Well, I don''t see anything in this room, so that''s that. Besides, I''m not really hurting for weapons either. I could always just buy a sword from the cities. But if push really comes to shove-" I pulled out a sword from my ring. A very heavy, dull sword. "I could always just use this." I pointed the sword at the spirit.


    I still couldn''t use this sword. It was still heavy for me, even now. And its edge was still dull. ''I''m still not good enough?''


    "The hell is that thing?" His voice shook.


    "Ashirnae''s sword. I''m sure you''ve heard of it? The Mythic sword?"


    I could see the spirit visibly grit his teeth. Most of its body was kind of pixelated. But I could make out the face. A very sad face, with a distinct jawline.


    He almost grinned. "Searched it for twenty years of my life. Never made it." He laughed haughtily. "And now I see it after all these years? Fate''s really cruel." He sighed.


    "Yeah, I know. But you''re dead."


    "I''m well, aware of that." He sighed. "I just want you to free me. I''m not asking too much you know." It sulked.


    Well, that was rare for a spirit to do. And it gave up rather easily too.


    Wait, I never really met a second spirit anyway.


    I sighed. "And how does one do that?"


    Now that the tree was dead, most of its branches and vines were falling off one by one. Letting in, some streaks of sunlight, illuminating this place.


    It also signaled this place was about to crumble.


    "Holy magic. That broken sword you carry, is holy, isn''t it?"


    If it just wanted to move on, then that was fine by me.


    "I suppose. Since you were here for about two thousand years you know what happened to the corpses and all that, right?"


    "Well as you''d guess this thing devoured everything. In the old days someone must have brought this as a gift for the king or something and this thing ended up going rouge and killing everything? Though that''d be just a guess."


    Well, it had nothing to do with me. But I had a feeling this was done by the emperor.


    ''Not even leaving behind corpses, huh?'' Though I hated to admit it, he did a thorough job.


    "Close your eyes for a minute," I said to the girl.


    "What!" The girl fired back. "Wha-"


    "You want me to punch you and make you faint?"


    "I''ll pass." She closed her eyes, reluctantly.


    I focused and made a holy ball, throwing it at the spirit. The girl didn''t know I could use Holy and she couldn''t understand our conversation, meaning, I had to be fast.


    A sharp white light enveloped him. "Search the fourth room from the left: there should be a brick slightly angled." And he started fading. "And thank you. It gets rather lonely after a few centuries." He chuckled. "I would have liked to at least touch that sword though. shame this body doesn''t can''t touch."


    Uh-huh.


    He was gone, not a trace. Not even dust.


    Sigh.


    But that was done.


    We were done.


    "You can open your eyes now."


    The girl opened her eyes and looked around. "What now?" And yet, she didn''t bother asking me questions about what happened here or how I could speak all that.


    "The fourth room. Let''s go there."


    She did look at me suspiciously but even now, she didn''t question me.


    ''Just desperation isn''t enough.''


    She was probably plotting something else.

 Chapter 366 - The Ruins (Part Four)

    I didn''t really care much about all this.


    But- now that this was done, I had to again think about what to do afterward.


    I knew I was just distracting myself. I knew I was just killing time.


    And yet, there was little I could do.


    There was¡­.


    "Umm¡­" The girl fidgeted. "Do you have any extra clothes?"


    Wait, what?


    I looked over her and well, the shirt was melting, and some parts of her pant were also melting. She wasn''t dying from the burns she had all over thanks to the potion, but she wasn''t in the best of shape either. And her clothes were going to melt sooner or later.


    I guess that plant spray was much more of a drag than I thought.


    Meanwhile, my clothes and armor had mostly survived thanks to the robe.


    This robe was beyond just durable.


    "Let''s go see what he had stacked." It was possible the guy had some clothes stacked and if he came from the era as the Grandmage of six clouds-Borisa, then those clothes might have been worth this whole thing.


    ''Though if he died in the throne, how did he end up stashing?'' Or was that guy just lying for the sake of being free?


    It was possible.


    With the vines withering and all, the structural rigidity of this place was kind of worrying.


    The fourth room was actually just past the throne room.


    But anyway, we entered and it had plenty of nothing.


    NOTHING!


    ''An offset brick, right?''


    I looked around but, nothing seemed out of place.


    I guess he was lying.


    And this place kind of shook slightly with every single of our steps. The clock was ticking and every step mattered.


    Even now, even though there was light coming in, the rooms weren''t that bright. They probably used lamps or pyres back then.


    "Is this supposed to be here?" The girl pointed at a brick. It wasn''t offset but, but as I recalled, almost all the rooms in this place had one brick hole for air circulation. This room did not.


    In place of the hole, it had a brick- a brick that was slightly different in color, upon further inspection.


    Oh!


    I touched the brick and it didn''t budge. I tried pulling it and then shoving it.


    Neither worked.


    "Screw it!" I was about to slice the whole wall.


    This place was about to come down anyway.


    "Stop, STOP!" But the girl stopped me. "Geez!"


    She tried opening it. Instead of shoving it, pulling, or anything else, she just gently traced her fingers over the brick. An intricate pattern of blue and orange flashed and the wall turned to dust.


    COUGH! COUGH!


    The whole place shook and for a second, I thought it''d all come falling down. The ceiling was rather thick.


    But nothing of sort happened.


    I almost had a heart attack.


    Wait, my heart was beating?


    I checked but- no pulse.


    Well, that was a disappointment.


    The dust cleared. And we stopped coughing.


    But we''d found a new room. And in that room was a treasure chest. ''This feels too much like a trap.''


    I had this feeling that the chest would come to life or something and attack us like a monster.


    Yeah, I played way too many games to not know that.


    "I''ll open it."


    I took the makeshift spear of the girl and poked at the chest.


    No traps activated.


    I tried opening the chest and- still no traps.


    ''Then what?''


    I carefully opened the chest.


    There were three things here. One, a sword with its scabbard attached. Two, a compass. And three a letter. There were some scribbles inside the chest. I could read it. And it was a chant. A chant to keep anything inside this chest as brand new no matter how much time passed- or so my best guess went. It seemed like a precious chant, so I wrote it down as fast as I could.


    I picked up the note and tried reading it.


    Yeah, we didn''t have much time, but the place was still holding its shape.


    So, it was probably fine.


    ''To whoever finds this,


    We were here.


    We, the Vinins.


    But this place was not the treasure paradise, rather a world of death. Whoever set that monster lose, deemed it so that the monster would never leave the throne and keep on spreading till it consumes everything.


    The captain fell but ensured we left to tell the tale. He was a real selfish elf and wanted us to keep his things here: so, people would come for that treasure, and someday someone would finish that monster. But we couldn''t- I couldn''t. But we didn''t want to disrespect his last wish, and hence we''ll leave behind his last two treasures, the sword, and the compass. To whoever finds this, Goodluck and don''t go in the throne room searching for treasure, you''ll find death.


    May Zeal bless you.''


    Well, it was too late. We''d already been to the throne room.


    Anyway.


    I gave the spear back to the girl, took the sword and the compass. The sword was still good to go, but it needed some maintenance. The compass however was broken.


    I also gave the girl my robe, again.


    But as fate would have it- shit!


    Whether it be coincidence or just preplanned, something cliched happened. That being- the whole thing started crumbling. And we were still on the frigging third floor for crying out loud!


    ''I set that flag myself, didn''t I?''


    "Get close to me!" I dragged the girl near and tried to make a barrier of sorts with the holy magic, but I knew for a fact we''d be crushed under all this rubble.


    The ceiling started falling and though, I tried my best, bits of rocks passed through it and blood started spilling.


    The last time in Saram, I had Dick''s shield and Ve''s wings. Now, I had nothing.


    However, I didn''t just sit down and give up, instead, I focused on the holy light.


    And through that desperation, a streak of black spread over our heads. It was coming from me, but I didn''t know what it was.


    The darkness consumed everything that was falling on us and disappeared, just leaving the light. ''So that''s shadow magic?''


    But more importantly, the bottom floors were also crumbling.


    "Grab on to me!" Meanwhile, the girl grabbed me tight and started chanting. "MOTHER OF EARTH- HAVEN, STILL LIGHT-" She went on but my mind was elsewhere.


    We were falling!


    And so were rocks!


    I kind of wanted to scream. ''Oh wait, I''m already dead.''


    For someone who was dead, my heart sure was beating fast. ''The, hell, it''s beating now?''


    A giant ball of earth covered us, encasing us in an earthly shield.


    My holy light illuminated everything and the girl had her eyes closed, focusing on the shield.


    Five.


    Four.


    Three.


    Two¡­


    One¡­.


    Bang!


    It was almost like an explosion.


    We''d landed.


    Correction, we''d crash-landed.


    My legs hurt.


    But that was it.


    Nothing serious.


    No broken bones, probably.


    The earthen wall cracked and there was dust everywhere.


    But we came out unscathed.


    "Let-s, let''s-" She panted. "Let''s get some rest, over there."


    Even I was slightly out of breath. I realized I didn''t usually breathe, but every now and then, I took in breaths.


    ''Make up your damn mind, body!''


    We proceeded to the nearest safe place and rested.


    ***


    I ate the remnants of the raccoon to recover while using a bit of magic to heal the girl.


    "You can use barrier and healing magic?" The girl asked.


    Healing magic was common, barrier magic was not.


    "Holy." Meanwhile, holy was literally the second rarest type. While darkness took the first place and shadow, the third. How they were different, I didn''t know.


    She stared at me, utterly dumbfounded. "I see," She managed. "And that sword you showed off back there?"


    "Something I can''t use. It was just a bluff."


    I didn''t check about the rest of my weapons. If everything was still here, I should have had the mystic spear and maybe even those guns.


    Then again, I''d lost my best weapon- the mystic blade. But even now, I felt like it was still here, the sword might have been broken but- but I felt a connection with Trerortra.


    "Well, that''s great and all but you will help me secure mother, right?" She stared.


    I had one use of her- from her perspective. And that use that just fulfilled. So it wouldn''t have been odd if I were just to leave her now.


    But she had her uses for the time being.


    "I will. But don''t get me wrong."  I stared at her. "You will have to aid me with information. I''m not helping you just for the sake of help-"


    She closed her eyes, glared straight at me, one knee on the ground, almost like a bow. "I''ll even lay down my life for you if need be. But only after you rescue my mother."


    She was serious.


    "Then you have nothing to worry about."


    And so, with everything sorted we got out of the ruins and headed for the place the girl''s mother was held captive.


    Aka, the city of Starsh.

 Chapter 367 - But It Was Only A Matter Of Time

    The whole way was just grasslands.


    The dirt here was mostly reddish-brown in color. Though the color was reminiscent of wastelands, there were plenty of trees here and there. And most of the place was just covered in grass. The animals here were also alive.


    Definitely not something I would expect of the demon lands.


    Actually, just what was I expecting?


    Nothing but barren wastelands?


    "So, how would you explain what Galbatia is to someone who doesn''t know anything about this place."


    The girl was walking beside me.


    She was awfully quiet for the last hour or so. I''d given her my other set of clothes, which actually weren''t washed but she didn''t care at this point. She just wanted something to wear.


    "This place is separated into three factions."


    "Factions?"


    "We rarely get outsiders, so it''s normal you wouldn''t know." And she already assumed I was an outsider, though I guess that was a fair guess at this point. "But everyone here knows. Zeriath faction is eternally loyal to the emperor and they''re the most prestigious of the demons. And they mostly reside in the capital. The Seriath faction are the neutral ones who live in other cities but are still loyal to the empire, if not the emperor. And lastly, the cities such as ours who aren''t really loyal to either but care for their own wellbeing first: the Meriath faction."


    Made sense. Though I didn''t expect the last faction to be a thing.


    Though it also made sense why there''d be trouble regarding that.


    "You mentioned a war. Are demons waging war?"


    It was only a matter of time.


    The emperor had said he wanted to wage war, in case I failed. And I did fail.


    But I had a feeling he would have waged war regardless.


    And now that I was technically out of the way, nothing stopped him.


    "Yes."


    "Against humans?"


    My throat was oddly dry.


    I tried drinking water, but that didn''t quite do anything.


    "Everything actually. This war would be brutal and¡­" She paused. "We might get wiped out. A small city like ours¡­ we''ll definitely get wiped out."


    I guess that was a fair guess.


    But the demons were numerous. And their empire was pretty much twice the size of the rest of the continent. And demons themselves were stronger than men, perhaps not as strong as elves in general, but they were fairly strong.


    And with the emperor and his monarchs or whatever, it didn''t seem likely that they''ll lose a war, assuming they could drag it for long enough.


    Meaning, humanity was screwed.


    "And yet, they are still making you guys go to war." I still didn''t know enough.


    If the demons were actually going to war, there was a chance, the emperor wouldn''t go to the war, personally. But his monarchs and that lot would surely go to the war, meaning, I''d have a better shot.


    To what cost, that was the question.


    "Well," She chuckled. "War funds are a great way to become rich."


    I almost chuckled too. "You do have a point."


    We kept on going.


    It didn''t take the sun long to go down and night to befall.


    ***


    As usual, the night sky was bright and the light was enough to actually see everything.


    "The moon," I paused. "Why can''t we see it outside Galbatia?"


    My dry throat kind of started hurting. I drank water but water wasn''t good enough.


    Maybe I needed to eat something¡­. That said, I did eat a bird but it wasn''t enough.


    I only felt mildly satiated.


    "We can''t?" She said, cocking her head to the side.


    "I haven''t been to other continents, so I can''t say for sure. But outside this place, I don''t think we can see the moon. At least not in the human or elven cities."


    There were supposedly three known continents. Though since all three were connected, it was hard for me to imagine them as separate continents- to me they were basically just neighboring countries.


    Men and the elves lived on one. The demons on the other one and the dwarves were in the middle of the two continents. Now the definition of continents, countries, and cities were rather small in this world.


    In my terms, I''d say all these three continents combined were maybe half the size of Canada back on earth.


    But that was just my perspective and just a guess. And as Jowy and the old man had said, there was plenty left to explore past these three places.


    "Well, it doesn''t do us any good, so I don''t know why one would be concerned." She looked up.


    The moon- the almost falling apart moon, was up there, shining.


    ''It doesn''t do any good, huh?''


    Maybe she was right. Maybe she wasn''t.


    It was time for dinner.


    I was oddly hungry.


    Just moments ago, I''d eaten a bird.


    And yet, I couldn''t really stop salivating.


    My throat was so dry, I could just drink all the liquid of this world.


    Liquid¡­ blo¡­


    I had a bad feeling about this and I had to do something fast.


    With shaking hands, I tried to pull out food from the ring: two swans.


    But I couldn''t.


    My vision went red before that.


    And my body started moving.


    The sweet smell¡­


    The sweet-


    "Are you okay?" I could hear her voice- but it was almost as though it was through a filter of sorts. "Are you OKAY!?"


    I didn''t know, I didn''t think.


    I couldn''t think.


    My body moved.


    Almost like that night.


    And almost like that- everything went red.


    I found myself on top of the girl, my hands pinning her arms down. My teeth sticking out, were they always this long?


    Her eyes were shimmering but she didn''t cry and just tilted her head, exposing her neck.


    That nape- those veins¡­ blood.


    BLOOD!


    The sweet life juice.


    I dived in.


    ''What am I doing?''


    And then stopped by biting my own arm.


    Bluerregh!


    I guess my meat wasn''t for eating.


    I breathed hard. My vision was still red, but I somehow pulled out a bird from my ring. I didn''t care about the feathers, I just ate.


    I just ate.


    And tried to calm down.


    ''It was only a matter of time, I guess.''


    I breathed.


    As I calmed down, I stopped breathing again.


    My vision wasn''t red anymore. The urge had passed.


    But it was only a matter of time.

 Chapter 368 - And For That-

    "Sorry."


    The girl dusted her robe and sat down, breathing still a bit erratic. "I''m sorry as well. I should have been prepared."


    "Prepared? Are there ways to deal with half vampires?"


