A soft whistling sound wakes me up, I find myself in my room. I feel much better, but Getting up is still a challenge as my chest aches every time I try.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqrVTjPxRm
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After a few attempts, I drag myself to the edge of the bed and roll down softly to get up, then walk up to the window.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPA3ElURiuL
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The sun is not visible but the sky seem dimly lit, stars are still visible, and now that I see it, the planet has two moons, one is blue and another is silver, except the blue moon is broken.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0LWYnj8hu
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I can hear the whistling sound. And now that I am awake, might as well take a stroll.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjhrAQzGNB
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But before that I tie a cloth around my left eye which is making me feel dizzy, this place is filled with energies.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN3teGOffG
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNK6Pe7Qtt
I open the window, and using the branches as foot hold, climb down slowly, but just as I am about to reach the bottom, my foot slip and I am about to fall flat on my face, but using my unbelievable strength I use my arms and legs like a cat to spread the impact across the ground.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡludl2WQnzx
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Although it pains my chest, I power through it275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgM6FNqYdz
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“Cool..., lets go.” I say to myself optimistically.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h7N2eGBiS
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But if someone saw me walking around I am sure they would avoid me.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFToQgtUe6
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There are less people around than I expected, maybe people sleep till sunrise here. And this place feels like it’s based in center of an Oasis, there are lots of trees and bushes.
I follow the sound and arrive into a small clearing not too far away behind the mansion. There are some wooden swords, some sort of equipment.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRFsz5h65z
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59kqHFuY3X
I am sure the whistling sound must be coming from here. But there is no one here?275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJYCKRa62D
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rYW2lYECe
Just kidding, they think they can ambush me, they are on my right in the darkness of the trees. I summon a dagger just in case.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpJkvOMzBt
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2W2yBcPRyM
I quickly turn towards my right, ready to defend, but the flash of bright golden hair dazed me. I snap into action as the sword nears me, I divert it using calculated precision, tilting it so that the flat side slides against my neck, but suddenly Gloria switches her grip, trying to stop herself.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU94R9IuxfZ
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREdKfZ18tz
It works for me but seems like it didn’t quite work for her.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilGT1T8bD1
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ojBDtsluX
Gold particles disappearing in the air signified her failed attempt to use her powers.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFkj9yQYZn
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet5neOWImK
I catch her shoulders. Frail looking like any woman’s, But she sure is strong, and It felt like I am holding ambers.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAidqoVfMo
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAReyXsCEz0
A hissing sound starts to come from my hands.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpknANfNlm
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qVcjty8uh
“Get your hands off me!” she says as she tries to force my hands away.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFkRepkXht
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2D4TH8fZN
“You should be in bed. I nearly killed you.” she says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9s8MhxO69
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“Don’t flatter yourself, and do you attack people out of the blue if they approach you?” I ask in a serious tone275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXFZGpREVu
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LtdUKBy5a
“Excellent, so you CAN~ talk?!” she says forcing a hint of surprise and frustration in her voice275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEod88Fj8Tz
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYJQu7Et6B
“This is my training ground. Restricted. I hate people Intruding during practice.” She says arrogantly.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EJoJXEVjq
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pZhZ2FupE
She flicks her head to slight right “I didn’t injure you did I?”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuoc7GSnSc
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKIQKVDzLF
I don’t speak to strangers much, trying to save energy is a habit I developed during my time as the best hitman. She is just my contractor’s daughter.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP7MhJCDJ6
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I smirk, looking around.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaFCxWpyXG
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPnp9MNUUg
“Oh, so you can smile. I though you were some serious guy.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyotUSbG53
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHBOR2F7El
I stroll around, looking at the equipment. But as I turn towards Gloria again, I catch a wooden sword. Old memories, unpleasant ones return to me as it instantly crush the sword in my hand and throw it aside.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mvu7bJOPd
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMUTJX1AbQ
“Wha—Hey! If you didn’t want to practice you could have said so! Why break it?!” she says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LS2D35EWW
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHkq7SeUjK
“If it were a random person that forced a sword in my hand, they would be draining on the ground by now.” I snap, only to realize that I am way out of line.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUNMzpeUeg
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“….” Gloria flinches275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVAaOoK62C
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhlfwJlAxy
“Sorry. I didn’t intend to do that. Swords and I don’t get along.” I say as I pinch my nose disappointed on myself.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSdYST0F2a
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs31h4LMg1a
“No, it’s fine.” A small, almost surprised smile touched her lips. “Startling, is all. Not many outside my family dare raise their voice at me.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBAyPCyZ1Z
“You aren’t angry?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGnaBf4HSk
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXIcH5ovST
“No, I was just trying to get you to spar with me, forgetting you are injured. I was the one at fault, so I will let you off the hook this once.” she chuckles, mischief in her voice.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEQqRgwNFn
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vTsfa5DFU
“A spar?” I considered it. Good exercise, but not worth reopening these wounds. “Maybe Another time.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgkuwgDjAu
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKQqkZZDXH
“Then we have a deal?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtesbuGdG9S
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“Deal” I assure her with a thumbs up as I transition into a cross-armed pose.
