I grunted awake as the heat of the sun burns my face, someone opened the window and invited the sun's heat and light in.

"Come on Ciro, it's time to get up. You too Beron."

Our older brother Amon is standing in front of the window.

"Five more minutes." Beron said as he covers himself with the blanket.

A vein pop on Amon's forehead and pulls the blanket.

He may have pulled a little too hard as Beron got dragged and fell on the floor.

"Ow, what gives"

"We have a lot of work to do. Let's get down before breakfast gets cold."

Amon ignored the glare he received and started folding the blanket.

I got up from bed and tidied my bed as well.

"Oh you guys are awake, breakfast is ready" mother announced.

A delicious smell wafts in from the kitchen as we climbed down the stairs. Our dad, muscles built through the years of doing farm work seats at the table.

Bread, eggs and bacon were on each plate.

When all of us were seated, we thanked the gods for our food and dig in.

"So Amon, when are you going to marry Sara?" Beron had a teasing grin on his face.

"Oh my" mother smiled at this.

"That's none of your business!"

We laughed as his ears turns red and looked away. Our meal time continued on like this, we shared this and that.

I went to the chicken coop too feed the animals, we all had our work to do. I feed the animals and Amon and Beron helps father out in the fields.

I help them from time to time but they insist that I help mother around the house since I'm still too young and can't handle hard labor yet.

Amon is already 22 this year, Beron is 20, me? I'm still 12. They say that I had an older brother after Beron but he was stillborn and my parents got depressed. Which explains why I have a big gap with my brothers.

They dote on me for being the youngest and hardly gives me any hard work, they say kids should play and let the grown ups do the work.

So at times like this I go to my friend's house, Papo the son of the head hunter in the village and the younger brother of Sara who my brother got the hots for.

"Hey, do you really plan on being an adventurer?"

Papo asked, we are heading for the forest to hunt rabbits

He had his bow and I have a dagger.

Even in our village everyone is armed to some extent since monsters roam the forest and some even goes for the farm animals.

"Yeah, since I'm the youngest and all."

Sigh, Amon will get to inherit the farm. So Beron chose to be a soldier but he is aiming for knighthood to get a better pay, why is he here? Because there is a rise in bandits attacking villages. But he got a few days off so he ended up helping dad and Amon.

"What, you don't even have any skills yet, did you find what you have an affinity for?"

"Gruhh, I already have an affinity though..."

"You mean your [sneak]? So you plan to be a thief or something?"

Grrr. We all have skills and doing certain actions could even get you one, Papo has [Marksmanship] [Aim] and [Accuracy] leveled at 5, 4 and 2. Amon has [Breeder] and [Agriculture]. Beron has [Swordsmanship] and [Shield wielding]. Among other skills that they have.

I have [Sword wielding] [Aim] [Accuracy] and [Green thumb] all at level 1, sword wielding and green thumb are weaker versions of what my brothers have, they may evolve after reachin level 10 but having weak affinity means they will level up slowly. He probably meant that I still don't have skills that would help me as an adventurer and I can't counter that...

The only reason I found out I have affinity for [Sneak] is when we played hide and seek. Now it's at level 5 i also have [Hearing] enhancement] at level 3 [Trap setting] level 4 [Trap detection] level 3 [Trap disarming] level 2 and [Analysis] level 1. That's why the head hunter had an interest in training me how to hunt.

"But I want to go on amazing adventures where I slay monsters or demons and save the princess and end up as a hero!!! Not the side character who can get intel and other sneaky jobs!!!"

"Wow, I can't believe you can say that out loud without getting embarrassed. And apologize to all the thief class out there!!!"

"Oh shut up."

We continue to banter until I hear a rustle. I lift my hands up and Papo understood and draw his bow.

"Where?" He whispered.

I pointed at the bush to our left.

He aimed and shoot in one fluid motion, such elegance.

Must be the work of [Marksmanship] no wasted movements. I can't help but be jealous okay?!

Our bounty? Two rabbits, why two? Because they were doing it...

I'm not gonna tell what though.

We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

We're still pre-pubescent kids ok.

When we returned home we have 5 rabbits and 6 pheasants. The sun was starting to set.

I got to level up my [Hearing enhancement] and each of us gained [Presence detection].

We divided our catch, 2 rabbits and 3 pheasants for me. Since we had an odd number and I was only the spotter.

I presented my catch to my family.

Beron gave me an approving thumbs up and dad and Amon patted me on the shoulders congratulating me.

