It took us more than a day before the vessel I am boarding arrived at its destination. In this brief time, I could not understand a thing they said other than their names. All of them were not something I was used to saying.
To not make it seem like that, I was going to leech off their kindness, so I decided to help them where I could. Whilst I wasn't a ferryman, I was strong enough to lift my weight around here.
Also, from time to time, some water monsters would appear, which I would kill without any problem, which seemed to sweeten the relationship between our person. So, in this way, the trip passed by without many problems.
Now, much sound was going around as we were anchoring the vessel to a wooden board. Then Norami, called a boy no older than 20, who had appeared around the vessel along with other men just as the vessel landed.
He said something to the boy, then turned and pointed to me. He spoke some more, and with a nod of their head, both of them started to walk towards me. Norami looked at me with a smile, and, patting the back of the boy's body, the boy spoke his name with a bow.
"Irataka."
"Michael."
I said mine with a bow as well, because they seem to do this a lot.
Then, Norami looked at me, and without speaking, signaled with his fingers.
He pointed at Irataka.
He pointed at me.
He curled his fist with first and second fingers extended, and made a walking gesture with them.
'He might be asking me to follow him.'
Hesitantly, Irataka began to walk away and turned to look at me, as I followed. To reassure him, I had a pleasant look on my face instead of my usual somber one.
We walked around without talking, though there were many people who looked like Norami and Irataka, who looked at me, and whispered something amongst themselves, but no one approached for a conversation.
We moved through a series of houses with slanted roofs as we passed away from the dockyard. As we continued to walk in, I saw people selling wares, mostly food items on a stick, fruits, or some sort of toys or decorations. I saw kids running around and women at the shops buying one thing or another.
Once more, the structure of the buildings changed, with buildings getting larger, wider, and more polished.
'This seems like an area where important people might live. Is he taking me to his village chief? At least I hope whoever that person is, they can speak my tongue.'
I sincerely hoped. It was getting quite difficult to just talk using gestures.
But alas, my hopes were dashed.
We entered a place that was guarded by people wielding a spear-like weapon, but with a much wider blade. At the gate, that must have been created by a craftsman of great skill, two men stood wearing the same armor and wielding the same weapons as the other guards.
Seeing Irataka, he wanted to say something, but noticing me following behind him, he stiffened. As if expecting this, Irataka quickly walked towards him and began to speak something with the two guards. Many times, eyes were drawn towards me with less hostility. It is a good thing that I am wearing their local cloth in the upper part of my body, otherwise broken armor would have attracted much more hostility from them.
When their conversation seemed almost over, Irataka bowed a bit to the guard who shouted something, then the door was opened inwards. By this time, Irataka walked back to me and gestured for me to follow him. We were joined by two guards from inside the gate.
Once more, I followed Irataka under the eyes of people, who had little curiosity but more vigilance behind their eyes. He seemed to enter the three-storied building that was the highest in this village.
We walked through a series of stairs until we arrived at the top floor of the building, where more attendants were standing by the gate. The guard approached the attendant and whispered something to him. The attendant took a quick peek at me, then opened the door just enough for him to squeeze in and entered quickly after closing the door.
From inside the door, I could hear the sounds of conversation from inside the door. Then, the sound halted and was replaced by the sounds of steps. The door then slid open, and the attendant said something, and he gestured inside.
Following this, the guard walked forward, with Irataka and me in tail.
What awaited me inside was an entirely different scene. I had expected the room to be completely filled with expensive things, but instead it was fairly mundane. There was a painting on the wall of a serpent of sorts. A lamp and a table on the ground, covered with a blanket.
Behind the table sat a man who had a look of curiosity, wearing red clothes of the same type as worn by everyone, with a golden circlet on his head. There was a green gem on the circlet, but that was as far ornaments went.
Grinning as he looked at me, he said something, at which Irataka began a conversation with him. As he continued to speak, I saw intrigue and excitement behind his eyes. The guard, too, watched me with wider eyes at one statement. Then the person who was sitting stood up and walked up to me, scrutinizing me with his chin in his palm.
Then he pointed at himself and spoke.
"Sun Wukong."
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Days went by and I gotten used to the routine I had found myself in. I would wake up at the break of dawn, eat, and then learn the language under Ser Wukong.
Whilst I would have hoped to know exactly where I was a little sooner, this seemed to be a prerequisite to know it. It took me about a period of 3-4 months until I was finally able to read the language. I could speak it, but like a toddler. I could speak the important things, but grammar was all over the place.
As far as understanding spoken language went, I was nowhere near proficient enough in it.
It was then that I was delivered with an expected, yet nonetheless shocking.
I was in an entirely different world.
There were no Lords of Shadow here, no Brotherhood, and no church.
Though this world did indeed have monsters, this was not the surprising part. The most surprising parts were that Gods existed in this world and descended from Heaven to the Lower World. They did so because supposedly Heaven was unchanging and boring.
But to do that, they had to seal their divine powers, or arcanum, as they call it.
Not only that, the Gods here form something of a familia, which is basically a group of mortals they call their children. In return, these children are provided with Falna.
