34 Truth about the Skeleton guards of Minos

"Well now that this is done and over, how about looking for some work to do?" Saito asked. Herjar said, "Yea, I also feel stiff all over my body so I would like to do some stretching".

"Last night I learned something new and I've been wanting to try it so hard! Let's get one!" Minos said eagerly. Vik asked, "Oh, something new? I would like to see it myself as well, what do you say Lily?".

Lily was a bit taken back and answered, "Yes! I would also like to see brother Minos's power!" her innocent look made the hearts of those around melt. OH MY GOD! THAT CHILD IS TOO CUTE TO BE TRUE!!!!!!!! I WANT TO SNUGGLE HER!!!!!!' Nirashi shouted inside Saito's mind. 'Oii Nirashi! Control yourself!' Saito said in his mind and Nirashi apologized for her lack of composure.

'Lily, you have a great weapon!' Saito commented in his mind. Before Saito could leave to look at the board, Layla called out to him, "Mister Saito, if your group is inactive or didn't accept any request for more than a year means you will be disbanded and your group name will be stricken out and if your group has taken a request and it takes more than a year to complete is fine, thought you should know these".

Saito smiled and nodded his head as he said, "Yea, thank you for the heads up". Saito and group walked to the board and looked for a request. Saito was looking for a easy request to do while on the other hand, Minos was getting over hyped and eyeing the dragon killing request... Good thing Saito was the leader.

After looking at it for more than 30 minutes, Saito and gang finally settled for a Goblin subjugation request. Saito asked Layla for the information on the request and she said, "Finally someone taking that request is a load off of us".

Saito asked, "Is there any problem with this request?". She said, "Not that it doesn't have one but no one was willing to take it because of the low rewards and also the targeted monsters are goblins, so the big groups don't want to waste time on weaklings while smaller groups don't want to fight them for their numbers, its been on the board for a while now and that's why I'm relived that you are taking up that request".

"Oh...." Saito said unamused. It's true that bigger and stronger Mercenary groups tend to choose requests with bigger rewards while smaller groups go for the request with moderate rewards with easy working. And so what Saito and group chose was a dumb request with sh#t reward.

They only get 10 gold coins for killing a horde of hundred goblins that are held up in a fort, sure is a sh#t request. After finishing up the formalities, Saito and gang left the guild. Other Mercenaries in the guild gave them a weird look on their way out.

Saito and his gang reached the gate and saw Bolgan near the gate as always. "Oh, new addition I see! Where are you up to now?" Bolgan asked in a friendly manner.

Saito smiled and replied, "An old abandoned fort deep inside the forest to hunt Goblins and this is Lily, our new member and we are no more a party but a Mercenary group". Bolgan was slightly taken back, "Wow, now that's unexpected but still congratulations and you too Missy" he said.

"Yes! Thank you very much!" Lily said with a bright smile on her face. 'GODDESS!!!!!' that's what everyone thought. And so they left the city and entered the forest.

While they were walking to the fort, Herjar was teaching some stuff to Lily. "Listen well Lily, all Assassins follow a certain rule, "One hit, one kill", it means that whoever you target, you must take him out in your first strike and if not, you have to leave before you get captured! Got it?" Herjar said. "Hmhm, so an Assassin is more like a thief but unlike a thief, they don't steal but kill?" Lily asked.

Herjar nodded his head, "Exactly, but unlike thieves, Assassins have codes and rules they follow which thieves don't and if you get stronger and more skilled and even gain some reputation by completing assignments like taking out targets of the requests and sort, you might even get recognition from "Assassination*" and it's a honor to receive it" he said. Lily asked while walking, "What is this "Assassination" your talking about brother Herjar?".

Herjar smiled and said, "A secret hidden nation of rogues like thieves, Assassins and rangers and sort, a strong one that's been around for thousands of years due to them being so secret and their formidable power, even other kingdoms and empires don't have much connection with them and only those that get chosen will get their alliance or so it's said". "In other words, they are a hidden super power that's not in mood to show off to others right?" Saito suddenly asked.

Herjar nodded, "Yes, that is true but that's not the real reason". "Oh, then what is it?" Saito asked as he got intrigued by it. Herjar said, "It was said that they had enough with the humans and their politics and their trivial matters which is their reason for being secluded from other nations".

"Oh, then how do you know about it then?" Minos got intrigued as well. Herjar said simply, "I got recognized by them and received a citizenship". They all shrugged it off as they don't know about the power of "Assassination", but if it wished to then they can wipe out an entire kingdom with no survivor left behind and to be recognized by them means he is a top notch Assassin and yet simple. If a king of a nation heard this, then he would do all in his power to recruit him to their side.

Without a worry about this, Saito and his group ventured into the forest towards the fort.

"It's a 3 days trip to the fort and it would take us a day or half to finish them off and 3 days trip back to the city so it would be a week rounded up" Minos said as he looked at the map. Saito thought for a bit and asked, "Do we have enough food supply for the trip? I mean we did purchase some but is it enough for a week?".

Vik scratched his head as he said, "Well we did buy some when in the city but I doubt it will be enough for a week". Minos said, "Even if we run out of food we can still catch some fish from the great river Tari right?" he pointed the map.

