“When the gate between Sol and Proxima Centauri turned on after more than four hundred years, and the capital ship Destiny arrived a short time later to report success, our surprise was soon replaced by the joy of family long gone returning home.

The travel time to the red dwarf, building of fortification and the gate had been expected to be done more than a century earlier. Preparations for a second and much larger expedition were already well underway.

As for the delay, it was due to unforeseen and worrisome circumstances.

While Destiny was sailing through the great void between Sol and Proxima Centauri, the majority of the ship's passengers were in stasis. Something unforeseen occurred.

The recording showed a creature half the size of the capital ship rip its way through a rift in space. In the beginning, its shape was only visible on the radar system. When the creature suddenly appeared next to Destiny, its tentacles moved through the hull as if it wasn't there, but the harm it caused to the living, both awake and in stasis, was devastating. Thousands lost their lives in the first few seconds of the attack.

The command of Destiny was not to be deterred. We had slain gods and devils to free ourselves in Sol. What was one more demon in the dark?

We were the hunters and not the hunted now.

Thousands of crew members and legionaries found themselves awakened to the clarions calling for war.

It was quickly discovered that the plasma cannons were the only armament that caused harm to the horror. To be more precise, the light that radiates from the plasma.

With that, the battle turned. Every flood light on the hull was put to use together with the plasma cannons to drive the monster away, and in the empty vacuum of space, light shone for the first time since the primordial gasses had settled.

Destiny hunted the demon for three years before it clawed its way back to wherever it came from.

The incident was a stark reminder of how little knowledge humanity had about the vast universe we called our own. However, as with all other obstacles, we would improvise, adapt and overcome. Our mission was as clear on that day as it was on the first day.

Liberation.

Humanity would have its freedom.”

- Elistar Iscariot, Grand Magister during the second Kingfisher dynasty.

“Have you lost whatever wit you had under that crow's nest you call hair?”

Apparently, my plan to get the scouting bounty and then pick up the quest to exterminate the goblin raiding camps did not fall in taste to the little lady. Too bad she still lived with the illusion that her opinion mattered. I would have to twist that knife around soon, or she would become unreasonable. Asking for things like getting her things back and whatnot. What's next? Give back the money I had found? Fat chance.

That didn't mean she could just insult my hair like that. That was just mean-spirited, I thought, trying to pat down the worst parts of the tangled mess. Goblin blood became sticky after a while.

“Right now, the only thing making you more valuable than what I can sell the loot I won through battle for is the knowledge you possess about the goblin raiding camps. You don't even have to kill any of them. Just show me the way to the camps after you have handed in your quest, and the guild sets up a new quest for the destruction of the camps.” I answered while waving a hand in the girl's direction. She was already annoying me, and I barely knew her. This is why I never discussed things with servants.

Trying to push a bit on the gratitude feeling, I continued.

“You do owe me a life and for being rescued before they reached their main camp or dungeon.”

Her already pallid face got a slight tinge of green to it. Not that I could blame her. Women may survive longer than men in the tender care of goblins, but every moment of it was torture. I was honestly surprised they hadn't started on her the minute she was captured. Self-control wasn't something goblins were known for.

They did understand fear. What that said about whoever was in charge of their dungeon, I couldn't say, but it was probably nothing good. Then again, that may not be how dungeons worked at all; what did I know?

“I won't be taken again.” I think the situation was getting to her because she was swaying on the root I had placed her on. That wasn't really a reason to be this unreasonable. She was a peasant. Had her parents never told her that her life didn't matter? They were supposed to do that, right? Admittedly, I knew as much about peasants as I did about dungeons.

Maybe she was hungry. I know I don't think very well on an empty stomach.

Deciding to move things along, I leaned over and took the green cloak from the loot pile, the one I planned on taking for myself and tucked the blue one under an arm.

Laying it out on the ground, I walked over and put the blue cloak around her shoulders. Unsurprisingly, she flinched when I gently wrapped it around her. Before she could protest, I carried the mess of a girl and sat her down on the newly appointed blanket.

