1 Chapter 1 : Kidnapped

Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Clover. His father went missing when he was born. Since then, his mother was always busy, working long hours at her job as a baker, but that didn't stop Clover from believing that he was loved.

Clover was a lonely child, but the sweet smell of his mother's baking made him happy.

Clover is always desperate of finding his father but his mother believed that her husband was long gone.

Clover's mother told him that his father was an adventurer, that he'd ventured to faraway lands to search for treasure.

But one day, she disappeared too.

A strange man named "Grim" appeared out of nowhere and took Clover to a bakery

After a year, Clover enjoyed helping out Grim in the bakery, especially baking the bread. Grim said he has tons of bakeries. The bakery he works in was the tenth popular one!. It was a good life. But still, the boy could not forget the mystery of his parentage.

"Hey Grim, do you know how my parents went missing?"

Clover asks Grim if he knows anything about his father and mother.

"My friend," Grim responds. "You dont need to concern yourself with such things."

Grim was a bit suspicious, but Clover just ignored it.

Clover and Grim go out into the streets of town and search for people to buy their baked goods.

But during their outing, they heard a strange ruckus. Clover was curious about the source of the noise and quickly went to investigate.

He walks slowly and follow the noises.

Clover follows the noise to the corner of town, where he sees a huge crowd gathered around an object. He pushed his way through the crowd, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

!! Isn't that..?!?

Clover recognizes the object as a crate labeled with the word "Kobolds".

The crate is open, and inside are small, orange creatures, cowering in fear.

Clover is shocked.

"What are those?.."

Clover asks the nearest person he can find what's in the crate.

The man only says, "No idea! I don't care as long as they sell for a good price!"

"Hey! Thats mine!"

Clover yells at the man who is selling the kobolds.

The man laughs. "Who do you think you are? How can you own something if you don't even know what it is?

Clover was furious. But the man was true. He didn't even know what it is.

"They're called kobolds," a woman says. "They are small creatures from the East. They're intelligent, but docile. They have a strong sense of loyalty to their owners."

He walks away.

Clover gives up and leaves the crowd. He is suddenly feeling sick. He just wants to go home and lie down on his bed.

Suddenly, he thought…( if his mother is dead, then..is his father..?.. )

Dead? His inner thought said.

Clover shakes his head. No, he is alive. Im sure of it..

As he was lost in his thought, Clover bumps into a tall figure.

"Oh! Uh- im sorry for bumping into you!"

Clover apologizes to the stranger and looks up.

"My apologies," the figure says in a deep voice. "Are you lost?"

"Erm.. yeah.."

"Oh, I see. Then let me help you find your way."

The man was really suspicious and Clover didn't really wanted to follow him but he followed the man out of curiousity.

The man led Clover to a dark alley.

"What is this? It looks like you're trying to kidnap me!

The man looks at Clover with a cold stare.

"Stop staring at me!"

Clover tries to intimidate the man by shouting.

The man just looks at Clover and shrugs.

"You're really interesting."

Clover was shivering. He was too young for this. He didn't want to be kidnapped!

"You're so naïve. What a shame."

"What are you saying?.."

Clover was confused as to what this man was saying.

"It doesn't matter. What I'm saying is, I want you to be my apprentice."

Clover was still confused.

"Huh?.."

"I said," the man repeated, "I want you to be my apprentice. You will be an apprentice of a famous adventurer. What do you think? Wouldn't that be an honor for a kid like you?"

"Not to someone who wants to kidnap me!!"

"Hey! Don't shout like that. You'll get caught."

Clover didn't care. He shouted some more, until he finally ran away.

"Wait! Kid, come back here!"

Clover blacks out.

Clover has been captured! He is taken to a dark room, and placed on a cold, stone slab.

He is surrounded by a group of people, all wearing black suits.

"What the.."

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

The man from before appears from the shadows, and tells the other men to leave.

"This kid," he says to Clover, "I don't know why you're so important."

Clover glared at him.

"Let me go!"

"You know you're still going to become my apprentice right?"

Why me? I just met him!

"But! Just because you're special doesn't mean you're important. Don't you agree?"

Clover shakes his head.

"Why me??"

Clover asks the man why he chose him to be his apprentice.

"Why you? Why not? That doesn't matter now. Just think of this as a learning experience, and your mother's final wish."

Clover fainted.