I couldn't sleep last night, not with all that had happened. The hours passed as I lay in bed wondering what awaited me upon the dawn's arrival and even as the lack of sleep made my eyes feel beyond heavy I pushed through. I got dressed quickly, giving no thought to any kind of personal hygiene, I couldn't have cared less about having perfect hair today.

It was a good thing I did as well, because as soon as I had my sword belt fastened the door to my room was kicked open and three soldiers grabbed me and practically dragged me across the Gallick estate kicking and screaming. It wasn't long before we reached our destination, the grand drill yard itself.

Except obvious additions had been made, including a vast set of seats and benches upon which thousands of soldiers sat watching, along with Vahids brothers, various servants, and of course Lord Gallick himself. 'Where is Selena?'

"My Diakonlaos today we gather in witness to my sons grand trial, here he will either prove his heart and words true, earning the sponsorship and love he so wishes, or the woman he claims to love shall die!" What in the fuck was he talking about?

Then I saw her, she was being led from the opposite direction that I had been dragged from and seeing her made me go into an almost blind rage. Her dress, once so beautiful, was ripped and torn from the brutal crack of the whip, her eyes were bruised from an obvious beating, her feet were cut to all hell as if she had been made to walk over glass, and her hands showed obvious signs of breakage.

Blood soaked every part of her and it was a miracle she was conscious at all. The worst part of it was as soon as she saw me her eyes lit up and I could see the tears start to fall. "Master…"

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by a coughing so horrendous it's a miracle she only coughed up blood. Looking at Lord Gallick I could see the look in his eyes, that cold unfeeling look that I had believed was just an act to throw off the other houses. Now I knew, those eyes I had seen yesterday, the joviality and love, they were not but acts to bring me a false sense of security.

"What…. What did you do to her, you bastard?!"

The gasp was audible from the crowd, and based on the reactions from Vahid's brothers they hadn't expected such a visceral reaction from me either.

"What has she ever done to earn this, why would you do this to her you heartless beast?! If you wanted someone to abuse it should have been m-"

"Silence Vahid, I have heard enough of your whining. She is a servant, a slave in all but name. I will treat her as I wish, do not forget yourself in your rage."

I could feel something overcome me, before I had been enraged, near blinded by it, but now it was replaced by something far more potent, hate pure and visceral. "Why? Why would you do this? For what purpose could you ever believe it wise to abuse her so?"

"Didn't I tell you last night my son? You have three tasks to complete, you completed your first and now you must complete the remainder. Do so and I shall grant any thing you request of me, including the sponsorship."

The sound of my gritting teeth must have been audible, because it was as loud as a cannon to me. "And what task do you wish of me Fath- Lord Gallick?" I could see his eyes widen ever so slightly at the way I had changed my form of address, and what of it? Was he surprised that I wouldn't call a man who would do this my father?

I watched as the soldiers tied Selena to a wooden post behind me while the three soldiers from before kept me in place, refusing to allow me to run to her. "Your first task is thus, you shall protect this woman from all harm that might come her way, with your life if you must. I know you have never taken a life, my son, and today we shall see if you can do it to protect the woman you claim to love."

"You have already harme-"

"I have not finished speaking."

I said nothing more, I saw the look on his face, I knew what he wanted. He wanted this to be a show, an event with which he could prove beyond a doubt that any who tried to take advantage of his house's power, even his own sons, would be crushed utterly lest they prove themselves in his eyes.

"You shall face five men, they are slaves, fighting men captured from beyond our borders and promised freedom if they can not only get past you but also kill that woman. All you must do is stop them."

As he spoke each of the men showed themselves one by one. Two were light skinned men in light chain mail and fur and based on their features they were of northern descent, perhaps even distant relatives to the people of Colmon. One was obviously a tribesman of Liuwan with his tanned, near brown skin and light coat of lamelar, he seemed to be the most disgusted by the task based on the near apologetic look on his face as he drew his saber.

The final two were quite the pair, they were strange men from even stranger places, their faces were vaguely asian and their clothes and armor reminded me of both Japan and Korea. It seems this world does have some kind of asia expy, how far these two must be from their homeland is beyond astounding.

In comparison to these five men, each of who stood stout and strong with both weapons and armor they were inherently familiar with, I stood alone. I had my sword, a weapon I only had the vaguest familiarity with and some slight memories of Vahids to fall back on. I had no armor, I stood bare in only my regular clothes.

The only thing really going for me was the near superhuman level of fitness this body seemed to possess, as in the amount of blood I had lost back in Ellacuria would have killed a regular man five times over before we had made it even half way back. Along with that the sword on my person was apparently enchanted by a mage to have an unnatural sharpness and durability. The perks of being a nobleman I guess.

"I accept your task Lord Gallick."

"You were never given a choice."

At his words the men moved almost as if one, they were warriors one and all, men trained and bred to fight and they showed it. They crossed the distance between us in seconds, forcing me on the defensive to try and keep them from getting around me and to Selena.

The ringing of blades was ever present for a full thirty seconds, an eternity in close combat as I was nearly overwhelmed by their assault, and suddenly I saw my chance. One of the eastern men had left an opening in a bid to rush past me for Selena, I gave him no quarter.

Slice

His leg was gone in an instant and his screams filled the yard as I tried my best to ignore the way his face twisted in a rictus of pure agony. His screams bought me another opportunity. One of the northerners flinched at the unexpected sound and left just enough of a gap in his defense for me to slip my blade between his axes and skewer his throat.

