The three Frontaliers stayed utterly silent after Mahon’s declaration. He could see they were torn between taking him seriously and knowing it wasn’t possible for him to be this strong.

“You’re joking, right?” Elas finally said, but Mahon shook his head.

“How can you be so strong when you’re so young?” Edwin asked.

Mahon shrugged. “I spent the last two decades fighting for my life every single day. Either you learn how to fight or you die.”

Another stunned silence followed his statement before Edwin finally regained his senses.

“Anyway, to be able to deal with a reaper-cat, you should at least be six-star. If Jorik is the same as you, our strength just reached incredible heights. Even if it’s the goblin tribes that chased the reaper-cat, we should be able to deal with them.”

Neia nodded. “If we trade carefully, goblins can easily be scared, and once they taste cowardice we shouldn’t have any problem crossing.”

“It’s decided, then. We will continue forward. Mahon, one last question, how did you know there was a reaper-cat? These monsters are usually very silent, and it’s hard to spot them.”

“Let’s say I have very keen senses.” Mahon explained.

The head Frontalier acquiesced slowly. “Ok… By any chance, do you or Jorik know how to scout?”

Mahon flashed a beaming smile. “As a matter of fact, yes. Both of us.”

Edwin let out a sigh of relief. “Would you mind accompanying Neia and her team scouting then? We’ll be traveling through the most dangerous part of our journey, and given we already met a reaper-cat and with the rumors of the goblin tribes… You’ll be compensated accordingly, of course!”

“No problem at all.” Mahon easily agreed.

If there were so many threats in the vicinity, and the Frontaliers weren’t confident in dealing with them on their own, then he much preferred taking care of it himself rather than letting them screw up and risk killing anyone. Plus, patrolling along the carts without anything to do had just started to get boring again.

“Ok, the good thing is since we dealt with the reaper-cat, we shouldn’t have any remaining trouble for the night. We have time to discuss more about the coming days and be prepared for the worst, just in case. Elas, can you fetch the rest of the Frontaliers and some food? It’s gonna take long.”

The meeting ended late in the night after Edwin and the Frontaliers agreed on a course of action in the worst scenario of unruly and hungry goblin tribes in their way. When they concluded their meeting, the camp was already long silent.

Mahon joined his tent quickly afterwards. He entered Nightmare the next minute and told Jorik everything that had happened from his fight against the reaper-cat creature to their future scouting missions and the revelation of their true fighting capabilities.

Jorik listened with calm to the whole story although their goal of going unnoticed had been ruined by Mahon’s rescue. Given the context, Mahon had chosen the best course of action, and if Jorik had been in his position, he would have done the same. The two men continued talking for a bit before they went to meditate for they would need all the sleep they could get in view of the following days.

When Mahon woke up, he quickly dressed himself, grabbed his weapons and exited his tent. He had barely taken two steps outside that Reptar came running to him. Clearly, he had been waiting around his tent for him to wake up. And since Mahon was one of the people who woke up the earliest, Reptar must have been very determined to be there before he did.

“Mahon!” The merchant stopped awkwardly half a meter away. He then kneeled and lowered his head in front of the surprised Mahon. “Thanks for saving my daughter!”

Mahon held back a sigh at the situation and grabbed the man under the arm. “Rise Reptar. There is no need to kneel for this. I’m a guard. It’s my job to protect you and your family.”

Reptar stood up, but there was a look of reverence in his eyes that got Mahon uncomfortable.

“I heard it was a reaper-cat, but you still charged forward despite the danger. A reaper-cat! No guard would willingly do that, even for the best pay. Please accept this.”

The merchant took out a nicely crafted leather case with Mahon’s name written on it and handed it to Mahon. Mahon was about to refuse whatever the man was giving him when he noticed a familiar glint. He took the case and slowly pulled out the harmonica Zac had gifted him, in pristine conditions.

“You repaired it!”

“My wife sewed a little case so it will not break again that easily if you go fighting monsters while carrying it in your pocket.” Reptar explained with a tired smile.

“You didn’t spend the night finishing it, right?” Mahon asked in a suspicious tone.

“I… just… You saved my daughter! It’s the least I can do to repay you. I owe you my life, actually. If you need anything, just say it and I’d do my best to help you out.”

Mahon smiled bitterly at Reptar’s reaction. He hadn’t expected the man to react so strongly to yesterday’s episode. It just happened to be Reptar’s child on the way of the monster, but whatever kid it had been, Mahon would have jumped in, regardless. He didn’t feel Reptar’s reaction was justified.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

They went together to eat breakfast, but Reptar’s attitude had changed so much that Mahon quickly grew tired of the now too respectful and polite merchant. It was the same feeling as when he walked through his army rank in Nightmare. A mixed look of veneration and adoration that prevented him from building any spontaneous relationship with anyone. But, strangely, this time, he didn’t welcome it.

As soon as he could, Mahon found an excuse to leave and wandered the camp instead. A few people sent reverent and curious glances his way, but thankfully they didn’t do anything unusual except for observing him a bit long. Still, the sudden attention made Mahon uncomfortable. He was used to being stared at like this in Nightmare, but he didn’t feel he deserved such a treatment in Finem. Nor he wanted.

I just fought a slightly strong monster. Nobody saw it, and yet everybody looks at me like I’m a hero.

While touring the camp, his steps unconsciously brought him to Jorik discussing happily with a young woman in front of a cart full of weapons. It wasn’t the kind of carts Edwin was using for the Frontaliers, but the woman’s own cart. From the woman’s description and the cart full of weapons behind her, Mahon quickly recognized her.

