Guberth

Time passes, and Jona is gradually getting used to the new world he finds himself in. His routine consists of learning to read and write, training with Valz, playing with the girls, and going on missions with his group, now composed of him, Guberth, Adan, and Mai, to earn some money, even if it's not much. This routine has lasted for about 2 months, but such routines always come to an end.

Jona: "Ah, it's finally over."

Says Jona after finishing his studies for the day.

Lili: "Oh yeah! Jona, Valz asked me to let you know that the adventurer's guild has summoned you to go there."

Jona: "Alright, I'll go now then." Jona gets ready and heads to where Mai is playing with the girls in the room, along with Rose.

Jona: "Mai, let's go to the guild today. I've been summoned for some reason."

Mai: "Alright." Mai now has a friendlier expression. The time spent with the girls has done her well.

Crisa: "*sad* Are you leaving? Play with us a little longer."

Fresia: "Yeah, we didn't even get to play."

Rose: "Girls, don't say that. Jona has important things to do today."

Jona: "That's right, as soon as I come back, I'll play with you and Mai."

Crisa/Fresia: "*Smiling* Okay!"

So both of them head towards the guild, with Mai holding Jona's hand. Anyone who saw the scene would think they were two siblings out for a walk. As they arrive at the guild, Jona goes straight to Shila to inquire about the reason for his summons.

Jona: "Hello, Shila. I came here because I was summoned."

Shila: "Ah, yes. The Guild Master is waiting for you in his office."

Jona: [Guild Master? This will be the first time I have met him. I've only heard rumors about him from Valz.]

Jona follows Shila to the Guild Master's office, thinking about the rumors Valz had told him, about how he defeated a dragon alone, an army of demons, mastered a dungeon, and more. This makes him even more nervous about this conversation until they stop in front of a door. Shila knocks on the door before asking for permission to enter.

Shila: "Mr. Hamilton, I've brought adventurer Jona as you requested."

The voice from inside: "Ah, yes, of course. Please, let him in."

A calm yet commanding voice responds to Shila, who instantly opens the door. Now inside the room, Jona comes face to face with the Guild Master, a tall, bald, muscular man with slightly tanned skin and a well-groomed gray beard. His body is visibly covered in scars, including his face. As soon as Jona enters the room, he understands that the man isn't the Guild Master without reason.

Hamilton: "Hello, adventurer Jona. My name is Hamilton Cooper, and I am the master of this humble Guild." He says these words while extending his hand to greet Jona, who nervously responds.

Jona: "Pleased to meet you, Master Hamilton. I'm glad to be able to meet you." Jona manages to maintain his composure despite the immense pressure emanating from him.

Hamilton: "Come, have a seat. Valz has spoken a lot about you and mentioned that he was training you. Initially, I didn't see the reason why, but now I understand." Hamilton says these words while staring at Jona, resting his elbow on his knee and his hand on his chin.

Jona: "What does that mean?"

Hamilton: "It doesn't matter. Let's get to the main point. I called you here today because you have become adept enough to be promoted in rank." A smile appears on Jona's face. Finally, after months, he will be promoted in rank.

Hamilton: "I have already asked other adventurers to take care of promoting the other members of your group, but it seems someone is missing." Hamilton says this while looking at Mai, who was sitting next to Jona.

Jona: [Damn, I was so nervous about the situation that I forgot Mai was with me.]

Jona: "Oh no, Mai and I have a contract, you see, she is a Slime I found on my first mission, the one in which I got injured."

Hamilton: "Ah, I see. So that's why. But who would have thought? I only heard about it from Valz, but it's really a slime that has taken on a humanoid form."

Mai: "Could you stop staring at me so much, you weird old man?"

Mai says these words with a disgusted expression, while Jona freezes and a look of terror appears on his face.

Jona: "Mai! Don't say th-"

Hamilton: "HAHAHAHAHAH"

The Guild Master starts laughing loudly.

Hamilton: "*Laughing* I apologize, little slime. This old man didn't mean to offend you."

