My head felt like it was spinning from the pain in my chest and my chest felt tighter as I watched the backs of the other students walking in front of me, there were 2 guards following close by just to make sure…

Just to make sure the bloodthirsty murderer doesn’t go on a rampage.

Who cares, I never considered those fucking idiots to be anything more then arrogant, rich, spoiled children who can’t even wipe their own asses.

To listen to one of those pieces of shit talking about Snoopsi as if he knows anything about him, who the fuck do you think you are?

I swear I’ll kill you if you ever mention anyone from Slayer again!

“Hey! Slave! Calm down right this moment!” The guard to my right commended as he put a hand on my shoulder.

I looked into his eyes and felt the blood flowing into my head as the rage kept building up “Huh?”.

The 2 guards took a step back and pulled out a spear and a sword, aiming both at me.

I took a deep breath and put my hands up “My bad I got caught up in my thoughts…”

“C-control yourself from now on!” The same guard on the right said.

I really do need to control myself a little bit more, it isn’t like me to just snap like that, I thought I was getting better at listening to those retards speak badly about my past but it almost feels like, well 2 steps backwards for every step forward wouldn’t make sense I guess, It’s still not even clear to me in what direction I’m even walking.

We stopped abruptly as Zick went ahead of the group to speak to one of the soldiers.

He returned to us with an arm over the older guy’s shoulder “Cadets, this is Mikah, he’s the captain of the scouting brigade!”

The small man who looked almost like a child next to Zick parsed his scarred lips “I am delighted ya lads, ‘tis of utmost importance that ya lot will grow to be the finest of fighters so make sure you give it your all strive far more aye? Bahehe.”

“Right… You guys might be wondering what the scouts brigade is supposed to be. Honestly, the name is a little bit misleading, the scouts are considered the strongest brigade in Guardian, on par with some of the lower ranking royal knights!”

Mikah took a sip from his leather jug and sat down on the ground as he looked at the students.

“Ro-Royal knights?! Why would a scouting unit be composed of such strong fighters!?” One girl asked, to which a few other students agreed.

“Haha, good question there, you see, the scouts mainly move around in small units of 3 members at the time so that they could maintain flexibility and swiftness.

As a result of that however, the risk goes up too.”

Zick shot a glance to the scout sitting next to him.

“Hic, fine fine, yar such a tighty one aye? Bahaha, ya see lads and lasses, most of the missions we got here at the fort got us goin’ real close with some of the munchers and hosties around…” He flipped his jug and shook it a bit making a few drops fall out on the ground.

“Hmm, excuse me sir, what’s munchers and hosties?” To my surprise it was Roger that asked it.

“Baha! Hic, Zicko d’ya not teach the lads about the dangers of tha world?” He looked at Zick who returned an exasperated sigh and started explaining.

It seems that the soldiers in Guardian give to creatures that aren’t human or demi-human and are carnivorous the name ‘Munchers’.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

‘Hosties’ is just another way of saying hostiles, those being demi-humans or humans who pose a threat to Rintiya.

“Are there really such strong m-munchers out there that you need a low ranking royal knight to defeat them?” Some four-eyed guy asked.

Mikah’s brows furrowed and his flushed cheeks lower and lost some of their color “Lad with the glasses there, ya listen close here.

That kinds of thunkin’ getcha killed, ya do best to remembir this.

Ya fight on equal grounds and the grounds get dug up from under ya foot.” He lifted the jug and tried to take another sip before his gaze sank to the ground and his eyes slowly closed “Ya best remembir…” His voice trailed off.

“Ahh… Mister Mikah?” The student stepped closer to the scout.

Mikah pulled out a knife and struck at the student’s heel. The student squealed and fell to the ground but his leg was unharmed, Zick stopped the captain’s hand and woke him up.

“Hic! Bahahi, ya can’t sleep on the job aye? D’ya lads learned about the orange dust 30 years back?” He got up to his feet and shook off the dust from his clothes.

The air suddenly stood still and the dust from the man’s clothes filled the area. I could barely see anything in front of me but I could hear the wind.

Is this a Seal? It’s still cold and windy but the air is still, everything looks different but feels the same.

“Whacha seein’ right now is the fockin’ dust from all those years back, we saw lotsa lads like you lot, white on the nose and wet behind them ears. Like I could talk… I was one of them lads.

Don’t ya wish you could take part in a battle? Well ya shouldn’t. Take it from this old dog.” malevolent pressure hit me all of a sudden, I put a hand on the back of my belt but of course I didn’t have a knife…

The orange dust vanished from my sight and the captain’s eyes slowly lost their momentary glow.

He raised his right hand and pointed at himself with a thumb that was apparently missing “This one here was proud and that’s why that one there” He pointed at a nearby area with a fence around it “Is in the ground aye? Bahaha!”

“I-I underst-”

“Nah ya don't’ ya skinny lad, ya don’t understand and ya won’t… until ya do that is. Seen ‘nough of ya lot to know that now. ‘Heps Simon the First’s gon’ help ya aye?”

He flipped his jug once more and turned to Zick “Zicko, I take it we done with the introductions then, aye? I’ll go get a refill bahehe.” Mikah sloppily put his hand to his forehead and gestured towards us before walking past us, he looked at me for a moment as he passed by.

“Well at least one of ya understands I take it bahahahaha!” And with that remark he walked away.

The other students looked in my direction, some clicked their tongues and some just stared poisonously. I guess we’re back to this now, not that it surprises me.

One stare still had a bit of an impact though. I looked at red-hair and there was a strange, painful sting in my chest.

He looked at me for a moment, his eyes glazed over and his brows slightly furrowed. It was an expression I’ve grown familiar with over the last week, I haven’t seen it before so it was new to me but now I understand.

People need validation from those around them, I get it now, I get what it means, or at least I think I do.

It was probably better this way though…

***

We spent the rest of the day learning about Guardian’s history, the battle of the orange dust and the reasons behind the decisions regarding the outer and inner wall.

We were also introduced to the rest of the scouts and were assigned a scout unit leader for every 2 students.

Mikah chose me, saying he wants to keep an eye on the ‘muncher in hosti clothing’ as he so kindly put it. Since I had to stay with the prince, we ended up grouped together.

Of crouse, even a person who only just met me treats me like a fucking beast, everyone around me is just a part of this pile of shit. If only I could just kill them all.

Who am I even lying to? I can barely handle killing bandits who directly threaten my life… I guess I’m the biggest shit in the pile.

Night fell on the fortress and we were given free time to roam around. Of course for me it was more like an order to go and have a 1 on 1 talk with Mikah.

I arrived at a decently big tent made of grey cloth, it looked pretty thick and clumsy, not what I’d expect of a scout’s tent…

“Stop yar examining and let’s go far a walk lad.” Mikah said as he stood behind me.

“So much for a 1 on 1, I guess.”

“Bahaha, spicy one aincha? Well that’s all dandy. Follow close.”

He started towards an unlit area next to the wall. I've read about this type of scenario in books before. Is this the part where I get killed…? Pfft, yeah right.