“Hey, calm down for a second.” Kyros tried to reason. 

The guard just kept walking forward, his sword now in hand hanging by his side.  

“Wait. Listen to me.”  

“There is nothing to listen to. Now die!” The guard lunged forward with a horizontal slash across Kyros. 

-20hp 

Kyros had luckily saw signs that the guard was about to strike, so he jumped back. Yet even knowing that the guard was going to attack, he had still been to slow to fully dodge the strike. He had received a small slash across his chest. It wasn’t large enough to hinder him in anyway, yet was still enough to cause a stinging pain. 

Fuck. There is no way I can defeat him in a fight. No! I refuse to believe this man can’t see reason. All or nothing I guess. 

Kyros suddenly stood up straight and rose his arms up, as if to say he surrendered.  

“Wait! You can obviously kill me at any point, but at least hear me out. Alright?” Kyros pleaded.  

Holy shit. This is intense. Please don’t kill me! 

Even Kyros couldn’t keep his calm in this situation. It was a scary thing to know death could come at any moment. He was no longer like his old self from his old world, where he didn’t fear death. He now had things he wanted to do, like learn magic. His old self had nothing, he just wasted away playing video games; such was the reason why he didn’t care for his life.  

The guard suddenly rose his sword high in the air, threatening to bring it down. With a swing with his arm, he brought the sword down about to strike Kyros. Kyros closed his eyes. 

Shit! Well at least I tried… I wonder if I’ll meet that weird guy who put me in this situation again… 

 “Open your eyes.” The voice of the guard rang out. Kyros had opened his eyes, and what he saw was a sword hanging just above his head. 

I see… He was testing my resolve. I wonder what would’ve happened had I tried to dodge…  

Kyros shuddered from the thought. 

“Talk. Make a sudden move or try to call in alarm, and my sword will finish its swing.” The guard threatened. 

“Ah… Yes.” Kyros felt the pressure of the sword hanging over his head. “You were there today, when that old servant had beaten me just for saying I was equal of that lady.”  

“Yeah, was an amusing sight to see the great Antonia be spoken down to by a slave. Continue.” The guard had interrupted Kyros with a smile hinting on his face. 

“Well, think about it. Why would I want to do anything that would help out this family? We’re on the same side.” Kyros reasoned. 

“That’s a possibility. However, maybe you realised how stupid it was to make an enemy of Antonia, and you could use my identity to fix that.” The guard retorted.  

Fuck, he's cautious. Guess that’s to be expected of someone of his occupation. 

“No. I’d rather die than do anything useful for her.” Kyros stated while looking the guard in the eyes, refusing to look away. Of course that statement was a lie. Depending on the situation, Kyros might do anything. He was smart, he knew sometimes you’d have to do things you don’t like to achieve your goal. There were a few things he wouldn’t do though, such as throw away his dignity. 

The guard held his stare, for what seemed to be a minute. Before finally cracking a smile on his face and lowering his sword. 

“Hahaha well thank god for that. Never really been too fond of killing. I’ll do it if I have to, but I’d rather avoid it. That’s why I chose this path rather than be a soldier like father wanted of me.” The guard suddenly became quite jovial and talkative.  

Wait isn’t this too much of a personality change. 

“So wait, does this mean you trust me?” Kyros sceptically asked. 

“Why? Would you rather I don’t? Haha” The guard joked. 

“Ugh, well no of course not. It’s just that… you’re acting pretty different then before.” Kyros didn’t know how to take this man. 

“Oh that whole act. It’s a serious job you know, being a spy. Hardly ever get to sit down and have a laugh.” The guard admitted. 

Is this guard stupid or does he somehow know for sure that he can trust me? Either way, it’s a good outcome for me. Thought I was dead for a second there… 

The guard was still talking and laughing about some random things, seemed as if he could talk nonstop had he have an ear to talk to. Looking closer at this guard, he seemed to be in his mid thirties. He had thick brown hair and a bit of scruff around his jaw, indicating he hadn’t shaved for a few days. At first he looked to be a rather serious man, however on closer inspection Kyros could see the laughing wrinkles around this mans eyes; making him seem friendly. He looked to be an honest man, it was a wonder to Kyros how he pulled off being a spy. Than again he had just thought this man was going to kill him. Scary. 

“And then you just looked her in the eyes and said ‘Yes. I do.’. Hahahaha nearly had me blow my cover from laughing. That’ll be a good story for when I go back home.” The guard was recounting the story of how Kyros spoke back to Antonia earlier that morning. 

“Wait, did you just say that you were going back home?” Kyros suddenly perked up. 