Jona: [Thank goodness, he's also a good person.]

Hamilton: "Well, getting back to the main point, as I said, I came here to check if you will be promoted to the next rank or not. That's what I wanted to say, but honestly, there's not much to be done. Everyone praised the missions you've undertaken, some even offered to pay extra, well, they tried, because you always refused. Honestly, I just wanted to meet you personally as Valz's apprentice, and I can see that he's doing a great job with you."

Jona: "I'm glad to hear that, Master Hamilton."

Hamilton: "I am the one who is grateful to see young adventurers like you, who still care about the people they are working for, not just the money. It's what gives me the strength to continue in this work." Hamilton says these words with a smile on his face, and Jona feels proud, and all the nervousness he was feeling suddenly disappears.

Jona: "You can be sure, Master Hamilton, I will never change."

Hamilton: "I'm glad to hear that. Well..." Hamilton takes a paper from his desk and begins to sign and stamp it.

Hamilton: "Take this to the reception, and Shila will give you an adventurer card with your new rank."

Jona takes the paper and bows to the Guild Master, showing respect.

Jona: "Thank you very much, Master Hamilton."

They prepare to leave, but before they exit the room, Mai turns to Hamilton and says.

Mai: "Sorry for calling you a weird old man."

After saying that, Mai runs off to the reception, leaving Jona behind. And as the door closes, he can see a solitary smile on Hamilton's face.

Jona: "Shila, Master Hamilton asked me to give this to you."

Now at the reception, Jona hands the letter to Shila.

Shila: "Alright, could you give me your adventurer card, please?"

Jona hands over his card, and Shila goes into a room for a while before returning with a new card, this time in a bronze color.

Shila: "Congratulations, adventurer Jona, for being promoted to the Bronze rank. Your missions will become more challenging now, but I hope you continue working with us."

Jona: "Thank you very much."

Shila: "Oh, and Valz asked that once you receive your card, you return to your home because he needs to talk to you."

Jona: "Alright, thank you very much, Shila."

And so, Jona and Mai return to Valz's home, and throughout the journey, the smile on Jona's face is clearly visible.

Mai: "How long are you going to keep that idiotic smile on your face?"

Jona: "What can I do? I am very happy."

Mai: "I don't understand humans being happy because of a weird-colored card."

Jona: "You know it's more than that."

Jona says this while placing Mai on his shoulders.

Mai: "*Embarrassed* Hey, Jona! What are you doing? Put me down!"

Jona: "No."

Embarrassed, Mai gives up and holds onto Jona's hair to avoid falling, and they remain like that for the rest of the way until they finally reach home.

Jona: "We're here!"

Jona says this while opening the door, and as soon as it's open, he is greeted by everyone with a celebration.

Valz: "Welcome, Jona, congratulations on your promotion!"

Adan: "Congratulations, shorty!"

Jona thinks about the things he has achieved in this world, all his friends, and all of them gathered to celebrate with him. The only thing he could do was smile, and so he did, showing the biggest and most sincere smile he could give.

Jona: "Thank you!"

Adan: "Just so you know, I got promoted yesterday, not to brag or anything."

Adan says this while sarcastically laughing.

Lili: "Adan, don't say that."

Jona puts Mai down and starts looking around, then he asks.

Jona: "Where's Gu?"

Everyone looks a little worried until Rose approaches Jona and says.

Rose: "He's in the kitchen."

Adan: "Yeah, but he seems a bit down. He didn't even respond when I called him a stupid dwarf."

Jona: "Hmm... That's strange."

Worried, Jona goes to the kitchen to talk to his friend and finds Guberth with a beer in hand, looking at the floor.

Jona: "Gu, what happened?"

Guberth looks at Jona with a concerned look and starts speaking.

Guberth: "Jona, I'm sorry, but we need to go on a mission. I didn't want to disrupt the celebration."

Jona: "Is that why? It's no problem. I'll talk to them and explain."

Guberth: "I'm really sorry."

