I rushed to my room. My thoughts were a chaotic mess. Should I kill that knight? No... No, I can't do that. I paced back and forth, gripping my head. Maybe I should ask Stella to chain me up until the quest timer runs out. Three days… That should keep everyone safe.

But then a terrible thought struck me. What if they attack Stella for refusing the King's request?

No Stella is powerful. Even an army of humans wouldn't stand a chance against her. But the system… This system is more dangerous than I thought.

I clenched my fists and shouted into the air.

System! Can I cancel this quest? -

/System: No. I am designed to follow your initial orders and nothing more. Once the quest timer expires, I will recalculate the outcomes and act based on the best course of action.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

What do you mean by "initial orders"? I didn't ask you to give me this quest! And "best course of action"? Really? Is hurting someone dear to me is your idea of the best action?! -

/System: …

The silence from the system was deafening.

Never mind... - I muttered, biting my lip.

I opened the system storage and pulled out the Goblin King's sword. The weight of it felt heavier than usual, as if it knew what I was considering.

I have three options, I thought, staring at the blade. Ask Stella to bind me before the time limit ends. Travel far away from here so no one else gets hurt. Or… kill the royal knight and his entire platoon.

The third option churned my stomach. One hundred people. A total massacre. And if the King finds out his beloved knight was killed during a visit to this village, they might blame Stella. They'll assume she did it.

The most viable option seemed to be traveling far away. But… Where would I even go? I wasn't familiar with many places in this world yet. Worse, what if I hurt someone along the way? And what would the system do if I ran? What if it used my body to annihilate the first village it encountered?*

I gritted my teeth. No matter what I chose, the consequences would be devastating.

- Ackkkk! - I groaned aloud, clutching my head. I don't know what to do! This dilemma might actually kill me. I sighed heavily. I need to clear my head. I need some air.

I glanced at the window, quietly opened it, and slipped outside. Using wind magic, I lifted myself into the air, feeling the warm breeze of morning air.

Flying with wind magic was awkward and exhausting. I had to constantly focus on controlling the flow of air around me to keep myself stable. There has to be a better way to do this.

Then an idea struck me. What about using a barrier.

Barriers were solidified mana, far easier to control than the unpredictable currents of wind. since i could manipulate a barrier to move through space whether up, down, or sideways I could essentially use it to fly.

Excited by the thought, I cast a thin layer of barrier around my body, letting it envelop me like armor.

I dispelled my wind magic, and surprisingly, I stopped midair.

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Why hasn't anyone done this before? Barrier magic isn't even that rare of a spell.

As I flew over the farmland, I noticed a field of tall grass that looked like wheat. Farmers were busy with their daily tasks, and some kids noticed me flying, pointing at me with their fingers. They seemed about the same age as me. For a brief moment, I wished I'd been born in this world without my past life's consciousness. Maybe then I could've experienced a normal childhood again.

Not far from the farmland, I saw the market area—the main hub of the village. I flew in that direction. People were busy rebuilding what remained after the recent goblin attack. The guild was quiet; most of its members were with Gustav, traveling to Hanisha. The soldiers who visited earlier were still here, helping villagers carry raw materials.

I decided to descend and roam around. As I walked, I noticed a group of kids in an alley and decided to approach them.

- Hey! - I greeted.

-- Oh! Isn't he Brother Gustav's son? -- said a boy with a fat face.

-- What are you doing here, Le... Le... Le-an? -- stammered another kid.

- It's Leon, - I corrected her.

-- Oh, yes! My name is Esie, and this is Gerth, -- she said, gesturing to the fay boy. -- Brother Gustav talks about you all the time. --

So Gustav's really popular around here—even the kids know him.

-- Want to come with us? -- Esie asked.

- Where to? - I replied.

-- The soldiers' camp is in the lowlands near the forest. We're going to watch their training. --

- Sounds interesting. -

I decided to join them, and we began walking toward the camp.

-- I want to become one of the King's soldiers someday, like those men. I want to protect people and be a hero! -- said Gerth, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

His words took me back. I remembered when I dreamed of becoming president back in my old world. I used to watch countless documentaries about the poor state of my country and wanted to help. But as time passed, dreams died. Life has a way of beating the shit out of you. I ended up in jobs and situations dictated by circumstance. Maybe my dream was just naïve. Maybe I didn't try hard enough.