Falna is a blessing that Gods provide the mortals by dripping their blood, called ichor, on their backs. This Falna allows to unleash the full potential of a person. So, if a person was a weak-framed individual but had potential to be strong, then this Falna would assist them in it.
It has many things, such as stats, which are individual capabilities in certain areas, like strength, development abilities, magic, and skills. If your stats reach a certain number, you can surpass your present level and enter the next level.
Seeing my strength, people here assumed that I must be a blessed-individual of at least level 2, if not 3. So, it stands to reason that they were astonished when they came to realize that I was Falna less.
They found it hard to believe me. They even suggested that I might not be human but of a different race altogether. Well, they might not be wrong because even though I was strong before, I was nowhere near strong enough as I am now, so I am more inclined to think that the bite Carmilla gave me, along with using both Shadow and Light Magic, did something.
Then, I also came to know that humans are not the only race in this world. This world has a number of races with varying traits.
Namely, Amazon, Boaz, Bull, Cat People, Chienthrope, Dark Elf, White Elf, Dwarf, Pallum, Hume Bunny, Raccoon, Renard, Sheep, Weretiger, and Werewolf. There are phantasmal species like Spirits, too, but they are far too rare for any accurate information about them.
But surprisingly enough, they don't have any vampires in this world.
I also came to know that I am in a small village by the coast in an island country named Far East. The major ruling group of the Far East is called the Imperial Court, headed by Goddess Amaterasu, with several Gods and 8 noble families under them.
Though the farther one strays away from the center of the country, the less control the Imperial Court has, and the place I am in is one such place. Due to being torn away due to never-ending wars and monster attacks, many people, upset by the lack of help from the Imperial Court, decided to walk away from their influence and established their small village here.
Here, the only problem they had to suffer from was monster attacks, which started to decrease as Ser Sun appeared here and blessed the able population with falna to defend themselves. In exchange, people treat him as their primary God.
So, it brings me here. I am sitting on a barrel near the fields with Ser Sun, who was chewing on a stalk.
"What have you decided?" Ser Sun asks me, leaning back, but gaze on the fields.
"I want to join the School District." I replied, at which he just chuckled.
"I had a feeling you were going to choose it." He said, as he turned to look at me, and then continued.
"But you have to wait for around 2 years for it to pass through our town, you know?"
"Yes, I know. I heard about it from Hikigaya." I replied with a nod.
"Then what do you plan to do in the meantime?" He followed up with another question that caused me to release a sigh.
"I am not certain. I hope to help around the town for as long as I am here."
"That is good and all, but you do know that the School District does not take everyone who appears at their doorstep? Even if I think you are strong enough to be guaranteed a spot, it would be a waste not to do a thing." He said, but I understood that he had a solution for it too.
"What do you suggest then, Ser Sun?"
"Ahhh…again with the Ser. I told you to call me just by my name directly." He groaned as he facepalmed.
"I know, but-"
"Yeah, yeah, it is a habit of yours, I get it. Forget I said otherwise." He waved his hand flippantly as he continued.
"Anyways, join my familia and train under me." At his suggestion, I could not help but speak up.
"But to join the School District, I have to leave the village. Then you will not be able to update my falna. Also, we have to join a familia of a God from the School District during our study."
At my reply, he realized something and threw his head back, before getting to me.
"About that…I am sorry but I kind of forgot to tell you this." He scratched his head.
"Tell me what?" I inquired further.
"That you can change your familia to another God's as long as you have been in your previous familia for 1 year, and your old God gives you permission. Why do you think people who go to School District and join a familia there are able to join a familia in Orario, hmm?" He said with the quirk of an eye, which caused me to give it a once over.
"Hmm…I never thought about it. Even still, won't it be a problem for you to dedicate your time on me? I am going to leave, after all."
At my words, he made a face as if he heard the most absurd thing ever.
"Bah! You pull your weight around here and are not lazy. You also helped when monsters attacked. Not to mention, it will be interesting to train you. Much more entertaining than looking at the fields all day. So, what do you say?"
His offer is certainly tempting, and he is correct. Whilst I am strong, there is one thing that I have basically no defense against, and that is magic. He is also a God who is proficient in martial arts, so it would be good to learn under him, I presume.
So, I looked at him and said, "I agree."
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Following my agreement, Ser Sun led me to his house, the tree storied building. Unlike the first time, the gazes were not hostile or guarded against me, they were friendly. Under these eyes, we reached the top floor, where Ser Sun ushered attendants away to give us privacy, because the ritual of Falna-blessing was a sacred one, and the presence of anyone other than the God and the receiver is not taken kindly.
"Okay, boy, lie down on your front and remove your Yukata. I will get the needle." Ser Sun spoke as he went to the desk at the corner of the room, while I lay on the fold-up bed, with my Yukata placed beside me, leaving me in my black chausses that I had to buy on a custom order. I bundled up my long crimson hair so that they do not serve as an obstacle in the whole Falna process.
"Here it is." Ser Sun spoke in a low tone as he walked up to my lying figure and spoke, "It may cause some discomfort when Falna is given, but it won't when we update it. Bear with it."
He spoke, and I just nodded.