Jona returns to the living room where everyone is gathered and explains the situation to Valz and the others. Then, Jona, Adan, Guberth, and Mai head to the city's exit, bidding farewell to everyone, and take a carriage to the neighboring town where the mission is supposed to take place, according to Guberth.

Jona: "It's strange, Gu, for you to take a mission without consulting us."

Jona says this inside the carriage while they travel, but Guberth, still acting strangely, doesn't respond.

Adan: "Come on, weird dwarf, you don't need to get all worked up about what happened."

Once again, Guberth doesn't respond. The atmosphere is strange, tense as if something truly happened, and it's making Jona worried. However, before Jona can say anything, Guberth starts speaking.

Guberth: "You're truly a good person, Jona. You simply accepted my request, even though it inconvenienced you, without questioning it."

Jona: "Of course, Gu. You're my friend. If you're in trouble, I'll definitely help you."

Guberth clenches his hands, afraid and sad, and then continues speaking.

Guberth: "Jona, I haven't told you much about myself, and yet you trust me so much."

Jona: "Well, I haven't told you much about myself either, so we're even."

Guberth displays a sad smile, still not looking at any of the group members.

Guberth: "It started when I was 48 years old. I was just a young adventurer, living in a town not far from here. One day, an escort mission came up, and my group, one of the most famous in the region, was recommended for the job. The mission wasn't difficult: escort a person to a certain location, protect them during their stay, and then bring them back. However, the destination was the main problem—it was in demon territory. My group wasn't confident about accepting this mission, but that changed after we met the person who asked us for this job: my wife."

That was the first time I saw her, a human woman with black hair and her archaeologist attire—glasses, a belt with equipment for the job, among other things...

Female Archaeologist: "So, you will be the group to escort me to demon territory?"

Guberth: "Sorry, but we haven't accepted the mission yet. We're a bit hesitant since it's in demon territory."

Mage of the group: "Yes, I feel that we might face great dangers."

Female Archaeologist: "Oh, what a shame. I felt more confident about this job when I found out that it would be you who would take me there."

She displayed an elegant smile that touched our hearts and made us think that we should help her.

Guberth: "Well, if you put it that way, I guess we won't have a choice."

Mage of the group: "Oh Guberth, you and your soft heart."

Eliza: "Well, how about we introduce ourselves? My name is Eliza, I'm an archaeologist, and I need to go to the demon kingdom to study them. It will be a long journey, but I believe we'll get along just fine."

Guberth: "I'm Guberth, the team's defender. This is the elven mage Lyra, and this is our assassin, Shadow."

Lyra: "Nice to meet you."

Shadow: "Hello."

They were my friends, a group I could trust. Lyra, an outgoing elf, enjoyed talking and discovering new places. Shadow, on the other hand, was a man of few words who worked more than he interacted, but he never let us down.

Eliza: "Pleasure to meet you all. So, when can we leave for our journey?"

Guberth: "You can choose, miss."

Eliza: "Look at what we have here, a gentleman. That's how you win me over."

Guberth: "*Embarrassed* N-no, it's not like that."

Eliza: "laughs How about tomorrow morning, then?"

Lyra: "Sure."

The other members also agreed, nodding their heads.

Eliza: "Then we'll see each other in the morning."

And the next day we set off on our journey, journeys that I couldn't forget. We faced different enemies, but we never stopped smiling, even when we won by a thread. And in this long and fun journey, Eliza and I started to get closer. Strange, right? A dwarf and a human, loving each other. But it was true, and our journey was going well until we reached demon territory. That place was like despair and desolation itself. In every village we went to, we encountered some demon citizens on our adventure. However, they looked at us with eyes that didn't care whether we would kill them or not. Children and adults were starving, dead bodies scattered like rats. It shocked us all, even Eliza, who had been excited about the adventure, became quiet after witnessing this scene.

Eliza: "What is happening here? Why do these people seem so desperate?"

Shadow: "People? Don't confuse things, archaeologist. They are just demons, far beyond our reach to do anything."