Mom took the animals to prepare for dinner, I already told her earlier what we were hunting so she already had all the ingredients set and it won't be long until dinner.

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"Want to hear some stories?"

Beron asked.

"Yes!!"

"How about that time where an ogre who was leading a group of goblins attacked a horse stable"

Beron told us a story of how they fended off a few monsters, we all seated in the living room and mom could hear his story from the kitchen.

10 goblins and an ogre vs 15 soldiers and 5 archers. They won at the end but lost a few from the ogre's might. As he ends his story dinner was ready.

We thanked for our meal and started eating. It was my turn to tell a story, I shared Papo and my hunting trip today, how he killed 2 rabbits with one arrow, how I nearly fell from a tree branch. We laughed and laughed, Beron teasing Amon again since Sara is Papo's older sister.

Our peaceful life continued on for another week.

Dad, Amon and Beron is in a carriage with some of our produce in the back. Beron's leave is now over and he needs to report back, dad and Amon are going to sell the produce in town. It would take four days for them to come back.

"Good bye dear be sure to stay safe, Amon you drive carefully now. Beron you come back home anytime you want you hear me?." Mother says her farewells.

They all nodded and replied "we will."

"Oh right, Ciro this is for you."

Beron handed me a wooden sword.

It was light but hard, it even has a sharp edge to it.

My eyes sparkled as I held it.

"Thank you!!!"

"Now protect mother while we're away okay?"

"Yes!!!" I gave him a salute.

They smiled warmly as they saw this.

"Good bye then."

"Good bye, we'll be back soon."

"Good bye dear, bye son."

They finally said their good byes and I waved and said mine too.

They met up with another carriage, seems to be Papo, his sister and the head hunter. They probably need to buy weapons from town since we don't have any blacksmiths here.

Papo's eyes and mine met and we waved at each other good bye.

A day has passed and now mom was preparing dinner, the sun has long since set.

Exchanging stories as we eat our supper.

"Sigh... Your brother Amon sure takes from your father," mom started

"Did you know that it was me who asked your father out," my mother puffed her chest.

"No way."

"Yes way, he was serious most of the time. Even compared to the others our age. But he had the cutest reactions when I was around hehe. It became an open secret that he like me. And I liked him back so I saw no reason not to ask him out!" She said with a slight blush.

"It's a good thing that Beron and you took after me! You have to chase what will make you happy, because if you don't then who will?!! Hahhh... I remember the day your older brother said he would be a knight, he had determination in his eyes that neither I nor your father could say no. He even had a plan to get connections and help out the farm to have a buyer for our produce, he said it will help Amon out too. And Amon has plans to cultivate a larger plot of land, he is already saving up to buy it."

She grins like a proud mama

Guess she is.

"They're both amazing." I said in admiration, then I looked down as I am no where close to any of them.

"Ciro... My adventure loving boy, your already amazing the way you are. And I know that somedays you'll be more so."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"Hehe because I'm your mother!" she answered as took a bite out of the pheasant. I can hunt on my own too!!

Then we saw it, it was me who noticed it first. The village was alight and smoke rising, seeing it through the window.

Our home was a good distance away because of our animals.

My mother quickly stood up and closed the window and blew out the candle we were using.

"Shhh, stay quiet."

She held my hand, I nodded but wasn't sure if she saw it.

I hear footsteps drawing closer, because of my Hearing enhancement I heard it first, four pairs and an animal, dog maybe?

As they grew closer even mom can hear them now.

A moment later the door got kicked open and the men rushed in with weapons drawn, they all wore leather armor.

"The two of you search the 2nd floor, you and the mutt go around the house see if they escaped through any back door." A bald guy with a scar that scrathed his right eye, like he was attacked by a lion.

These must be the bandits that were being hunted by the soldiers.

Why haven't we escaped through the back you ask? For some reason the back door is stuck and my mom and I can't seem to open it, like someone boarded the other side. The reason why they haven't seen us yet is because mom is hiding under the table while I was crouching in the shadows, my sneak skill is level 5 so I was praying that they don't find mom.

"There is no need to check." A fifth man appeared out of nowhere, he was wearing a red robe adorned with golden streaks and a mask with an anguished look on it. Two horns were protruding from his forehead.

"Huh. What makes you say that?"

"They're here."

The masked man looked at our direction, this send shivers down my spine. They know where we are now.