Then, I felt a drop fall on my back and…a sudden, indescribable feeling enraptured me. It felt like my blood was warming up in my whole body, and there was a dull ache at the back of my eye. My whole spine was rigid, stiff as if it had not been moved for ages.
The experience was not painful, rather it was uncomfortable.
As I mulling in the sensation, Ser Sun's voice snapped me out.
*WHISTLE*
"Ah…are you human?"
"I am not sure. Something wrong?"
"See it for yourself." He spoke as he handed me a paper on which he had transcribed my Falna, because normally Falna is written in the language of the Gods and could only be understood by them, bar certain outliers.
So, I read it.
Wilhelm Aurelion
Sun Wukong Familia
Level 1
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Development Abilities: NONE
Magic:
[Archivum Pandemonium LXXII] –
- [Ignis Pandemonium]
- ???
Skills:
[Voluntas Indomita]
- Stats are increased when fighting in an unfavorable condition or stronger enemy.
- Grants immunity from: 1. Mental Interference
2. Status effects
[Sanguinis Dominus]
- Effects: Blood Manipulation
Telekinesis
Transformation
Transfiguration
Daywalker
- Immortality: Unageing
Both the soul and the body need to be destroyed at the same time to die
- Buff: Drinking blood increases stats by a minute amount.
And I understood.
There was no denying. I am a vampire, and the reason for my ability to bask under the sun had to be associated with Daywalker, something that I should already have and is only being transcribed here.
But then what about this Archivum Pandemonium LXXII?
It basically translates to Archive of Hell 72.
Now, Hell and the number 72 itself ring a bell in my head. Does it have something to do with the 72 lesser keys of Solomon? If it does, then why was it given to me? I mean, vampires are dark creatures, but not demons. Demons are sealed in hell, and the only time I have ever witnessed a demon is through a purple gem.
Another question for another day, I suppose.
"Your Falna shows your changed name. Guess it does that too." Ser Sun commented as I kept on staring at the page.
Huh…I still think about it even today. To begin my new life in this new world, I saw it only fitting to let go of my old name, given to me by the church, so I decided to pick Wilhelm instead. It just felt right to do so. Less angelic, and more in tune with what I aspire to be.
Resolute Protector.
"It seems like it. Also, I have a good enough answer for my falna and powers." I spoke, which gave him enough to piece together .
"So you are at least part of that blood-sucking race from your world, huh?" He said as I got up, pulling the Yukata back on my body.
"Signs were there, but now this is a confirmation." I said, pointing at Sanguinis Dominus.
He gave it a look and could not hide the surprise on his face.
"I can hardly believe that a race like this can exist in your world. Immortal and unageing, with only weakness being sun, specific water, and damage to the head, a bit like a spirit, but having the ability to create more of your own just by biting."
"I have lived through them, and I still ask myself this question." I replied, feeling more tired of thinking about them than he was. Among all of the races under the Lords of Shadows, I would never find any race as troublesome as a vampire.
"The condition to kill you is difficult enough that I cannot imagine anyone putting you down, but increasing your powers just by consuming more blood…" He said the unspoken in the air.
"Do not worry. I am not sure if I am ever going to feed on blood, and under no circumstances will I go around and attack people for their blood." I replied, looking him in the eye to convey my truthful intentions.
He locked eyes with me for a moment and remained absolutely silent, but then he broke it away with a sigh.
"If it were anyone else saying this, I would have doubted the words, but because it is you, I will believe it."
"Thank you for it." I said, and he waved his hand with tiredness.
"Seriously, you are too formal." He commented, then followed up with another question.
"What about this Archivum Pandemonium LXXII? Is this tied to being a vampire, too?"
"No. This magic appears to be involved with demons instead of vampires." I replied, still in doubt.
"Demons?" Ser Sun asks, as I recount my reasoning.
"If monsters are the predators and enemies of all humans and other races, then demons are the same for God and his angels, and are led by Satan. You can think of them as an anti-divine being."
"Anti-divine?" Ser Sun asked, as if shocked that there could exist a being that is antithetical to God.
"Hmm, and Hell is the place where they live, also called Pandemonium. Number 72 refers to 72 major demons that are under the control of Satan. Think of them as the equivalent of noble houses for the Imperial Court, but for demons. Other demons work under them."
"So your magic granted you the ability to wield fire magic itself, not even a specific spell, but whole fire magic. But a question mark is there…doesn't that mean that you can wield a total of 72 different magics?!" He said without hiding how impressed he was.
"I think so as well. Otherwise, there would be no need for there to be a question mark there." I said back.
"AhhH!! I don't like thinking so much! Let's go and begin your training!" Ser Sun shouted as he threw a fit.
"As you wish."
"I swear, one of these days I am going to break your composure and make you cuss like a sailor."
"As you wish."
"AHHH!!!!!"
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Now, we were standing in an open field behind the main building. The ground here was covered with carefully grown grass. There were small shrubs around the boundary, with flowers in pink and purple.
On the other side of the field, various strange equipment made of wood and iron were there, meant to help in personal training. They were used by guards at a particular time of the day, which gave us a large window to train.