Keeping up this polite facade was exhausting. So much wasted energy.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyU1mu09cQf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRd7n4cDS4
“Last night, Old man said you defeated the demon lord. If you didn’t use a sword, then what did you use?” she ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1GDq4ytm7
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzMfdczuUL
“You want to know?” I ask, she nods immediately.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHLnIUsUS3
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYBHFDiLSI
I point at the moon to distract her “Oh, look! A bird!” It works like it always does.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CsEqBBHUK
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I only need moments to summon my spear using my strange powers.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nAlQMk9xW
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Now that it was in my hand, I remember how badly its damaged since the last battle.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ofqyKXvNm
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpHqmNVhnP
“Hold on—Where did that come from?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1e41JncwM
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI5LkTQmHK
“Magic?” I offer with a shrug “Maybe, who knows?” motion275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaV10JV6Wap
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3NZF6r8nE
“Don’t take me as a fool. That staff was not there before. How did you make it appear out of nowhere? And I know you have an artifact which stops magic around you, mine didn’t work when I attacked you earlier.” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHUkHr7zR0
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I had a feeling she might ask this.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGDfXtvY97
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“Fine, It’s a lost technology. I had the staff, but in a miniature form.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLirM2iiSN
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTStTMcaxSm
“Hmm, that might explain how you defeated the demon lord.” She murmurs while clutching her chin and the part of the mask covering it.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbKhGznnjf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26VpD5SLuT
“What rank are you anyway?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLr0MIeoA7
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“Rank?” I ask back in confusion275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KgdWIe1kC
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj86Up0dPIM
“Yeah, as in Adventurer Rank. I am called the ‘Flame queen’ and my Rank is called Silver Hand. Burned a Wyvern into a crisp with single blow using my fire magic once Although I was trying to hide my power.” She says with a smug voice.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo1tAYceKI
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQlB3TpYKM
“Adventurer, huh? I am not one, I am a Hitman.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlQ7Uu9Ng3
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs5DXIixk8
“Oldzheil did mention that before. What does that even mean? Is that some kind of title?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5UkRDZjD0
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYP5Kb1XM5
my stomach lets out a deep growl as if a lion roar.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2VpJ09xKm
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“History can wait for later. But Food? My friend here suggests we Eat.” I say rubbing my stomach under the shirt.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCRHhiLWIf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYvtqXX1wO
“Now that you mention it, I am hungry too. But…” she hesitates275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRd0bbhHkWY
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“But I don’t think you would like what I eat.” She says.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEbul91pkp
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOlQQDEzaF
“Anything that doesn’t scream first.” I pause. “Even a tree will do, if it comes down to it.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBo9tLIFvy
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She giggles “Your sense of humor sucks just like Oldzheil.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfXFp7hwcH
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5KJKUnXXP
“Problem with vegetables?” I ask with a flat voice275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK319C3KKZ6
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“Not at all stupid, as a matter of fact I am veg too.” she says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8qYPV50LJ
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“A veg like me in this world? Crazy fantasy world to be in.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3XU4Z8fZQ
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUbj7R21aC
“HEHE, there are many out there. Meat is quite expensive for common folk. And, eating lower beings is the last thing I want to do,” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0twze8UiNU
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjN84l8O3sa
Gloria starts walking excited, and I follow behind her, we both walk for a few minutes, quite. But then she speaks.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHWdEX17m7
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTekWVDihx
“You know, when I first saw you, I Mistook you for some god’s descendant too, Your eyes, although strange, speaks of wisdom and knowledge not meant For humans to achieve your age, It’s unbelievable no matter how I think of it.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FVIC83uWt
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“Seems like the Old dwarf spilled more than I expected,” I say.