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That was the last cut I would earn freely as the first of the other northerner slammed into my gut, nearly toppling me over completely. Without warning I was on my back trying my best to stop his axe with my bloody blade as he loomed over me, while out of the corner of my eye I could see the Liuwanan tribesman and the Asian(?) man getting into a heated debate. Most likely over who would get to kill Selena and claim their freedom.

'No, this isn't how it ends. I won't let some fucking pissants with no remorse kill the only good thing I've found in this world. Not like this.'

With strength I didn't know I had I slammed my knee into the Northern slaves balls, and I could feel them literally explode from the force of my hit. He never got a chance to do anything more than scream in pain as my blade separated his head from his neck. Rolling his body off my own I turned to the two living men, I didn't even bother to acknowledge the man whose leg I had cut off. He wasn't going to be in the fight any time soon without vast medical aid, not with the amount of blood he had lost.

The final two men stopped their argument and turned to me, their expressions let me know they hadn't expected nearly as much of a fight from me as they had gotten. Honestly I hadn't expected it either. Few of the movements in the fight so far had been my own, it was almost as if my body was moving on its own, following instincts and reactions I had never trained.

'These are Vahids skills aren't they? This is how he survived so long in the end, through sheer skill of arms.'

The men weren't interested in letting me stand and catch my breath and so they attacked. Only they didn't attack as one, instead the tribesman charged me while the Asian(?) man turned and ran as fast as he could for Selena. Of course that meant he was the man I went after first.

Dodging the tribesman's sword stroke, and subsequent side swipe as I dodged past him at a full sprint I was on the other man in seconds. Right as he was about to swing his blade and take Selena's life I was behind him and my sword was ripping out of his back, through his spine, and through his stomach for all the world to see.

It was a gruesome death, one made all the worst as I literally bisected him as I was pulling out my blade. Which let me just say, hot damn is this thing fucking awesome. It cuts through flesh like it's not even there and steel offers as much resistance as melted butter. Just who made this thing?

My internal wonder at my blade's usefulness was cut short as the tribesman's blade rang out against my own. With swords locked I could see the desperation in his eyes, the pity was gone, his chance at freedom was vanishing before his eyes and he was desperate to salvage the situation. Unfortunately desperation was not his alone and as our blades pushed against one another my larger and stronger frame proved superior to his own slender build.

"I am sorry for this, no I do not do this out of any hate for you. I am simply protecting the one that I love."

"Lekia aiiin theral Liekan Jelan, Do not apologize to me. Do what you must, I will do the same."

As he fell to a knee to try and stop my blade I could see the moment his grip faltered, and feel the way his sword bent over so slightly out of alignment with my own. Suddenly the blades were no longer locked and my own snaked around almost as if by its own accord. Just as my blade was entering his heart I could feel a searing pain in my left leg and in my side.

Looking down and behind me I was flabbergasted at the sight of the one legged man holding a blade in my leg, the defiance in his eyes was clear even as the light slowly left him. At the same time I could also see the dagger sticking out of my side that the tribesman had stuck into my in his last breath.

Ever so slowly I extracted my blade from its sheath in the tribesman's body and stood on my own, yanking out both of the blades that had been stuck in my body. The blood flowed freely and yet I stood defiant in front of the near speechless crowd.

"I have passed your test, show me the third so I may defeat it as well."

The silence stretched out as the crowd observed my blood stained form, I was a wreck. Blood was pouring from the stab wounds, and it was pooling in my mouth from the beating the Northern brute had given me. My eyes were stinging from the rising dust and my body was near collapse from sheer exhaustion, and yet I stood and stared him down. He would get no weakness from me, not now.

"You heard him, has he passed your test? Do you finest soldiers of Estin, men whom I would be glad to fight and die with! Take this man as your commander to lead you through war and peace, adventure and tragedy?"

At first none of them said anything, until a broad man stood. Based upon the silver embroidery upon his shoulder he was a Wachtmeister, a soldier of renown, a Veteran who had likely seen more death in his time of duty than a hundred others would in their entire lives. He spoke in the ancient tongue of Eroren, a tongue many had abandoned, but still held great sway as a sign of respect and tradition.

"Ichr werdio dieseman Manio dienen, iesem auptmann dery Menschenw" Translated he is saying: I will serve this man, this Captain of men. His words seemed to have a domino effect as soon enough man after man, soldier after soldier was taking a stand and repeating the words that had started this all. Finally the captains alone had stayed seated, but after only a moment's hesitation they too stood.

"We see this Captain of men, and name him Iochagos, we will follow him for as long as he can provide for those under us to whom we have promised much. We too recognize his Agapi, and his devotion to this woman. He has made no lie, he will hold true. Please Lord Iochagos accept our pledge of loyalty."

As the last of the captains made their pledge and dropped to a knee, bringing their men with them in supplication I ignored them all and turned instead to Selena still on her pole. One second she was hanging and the next she was in my arms, the ropes and chains binding her broken. "You wish to serve me? Then save this woman! I order it as your Lord-Captain, NO! As Iochagos, I order you to save her life!"

As one they spoke, their voices a wave. "Yes my lord!"

Medics and a Mage rushed from the stands, their hands full with all the various medicines and ointments needed to treat the various wounds upon her form. I knew I could trust her in their hands, I saw the way they looked at me. They would not betray me without reason. Instead I turned my attention to Lord Gallick and Vahids brothers. I had a score to settle.