-- How about you, Leon? What's your dream? -- Esie asked.

- I don't know. Maybe I don't have one. What about you? -

-- I want to have a flower shop. I love flowers and want a job where I can smell them every day. --

As we neared the camp, soldiers were scattered everywhere. Suddenly, someone shouted, scolding another soldier.

-- WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T FIND THEM!? THAT WAS A CARAVAN OF 60 PEOPLE HEADING NORTH! HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS TO SIR LLOYD, YOU IMBECILE!? -- yelled a soldier with a large mustache.

*They must be talking about Gustav's caravan… Is that man the platoon leader?

-- Leon, we're here! Come on! -- Esie called out excitedly.

Both Esie and Gerth ran ahead, but I walked slowly toward the camp. The place was bustling—not just with soldiers, but with villagers, children, and local militia.

In the center of the camp, a soldier with a wooden sword stood inside a fenced-off area, facing a wounded militia member.

-- That's what happens when you act like a soldier but don't have proper training! How do you expect to protect anyone with swordsmanship like that? STAND UP AND FIGHT ME! -- the soldier barked.

The militia member struggled to stand, but it was clear he couldn't continue.

I noticed Esie covering Gerth's eyes.

-- That's Gerth's father... -- she whispered.

The soldier kicked the militia member in the face.

-- Anyone else want to challenge me? If you defeat me, the prize is yours! -- he shouted, waving a bag of silver.

The other soldiers laughed and drank sake, while the local militias looked humiliated, avoiding eye contact.

-- You're lucky Brother Gustav isn't here, -- Esie muttered under her breath.

Everyone froze.

The soldier heard her.

-- Who said that!? -- He scanned the area and locked eyes with Esie. -- Was it you, little girl!? -- He grabbed her wrist. -- Are you talking about Gustav, the so-called 'Berserker of the Hero's Party'? The one who fled when he heard Sir Earl was looking for him? HAHAHAHAHA! You think a coward like him could defeat me? The so-called hero and his dogs are failures! They tried to kill the Demon King and came back half-dead! --

Suddenly, a voice interrupted from behind.

-- I'll fight you! --

When i look i was surprised. That's Sting! I thought he was still back at the house with Stella!

Sting looked at me as he walked past, whispering,

-- Your mother noticed you were gone. She sent me to find you. Let me deal with this guy first, and then we're going home. Don't go anywhere, or we're both be killed by your mom. --

Sting jumped into the fenced-off area, while others helped the wounded militia member out.

-- Who's this? An adventurer? HAHAHA! -- the soldier mocked.

Sting picked up the wooden sword from the ground. Without hesitation, he slid across the dirt, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

-- Cheap trick! -- the soldier shouted.

The soldier swung his sword powerfully, dispersing the dust with the force of his strike. Sting launched an attack from behind, but the soldier noticed it in time and successfully blocked the blow.

I decided to scan their stats using the system. The soldier had decent stats, sting stats however was too low compared to the soldier.

*/System: Sting's chance of winning: 3%

The gap in skills and stats was massive. The soldier seemed to be playing around, while Sting was already fighting with everything he had.

I cast a thin layer of barrier magic around Sting without anyone noticing.

Sting circled the soldier, launching attacks from all directions. Suddenly, the soldier threw his sword into the air, clenched his fist, and countered Sting's movement. His punch landed squarely on Sting's face, shattering the barrier I had placed. Before Sting could react, the soldier caught his sword mid-air and swung it directly at Sting's body.

Sting fell to the ground.

-- That's it? I expected more from an adventurer. You're supposed to have more experience than these local militias. HAHAHAHA! You've disappointed me. -- The soldier laughed, stomping on Sting's body.

-- NOW PAY UP! OH, DID I FORGET TO MENTION? IF YOU WIN, YOU GET THIS BAG OF SILVER, BUT IF YOU LOSE, YOU OWE ME TWO SILVER COINS! -- the soldier sneered, pressing his foot harder onto Sting's body.

I jumped into the fenced area and reached into my pocket. Pulling out the silver coins Deo had given me back then, I threw them at the soldier's bald head.

- Here's your coin. - I shouted.

The soldier turned to me, his expression darkening.

-- Oh ho, who's this brave little guy? Is this your brother? -- He slowly walked toward me.

- My name is Leon Ishtar, and I'm going to beat the shit out of you. -