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgdZorAHbe
Maybe she's right about the age thing, though.
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Telling her I'm decades older felt wrong somehow.
I lost my childhood working to meet expectations; perhaps being young again wasn't so bad. I shift the topic.
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“So—these adventurers—they are what, monster hunters?”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3Z1Xq0sYU
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAqUMV3JwP
“It’s an umbrella term, but yeah it involves bandit hunting, monster hunting and many other things.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHwhWIIHYi
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer0Z7PUoXp
“So it’s a freelancing platform for people?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo8CTzuDRQ
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“What’s freelancing?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx67ixJKCcx
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“Work on hire.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeO3mCIW9H
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI58EhY74gI
“yeah, more or less. How the hell do you don’t know about adventurer’s guild?” Gloria says, suspicion creeping in her voice.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QLp2yYWPo
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueGL6PS2F7
“Geolard scrambled my memory before I met Warzheil. Only the important bits stuck.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aOMPnFiJ3
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOhN4WX8uX
“Oh, Oldman didn’t tell us about that.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqCI38LGtS
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“He doesn’t know it as well. I just realized that there was something missing in my head.” I say as I make up a random story.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTv9SlMOom
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk8QL0rzDP
”By the way, you don’t quite speak like how one would expect a goddess, I assume you grew up here and not in a castle?”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIcmJDKLVT
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“It’s that bad? Maybe I should take those classes Sil was telling me to.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqHfLiHsI4
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ic6MDlkbV
“One’s presence can be powerful when used with knowledge and precision.” I say.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VDkaAvZN1
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“You should become a Sage.” She laughs275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3O3hWTEwu
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“So, What’s your plan after this? Like, what do you want to do in life? You already defeated extremely powerful foes and lived to tell the tale. I am sure you can easily become a captain of some knight’s order in a capital city if you wanted.” She asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELeHuAWKOd
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Her ideas are alluring, now that I reflect on it, I never took time to peacefully sit down and think about what I want to do after I found Ava.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbySVBdE6e
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“Maybe I will go visit the man who stole my precious sister’s heart, and show him who the boss of the house is!” I say, cracking my knuckles with a grin.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4UWN1X7MA
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfiaSU81OV
“You mean Ava ‘The Light Borne Hero’, right?” she catches me off-guard by mentioning Ava.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkRCq9hjuk
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqI7FQ5GKm
“Oldzheil told us about her too.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcCeRvG4pf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5jz46KGJq
I sneer “That Oldman…...” tightening my fist275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALKgp1FKuG
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSgNOqAxNZ
“Hehehe, Don’t hold it against him, Grandma Sil has a special spell that forces other to speak more than they intend.” She explains275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer4OInXD21
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FebB3xl3w
“Fine.” The thought of facing Ava still unnerved me. “Doesn't change that I need to see them.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxyRkNq3kx
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB0Hsr0RGW
“Why the long face? You think your sister won’t welcome you because you had a fight with her?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0UGKlpnhA
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelsaaBDzi3
“It’s---complicated. Right now, she hates me more than I hate the sword” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNY43AGSsI
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRApfhEFxu
Gloria does not enquire further. But after a moment of quite walking she speaks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9x4HXhNcJ
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6y6hJAVgRC