On the otherside, Ser Sun stood in his same clothes, though I had changed from yukata to a white loose poet's shirt, another thing that I had made on custom order.
Standing with his hands behind his back, though with a certain hunch of his back, Ser Sun began.
"Before we begin, I want to know your main weapon."
So I recounted.
"I am most skilled with a whip, followed by a sword and spear. I can also throw daggers well enough."
At my words, he rubbed his chin and asked another question.
"How skilled are you with a sword and spear compared to a whip?"
"I was not excessively trained in them by the Brotherhood because I was to train to inherit Vampire Killer, so all I know is to stick with the pointy end with a spear, and swing the sword like a club." I replied, thinking of the old days.
"This basically means you don't know how to use them at all." He deadpanned.
At this, I just shrugged my shoulders.
"Any blunt weapons or long-range weapons? Dagger doesn't count." He probed further, but all he received was a shake of my head.
"Well…it is a good thing, I guess. Rather than having a bad habit with a weapon, it is better not to know that weapon at all. But this leaves too much to be learned in 2 years as well." He muttered the last part to himself, eyes gazing in the distance in deep thought.
Then his eyes snapped to me as he announced with his hand by his waist, chest puffed up.
"Listen here, boy! In these 2 years, you are going to be trained and work around like a mule, and you are to do this without a single complaint.
You are strong, and are even stronger now that you have a falna, but it does not mean that you are to overwhelm your opponent with your physical strength. Strength and skill go hand in hand, so you are going be trained in weapons of my choice.
Those weapons are whip, spear, sword, war hammer, gauntlet, shield, and bow & arrows.
If you even master them to a decent level, it will help to deal with any form of enemy you encounter."
"Even shield?" I could not help but ask.
"Especially shield. Can you think of something more scary that a thick slab of metal striking our face and breaking it? I think not." He answered his own question before I could.
Then he continued.
"But before beginning your training, I want to see you fight. Choose the whip." At his words, I went to the wooden rack where the weapons were kept and pulled out a coiled whip from it. I gave it a whack or two to see how it felt, and it gave a satisfying sound.
"Good enough." I muttered to myself as I walked against Ser Sun and took a stance, and a second later, nodded at him.
"Begin."
He spoke, and I rolled the whip in my hand, letting it uncoil in a wide slash, and the whip moved unevenly because I was not used to my new strength after getting Falna. Still, it was a strong and searing slash nonetheless, that Ser Sun avoided by flipping back, and I immediately changed the direction of the whip in my hand, bringing it down in a downward strike that he avoided by rolling to the side, and the whip collided with the ground, rising up a cloud of dust.
Suddenly, Ser Sun jumped from the ground, rushing at me, so I retreated the whip and jumped high to deny him a chance for close confrontation, and shot the whip in a straight line at him, which caused him to lose his momentum, and jump back to avoid it.
'Got him!'
Waiting for him to take to the air for even an instant since the beginning of the fight. Getting my chance, I started to move the whip in a wild manner so that it spreads evenly in the air, but not giving away the direction my attack is going to come from.
Then, I tightened the whip, unleashing it for the attack. I could see the whip closing in on him when he grabbed the whip by his hands and pulled hard. Due to my strength, the whip did not budge from my hand, but the attack was halted for this instance.
But instead of gawking at Ser Sun, who was evidently the God of fighting, I tugged at the whip, bringing it close to me to knock him with a punch, but he quickly let the whip go, the whip arrived at me, and I moved with it in a circle to bring it down diagonally.
Just like he had been doing, he side-stepped it too.
'Normal strikes don't work. Entrapping is also useless. I may have to increase lethality.'
I decided a bit hesitantly, though, seeing him keeping up just fine against my brute attacks, I had an inkling that Ser Sun is capable enough to bear with those attacks of mine as well.
"HIYA!"
I shouted as I moved the whip in a whirl, but he did not jump and ducked instead. So I brought the whirling whip closer to the ground, but realizing what was happening, he quickly closed the distance between us, which I did not realize had decreased this much, and delivered a swipe kick at my leg, which I dodged by a back flip, though I had to stop the swirl of the whip, giving him room to move.
Mid jump, I started to shoot the head of the whip in a straight line, but unlike last time, where the intent was to finish with a single swipe as I did in all of the fights, I focused on delivering as many injuries as I could in the lowest time.
The whip started to move back and forth, creating audible sounds in the air, but it seemed that I had severely underestimated Ser Sun by observing him till now. Instead of retreating, he met each of my whip strikes with his open palm and pushed the head of the whip in the direction it was moving with a bit more force, causing it to hit nothing but air.
I tried to deal with it by increasing the speed of the strikes even more, but his palms moved even faster. For a normal eye, they might as well have become a blur, though I can see them as clear as day.
'Ahh…this is getting annoying.'
I could not help but think, as I did not want to attack him with all my strength, but all of my attacks were futile till now. The only saving grace was that now I did not tire.
So I brought my whip down in a simple attack, with all of the power behind it.
*THWAP*
The whip struck the ground…and it crashed into the ground, throwing rocks and dirt everywhere.