Setting myself on the other side, I reached into my meager food supplies and placed bread, cheese and dried meat between us. Finally, I took out my most treasured belongings, small pouches of dried fruit and sweetmeats. No matter where the road leads us, I will always be thankful to Greg and Grigg for this gesture. To say I had a sweet tooth would be the understatement of the year.

Finally, I set down my waterskin between us. Something I noted made her cringe, so I said, “Eat.”

With a look of apprehension, she looked at me and then down at the food. Good, she is thinking about something other than ending up in a goblin pot. I just tried to nod reassuringly before breaking off a piece of bread that I held out to her.

With that, the dam broke, and far too quickly, I was out of food again.

“Look at the situation from my point of view. Right now, your things have more value to me than you do. Do you understand? What you have is information, information I want. I Don't need you to come near the goblins. When you have led me there I have a different task for you. One that will take you back to Murktown.”

The food had brought a bit of fire in her again because she was clearly not pleased by what I said. It did, however, seem to have centered her a bit from what had happened the last few hours because she didn't look like a bunny catching a glimpse of a hawk. There was a toughness in her eyes I could respect, a toughness that had no doubt kept her going when others had fallen. Her answer far from pleased me, however.

"What the unholy cow patty of a deranged donkey bothered do you mean by, your things have more value to me than you do? Are you claiming I'm worthless, you asshole?"

Well, no, just that her things held more value than she did, but I'm guessing that was not how I was going to win her over. How did others deal with these people?

"In a monetary sense, I can sell your items and receive gold for it; in that way, I mean value."

I slowly let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when she slowly and reluctantly nodded. However, she was still looking at me as if I was the unreasonable one. That didn't stop me from continuing my sales pitch.

“Good. I saved your life. As I see it, you owe me something in return for that, girl. I don't want your life, but I do want you to show me where the goblin camps are after you have turned in your quest. When you have done that, I will give you the coins to rent a wagon from a farmer or something and wait at the nearest king's courier station. You won't even have to get near the goblins."

Sadly, my words didn't make her start throwing flowers at my feet and praise my name to the heavens, but she didn't immediately throw anything at my head either. Baby steps.

“Girl? I'm older than you, and despite your airs, your face tells me you know little enough about life. You talk like a lord, but why would any lord run around in tatters here? Especially here. Get yourself killed, then. I'll strike this bargain with you.”

That works. I am fine with this outcome.

“Whatever floats your boat, girl. You just do your part, and everything will be fine. Try running off before you bring me that wagon, however…” Letting some of my power slip out, as I said the last part.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

I had to clamp the rift shut almost immediately. The temptation to break her to my will was almost too much.

The back and forth had been getting annoying. It was the best deal she would see from anyone under the circumstances. At least she finally agreed. However, the brief brush of my power had a noticeable effect on the lady. Her pupils dilated, and her breath quickened. I caught her casting glances around to see if we were about to be attacked.

Interesting. It was the first time I had observed what happened to humans when I exposed myself…my power in front of them. I didn't know if that was a normal reaction to an Awakens power or not. Something more I needed to figure out.

“So, what brought you to the life of an adventurer?” Since she still looked about ready to fall, if we tried walking anywhere, I figured I could play nice for a bit, and people love talking about themselves, right? Peasants are people?

She was giving me the stink eye again. Some people are just impossible to please.

“None of your beeswax is what it is, but fine. I was born in the shanties, or Shantytown, as they are better known.”

I did. It was a city outside of the city of Murktown. A place without hope or respite. A place taken over by the vilest parts of mankind long ago. I loved it, if I was there together with a large group of my peers and some guards lurking in the shadows.

Its only redeemable quality was the annual dry season that inevitably led to large parts of the damn thing burning to the ground. Its residents, the poor, people without hope or a future, people on the run and those taking advantage of the people kept rebuilding it, though. It was where the hopeless went to disappear silently, and the rich went to take advantage of everyone's misery.

At my nod, she continued.

“Well, things go as they always do. Some days are bearable, but most are just waiting and praying for something to change. Praying for something to take them away, but where are they to go? There is no more free land. There is no place that needs more mouths to feed.”

