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Third Month, 44th Year, Age of the 23rd Calamity
In a cramped, cold and damp dungeon cell sat an old man. He slowly breathed in the moldy air and small clouds escaped from his mouth. His ragged clothes didn't protect him from the foul, stinging draft which was omnipresent, brought to him through the long rocky corridor in front of his cell.
The man was the Grand-Magician Rubeus Garant of the Kastal Kingdom and he had spent all his life serving his King and the King's late father. He always did what was the best for the nation and had never done anything that would warrant his placement here. All except for one thing. He had studied the mystical devices from the Hero. Especially those the Hero called 'guns'. Ever since he first heard about its potential he was engrossed it the functionality of that device. No, that godly weapon. It was told that the hero killed a dragon with just the pull of his finger. One attack. And the Dragon was slain. After that, he heard that this weapon was a key element in his fight against the demon lord. And it was not even the hero who wielded that weapon but a companion of his.
A weapon that trumped dragons and rivaled the demon lord in power. How could he not study such a magnificent contraption? And he not only succeeded in understanding this strange weapon but he actually managed to recreate one. Admittedly it wasn't on par with the weapon the hero wielded but it could shoot a 'bullet' over one hundred meters and still do a horrifying dent in the best armor of this country. He didn't know any magic that could do something like this. And the best part of it was, you didn't even need to study the art of fighting with it. Just take it, point it where you want to do damage and pull the trigger. Easy as that.
He was so thrilled about his success that he went straight to the king and reported everything. He did not think. As soon as he finished explaining to his Highness he was thrown into this dungeon. But there were people out there who would do anything to get this weapon. In fact, someone approached him already. Here in this place. They could free him, and he could experiment further. But those people would start a rebellion. Still, he was inclined to do it. Why is it a crime to follow your curiosity? Why should the entire world be under the heroes thumb?
He made up his mind. He would accept the offer from those people. Even if it means treason. Even if the hero would come to bring down his hammer of injustice. He just needed to shoot him. With such a godly weapon it was possible. Suddenly his cell door was unlocked and Rubeus jerked up. At the entrance stood a waiter who he knew was loyal to the Kingdom. Why would he open the cell?
"Grand-Magician,", he spoke. This was the first time since he was thrown into this dump that someone called him by his title.
"The King has given you pardon and wants to speak to you immediately."
"What? Why?", Rubeus asked with a hoarse voice.
"I don't know but probably,", he paused for a moment, "because the hero is dead."
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Fourth Month, 44th Year, Age of the 23rd Calamity
It has been a month since that Geran chased me out of the woods. In that time I learned that Berret was apparently the hero who defeated the Demon Lord. It was quite a shock for me since he never told me about that. At first, I was angry at him because of that, but I thought he would have told me when we would have left the forest, so I forgave him. Everybody made a big fuss out of his death. But I could understand that. Berret was a great man after all.
After I got my food at the station, which was a wonderful chicken, by the way, I was allowed to sleep there for the night. In a bed. A real bed. I was so happy that I cried. The next day Mathew organized for me a place on a merchant’s carriage which was on its way to the city of Erial, the capital of the country of Eleina. I was kind of surprised to see that two big birds with long thin necks and giant beaks pulled it. The merchant labeled them as Dodos. As far as I remembered back in my village we had oxen to pull ours. They constantly turned their heads around 180 degrees and stared at me. Those birds really creeped me out.
'They know that you ate their kind.' Don't make it worse!
At the gates, the guards welcomed me and showered me with questions about the hero. But it came to a sudden stop after one of them who didn't wear metal like Mathew yelled at them. He ordered one of them to escort me to the hunters guild and on the way, he bought me tasty sweets. Everybody was really nice to me. Even after I entered the guild hall the first thing those grumpy and wild looking hunters did was buying me a lot of foot and lamented the death of my master. But apparently, those didn't know yet that Berret was my master and they were stunned to hear that. After that, they became even more friendly. I was even allowed to stay in a room in the guild and got each day food for free.
"This is life.", I happily declared with a full belly and my head resting on one of the big tables in the big guild hall.