“Why not become an adventurer just like me? I have never asked anyone this because no one is worthy around here, but maybe we can become friends?” she says as she spins and walks backward while she face me275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs91Qmb9fXD
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObzoVUH0ib
“Friends?” I continue after reconsidering. “Hard pass.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA22EwI5O8z
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJr6wNjElf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxTwhdcbeJ
Gloria, who was excited earlier with her hand raised in joy had suddenly stopped. Her joy was put to an abrupt halt. I stop too.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqRdEqPX3F
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3FyYJwX4v
She must be struck hard, but I cannot be friends with my contractor’s daughter. I don’t want anyone else to be hurt because of me.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPcQMiUPtO
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQKyaNqFam
But, Then I hear a few sniffs. My heart sinks.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzqc7oQu1k
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyWU6GH6Dn
Giggles after sniffs “I was just joking? Why would anyone want to be friends out of the blue with someone who attacked them.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxehBjZ5wvn
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtNXhRSkFa
“Your father taught you well, arrogance is downfall of the weak who think they are strong..” I says with a small smile as I rub my beard.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZqtL3j7Mm
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv1og1tt4k
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“So, do you think I can become an Adventurer?” I ask trying to divert from the sobby mood.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtrTULiyBl
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8cLddW3F8
“oh, They don’t let mutants into the guild, but I can vouch for you if you want. The local adventurer guild can only promote you till the Elder Silver Hand rank. But after that you will need to go to one of the capitals.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtELVo7xgf
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN614NHd4r1
“Can I ask for your help? Or did I hurt your feelings and you won’t help me?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf7hjCJWMr
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf9Lxh4o0H
“I am not some fool who dwell on emotions for too long, and you are our guest, so I will help you. We are almost there anyways and Since there is still time until the food stalls open up, we should go there” She says
“Won’t the guild be closed as well?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWHjflXf0k
275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyyXJIT0oE
“No, it opens up early, since adventurers start coming here.” She says as we walk through the town.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE5OfjROEk
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“You will need to fight a monster or instructor to get a rank, which should be breeze for you. But I suggest you take off your artifact when you measure your mana.” gloria says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5agjVfARI3
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“Take off? Oh didn’t Warzheil tell you? I cannot take off my artifact. It is bound to me with Curse of Binding.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESc2pomDpI
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“Curse of Binding? But that’s a curse lost during time of the Elder Gods. Just how old is that artifact? And how did you even get your hands on it?” She asks with a gasp275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizOlO8Mk4v
“Well, Geolard had it.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuFgMfVcVF
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“Oh, that makes sense.” She says with an analytical nod275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyecqq7LaU8
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Soon, we arrive near a big, exotic looking building, magical almost.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyQU05ckIN
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The doors are open and a Cat woman is mopping the front of the guild.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2f5iFIObA
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“Nya-? Miss Gloria? What brings the Flame Queen so early to the guild?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz1hms4Whv
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“Good morning Canthrine, This is a guest of our house. And he wants to register as an adventurer.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eOkHL486p
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I join my hand as a greeting which confuses them.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeicjTsfSt
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“This is the way of greeting in my homeland” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk38e2g3gyA
“Oh, you gi~yot me nyanfused for a second there. Hahahaha. Go in, Sinfia should be on the reception.” she says with a welcoming gesture.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY97D9UgSa
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“Hmm… strange man, I couldn’t feel my mana near him.” Canthrine dwells on the thought for a few moments before getting back to her chore.
