The sun slowly sinked below the horizon, painting the sky with fiery colors. Xenos, leaning his back on the wooden bench in the garden, felt a warm breeze caress his face, and stared at the sky with half-closed eyes.
The peace connected his body to the ground like he was a part of the world. But suddenly, his lost focus reverted after a voice hijacked his head.
“Mom… Mom…”
I gazed off, pointing my head down the flowers where the voice came from. The voice cycled repeatedly up to the point where he stood up because he can’t resist it.
“Tsk… I’m depressed.”
He carried his slumped shoulders that wanted to rest. All he wanted was to left his mind blank and calm. Not being able to do anything, He dejectedly sighed.
Xenos followed the voice towards the castle gates. Because of his low noticeable energy, everyone he passes didn’t notice him, even the knights guarding at the gates.
The same thing happened in town. As he continuously chased the voice, townsmen weren’t wary of him. The only time he was noticed was when he bumped into someone.
He reached the gates without problems… even though the gate had one. It was blocked by a quarrel between a woman and the gate guards.
The woman had long, frizzly brown hair and bright, curious brown eyes. She wore a cheap robe tainted in dirt, which was commonly seen in the slums.
The guards blocked her path with their bodies as the woman tried to break free to it.
“My son! My son needed me! Let me go!” The woman cried, trying to break free of the obstacle, but she ended up being pushed against it. “Why couldn’t you understand me!? My son was in danger! I need to save him!”
“Ma’am, would you please calm down?” A guard replied. “The roads are currently dangerous. A giant monster was inhabiting the Western part of the forest, which was nearest to the roads.”
“I don’t care! I don’t care what happens to me! I just need to save my son! Please, let me go to him! I beg you…”
“I’m really sorry, Ma’am, but as per rules, in times of calamities, you need to be accompanied by an adventurer stronger than C-rank. If you had none, you’re forbidden to set foot out of the city.”
“……Then why…”
“Why?”
“Why are you allowing him!” The woman shouted as he points her finger to Xenos who is already out of the gates.
Because of his background character energy, no one sensed him slipping past the guards except the mother. The guards flinched back and gasped when they saw the chill Xenos walking away from them.
“Hey, you! Stop right there!” The guard shouted as their group chased after him. “Go back here, or I’ll report you to your parents! The forest is currently in dan—”
By just flicking his hand, Xenos poured a sleeping spell to the guards. Like a domino, the guards fell down simultaneously. Xenos turned back and left a card etched with gold over a guard’s body.
The crowd who was watching muttered behind Xenos’s back.
“Did he just cast a spell without chanting?”
“I saw it too! Does that mean he’s a high-ranking magician mage?”
“But he’s young… ten-year old for what I can tell.”
“Why are ten-year-olds abnormal these days? Was that a trend?”
Just before he leaves, Xenos stared at the woman whose tears fell down from her kneeling body.
“You hear your son’s voice too, right? Don’t you want to see him?”
“Y—Yes!” The mother squeaked, standing up and quickly rushing towards him. “Thank you!”
***
As I and Elara rushed towards the Western part of the forest, the view of a man with a shield going to be hit by a huge sharp blade’s swing.
As I went in front of him, I drew Ruby, my red crimson sword, and deflected the monster’s attack while muttering,
“Enchant, Ruby.”
Ruby’s lightness was like a feather the moment I swung it, and as heavy as the empire state the moment I delivered my mana into it.
Clang!
The sound of two metals colliding emitted a shock wave that bends even the trees in vicinity. My heavy sword knocked back together with my body, which was also the same case to the monster’s blade.
When I looked back, the man with the shield hanged his mouth open with his wide-open eyes.
“Don’t just stay there to taste death!” I exclaimed, extending my hand to him. “Are you alright?”
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“Y—You’re…” He stuttered, “You’re abnormal!”
“E—excuse me?”
“You’re abnormally strong! You’re a ten-year-old, right? Why are ten-year-olds abnormal these days? Was that a trend?”
“H—How did you know!?” Just by seeing? It was the first time that we’ve met… “Did we met before?”
“That’s not—AAAHHH” The man screamed as he looked past my eyes. He stepped back while seating on the ground, trying to escape something with his numb legs.
When I turned back, the huge body of a green bug made my heart numb. It had six legs and a sharp mouthpart.
The confidence throughout my body leaked out my foot. I gasped, staring at the monster’s dark-sphered eyes.
“A—A—”I stuttered with my trembling chin. When it stepped towards us, cold sweats dropped from my hair. With my uncontrollable racing heart, I could only gulp.
I couldn’t even believe that there’s a giant creature like this! I’m only seeing this creepy monsters in movies and fiction… But I am in fiction!
For its second step…
“KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!! ELARA!! ELARAAA!!!” I rushed, hid at, and hugged tightly Elara’s back with trembling arms. Using my back, I covered my face as I squalled. “HELP ME, ELARA!!”
“Miss Veni—Vena? What’s wrong!?” Elara exclaimed with eyebrows drawing together, but deep inside, she was enjoying this situation.
“It’s an Aphid, Elara! An Aphid! A GIANT APHID! KYAAAAAA!” I squealed by the time the monster roared again. My closed eyes wished that what I’ve been seeing was only a dream.
“What’s an Aphid, milady? That monster was a Gaswing. Is it your first time seeing it?”
“Aphid, Gaswing, whatever they’re called… A bug is still a bug!”
“Hmm?” Elara smirked with a malicious face. “Are you scared of bugs? Don’t you know? I ate one of those since I was a kid.”