She looks vulnerable, sitting here holding her knees against herself. Deep in thought by the looks of it. Deep in sorrow and regret.

“I didn't have the worst childhood, but I won't claim it was… good. Mostly, it was fine, but when Mom started bringing in the rougher sort for a copper or two more, I knew—I knew I didn't have long. Luckily, I had just turned sixteen, so I snuck out and ran to the nearest guild representative. To both our surprise and delight, I tested a high, very high affinity to the domain of Sekhmet.”

Now, that made me reconsider a few things about the future.

A high to very high affinity almost guaranteed becoming Awakened. You would actively try not to awaken. Sekhmet was also a well-known domain, its personification in the goddess…Sekhmet. I know. I know, but that's how domains worked. The domain was one of the more well-known ones and had a powerful following.

Sekhmet also granted the Awakened good abilities to control heat and fire from the parts of her domain pertaining to those aspects. Not all domains focusing on healing branched out like that and still managed to raise some of the best healers.

It still irked me that whatever existence ruled my domain never tried contacting me. It would make things so much easier. Sekhmet however…. The girl was more or less destined for success.

Should I try recruiting her on a regular basis and eventually offer her sponsorship when I take my house back to help her awaken? Her affinity should allow her to reach rank two or even three. A powerful healer and fire caster would be a welcome addition anywhere, and rightfully so.

Should I make overtures to win her over or let it grow organically? By letting it grow organically, I meant setting up instances where I could make her more and more grateful to me and heavily manipulating her into thinking she needed and felt indebted to me. Choices choices.

“It caused quite a stir at the time. The guild head gave me a stipend to purchase the necessities to start taking guild contracts and form a permanent team to go hunting with. Like most Awakened, I need to have support backing me until my power fully grows. Things never seem to go as planned, do they?”

I barely stopped myself from saying. No, they do go as planned. You just need to stop jumping into a bush whenever it seems expedient. Did she need a reminder that I had two sacks of loot from her last attempt at doing a quest with other people. In case she had forgotten, their bodies had probably been diced up and put in a pot by now.

“It's been two years now, being a Hunter. It's not the most glamorous life, and money doesn't stick around as long as I would like, but it's freedom. It's a choice I'm making, you know.”

I merely nodded along, making sure she saw me paying attention. I could see she was too tired for any soul-searching right now, dammit I was almost falling asleep myself, and it was barely past noon.

Only goes to show that humans are incredibly skilled at lying to themselves. Sometimes, I think it's how we deal with most of the trauma we suffer, instead of meeting it head-on and actually acknowledging that something was wrong and needed fixing. Instead, we dance around the subject and force it to the back of our mind until the next time it happens, and eventually, it becomes everyone else's fault, as if fault has anything to do with it. We are truly strange creatures.

Decided I had enough of her problems for the immediate future and said,

I'm going to grab a few minutes of shut-eye. If you can get some sleep, too, go for it. We have a long day and night ahead of us.”

“What, you're not going to tell me of your childhood? What led you to become a Hunter? Hardly seems fair now, does it.”

While moving the loot and my backpack in the crook of a large root, I unfolded the thick blanket the brothers gave me while saying.

“Nothing to tell. Normal childhood, normal life. That's me, Mr. Normal. What drew me to become a Hunter? Who says I am one?”

That may not have been what she expected to hear because I could see her mouth forming shapes, trying to come up with something to say. Eventually, she ended up asking, “What?”

“It's why we are going to the fortress first, so that I can register with the guild and get an official mission to take out the goblin camps. There are also a few things I want to prepare before you show me the camps. Now try tucking yourself into a root so we won't be so easily seen, will you?”

Despite continuing to look at me like I was some sort of incomprehensible puzzle, she did manage to take the two cloaks and nest herself into the root opposite mine, a bit too close for my liking, but I only needed half an hour's sleep at most.

Before I knew it, I was back in the dark nothingness.

Sitting up with a grunt and a shiver, I took a long swallow of cold water. If those were my dreams from now on, I would rather not have them.

