Chapter 9: The solution

My friends entered our small abode, and I welcomed them to sit and eat. Shortly after, Father walked in.

"Hi mister, Good morning!" My friends greeted him as Father smiled warmly.

Father's expression showed confusion about their presence.

"They want to eat, I think they are hungry," my mother explained.

I was grateful for the abundance of potatoes I had planted at the house, so there was no issue.

"Leon, get some potatoes so that your friends can have fries," Mother instructed.

I nodded, and out of nowhere, Dion, my younger brother that we adopt, who had just woken up, called out to me.

"Can I come with you, brother?" he asked.

My friends looked puzzled, questioning, 'Who is Dion?'

"Hey guys, this is Dion. He's 10 years old and he's my younger brother," I explained softly.

They still looked confused, but I just giggled and headed outside the house to get the potatoes.

After my mother cooked the fries, I also asked her to add iodized salt. The iodized salt was from the blue squared bottle that I had summoned using the black box gifted by the system. Even my mother was curious about where I had obtained it.

As we started to eat, my mother prepared orange juice, and I taught her how to make it. I noticed that this world lacked condiments to balance the food; they were only available to the royals, the rich, or those of higher status. My mother mentioned that one piece of salt cost 10 golds, which seemed outrageous.

"This is so good!" Rael exclaimed as he devoured the fries. He seemed incredibly hungry, just like the other kids.

"Wow, what is this food?" Kaela asked with food still in her mouth.

"It's made from potatoes," my father answered.

"What!? That's impossible! How is it so thin, long, and delicious!" Ray expressed his shock, mirroring the other kids' reactions.

"You can sprinkle some iodized salt on it," I suggested.

"Good morning, everyone! It's so lively! Hihihi!" My younger sister exclaimed as she sat between me and Dion after giving kisses to our mother and father.

"Our princess is always late to wake up," I teased, tapping her head and smiling warmly.

My friends and I headed outside, and I advised them to return home before their parents started looking for them.

I noticed them exchanging glances and then kneeling, even Kaela, who was usually the girly one.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, taken aback by their actions.

"Please teach us!" they pleaded with determination, showing their sincerity.

"What?" I responded, puzzled by their sudden request.

"We saw it," Ray began.

"We were supposed to come here five days ago to call you to play, but we overheard some knights taking your family. We wanted to help, but we were scared. What could we do as kids, commoners who couldn't even fight?" Ray explained earnestly.

"Then you stepped outside, and we witnessed it... you spoke as if you weren't afraid, and in just seconds, we saw the knights being defeated, their necks snapped," Kaela added, her eyes reflecting honesty.

"We hid in the bushes, and it was the first time we saw you move like that, Leon. So, we're here, asking you to teach us, to be our master," Rael expressed as they all knelt before me, showing their sincerity.

"Please, me too, big brother!" Dion chimed in.

Sometimes, with Dion always appearing out of nowhere, it felt like he was a mushroom in his past life.

Moved by their dedication, I agreed to teach them how to fight. They called me master out of respect, but I reminded them not to blindly follow my instructions and to question and challenge me.

As I continued with the quest given by the system, I started teaching them how to do exercises. Initially, they were curious about what exercise was, so I explained it to them.

I watched as they followed my instructions, running around outside our small abode. Meanwhile, my younger sister was sitting and playing with a small branch of wood. I approached her and sat beside her.

"What are you playing with? Is the princess playing with a piece of wood?" I teased.

She explained that it was a doll.

So, dolls existed in this world, huh?

Leann shared that only those with higher status could have something like that. She had seen one when she was four years old in another city. It was beautiful. She began explaining with excitement in her eyes.

"Run again," I instructed.

"What?! But we just ran for almost 3 hours master!" Rael complained, sounding exhausted. It was already noon, and we needed to have lunch.

"One more lap, and then we can eat," I declared, causing my friends to sigh deeply.

"I'm so tired..."

