Edited by: KenChi死
The noble mansion in the rural district of the Holy Kingdom. It was a beautiful place. The head of the house was wise, kind to his workers, good in business and in youth he was great warrior. He wanted a son very badly… instead he was blessed with two daughters. Don’t misunderstand him, please. He loves both of them… he just raised one of them as if she would be boy… NO! No cross dressing was involved!!! Just her dancing lessons involved dancing with a sword… her lady-like-behaving lessons were focused more on honor and commanding to the solider… and so on, and so on…
His first daughter was extremely talented and devoted. When she was 4 years old, her birthday present was a wooden sword. Since that day, there was no such moment when she would let her be parted with the blade.
Very soon, because at the age of 19 she was given the title of paladin becoming the youngest woman to wielding this title in history.
And now, as she was 25 years old… She was told to be the most powerful human living. The number one. And for her feats, rightful deeds and simply splendid behaving she was rewarded by the church with the Darkness Eater – the sword given by angels that was told to destroy devils… well, let’s just say that such stories were told to people… but indeed it could be a bit painful for the devils.
She was also commander and founder of the Crimson lilies. The order of knights that were protecting the people (completely free. They were self-financing… Aristocracy…). The people of great faith.
At the other hand… his second daughter… she was ill. Very ill. She was so sick that she couldn’t get up from bed. And this was the only thing that connected them to the church. Priests were staying at his house and healing… pardon me, reducing the progress of the diseases… curse… whatever it was.
And the church allowed itself to “use” the services of the order from time to time. If not… the priests would be gone. Godric Scarlet, for this was then name of head of the house, did not having the best opinion about the church itself. Let’s just say that interpreted the teaching of light a bit differently… Yet still, during every celebration, he needed to stand behind the bishops showing his support… if not, his baby-girl would be left without medical care. She is barely 14 years old…
And now, this damned emissary of the church appeared and demanded to talk with her. More dirty business. He knew how it would go. His daughter would tell them that she has no obligation to follow any authority, that son of a bitch would tell then in that case he needed to take with himself priests (because they would be needed to form teams with witch hunters, blah blah bullshit) she would ask for some time to prepare and say goodbye to the family, and after a delay as long as possibly she would leave.
But something strange happened. He heard the noises on the place in front of the stable and as he looked through the window he saw the blonde hair of his daughter as she rode in full armor on the horse through the gate in the direction of headquarters of her Order.
To run with such haste… without saying goodbye… that asshole needed to have a really good argument for it to happen.
Pov vhange
Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me…
Damn, I will have to introduce myself like that in the future… but instead what am I doing now? Nursing kids with food poisoning…. ME! THE GREAT AKU… who am I trying to convince? I am just a brat with a debt to a deity, and have to pay it.
Mike [Human]level 1State: poisoned [light]A human child. Wasn't trained in any way of fighting nor magic and thus possessing no real danger
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
The first one to go. If every single one of them is poisoned like this one, no alchemy will be needed. And he didn’t even looked like he is hurt. Maybe a little grimace on his face, but more like discomfort and not real pain. I put my hands on the kid. One on his hand, the other at his belly.
* “Will he be ok?” his mother asked worried.
* “He will be as good as new in a few minutes. Is he your first child?” Usually such overreacting to such small danger means that they have only one child and thus are panicking every time something would happen.
* “Yes, he is. How did you know?” I rolled my eyes.
* “Intuition” So like in this joke… when the first child would swallow a coin, the parents would take him to the hospital and involve every possible doctor. With the second one you would just wait for the coin to leave from the other side… and as the third child would eat the coin you would simply give him less pocket moneys as he would grow. Eh…
* “A..Are you a monster?” the kid asked looking at me frightened. “Mommy told me that the monster would take me away if I would be a bad boy… but I was a g…”
* “MIKE!” The mother gasped. So now I was some kind of bogeymen? Thanks folk. “I am so sor…”
* “Yes. I am a monster. But I am not here to take you away. Not this time.”
* “B..but you don’t look like one…”
* “How in your opinion the monster looks like?”
* “S..sharp teeth, c..claws…horns… and ugly…” to many things to do… but I allowed myself to grow a small horn right in front of him. Then I hide em’ back.
