19 Adventurers
"Is it because of my face?" he asked himself. While he was sitting there, the mood was overbearing and he almost wants to get out.
'Maybe I'm just not used to it, I will find courage as the time goes by,' he thought while reassuring himself.
'I will be going out of the Golden Valley for the first time. Better see the views out there,' Mael said to himself while looking outside of the carriage.
They passed by small villages that were still part of the kingdom of Dwight. Some children played outside their homes and Mael looked at the scenery of their village. He saw domesticated animals like chicken being played with their owners. Goats were parading towards their barn as their herders whip them with a thin flexible stick. Some kids were pulling their cows but it won't budge. Mael felt refreshed as he saw them.
'What a nice village. So this world is still like the medieval ages of the earth. But because of the magic, it stayed medieval for centuries. Without technology, it caused the people to be stagnant with the development. But still being modern is also more devastating. Having nuclear powers will also disrupt the balance of the world and it will also lead to its destruction. It is still the same even without technology. There are more devastating magics that can obliterate the entire kingdom. Ancient dragons are one of the examples. There are stories of many heroes that went hunting dragons and their stories are told by the bards. Even there are many strong allies, obviously there are many strong enemies also. Making a balance of power. To those who are weak, it is fearsome to live if there will be wars. But to the Kings, it will be an opportunity to make their lands wider. But because wars are only a waste of resources and men. It was not being mentioned,' Mael said in his mind. They went passed the village and Mael was looking at the road as it was a first experience for him.
The road was bumpy so he stopped his gaze outside. He moved his head inside and observed his fellows who were averting their looks on him. He managed to get used to the adventurer's presences thus he felt lighter. He unloaded his backpack and he stretched his back.
"Um, can I ask you where will you go?" Mael asked the one who has a sword.
"To the capital, Lad. We will head to the adventurers guild and report our accomplished quest. And you? Where will you go?" the one with the sword asked.
"I'm going to the capital too! and I want to become an adventurer like you guys! Can you guide me to your headquarters?" Mael asked without reserve.
"Haha! You? Become an adventurer? You're still at the same age as my child!" The broad man with sword bellowed then he chuckled.
"Oh sorry! but I'm left with no choice but to be an adventurer because of poverty, I live to sustain the table we are eating and my mother is sickly" Mael lied to them to get their pity.
The big guy felt irritated then grabbed his clothes. He shouted to Mael with a loud voice.
"Then don't be an adventurer if you want to live and still see your mother! You didn't know the feeling of watching your friends die eh!? The feeling of death while you're scared witless?" he shouted while spewing droplets from his mouth.
"Yeah, I know it all! The feeling of your precious ones being attacked by a monster and you tried to save them but you're too late? Seeing everyone being killed? Yeah, I know it all! So keep your hands away from my clothes if you don't want it to be broken!" Mael said to him while being annoyed.
"You bastard!" he shouted and tries to punch him.
"Gandar quit it! leave the child alone!" the girl beside him shouted to intervene.
Gandar removed his hands and then cracked his knuckles.
"You're lucky child! If not for her, I will surely teach you your place! Adventurers are not for kids like you, better keep that advice!" he said as he grits his teeth in anger.
The girl approached him and then fixed his clothes while cleaning the dust.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked.
"Emilda you're overreacting again. It's just normal intimidation, like a test for the child if his resolve is strong enough to be an adventurer," the man who grabbed him said.
"Well, at least tell me beforehand! But what you've done was still unforgivable, So say sorry!" she said to him.
"No! an adventurer needs to be tested first and it's a must!" he said as he folds his hands.
"Sigh, you're beyond help! Well at least let's get acquainted first! I'm Emilda! A Mage!" she said to Mael.
"Yo! I'm Glan, a Priest!" the guy with robes and staff said as he raised his hands.
"I'm Gandar! The Warrior of the team," the guy who grabbed him said with a bold voice.
The guy with a leather armor grabbed the hilt of his dagger then said, "I'm Fuwn, a Rouge."
"I'm Kael Melvin! nice to meet you all! When I become an adventurer, you will be my seniors, please guide me thoroughly!" Mael said then bowed.
"Your name is unique! Welcome to the party Kael! We will be glad to guide you!", Emilda said cheerfully.
"Thank you for all your support!" he said to them.
While he was happily making friends, the carriage went to stop.
Pak!
"Ouch! Hey driver! What's your problem!" Gandar shouted as he knocked twice the wooden roof.