Eliza: "But..."

While they were talking, a small demon boy approached, desperate and crying, asking for help.

Demon Boy: "Help... Please..."

The boy had fair skin and completely dark eyes and hair. He was nothing but skin and bones, so thin that you could see each rib of his body clearly. Eliza panicked and started to help the boy. Shadow didn't like the situation and opposed it. Lyra didn't say much, but it was evident that she felt uncomfortable with the presence of the boy. And I... well, of course, I stood by my wife's side, but I was also uncomfortable. However, that didn't last long because this boy became Esperanza, my first son, whom I loved with all my heart.

Adan: "Wait, dwarf, you became the father of a demon?"

Guberth: "Yes..."

Guberth uttered these words with apprehension, fearing that his friends would judge him.

Jona: "That's incredible, Gu. And to think you would be so good."

Guberth finally looked up, staring directly at Jona, who was smiling.

Guberth: "You're not disappointed in me?"

Jona: "Why would I be? It's not like I'm much different. After all, I have a friend who is a monster, and honestly, if anyone tried to harm her, I would protect her without a second thought."

Mai: "In our current situation, it's easier for me to protect you."

Jona: "Well, that's true."

Guberth finally showed a smile, but it quickly vanished as he looked back down, returning to his story.

Time went on, and I stopped being an adventurer to take care of my son and now wife. Esperanza was growing, and his demon characteristics became more evident. Small horns started growing on his head, making it increasingly difficult to hide him from society. And then, finally, Eliza became pregnant. However, this pregnancy wasn't all bliss. Esperanza was discovered, and we had to flee. We couldn't stay in one place. I had a pregnant woman about to give birth and a desperate demon boy. And that's when I made the biggest mistake of my life.

Guberth: "*Worried* Calm down, love, breathe. We need to find someone to assist with the delivery."

Eliza: "DO YOU THINK ANYONE WILL HELP US AHHHHHH."

She screamed in pain. The baby was about to be born, and I didn't know what to do. I was angry, scared, and worried.

Esperanza: "*crying* I'm sorry... mother... because of me..."

Eliza: "Don't worry, my baby *breathes*. I'll be fine breathes."

Guberth: "Why do you keep defending him? It's all because of him that you're going through all this because you helped him that day."

Eliza: "GUBERTH!"

I can still remember to this day the face of that boy, the face that haunts me every night, the face of someone who lost everything again. After I said that, my son ran away from where we were taking shelter. He just ran, and I stood there, staring at the ground like a coward, while my wife screamed in pain and cried because of our son. The delivery finally ended, and our daughter was born in a chaotic situation. Eliza held our daughter in her arms, without looking at me, without saying a word. Full of regret, I went after him the next day. I searched everywhere, but couldn't find him. I even went to the neighboring town, but nothing. Until I overheard some villagers talking about rumors in a tavern.

Drunkard 1: "Did you hear?"

Drunkard 2: "What happened?"

Drunkard 1: "Some hunters found a demon in the forest in the early morning. He was fleeing, but they managed to eliminate him before he could harm anyone."

Drunkard 2: "Thank goodness..."

My world fell silent. My son... my son had died because of my foolishness. I couldn't talk to my wife, I couldn't tell her. After that, our relationship kept deteriorating, and to make matters worse, I became an alcoholic. And that's how our relationship was for almost a year, until finally, my wife left, taking our daughter with her. She didn't leave a letter, she didn't warn me, she just left. And that was 20 years ago.

Jona: "Wow, Guberth, you've been through a lot."

Adan: "Why are you telling us all this now, dwarf?"

Guberth falls silent for a while, looking outside through the carriage windows, until he finally sits down and speaks again.

Guberth: "Because I want you to know that even though 20 years have passed, I would do anything to protect my family."

After saying that, the carriage suddenly stops, and we can hear screams outside. We quickly exit with our weapons ready, but before we can do anything, a dart hits us. The last thing I see is Guberth sitting inside the carriage, crying.