    It was night and the last I checked, garlic didn''t work.


    "No, I meant, I should have been prepared to offer my blood to you. After all, in order to bring out your full strength, you have to drink blood eventually. And yet, you were trying your best to hold the urges for my sake."


    Was it me or was she under the wrong impression?


    "If I''d bitten you, wouldn''t you have become a vampire?"


    I felt like a walking calamity for a second.


    "Halves can''t make vampires or followers, to my knowledge."


    And yet, when she said that I felt at ease. ''What is this feeling?''


    "Still, I''m sorry. That shouldn''t have happened."


    And- ''I''ll make sure it doesn''t.'' Though I didn''t quite know how.


    Yeah, I was a half-vampire or something.


    Yeah, I was pretty much dead.


    Yeah, I didn''t know if I had feelings or not.


    But even now, I didn''t want to go around harming other people.


    The feeling was odd. Even I couldn''t understand why.


    But I didn''t want to be the reason for someone''s pain.


    Maybe that was stupid, and maybe that was just flawed, but I was flawed, and I was definitely stupid.


    She smiled. "Thank you for being so considerate." But the girl was a bit too easygoing.


    She clearly didn''t have her guard up.


    Maybe this was the norm?


    I didn''t understand enough about vampires to even think of any ways to deal this these things.


    But I did feel terrible. After all, the girl trusted me. Perhaps she was an idiot to do so, but- she trusted me.


    ¡­


    Anyway, with that bit over, I continued eating.


    I also hunted at night and made quite a bit of stock and tried using that chant I wrote down earlier from the chest.


    And as I thought, it really was a storage chant.


    But my hunger never really went away.


    ***


    The next morning, we made extra effort to travel faster.


    There was nothing but grass and just small monsters around, so traveling was a lot more efficient.


    I made extra effort to eat food and hunt for live prey. But as the day went by, my body felt more and more sluggish.


    I needed blood.


    I needed human blood.


    Or at least something that was humanoid in form.


    We took shelter by some trees in the noon.


    I was very much out of it, barely able to focus but I had to. If I let myself be at ease for even a second, I''d have attacked the girl again.


    So, I had to maintain focus even if my body screamed at me.


    "You can heal my wound, right?" She said, standing next to me.


    The sunrays trickled down through the leaves. My body was too heavy, so I had to lie down but- even now I couldn''t quite relax.


    I nodded. Though at this stage, I wasn''t so sure.


    She made a stern face and cut her palm. It happened so fast.


    Bright red blood slowly dripped out; almost in slow motion. No, my reaction had just sped up.


    My mouth salivated and I couldn''t think of anything anymore.


    My nose sent signals to my brain: delicious.


    Everything went blank. No, it went red.


    By the time, I regained consciousness, I was still on the ground, licking her hand, while she sat beside me, looking at me with empathy and pain.


    But my thoughts were clear, very clear. Perhaps the clearest.


    "I didn''t do anything to you?"


    "No."


    I was still licking her though the wound had mostly stopped bleeding and she seemed slightly paler.


    With a sigh, I cast healing magic on her. "Sorry, you had to do that. And thank you."


    I didn''t think the day would come when I''d end up being saved instead. All this time, I thought I was already gone, I didn''t need saving but, I was wrong.


    "It''s okay," She said. "It''s okay."


    "Okay."


    I was still weak. In one way, or the other, still na?ve.


    Which was why, I knew, I still had room to grow.


    I still had things I wanted to do.


    And I still had people I wanted to kill.


    I could run around all over the world, I could go hide in a cave or something, I could distract myself all I wanted, but, in the end, I had to face reality. In the end, I had to face the cruelty.


    ''No more running.''


    A lot of people gave their lives for me. A lot of people suffered.


    And a lot of people died.


    Which was why-


    Which was why- I had to go on.


    And for that, I was fine being weak.


    For that, I was fine being a fake.


    For that, I was fine pretending.


    "Let''s quickly get your mother out and-" I paused.


    The girl with me was a demon.


    I didn''t know what her thoughts on the empire or the emperor was, but I couldn''t just say something so bold either.


    Instead, "-And move on to my main quest." I smiled.


    She smiled, totally excited. "RIGHT!"


    ***


    With that drink, my stamina had again reached the near-endless range. I actually felt better than I did when I''d eaten that boar the other day.


    In fact, I felt invincible.


    The girl, however, was severely weakened. I guess I drank quite a bit of blood. And she didn''t scream, she didn''t run away from it. she faced me directly. She''d saved me from that hunger.


    For that I was grateful.


    "I could carry you if you want to, or would you like to take a break?"


    It was almost afternoon. "I''m fine. If we keep this up, we''ll be by the city gates around midnight."


    Midnight?


    "Would it make a difference if we got there by midnight or would entering then be easier?"


    "It won''t actually. The guards are always up and there''s only one entrance."


    "Then let''s take a break. We''ll reach tomorrow morning."


    "But-"


    "I''m sure you''re worried about your mother. But executions generally take place in broad daylight, not in the dead of night."


    And since her mother was a leader of the rebels, it was easy to imagine the lord of the place trying to behead her in front of the rebels to crush future revolts.


    Though a bit reluctant, she gave up and we rested.


    She seemed slightly different¡­ perhaps still tired from the blood loss.


    Afterward, we continued.

 Chapter 369 - Betrayed Expectations

    We often saw carriages. There weren''t any specific roads but since almost all the carriages used the same route, it did form some sort of a primitive road.


    The carriages had some lizards pulling through. The creatures were similar to the drakes we saw in Dracona but maybe just inferior. They were rather bulky though- almost like they had to pull too much weight or something. To me, they were basically just oversized salamanders.


    The carriages were mostly full of things and people, and they were actually going away from the city. So, they were useless to us.


    "Nobles." The girl began. "They packed their wealth and now are abandoning the people."


    "The privileged are always privileged. That''s the way of the world."


    She almost chuckled. She didn''t say anything and we kept going.


    We set up camp in the open, beside the road before midnight. If we''d kept going, we could have reached the gates in maybe an hour or two. But the girl was too tired, and I felt responsible.


    "Why did you decide to help me?" She began.


    "isn''t that a bit too late to ask?" I threw woods at the fire.


    "It is. You said you didn''t have anything to gain from this. And you also said you aren''t doing this for the sake of helping, you''re not interested in my body and I don''t have anything of value to give you, so why-"


    "Information. And besides, you gave me your blood and guided me. That''s good enough, for now."


    She was quiet. Too quiet.


    I looked behind and well, she was asleep. I guess she really was too tired.


    ''Why am I helping you, huh?''


    Honestly, even I didn''t know.


    I did reason that helping her and getting information was the best way to move forward but, that was an excuse.


    So, in the end, I still didn''t know.


    Maybe I was trying to be human?


    I just stared at the moon, drank my cup of almost fresh duck blood, and sighed.


    ***


    "We can see the city just past the hill," The girl said, walking ahead.


    We were walking pretty much on flat ground. And yet, she mentioned a hill?


    I didn''t quite understand that- at least not for the next three minutes.


    But when I did see it- I understood.


    "Whoa!"


    The city didn''t have walls.


    Rather, the ground itself was the walls.


    There was a massive crater and inside the crater was the city. The ground below was pretty much three-four floors deep.


    The houses were mostly just plain old stone or wood or even clay houses. I saw plenty of holes in the walls- quarters.


    "How do we get down?"


    Sliding and gliding were also options but I had a feeling we''d attract way too much attention.


    Besides, there wasn''t much of a slope. It was just straight down.


    "This way."


    We started circling the city. I guess there was an entrance somewhere.


    "You do have a plan on how to get in, right?"


    "Yes."


    Well, that was good to know.


    Otherwise, we''d have to cause trouble from the get-go.


    We had to walk for about half an hour and even then, we didn''t quite see any openings or anything in particular.


    "How do people get up from there?"


    "Most don''t. We can''t leave the city- as per the lord''s order. Only the nobles are permitted. When they do want to leave, earth magic users are required to build bridges for them, or, they hire demons or monsters who could fly."


    Well, that was a drag.


    "But does that mean the city is self-sufficient?"


    "We are. In the past, it wasn''t uncommon for people to starve for five-six days at a time, now we only starve two days if things are really dire. We also get rations from the kingdom twice a year, so it''s much better."


    Yeah, that didn''t sound that great.


    We were quite high but I could see the fields. The crops were kind of malnourished and the people that walked around, weren''t quite happy.


    I guess that had more to do with the war than food shortages, but I couldn''t be too sure of that.


    "Any particular reason for the lack of trades and all that?"


    If they wanted, they could have always just made roads and all that, though I''d imagine, that''d cost a lot.


    Besides, most demons had wings. Though the term ''demon'' at this point was just a stereotype.


    "The Meriath faction isn''t really that well regarded in Galbatia. Hence, we''re boycotted everywhere we go¡­"


    I suppose that''s what they got for looking out for themselves.


    Anyway, we kept on walking and about another half an hour later, finally reached a checkpoint. Though it was a checkpoint of sorts with maybe three-four soldiers it wasn''t what I was expecting. Frankly, this place didn''t seem like a demon city. After all, the demons weren''t like the ones who''d attacked me. These guys did have wings and horns and all that but the numbers were low and most were just demi-humans. Some were black, some were brown, others were fairly fair. A mix I hadn''t seen anywhere else.


    The clothes of the people though, were mostly just rags and they didn''t have much cloth. Even the soldiers barely had any armor.


    ''Then how the hell did this woman get that fancy-looking armor?''


    The sorry state of this place was kind of helping me understand, why demons raided human villages in the first place.


    Honestly, my expectations were wholeheartedly betrayed.


    "Halt! State your business!"


    We stood before the soldiers.


    There wasn''t anyone behind us, but there were quite a few people on the other side, trying to get out.


    There were no gates, just a flimsy road leading down, quite the slope. I almost felt bad about the lizards which were doing all the pulling.


    "Just some adventurers," I said.


    "Adventurers?" One of them spat on the ground. "We''re going to war and you lot just having fun?" He clicked his tongue.


    Oh yeah, very fun.


    "Sorry pal, this is what we do," I said.


    They started laughing. "Yeah, going out hunting, sleeping out in the wilderness." He eyed the girl next to me. "Doing it in front of monsters and animals, real fun!" Their laughs were very disturbing.


    I was this close to just slicing them up and going inside but we had to play this cool.


    ''They''re just potatoes. Think of them as potatoes.''


    "Such insolence!" The girl with me shouted. "And you call yourselves the soldiers of Starsh, mocking innocents!"


    ''Hey, hey.''


    "That voice!" One of the soldiers cried out. "Captain, is that you!"


    "Mollen!" The girl was excited.


    "This is great news guys!" The Mollen guy was also excited.


    "Yeah, very great news." The soldiers chuckled amongst themselves.


    But yeah, judging by the looks of the other soldiers, it wasn''t great news- at least not for us.


    "But I didn''t think you were alive captain. I''m so glad!" Mollen said.


    "Yeah, but we don''t have time to lose. Let us through; we have- wh-what are you doing?"


    Arresting us, what else?


    Sigh.

 Chapter 370 - Straight Ahead!

    Bars.


    Black bars.


    Lots of black bars.


    "Why the hell did you have to open your damn mouth?"


    There were two pyres in this place illuminating four cells.


    Only one guard was here while the rest of the three cells were pretty much empty.


    The smell though- rot, blood and filth.


    In contrast, even some forests smelled better than this place.


    "We got in, didn''t we?" The girl tried to smile but yeah, I wanted to punch her.


    But I couldn''t, since my hands were shackled.


    When they were about to capture us, I wanted to fight back but, the girl had whispered she had a plan and I had to let them arrest us.


    But now, now I just felt stupid.


    Reason being, I couldn''t use mana. These shackles had some sort of mana-binding property.


    "Pipe it down, you two!" The guard banged on the bars, spat on the ground, and again just turned his back.


    There was just one guard here. This place didn''t seem like a prison, rather just a temporary place for keeping criminals.


    I guess I could have broken out if I really wanted to, but for the time being I had to play it cool.


    "So, what was your brilliant plan again?" I whispered.


    "You''ll see."


    Well, I didn''t see.


    It had already been over an hour.


    We didn''t have much time, and yet, we were wasting time here so frugally.


    Sigh.


    Thud!


    ''What the-''


    The guard fell down on the floor.


    Well, that was unexpected.


    "What the-" I paused.


    "SHH!" The Mollen guy was here and he had keys. He''d emerged from the shadow, a finger on his mouth, telling us to keep quiet.


    He slowly unlocked the cell, then our shackles.


    ''This metal could be useful.''


    I could use my mana, so I took the shackle and put it in my ring.


    Apparently, it had binding properties only if it was directly locked on to four parts of the body- the elbows and the ankles. Just touching it wouldn''t do much, but if I had the shackles in both of my arms, I wouldn''t be able to circulate mana, which in turn meant no magic. It didn''t completely stop the flow, and if I tried to, I could have just forced Imbuition and broke through, but that would have drained more than half of my capacity.


    So, for normal people, that was impossible. Good thing I wasn''t normal.


    I''d seen something similar in Alfeim, though at the time they used the stuff on Dick. I''d just thought it was for show and ignored it altogether.


    The Mollen guy also undid the girl''s shackles and we got out of the cell.


    "What about him?" I said, pointing at the guard on the floor.


    "Just leave him. We have to get out of here fast!" The Mollen guy said. The guy was a round dude, about my neck size but rather chubby- and quite young too.


    "Where''s her mother located?"


    This was a small stone building. So, we got out almost immediately.


    There weren''t any soldiers in sight and the few passersby just minded their own business.


    Life was hard enough; they weren''t going to make it extra hard.


    But we couldn''t stay here for long.


    "In the central dungeons." Didn''t sound nice. "Wait, you''re not going to do what I think you''re going to do, right? Captain?"


    The girl smiled. "Fear not, he''s a professional."


    Professional of what?


    I figured it was better to keep my mouth shut.


    "But captain¡­"


    "No buts!" The girl held my hand and- "This way." She looked back. "Thanks for the help."


    "Of course, captain." I guess the Mollen guy wasn''t coming with us.


    Oh well.


    ***


    We walked around town.


    The houses were shabby, the streets and alleys were dirty and there was a certain smell everywhere like the plumbing system had overflowed or something. ''Oh wait, there is no plumbing.''


    Underground houses were also common.


    "The dungeon is just up ahead."


    We''d been walking for half an hour.


    This wasn''t a small city but it wasn''t quite large either.


    The further we went in, the cleaner the streets were. And I could vaguely make out a two-story building in the center. That was probably the lord''s residence.


    About five minutes later, I saw a rather well-maintained stone building.


    It was just one-storied but the stone walls looked very sturdy. Though it was rather small to be a prison, much less a dungeon.


    ''Maybe it goes underground?''


    "It goes underground and there are four floors. Each floor has about ten guards," the girl said. "Sneaking in at night would be our best bet. Or would you like to get captured like last time and then-"


    "NO, its fine." I started walking towards the guards.


    "What are you doing!" The girl vigorously whispered.


    "Look," I looked back. "I don''t have all day. I have something to get back to after this."


    I saw her sighing and grimacing through my peripherals but ignored all that.


    With a smile, I just headed for the entrance.


    "Halt, identify yourselves!" the guards shouted.


    "Daarc Green. Slayer of Thamas."


    Thamas was the name of the half-demon who''d attacked Alfeim. I remembered her well. No, it was more like I could never forget her. But since the demons knew her pretty well, I figured they''d know me too.


    Almost all the soldiers started sweating.


    "N-nonsense, he''s dead!"


    I grinned, formed a ball of holy light, unsheathed the new sword, and pointed it at them. "Wanna bet?"


    I didn''t need to hide. The emperor probably knew I was still kicking. And I had a feeling no matter what he''d be ready for me.


    There was no point in hiding.


    No, it was more like I wanted him to know, I was coming for his head.


    "Do not falter, men! Daarc Green is human, this half-breed is not!" A large buffalo demon came out. "Seize them!"


