49 Baron Beatdown

Returning home, he felt that something wasn't right. It was a sinking feeling, in the pit of the stomach. Releasing his animals, Zanir had them scout the nearby area. People would just think they were animals that got loose.

After a bit of waiting, the various animals returned. Absorbing them, the system was able to access and compile their memories. Forming a composite model from the data, it would generate a projection.

Heading back inside his world, he saw the situation displayed on the monitor. Two dozen of the tax collector's men were outside his house. Although blurry, he could see a little bit inside the home. Both of his parents were tied up!

On the other side of the table, were a few people he recognized, from their silhouettes. The fat one was the baron, the other must be the tax collector. Unable to recognize the other's, he thought they might be warriors or mages.

After all, they would need someone of equal power, in order to capture both his mom and dad. There were six kidnappers inside, so at least four of them could be fighters. It was also possible they ambushed one of them, so the other couldn't resist.

Senior Lee gave his advice on the issue.

"Why don't you approach them, listen to what they have to say. Most likely, they will try to extort you. They've probably heard you made a lot of money, then sought to use your family to extort you."

"I'm not saying give in, once you give them the money, just kill them off. Offer to spare the guards that came with them, if anyone refuses, you must put them down as well. Otherwise, they will cause future problems, down the road."

Hearing the advice, he thought that it was reasonable. The guards were just following orders, it was their masters who'd kidnapped his parents. For them, it was too late, their luck ran out the moment they tried to cross him.

Coming up with a strategy, he released his guards, along with the goblins and wolves. Bruce also wanted to come with, so he brought him. He would be a big help in taking down the warriors.

Of course, he also brought out the bolt throwers. These things could cause serious damage if they caught the enemy unaware. With everything set, he made his way down the road. Making his way to the tax collectors, he addressed them.

"What do you think you're doing, in my home?"

One of the guards replied.

"This is a tax collection, your parents couldn't pay. The farm is being repossessed."

"I've brought the money, get the baron out here NOW!"

Hearing the scream, the baron and the tax collector came out, along with their bodyguards. Seeing who it was, their eyes lit up. The baron moved quickly, thinking he could pressure the young and naive Zanir.

"You're too late boy, we've already taken back the farm. Since your parents couldn't pay, they've become my slaves as well. I've heard you did well in Trostin, perhaps we can work something out."

"Here take your filthy gold, just release my parents."

Motioning his men, they brought a bag of gold over, dumping it onto the ground. Seeing the money, both of the corrupt bureaucrats chuckled. Truly, this kid was way too gullible.

"It's unfortunate, that you don't have the proper strength to negotiate the terms. Give me a few more bags of gold and I'll consider letting your parents go."

"We'll see just who has the last laugh. I challenge you to single warrior combat, choose your warrior."

"Ha, you're a fool! My bodyguard is a peak third level warrior. He could even take down your father. Who will you send to beat him?"

Stepping out, the nearby bodyguard was a sturdy and tall man. With a confident look, he started to stretch, preparing for the upcoming battle. While Zanir called out, to someone who was perfect for the job.

"Bruce, it's time!"

Emerging from the forest, he came out, using an exaggerated gait. Purposefully moving much slower than normal, he arrived. The previously confident look on his face had been wiped right off. Even the others were worried about him.

At least the ogre was slow, with his smaller size, perhaps he could dash around him. Dragging the fight out would be to his benefit since they were known to be simple and dimwitted. With that thought, combat began.

Rushing to deliver the first attack, the bodyguard planned to stab and quickly retreat. Unexpectedly, the ogre threw a straight punch, directly at him. He had no choice but to dodge, that meaty fist would take him out in one hit.

Seeing that he dodged, the ogre overextended his punch, falling to the ground. Sensing a great opportunity, the bodyguard moved in again. This time he'd try going for a vital spot, hoping to turn the tide of the battle, in his favor.

Leaping through the air, he felt a sensation of great danger. It was too late, as he'd already committed to the move. Just as he was about to land the attack, the ogre flipped over, narrowly dodging.

While flipping over, the ogre tossed a large handful of dirt at the bodyguard. Having trained with some of the bandits in the space, he'd learned a few dirty fighting tactics. For a normal fighter, it was an effective distraction.

At Bruces' size, a handful of dirt was a bit more, moving it from a distraction right into the attack category. Being caught off guard, the large cloud of dust and even a few stones, pelted the bodyguard all over.

It was nowhere near enough to actually damage the bodyguard. It did, however, distract him for a few brief seconds. That was more than enough.

Wasting no time, Bruce rushed directly into the warrior. Slamming into him with a vicious headbutt, he sent the bodyguard flying. A cracking sound could be heard in the air, the kind that rattled even veterans, making even hardened soldiers flinch.

Blood sprayed out of his nose and face, the bodyguard didn't get back. He was probably unconscious but there was a small chance he could be dead. Seeing the resounding defeat, the faces of the enemy paled.

Unable to accept what happened, the baron called out.

"Mages, roast that ogre. Kill them all!"

Motioning his hand, several snaps rang out. Having been moved closer, the bolt throwers were placed just right, so that they could launch a sneak attack. Both mages were still in the middle of chanting incantations, they weren't ready yet.

Thinking quickly, they redirected the spells at the incoming bolts. Fireballs and mini tornados flew out, blocking several of bolts. After deflecting two bolts each, the mages were struck with the fifth and sixth bolts.

Grasping at straws, the desperate fatcats turned to the remaining warrior. The tax collector had recently hired him. A mysterious warrior, he spoke little and drank excessively. This was tolerated because of his unparalleled swordplay.

Sighing, he stepped forward. Dressed in a fine golden robe, he had a sword sheath on his hip. With his black hair wrapped up into a bun, he looked like an old-school samurai. Placing his hand on his blade handle, he looked Zanir directly into the eye.

"Hey man, be cool. I'm not from around here, let's talk this out."

"They kidnapped my parents, you Oda Nobunaga looking samurai."

"Hey, watch your mo-"

Stopping mid-sentence, they looked at each other again, before confirming the suspicious feeling they had. The stranger spoke up first.

"Name's Dante. You're from Earth too, right?"

"Yeah. The name's Zanir."

"Ah, that's right! I didn't know they were your folks."

While saying that, Dante moved over and released his parents. Having seen what happened, they rushed over. Hugging him, they were both relieved that he was alright. There would be plenty for them to catch up on.

Now that they were sure he was safe, his mother and father turned their attention over to the baron and tax collector. Having been held ransom, they were pissed off. Moving over, they beat up both of their former captors.

When the guards tried to move forward, to stop them, Dante put his hand on his sword. Shaking his head with a slight 'no' gesture. Seeing this, the guards stopped, backing up a bit. They weren't willing to die for the job.

Once the baron and tax collector were knocked out, Zanir was able to absorb them. The other bodyguard and mages were dead, so he collected the bodies. After that, he offered to hire the guards on. They knew it was a job offer they couldn't refuse.

Wrapping up the loose ends, he saw that Dante was still standing there.

"Thanks for the help, Dante."

"No problem, it's the first time I've met someone from 'back there'."

"Where will you go now?"

"Not sure Zanir, let's have a toast though. It goes great with my system. You can probably guess what I got, what kind did you get?"