The Coachman opened the windows from the front seat and was sweating heavily.
"I'm sorry sirs, but we have a problem. There are giant wolves that are blocking the way. You are adventurers right? I ask you to please defeat them if you can!" he pleaded to them.
The adventurers all came outside the carriage and saw four giant wolves in the way. One was six feet tall and the other three were five feet tall.
"They are monsters that range to C+ rank monsters. Men battle formations!" Gandar commands them.
They immediately formed themselves; the Warrior was in the front, the Rouge was with the Priest and the Mage was in the back. Based on their actions, their leader was Gandar. No wonder he acts like a big shot in their team. Mael was just on the sidelines and was ignored by them.
"Mage! go ranged spells first! Rouge, attack anything who wants to go to our Mage and Priest. Priest, you know what to do! I will defend the front line," Gandar commanded them.
Immediately, Emilda fired a ranged spell to one of the giant wolves.
[Fireball!]
A ball of fire blazed the giant wolf's furs, the other two attacked in the front. Mael instantly moved to protect the Priest, together with the Rouge. Glan was focusing on his enemy but he was surprised that Kael was just beside him.
"What are you doing here!? Go back in the carriage!" He shouted at Kael.
"I can manage!" Kael said to him briefly.
The two wolves attacked the Warrior, Gandar prepared his bastard sword then used a skill.
[Bastard slash]!
He swings it from his right towards his left.
Bang!
Sound of breaking bones echoed in the surroundings.
The sword slashed one of the beasts but the other one has passed through their Warrior tank's defenses. It was nearing the Priest then the Rouge moved to defend him.
[Critical slash!]
He slashed the wolf in the belly when he ducked at the wolf's attack. The wolf has been wounded but it didn't stop its momentum when it attacked the Priest.
"Protect the Priest!" shouted Gandar.
Bang!
It was so fast and they didn't even saw who did it. The wolf was blown by the force of the impact. Bones sounded as it was breaking on the sheer force. The wolf rolled to the ground three times then stopped moving afterwards.
"Huh? what happened?" The Priest said as he was shocked.
Gandar was shocked too and then he pulled out the sword from the giant wolf's body.
"Who did it?" he asked but nobody replied.
He saw Kael and was annoyed by his presence.
"Huh?! Kid why are you here? You already want to die huh?" he said to Kael but his teammates screamed.
"Look out!" they all chorused.
He turned around and then saw the biggest one of them attacked. He tried to evade but he realized that he was a second late.
"Oh no! I won't make it!" Gandar gasped.
As the enemy gets nearer, he saw that there was a silhouette so fast that his eyes can't keep up. He punched it in the face and the direction of the enemy's path immediately turned leftwards.
Bang!
The giant wolf slammed to the ground then stands up. Its feet were trembling and it was shaking its head due to the dizziness it felt.
"Careful! You need to be alert!" Kael said to him.
Kael immediately released his chains then wrapped it on the neck of the beast. He pulled it but it won't budge so he launched himself to the air then landed on the back of its head. Making the beast bellowed by his force. He pulled the chains tighter and the beast felt the choking of its windpipe. The monster began to thrash around and they saw him having difficulty in pulling the chains.
"Go! Let's help him!" Gandar screamed and then launched an attack.
[Fireball!]
[Bastard slash!]
[Critical slash!]
They altogether attacked the beast. The fireball landed on its face, the bastard slash slashed its right foot, and the critical slash hits its left foot.
The wolf falls to the ground and then Kael tightened his grip, making the giant wolf helpless.
The wolf struggled for its last breath and then it stopped its breathing. Kael released the chains from its neck and retracted it to his arms.
"Is it finished?" Emilda asked.
"Yeah! We will extract their monster cores and fangs to sell them, then leave their bodies here," Gandar said
"What? They have cores? Damn! If I had known earlier!" Kael said as he realized how many monsters he had killed but leaving the monster's core alone.
"It is a confidential information that is only disclosed to the adventurers. By the way, thanks! I didn't know you can fight well! We will immediately recommend you to the guild!" Gandar said to him.
"Thank you for saving me! I owe you my life thus I will treat you nicely! Ask and I will repay you in any way I can," Glan said to him.
"Let's finish the extraction of anything that is valuable and then leave this place immediately, their blood will attract more monsters," Gandar said to them.
Fuwn dissected the monsters and Kael was watching beside him. Being an observant person was a hobby of Mael and he learns fast.