Gloria nods as we walk into the Adventurer’s Guild. Polished hardwood floors gleamed under soft, magical light emanating from runes carved into the ceiling beams. A long counter dominated one wall, several empty stools before it, while comfortable-looking leather chairs were arranged near a large, unlit hearth on the other side. Quiet, for now.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVdMLyuAVb
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A half Dragon half Human girl sat on the center counter.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQbt87BJYg
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As far as my knowledge go, they are called dragonewt.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdug5WkPmQ
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There are 5 counter openings and she is on the center.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGe3mS7BIi
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She Seems busy with some paper work, and doesn’t notice us.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKcnrTmFRo
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“Hey Sinfia!” Gloria says waving her hand.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2p4NsZwyX
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“Oh, If it isn’t Sister Gloria.” The girl says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT8DKPoVAD
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“Kid, Where is the receptionist?” I ask, teasing her275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQFYkYgZns
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“Wha-?, Excuse me, I am THE receptionist and I am 19, a full fledged adult. And I will soon be posted to a capital city too. Sister, Who is this rude per…..son?!” her voice drifts from annoyed to shocked when she notices my hand.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtBZr0VnDn
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Seeing her stare at my hand, I and realize that my hand really makes things complex for me.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20BV4Nlt9b
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“You mean This? Standard issue. Made For certain specialized… professions.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMXQ07IPRj
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“A gauntlet?” she asks suspiciously275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwxRxYHN4f
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“You don’t need to hide it when I am with you Ronin, I will fill her in later.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9tFBsFecz
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“If you say so Big sister. But what brings the Flame Queen here today?” Sinfia says, letting her guard down slightest.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXBkM5YIuC
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“I am here to vouch for this man, Says he wants to be an adventurer.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAm6TxmAQY
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“Him? I don’t see much in him though. His left eye is patched by a cloth, his left hand looks like a gauntlet out of the demon treasury.” She says with a bored expression275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YIgxTKouJ
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“Fia, If one of your adventurer becomes above Vanquisher Rank, you would finally get a job in one of the main branch, Right?” Gloria says, gesturing at me.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfo4vK7xdY
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“So you are telling me this guy here is that capable? Even if it’s you, I need some proof to accept your vouch.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDOOmeQ0ak
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“A proof? I don’t think we have….” Gloria says but I know exactly what to do.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgJ0LiRuvX
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So I interrupt her as I step forward and put my index finger on the desk. “Listen kiddo, you saw the flash of light in the sky a few nights ago right?”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwGBfWnE82
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“I am not a kid!” she recoils275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5ZNoDvV0W
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“Tell me that, When you learn to control your temper. For now answer the question.” I say which annoys her but she answers275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLLQfL259n
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“Yeah, what if I saw it? The Heroes must have defeated the demon lord.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kLidsBGSq
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“Heroes didn’t kill that monster.” I lean forward slightly. “I did.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78J5QWbWW9
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At first Sinfia covers her mouth and then starts laughing wildly almost falling off her chair.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj925MArwUP
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But Shortly after, I hear another giggle. I look up, slightly backing away from the counter, and see a powerfully built woman perched atop a counter. Muscle corded her arms and shoulders, compact and dense beneath practical white clothes and a half-leather jacket, but she moved with a surprising grace when she later jumped down. Not just brute strength, but honed power.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwXACaZEI3
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“Guild Master Kainia, You returned from Holy Kingdom?” Gloria asks.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoRn7WIZh2
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“Hello, Gloria. Thanks for taking care of our town in my absence.” She says as she jumps down from the top near Gloria.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k9JgNYwqd
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Walking up to me she realizes something is wrong with her mana, her expression gives her away.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEfaUwJycH
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Kainia’s eyes narrow on me. “No mana In or around you… An artifact?”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUhF2ODaMu
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“As expected of the boss of the place. You know your stuff.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVAOk0L8Pu
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The guild master’s expression changes, now she feels like someone who is worth talking to.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI9Syjh9Xs
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“Kid, going around, telling other that you have precious commodity doesn’t raise fame, it raise chances of death.”275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDODM8ap9H
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But Her bossy attitude won’t work on me, putting bossy people in their place has been a big part of my history.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsmNuKPSgw
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“I am confident I won’t meet someone who can take it from me, I know just fine how to go against odds.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIY57dWtgT4
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Kainia nods slowly, her sharp eyes assessing me. "So it is true." She lets out a short, barking laugh, devoid of humor. "I like you already kid."275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaFUmZBmYT
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Kainia leans a hand on the counter, her expression turning serious. "And to think such a youngling is the 'Demon Traitor'. You're already a hot topic in the Holy Kingdom, you know?"275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYjsgXNGtl
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“Me?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj5UGP8XBf
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"Yeah, you," Kainia confirms, seemingly enjoying the dramatic effect. "The Holy Kingdom realized you killed the Demon Lord – their prophet, the one who talks to gods, apparently saw the whole thing."
