There was a bright moon in the sky. It was dazzling.

Well, I wouldn’t know because there was a claw mark across my eye. It hurt like a bitch, but I was recuperating with the help of regeneration.

The cat was enjoying looking at me in pain as it licked herself.

“Didn’t know cats are so sensitive to age.”

The cat just proudly sat on a decorative red pillow while the princess chuckled.

“Why don’t you tell us about yourself, Leonidas?”

Princess Rebeca asked. She seemed curious.

“Myself? Well— I’m a person who has been fighting mindless monsters since I was born.”

“Where were you born?”

“The barren lands.”

Sylvie’s ears slightly perked due to reasons unknown to me.

“Isn’t that a place filled with monsters?”

The princess asked me.

“Not really. It was a boring place.”

If there were monsters in the barren lands— who knows at what level I would be now. But luck isn’t on my side, you’ve got to do with what you have.

”The barren lands are rather quite these days, however I’m surprised you aren’t dead.”

“What do you mean?”

I was curious towards Sylvie’s remark.

“There is a monster overlord in that area that was born around a century ago, I’m guessing it has its plans.”

Monster overlord. A term I’m not that familiar with. All I know is that I haven’t really met such a strong monster.

“What’s a Monster Overlord.”

“Pfft. That Crow would have been disappointed that her legacy has fallen to the hands of a country bumpkin.”

“Hah, well unlike you, I wasn’t born in a place that has hundreds of libraries.” I rebuked.

She ignored me and continued forward to explain:

“A Monster Overlord is a monster that has already surpassed level 150. It can influence the lower leveled monsters at a certain level. It’s very dangerous if it decides to attack places with a lot of population. And if it indeed does attack, a lot of high-leveled figures would have to stop it.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“What’s considered high-level?”

I blinked as I asked

“They would have to be at least over level 100. That’s when they receive the status of arch.”

I was very troubled with the world’s standard of strength. In one place a gold rank is strong— in another its weak.

But at least I’m now certain that an archmage is considered strong wherever I go, Or I hope so.

Well, in the end it doesn’t matter much. I’m not planning to stop at a mere archmage rank. I’m certain that’s not the pinnacle, I’m not too sure but the old man said he was a grand archmage. He was either boasting or that’s a rank that comes after the archmage rank.

Since the old man can reach that level, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it too.

The surroundings got quiet. Nobody really spoke anymore.

I decided to break the silence.

“So.. Where are you guys heading to?”

At first I wanted to ask Sylvie about the Ice Crow, but in the end I decided on the ‘building friendship’ approach.

“We’re going back home, I just wanted to visit a friend of mine.

However I’m curious why you decided to go out of your way just to visit us.”

She said as she as she looked at her pink nails.

The carefree princess was no more. I sensed the aura of seriousness In her tone. Even if she is a bit rebellious, she is still a princess of an entire kingdom. Taught from a young age by the best teachers in their field.

Having such support, even a talentless fool can be transformed to a scholar.

I decided to play no more and said with a smile.

“I received a rumor, and I realized you needed my help.”

“Help? For what?”

The princess was confused at my reply. I continued.

“As soon as you cross the border and enter Caio again— you’ll be attacked.”

Rebbeca raised an eyebrow, while Sylvie looked at me with a side-eye and spoke with an overbearing tone.

“Are you saying that I’m incapable on protecting ourselves?”

“Although I don’t know how strong a being like you is. I’m more than certain that what you’ll be facing will be enough to hold you back.

What do you think will happen if you are held back?”

I kept the smile maintained and asked her in a suggestive way.

“Rebecca will be left unprotected.” The small black cat realized.

“Hey! Even if Sylvie can’t protect me, They still have to get rid of my guards and then deal with me.”

Rebecca furrowed her eyebrows as she spoke.

Before I could speak, Sylvie intercepted.

“If a group strong enough to hold me back attacks us, then they definitely can pass through the guards with utmost ease.”

From her explanation, Rebecca understood and laid back as she crossed her arms with puffed cheeks.

However, the overbearing tone still didn’t distinguish, the little black cat wanted answers and she used her aura to get them from me.

“Why would we believe you in the first place? For all we know you could be fooling us. And if you are indeed fooling us, why?

Maybe this is a plot from our real enemies. Just because you have the ice crow’s legacy doesn’t mean that everything goes your way!”

I was frozen. And this time it was not because I was laced with ice, it was because the aura of Sylvie rained upon me. Her aura grew stronger as she asked the questions one after another. An aura that wasn’t fit for such a small sized creature.

I couldn’t move an inch. I was powerless in front of such a being. But I wouldn’t be a self-proclaimed genius if such a situation wasn’t expected.

“Well, it’s your choice if you want to believe me or not, but I’m speaking the truth. “

Although my body was stuck in place, it didn’t stop me from talking.

“Let’s hear him out Sylvie.”

“Great idea!”

I praised Rebecca’s idea.

The aura that was keeping me from moving disappeared and both of their attentions were on me.

I cleared my throat and began the first phase of my plan.

“As you already know, The Ice Crow has blessed me with her legacy, meaning I have almost complete control of the crow species. With the help of my organization and that of the crows I was able to get my informations. With one of my skills, I can see through a crow’s eyes, and when the crow was in the vicinity of your enemies I activated it, which led me to the conclusion that you’re going to get attacked.”

“How so?”

Rebecca asked.

I looked at her and continued.

“Crow’s may not have the ability to talk, but they have the ability to hear. Your enemies never thought that a crow hovering above their head is a spy launched by someone. So I used this trick to hear on their conversation, but in the end all I got was that you’re going to get attacked. As for the reason why, I have no idea.”

Naturally, this was all bullshit, but I couldn’t just tell them that someone from the future told me. And if Ynnihlas was a fraud and has lied to me all along, I would probably be jailed in one of the kingdom’s prisons. But there was less than 1 percent chance of that happening so I didn’t think much about it, I just trusted my intuition.

“What should we do?”

Asked Rebecca. Her question was directed at the black cat.

Sylvie took a moment to think and then said.

“We have little information about our enemies. And if what this demon boy is saying is true— your life could be endangered. If anything like that happens.. The Matriarch will make me remember it for as long as I live.”

For my plan to work, I’ll need them to go for the same route. If they stop their tracks and hide, they will never be attacked. But that’s something I don’t want, if they’re not attacked, it won’t make them trust me, only if they’re attacked would they understand that I was saying the truth.

“Don’t worry. According to my calculation, they won’t be able to kill you easily. As long as I’m with you, you’ll be alright.” I said, looking at the princess.

“Humph! Your strength is at most similar to the guards, if they also are unable to stop the attackers, what can you do?” Sylvie scuffed.

I turned my head at the cat and shrugged.

“You’re misunderstanding something. The enemies won’t come directly at you. At first, they’ll take down the guards— who think are safe in the shadows. Only then will they attack. To hold you back, all of them will have to attack you and the moment that happens, I’m sure that somebody will be able to slip through and attack the princess.

Although I’m not sure of the princess’ strength, I’m sure that she won’t be able to defend for herself.”

“So.. you’re saying that we use ourselves as bait?”

“Yep.”