"Let's go back to the carriage before monsters will appear," Gandar instructed them.
"Yes boss, we heard you," said Emilda while preparing to leave.
They climbed the carriage and then left the place where they battled. Kael felt calmer as he was appreciated by his new friends and he smiled because they were safe. Kael went inside the carriage and he rests for a while.
"Let's go! Hiya!" shouted the driver as he whipped the horses. Resuming their travel towards the capital.
Kael will be his new name and it was his name that he will carry while being an adventurer. He sits again in the carriage and waited there for the rest of the way.
'It is nice to meet new friends. I hope I can be likable with the other adventurers. My charisma is at its lowest by now. I need extra effort to be likable. Well, my journey begins now and thanks to our enemy encounter, I am appreciated. If I didn't show my skills in fighting, it would be hard to befriend them. Well, let's enjoy the rest of the ride. I can tell in their faces that it is different from before. Their looks are dissatisfied at first. But now, I can see their smiles.' Mael said in his mind as he observed them.
They were happy and was talking about their past battle.
"Hey, Gandar! You are reckless! Glan will be in danger if he is attacked! We need another tank to fill up our weaknesses. Like a Knight!" Emilda said to Gandar.
"Well let us add another member to our ranks when we will arrive at the capital." Gandar said to them.
"Yeah, that is for the best! Let's party at the tavern if we found another one!" Fuwn said to them while in his happy mood.
"I know now what's the problem! If the Warrior will defend the Priest and the Rogue will attack then it will be better! And if the Mage will support with magic and the Warrior will protect them both, then it will not be harder. The experience is shared, right? So everyone will be getting experience," Kael suggested.
"Huh? So you are lecturing us now about formations huh? You, who is not even an adventurer? You know kid, we have experienced far more dangerous missions that you can have count. An ignorant kid like you would better shut up when you were still an adventurer-to-be. You didn't experience near-death situations that we have encountered and talk like that? Lecturing me? You were in your home being cared for by your parents while we were fighting near-death missions!" Gandar said to him.
"Gandar! You didn't see it? Who punched the giant wolf whom you let to pass your defense?" Fuwn said to him.
"I have seen it with my own Rogue eyes. How fast it is executed. It is not from the likes of a sheltered spoiled brat!" Fuwn explained.
"Huh? You want me to believe me that? Your fabricated evidence is not believable! It is impossible to believe it in the first place!" Gandar exclaimed.
"Yeah he was right Glan, don't sweat it. I am still a child not knowing anything about being an adventurer." Kael said in a condescending voice.
"But I saw it!" Fuwn said to Gandar.
"Shush! It is not important." Kael said as he put his finger on his mouth.
"Yeah! That's what I like! Knowing your limitations and being honest with your self will help you in the future! It is not believable in the first place right? Being frank about what you are is a wise choice! I am liking that part of you!" Gandar said to him.
"When we arrive at the capital, let's find a Knight to be with us. We will invite him or her to have dinner with us!" Gandar said to them.
"Yeah, let's have dinner! Kael you are invited too!" said Emilda.
"No, I will eat dinner by myself. I am a busy person so it's okay. Thanks for the offer!" Kael said smiling while narrowing his eyes.
"So a change of topic. What is the capital looks like?" Kael asked them.
"Well it has high walls and many people are there. Many districts and places to go. There are taverns, inns, marketplace, as well as parks." Emilda explained to Kael.
"Wow, that's good! I can't wait to see it." said Kael.
'I am coming to the capital together with these people. I know it is hard to mark my name on adventurer's history but I will strive to be on the top. And prove to the ones who underestimate me. I will prove and prove through it towards anyone. And to all that I will meet, I hope I will be likable. If I can't hold back, then I will be sorry for them. I can easily kill these adventurers here in this carriage. I will never trust anyone whole heartedly again in the first place. They are useful when it comes to information so I will let them live. No sense in killing them anyway. Now how will they amuse me? I am excited to hear their stories. I am gonna ask them about pieces of information for now,' Mael said as he sits back and relaxed.
'This sure is a tiring day and that fight with monsters is lame. They have skills but they are unrefined when in terms of using it. I wonder what will I be when I master all Job-classes? Will I be that strong? Or as lame as them? Nah, it is useless wondering about it. Better sleep on the way. My excitement is turned off by Gandar. I will just sleep I guess?' Kael said while he naps. Putting his backpack in his head and sleeps.