    Well, I guess it didn''t matter as no one believed me anyway.


    "Warned you."


    I slammed the holy ball on the ground- it was just focused light, nothing more.


    With the men blinded, I closed in and sliced ''em all. All of them fell, the buffalo was next.


    "You damn criminal! I''ll crush you!"


    "Uh-huh, I believe you."


    He swung his mace, or to be more precise, his mace descended, crying to crush my head.


    But I dodged, slashed his elbow and the mace fell on the ground.


    He groaned and tried to punch me with his other hand.


    I blocked it with the sword, almost flew backward, used the wall as footing and launched myself at the demon, slicing at his chest.


    He threw up blood and got on his knees.


    It went down fast.


    As I thought, not only was this body stronger, I was also much faster, and without Imbuition too.


    "Rather, tough, aren''t you?"


    He tried to smile with his crooked teeth and punch me again.


    But-


    I punched his lights out.


    The girl was behind me, speechless.


    We''d attracted a bit of crowd but as the buffalo demon fell, and I stared around, they all just scattered.


    Anyway, "Ten on each floor, right?"


    "Uh-huh." She nodded.


    I grinned.


    And we went in.

 Chapter 371 - Unfortunately, I Wasn’t Joking

    "That was a nice bluff." The girl gave me a thumbs up as we descended the stairs.


    There were pyres here and there but the place was oddly dark. And I felt empowered without the sun.


    "What bluff? The slayer of Thamas thing?"


    "Yeah!" She was excited, but still behind me. "Thamas was like one of our greatest rulers, using her name, and using the lord of Elves'' name no less! You staggered them for a second, brilliant!" Perhaps too excited.


    I didn''t know if I should have been happy or sad, but oh well.


    We''d descended to the first floor. Her mother wasn''t here.


    The guards put up a fight but they weren''t good enough.


    There were traps here and there. And even domesticated monsters.


    To me though, they were nothing.


    I sliced and slashed and before we knew it, we were halfway through the third floor, on our way to the fourth.


    The criminals here were mostly dead, some were still alive but they weren''t in the shape to actually even try to beg us.


    The smell- definitely like forests.


    "If I remember correctly my cousin should be guarding the floor below."


    "Then I''d assume we''d have an easier time or-"


    She remained quiet.


    I had my answer.


    Unlike the stairs above, the stairs leading to the fourth floor were different. Stairs spiraled down next to a massive pillar. There were no guard rails and it was almost like we were spiraling into the abyss. It was too dark.


    The floors above had groans, this floor though, too quiet.


    Only our steps reverberated.


    "What will you do after rescuing your mother? You won''t be able to stay here, right?"


    "I''ll secure mother, leave this place and then aid you however I can. That''s the promise I made you and I don''t plan to go back on my word."


    "Maybe you misunderstood me but, I don''t have any need of you other than just getting some information. That''s it."


    Besides, I was going to march into hell, I didn''t need followers there.


    She again remained quiet.


    Eventually, we''d reached the bottom.


    There were three cells here, and only one guard.


    "I was wondering why it was so noisy up there." The guard stood up, unsheathed his sword.


    I hadn''t seen people use slender swords like that in a while. His sword was almost like a needle. And it was dripping with some sort of liquid. Poison perhaps.


    "I suppose I can''t convince you to just give up?" I spoke.


    Behind him, in a cell, I saw a woman bound to chains, unconscious. The rest of the cells were empty.


    "That her?" I whispered.


    The girl nodded.


    He smiled. "Sorry, gotta do my job."


    I guess everyone had their own shit to deal with.


    But unfortunately for this kid, I didn''t have time.


    "Guess so." With my sword drawn, I casually moved ahead.


    There were no traps around, so I didn''t have to be too careful. But I didn''t let my guard down, not one bit.


    He visibly shook, more like vibrated, and sped towards me.


    Fast.


    He was fast.


    In a blink of an eye, he was already here, thrusting his sword straight at my chest.


    But I blocked his thrust.


    The air vibrated and sparks flew. But nothing happened.


    He was surprised for a second. But that surprise turned into dread as, I kicked him hard and he flew straight into the bars.


    Clang!


    That must have hurt.


    "What the hell are you?" He managed, got up, and spat blood on the floor.


    I did wonder that throughout my life.


    What was I?


    I failed as a brother.


    I failed as a son.


    I failed as a friend.


    I was a failure.


    "A failure, I suppose?"


    I walked ahead.


    I knew I was a failure, and there was only one way to redeem myself: kill the emperor.


    And that''s why I couldn''t afford to play nice in a place like this.


    He again prepared himself, this time not quite trying to attack me.


    He breathed hard. "But I can''t let you have your way. She''s a criminal and since you''re here, you too are a criminal. As a soldier of the country, I must withhold justice-"


    He was young- perhaps fifteen.


    I guess at that age, everyone just had a rather delicate sense of justice and way too much hope.


    I didn''t blame him.


    I didn''t hate him.


    I just, didn''t like him.


    "HAH!" With a bit of a scream, he tried to attack me.


    I just kicked him again.


    He was too full of himself and there were so many holes in his technique.


    Honestly, I was rather disappointed in the skills of the demons so far.


    "WHO made a kid like him the only guard of a place like this?" I wondered aloud as the kid crumbled on the floor.


    "Most of the veterans are already preparing to go out. Only the amateurs are out here," the girl said. "And among those amateurs, he was the most promising."


    I suppose that did make sense.


    Though just because something made sense, didn''t mean it was good.


    "I''ll search for a key."


    Anyway, I imbued the sword. "Don''t bother." And sliced the bars.


    They all just fell off.


    "Anything goes for you, huh?" She said, not quite believing it.


    I went inside and examined the woman on the floor.


    She had her hands shackled and she was beaten quite badly.


    I tried healing her but- it wasn''t enough to make her conscious.


    "Mother!" The girl came in, tried to shake her mother.


    The girl was rather calm. She was taking this a bit too well.


    I meanwhile, cut the chains. The shackles though, required keys.


    ''I guess we did need keys.''


    Good thing the girl still searched for some keys, regardless.


    She unlocked her shackles. "Mother!"


    "Neira?"


    Her mother''s eyes fluttered for a second and she again passed out.


    Oh well. "I''ll carry her. take vanguard, in case someone shows up."


    She nodded and I picked up her mother.


    The woman was a tiger demi human, and barely had any clothes: Her condition was similar to when I found the girl in the goblin''s nest.


    The girl- Neira gave the cloak to her mother.


    ***


    I was carrying Neira''s mother and we started getting on the stairs.


    "You do realize that everyone would be out to get you, right?" The guy was apparently conscious. "The lord has his men everywhere. Even if you succeed in getting her out, the rebels and the lord''s men''s fight would only get deadlier. In the end, she''ll only cause more death." And he was also in a very talkative mood. "Besides, they plan on executing her today, meaning-"


    "Then crushing the lord would make everything good, right? No more lord, no more war, and no more revolts."


    Both of them looked at me with dull eyes.


    They were cousins alright.


    "What is wrong with this guy''s sense of humor?" The guy chuckled, tried to get up, but fell on his butt. "I''d hurry out if I were you." He eyed Neira.


    "Right, let''s get out!" Neira took the front, just like I''d asked her to. But she leaned back a little. "Maybe take it easy with the jokes?"


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t joking.


    Anyway, we headed up.

 Chapter 372 - Too Fast

    There were no guards around, so it didn''t take much effort to go up.


    The few that were getting up, were too frightened to try to put up a fight.


    Though the stairs themselves were still a drag.


    Climbing down was always easy, but climbing up wasn''t.


    When we got to the top though, things happened.


    I did expect something similar but I didn''t think it''d be this bad.


    That being, there was a small army of sorts here.


    "The lord and his men¡­" Neira mumbled as she turned back. "We should use the sewers and-"


    Yeah, we just came out of that smelly hell-hole, I definitely wasn''t going to go down another one.


    I was definitely content with just getting rid of this army than to go through the sewers.


    I too, had standards, okay!


    "So basically, the lord and all his men are here?"


    "Yes, but-"


    I gave her mother back to her and casually walked forward.


    Ah, it was good to smell the fresh air!


    I wasn''t breathing though.


    It was a small army, maybe two-three hundred people?


    There was a crowd behind them and judging by the executioners in the background, they were probably here to publicly behead Neira''s mother.


    I guess it was all about the timing.


    There were knights, archers, and even mages mixed in. I didn''t underestimate them. But they were no match for me.


    And I certainly didn''t want to go into the sewers.


    "You there! Bow you, imbecile. Don''t you see you''re in front of your lord!" One of the men shouted.


    The lord- guy was large- like hippo-sized large with a small head. He was in a chariot and about eight men were holding the chariot up: nude men.


    "Unfortunately, I''m not from around here."


    But the question did remain, what was a lord doing here with his full army just to behead one woman¡­.


    "Half breed," The Lord spoke. "I permit you to stand before me." His voice was deep, the head though, almost made me want to chuckle.


    Permit me?


    Really?


    "How noble."


    He snorted. "You are an adventurer, correct? I will give you ten times, nay, one hundred times the amount they promised you if you give up now and come join my army. We''ll invade and loot the cities of men and you''ll dine in their blood."


    Loot the cities of men with a mere three hundred men?


    Really?


    What was he smoking?


    "A very generous offer." I smiled.


    Neira''s face turned slightly dark as she looked down.


    Meanwhile, the lord''s face brightened. "It''s nice to see that you possess such good intellect."


    "Yes, very nice."


    I sheathed my sword.


    I could hear a lot of chuckles coming from the crowd. There was also plenty of typical demons just behind the army. I guess they all came here to see the fun execution. ''Then I better show them a fun time?''


    They were probably going to betray me and kill me later on. And even if they weren''t, this deal- yeah, I wasn''t that type.


    There was a crossbow and arrows in my ring. At the time, I had a terrible time with it since I only had one arm.


    But now.


    I pulled out the crossbow and some arrows in an instant, and shot.


    I was fast, too fast, so fast they didn''t have time to do anything.


    Thud!


    An ear fell on the ground, followed by a splash of blood. The lord''s blood.


    He held his head, looked at his blood, unable to believe what just happened. And screamed. "Kill HIM!"


    I had to give him some credit too. The guy didn''t scream or cry in pain. He was just plain angry and he wanted me dead.


    I grinned. "Just stay here, I''ll deal with them."


    "Are you sure!?"


    "Plenty."


    My crossbow wasn''t necessary anymore, so I just switched to the new sword. The crossbow was just for getting my point across them.


    A warning.


    This sword was kind of blunt, but with just a bit of Imbuition, it cut through everything like butter. Okay, maybe not that nice, but still.


    "What are you doing, kill him already. Mages!" The lord was kind of just struggling to give out orders. Some healers were healing him.


    Fireballs, water balls, jolts of lighting, and all that were headed my way.


    I mostly dodged them. ""Enshrined embellishment of yonder commands thou ''oh heathen! Suppress!""


    The few spells that were coming this way shrank.


    A bit of my mana depleted.


    Looks like I could shrink the spells with my current level of mastery.


    But that was good enough-for now.


    ''But this won''t be enough in the future.''


    ''Focus!''


    Just because I was dealing with amateurs didn''t mean I could let my guard down.


    My main target was the lord, so I just sped towards him.


    The few soldiers that stood in my way were now on the ground, rolling around.


    Almost everyone just kept their distance.


    Arrows every now and then came my way, but this army was far too inorganized to be actually called an army.


    And somehow, it felt like they didn''t want to attack me.


    "Capture the girl!" The lord commanded.


    Some soldiers were going after the girl and her mother. Neira could defend herself but- but I''d promised.


    Instead of running towards them, I shot a holy ball. The soldiers were blinded for a second. ''Time for you to show up. Encase everything in darkness.''


    "As you command!" The spirit manifested and darkness descended, blinding everyone.


    The darkness covered this whole area and engulfed everything: not quite damaging anyone.


    I''d actually spoken with the spirit before about what it could do.


    This was just one of the things.


    Since the soldiers were blinded with light, just plain darkness rendered them immobile. And it was good enough for Neira to defend themselves.


    Now.


    I dodged.


    I fought.


    I reached.


    The men holding the lord''s chariot tried to defend but-


    All the nude men were on the ground, and the lord''s head was next to my sword. It happened in an instant.


    I was fast. Drinking blood yesterday was had made my physical capabilities shoot through the roof. And with the sun blocked, I could move much more freely too.


    Meaning, I was too fast for these people to respond.


    The darkness cleared.


    "Now, I want you to be obedient." My sword gently pressed against his neck, not cutting through. "Otherwise-" I grinned.


    He sweated, breathed rapidly. "Lay down your weapons.." He was out of breath but his speech was still flawless.

 Chapter 373 - To End This

    The soldiers dropped their weapons, the people were in shock and so were everyone else.


    Wait, they''re going to give up that easily? Really?


    "Neira, what do you want to do next?" I asked.


    That girl was the reason I was here.


    "W-What?" The girl stuttered.


    "I came here to rescue your mother. I don''t want to get involved with the country but I already am. And so are you. What do you want to do? Run from here or-"


    Her head was down, she was in deep thought.


    We didn''t have all day, but I didn''t press her.


    This was a once-in-a-lifetime decision.


    Run for forever, or-


    She glared at us. "No lord, no war and no revolts." She parroted back my words.


    Wow, didn''t think she had the guts.


    And I sure didn''t think she''d be able to say that in front of the people and all that too.


    I grinned. "You heard her."


    The lord shook, his breath- restless. "You can''t possibly? The emperor would not-" I sliced his head off.


    "I''d like to see him try."


    His head rolled on the floor; blood spilled everywhere.


    I gave it a taste.


    For someone so disgusting, his blood tasted okay. Maybe a bit too sugary, but still, okay.


    I didn''t let the torso go, and dug in.


    With blood painted on my face and fangs, I stared at the soldiers. "Who wants to be next?"


    My armor and clothes were tainted, tainted with blood.


    There was no going back.


    This whole thing served as a method to get my point across- that being, I was coming for the emperor.


    The soldiers, they were shaking, with rage? No, with fear?


    Terror.


    They were quivering.


    "Well?" I said.


    One of them fell on the floor, on his knees. The rest followed suit.


    "We-we give up."


    When I heard the term demons, the first thing that always came to my mind was, ''hate.'' I hated those things. The next thing, fear: I feared them. And I knew they were ruthless and scary.


    But now, what the hell was this?


    How were these things different from typical selfish, self-preserving people?


    I snorted. "You!" I pointed at Neira. "Tell me how I can reach the capital quickly and be quick about it."


    ''The longer I spend here, the more I''ll end up treating them-''


    Demons were evil, humans were good. I was taught that the first time I came to this world.


    And for the majority of my life, I believed as much.


    After all, demons were always just out seeking our death and-


    But, now that I was here, now that I was staring at the frightened people, at the quivering soldiers, now I understood: everyone was just trying to live.


    ''Then how are we different?''


    Humans killed to live.


    Demons killed to live.


    Goblins killed to live.


    Everyone, everything was just trying to live. To survive.


    "That''s it? You''re leaving just like that?"


    "I told you, didn''t I?" I made a fist. "I have to get to the capital as fast as possible.


    ''I have to kill that thing as fast as possible.''


    And end all this.


    ***


    I wanted to leave immediately and I was going to too. But Neira explained that there was a faster way and she was going to show it to me, after securing the lord''s residence.


    She didn''t need my help.


    Everyone just gave up now that the lord was dead.


    On that note, I was somewhat of a local hero for killing the guy. Turns out, he was blackmailing the soldiers by taking their families hostage. No one really wanted to fight since this was a backwater town with little military might and even fewer rations to go about.


    But the lord was rather greedy.


    Which was why no one really tried to attack me to their best.


    Oh well.


    "Everything is complete," Neira headed my way.


    She had her cousin with her. The poor kid probably hated me.


    I was just in front of the lord''s mansion, in the garden.


    There were others here: soldiers, general people.