"That would be all." Ser Sun said, causing me to halt immediately, and the whip that was mid swing to slump on the ground.
He gave me a once-over and began to speak, raising a finger up.
"Well, I have identified many things that were wrong with you.
First, you are used to handling a whip like a normal human, even though you are not. Even more so after getting a falna. Right now, you are not able to channel your newfound strength into your whip properly, so you are forced to hold yourself back significantly."
'That is true. I felt it now. My eyes and body could keep up with him, but I could not move as quickly at the same speed.'
"Second, your technique is good enough to attack monsters, but it will not sustain against intelligent enemies. It doesn't surprise me, though.
It is not a conventional weapon. You are the first person I have heard who uses a whip as a main weapon."
'It didn't work against Carmilla as well. But even if my technique was better, I do not think I could have bridged the gap between our personal strengths.'
"I will withhold other things for now. Right now, you need to switch to a weapon that is more rigid so it can at least keep up with your movements, skill aside. We are going to begin with a spear."
Then, from that day onwards, my days were spent learning the basics of each weapon. Ser Sun did not expect me to master these weapons, nor did I believe to. Learning anything is like climbing a hill.
It is fast at the start, when the level is just slightly above the ground, but after a point, the inclination is too high to move at the same pace. The weapon that I had the easiest time with was war hammer, because all I had to do was wait for a window to attack and unleash my full strength.
The weapon I had made significant progress in had to be spear. That was because Ser Sun's best weapon was a staff, which was just a spear without a pointed end.
But the weapon I had the most problem with wasn't a sword as I had thought, but a bow. It was difficult for me to pull the string just enough to shoot the arrow. To know the angle to shoot at, and be careful not to break the string. Even if I got used to attacking static or moving targets, I had a hard time predicting the arrow. I could recognize where the target would move and shoot the arrow at the perfect position, but the strength I could channel into the bow was not as much as I would have liked to. This caused the same problem that I suffered initially with the whip.
Though now I have trained with the whip under him, which has caused substantial improvement in it.
During this time, I had not updated my Falna because Ser Sun suggested I should improve on my weakest link the most, because as I grow further, it would be hard for me to receive a challenge from anyone. As I am now, Ser Sun can maneuver around me with his skills, but with his arcanum sealed, if I were to become strong enough to overpower him in brute strength, then I could not properly train under him because unlike Orario, where you could have your status updated daily and face stronger monsters in the dungeon, but out here, monsters are not that strong.
So now, after my training for today, I was sitting on a tree stump, my body completely devoid of sweat, not because of lack of exertion but because I do not sweat at all. My body remains cold throughout.
As I was sitting on the stump, I could hear the sounds of steps of Ser Sun coming, and then he took a seat by my side. We sat in complete silence until we didn't.
"What are you thinking?"
"I don't like the feel of the curved swords here."
"Well, that was random." He commented as he gave me a once-over, and then continued.
"What don't you like about a katana? It is a good sword for slashing."
Shrugging my shoulders as I found myself unable to explain how I felt, I tried my best to put it into words.
"I don't know. It just doesn't feel right. It feels like I am fighting with a feather. Sharp? Yes. But a feather still."
"Then take a straight great sword instead. What is there to think about?" Ser Sun said as if it were no big deal, which caused me to look at him wide-eyed.
"I am allowed to do that?"
"You thought you weren't?" Ser Sun followed with an expression same as mine. Confusion.
"I…did not." The words drawled out as I slumped.
"Hehahahahahahaha!" But Ser Sun decided to laugh out loud at my plight, something I have seen him do quite a few times.
He kept on chortling for a few minutes until his laughter died down.
Lying down, he asked me, "What is the day today?"
"Saturday."
At this, he snapped right back up.
"What is the date today?"
"17th. Why do you ask?"
"Shit! Shit! Shit! I forgot?" Ser Sun spoke hurriedly as he started to scurry off, causing me ask out loud.
"What about our training?!"
"Have a day off!! I need to meet someone!!" He shouted back at me as he jumped over the wall in a hurry.
'This is strange. Who can make some as lazy, no, willful as Ser Sun to run with this hurry?'
I could not help but think for a moment, and then I decided to give up on the topic and look around me.
'Day off, huh? This is the first one. What should I do?'
I spent my time thinking of doing something interested but would get discouraged because I did not want to do it the next second. I decided to do it. I had spent almost half an hour, when I got tired of doing nothing, so I decided to just roam around the town in search of something.
Dusting off the chausses, I went ahead to the weapon rack to place the spear in it, which was not too far away. Following this, I made my way out of the courtyard where I was at, and stepped on the paved road.
"Wilhelm, did Lord Sun finish your training this early?" Hikaru, one of the gate guards, asked me as I stretched my arms. Spinning back to him, I replied, "Yes. Something came, and he ran, rushing, jumping from the wall."
Hearing it, his face creased into one of confusion.
"Lord Sun, and hurry?"
"I am afraid I am as surprised as you are." I replied with a shrug of my shoulder.
Hearing it, he sighed, probably due to how tiring it was to keep up with Ser Sun, who might laze around in the same spot for a whole day, while the next moment, he was going here and there.