“Aye lad. Can’t be stuck here forever now, can I? Already been away from the missus and kids for too long.” The guard answered. 

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“When are you going back?” Kyros asked. The guard looked at Kyros sceptically before answering. 

“About a months time, why’s that? You’re not trying to get more information out of me to report back, are you lad?” The guard said warily. 

“No, of course not. Actually do you think I could come with you?” Kyros asked hopefully. This was the perfect chance for Kyros. 

“Ah…. I’m sorry lad. It’s easy for me to disappear by myself. To take a slave with me though, that’s another thing.” The guard answered with a look of pity in his eyes. 

“Please? I need to get out of here.” Kyros couldn’t give up just like that. 

“Do you know how tightly guarded this place is. I can come and go in this place, but you’re a slave lad. A slave can only leave the mine with a signed note from one of those Mavis family scum.” The guard said the last part with venom. 

I see… Guess it was to much to hope for. 

Kyros wasn’t stupid, everything the guard said had made sense. It might be worth a shot from Kyros’s perspective, but if the guard was caught trying to help Kyros escape than his cover would be blown. The guard wouldn’t risk everything for a slave. 

“I’m sorry, just the way things are. The only time security here is lax is when the cave goblins start a large scale raid. However, that hasn’t happened ever since they collapsed that part of the mine…” The guard was trying to make sure Kyros didn’t cling to any hope. 

Ah forgot there were cave goblins in here. They are held back by the guards, away from us… Wait, cave goblins… Guards… That’s it! 

“Wait, you’re a guard right?” Kyros asked. 

“And here I thought I did well with this disguise haha” The guard joked. 

“No, I mean you’re a guard. So you know the layout of the mines, right?” Kyros was starting to get impatient. 

“What’re you trying to get at lad?” The guard could see Kyros was up to something. 

“So you do. Than you would know where all the common areas the cave goblins attack from, wouldn’t you?” Kyros asked. 

“I suppose I do. What of it?”  

“Alright, hear me out.” Kyros went on to explain his plan to guard. 

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A couple of minutes later when Kyros had finished his explanation, the guard had been quiet trying to ponder over the idea. Kyros was starting to grow nervous, because if the guard agreed it would mean Kyros would have a shot at escaping. 

Suddenly the guard looked at Kyros, with a smile growing wider on his face. 

“That’s a mighty plan, you thought up there. I think it could work. We could cause a blow to the Mavis family while escaping, and they wouldn’t know a thing. aha..hahaha..HAHAHA” The guard slowly built up to a roaring laugh.  

Yes! He bought it. Now I just need to get the map of the cave layout and get to work. 

“Alright, first I’ll run this by my father. Tomorrow morning meet me in the mess chamber, I’ll slip you the map layout.” 

“Wait, don’t you think you should do it at a less conspicuous spot?” Kyros thought it would be a bad idea to do something so shady in front of so many guards and slaves. 

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ve been doing these things for a while now, trust me.” 

“Alright…” Kyros didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. 

“By the way, lad. What’s your name?” The guard asked. 

“Kyros.”  

“Kyros. Fine name. After you escape from here, you’re welcome a spot in my Nerva family. Could always use smart minds like yours.” The guard suddenly declared. 

“Thanks, but for now I want to focus on getting out here.” Kyros hadn’t thought of what to do after escaping. 

“Fair enough. If you ever do want to join us, just tell them James referred you.” James said. 

James left first, and after a couple of minutes of waiting Kyros had left as well to return to work. 

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Kyros was now back in his sleeping chamber. No one has suspected anything for why he was gone so long, Henry and Charles tend to keep their distance from him if they could help it. So the rest of his day he impatiently mined waiting for the day to end. Now that he was back in his room, he had locked his door and reached into his overalls and pulled out the scroll that was hidden underneath them. 

He unrolled the scrolled and started to read it. 

‘The spell fireball, is one of the least difficult spells to transmute under the fire category.’ 

Transmute. What does this mean? What am I changing? Don’t tell me I need some magic powder or something to change into a fireball…  

Kyros sat on the questions for a while before discovering he had absolutely no clue. 

I don’t think I’ll figure this out on my own. I’ll have to ask master about it, in a way that he won’t suspect anything though… 

Kyros drifted off to sleep late that night. He had a lot of things going on right now, and was going over them in his head to make sure he hasn’t missed anything. 

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Somewhere else in the mines, deep underground. There was a chamber with no door, no way to enter or leave. It was pitch black in this chamber, apart from a very dull light that shone into the middle of the room from a hole in the ceiling that seemed to run up for miles. 

“So my little highborn is trying to escape and leave me all alone… How interesting…” A feminine voice rang out.