Sinfia gasps, her earlier mockery vanishing, replaced by wide-eyed shock as she glances nervously between me and the Guild Master. She had heard my claim.
"They're saying," Kainia continues, ticking points off on her fingers, "that a 'half-demon' betrayed the demon race..."
Half-demon? Where did they get that? I think, catching Gloria giving me a quick, questioning look.
"...held his own against the Light Borne Hero..."
Gloria's eyes widen “So Oldzheil wasn’t lying?” she asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxxRPoDW40
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“You still had your doubts, huh?” I ask with a sigh
"...and then killed the Demon Lord," Kainia finishes, driving the point home.
Sinfia looks faint, clutching the counter for support, finally grasping the reality behind my earlier statement. Gloria lets out a slow breath, seemingly confirming this part to herself while the other details swirl.
Kainia smirks slightly. "Made you a wanted criminal and a legend overnight." She pauses, letting the weight of her words settle in the now silent reception area. "Point is, they’ve put out a request to every guild, mine included. Compulsory quest: report any information on your whereabouts."275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GBrNEz1mN
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“W-w-wait, tell me you aren’t joking boss!” Sinfia says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiy6YVDxkW
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“Not at all, Sinfia, you should apologies this man before he eats you.” She says teasingly to Sinfia, which works.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAceZwSAAw
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Sinfia is about to get up but I gesture her to sit down and relax.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNQLtIlY0O
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“Ok, first of all, I may look like this, but I am not a Demon. I am human by heart.” I pause “I am here to apply as an adventurer, so, are you going to let me take a test or should I leave? Because I have other things to do.” I get straight to the point.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQtABVCxA7
“Hold your horses now, there is no way we can make a demon into an adventurer, but I will make it a special case for you. I have ears around the town you know. Since you are a guest who saved our elder Warzheil, I will be delighted to help you create a fake card.” She suggests275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYoscwcdqO
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“I see a fake card….” I dwell on it for a moment275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhdBfdOdDm
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“I can register you as a human adventurer with a prostitute hand or something. As for the test, I need you to bring some big hunt with you while you are here. I am sure you don’t want people hunting you know where you are because that’s what will happen if I told the main branches of adventurer guild about you.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh0buz5Gin
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“I think that’s a good plan, so I just need to register as a newbie, hunt some beasts, and rise through the ranks?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jPlR7PfTz
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“Bingo. It seems like our Gloria found a smart boyfriend for herself, I was starting to think she would be alone all her life.” The guild master huffs teasing Gloria.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOAWuwwj7D
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“B-b-boyfriend? We aren’t like that! How can I- with him.” She starts to stammer.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbO7S458aJ
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“She is teasing you, snap out of it.” I say in a commanding voice275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetAsuTilJN
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“so? What did you decide?” Kainia asks275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFCaSz2vNv
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“Your proposition is not bad, ok let’s go with that.” I say275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2G56qFvfND
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“I will get register you on Steel Sentinel rank which is the 8th rank out of 10, hunt a good beast and I will raise your rank.” She says handing me over a small tempered Blue-Steel wristband that fails to attach to my wrist, so I try to bend it to fit my wrist.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi3TlRwNri
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“Killing the demon lord has it’s benefits It seems. Thank you. Although it doesn’t fit my hand.” I say trying to fix the band, Gloria turn to leave, I follow her as I fix the band, but Kainia stops us as we near the gate.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcyduAsIpO
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“Take this advice to heart. Do not use your powers, items or artifacts openly. Kingdoms rage Wars over such precious commodities. They will try anything to strip you off your things if you are not under a kingdom.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMM2l2speC
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“Why tell me this?” I ask275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyzMiDBJll
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“Your ancestors must have worked hard as adventurers to obtain such precious artifact. I can respect that.” She says275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0SPuYaYwW
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Well, It’s good that she doesn’t know that it’s not an artifact. She is a good person.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeiWyibMM5
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We step into the pre-dawn twilight. Just as our eyes adjust, a party of five adventurers approaches the entrance, moving with the synchronized efficiency of a veteran team, their boots crunching softly on the street. Their gear, though travel-worn, is high quality; the leader, encased in gleaming golden plate armor, wears the unmistakable Obsidian Black wristband of a Reaver. The bulky warrior beside him sports the Burnished Bronze of a Vanquisher. Slightly ahead of them, hurrying towards the door while glancing back, is a man in flamboyant silks carrying a lute.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoahVfhWfRO
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Preoccupied in adjusting my band to my wrist, I don't sidestep quite fast enough as the bard reaches the threshold. Our shoulders collide. He yelps as the waterskin he was lifting flies from his grasp, splashing dark liquid down his colorful tunic.