He didn’t yet have the chance to meet her, but Jorik had mentioned in Nightmare how he was becoming friends with a weapon’s merchant girl, in the same measure Mahon had sympathized with Reptar. Her name was Siraye, and according to Jorik, she was a mine of knowledge regarding any weapon. They had met each other because she had grown an immediate interest the minute she saw Jorik’s precious sword hanging at his side.

The woman was leaning on her cart, her head in her left hand. She was distractedly spinning a dagger with the other one, while talking to Jorik in a bored tone. Her ginger hair cascaded along her face, almost hiding half of it, but not enough for Mahon not to notice her freckles and big blue eyes.

He approached them, and before he even got close, the woman’s head snapped in his direction, and her eyes opened wide.

“Wow!”

She left her cart and walked to him with awe. Mahon wasn’t sure how to react at that intense stare, especially since the woman revealed a perfectly toned and shaped body, previously hidden on the other side of the cart.

Mahon almost took a step back, not ready for a second meeting with a too benevolent merchant, but the woman completely ignored him and instead went closer to the spear hanging from his back, stopping her face just a few centimeters away with a look of pure bliss.

“What a beautiful weapon…” She stared right at it and raised her hand to touch it, but Mahon took a step to the side reflexively before she could reach it.

“Hey!” She exclaimed. “Let me see your spear or I’ll stab you!” She spun her danger dangerously towards Mahon.

On the side, Jorik bursted out laughing. Mahon threw him a confused look before he focused back on the woman. “Stab me?”

“Yes! Jorik said you were his friend! I’m Jorik’s friend too. Come on, let me see it, I don’t wanna stab Jorik’s friend.”

“What the…” Mahon was more and more confused, and as the woman attempted again to grab his weapons, he dodged her attempt a second time.

“You asked for it!” She said, and in a swift move, she threw her dagger at his face.

Mahon saw it coming and quickly turned his head away, resulting in the weapon passing by him harmlessly. It continued his path unimpeded towards Jorik, and the noble caught it mid-flight without even looking.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe he would act exactly like you!” The woman laughed and went to tap Mahon on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, but Mahon backed away from the weird woman.

“Hey! Come back here! I was kidding. We’re friends now!”

Mahon shot an interrogative look at Jorik and pointed at the woman now pouting with her arms crossed, giving Mahon a way too deep view of her cleavage. “Jorik?”

The noble didn’t reply and threw him the dagger, hilt first, instead. Mahon caught it easily, but the weapon wiggled weirdly. He immediately understood the trick. He grabbed the dagger by the blade and folded it with his bare hands.

“A fake dagger?” His confusion couldn’t be more evident.

“Yes! See, I mean no harm. It was just a small prank to test you.” Siraye brushed it off with no remorse at all. “Now can I see your weapons, please? Jorik said they were of the same quality as his.” She asked without any shame.

Mahon ignored her completely and threw a helpless look at Jorik. “You say she was a bit eccentric, not completely crazy.”

“What? I’m not crazy! Wanna duel me?” Siraye was back behind her cart, grabbing one of the swords on display. “If I win, I can study your spear and sword for an hour each!”

“I don’t want to duel you.” Mahon answered.

“Wait! You didn’t hear what was there for you if you won!”

“Is she always like that?”

“Yes. I found it’s part of her charm.” Jorik answered with a teasing smile.

“Hey! Don’t start either!” Siraye interrupted Jorik.

“It doesn’t really matter.” Jorik commented. “He is stronger than me, and you didn’t stand a chance against me as you know very well.”

Siraye pouted, but she didn’t add anything. She grabbed her fake dagger back from Mahon’s hand and started spinning it with the same bored look as when Mahon joined them.

Mahon tried his best to act normally after the odd interaction with Jorik’s friend, and he walked closer to the stall to observe the weapons on display. Each one was carefully oiled and maintained in perfect condition. Siraye watched him with an attentive eye as he browsed through her arsenal.

“You’ve a good eye for weapons.” He commented after grabbing a few swords and trying them. Some were of even better qualities than the Frontalier’s weapons.

“Of course! I’m a weapon merchant.” She scoffed. “You want to buy one?” She flashed a predatory smile.

“Not really.”

“Then what are you doing here if you don’t want to let me see your weapons nor want to buy one? Did Jorik ask you to taunt me or something?” She asked while throwing a threatening look at Jorik.

“It was a coincidence, actually. I just saw Jorik and came. We need to prepare for the scouting.” He explained with a glance at Jorik.

“Oh, scouting? Are there more dangerous monsters in the vicinity, reaper-cat killer?” She glanced at his weapons with an insatiable curiosity. “Did you oil and sharpen your weapons since your fight? A reaper-cat fur is really tough, you know.” She flashed him a seductive smile while leaning forward. “I can sharpen your weapons for free if you want.”

Her attempt completely fell flat on Mahon, but her remark was still pertinent, and especially since Mahon didn’t have any whetstone to even sharpen them himself. He glanced at Jorik who nodded back.

“You can trust her. She might even do a better job than you.”

“Yes! Give me! Give me!”

After a second of consideration, Mahon took off his weapons and handed them to Siraye who accepted it with a lustful look.

“I’d need them in an hour or so, when the caravan leaves.” He said, but the woman wasn’t even listening to him. She was rocking the weapons in her arms as if it was her own baby, and during a brief instant Mahon had the weird feeling that it would be impossible to get his weapons back.