"Very well then. Where are you off to?" He asked good-naturedly.
"Nowhere in particular. I was thinking of just roaming around the town."
"That so? Have a safe trip then."
At that, I just nodded my head in affirmation, and I was off.
Walking at a slow pace, I roamed my eyes around here and there, enjoying the moment.
For some reason, this slow walk was more joyful to me than any of the interesting activities I could have been doing. I did not have a destination in mind, so I let my legs guide me.
Before I realized, I had arrived at the market. There, I was greeted by and greeted many passerby. There, I smelt the aroma of fried food. Quickly, I turned my head and found the source of it to be coming from Uraha's.
Walking up to the stall, I greeted Mr. Urahara, who just handed a woman and her child a pair of dango.
"Mr. Urahara, how goes your day?"
"Hahahaha! All good. With your and Lord Sun's blessings, every day is a good one." He replied with a good-natured laugh, with words laced with an ample amount of boasting that a merchant has.
"That is good to hear." I replied in kind.
"Then what are you going to have?" He asked, and looking at what he had in store, I followed up, "What did you make recently?"
Pointing at a large tray beside the container with hot bubbling oil, he spoke, "Karaage, I pulled them out of the oil just now. They are crispy and fresh. Try them."
"Is that so? Then give me…3 plates of Karaage."
"Anything else?" He asked as he started to prepare the plates, filling them with karaage and sauce.
"Nothing else for now. I will buy when I return from walk." I replied as he set down the plates on the countertop.
"No problem. It will be a total of 120 valis." He said as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small pouch filled with a small amount of valis from my total fortune that I carry for daily use.
Counting them, I gave the total amount to Mr. Urahara in his hand, and after saying goodbye, I took off carrying the plates stacked on top of each other. Something that a normal person would find quite hard to do due to the uneven size of karaage, but very simple with my senses.
I walked as I took a bite out of one, which broke under my teeth with a satisfying crunch.
'Hmm! That is good.' I thought as I felt the soft structure of chicken on my tongue, with the crispy structure of the crust and spicy sauce.
Just like that, I walked as I went through all of the plates, until I finally deposited them in a trash bin, and walked away. Once more, after wandering around, I finally passed through the smithy from where the sound of clanging was coming from.
'If I am here, might as well take a cursory glance.' I decided to enter the store by pushing the door open. A chime sounded, but was drowned by the constant sound of hammering.
The shop was divided into two parts. One was the reception where a few expensive pieces of weapons and armor were hung on the wall, whilst the other finished projects were placed on the wooden rack.
On the inside of the shop was the real smithy with an open back to allow much-needed passage of air, and the other equipments were there.
Looking at the 10-year-old boy sitting behind the desk, I spoke, "Hikaru, what are you doing here? Your friends are playing outside."
At my question, the boy slumped a bit before he said, "Oh, Mr. Wilhelm, I want to play, but my brother is sick, so I have to look after the shop today."
"Well, looks like someone is growing up to be a fine and responsible man. Keep it up." I said with a smile, and the boy got easily flustered under my gaze, so puffing his chest, he spoke, "Wait a minute. I will call father."
He said as he was about to step down from the chair, but I shook my head and spoke, "No need. I am only here to browse for now. If I need anything, I will be sure to tell you."
This caused him to stop and slide back in the chair, while I roamed around the shop, looking for anything that could catch my eye, but after taking a look at everything on display, I was left disappointed. Most of the weapons were tanto, katanas, or spears, with two odaichi, one of whom was at least a bit appealing, but I did not like the feel of a single-edged blade.
The armor, too, was not up to my taste. Due to the type of monsters that were in the region, the armor was light. Most of it was boiled leather armor, with steel plates to protect the vitals. I desired a full plate chainmail armor, because weight was not a concern to me.
It was then that the flap of the smithy shop was turned over. From there, a man covered in soot came over, wearing a loose yukata drenched in sweat and burned by embers at certain places.
He was cleaning his face with a piece of cloth that he threw in the corner of the room. Then his eyes fell on me, and with a change of expression from exhaustion to mild surprise, he spoke, "Wilhelm, here in my shop this early? Shouldn't Lord Sun be training you?"
"He had to go somewhere, so I am having my day off." I said as he nodded and followed it up with another question, "Something caught your eye then?"
"No, I was looking for double edged sword that is about as long as, if not longer than, an odaichi. A straight sword, not curved."
At my words, Mr. Hiashi harbored a contemplative look. Rubbing his chin, deep in thought, he got back to me.
"Well, I don't have anything like that made, but I can make one for you. It is called Zweihander."
"A Zweihänder?" I repeated.
"The sword has everything you want, and is typically about 2 meters long. Though with your build, I think your height is around 2 meters?"
"2.12" I nodded, as he continued.
"Hmm…with your height, I think we can make it longer."
"It will not be thin or flimsy, would it be." I asked for clarification, but he dismissed my worries.
"Don't worry. I will make it more sturdy and less flexible. It will take a while to make it, but I will have it delivered to Peach Pavilion. You need not come."