Saito and others took a look at it. According to the information they received, the fort stands at the middle part of a Mountain called "Malaise Mountain" and beside it is the so called "Great river Tari". It was said that the mountain shelters way too many monsters which is why that fort was abandoned in the first place. But since the goblins have took over the fort now there is a risk of them raiding the nearby villages and towns. Which is why the request was posted in the guild and also the reason for no one taking it.

"I'm afraid that the information we have is inaccurate" Herjar said. Saito got serious as he said, "Yea I get that feeling too". "What do you guys mean?" Minos asked confusedly.

"What they are saying is that this information we received from the guild about "goblins being 100 in numbers" is inaccurate" Vik said. "Why? I don't think they will lie to us" Lily said.

Saito smiled and said, "They didn't lie to us Lily, but the information is just too outdated". "The last scouting on the fort was a month ago" Herjar said. Lily was still confused but Minos got the gist of it.

"Wait! Do you mean-?" he was cut off by Saito as he said, "100 goblins is past story and you all know how goblins reproduce faster and grow faster, no offence Vik" Vik just shrugged it off. "What it means is we won't be facing just 100 goblins but two times the number, maybe even three times" Herjar said.

Lily was shocked, "Then how are we going to fight them when there is only five of us!?" she asked. Saito smiled, "If its 200 then twenty for everyone and if it's 300 then thirty for everyone and I'll take the boss, I don't think that a group that big won't have a boss". Herjar, Vik and Minos nodded their heads but Lily was still unsure of what to say.

Saito came to Lily and said, "Don't worry Lily, Herjar will train you to bone and we are not just five" Lily looked at him with a confused look. Saito smiled and looked at Minos.

Minos smiled and nodded then started his chant, "Fallen warriors of Netherworld, heed my call and be summoned before me, SKELETON GUARDS!" he pointed his wand forward and twenty magic circle appeared on the ground before them in an orderly fashioned way.

Twenty skeletons with armor on them came out of the circles and stood in front of them like soldiers, no flaw. "HYAAAAAA!!!!!" Lily frightened and jumped back. The four of them laughed at the scene. Lily looked at them with frightened eyes and Saito said, "Don't be afraid like that, I told you right? We are not just five". Lily then calmed down and asked, "Then...they won't hurt us right?". Minos burst into laughter as he said, "HAHAHAHAHA! Lily, they swore their loyalty to me for reviving them and accepting their request, they will never harm you". Lily then calmed down and looked at the skeletons.

Saito asked, "What request are you talking about?". Minos said with a slight smile, "To kill someone who killed them and ravaged their precious someone". Saito, Vik and Herjar got serious when they heard that while Lily was playing with the skeletons.... The f*ck?

The skeletons fidgeted when they heard that. Saito and others noticed it too. Skeletons are supposed to be emotionless but they reacted! Minos said, "Don't worry guy, they are trustworthy". The skeleton in center nodded it's head.

Minos said, "When I did my first summon in Necro academy, I summoned twenty skeletons with weapons and armors then I passed out but when I woke up, even the teachers were looking at me with shock and told me what happened, that I summoned twenty skeleton soldiers for my first summon, even the top graduate of the academy didn't summon more than four" he said. Saito asked, "How is that related to the request they asked you?".

Minos said, "That night when I was sleeping someone called me and I woke up and walked to the ground when the teacher asked me what I am doing here? I said I was out for a walk and then-" Herjar cut him off, "Just skip to the part where they ask you". The three of them smiled.

Minos continued, "Well, they appeared before me and said that they are the Knight guards of Duke Herasey's daughter and their precious person is the daughter of Duke Herasey, Melanie". Vik doesn't know about the human rulers or any other while Saito was from "other" world which leaves Herjar, who was wide eyes.

Saito looked at Herjar and asked, "Do you know something?". Herjar slumped and said, "Yeah, I heard about him and his dukedom and his.... Daughter". They all sat on the ground while the skeleton guards looked at them when they heard him.

Minos gave them a look and two skeletons guided Lily away while the rest came towards them. The skeleton in the center spoke, "Do.....you.....know...about.....his...Highness...and...her...Highness?". Herjar and the three were shocked at first but eased up after seeing Minos nod his head.

Herjar said, "Yeah, I heard the tale and its not a pleasant one, but I never thought it was you guys who were her guards". The skeleton looked down and said nothing.

Saito asked, "So? what did you hear?". Herjar said, "It's a ruthless story, Duke Herasey of Theoder Dukedom and his daughter, Melanie, his wife died due to giving birth and his daughter was his world that he will do anything she asks him, but she's not arrogant nor is she greedy or jealous of anyone, a perfect girl if you ask me but it all came to one day when they were murdered by a king of a country and his son" the skeleton guards looked down.

Saito asked, "Who is this king?". Herjar hesitated a bit but he said, "King Drake Hydral of the nation Hydral". Saito didn't know who the heck that is but everyone was acting weirdly.

Vik stood up and said angrily, "King....King.....King Hydral!? That guy!? That's how it is huh? Hehehe~ things are getting more interesting".