"Seven bloody hells!" Valerius—the bard—exclaims, stumbling back and staring aghast at the spreading stain with theatrical horror. "My Aquarian silk! Utterly ruined! Have you no eyes, man?!" Real irritation underlies his dramatic tone.
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"Easy, Valerius," the Vanquisher rumbles, planting his heavy frame squarely in the doorway, blocking our path. His Bronze band is prominent as his hand rests near his axe hilt. He looks me up and down, gaze lingering contemptuously on my blue-steel band. "Watch yourself when approaching your betters, Sentinel. Some 'accidents' have steep prices."
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Gloria Step forward, he hair flaring with amber particles.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3yMI6Mk6K
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Gloria draws herself up beside me, her posture unwavering, her hand near her Polished Silver band. "He was rushing blindly toward an occupied exit. Perhaps even those," she adds coolly, pointedly glancing at the leader's Obsidian Black band, "self proclaimed ‘betters’ should mind their own path."275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09s53iHLvf
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The leader in gold armor remains silent, visor fixed forward, assessing. Behind him, the veiled mage and the shadow figure watch impassively.
Valerius recovers, striking a pose despite his damp tunic. "A tragedy! Such artistry warrants recompense! Perhaps," his eyes flick to Gloria's rank and bearing, "the lady understands? A private performance, maybe?"
I step slightly forward, drawing the focus. "It was unintentional," I state raising my left hand a little suggesting a gesture of de-escalation, my gaze fixed past the others onto the impassive golden helm of the Reaver leader.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp22OIPyX0
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My stance is relaxed, although the Vanquisher seems to be raring for a fight.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORGklEjdWj
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The Vanquisher bristles. "That all? It seem we need to teach you how to respect elders. You think that Silver Hand protects—"
"Rank means less out here," I cut him off, I say flatly, going out of my way to avoid an unnecessary fight, addressing only the leader. "Rank doesn't grant you the whole doorway. Travel costs coin. And Don't mistake the colour of a man's wristband for the threat he might be hiding just because he works the fields."
The challenge hangs, palpable. The Vanquisher glares, momentarily silenced. Valerius raises an intrigued eyebrow. The leader remains still, but I sense his focus sharpen behind the visor. The veiled mage shifts, lifting a hand subtly.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoDhId6FsP
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“A small lesson for one so young as you.” She says in a whispering voice.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kq46u5S1y
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A faint thrum vibrates the air as mana gathers around her fingertips, Condensing into a sharp water stream aimed my way. It touches the field around me – less than a breath against my senses – and then its form destabilises, falling at my feet, wetting them. A silent crack like static discharge, and the nascent spell vanishes utterly, leaving no trace near my inert Blue-Steel band.
The mage gasps audibly, physically recoiling, her entire frame rigid beneath her veil.
Every member of the Reaver party reacts instantly. The Vanquisher stares, his jaw slackening in disbelief. Valerius pales, eyes wide. The shadow figure becomes a knot of pure tension. The Reaver leader's helmet snaps fully toward me, his stillness radiating sudden, intense scrutiny. An Iron Guard nullifying magic? Impossible.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqk8Xsz7v4O
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“Now I am wet too, that makes us Equal.” I say
The Reaver holds the stunned silence for a long, calculating moment, clearly recalibrating the threat assessment. When he finally speaks, his voice is dangerously smooth, stripped bare of any condescension. "Enough. Hedvard" The command is clipped, directed at the Vanquisher, but his unseen eyes bore into me. "Inside. Now."