'Well, I might as well have it made. Better to try it first. And who knows, maybe I will like it down the line. If not, then I can replace it.'
I nodded my head after coming to a decision and said, "Send me the final amount as well."
"Anything else on your mind?" He asked as he gestured towards the rest of the weapons, but I shook my head in denial.
Mr. Hiashi could make good blades or basic light armor, but he cannot forge complex plated armor or chain mail, so it would not be prudent to have him make it.
"No, that will be all."
Then I departed from there as well, and finally went to the shore, where I gazed at the sun setting down, getting ready to rise the next day.
...
...
I love humanity.
I always had hope for them in my heart. They were what I always fought for in my previous world.
I knew humanity had its faults, they are not perfect. But I hoped that humanity as a whole is generally good. They are empathetic to the plight of their brethren, and whilst they would argue and fight with words amongst themselves, they would not escalate it further en masse.
I used to think all of the bad deeds people did in my past world were because of the dark magic that had influenced them to act upon their worst impulses.
Now I don't hold that hope anymore. I have half a mind to just stop in my endeavor to strive for justice for all.
The reason that contributed to my abandoning yet another of my pillars of faith stood in front of my eyes.
"Move!"
In front of me stood people who were hauling a wagon. From the surface, one would suspect them to be a merchant. Seeing that the clothes they wore were those of the staff from the Imperial Court, this notion would only be cemented further.
But this was all false.
"Imma' take this one for myself."
They were wretched, low lives, leeches of society who deserved no forgiveness.
"Not now! Keep your dick in your pants."
They were slave traders who would raid the villages located near the edges of the Far East, who were without any Gods, or people who were unfortunate enough to wander away from their villages. Under the guise of officials from the Imperial Court, they would traverse the place to prevent any questioning from anyone who suspected otherwise.
"Please! LET ME GO!! I WON'T TELL ANYONE!!"
These walking piles of dung would take girls as young as 5, rape her, and after having their fill, would sell them to worthless wretches on a planet like themselves, forever condemning their victims for a lifetime of peril.
"Somebody gag the stupid bitch!!!"
The lucky ones were those who would be found in brothels. Others…better left unsaid.
I had removed many of them, leaving no remains of them to bury, no bones to cremate. I had done it so much that their organization had stopped using the same route and had changed it, but it never ended. I could kill as many of them as I can see, but more would jump right up.
But I did not stop, I kept on killing them. I would keep on killing them until none were left.
So I stood up from my crouched state over the tree and…let the arrow loose at them.
*THWACK*
*THWACK*
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Multiple arrows struck them in the head. One of them, who was far too impatient, was pierced through his genital along the length, leaving him in a state of shock, and he collapsed as his body could not handle the pain.
I could sense the captees inside the wagon stiffen up, just as I could sense the snake borrowing in the ground. Others who weren't struck tensed up and started to shout.
"ATTACK!"
"SHIT! WE CHANGED THE ROUTE!! HOW THE HELL IS HE HERE!!"
"WHO DARES TO ATTACK THE IMPERIAL COURT!!"
But that was all.
*THWACK*
*THWACK*
"EEEEKKKKK!!!"
They could only shout until they were shot in the head by the arrow, and their body too fell lifelessly on the ground. This sudden attack caused the girls inside the wagons to shout and make sounds of surprise, whilst some were far too afraid to utter a word.
So I carefully flew down, my steps touching the ground. I moved my eyes towards the many wagons connected to each other, where faint sobbing sounds were audible.
I did not directly approach the girls and free them, but instead fixed my clothes before. If this had been my first time doing this, I would have rushed, but this was not my first time. I had done this many times, so I had come to realize that the victims who went through a harrowing experience are in a fragile state of mind.
They are less likely to respond, especially from a man whom they could be outright hostile toward. The only way to ease the interaction is in the most childish and fairy tale-compliant manner. By dressing in clean white clothes, with finely combed hair and a clear gaze rather than a frigid one.
So, after making sure that my appearance looked as harmless as possible, I approached the wagon and knocked on the side of it.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"PLEASE LET ME GO!! I SWEAR I WON'T TELL ANYONE!!"
Before I could say anything, the voice of one of the girls from inside the wagon came, brimming with panic, which soon caused the commotion to rise from the other wagon.
"I WON'T TELL ANYONE TOO!!!"
"MOMMY! I WANT TO GO TO MY MOMMY!"
"SPARE ME! PLEASE SPARE ME!"
Then there was a seemingly unending tsunami of these voices that refused to subside.
'It seems killing cleanly, stealthily, is just as ineffective. Perhaps I should mend my approach.'
I thought as I decided to let them speak for as long as they could. Stopping them midway would only act as feeding fuel to the fire. It took them quite a while to cry their heart out, until they went silent after being tired.
It was only then that I shifted the curtain without much fanfare and stood there with a calm expression to not cause more panic, and under their fearful eyes, I spoke.
"Do not fret. I am not here to capture or do anything untoward to any of you. All of you are free to go to your homes. I will escort you to your residence, and you can stay in the wagon.
If you feel any suspicion of my intent, then you are free to tread the path on your foot. I will slow the pace of the march for your comfort." I ended with a slight bow, my hand held to my heart whilst the other was behind my back.