    "That''s great, but you do realize, I don''t have time to waste, right?" I just stared.


    I wanted to get out of here before I ended up treating humans and demons the same way. Before I changed¡­. My mind.


    "Right, right!" She nodded. "To get to the capital we have to get on a caravan. That''d be the fastest and the safest. Though I don''t think you''d have to worry about security with your strength. No caravans leave from this city, but one does leave often just west from here."


    "Pretty sure, I can go faster than a caravan if I knew the route and had a ride."


    "That''s the rookie mistake everyone makes," Her cousin said. "If you underestimate the desert, they''ll be hell to pay."


    Funny, the geezer had once said the same.


    Brought back memories.


    "There''s a desert?"


    "Yes, the great desert of Trobas. It is said that it''s the largest desert of this continent."


    "That''s great I guess." Just the perfect thing I needed. Even just traveling with the shadows in daytime was taxing enough but now, I had to deal with the full brunt of the sun? For days? Really? Amazing! "So that''s why you''re suggesting the caravan?"


    "Yes."


    "Makes sense. When''s the next one leaving?"


    "Tomorrow before dawn. And it would stop by the grasslands we''d passed. So, we should be able to catch up."


    "I see." Then I had to travel tonight, I guess. "How''s your mother?"


    I had my fill of blood from that lord. So, I was pretty much on full stamina.


    "She hasn''t woken up but her condition seems to have become stable."


    "Alright then. I guess this is goodbye." I turned around.


    "Wait!" She stood in front of me. "It''ll be faster if we were to go together. Besides, you still needed information, remember? And do you even know where the caravan would be or how to get on?"


    "Well, I could get information from basically anyone. I''m not looking for anything that secret anyway. And I could always just offer my services as a guard or threaten them, either works fine."


    She grimaced. "Too straightforward. But I think it''d be best for you to let me lead you there. And besides-" She became a bit quiet.. "I want to repay you."

 Chapter 374 - Now, That’s A Real Demon!

    I didn''t want to drag down this girl.


    During my journeys, I''d dealt with countless deaths.


    And almost all of them were my fault- they happened because people were near me.


    "Sorry but I''m going alone."


    Neira didn''t stand aside. "I still have your cloak. I washed it and it''s drying. Why don''t we meet mother before leaving?"


    "Are you even listening to me? I''m not taking you with me."


    I''d had enough of people dying because of me.


    "Look I''m not sure what your problem is but this desert isn''t something you can cross on your own." She came close. "Think about it. What if your hunger took over again?" She whispered.


    If that were the case, I''d have just dealt with that.


    Besides, even if she came with me, wouldn''t she have to cut her hand or something, again? And wait, that''d be even riskier.


    "All I needed to know was how to get to the capital. That''s it. You don''t have to go with me."


    And seriously what was up with this world and its people? Why were they so eager to just throw away their lives for random strangers?


    "A knight never goes back on her word-"


    "Um drama queens? We have trouble," The kid said, looking just to the side.


    Drama queen? I was going to smack him but followed his gaze first.


    And sure enough, we did have trouble.


    That being an army was headed this way.


    They had this town surrounded and even from down here, I could tell that was one big army.


    They weren''t doing anything though, just standing outside the town, just above.


    "The lord was supposed to rendezvous with that army." The kid, Neira''s cousin gulped. "But now that-"


    ''But they came all this way just for a meager army of this town?''


    I had a bad feeling about that.


    "Send a messenger saying due to reasons, we''ve decided to withdraw. We''ll return the rations." A woman came out of the mansion. It was Neira''s mother, littered with wounds.


    A maid was holding her up.


    A lot of the people here ran towards her, looking concerned.


    "Mother!" Neira was staggered but she didn''t try to head over there.


    "A messenger? They''d kill us all!" Neira''s cousin, meanwhile, sure loved to sound dramatic. But I agreed with that sentiment.


    The woman had far too many wounds. Even with healing magic and potions, she didn''t have the strength to be on her feet. And yet, here she was.


    Her gaze was purely on me. "Would you-"


    "Go tell them to scram?" I said.


    Almost all the people around here looked at me with the same eyes. They wanted ''me'' to deal with this.


    And I had a feeling everyone knew the army above wasn''t just here for soldiers.


    She chuckled, coughed, and grimaced. "Go with him." She looked at Neira.


    Um- excuse me, what?


    Why were they pushing things on me?


    ''Then again, I was the one who killed the lord-''


    I didn''t like being played. But this was my responsibility as I was the one who decided to kill the lord.


    I couldn''t half-ass this. I took this job, I guess it was best I saw it through.


    Though even now, even after killing people, even after just thinking what could go wrong, I didn''t really feel anything. I didn''t feel bad, I didn''t feel sad.


    I just felt neutral.


    Like all of this was sort of a time pass anyway.


    "Fine, let''s go deal with that. Oh, and give me my cloak. If things go south, I''ll just massacre them and move on with my journey."


    This army was going to kill humans and elves and other species eventually. I knew demons were similar to humans in terms of their will for survival. But as a former human myself, I still felt more affinity to humans than to demons.


    Neira and the others all just looked at me with dull eyes.


    Did I say something that staggering?


    "I can do that, I assure you." Though whether I''d actually do that was another thing altogether.


    Neira chuckled. Though she was sweating an awful amount. "Go get that cloak," She mumbled to her cousin who ran away almost immediately.


    He came back exactly three minutes later with my cloak. Which was actually pretty clean- still slightly wet.


    The kid though, was exhausted.


    The maid with Neira''s mother gave us a letter. It was for the leader of the army above.


    Its contents were probably somewhere in the lines of ''please let these two escape'' or something along those lines.


    Anyway, "Let''s go."


    "Take care of her!" Neira''s mother yelled. "And-" She took a moment. "Please just leave if it goes south."


    "Don''t worry. I don''t have any plans on taking her and endangering her life." I exhaled. "I also don''t have any plans on running."


    None of them seemed to agree though.


    Oh well.


    I had this bad feeling that there was some form of miscommunication.


    ***


    Only me and Neira got on top of the wall.


    And since she could use earth magic, we didn''t have to climb, rather she just took us up and then undid the magic.


    It was a big army- maybe about ten thousand. Archers, mages, warriors, knights, and monsters.


    There were all kinds of demons and they were tightly grouped by rank and species.


    Frankly, I never thought demons could be this organized.


    Now, this, this! Was a real army.


    "You are late." A giant demon descended from what seemed like an alligator.


    The demon was pretty big- at least, his belly was and he had the face of a pig. Voice, very deep.


    He wore khaki pants- I had no idea stuff like that were even a thing in this world- and didn''t have anything on the top part of his body. He did have two large earrings though.


    "I apologize." Neira made a small bow and gave the letter to the demon.


    "I am General Zorbam. Where is your army?" The demon looked over the letter and threw it behind him.


    The alligator caught it and ate it.


    For a demon he sure was courteous.


    "Neira Vermose. I''m here on behalf of my mother, general Meisa Vermose." Neira presented herself. "And there isn''t an army. The lord is dead and the whole city is in a state of mourning."


    Well, that was a bald-faced lie.


    "Vermose¡­ yes, I''ve heard that name. But you cannot just go back-"


    "We''ll return the rations."


    "As I said-" The guy grabbed a chain of sort and gradually pulled out a massive spiked ball off of his alligator. The soldiers near us ran back. "You cannot go back on your word-" He swung it straight at Neira.


    "Duck!" I dragged her head down.


    The ball crashed into some soldiers behind us: they were instantly not amongst the living. That ball was big and very spiked. One hit was probably going to cripple us, if not end our lives altogether.


    "Bring the soldiers or suffer the consequences." He didn''t scream, but his words had weight.


    "Now that''s more like it!" I was excited. "At least we have one demon who acts like a demon!"


    "Wha?" Neira paused. "What are you even talking about?" She was shaking; teeth, rattling.


    "Just worry about your life." For now though, I grinned. "You attacked first.." I pointed at the demon.

 Chapter 375 - A Sacrifice?

    I unsheathed my sword.


    I was weirdly excited to know demons were just as terrible as I remembered.


    "You want to play, halfling?" The demon general growled and so did his gator.


    The soldiers though, just stayed at a distance.


    "Play? Oh, no, no. That would be far too cruel for you. I''m just simply going to kill you and then destroy this army."


    At this point even I wasn''t sure if I was just bluffing or if I could actually pull it off.


    I probably could.


    "Are you seriously still going on about that!" Neira almost screamed as she whispered.


    She was freaking out.


    "Well, they''d go destroy your city anyway." And if left unchecked this whole army was headed off to war.


    "Huh, what do you mean?" Neria grabbed my robe and visibly paled.


    Wait, did she seriously not figure it out yet?


    Their whole city was supposedly a nuisance to the empire. After all, if the people aren''t loyal to the empire, then what''s the point of having such people?


    That was probably the emperor or whoever sent this army''s reasoning.


    "Don''t you see. What''s the point of a whole army coming this place? You think they''d come all this way just for a poultry sum of three hundred men?"


    To an army that was ten-twelve thousand strong, a unit of three hundred men was nothing. And yet, these people came through wastelands just to be here? While wasting rations and precious stamina no less?


    The world wasn''t so amazing and kind like that.


    The demon just looked straight at me. "Who are you?"


    "Daarc Green."


    Whispers floated and turned into chaos.


    "SILENCE!" the demon roared. "He''s dead. Lord Namcha killed him."


    The whole army took some steps back and made enough space. The whispers stopped altogether.


    It was eerily quiet.


    "Are you sure?" I imbued the sword in holy mana and slowly moved ahead. "Cause last time I checked, I''m very much alive."


    Well, kind off.


    Okay, maybe not.


    But still!


    ***


    Swoosh!


    The spiked ball soared through the air. The chains rattled.


    Dodging wasn''t easy. And I was constantly on the edge, just defending.


    Let alone attacking.


    "What''s wrong? Aren''t you supposed to be the god killer or something?" The demon snickered. He had the head of a pig but he never oinked.


    He kept on swinging the damn thing like it didn''t weigh a thing. It was a metal ball and the size of a yoga one too!


    "I''ve never claimed to be so."


    And the sun was kind of going full throttle too.


    But there was another reason for this sluggish performance.


    That being, sizing up my enemy.


    He was a general. There was no way he made it this far without having actual ability.


    Which meant, taking him on without any preparation, without gauging his skills first was stupid: Underestimating him was only going to cost me.


    "HHH!" he screamed in a weird way and started spinning the chains. The spiked ball spun over his head like a planet orbiting the sun, just very fast. "But playtime''s over."


    I grinned. If that thing hit me, it was going to be over.


    "HARRAH!" He threw it.


    The thing came straight for my head.


    Dodging wasn''t an option as the girl was behind me.


    So- ''Focus.''


    I imbued myself, I imbued my body and just held the sword firm.


    The old man once said something.


    If I could maintain focus adequately and believe, I could cut through anything. At the time I thought it was bullshit. But I''d been training for the entirety of the last year. I''d been through much.


    Focus!


    Yeah, I lacked it. But that was no excuse.


    The whole thing about trying to cut through a literal tree was just to prove the geezer''s point.


    So-


    And yet, I could feel my breath going wild and heart pumping rapidly.


    Perfect. ''That''s more like it!''


    SLASH!


    CLANG!


    Sparks flew and the sword went straight through.


    I was shoved back two steps.


    ''Yes!''


    The metal spike got cut in two and separated, going straight past me, missing the girl.


    Both halves fell just behind. It was empty in the middle.


    And- now the demon was just in the right position.


    My head lowered slightly and my body moved forward on its own.


    Straight ahead.


    Nothing else mattered.


    A straight slash!


    The sword landed on his face, blazing through his chest towards the loins.


    One swift motion.


    One strike.


    It was done.


    "ARGH!" He groaned, blood leaking from his face and body. But he didn''t fall. Rather, he just hung there, something oozing from his body: passed out. That something wasn''t blood.


    Thump! A heartbeat.


    I took a step back.


    I had a bad feeling about that gooey black substance he was leaking. He was also leaking blood, but the amount of black substance was definitely more.


    "Is it normal for demons to have that black stuff?" I said, not quite looking back.


    "No, that''s not normal." Neira''s voice had urgency. "He''s going to explode!"


    Oh boy.


    "How big are we talking about?"


    "The whole city." Neira fell on her knees.


    The whole city? Everything?


    Which meant, the army was also done for.


    Thump!


    Wait, then the purpose of this army- was sacrifice all along? It made sense, if this army was defeated and they were going to be killed regardless, self destruction did seem like the logical way.


    ''But isn''t there any way to stop-''


    I vaguely remembered something.


    Moments before that tragedy, moments before I impaled Ve, everything was dark.


    Everything was being hidden.


    ''Is it possible to envelop the explosion and consume it?''


    I remembered the way the emperor had consumed my holy magic.


    ''Yes but, you''d require sacrifices.'' The spirit answered immediately.


    ''Such as?''


    ''Living demons as fuel for the magic in tens of thousands.''


    Wouldn''t that mean basically we''d be killing the army in exchange for saving the locals?


    Then again, this army was supposedly a sacrifice from the start anyway.

 Chapter 376 - Genuinely Curious

    Thump!


    THUMP!


    THUMPPP!!!


    The demon started thumping pretty loudly. Almost like a beating heart but there was something different. Something sinister.


    The black goo had mostly littered the ground and now it was slowly spreading. A soldier came into contact with the goo and the goo just consumed the soldier in a second. "ARHHRHRHR!"


    Only the soldier''s armor and a chilling scream remained. The alligator was also consumed. And the goo started spreading rapidly.


    Meanwhile, the demon thumped louder and with higher frequency.


    "We don''t have time!" Neira grabbed my hand. "Let''s get out of here as fast as we can!" She and I backtracked.


    She was frightened and that pained expression of hers was rubbing me the wrong way.


    She probably knew the town couldn''t be saved anymore.


    And we weren''t going to make it either.


    But I didn''t go.


    Rather. "Don''t worry. I had to deal with this army eventually."


    I raised my hand and darkness started forming beneath us.


    If this didn''t work, I could have always just used the ring to hide in it.


    "What are you doing?" Her voice was low. It was almost as though she''d given up.


    The darkness spread from beneath us and covered everything in sight: spreading towards the soldiers just like the goo but much faster.


    My mana was being drained way too fast.


    "Nothing much. Saving all of you." I took a deep breath. "It''s time I faced my nature. I''m selfish you see. Arrogant. And I often dump my ideals on others. I run away the moment something turns sour and I''m very indecisive: and yet, I want to save people, I don''t want to harm others. I don''t want others to get hurt because of me. But, in the end, that was all me. I chose all that. But now, now I choose to right my wrongs. There are things you''ll have to take some lives to protect others." I took another deep breath. "I''m probably going to die trying but that''s okay. I mean, who lives forever? Even gods die, and so, before all that, before dying, I want to right my wrongs. I want to kill the emperor and I want to kill the world tree that''s about to destroy the world. But first, I''ll deal with this so those demons below, those demons who have nothing to do with this war, are unharmed." I chuckled. I chuckled loudly. "Look at me, telling you all this knowing you won''t believe me. Knowing you won''t understand jackshit!" I broke down in severe laughter. I''d never laughed this hard.


    The darkness kept on spreading. It outpaced the goo and started drowning the soldiers. I was about to run out of mana but instead, now I was gaining mana.


    Cries, groans, screams covered the whole area. But everything was drowned by the darkness.


    I felt nothing.


    It didn''t matter if these guys died. After all, they were prepared to kill, meaning, they were prepared to die.


    The darkness instantly covered the whole area and started consuming the soldiers just like the goo had done moments before. This time, their screams and not even their armors remained. Everything was consumed. Even the goo.


    Gone.


    The more the darkness consumed, the more it grew.


    THUMP!


    The thumps had gotten to a point where each thump felt like it''d explode.


    It was only a matter of time.


    Thump!


    THUMPP!!!


    BOOM!


