4 Chapter 4 Trials End

They look at me a little confused. "How can you help us?"

I hold my hand out. "First off lets clean you up."

I use an auto wash spell to clean their bodies and heal their wounds. "Come with me."

We go into a shop and a woman comes out from behind the counter pointing out the door. "You orphans get out of here I can't have people thinking I sever your kind."

They start to turn and I stop them. "Hold it, they are with me I am here to buy them clothes."

She glares at me. "I said I am not serving them."

I smile. "I see, do you mind answering a question for me real quick."

She sighs. "Make it quick."

blue flames flow up my arms. "How much of this store is flammable?"

She looks terrified. "H-How may I help you?"

I step over to the counter. "Glad you saw it my way, They need clothes and some caster gloves along with those belt pouches over there."

She looks at me. "You have money right?"

I drop 3 gold coins on the counter and her eyes light up as she rushes off to get everything together. "What are their measurements?"

I tap her paper and the measurements appear. "Here."

She gets them changed and they come out looking like totally different kids. "They clean up nicely."

I pat their heads. "Of course they do."

I show them what they look like in the mirror and their eyes light up. "Is this really us?"

I nod and have them wait outside. The woman looks nervous, I toss her the 3 gold coins. "Keep the change and next time don't be so hostile towards customers."

She bows slightly. "Thank you, I apologize for my actions."

I smile and leave walking down the street with them. "Where are we going?"

I point towards the academy. "Im enrolling the 3 of you in the academy."

The three of them grab my jacket pulling me back. "You can't! We cant attend there we are commoners."

I glance back. "Do you want to stay weak forever?"

They shake their heads and I pat their backs. "Then you need to take the first step in becoming stronger. If you're not up for it turn around now and go back to the market."

They walk past me heading into the noble district. As we get close they hold onto my arms looking around nervously. I go into the academy telling them I want to have the three of them take the entrance exam. before they do I kneel down allocating all of their stat points. a normal person gets 100 stat points every year on their birthday and 100 more every time they level up. these kids are 7 so 700 points will make them above average in whatever they do. Their defense stat was already really high. It makes my stomach turn to think about how it got that high.

They come out a while later with the papers showing their stats and how well they did on the magic exam. The man that gave them the test pulls me aside. "Those children are gifted but I know they're commoners."

I smile. "Yeah, What of it? I took them in therefore they are my children. you don't plan to discriminate against them do you?"

He looks me over. "You're a noble?"

I look at him in the eyes. "Are you questioning my status?"

He looks a little nervous. "N-No I-"

I hand him my guild card from my jacket. "You're just doing your job I understand."

His face turns white as a sheet. "A-A noble recognized by the king!?"

He bows. "Please forgive my rudeness! It will never happen again."

I smile. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone just make sure the three of them are well taken care of and I'll put in a good word for you with the king."

His eyes light up and he thanks me over and over. I walk back out to speak with the kids they are hugging on titan and I take a picture of their smiling faces. They come over quickly. "What did the instructor say?"

I smile. "He said he would make sure you guys are taken care of and nobody messes with you."

They hug me tightly. "Thank you so much, big brother!"

I pat their heads. The little girl starts tearing up. "I wish big sister was here."

I glance at the boys. "Big sister?"

They all start sniffing. "She was an adventurer that looked after us. men in weird robes took her when she was trying to protect us. we tried to chase them but we lost them and ended up in the market."

I poke the little girl's cheek. "Your big brother will look into it, you guys go into the school it should be starting soon."

They perk up. "If big brother is on the case im sure he will find her!"

I wave to them and Titan floats beside me. "Everything leads back to the cult."

I turn walking towards that location. "Let's go pay them a visit."

We get to the front door and Titan grows to his massive form. "Let's destroy them!"

I poke his nose. "Easy now Titan we are not savages a gentleman must always knock first."

I kick the massive doors off their hinges sending them flying into the church embedding them into the wall above the altar. "Knock Knock."

The men in robes turn and I shoot them down two at a time as I walk to the front of the church. I look around slowly. "there has to be a secret entrance somewhere."

I hear people coming and I lay down at the front of the church with one arm under a pew as a group of cultists come to the front looking around. "What in God's name happened here!?"

I whistle and they look down I shoot them and stand up looking at their bodies. "I have been wondering this for a long time, why do all cults wear robes? are they like really comfortable or something?"

Titan and I look at each other and we wash the robes before equipping them. "Holy shit I would totally join a cult for this."

He wags his tail. "It's like being hugged by a really soft pillow!"

I glance at him. "This is just the robe of the basic follower what do you think the high priest's robe feels like?"

He hops back and forth. "Let's go find out!"

We find the hatch behind the statue in the back climbing down, A few men rush up to us. "Who are you!? what is going on up there?"

I bow slightly. "I am a new convert the imperial army is outside the brothers upstairs sent me down to warn everyone."