He starts to turn but pauses deliberately beside me, his presence radiating controlled power. His voice drops, a low murmur meant only for me, sharp as obsidian shards. "Don’t think I didn’t notice your artifact, Sentinel." The leader says with a voice dripping with venom. "Artifacts attract attention. The wrong kind. And that behavior of your will be your gravedigger." He holds my gaze through the visor slit, a silent promise of future scrutiny. "Remember that."
Without awaiting acknowledgment, he brushes past me and disappears through the open doorway into the quiet shadows of the guild hall. The bulky warrior gives me a final, hateful glare before lumbering inside. Valerius, looking thoroughly unnerved, scurries after them, followed swiftly by the still-shaken mage and the silent shadow, their figures quickly swallowed by the hall's depths.
The immediate threat recedes, but the tension lingers heavily in the air, the silence from the empty guild hall behind us somehow amplifying it. Gloria lets out a slow, shaky breath beside me.
"Well," she murmurs, looking from the empty doorway back to me, her expression troubled. "That was… more than I expected. I have a very bad feeling we'll be seeing that Obsidian band again."
I stare into the guild hall's depths where they vanished, the leader's parting words echoing. "No," I agree quietly, a cold certainty settling within me. "I have a feeling this isn’t the last we will see of them." I turn away from the guild entrance. "Let's go I am Hungry."275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvluQYz7Ss
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And we walk into the streets looking for cuisine that would satiate my hunger.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y1YctHmep
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It's an old stubborn habit of mine to observe surrounding to almost minute details even when relaxed. I always feel insecure if I don’t, so I do what I am best at.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8MkPVWeWC
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passers talking about Jortheus’s death, omens, wars and demon attacks on various kingdoms, Species trafficking etc. but there is one interesting think I noticed to be odd.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoQC8MS6Zd
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There were birds chirping in the trees unlike in the Kobe forest, who suddenly went quite. I look around, scanning the trees, but my right eye can see only so much, so I force my left eye open under the bandage while it’s still on it.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6YDqfnCl4
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I see outlines of beings, as if using some sort of sensor to outline things, even if it makes me nauseous, its handy in these situations and surely I see many figures in the trees watching me.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleALRSR3WL
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2 have pointy ears, elves, 1 has ears and a tail, a beastman?, another have a bow and its hiding under a hood, they all have a very thin line of colorful outline unlike gloria whose is overflowing, which means they are suppressing their power, but the hooded person doesn’t have any outline maybe I can try to peek…..I try to focus my left eye on the person, but it sends a dizzying pain in my head, maybe I shouldn’t force my strange powers, I don’t know enough about them.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGVjNNKvcV
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They aren’t too bad, but they are unlucky I am the best at the game they are playing. I smirk at them to put them off their game.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiEXYHDBws
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anyone would see me as crazed guy if they saw me smirking to thin air but I am certain I saw them flinch. I can even hear bits of murmur if I concentrate my enhanced hearing, but its no use.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfMWDk59bu
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I notice them using sign language and then using magic to disappear like they were never there.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡil7Ddm67vu
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“Hey! What you gawking at up there? The stall is very close, come on I am hungry too, it’s Oldzheil favorite too.” Gloria shouts from a distance which snaps me from the Simulator phase of my thoughts.
For now, let’s see what happens.
Dear Reader, be kind enough to leave a comment in the chapter about it, as it inspires me to keep improving and doing better. And like if you enjoyed this chapter.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSG36NvUBl
It hardly takes a few seconds to write "Good", but it boosts the confidence of us authors.275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkUvDFUzpI
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Join my Discord server If you want sneak peeks or early access to chapters of Cosmeta series. Discord Server link: http://discord.gg/Q27uA8vnfu275Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctZKmrma0H
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