    The demon general exploded and flames were everywhere. The fires weren''t hot and they didn''t even travel this way. Rather even the fire started getting consumed. The sound and heat too were being consumed.


    It wasn''t even a competition.


    This spell was significantly more powerful.


    "That''s why-" I paused. "I can''t take you with me. thanks for leading me here. if it weren''t for you, I''d have still been wandering around thinking I was totally devoid of emotions or something. I''m such an obnoxious dude at times, you know."


    But meeting this girl did help me understand that perhaps I wasn''t as dead as I thought I was. Some part of me was still alive and I wanted revenge. Perhaps I wasn''t as naive as before, but I still wanted revenge and I wanted to make things right.


    I wanted to fix the problems I''d created and I wanted to make sure nothing wrong happened because of me.


    But more importantly, I wanted to screw that dude so I could tear his head from his shoulder and scream, ''Is this FUN enough for you, your highness''


    Neira chuckled, tried to hide it, but still chuckled. "I know. And honestly, I only wanted to follow you because I thought you were really cool when you saved me and I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be this cool knight who saved people in their need. At first, I thought you were like that. But once you started opening your mouth, I understood, that wasn''t quite it." Was she seriously making fun of me or something?


    The darkness started clearing.


    It was done, we''d won.


    And more than half of the soldiers were missing. Nothing remained of the fallen.


    There was no crater, there was no sign of battle.


    Nothing remained.


    "I''m anything but cool."


    I''d just killed over six thousand soldiers. I didn''t feel much of this. After all, to protect, one had to offer sacrifices.


    But even so, I had to feel at least something about this many lives, right?


    But no, I didn''t feel anything.


    Even the stuff I felt just moments before launching that spell was gone.


    I was anything but cool.


    "That''s not true. You''re cool. Too cool." She snickered. "And that''s why I wanted to follow you, so I could learn things, more things about the world. I couldn''t even cross that forest without getting captured, remember?


    "I want to lead my people to prosperity and I want to do my duties. But, I''m not good enough. I''ve learned that over and over again. That''s why, I ask you again, please," she got on one knee and looked up. "Take me with you. I''m a hindrance but you''re strong enough to not be affected."


    Wha?


    Why?


    "Didn''t you hear me? I''m marching into h-e-ll. I''m going to fight the emperor. The Em-pe-ror! The guy you''re supposed to obey or something. Besides, I have no merits by taking you with me."


    The remaining soldiers were in heavy confusion but strangely they didn''t move from their spot. They just stayed there, sweating. Or were they waiting for a verdict?


    She smiled. "But I don''t. And I want to be near you to learn from you. Even if it means going to hell, I''m fine with that. Besides, I''m totally okay with fighting the empire for you. After all, you just saved me three times now and you even saved my town and mother and-" She paused. "I''m totally okay with marching into hell as long as it''s with you."


    "Well, I''m not."


    What was wrong with this woman, seriously?


    Neira sighed and sat down. "But seriously, you weren''t kidding when you said you''d destroy the whole army." She faced towards the army¡­ "I think you''re more scary than cool¡­"


    She was changing the subject too.


    And again, was she trying to make fun of me or something?


    I had a feeling she was going to sneak her way in even if I tried to run or something.


    I guess I had to keep my eyes open.


    "Well, I wasn''t joking." I looked at the army and every single one of them took a step back: staggered.


    They were coordinated, alright. Anyway, I guess I had to deal with them first. "Which one of you is the leader, or rather the next in command?" I yelled.


    They looked amongst themselves. There were about four thousand or so soldiers remaining.


    ''But wouldn''t I be able to use that same darkness to destroy the whole army?''


    Or more like consume it.


    ''Yes, and the mana resulting from that would be enough to destroy a country such as Xylax.'' The spirit''s voice reverberated in my mind.


    ''Wait, the world tree is also technically going to consume everything, so-''


    "I am in command, sir¡­" A boy came forth- probably sixteen or maybe seventeen?


    He had a pigeon head and the body of an alligator. How I could tell he was a boy? He had ''mama''s boy-17'' written right in the middle of his armor. Bold.


    Was that a prank or was he really a mama''s boy?


    I was genuinely curious.

 Chapter 377 - Indecisive Decisiveness

    "So?" I said. "What are you going to do now?" I just spoke frankly.


    More than half of the army was dead and the general was gone.


    This kid was in charge.


    Was he going to take charge and try to attack me? Highly unlikely.


    They could have always run away in the midst of the chaos, which they didn''t.


    That meant these people had something else on their minds.


    Or maybe they were just too scared to run?


    Highly plausible.


    But now came the question on what the hell I was going to do with them.


    ''Would you like to consume the rest of the army? The mana can be stored and used to fight the emperor.'' The spirit, sure was eager.


    I only used this since I had to protect the people below. Not because I wanted to get instantly strong or something. And definitely not because I wanted to cause mass genocide.


    ''NO thanks.''


    "We, we surrender!" The kid begged at my feet.


    The rest of the soldiers followed suit pretty swiftly.


    Again, very coordinated.


    ''Are demons seriously, supposed to be like this?''


    I had my doubts. But, after seeing so much, it was hard to imagine these shaking people to be as demonic as I thought they were.


    Then again, humans were also pretty evil. We fought for power, for land and for women.


    We weren''t saints either.


    Everyone had their own shit to deal with.


    The stuff I''d witnessed was perhaps just a bad outcome of some terrible circumstance? It was certainly possible.


    But the otherwise was also possible.


    "Do we have facilities to keep four thousand soldiers here?" I asked Neira.


    And these people had to eat too.


    "Not really. That spell of- Yours, you can kill them outright, right?"


    The little kid and the soldiers near us shrieked and started shaking even more. Their armors made clattering noises.


    Given the fact that the people below already starved for a good few days in case something went wrong, it was pretty much impossible to keep these people captive.


    Letting them run wild was also a bad option. As who knew what they''d do next.


    "Pretty much, but I don''t intend to do that." Oh, wait, "Hey, where was this army headed?"


    They looked slightly relieved.


    He looked up. "The battlefront in front of Dorkann my lord."


    The soldiers also eased up a bit more. It was almost as though they''d taken for granted that I was going to set them free?


    "And where''s that?"


    I pulled out a map from my ring and spread it in front of the kid. Prompting him to point.


    As much as he was surprised about the origins of the map, he was more concerned about his life- at least that''s what the fidgeting suggested.


    "Here my lord."


    He pointed next to Dwaram. A wasteland of sorts, nothing grew there.


    But the place was connected with all three continents. Though there was a rather long river separating Galbatia and Alfeime, it sufficed to say, the river wasn''t enough to stop what was about to go down there.


    "How big is the army of the demons and the other races?"


    "We are four hundred thousand strong, sir. The enemy is one hundred and thirty combined."


    Basically, a battle of over half a million people.


    Wait combined? "So, everyone has united? The humans, the dwarves and elves and even the demi-humans?"


    "We''re not certain about the dwarves but the rest have united under elves, my lord." This guy was all over the place. He kept on shuffling between lord and sir, and he was awfully squirmy. I was definitely glad he wasn''t peeing his pants though.


    ''Then, won''t it be a massive war?''


    And if that general guy blew up there, all armies would have suffered heavy casualties.


    It was still shocking that people actually agreed to fight unitedly.


    "Who''s leading their armies?"


    "The Arch Duchess, lady Lianne of the high elves."


    ''Wait, Lia?'' She was alright?


    I didn''t know why- okay, I did know why but I was really glad for a change. My heart wasn''t beating anymore, but my chest was awfully warm and I could feel my lips curling up, forming a smile.


    But she was leading?


    "And when will it begin?"


    "Exactly two weeks from now, sir."


    "Then that means, the army isn''t gathered yet, right?"


    "No, sir. But they should be gathered in less than two weeks."


    Which meant we still had time before the war.


    "And the emperor, where is he?"


    "Back at the capital sir."


    "Then who''s leading your armies?"


    "The five lords, sir. The Monarchs."


    Which meant, the emperor would be pretty much defenseless, right now.


    "I see. Makes sense." I grinned. "And I''m assuming there won''t be many soldiers at the capital, right now?"


    "That is correct." He still shook but looked at me. "Are you really? Are you really Daarc Green, lord of the elves?"


    ''Why do people keep calling me that?''


    "Who am I, is not important right now."


    ''But why would the emperor start a war and not see it with his own eyes?''


    The emperor wanted to have fun.


    He wanted the world to burn, so he could have fun.


    Fun.


    ''Then why¡­''


    Why did he need to start this war when he didn''t even bother showing up?


    He could have just killed for fun like always.


    The guy had tremendous amounts of strength and he could go basically anywhere.


    Then why?


    ''And he took Alisa''s core too¡­''


    Judging by that tone of his, it sufficed to say, he was collecting cores?


    And now this war¡­.


    Something didn''t add up.


    The emperor was strong.


    Too strong. And yet, he needed cores.


    He wasn''t leading his armies either.


    There was something missing.


    Something I was forgetting.


    Mana. Power. Cores.


    Wait!


    The darkness! "Hey, what are the mana capacity of a typical soldier compared to a typical villager or a normal guy?"


    I asked the question to both the kid and Neira.


    "I suppose the solider would have a few times higher capacity." Neira paused. "We train quite a lot after all."


    "Even if one cannot use magic-" The boy started. "The capacity should increase with training."


    Then.


    The strong would gather at one place- in this war.


    ''He wants to consume the world battlefield?''


    That was the most logical answer. After all, he was also collecting the cores. So it was totally possible he was collecting huge amounts of mana to do something.


    Maybe the emperor wasn''t going to do that.


    Or maybe he was after just that.


    Maybe he had something better- or rather, worse in mind.


    "How far is the battlefield from here?"


    "Two weeks. We''d have to cross the north side of the desert."


    It''d take two weeks to reach the capital by traveling west. While two weeks to reach the battlefield by traveling north.


    And the war would start in two weeks.


    The timing couldn''t be worse.


    And if I happened to be wrong, we''d be traveling for a whole month.


    Damn!


    ''But you''d be able to save lives.''


    Why was a malicious spirit concerned about saving lives?


    I seriously started doubting the actual intents of this spirit. But she was right. If I go to the battlefield, a lot of pointless death could be avoided.


    And I couldn''t just let go of this army. I couldn''t just make them stay captive here. And I certainly couldn''t just consume them and call it a day either.


    ''In the end, it''s your decision.'' And the spirit''s offhand comments weren''t helping.


    The worst thing you could say to an indecisive man is that the decision was his. There was a reason why he was indecisive, okay!


    I took a deep breath and revaluated things.


    The emperor started this war.


    The humans and the rest banded together to counter.


    But the emperor was still back in the capital while the monarchs are leading the war.


    "Something just doesn''t add up," I said, sweat pouring.


    They just stayed quiet. No one really knew what to say.


    If I left now for the capital and found out that the emperor wasn''t there, I''d just be wasting time and he''d probably have massacred the army on the battlefield by the time I made a return trip.


    The monarchs weren''t easy either, and demons, in general, were much stronger than typical humans. Meaning, this was pretty much a one-sided war.


    While if I left for the battlefield now, then even if the emperor was back in the capital, I''d eventually be able to get to him, while helping the army not lose countless.


    ''But would my addition really have that much of an effect?''


    Yeah, I was certainly strong right now. I could just use my powers and consume the demons but- but that would make me no different from the emperor and-


    I groaned, sighed, and stomped the ground. "Damn it!"


    But- a decision had to be made.


    And it had to be made right now.


    ''Lianne is there.''


    Everyone I cared about was dead.


    They died for me.


    And it was possible she was going to die in this war too.


    It was time I made a decision. ''There''s no going back.''


    No regrets.


    "Alright, guys." I addressed the whole crowd, screaming a bit loudly. "LISTEN UP! WE''RE GOING TO THE BATTLEFIELD JUST LIKE YOU PLANNED! WE''RE MEETING UP WITH THE REST OF THE ARMY!"


    "Wait, what?" Neira said, visibly confused.


    The soldiers were also confused.


    "BUT FEAR NOT! WE''RE NOT GOING TO WAR. WE''RE NOT GOING TO KILL AND WE''RE NOT GOING TO BE KILLED. WE''RE GOING TO END THIS AND WE''LL BE VICTORIOUS!" I again smiled. ''The hell am I saying?'' "YOU''VE SEEN MY STRENGTH. DO YOU DOUBT ME? DO YOU DOUBT MY POWERS? ANYONE!"


    No one said a word.


    I wanted to cringe at my own monologue, but oh well.


    "GOOD. WE''RE MARCHING JUST PAST THE AFTERNOON, REST WELL BEFORE THAT."


    Meanwhile- "You-" I pointed at the kid. "You''re second in charge now. Keep everyone in line till I get back."


    I still had some stuff to deal with back in the town.


    "Sir!" He gave me a salute and just accepted it like it was no big deal.


    The fact that these guys were so ready to blindly follow and accept my lead was both troubling and reassuring.


    But the decision was mine and there was no room for regret.

 Chapter 378 - Preparations (Part One)

    We headed back to the city: me and Neira.


    The crowd cheered. Everyone was on the streets.


    "Seriously though, who are you?" Neira said, as she walked just next to me.


    If she still didn''t believe me, then there was no point in trying.


    "As I said, it''s not that important."


    At this point, I''d just given up on that.


    "My HERO!"


    "GOOD GOING LAD!"


    "LOVE ME!"


    There were just far too many people on the streets. Some of their shouts were rather weird though.


    The army was just on top of the walls. I was kind of hoping they''d run away, but so far, they hadn''t moved an inch.


    ''Could it be that they''re just morons?''


    "Oh yeah, you told them to wait till the afternoon, so I can say goodbye to everyone? You''re really nice. Cool and nice!" Neira sure was excited.


    I kind of wanted to grimace. "NO, I''m not nice. And I didn''t tell them that because of you!"


    I had to sharpen this damn sword first. And that army just saw hell. So, it was better for them to rest a little.


    Neira grinned and looked way too pleased.


    What the hell was wrong with this girl?


    Sometimes, she acted gallant, sometimes she was a scaredy-cat and other times she just straight up acted cute (And failed miserably at it). What the hell was wrong with her?


    "Are there any good smithies here?"


    "There''re only two smithies in this town. Both are run by the same blacksmith." Neira tried remembering. "We can go there right now, it''s just two blocks ahead."


    "Lead the way then."


    We walked for about ten minutes more.


    The roads were jampacked. Almost everyone was outside and they were really cheering us. The smell of sweat was kind of getting on my nerves.


    Apparently one of the guards at the gate spread the rumors that I defeated the army above and saved the people below from destruction. Well, technically, it wasn''t a rumor, but really?


    Even if it was a rumor, the fact that the army wasn''t attacking them, proved that I''d done at least something. And that something deserved praises.


    "There!"


    Neira yelled.


    It was awfully loud here. The deeper we went into the city, the rowdier people got.


    They were screaming our praises, throwing stones and stuff. Yes, people in demon land threw stones rather than flowers! Those were basically just small pebbles and they never aimed for our bodies though.


    If they had, they''d be lying on the ground right now.


    Lucky them.


    ***


    The bell above our heads rang as we went in. The shouts and cheers got a little distant for a change. The temperature of this place was tad higher and the burnt smell of coal was prevalent.


    A grumpy looking bearded bald fellow was hammering down something in the corner, while a sweet old lady was by the counter.


    There were two, three other customers but they were busy choosing stuff in the other corner.


    "Welcome. What can we do for the saviors of the city?" The woman said.


    I guess news did travel fast.


    "Nothing much, just wanted this sharpened." I dropped the new sword on the counter. "He''s the smith?" I said, pointing at the corner.


    "Yes."


    "Then-" I pulled out the mystic sword from the ring. "Can you do something about this?" I went to the corner.


    "Do something?" He stopped hammering, wiped his sweat, and held the broken sword with shaking hands. "The hell is this thing!" His voice shook.


    The guy was an ox demon. He had horns, and the nose but the rest of his body was humanoid- just a tad bigger. He did have hoofs though.