They bow slightly and I follow them down the path leading to the main chamber. I see blood-soaked cells to my left and right. The smell is fresh and I can see dead children lying around. I try to shake off the need to kill these bastards right here.

We get into a secure room with a ton of men and the leader at a long table he is wearing a white robe. I nudge titan. "I bet that's super soft."

He wags his tail. "I know we should go get it!"

They start talking about what to do and I pull out a poison gas grenade pulling at the pin. the guy that brought me here looks at me. "What are you doing?"

I look at him. "I found this thing upstairs and it looked interesting-"

The pin comes out and blue gas spreads around the room. "Well, that's not good."

He shakes me. "What did you just do you, idiot!"

I put gas masks on me and titan and block all the door with earth magic as they frantically run around suffocating. I head over to the high priest. "I know this is a bad time to ask but does that robe come in any other colors because I was thinking like a black and blue would look cool."

He grabs his throat falling over onto the ground. "Oh I see your busy I will get with you later."

I see food and drinks on the table I grab his gold chalice lifting my mask taking a sip and spitting it out immediately. "Nope, still don't like wine."

After everyone is dead Titan and I equip the high priest's robe. "This thing did have enchantments!"

We head further into the base seeing that an incredible heat signature is coming from the bottom floor. down a dark hallway is a massive metal door guarded by 10 men. "Titan lets bowl."

He shrinks into his puppy form. "Ready big bro!"

I wind up rolling him down the hall he lands right in front of them. "Awe look at this cute little thing-"

Titan explodes into a ball of blue flames obliterating them. He vanishes appearing next to me. "I would call that a strike wouldn't you?"

He nods wagging his tail and I pat his head we push the massive metal door open and a wave of heat comes our way. "Damn... Who turned up the heat?!"

chained in the middle of the room is a female with a body made of fire. I head inside and she glares at me. "Stay away from me you cult bastard!"

I hold my hands up slightly. "Easy their hot head, im not with the cult."

She yanks her chains at me. "Don't lie to me you're wearing their uniform!"

I glance down. "Yeah, I took it off the old guy it's surprisingly comfortable."

She looks irritated. "What are you doing here?"

I smile. "Well I did come to save you but you don't seem too enthusiastic about it so Ill just-"

I start to turn and she yells. "W-Wait..."

I glance back and she looks down. "You don't have to let me go but can you help these 3 kids that live in the slums... I couldn't return to them this way anyways."

I walk over to her. "You mean these kids?"

I show her the picture on my display and she tears up. "T-They look so happy."

I nod slightly. "This was taken this morning, they are currently at the magic academy attending classes. They asked me to look into the disappearance of their big sister so here I am. I don't plan on going back with bad news so if you want to kill yourself do it after I bring you back."

She looks down. "I don't want to die I want to change back to normal..."

I kneel down in front of her. "I can help you with that just close your eyes."

She nods closing her eyes and my head bursts into black flames like hers. I lean in kissing her forehead releasing all the power inside her body and regulating it. I allocate her stat points so her body can handle all the newfound powers she has.

I lean back and our faces go back to normal. She is a beauty with ruby red hair and light green eyes. "All done."

She opens her eyes looking down blushing. "u-umm thank you can you help me out of these chains?"

I snap and they shatter into a billion pieces. I put a jacket around her carrying her out of the church like a princess while Titan pours gas on everything on the way out. I set her down beside me. "Would you like to do the honors?"

She shoots a fireball at the pool of gas sending the church up in flames. I get her some clothes and we get a bite to eat before school is out. We wait outside the gate and the kids notice her and bolt over hugging both of us tightly. "Big sister!"

She looks at me blushing slightly. "Thank you for everything you've done for us. W-Will I ever see you again?"

I smile. "Of course-"

I snap my finger altering their memories. "Not..."

They look around confused and I smile. "Here you go you three left your guild IDs in the guildhall."

Their big sister bonks their heads. "I told you to be careful where you left those."

They thank me and I leave walking down the street with Titan he looks back. "Big brother I wish it didn't always have to end like that I thought it would have been nice to be a family."

I pat his head. "Don't worry there will come a day where I hang it up and we will settle down with a family until then let's get stronger so we can protect them when that day comes."

He wags his tail happily. "Okay! I will train extra hard!"

I notice my reflection in a glass window across the street and burst awake standing in front of the black mirror.

What the hell just happened? I glance up at the timer on the wall, has it really been 1 hour? I thought the longest anyone had ever done the trial was 21 minutes? that record was held as some great achievement.

I turn slightly looking back at all the stunned faces. A flash of light comes from the mirror and I turn to look at it as a bolt of blue lightning comes out hitting me in the chest arcing over to Titan. I drop to my knees gasping as pain shoots through my body. Titan whimpers and I pull him over to me slowly holding him tightly.

What the hell is going on...

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