Not to complain but I could really do with some wine or ale soon. The waterskin of seeming endless water was no doubt my second most prized possession at the moment, after the family ring that I kept tucked under my shirt. It was the original one. I had swapped it with the one my aunt wore a few years ago during a tantrum. I doubt she ever noticed, unless she truly tried taking over the house, she was in for a nasty surprise then. It was nice to have one thing after my father.

Deciding the nap was over, I gave a good smack at the posterior with the scabbard of my sword as I positioned myself just out of arm's reach. The sleeping lady did not seem to appreciate it, but it worked magnificently. The amount of rage and confusion in her eyes as she looked at me was palpable.

Giving her my best smile, I said. “I'm Alucard, nice to meet you.” while holding out a hand in greeting. Gave her a choice between slapping or shaking it. Who says I can't be a gentleman? Now that she had something I wanted.

Sadly, she did neither. Instead, she opted to stare daggers at me for a few more moments before saying, “I'm Mira. Give me some of that water, you blasted maniac. What time is it?”

Taking a last swig of the waterskin, I threw it in her general direction before getting up. “I have no idea, but the sun has barely moved. That said, I don't see much point in wallowing around in here. Time is ticking. Daylight is burning. Take me to the fortress, wench. Hmm, time is ticking… Wonder where I heard that?”

She was looking at me as if I had two heads, and to be fair, I do, but being a gentleman dictates I keep one of them covered in polite society. Then again, I had a feeling I would fail terribly masquerading as polite, let alone being part of any form of society.

“Chop, Chop?”

“You have all my stuff!” She said in a deeply exasperated voice.

I'll have to admit, she did have a point. It would look rather suspicious if she were to be seen with me only in rags. Looking at my loot pile with all the heartfelt pain of a father losing his child, I said the terrible words. “Fine, you can keep your stuff, but the money is mine,”

Trying to hide the tears of pain from losing my hard-earned loot. I set about packing up the rest of my stuff before she got any more quirky ideas in her head.

To my delight, it didn't take many minutes before we were heading southwest.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn her guild membership medallion came with a feature that pointed toward the nearest guild hall. You could add other features to it, but it would cost more. The higher your rank also gave you better options. To say I wanted one would be an understatement, but she quickly rid me of the notion of taking hers since it was blood-bound to the guild members. It did make me wonder what those other options were.

Her medallion was made of bronze and had three dots above a rather strange-looking set of lines and squiggles. Mira explained it showed she was a bronze rank three.

To reach the silver, you needed to be a bronze ranked with nine levels and be tested to ensure that you were able to handle the increased difficulty of the quests, represented the guild properly and were in good standing within the guild. That basically meant not stealing other guild member's stuff, murdering them in their sleep or making life short or horrible for other members was frowned upon. The thing was that you normally needed witnesses to report someone for things like that.

Apparently, the squiggles and lines on the medallion could be scanned with an enchanted apparatus by a guild representative to see your history in the guild. Each time it was scanned your information was stored in archives of all the major guild houses, so all cities basically. The guild protected the information, and not even the ruler of a nation could demand access. If you should leave the guild you could demand to have the information deleted.

The more I learned, the more I started to like the idea of being a Hunter for the guild. The work was exciting, and the pay was excellent. More importantly, I didn't have to sit on that god-awful chair my father used to pass judgment from when he held court. It was one of the most boring memories of my early childhood.

Maybe I should outsource my duties as a noble and go traversing the forgotten corners of the land for a few years. Thinking back on pre-death Alucard and the waste he had made of his time, I wanted to kick myself in the teeth.

One thing was for sure. I wanted access to quests or, more precisely, the payout for doing them, so I would have to join the Hunters Guild.

Then we were there. I would never have guessed as I stood gaping, looking up at an enormous Ironwood majestically towering above the rest of the forest.

Mira, having stopped when she noticed me lagging, turned and waited for me to catch up. For the first time, I saw her smile.

“Come on then, Alucard. Daylight is burning.”

Smacking my ass in passing, she started jogging towards the fortress.