    "That''s the mystic blade, or what''s left of it."


    He kept on shivering. "And what do you want me to do with it?"


    Was this guy scared of this sword or something?


    He was a large dude, but the way he was shivering didn''t really paint him, a good smith.


    "This sword has good quality metal. I think it''s probably a rare type." I was talking about the new dull sword. "Is it possible to reforge the mystic blade with this metal as a base?"


    The mystic blade was my lifeline.


    It was my best sword. And it had sentimental value for me.


    Meanwhile, this dull sword was also pretty rare. And there was a chance, both of these things could be combined.


    "It should be possible in theory but I''m not skilled enough." The guy didn''t beat around the bush.


    Better than wasting my time, I guess.


    Well, that went out of the window. "Then how about just sharpening this?" I put the mystic blade back in the ring.


    These guys weren''t that surprised by the ring. I guess people in the demon lands were more accustomed to seeing stuff like this.


    "I can do that, I suppose."


    He was still sweating. How much was that from the heat of the furnace and how much was from the sword, I couldn''t tell.


    "Well then-" I picked it up from the counter and just gave the guy, the sword. "Get to it. I''m leaving before the afternoon, and I''d like you to get it done, before that. I''m fine with paying extra."


    They already had other work. But I didn''t have time to stand in line or something. So, bribing them with money was the only way.


    "The money''s not the issue." The old lady said. "Sharpening takes time. That sword is really old. It''s a good blade but it needs to be at least warmed once and that''ll take a day at the very least."


    "I''m aware that it would take time. But unfortunately, I don''t have that time. You are very well aware of the state of affairs. I can''t afford to lose time over this. If it can''t be done, I''ll just give up on the sword."


    Besides, I still had the mystic spear.


    And I also had the guns and all that.


    I kept forgetting about them, that was the problem.


    But I was really comfortable with swords than anything else. So, if this was sharpened properly, that''d have saved me a whole lotta trouble.


    The lady sighed. "Kids." Kids? "And you, stop standing like an idiot and turn up the heat!" She yelled at the man.


    "SIR!" The guy immediately started paddling the blower and the air heated up from the furnace. It was hot, alright!


    Flares!


    The woman tied her hair and came out of the counter. She was old- maybe sixty? She had a similar appearance to this guy- an ox demon. Just more slender and slightly wrinkly. But she still had the muscles. Definitely a pro.


    "You''ll do the smithing?" I said, asking the lady.


    "I don''t vouch for the speed, the quality, I''ll try my best."


    "Just get it done by the afternoon and that''s enough." Something was better than nothing. "And how much would I owe you?"


    "Two gold is fine."


    "Dwarven gold, works?"


    "Then one would do."


    I still didn''t know the exchange rate of things. but still- "I''ll pay you once I get my sword."


    With that said, I started walking out.


    No one said anything, so I guess that was a deal.

 Chapter 379 - Preparations (Part Two)

    We made a round trip to the mansion. Or rather I was planning on making one.


    Neira was dead set on traveling with me. She didn''t care if I was going to the battlefield or the capital, she just wanted to tag along to gain experience- or so she claimed.


    So, I had to get rid of her. And for that, I was going to have a conversation with her mother. Surely, she wasn''t going to let her daughter march into death, right?


    Right?


    "Why the hell are they on the ground?"


    We''d reached the mansion.


    There was a small garden in front of the mansion. It mostly had grass and some small trees.


    The people, and the soldiers were on the grass, just lying there. They were conscious and very much alive. It seemed more like they were passing the time.


    So, what the hell happened?


    "They were probably scared of what was about to happen," Neira said. "But once you saved us, they just relaxed?"


    Why the hell was she asking me that?


    The crowd that was prevalent even moments ago, didn''t exist here. These people had a very short span of celebration time that was for sure.


    Weird.


    Anyway, we went into the mansion.


    Apparently, Neira and her mother lived in the mansion as they were very important people. Her mother being the general and her being a royal guard.


    Now that the lord was dead, his only daughter was going to take over- or she would have, if Neira''s mother wasn''t elected by the general people.


    And these guys were still here to make sure the negotiations or whatever that was going on inside went smoothly. They weren''t lying here out of relaxation, no.


    Weren''t these people a bit too laid back to think that the army above wouldn''t have done anything to them?


    "So, your mother wants to be the new lord, or lady, or whatever that title is."


    At this point, I wasn''t sure, and I certainly didn''t care.


    "Well," Neira paused as we walked through the two-story mansion. "She didn''t want to become so. But if she doesn''t, who knows what the daughter of that man would do." She sighed. "I was her guard, so I can tell, she''s not a bad person, but I''m not so sure about now."


    Well, we did kill her father. Or rather, I did. ''Wouldn''t meeting her right now, invoke her rage and stuff-?''


    Anyway, I had to see Neira''s mother first. I was going to get out of this place in about two hours, so I didn''t really care about hate and all that.


    The interior of this place was reminiscent of properly tiled buildings. Not too fancy, but definitely not cheap.


    But that was basically it. It was too average in terms of architecture.


    There were some guards here and there- they didn''t try to stop us. Some servants were running around.


    We went up to the fourth room on the second floor. With a knock, both of us went in.


    Two women sitting at a table, just staring at each other. One of the women was Neira''s mother.


    "I don''t know what''s the holdup, but I need to talk to you," I said.


    A very distinct smell drifted in the air. A smell I was really familiar with: tea.


    "Oh, you''re here. Everything went well?" Neira''s mother smiled and angled her head towards me.


    She was pretty busted, those wounds were going to take some weeks to heal, if not months.


    "I''m sure you''ve already heard."


    "I have, but hearing from you is different, is it not?" She was a tiger demi-human?


    Neira meanwhile didn''t look like her mother. Most of the time her head was covered, so I couldn''t tell if she had cat ears or not. Frankly, I didn''t care.


    "Yeah, that''s great. But I''m leaving now, and you should chain your daughter here or something, cause she won''t leave me alone."


    "Well, she''s a grownup and has her own will."


    "Might I remind you, I too have that and I could just punch her unconscious and leave her here."


    Neira took a defensive stance, eyes unwavering. "I haven''t been to a real battlefield. But I assure you, I''ll go with you no matter what."


    "See what I mean?" I stared at Neira''s mother.


    "Not really." The other woman- the daughter of the lord said. "If she wants to go with you, why not allow her? If something goes wrong, just use her as a meat shield?"


    Weirdly, she didn''t seem to hold grudges against me. Or maybe she just was amazing at pretending.


    "Funny you can say that with a straight face." I pondered. "Though I guess that''s always an option."


    "HEY!"


    "Jokes aside. I don''t think she''ll live if she goes with me. Therefore, I''m not taking her with me. Besides, there''s no point in taking a random stranger with me who would certainly slow me down."


    "There is actually-" Neira said. "What if they trick you into taking you somewhere else or just take long routes to stall you?" She stood next to, exhaled sharply from her nose. "And we''re not strangers! You freaking saw me naked!"


    "I doubt they''d do that when they know I could kill them any time." I gave her a dull glare. "Might I remind you, you were in the midst of being torn by goblins and I gave you clothes."


    "They are devoted to the country, don''t forget that," her mother said, not quite following the conversation.


    "And running away after seeing her naked? Hmm¡­." Meanwhile, the daughter of the lord finally showed her true colors. "Quite the character."


    These people were hellbent on guilt-tripping me.


    Well, I suppose that was true. "But if I take her-"


    "Look, I''m going with you because I want to. That''s it. I want to learn more about the world and you just happen to be my best bet at surviving. I''m really weak you know. I try to act tough, but I''m weak. And that''s why I''m tagging along with you. After all, you''re so strong." She spoke frankly.


    "I can''t guarantee you''ll survive."


    "You''ve already made that clear enough. But still-" She cleared her throat. "Just make sure. Just make sure I don''t die."


    Didn''t I just say I couldn''t guarantee?


    I sighed, my palm on my face: facepalm sigh.


    There was no point in continuing this charade. This was going nowhere.


    Sigh. This was becoming a drag. "Fine." On the other hand- "And what the hell are you people still doing a meeting about?"


    Because no matter how I looked, the two women were just chatting with smiles, having tea and biscuits. Not, arguing and negotiating and stuff.


    "Oh, we were discussing whether we''d finally make a proper road leading out or not."


    Meaning, they''d already finished negotiating and stuff.


    "Good for you." I started walking out.


    I had more shit to deal with.


    And I had to get that sword.


    Then I had to get out of this place.


    Then I had to cross a desert.


    Then I had to go fight a frigging army.


    Sigh.


    I had too much shit to deal with.


    ***


    I spent some time shopping around, alone.


    I bought some potions, some high potions, and mostly water. I could store it, so I bought plenty of barrels. I also bought some tea.


    I had money, so I didn''t hold back. If I didn''t spend now, when would I spend it? After dying?


    Well, I was already kind of dead anyway.


    There wasn''t much left to do, so I headed to the smithy.


    "How''s it coming along?"


    The old woman was manually sharpening the sword with strokes against some sort of stone.


    "Almost," she said.


    The sound was kind of irritating my ears, so I wanted to get out. But I waited anyway.


    It took her another good twenty minutes of manual sharpening before she stopped, washed her hands, and came my way. "That''ll be one dwarven gold, kid."


    I checked the sword. It was good. Not the best sharpening job, but it was good. "As promised." I paid her full.


    I did want to bargain and all but since I hadn''t done that beforehand, it seemed stupid to try that now.


    Besides, I wasn''t hurting for money anyway. Even with all the shopping and all that, I still had like three hundred elven gold left and they were technically four times more expensive than dwarven gold which in turn was twice as expensive as demon gold which in turn was slightly more expensive than human gold.


    The whole thing was kind of blowing my mind.


    Why couldn''t people just stick with one frigging currency?


    I had no frigging idea.


    Anyway.


    "I don''t know where you got that sword but-" The old lady paused.


    I was just about to walk out. "The broken blue one?"


    She grinned. "There''s a smithy near the north border. He goes by Swine. Yeah, the guy''s a pig. Try searching for him if you have time. A total nutjob but he''s good."


    "Thanks for the info."


    With that over, I bid the people goodbye and headed straight for the exit.


    Neira stayed behind with her mother for farewells and stuff.


    If I could just outpace her and get out before she could-


    "Good afternoon."


    And she was already here, just outside the store. Wearing light armor, not quite covering her whole body like before.


    Sigh.


    And wait, she did have cat- rather, leopard ears!


    "Afternoon."


    Instead of just complaining and stuff we headed for the exit together.


    Having her was a good thing as she could instantly get us up the place anyway.


    There was still a crowd out here on the streets, just far less than before.

 Chapter 380 - Departure

    We left everything behind just before the afternoon and started for the north.


    The army hadn''t made a run for. Seriously, were these guys morons?


    ''Why do I smell ulterior motives here?''


    I was at the front.


    Neira and the mama''s boy kid- who told me his name was Albin but I ignored it- led the whole army. They were just behind me and the whole army was behind them.


    Most of the army traveled by foot. But the commanding officers- who survived- had horses or large lizards. I didn''t even want to bother to remember their names.


    They didn''t have any camels though.


    "The desert is pretty big right, so do you guys have enough rations?" I got myself a large land lizard. The guy was good, and he kind of liked me- probably.


    "WE have enough to sustain us for thirteen days. By the end of the thirteenth day, we''d reach the battlefield. Or we would have if the whole army was here. with our current rations, we should last a good five weeks."


    So, they really were sacrificial pawns. They''d arrive on the battlefield on their last day and then fight with their lives and then be sacrificed.


    Whoever came up with this idea really knew what they were doing.


    I wanted to meet the guy to give him a good pummeling.


    "We''ll mostly travel at night," The kid said. "So, the desert shouldn''t be an issue. If we maintain good pacing, we should get out of the desert in two nights."


    So far, the terrain was good. Just grasslands.


    No large monsters.


    Quiet.


    Whenever some small ones showed up, the soldiers took good care of them.


    "The daytime would be very hot, I guess."


    It made sense to travel at night. Cold was manageable but the super-hot weather of the desert wasn''t really that traversable in the daytime at least.


    "Actually, it has more to do with the nature of the desert than to do with the weather," Neira said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Those who venture into the desert during the day often get lost due to the mirages and end up dead."


    "Well, it''s a desert so obviously there''d be mirages."


    I''d been in deserts myself. I knew how hard it was.


    "But unlike normal mirages, these mirages are too real. And unless you see them you can''t comprehend just how deadly they are. Everyone sees the same castle in the distance." Neira paused, grimaced slightly. "They say, whoever went for the castle during the day, have ever returned."


    ''Same castle?''


    I never really liked those never returning stories. Somehow, they always brought me trouble.


    "I suppose."


    But these guys were locals. I didn''t see any point in arguing with them.


    Besides, I was pretty content with traveling at night.


    ***


    We''d traveled for two whole hours through the grassland and reached an area with cracked soil. It wasn''t quite a desert but the temperature was rising.


    And my throat was often drying up.


    Since it was evening, it wasn''t that bad though.


    "We should rest for an hour," the kid said. "It''d be best."


    "I don''t see why not."


    Unlike us, most of the soldiers were walking on foot. So, they of course needed some rest.


    But we were perhaps being a bit too conservative.


    Then again, we''d cross a freaking cold desert, so it was natural they had to be their best.


    "I''d like to get there as fast as possible, so we don''t miss anything," I said, climbing down from the lizard. I''d named this guy Todd. He was a beaut!


    "If we maintain good pacing in the night, we should be a day early. We''d reserved one day, as we had to destroy that town. But since we didn''t, we should still be about a whole day ahead," The kid said.


    He also got down. The writing on his armor was kind of still making me curious.


    "Say, that stuff¡­ who wrote it?" I asked, pointing at his armor.


    Directly asking about the stuff seemed a bit rude, so I made sure to keep my tone neutral.


    "Oh, this? My dying brother. I can''t read, so I''m not sure what it means."


    ***


    We started resting.


    The soldiers though were far too laid back. They were just sitting there, chatting around, chuckling.


    They weren''t even concerned that much.


    Did they really take my word at face value?


    In the end, I just grabbed the kid. "Why the hell are you people so relaxed? I literally killed your general and took command and you guys aren''t even revolting and stuff." Not that I wanted them to revolt or anything.


    And I''d killed over half of them¡­.


    "Well," The kid chuckled, scratching his cheek ever so slightly. "We kind of knew we''re going to die: we signed up for that. We don''t have a place to go back; it''s all gone. So, when you said you could make sure we''re going to survive, we wanted to bet on that."


    "Makes sense, I guess." I let go and sat down on the ground, just below a date tree. Soon, we''d be seeing cactuses too.


    But- they could have just run to another continent and-


    Oh wait, all three continents were going to war.


    I guess, nowhere was safe anymore. Besides, they were demons.


    Even if they meant no harm, they''d be persecuted.


    ***


    With that behind us, we picked up the slack and trudged through the cracked lands.


    About half an hour later, sand was everywhere.


    Another half an hour later, dunes.


    This was a desert alright. And it was frigging cold.


    The soldiers had pyres in hand but most of their armors were made of metal. So yeah, they were freezing alright.


    "Sandworms DEAD AHEAD!" one of the spotters screamed.


    A rather elf-sized sandworm tried to come at us, only to be skewered by the kid next to me.


    Screech! It probably called for its friends with its dying scream.


    I was about to take care of it but he got it first.


    These things smelled awful- almost like rancid fat.


    "If there''s one-"


    "There''s plenty more."


    And yeah, the worms didn''t disappoint.


    Roughly a hundred more or so come for us.


    And these were bigger too.


    They came in all sizes. Some were even bigger than sperm whales.


    Oh well.


    But the worms weren''t the only things to watch out for.


    There were some undead in the area and some nocturnal hounds.


    For an army of this size though, a pack of wild monsters wasn''t a threat.


    We just massacred everything that came in our path.


    Most of them weren''t good enough to be food though. After all, who wanted to eat something with such terrible smell?