Hearing me say the words in a polite manner with non-aggressive gestures, one of the women who was wearing a dress that had been dulled by dirt and tattered in various places mustered up the courage to speak.
"Y-you are not lying, right?"
My eyes shifted to her, which caused her to flinch a bit. Not that I blamed her. Disregarding her situation, ever since getting falna, my eyes had become golden with a slit like a serpent's.
"I assure you, fair lady, I have no ill intent to your person. I am simply here to save you and others such as yourself from these monsters in human hide."
Hearing this, she barely nodded. Seeing that this is the only reaction I am going to get from this wagon, and rather than going around different wagons and waiting for a more stable person, I decided to get her help instead.
"Thank you for trusting me. You will not regret it.
Now, before we move, I hope that you can help me in distributing basic rations or checking if anyone is significantly injured. I would do it myself, but I think with your assistance, the process will proceed more fluidly."
"O-okay." She nodded as I pulled a string that caused a bag filled with water bottles and dry food. While the bag was small, so was the number of women in the convoy. If these insects were to move them enmasse, it would attract far too much attention.
With stumbling steps, under the eyes of her fellow compatriots, the woman stepped out of the wagon. She seemed to tear up at the feel of the ground beneath her feet. While letting her be, I took out the items from the bag and neatly arranged them.
After I was done, I turned to her and spoke, "You may begin."
Then the process was one of monotony but of significance as well. This was perhaps the second most important part of rescuing. It was my duty not only to save the people, but to help them with what comes after.
I am not a blind person. I can clearly see that while the majority of the girls are untouched so they could be sold as a virgin, a few are not so lucky. Their clothes and expression say it all. So it is of utmost importance for me to treat it with significant care.
And this process requires me to do something dishonorable that I have come to see as necessary when I saw a woman try to commit suicide in my previous crusades.
Power of Suggestion.
It was not at all difficult.
I would look them in the eye and say in the most comforting manner.
You were just abducted. Your dignity is intact. You are strong. You will cry. You will live through this. You will smile.
Just these simple words.
Initially, I was at odds with myself for using this power, because to me it felt as if I was doing to their mind what was done to their body by these pests, but I will gladly be dishonorable and the most vile if it could prevent an innocent from suffering.
So, the process continued. The woman there was parching their dried throat with cold water and gathering themselves by focusing on their hunger rather than their present plight.
While they were doing that, I moved on to do a very important thing.
Punishing.
In the woods, quite a distance away from the girls, but distant enough so I could hear them, but they could hear me, I stood in front of a tree, looking without a shred of kindness in my eyes that I when I was conversing with the women.
The reason for that was the person who was embedded in the bark of the tree by multiple arrows going through his body, with a particularly bloody one in his groin. The mouth of the person was gagged as I had removed his nails, followed by his fingers.
In his present state, the man was suffering from a lack of an eye, male genitalia, fingers, toes, and a chunk of skin from his chest, exposing bones. His limbs were not spared either. Every one of them was twisted in a grotesque direction, creating a rather macabre sight.
His eyes looked as if they were about to leave the socket, but I could not care. Nor did I care that I had burned this monster's crotch. I looked at his frightful eyes with my golden ones.
Then my gaze gained a piercing intensity, and I uttered the first word since I had begun punishing this twisted fleshbag.
"Tell me where you conduct your operations from? Remember to utter every place." Saying this, I removed the makeshift gag I had placed on him so his screams could not disturb the supper of his victim.
Then, without screaming and with a calm tone completely out of place for the present state of his body, he began to speak, not due to the pain or fear for what I had done to him or would do, but because he was under the control of my words.
I did not need for him to be broken to get information out of him, but I did so anyway for one simple reason.
I could not sleep well knowing that this insect would be granted a swift death like his fellow compatriots, who had to be killed out of necessity to put the girls at ease.
The man took his time, but he began to tell me the location of his base of operations, but this information did not put me at ease as it should have. This was because this was not the first time I had gotten information from other pests like him.
All of them would speak of a few hideouts, a few places, but they did not know about the location of other places. They knew they existed, but that was it.
This implied one single thing.
Someone was controlling them from behind. Orchestrating their every move in such a manner that one group was unaware of the identity of the other. All I could deduce was that all of the places were in an area under the control of the Imperial Court.
Initially, I suspected the Imperial Court, but this could not have been true. Each head of the Imperial Court, including the Gods and Clan leaders are filled to the brim with authority and riches. I could not see them doing this for riches. Mayhaps they have been involved in this activity to destabilise the areas not under their control, until they were forced to join under them.
It could also have been the action of one, or a very secretive group of greedy and heinous people who were doing this just for the lust of money, but this in itself posed another question.
How could they have carried this out? It was well known that the Gods were able to detect the lies of mortals. Also, it could not have been possible that the head Gods were unaware of this.
Even if they were, it could not have been possible now that I have been going around, killing these pests. Surely the news would have floated into the discussions of the Imperial Court. But even now, I do not feel the winds shift.
Something is rotten. Something that has gripped this whole country.
**************