"You say that every morning.", laughed a boy a few years older than me. He too was an apprentice and became somewhat of a friend.
"Because it’s true!", I tell him while glaring at his unnatural crooked nose. His blue eyes widened for a moment and he leaned a little away from me. He shook his head a little and his short brown hair swung with it.
Ever since he took part in one of my morning practices he quickly became scared of me. I didn't know why. I was just warming up juggling a few fireballs. Ah, by the way 'fireblast' is just tossing fire out of your hand uncontrolled. Fireball is a step further.
'You would have died of old age in that forest if not for that monster.' nagged the voice in my head.
'You should be thankful to it, don't you think?' Shut up. I'm explaining something.
'To whom?'
"Have you found a new master yet?", asked the boy cautiously to change the topic.
"No Dirk, I haven't really asked around.", I answered him. Somehow it felt like betraying Berret.
"You just have to ask. Every one of the veterans would be thrilled to get you as an apprentice."
"That's fer’ shure.", grumbled a low voice and a giant of a man sat down beside Dirk. A large pipe grew out of the left corner of his white-bearded mouth and white smoke climbed around his bald head.
"Bet you would have her too master.", taunts Dirk. The man just gave a low growl as an answer as he sucked on his pipe.
"I think that Lutz has all of his hands full with you already.", I picked on him. Lutz chuckled a few puffs of smoke out.
"Shure thing that. He ain’t a bad one, but hes still gorra lot teh get in 'is noggin’. But you’s could submit fer ye’s Journeyman’s test, couldn’t you’s?", he explained. To be honest I have a hard time understanding him.
'Right? The fuck is a noggin’?' I just stared at him blankly.
"That's right.", added Dirk. "Then you could take jobs on your own." Oh, that's what Lutz meant. Becoming a journeyman would make it possible to join a Division, but I would get told what missions I would have to take and where to go, and I didn't like that idea much. Afterall I got free food anyway.
'Filthy lazy slob!' Again, shut up. You are not doing anything either so don't do so superior. 'Hmpf.'
"Morning ya’ll." Another veteran sat himself to our group and freed me from the need to answer.
"Morning.", I and Dirk replied in greeting, while Lutz gave another grunt filled with smoke.
"Did you hear about Kastal? They have started moving troops to the border, or so I was told.", started the man and his small eyes became even narrower. He too had a pipe in his mouth but he had no beard.
"'A? Oo yapped dat’ nonsense?", grumbled Lutz. "Thar’ wasn't even time to mourn da 'Ero. Anyways’s, doze bloody 'illbillys shits can bark all dey want now."
"I heard it from my brother. He's a knight you know. Gets put on the border to watch. That’s the truth, I tell you. But I agree, don't get what they hope to achieve. Got their ass kicked sixty years ago and lost half their land to us."
"Maybe dey’s wanna be part o' us. Tire’ dat fool King they’s ‘ave o’er there.", said Lutz and laughed loudly.
"Tomorrow in the papers: Eleina acquired hundreds of acre as a present."
"Pah, dee won't attack ay tell you’s! Juss big cowards deh ‘ole lot of em’." I and Dirk looked at each other and smiled wryly. I because I didn't understand a word from Lutz and hoped that Dirk would tell me, because he did. But when those old folks started talking like that they would sit here for the next few hours and I decided to leave. Since I had better things to do as just to sit there and listen to their gibberish I excused myself and left the table.
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I felt Dirk staring at my back. 'Yeah, he’s inwardly crying: “traitor”, probably' Whatever, not my problem.
I left the guild and made my way to the market. Hundreds of people filled the street and chatted loudly, shopkeepers yelled to praise their products, many good smells rose from the stands and young children cried at their parents to buy them goodies. I didn't have any money since I didn't earn any at the moment but I didn't mind. My belly was full anyway, and much of that stuff that was sold here I got for free at the guild. I just liked to walk around and observe the people and the products lined at the shops. I liked to look at the clothing stores and imagined myself wearing those nice looking dresses that were presented as samples.
'You say you don't mind but that's only with the food, isn't it? You are staring quite longingly at those clothes every day, now don't you' No, I don't. Anyway, there is nothing I could do about that.