“KYAAAAAAA!!!”
For the Gaswing’s third step…
“Elara… Can’t you fight it?” I begged with wide watery eyes and a drawn eyebrows. “I—I’ll just enhance your blade and heal the others instead.”
Elara removed my gripped and steadily stared at my eyes with a blank stare for seconds. Redness flushed throughout her chin. Suddenly, she sweetly smiled.
“You’re actually a cutie,” Elara exclaimed and ran towards the monster as she sheathed her dagger.
“This is no time for flattery! Enchant: Dagger! Body Barrier!” I shouted, fidgeting gestures with my hand until Elara’s dagger glowed.
After it, I rushed with the shielded adventurer towards the group of adventurers behind the bushes. Some adventurers greeted me with a smile, while others surrounded their eyes with depression.
The overjoyed adventurers complimented me Elara.
“You… I remember you two! You’re the two who crushed the thugs on the guild! I knew it! You’re stronger than them!”
“Those thugs wet their pants when they heard the quest details. What a shame to masculinity! They’re only talk and smug until they got their asses kicked.”
As I wander my eyes to count heads, I didn’t see those three here. Did they hide in their shells? Still, I have priorities on why I’m here.
“We have no time for compliments! Gather the injured here! I’ll heal them! Go!” I shouted, taking the lead.
The adventurers didn’t waste time searching for bodies that were still breathing. The shielded adventurer approached me from behind, tapping my shoulder.
“Uhm… I’m Bjorn the Shield, a B-rank adventurer, and I wanted to say sorry for standing still. Thank you for saving me. I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”
“That’s no big deal. Everyone, even the bravest adventurer, became nervous if death approached them.”
From my response, he squinted his eyes while tilting his head. “……Are you really a ten-year-old?”
“For somewhat, you’re offending me,” I replied with my eyes half-open.
“I—I’m sorry!”
As I heal those lined-up injured adventurers, Bjorn watched Elara’s movements as she dances with her blade, circling around the body of the Gaswing.
His mouth slacked, stiffening his body. After that, he slowly shook his head, disbelieving what he saw. Instead of watching her fight, he turned my head to me.
“Do you think she can handle this alone?” He asked.
“Are you mocking Elara? She’s an A-rank adventurer. I’m with her so she can attack those with the same elemental affinity with her, dark magic. Just look.”
I invited him to watch Elara again and determine her body’s skills. Her flexibility, agility, and combined strength explained everything about herself.
On the moment where the monster lost its balance, Elara used it as an opportunity to climb up towards its head. The monster couldn’t even keep up with her speed.
With her spinning body, she sliced one of the eyeballs in half. In the end, she landed and stood in the ground like she finished some kind of performance.
“Hmph! See that? She can damage the eye all by herself,” I bragged, looking back and healing my current patient.
“I didn’t know we had an A-rank adventurer as strong as her! Why didn’t the guild tell us that she’s here?”
“She will never appear since… she’s a part of the royalty.”
“……I’m sorry… What did you just say?”
“She’s a royalty, and the reward placed on this quest will return back to the kingdom ever since she’s involved. Should I repeat i—”
“WHAT!?” Bjorn shouted with a quick gasp. Moments later, he bent his posture and stared down his feet. His heavy arms pulled his shoulders low. Is he regretting asking for help?
In the blink of an eye, the Gaswing roared up to the decibel deafening to human. Its green color changed into glowing bloody red, making its inner body visible. An unclear view of a body resting inside it caught everyone’s attention.
After the roar, I covered my ears still. The adventurers looked at me with concern while the deafening sound invaded my hearing.
Why am I the only one hearing this? What does this even mean?
The monster shot its poison from its mouth all around its vicinity. A part of its attack fall towards the adventurer group, but I managed to defend it using Barrier with my other hand.
My mana crawled from my head throughout my feet, escaping as my legs trembled, trying to support my standing body. There’s too many sources that took my magic from me.
The monster became wary of Elara’s moves, predicting how she evades. After Elara landed consecutive and combination of attacks, she lost her mobility in the air.
The monster used that opportunity to swipe its leg towards Elara, making her fly until she collided with a tree trunk.
“Elara!” I shouted, holding my pained chest as I kneel after. That attack not only caused damage to Elara, but it drained a huge amount of mana from me as well.
Elara laid down the ground as bruises and wounds doodled her skin. Her tank top partially tore its upper-right part, exposing her skin. The barrier and the buff I casted to Elara and her blade gradually vanished with its evaporating glows.
The monster raised its head, ready to swing its mouth across Elara’s body. I tried to crawl, but my hands forfeited to follow my mind’s orders.
Tears puffed out my eyelids. I bit my lips, breathing huge volumes of air in and out of my paralyzed body.
Am I still too weak? I can’t pull up my legs. Don’t tell me that’s going to happen again! Elara will still be alive! Elara… Elara…
“ELARAAAAA!!”
Can’t I do anything but scream?
The monster swung its head, aiming for its target. But a foot away before Elara got sliced by the Gaswing’s mouth, a familiar woman’s voice resonated throughout the zone.
“STOP!”
The monster suddenly turned its head towards the origin of the voice. The woman stepped out the shadows of the trees until her body was completely visible to our view.
The moment I incredulously stared at her face, my skin tingled. I sucked a quick breath out of disbelief. Standing still with tears falling down her face, she declared,
“My son… I’m already here…”
Miss Mathilde!?