    We buried our dead under the sand.


    ***


    We stopped at midnight by some large rocks, made a fire, and dined.


    After maybe half an hour of resting, we again set out.


    No sleep.


    Their target was an oasis just ahead. Once we''d get there, we''d mostly sit ducks the next day.


    But I could tell, everyone was tired.


    It was cold.


    It was night.


    And there were monsters everywhere. So far, no cactuses though.


    But- but we went on.


    And we did find the oasis.


    There was a small forest of sorts here. And a pond. The shade wasn''t enough for the army- but they had measures to cope with that.


    But there was just one bad news.


    The pond was small. For a hundred men or so, it would have been fine for a few days.


    But for an army of four thousand men, this pond wouldn''t even last two hours, let alone the whole day.


    ''We''re already going to have to dig into the reserves?''


    "No one can produce water in your army?" We hadn''t settled down yet.


    "There were some but they were killed. I''m not sure if any are left."


    Magic wasn''t that rare among demons. But just because someone could make water out of nowhere, didn''t mean they could produce it infinitely. And then there was the question, of whether that water was drinkable or not.


    So, basically, it was my fault.


    Sigh.


    I had water reserves in my ring but they wouldn''t have been enough for an army of this size.


    If I had my pendant, I could have easily made water. But that was broken.


    Anyway, we still stopped at the oasis.


    It''d be dawn soon. After a long arduous night, the soldiers would get some good rest. For how long though- yeah.


    Everyone started to prepare for sleeping. Half of them would sleep now and rest, while the other half would keep watch and they''d alternate that till dusk of tomorrow.


    ''Can we really make it though?''

 Chapter 381 - Thirst: The Desert Castle

    I didn''t need sleep.


    My eyes felt slightly heavy but it was good.


    All I needed was a fresh source of blood.


    And there was plenty of blood here.


    But I had to remain content with just animals.


    Now that I''d tasted demon blood though, I wanted more. Maybe things with intelligence had something different in their blood?


    Or was it just mana?


    Actually, if it was mana, that would explain how I felt supercharged after drinking blood.


    And I kind of wanted more.


    "Unless the next oasis has an abundant source of water, we''ll have to dig into our rations and we''d barely make it," the kid came over to me.


    The sun was rising.


    Many of the soldiers were sleeping peacefully. The rest were keeping watch.


    I, meanwhile, was just sitting on some rocks. "I have some water stacked but they won''t be enough even for half a day." Which reminded me. "How come we''re crossing the desert like this? Wasn''t there any other route?"


    If crossing this desert would take two nights, then we could have just avoided this route for maybe a three-day route that didn''t have deserts?


    "That''s because we were ordered to head to that remote city, my lord. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have had to cross this desert."


    I didn''t get it. Did traveling there meant they had to take a detour or was it that this route was faster?


    "So, you''re saying, we could have avoided this desert but that would have cost us some time?" I made an educated guess.


    "Basically, yes."


    Anyway, the sun kept on rising high and so did the temperature.


    Things were actually pretty comfortable right now. The freezing cold of the night was going away while hell was just waiting to come over. We were just in the middle.


    This was the perfect moment. The sunlight kind of stung, but it was good.


    Yawn! Neira yawned and woke up. "Still can''t sleep past dawn."


    Yeah, so said the girl who constantly dozed off during the day while we traveled.


    Of course, I didn''t bother saying anything.


    But yeah, the sunrise was really something. Warm, orange, and kind, of course, burning.


    It was going to make our lives hell once it fully rose up but, for the time being, I wanted to enjoy the view. I wanted to feel the warmth.


    And hopefully, not burn.


    ***


    As the sun kept on climbing up the sky, the temperature kept on rising. It wasn''t surprising but it was definitely excruciating.


    And here I thought I was going to be able to deal with this a bit better than before.


    Yeah, my body was stronger.


    Yeah, I felt less pain.


    Yeah, but the heat of this desert was far worse than the one I''d crossed with Jowy and the geezer.


    And more importantly- I felt thirsty. ''The more I drink, the more I feel the thirst?'' Seemed likely. After all, I didn''t need to drink blood for the first week or so. And when I did drink blood, I kept getting the urge to drink more.


    And since I was a vampire of sorts, the sunlight was only harming me more and more.


    Maybe it was better to rest?


    The demons had actually made small tents for them to rest.


    These guys worked efficiently.


    "But they weren''t kidding when they said illusions was going to be a major thing in this desert." I was merely speaking out loud, to no one in particular.


    In front of me was a small pond. This was real. But just past the pond, in the distance, I could see a castle, lakes, forests, and definitely even buildings.


    But as a sensible guy who came from that direction just the night before, I could say for a fact, none of those things were real.


    There was nothing there.


    And yet- the castle looked so real¡­


    "They say a goddess was sealed in this desert and then it became like this." A soldier was walking by. A rather tall guy.


    He didn''t really wait for my response. He was just walking by.


    Gods and goddesses. This world was packed with them. Some were good, others, I wasn''t so sure. I honestly didn''t know who to trust or what to believe.


    If I believed Trerortra, then Ashirnae was a villain. If I believed Ashirnae then the world tree was to blame.


    There were various instances when the information I received was either contradicting or maybe even completely opposite. It was possible some of them were lying, or maybe they ''were'' speaking the truth. After all, everyone had a different perception of reality.


    But a goddess, huh?


    There was a chance, I could meet one in my sleep assuming it was a sealed goddess.


    Ve had mentioned something about there being three sealed goddesses. Two of whom I''d already met.


    The third though, I didn''t know about. Then again, she did warn me that the goddesses were sealed for a reason.


    Besides, I could only do stuff like that in dreams thanks to Ve and the others being near me.


    This power didn''t work unless I was near demigods.


    ''So, it''s pointless?''


    I let out a small exhale and just stared at the distance.


    Thirsty.


    A large castle with domes, intricate design, and flowing like visionary. The lake below it glistened.


    Very convincing.


    It was almost as though, it was real.


    My eyes felt slightly heavy. Or rather, heavier.


    I hadn''t slept in the last week or so.


    I didn''t trust anyone around me.


    But they probably couldn''t do much harm to me, so sleeping wasn''t a bad idea.


    There was a special tent for me, as I was the current leader and stuff.


    This thirst wasn''t going away¡­.


    I went inside and just tried lying down. It was more like, my body led me here. I couldn''t think.


    I just wanted to sleep.


    I wanted something to drink.


    My eyes were very heavy now.


    I tried sleeping.


    ***


    Darkness.


    Light.


    Blinding.


    I tried shielding my eyes but I couldn''t move my arms.


    The light slowly dissipated.


    "I''m outside?"


    There was sand everywhere.


    But there was also something just in front of me.


    A large oasis, some trees, some buildings but more importantly, a frigging castle.


    The same castle I saw before going to bed.


    I had this weirdly bad feeling about this.


    I wasn''t sleepy, so it could mean only one thing.


    I tried moving my arms and legs and all that. But no luck. I was floating but merely as a ball of sorts. I didn''t have a form.


    Oh boy.

 Chapter 382 - Why The Hell Did I Even Ask?

    ''The heck am I supposed to do now?''


    I was sleeping and dreaming no less.


    ''You there? Yoo hoo!''


    And then I realized, I didn''t actually know the spirit''s name.


    Well, that was something.


    ''Did I ever ask her though?''


    Yeah, probably not.


    Usually, the spirit hugged me in my sleep, but lately, I hadn''t slept at all.


    And she wasn''t here, that was for sure.


    This had happened before. I''d gone to places in my sleep, seen things. But during those times I had demigods around me.


    So, it was possible there was a demigod in the army.


    But if there was such a guy, why didn''t he just come out during the fight?


    Maybe he was hiding? Or was it that my powers had increased to a point where I didn''t need demigods near be anymore?


    There wasn''t any way to make sure.


    Either way, this looked like an awfully daunting place. There were some buildings around and some trees. No monsters and the streets looked awfully clean; no dust or sand.


    There was a large pond; was it a lake or a pond, I couldn''t tell. But the castle- yeah, it was big and it was rather majestic. But wasn''t it a bit taller when I saw it in wakefulness?


    At least it wasn''t hot though.


    I couldn''t feel anything for that matter. Not hot, nor cold. Not even the breeze.


    There weren''t any sounds either- too quiet.


    Alright- I tried moving forward.


    Success.


    I couldn''t see past the buildings. Everything was just white past the horizon. ''This is separate from the desert?''


    The doors of the castle opened on their own without a spec of sound. Even if it hadn''t, I''d have probably just gone through it since I didn''t have a physical form right now.


    But yeah, I went through.


    Success!


    The architecture was definitely something I hadn''t seen before. It felt awfully Arabic, yet, somehow not. I couldn''t pinpoint it but, this place had an odd resemblance to a roman castle I once looted in a game. But the designs were totally out of this world- and that went for this world too.


    But oh well.


    More success!


    Success of what?


    I had no frigging clue.


    ***


    The walls had scribbles.


    The floor had a flowery design and it was awfully shiny, probably white marble.


    Though this place was like three-four stories high, it didn''t have any stories. Just one whole floor. The ceiling was high and I couldn''t look up.


    Then again, I couldn''t move my head much anyway.


    But I still went ahead.


    This place didn''t have rooms either, just one long-ass, big ass room, floor whatever.


    There was nothing here, not even a table.


    No windows either, and yet, the room was even brighter than the outside.


    "Welcome." The voice resounded. A clear, feminine voice.


    The voice was both awe-inspiring and majestic at the same time.


    It sent shivers down my non-existent spine and almost resonated with me¡­almost.


    I couldn''t see where it came from but- but it sure was something else. But I''d heard voices like this before.


    The voices of goddesses.


    "Hi." I tried speaking and, the sound came out on the first attempt.


    ''Well, that''s new.''


    "To have come here, you possess, the ability, I suppose."


    "More or less."


    "Then, what is the purpose of your visit? Just sightseeing?" A sudden rise of tension in her voice. "Or perhaps you''re seeking wisdom?" Why the hell was she sounding so dramatic? "Or maybe even trying to score some points with a goddess!?" Giggles!


    Wait, what?


    Was I hearing correctly?


    And her tone was also something. Who the hell giggles at their own pathetic excuse for a joke?


    Was that even a joke?


    I cleared my throat. "Just some sightseeing. Though I''d have preferred if I could see the goddess, herself." I took a gamble.


    This voice sounded awfully like a goddess. But I''d only met two living goddesses, and just because those two sounded like this, didn''t mean this one was also a goddess.


    "A goddess." She sighed. "Very well."


    This place was an empty room. But before me, a throne appeared. A red throne, with a tall neck rest. And on that throne, a girl- a girl who looked almost like an angel- blonde hair. She looked quite like Sisrael- but just younger. At first glance, I thought she was perhaps just another angel, but no, this was the real deal.


    The radiance¡­ was blinding.


    Beautiful.


    Gorgeous.


    Divine.


    She was a goddess. Her divine mana signature was proof enough. Even though I didn''t have a body, I could feel her mana in the air.


    I could feel her divinity.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you had some, clothes?"


    She wasn''t tied or trapped like the other goddesses. If I recall correctly, the goddess of water was trapped in a ball of water. While the goddess of darkness was chained inside a very dark spot.


    Meanwhile, this girl was just sitting on the throne, her body tilted sideways, just glancing at me, not even a shred of clothing on her. She did have long strands of bandages covering her privates. Was this some sort of cheap way to cosplay mummies or something?


    "What!? You''re not mesmerized!" She shrunk a little and oddly looked sad. "And to think you''d suggest me to cover myself instead¡­" She mused.


    The hell was wrong with this woman?


    Was she seriously a goddess?


    Sigh.


    Weirdly I had too high hopes for gods and goddesses even now.


    ''I guess, I really am na?ve.'' Sigh. "Anyway, if this is over, I''ll leave I guess."


    I didn''t have a reason to just stay here. I only came here out of curiosity. Getting involved with gods and goddesses was nothing but trouble anyway.


    I didn''t know how I came here, and I didn''t have any reason to go on digging.


    I tried backtracking and that too worked.


    Success!


    "Wait, wait!" the goddess came flying my way.


    And blocked the entrance. The strands of bandages dangled and I almost, almost saw everything.


    It took a lot to avert my eyes. "Yes?"


    "You were here to see me right? Well, that has a price you see." She was floating, her hands on her waist. She tried to puff her chest up.


    "I see."


    I was just humoring her. I showed no signs of waking up.


    So, at this point, I was just killing time, I guess.


    But more importantly, my eyes were almost always being dragged to those places¡­ ''Think of Lianne Daarc¡­ yes¡­ yes¡­ elves¡­ Lianne¡­" It wasn''t working.


    "Right, right. The price is simple. Just get me out of here." She smiled.


    "Get you out of here? Are you crazy?"


    She continued smiling. Well, she wasn''t denying it, that''s for sure.


    I sighed. "Look, I''m just a mortal. You''re a goddess. If you can''t get out of here, how do you expect me to get you out?"


    She tilted her head. "But you''re here. surely you possess divine blood?" She came close and sniffed me, and almost gagged a second later. "You have the blood of Trerortra?" She got goosebumps and shrunk slightly, taking a step back. Her prideful chest shrank like a punctured balloon. "I changed my mind, just get out of here."


    Well, that sure was something.


    "Got some beef with him, I guess?"


    I still wasn''t waking up. So, there wasn''t any point in just running away either.


    "Well, technically he''s supposed to be my big brother. The guy was kind of crazy about me. He even created angels in my image. Can you imagine that! What a perv!"


    "Totally."


    "I know right!"


    This girl seemed more like a normal girl than a goddess.


    "Then you''ll be glad to know that he''s dead?"


    "Wait, what!" She freaked out for a second. "He''s dead!?"


    Oh, she was sealed before all that happened.


    "Or more most of the gods and goddesses are dead and are now monsters."


    "Eh?" "Huh?" "Wha?" She coughed and took ages to clear her throat. "Are you serious!"


    "I am."


    She sighed, grimaced, and even groaned. "The hell were those morons doing?" She facepalmed herself. "Serves those assholes right, I guess."


    "Why were you sealed? You seem like a nice goddess."


    Yeah, definitely not.


    "I might or might not have slept with someone." She looked away, bashfully. "Someone a bit younger than me¡­ and well," She played with her fingers. "Might have been my little brother?" Her voice was awfully, awfully small.


    Yeah, I didn''t want to know about that anymore.


    ''Why the hell did I even ask?''

 Chapter 383 - I’m Not Your Frigging Nephew!

    This was getting annoying.


    I wasn''t waking up.


    And this goddess wasn''t letting me go.


    Or rather she wasn''t standing aside from the door.


    Now granted, I still didn''t know if just going out of this castle was going to let me wake up or not but it didn''t hurt to try, right?


    "Seriously, what do you want?" I said.


    I couldn''t look at her. She was beautiful- too beautiful and my eyes were being dragged down to various parts of her body. And those long strands of bandages could hardly cover so much.


    "You''re the one who came here! And you were the one who wanted an audience! Isn''t it rude for you to leave just because you got what you wanted?"


    "If I''m being honest," I thought over it. Was it even okay to be honest at a time like this? but- "I didn''t really come here to meet you." I tried to keep my gaze centered on her eyes, rather than the rest of her floating almost exposed body.


    She grimaced slightly- the creases on her face apparent. "Sometimes it''s better to be a bit dishonest."


    Unfortunately, I agreed. "Anyway, I''m sleeping. And about to go to war. I don''t time to dream. Even if it means to be in the midst of a beautiful goddess such as you."


    Well, technically I wasn''t lying. She was beautiful. Though I kind of didn''t care about beauty.


    She almost blushed, holding her cheeks. "Flattery will get you nowhere." She looked awfully bashfully.  "Though I could sleep with you once if you were to free me from here. Then again, sleeping with my nephew¡­ hmmm¡­" she licked her lips.


    "Yeah, sorry, but I''m not interested in your body. And no, I''m not your nephew."