'Sure there is. Get the journeyman test done and you could earn money. Easy as that, isn't it.' Nothing I could do, I say. Anyway, aren't there more guards than normal walking around?
'Sure they are. Maybe it's true what that fellow said and the other country plans to do something.' Well, they said it was a small country and even weaker than when they lost against this country, so I guess it will sort itself out.
'Right, nothing for us to worry about'
After I had my fill of all the shops I walked to the Temple. It was a giant building made of white marble and stood in a plaza without any other buildings surrounding it. It gave the feeling that the gods themselves put it on this earth as it was seemingly carved out of a giant rock.
'Obviously not. There is a ledge and there and look, over there! A ledge.' It was a metaphor. Could you please not always interrupt me when I explain stuff? God. You're so annoying.
'And again to whom?' That's it I'm going to ignore you. Anyway. In front of the entrance were three meter high idols of the twelve gods, six on each side leading to the door a giant could march through without any problems. Today there were a lot of people here to pay offerings to their god of choice.
'Don't you want to explain the gods in excruciating detail too?' I'm ignoring you. 'Sure you are, aren't you?'
The inside was enormous, even bigger than the guild hall and twelve round archways were set up in a half circle each leading to the inner sanctum of their respective god. I bowed to each doorway each time praying for Berret. 'Thanks.' After that, I entered one of the smaller halls through the gate of the god of crops and livestock. Not because I prefered this one but rather because of their songs that the choir sang all day. Those were just sung without any instruments and if you closed your eyes you could almost think the gods themselves sung as the voices echo through the hall.
Just like outside many people were in here. I sat on a free spot of the rows and rows of banks near the center where the acoustic was the best and closed my eyes. Immediately a feeling of calmness overcame me as the resonant voices entered my head. Nothing but happiness engulfed me and not a single unnecessary thought came to my mind. I was at peace.
I felt a warmth as if Berret had embraced me. In these moments I felt like nothing bad could ever happen to this world. This was the blessings of the gods. They showed me how much they loved me for they gave Berrets soul the approval to be with me at this moment. Of that I was sure.
Without stopping the coir went fluently into their next song and small goosebumps rose all over my body by the wonderfulness of everything. I listened until it finally came to a stop and Berrets presence was leaving me. Bye, until tomorrow. I made my way out of the Temple into the plaza with new vigor and determination.
'Tomorrow too I shall live the easy life.' Just shut up.
Back in the guild, I went to the inner courtyard to do my daily training. A lot of hunters were here practicing in different ways. I liked to watch the swordsmen. They were practically dancing with their swords and it was entrancing to look at. 'Well, wouldn't fair well against a fireball now, would it?' Not a chance. Back to my own workout. At the moment it just consisted of exercising my mana since I didn't have a training plan or a new spell to work at. The people here may be very friendly but a master only teaches his apprentice and the journeyman's had enough to do for their Divisions.
I let water mana flow through my body. Then I combined it with dark mana and created ice mana. Small icicles formed on my body at the release points I chose. After that, I poured fire mana into these and brought the ice to rapidly melt and created a fog which encompassed me completely. A neat little trick to sneak on monsters without them realizing.
'As if you ever tried sneaking past a monster. You always threw fireballs at them the moment you spotted them, didn't you?' Well yeah, but I could have.
'And don't they have very good noses? I bet the monsters could find you over your smell, now couldn't they?' Anyway, it's cool. Being able to create a cloud and hide in it.
'Well, I guess if your opponent isn't a smart one and finds it weird that a cloud sneaks around, then it is amazing, of course.' Alright whatever, I'm just exercising anyway.
After a while of practicing various spells, the sun began to slowly set and I called it a day and went to the baths. It was, like anything in this guild, enormous. The basin was over five meters high and wide and felt more like a pond. And similar to anything in this town, it was crowded with people.
'Makes you wonder how clean the water is, doesn't it?' I bet they used purification spells or something like that to keep it clean. And they had the god of the Huntsman there at the wall and he spouted water out of his mouth. So it is guaranteed that the water is clean.