"If you don't run, I'll snap your neck just like those knights who met their end by my hands. You want that, huh?" I teased, smirking.

"N-nooo," Ray responded, starting to run.

"You're so darn annoying!" Kaela exclaimed as she joined Rael in running.

I went inside the abode and informed my mother that I would prepare our food. I reached for the black box from the system, visible only to me.

"It's already level 2, huh," I remarked, placing my hand inside the magical black box.

"Give me a bucket of chicken and spaghetti," I requested.

In an instant, I felt something inside and retrieved the items I desired.

As I prepared the food on our table, a quest suddenly appeared in front of me.

Leon Craven: Rank G (High class)

Level 4. LEVEL UP

CONGRATULATIONS

HP: 20

Stamina: 2

Strength: 12

Agility: 12

Intelligence: 17

1 Skills: Swordmanship Level 2

-Berserker: Black Darklight Descendant

Title: Seed of Darklight

Physical Damage: 12

Magic: 1

Possession: Wooden Black Box

QUEST:

 The monsters were on the brink of attacking the cursed land within the next 10 days. Your mission was clear: save the people and protect your land.

Rewards:

- People's Trust

- 5+ Magic

- Ability to obtain Fire Magic Level 1

-Clothes that made of fire dragon's skin

Subquest: To obtain Fire Magic Level 1, you must retrieve the Ring of Iref.

Iref, the ring's owner, has hidden the ring in the mountains of Fitu.

Subquest Rewards:

- Ring of Iref

- Mystical Pet

- +5 Boost in Strength

"What the heck," I muttered to myself.

With only 10 days to prepare and protect the land and its people, I pondered whether I should inform the villagers. While monsters had attacked this land before, the last attack occurred 50 years ago. Why were they targeting us now again?

Questioning myself, I considered seeking answers from the system.

"Hey system, why are the monsters attacking this land?" I inquired.

The system appeared and i read what it says.

"The monsters are drawn to this land due to the cursed stone that has been buried here for over a thousand years. The initial attack occurred when the first lord of this land passed away," the system explained.

"Who placed the cursed stone in this land?" I pressed for more information.

"Apologies, but that information is not available. Please refer to the village library for more details," the system responded before disappearing.

Letting out a deep sigh after finishing my preparations, I gathered my friends and family for a meal. However, my thoughts remained consumed by the quest and the mystery of the cursed stone.

"Mother, Father, do you know who placed the cursed stone in our village?" I questioned. Their puzzled expressions indicated they were unaware of the stone's existence.

"Never mind, just a passing thought," I quickly dismissed the topic.

Were my parents oblivious to the cursed stone causing the monster attacks? Was the stone intentionally placed to attract these creatures?

As I prepared to sleep, my mind continued to dwell on the impending threat. Dion was sound asleep beside me. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard footsteps outside the house.

Silently, I rose from the bed and cautiously made my way to the window to catch a glimpse of the individuals sneaking around in the middle of the night. With stealth, I ventured outside the house, ensuring not to make a sound.

I could hear faint whispers among the group, their voices barely audible as they conversed in hushed tones. The darkness of the night shrouded their figures, adding an air of mystery to their presence.

"Who killed them?" the tall figure with a commanding presence inquired.

"We have no idea. It's been 5 days since they disappeared, but here they are, buried," one of the knights replied, pointing to the fallen knight in the familiar outfit.

"The real question is, who is responsible for their deaths?" the captain asked with a deep, authoritative tone.

"We're clueless. They were found buried near this house, captain," another knight added.

Realizing that the knights had discovered the bodies we had buried, I felt a pang of concern. Perhaps the recent rain had exposed the shallow grave. The clean manner of their deaths, with snapped necks, suggested the work of a skilled assassin.

"Why suspect the commoners? They lack the knowledge to carry out such clean kills. It might be the work of an assassin. The way they died points to a professional," the captain reasoned.

Sighing at the impending misunderstanding and the possibility of being falsely accused, I decided to retreat into the house and continue with my rest for the night.