    She looked at me, thunderstruck. In fact, a jolt of lightning descended from the ceiling and almost burned me- or would have if I wasn''t an astral form right now.


    It did hit her though- no damage.


    "Fine¡­ go¡­" She sobbed, sniffing like she had pneumonia or something, falling flat on the floor.


    She was floating no more.


    So, I tried leaving. I was floating- so I floated and passed straight from above her.


    But just a meter away- I felt stuck.


    I couldn''t turn my head, and I couldn''t feel much, so it was hard for me to understand just what was wrong. Hard for the first three seconds that was.


    Afterwards- "The hell you doing!"


    The goddess had grabbed onto me, eyes pouring out liquid, face ugly. "I''ve been stuck here for over five thousand years." She sobbed in between the words as she shook me. "Don''t go, nephew!"


    "How is that my problem? Why should I free you? What do I get out of it? And I''m not your frigging nephew!"


    "I-I I''ll aid you in your war? How''s that work?" She sniffed, trying to wipe the tears.


    "What if I say my beef was with the world tree?" I took a gamble.


    "Wait-what?" Her voice was small and the tears started disappearing.


    Illusion.


    This goddess was something else, that was for sure.


    "Yeah, you know Ashirnae right? If the dude''s words are to be trusted, let''s just say the world tree would soon eat the world."


    "Are you kidding me? Why would it do that? It has plenty of life-" She paused. "Come to think of it. I did always wonder how the world tree had so much spare mana¡­ But more importantly, you''d trust uncle Ashirnae but not aunty- Selisesta?"


    If Ashirnae was Trerortra''s brother and Trerortra was this woman''s brother, then that meant the three were siblings. I should have figured out as much.


    "Keep thinking I suppose. It''s fine wondering. And let go of me! And for the last frigging time, I''M NOT YOUR FRIGGING NEPHEW!"


    ''And where the hell did I hear that name before?'' My memory when it came to names was still terrible.


    "I won''t! You''ll free me! Unless you do, you''re not getting out of here!"


    Wait, so she was the one keeping me sleeping?


    ''Did I come here because she wanted me to?'' That''d explain why I could come here without there being any demigods being around me.


    Then again, that was just another possibility.


    "I can''t free you if I stay here, remember? I have to free you in wakefulness!" Of course, that was just my guess.


    "Oh yeah!"


    She let go of me.


    What an idiot.


    I quickly blitzed out of the castle and just outside the door, turned around. She was by the door, she couldn''t cross. "Well, I have to go to war. So can''t spend much time here. if I survive, I''ll probably come get you for the final battle."


    Keyword, ''probably.''


    Her earlier playful tone and weird expressions were nowhere to be found. Instead, she just stared at me. no emotions. Just a stare. "I should have expected as much. In the end, you''re just a mortal; just because you have godly blood doesn''t make you a god I guess." She sighed. "Of course, you''ll betray your words."


    Betrayal, huh?


    Yeah, I''ve had my fair share.


    But right now, something else mattered more.


    "Sorry but, I''m not nice enough to just go out of my way to save you or free you or whatever just because you asked nicely. I too have my own shit to deal with."


    She smiled. "There''s a thing called karma. You scratch my back, I''ll scratch yours. Think about it." her voice echoed and things started getting brighter.


    I was waking up.


    ''So, she ''was'' holding me here!''


    Too bright.


    I woke up.


    ''Karma, huh?''


    My hand covered my eyes.


    I was still in the tent, there was someone sitting here, sleeping just next to my bed. It was the kid.


    I looked out and it was evening.


    ''I was out the whole day?''


    Ahem! I cleared my throat and sat down.


    The kid woke up.


    "Hey, what''s up?"


    He yawned, looked out, and promptly stood up. "We should be moving, sir!"


    I figured as much.


    The two of us got out.


    I washed my face.


    The soldiers had already got their things packed.


    They were just waiting for me to wake up.


    And in fact, the kid had entered the tent to wake me up.


    But I just wasn''t waking up.


    Neira meanwhile had gone hunting and was supposed to meet up with the army just up ahead. But since we were getting late, she should have been on her way here instead.


    I sighed. "Sorry for the wait. Got caught up a little in the dream world."


    The kid giggled. "NO big deal, sir. Thanks to you, the men also got some rest."


    I tried eying around to see if there were anyone suspicious- a demigod or something like that. But so far, nothing out of the ordinary.


    Anyway, with that over, we marched through the desert and met up with Neira just about half an hour later.. She''d caught seven fresh lizards just for me.

 Chapter 384 - The Desert Castle (Part Two)

    Traveling in the night was nice.


    It was cool; sometimes freezing.


    There were monsters everywhere.


    Sometimes you''d wonder if this was hell on earth or something. Well, it wasn''t earth, that was for sure.


    But yeah, very nice.


    "You seem to be troubled," Neira said.


    "Thoughts are a bit jumbled."


    My lizard- Todd was actually pretty nice. He was really nice. Sometimes he''d try chewing on my leg, but yeah, very nice.


    "Worried about the battlefield?"


    "That too."


    "Then, something else?"


    "Let''s say if you could ally yourself with someone strong, someone really strong. But you didn''t know what they were thinking. You didn''t know if they could be trusted or not. What would you do?"


    I honestly didn''t know what I wanted to do.


    I didn''t want to trust the gods. Besides, these goddesses were sealed for a reason.


    ''But if Ashirnae is to be trusted then-'' But I didn''t know if he could be or not. After all, all this time I thought he was the bad guy.


    My thoughts really were a mess.


    "Well, I trust you."


    "That''s-" I sighed. "Well, it''s more complicated. If I waste a day or two on the desert, let''s say I could get an ally who''s very strong, very intelligent. But might eventually betray me for her own good."


    "Well, we''re all people. Everyone has their own interests. As long as you''re careful about not ever stepping your bounds, as long as you make sure you''re not hampering their interest, I''d say you won''t have to worry about them backstabbing you. At least, that''s what I believe."


    Her thinking was logical- but, this was a goddess I was talking about. A divine being. Something mortals couldn''t comprehend- hence the term Divine.


    I exhaled, my breath condensed, and formed mist in front of me. "I suppose."


    I didn''t make up my mind yet. I had to rethink a lot of things.


    We kept traveling and at midnight, stopped. There was a massive termite group migrating. Each one was about the size of a dog. They were harmless as long as we didn''t attack them. So, we waited for them to pass, meanwhile, getting some rest.


    This world really was something else. Even now, even after all this, I was still amazed from time to time.


    Afterward, we kept on going.


    We walked.


    We killed.


    Eventually, the sun started rising and so did the temperature. But we were nowhere near the oasis.


    "I think we might have to camp in the open today," The mama''s boy said.


    We all got down from our rides.


    "But without water-" Without water, we''d barely make it till the evening with the current rations.


    And then we''d reach the oasis and refill.


    But what if the oasis was like yesterday?


    What if it was already drying up?


    Besides, camping out in the open was going to be very bad.


    "It''s not that bad yet. I think we can go for maybe a few more hours?" I wasn''t that tired but I was feeling thirsty. Just drinking iguana blood wasn''t going to be enough anymore.


    "I don''t think so-" Neira came over. "The illusions would get us lost and we''d end up dead in no time."


    "What if we could get rid of the illusions?"


    "Then- that''ll save us a whole day of travel," The kid wondered. "it''s impossible though."


    "Well," I grinned. "It certainly is possible."


    "I don''t like that look on your face." Neira grit her teeth and slightly grimaced.


    Meanwhile, I just stared at the distance. The vague shadow of a castle- a pond, some buildings, and a forest.


    It was all there.


    It was time to make a decision.


    If the goddess didn''t betray me, she''d be a great asset. But if she did, it would probably just cost me more time.


    I guess it was a risk I had to take.


    ***


    I headed for the castle.


    Alone.


    Neira and the kid both wanted to tag alone despite knowing that people didn''t usually come back.


    Weird people.


    Anyway, it took a bit of convincing but I was glad they understood.


    It was more like they didn''t have the guts to stand in my way. I definitely didn''t threaten them or anything, okay?


    The sun had barely woken up. And yet, I could feel the very sand beneath my feet starting to radiate heat. Almost as though I was in an oven of sorts. Which was kind of true as the desert was technically a place where you could cook food during midday just from the sun.


    ''I wish, I''d brought Todd¡­''


    Anyway, the castle!


    The castle was still in the distance. And no matter how much I walked it stayed in the distance.


    Apparently, no matter where anyone was in this desert, the castle would show up.


    People tried to get there, and got lost. Some managed to get there, but the rumors went that they never came back. But for those rumors to circulate, someone had to come back, right?


    ''Got any ideas?''


    ''None.'' An instant reply. The spirit was listening.


    ''Oh yeah, I forgot to ask your name¡­''


    ''I have no name¡­ not anymore¡­''


    ''What about when you were a spirit of light?''


    ''Sisandra.''


    ''And I can''t call you that because?''


    ''Because I''m no longer a spirit of light.''


    I sighed. ''Well, I can''t just call you ''it'' forever¡­''


    The spirit went quiet.


    It didn''t quite say anything anymore.


    Meanwhile, the large castle in the distance still stayed in the distance.


    It was getting awfully annoying. I was so far away now I couldn''t see the oasis behind us anymore.


    So- I took out my scepter from the ring. Conjured up a ball of light and threw it straight. A white light- rather hard to see in daylight.


    But it didn''t go straight. Rather it just went through a loop of sorts and went towards the east- aka, to my right.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t my arch-nemesis, the maze!" I couldn''t help but crack the joke.


    There wasn''t anyone here to laugh though.


    And the sun was only getting hotter.


    I sighed and tried to recall how I crossed the maze back in the forest of Xylax. This maze felt awfully similar to that one.


    Actually, I might have still had those crystal balls. I checked the ring- they were here.


    I brought them out and- well, they were useless to me since I couldn''t use them.


    "Are those magic balls?" The Spirit manifested and a cloud of darkness surrounded us, not letting sunlight pass.


    Finally, shade!


    ''Magic balls?'' I didn''t know why but the name kind of made me almost giggle. Almost.


    It was such a stupid name. Ahem! "Can we use this?"


    "I believe so."


    With that said, the spirit started doing some stuff and we trudged through the desert with ease. Apparently, the magic balls or whatever they were called, could be used virtually anywhere, as long as someone knew how to use them. I tried to learn- but they weren''t for me.


    They were also a sort of national treasure of Xylax but I might or might not have forgotten to give it back.


    Hazy memory syndrome¡­


    We went back.


    We went right.


    We went left and maybe sometimes forward.


    It was weird.


    Some large desert snakes and scorpions occasionally stood in our way but they mostly just ran away as they caught sight of the spirit.


    Things, were really scared of malicious spirits, huh? ''Is she the reason the undead kept running, too?''


    The temperature kept on rising but we were getting close to the castle.


    Closer.


    The closer we got, the fewer monsters we saw.


    And then- we''d arrived exactly half an hour later.


    A pond, a city, and a forest.


    No monsters.


    And a massive castle.

 Chapter 385 - Dates! Big, Fat And Juicy!

    Walking through the place was different than just floating about.


    The last time I was here, I was here as a spirit of sorts.


    Now though, I was here in flesh and blood.


    And it was frigging midday.


    So yeah, blood boiling.


    Sweat dripping.


    And though the pond had water, the water wasn''t drinkable. Reason being, glittery stuff.


    I remember Lianne mentioning that places like this which had clear water also had undead mermaids.


    Yeah, I didn''t want to bother with those things. And I certainly didn''t want to drink their water and fall asleep here. No sir!


    Anyway, I walked on.


    Just past the lake-sized pond, there was an abundance of trees. Trees, I''d never seen before.


    I''d traveled quite a lot in this world. I''d seen all kinds of things.


    But these trees were really tall and weirdly different. Their barks were thin but the tops were awfully bulky. The leaves were that of a date tree, thorns here and there. But more importantly, the fruits were about the size of my head. And no, they weren''t coconuts. They were dates. And they even smelled nice.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t here to eat.


    Sure, didn''t stop me from putting two whole ripe ones in my ring though.


    Onwards!


    I passed houses. They were in ruins, but most of them were still standing. The houses were mostly made of yellow stone of some kind. Very durable stuff. Just like the ruin I''d seen before, there wasn''t anything here.


    I had a bad feeling about that. After all, the last ruin didn''t quite give me great memories.


    Then again, this was a desert, so it was possible the desert had swallowed everything.


    The castle was still ways off.


    And the temperature was killing me.


    Eating raw ducks and birds wasn''t doing anything. I needed fresh blood.


    And I needed it now.


    Sirgh!


    "IT''s just up ahead," The spirit finally said.


    All this time she awfully quiet. She was actually connected to my shadow and didn''t go any further than a meter from me.


    I could see the castle in the distance, so I knew just how ''up ahead'' it really was.


    But yeah, I had to commend the spirit for trying to cheer me up.


    But I needed a rest.


    And so, I searched for a tree and found one just across two houses.


    Another large weird date tree. It had plenty of ripe dates beneath the tree. All the size of coconuts.


    I went there, sat down, chomped on a date, and drank duck blood.


    The fruit was excruciatingly sweet; big, fat, and juicy! And weirdly empowered me. I could think a bit clearer too.


    ''This stuff has mana infused with it?''


    Change of plans, I began stashing all the stuff immediately.


    And once I was done¡­ ''Wait, I could taste it!''


    Ever since I woke up in this state, I couldn''t taste normal food. I couldn''t even taste fruits.


    I could only drink meat and blood.


    But now.


    Now I could taste this fruit!?


    "Whenever you find another tree, just tell me. We''re taking it all!" I said.


    The spirit let out a giggle. "Let''s not forget our goal, now."


    Oh yeah.


    The goddess.


    Anyway, I ate another date and another duck. Neira had hunted like five and I finished them all.


    Maybe I should have at least thanked her.


    Anyway, to the castle.


    We stopped about eight times before reaching it eventually¡­.


    ***


    The castle wasn''t empty.


    The last time I was here, there was just one large floor and nothing on it.


    But this time, there were rooms, stairs, and even a frigging chandelier. The place was maybe five stories tall?


    It was holding pretty well.


    So far, no sign of anything being sealed.


    "Where do you think she might be?"


    "My best guess would be the underground floor, in the vault?"


    Wait, there was an underground floor?


    And a vault?


    I looked around and I only saw floors leading up.


    "Would breaking this place really be that bad?" I said, looking down on the marble floor. It was rather shiny.


    The spirit remained quiet but stared disapprovingly. I guess that was a yes.


    Anyway, I searched around the room.


    It was kind of cool in here, so I didn''t need to worry about the heat, at the very least.


    Bookshelves were here, but there were no books, just dust, and sand.


    I didn''t encounter any snakes or anything like that in there either. I thought they''d be here since it was cool and all still nothing. No monsters, no animals.


    The walls didn''t quite have any markings or anything either. In my dream, I saw some scribbles but so far, nothing.


    There weren''t any hidden rooms either. I tried knocking all the walls but none of them were hollow.


    "This leaves us no choice but to break the floor."


    The spirit still remained quiet.


    Anyway, I imbued my sword and shoved it straight at the floor. Even I knew when to not use brute strength.


    The sword went through, and I started slowly carving a hole. A hole I could fit in.


    It took me exactly a minute but, the hole was done.


    The floor was maybe about a foot thick. But the sheer rigidity of this thing was anything but commendable. ''Is this really marble?'' I had my doubts. This stuff was a lot, lot more durable.


    I looked past the hole, but it was pretty dark down there.


    I threw a ball of light and it went about three seconds deep.


    I couldn''t see much but there was definitely stuff down there.


    "How will we get up?"


    "Once we found the goddess. We can ask her to give us a ride up," she said.


    "And if she refuses?"


    I didn''t get an answer.


    I''d found a good source of food after coming here and I was content with that.


    But I''d come with a goal in mind and just because there was a chance of failure didn''t mean I could give up now.


    Running was no longer an option.


    "HERE GOES!"


    I jumped.