'I Don't follow that logic how an idol has anything to do with it but alright.' Just, just shut up ok. I entered the warm water.
'Then I don’t warn you.' Huh? Why?
"Natalie sweetie how are you?", asked one elderly woman who approached me. Behind her were three more all smiling at me gently.
'Oh god, not the granny club.' Since the first time I met them, they would constantly swarm me. Pulling my cheeks, ruffling my hair and trying to feed me was just the tip of the iceberg of what they did to me.
"Fine, just wanted to take a quick bath and go get something to eat. I'm pretty hungry.", I answered, hoping to cut them short.
"Oh, did you train. My, what a studious little girl you are. If just my son would have been like you. Then he could have become something better. You know he was a real pain in his youth.", said one of the other three.
"I too had to hit my son because he did nothing but get himself into mischief. My grandchildren, on the other hand, are more like me, you know. Hardworking."
"I Know right. The generation before the current one right now was just rubbish."
"Just because the hero was there they took everything easy. But now the youth has got a little backbone back, right?", smiled one of them and ruffled my hair.
"It's a real pain to see their potential being hindered in these new schools. Can't see what the benefit would be over the good work at home."
"Never did hurt anyone to help in the parents' job. Nothing beats hard practice to grow." 'Good gods, just run already! They won't stop.' I smiled wryly.
After ten minutes or so of the endless onslaught of talk about their children and grandchildren, I tried to flee. I excused myself saying I was really hungry.
"Ah, that's alright. Food is very Important you know. You look really meager too.", one of them grabbed my arm.
"You are just eating the stuff they cook here right? You should start cooking for yourself. Not only is it tastier, it's healthier too. They always use too much salt and stuff here and on the market."
'They got you, now everything is lost.'
"I also saw that you have always leftovers left.", chimed one.
"The cook always puts way too much on my plates.", I tried to defend myself. But to no avail.
"You are a growing child, you have to eat more than just your fill, how else do you become big and strong when you are an adult?"
After an hour the elderly women left the bath happily carrying me with them. 'How can they be in this hot water for so long and be so energetic after that?' I don't know. I even had to use cooling spells to not get dizzy. In the big hall, I tried again to flee saying that I had to talk to Dirk, but they ignored me. The elderly women sat me on a bank between them and placing way too overloaded plates before me. 'That's it. You are going to die, aren't you now?' I gulped. Yes, I always dreamed of more tasty food than I could ever eat very often while chewing on monster meat in the woods, so it's practically a dream come true but being forced to eat more than you can is something different. I could only hope to eat just my fill and that those old folks accept it.
But they didn't and as I finally made my escape to my room, after declaring how tired I was and that children needed lots of sleep, I felt my stomach would burst. 'You should have run when I told you so, shouldn't you?' Ignoring the never ending voice I fell on the bed. Too full and lazy to move I just lay like this and closed my heavy eyes. A small smile formed on my face.
Life is good.
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In the Kingdom of Kastal sat four men around a very richly decorated table. Those men had met very often in the past month in secret. The secrecy these men had to abide till this day was nerve-wracking and they feared spies everywhere. Every day these men would do what they had to do, to archive their goal. If they were found out too early they would be annihilated before they could even lift a finger.
"Currently we have five hundred men equipped and ready with guns.", said one of them. It was the Grand-Magician Rubeus Garant.
"The Enemy has already noticed our movement of troops but according to our spies they don't know what we are up to.", whispered another man, Spymaster Peter Hutton, hidden under a grey robe.
"Naratesch and Garia will accept our proposal in the coming days. After they see our might and what it can do, they will want a piece of the cake too.", growled the third man, clad in heavy platings, the Great Knight Falker Rottish. His voice was rasping and he had bloodshot eyes.
"Excellent. Then with this command, everything will put into action immediately. I expect nothing less than a complete victory!", shouted the fourth. He wore a shiny crown on his brown long locks. His face gave the impression of a strong and proud man. This was the King of Kastal Ferdinand Gerling. "Time to retake what was stolen from us sixty years ago."
"YES, MY LIEGE!"