One of the bandits with a scar on his left cheek started walking towards us and getting closer, ever closer. I didn't realise when my mom got out of the table and was now holding a kitchen knife.

Holding the knife with both hands she charged at the startled bandit.

My mom is no warrior so she doesn't know how to hold a weapon but with her momentum she was able to plunge the the knife piercing through the leather armor and to the man's chest.

"Gruhh, C-crazy bitch!!"

The bandit slapped my mother away but it became his undoing.

When he slapped her away the knife was still in her hands.

The bandit started coughing blood.

"Jack!!!" The bald guy screamed

"Well, I guess what I'm looking for isn't here either." The man in robes turned around, undisturbed at what just happened.

"Oi! Where do you think your going?! Heal him!!"

"Sorry, I can't heal fatal wounds."

His tone sounded disinterested and slowly vanishes from sight, on the spot.

"BASTARD!!!"

The bald guy stood up, veins threatening to pop from his head as he looks at my mother still sprawled on the floor.

No you don't!!

I threw my dagger at him, and he just caught it in mid air.

"Ohhh. So you weren't alone eh..."

The bald guy looked at me and then my mom, a horrific grin rose to his face.

"The two of you get him."

At his words they charged at me, catching up and pinning me down in no time at all.

"Are ya really ganna let the kid watch boss?"

The man pinning me down asked, I can hear in his voice that even this question was just a joke.

"Noooo! Don't hurt my mom!!"

I screamed from the top of my lungs as I struggled to get away.

This got me a hit from behind my head.

"Gahahaha a tough kid, I like that. Oi Bort, don't kill that kid or you won't get a turn gahahaha."

"Come on boss don't be like that."

The bald guy slowly walks toward my mother. Looks at the hand still holding the knife and stomped at it.

The sound of flesh and bones being crushed echoed across the room, the pain woke my mother up as well with a scream.

But with what will happen next it would have been better if she never have waken up.

"Oh shut up." The bald guy punches my mother.

"Hahaha"

This made the other two laugh.

"Your mom killed my friend here and you don't want me to get my revenge huh?"

He then lifts my mother up with her hair, the place where she was slapped earlier and where she was punched were starting to swell, blood dripping from the cuts.

She tries to claw the hand lifting her up with her intact hand.

"Ow. This bitch!"

He let go of her hair and kicked her in the stomach pushing her to the wall making her cough and gasp.

"STOP!!"

I yelled again but this just earned me a beating and laughter from the two bandits.

[Actions confirmed]

[Endurance lv.1 earned]

[Pain metigation lv.1 earned]

[Mental preservation lv.1 earned]

The mechanical voice got drowned by the laughter and my anger towards them.

The bald guy walks towards mom again.

"Let's get started shall we."

Bald guy then rips mom's clothes.

The others applaud this action.

"Whoa, boss ripped it apart with ease."

"Go boss!"

"Gahaha praise me more."

This happens while my mom's chest lay bare for everyone to see.

I looked away, but this action seems to anger the bandits.

"What do you think your doin, huh?!"

They hit my head again and raised it so I can see my mom.

" Try to close your eyes and we'll peel your eyelids off."

[Experience accumulated]

[Mental preservation lv.1-> lv.2]

"You'll miss the best part if you do."

....

....

That night... I saw my mom get toyed with by both the men and the hell hound they had.

I was covered in my own vomit for how sick it was.

The only thing that eased it a bit is knowing my mom bit her tongue and dying before experiencing any of it.

I have the [Analysis] skill at level 1. And I saw at my mom's status as corpse before they started and the blood trickling down her mouth.

She really was something else, she didn't want me to see her in a broken state and to die by her own means.

I'm sorry Beron I failed my promise..

Five days and nights have passed everyone captured from the village and some other beasts are loaded in cages to be sold as slaves or pets.

All of us were dispirited and had no energy to talk.

There were 50 raiders originally but now 36 remained. They have suffered casualties when they attacked our village. One was mom's kill the others were of the other hunters who were still in the village.

The women caught alive have been raped every night.

"What?"

"I told ya, we don' have enough food fer the dogs."

I overhear the conversation of the bald bandit and another one.

He was silent for a moment, thinking what to do next.

"Let them hunt."

"What?"

"Release some prisoners and let the hell hounds hunt them. It's a good way to dispose of the women who broke and it would mean less mouth to feed."

....

....

....

Ahhh why am I remembering all this.

Is this what they call your life flash before your eyes as your about to die?

Those were my final thoughts as I continue to fall.