* “Remember kid. Monsters, especially those really evil one, often disguise themselves. As Humans, as friends… And they are the really evil ones. The humans that changed into the monsters. Not in body, but in mind. They become twisted, and cause havoc and evil thinking that they are good. Those are true monsters. Let it be a lesson for you. You can never really trust a stranger, and for the future be aware, when someone would make a random act of good. They may take a charge in the future… now, you are good to go.”
* “huh? It doesn’t hurt any longer… THANK YOU MISTER MONSTER!” And he hugged me… ught, take him away from me!!!
I patted his head and moved to the next house. And another one and yet another. Every single kid was lightly poisoned. Honestly, why did you need a healer for someone who at the end of the day would be completely fine!
I stepped to the last house. The smell of alcohol hit me like a train.
* “In this house lives… let’s just say Robert has… problems…” told me the daughter of one of the elders that was chosen as the one to show me the houses of ill children.
* “Whhos is thehre?” Nice, completely drunk parent. “awayh you goh”
* “I am here to heal you daughter… so maybe…”
* “Thath littleh bitch is pretendingh!” he screamed angered “Every kidh has buth a bellyh ache as she shaking on theh floorh like possessed…”
And this was an important part.
* “Away” I almost roared pushing the drunk aside. He fell on his butt and cursed. I moved to the other, very small room. The girl on the floor was green in the face, was holding her belly in an embryonic position with tears on her cheeks.
Lydia [Human]Level 1State: Poisoned [Critical - Fatal]A human child. Wasn't trained in any way of fighting nor magic and thus possessing no real danger
* “She is dying…” I whispered.
* “Wha…”
* “Shut up and listen!” there was not time for being nice. “you will call a few villagers and tell them to do those things: bring me a river grass, dandelion, and lilac… and alcohol… as strong as possible. Tell them to prepare the pot with boiling water in this hut… WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!”
The woman ran away and soon I heard her shouting left and right. The girl looked at me with despair and fear in eyes.
* “Shhh, fear not child, mother nature is nearby…” I began to cast a detoxification spell, yet I knew it was too weak. For now I wanted to keep her alive. The father looked through the door and looked like the fear head made him completely sober. “Bring water and let her drink.” He vanished for a second and came back with a former bottle of vodka filled with water.
In a few minutes the ingredients were delivered and a crowd formed in front of the house. I stopped using the spell and headed to the other room to prepare the potion.
* “Make her drink all the time and put wet towels on her head… or even her whole body. It will make the poison a bit thinner.”
Throwing a few herbs to the boiling water, smashing petals to a pulp, mixing with few the roots, boiling together. And then heating it even more to evaporate the water to the essence. Finally adding the alcohol to be absorbed faster.
Ignoring notification about potion creation I ran back to the girl, raised her head and forced the liquid to the mouth.
* “In case I didn’t warn you, it tastes horrible” As only she gulped and almost puke it out, I began to once again use the a healing spell to improve the process of healing.
* “Will she be all right?” Now the father looked worried… just in fucking time. I answered not being focused on healing. Then I noticed…. It is still too weak, the spell needed to power up, so I began to chant.
* “We pray to the nature, the gentle mother,
Leave us not in time of need
Rise us and praise her, my brothers,
Follow her teaching, as she is one that leads..”
After an hour her state change to [Critical], then [high] and finally from medium to [low]. My mana pool was depleted and nature healing hit 9.
I took my hands away and with an aching head I sat leaning on the wall.
* “Her life is no longer in danger… the potion will do the rest” She looked better to. Even if still in pain. Her father embraced her.
* “I am sorry… I am so, so sorry… I lost your mother, and I almost lost you..”
Awww, such a sweet ending. Soon I will puke out rainbows.
* “ I am forever in your debt… if there will be anything you would ever need…” Are you a wealthy merchant? Some kind of great lord with connection? Master of sword or magic? Then there is nothing you can give me…
* “Worship Aira. This would do. She is the one who gave me the power to heal your daughter.”
Can I be more cool? Maybe if I would fly away on a dragon to the place where the sun goes down…For now, I am dead tired, I will bless the shit out if their village and go back to the forest. To many attractions as for one day … yet it is still a noon… When I get back Sebastian will be waiting for me… maybe I will stay here… celebrate or something…
Sebastian pecked me on the head, as if he could read my mind.
As I was heading back to the forest everyone was bowing. Wanted to shake my hand and stuff… from zero to hero… just smile and wave… smile and wave.