"Henrietta we must gather sufficient supplies and flee!" I say with a neutral expression. "To be specific, we need travel cloaks to keep us warm, food and essentials enough to last us a week or more, bedrolls if there are any in this house, a pack to carry the food and essentials and finally-" I look down to my bare feet. "-Shoe's for wear."

As I mention the items she nods each time, but when I mention shoe's she looks down at my feet to check the size of them. "Hmmmm, you should be about the same size as my old lord." She says as she looks over to my dead father. Sorry father, I haven't seen you since my birth so I don't know you very well, but I'm going to have to steal your shoes.

I walk over to the pale dried out husk that was once my father and I remove his shoe's carefully. "Oh and before I forget, Henrietta do you know of a place where we could get a boat?" I ask.

"Yes I do, my Clan's village is a day of travel south on foot east. There we could get a boat but you'd need to buy it." She answers while I'm putting on my new shoe's.

"Is there any other way to obtain one?" I ask, I don't have any money and I don't think I can earn much at the moment due to the demons running amok.

"Yes." I get hopeful- "But you would need to marry me, my clan is a matriarchy and I am the heiress to the Galligor clan. If you would marry me and prove yourself to be a good warrior then you would most likely get a ship as a dowry." She finishes with a dazzling smile.

Marriage? I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Just how old are you Henrietta?"

"I am 20 years old my lord." She delivered with her still dazzling smile. I never really interacted with women much in my previous life, maybe a prostitute or two but that was it. Luckily for her I have a thing for petite women.

"But would you be willing to marry me? I would not wish this upon you without your own willingness, marriage is a serious commitment." To be honest I'm surprised, offering to marry a complete stranger is well... Strange to say the least.

But if it'll get me a boat then I don't mind, having a wife in a medieval time period is quite useful. Besides if she's the heiress to the clan then marrying her may have more benefits than just getting a ship for the dowry.

She's attractive but I know nothing about her, Given time I guess I could come to love her. But once we get a ship, set sail and reach a new home I'll have plenty time.

"You defeated a powerful demon using chantless magic and only the oldest and most powerful of mages can do that and yet you are still young, a strong husband will provide strong heirs for the clan. I am willing to marry." She says with a smile and without a care in the world.

"We will travel to your clan's village. I'd like some time to think on this matter so I'll give you my answer either on the journey or when we get there, but for now we must get what we need for travelli-" I am cut off by faint muffled voices then the sound of metal biting into wood coming from the barred entrance.

Someone's trying to get in, that much is obvious. But who is trying to get in? Are they hostile or friendly? I don't know and I'd prefer to fight first then ask questions later.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Stay behind me Henrietta, your good at killing downed demons but I don't know what's going to come through that door." I say to her before turning around to fully face the door. I gather my mana but this time instead of forming it into a wall I will it into 6 balls covered in spikes. If the impact doesn't kill whatever comes through the door then hopefully the spikes will.

After roughly 4 minutes the door starts splintering and we see that it's an axe being used to break it open, and after 2 more minutes the door finally gives in.

Three bulky men charge in as soon as the plank barring the door gives in. Two men wearing a steel lamellar cuirass each, both with a chainmail undershirt and what looks like a gambeson under that, chainmail leggings as well, helmet-wise they both wear chainmail coif's that cover the entire face except for the eyes, with a steel skullcap helmet with straps connecting under the chin to top the ensemble off.

The third fellow is not as well equipped with only a leather lamellar cuirass, leather vambraces, greaves and a chainmail coif and steel skullcap helmet just like his two comrades.

Weapon-wise, they all have slightly similar weapons to a point, 1 of the steel-clad warriors has an oval shield like a Roman oval cavalry scutum strapped to his back, sheathed on his waist in a scabbard is a shortsword. In his hand's is a sharp looking halberd with a spear tip and an axe blade which is what I'd assume he'd cut through the door with.

The other two warriors despite having differant armor they have the exact same weapons, Oval scutum and shortsword in hand, hand-axe's tied to their waists. I can see

As soon as they catch sight of me they charge towards me weapons raised, I bring my spiked mana balls to bear and am about to launch them but I was interrupted.

"Jorgen stop!" Henrietta calls out in a commanding tone towards the 3 charging warriors. Their response is to obey and grind to a halt, lowering their raised weapons as well.

Henrietta walks out from behind me with a smile on her face. "My lady are you hurt?!" One of the men calls out in an elderly voice.

"No I'm fine Jorgen, why are you here and not back at the clan's hold?"

The 3 warriors look down, if I could see their expressions I'd guess they'd be something like shame or akin to it. "There was a marauding army of demons 5 days north my lady, your mother stayed behind with most of the Tagmata and the eldest people that could not move. You are the clan Matriarch now my lady Galligor." Jorgen squeezes out.

Henrietta had no response, she just suddenly fainted and luckily I caught her. "Now that the lady Galligor is indisposed, I would say we leave this place. How did you get here? On foot?" I ask while putting Henrietta in a princess carry so it's much easier to hold her unconcious form.

They just stare at me saying nothing for a few moments. "Well?" I ask again, I can't see their expression due to the chainmail coifs covering their faces so I've no idea of their expressions.

"We came in the Dromon down at the docks. Now listen here I don't know who y-" He's cut off by a roar coming from down the hallway towards the door. "Oh seven hells it's a fiend!" He finishes.

I sigh, "Let me take care of this." I say abruptly before charging past them, willing my mana spiked balls to shimmer. They charge after me moments later.

After just a few seconds of running down the corridor I see the fiend comes around the corner. The fiend is an 10ft tall red monstrosity with goat hooves, hairy legs and two large jagged horns for charging and painfully goring enemies.

I give it no such chance to charge, I will my 6 mana balls of doom foward, 1 towards each ankle, 2 towards the face, one towards the chest and the final one towards the stomach.

The result was, spectacular to say the least, both of it's hooves disapear alongside it's head. 2 holes appear in it's chest and stomach with blood gushing everywhere.

It's body hits the floor and starts spasming and twitching for 7 seconds more before it finally realises it's dead. I stop running and turn to the 3 warriors following who stop alongside me.

"Would you mind leading the way to the Dromon?" I ask, still holding Henrietta in a princess carry.

All 3 just stare at the dead fiend in what I'd assume was shock for a few moments, "Errrr... Yes Lord Magus!" Jorgen pipes up before leading the way out of this manor.