7 Mammoth Apple

As the guards lifted their sight from the body that just landed in front of them, they saw Leroux walking back from the dense forest, nodding with his arms crossed as if complacent about his deed.

"Excuse me, but... where did you find this thing?!" said one of the guards as he found it unveliebable that a young man like him single handedly hunted a yellow armadillo.

"Oh, it was already near us, lurking the area. It was an easy hunting, yellow animals are really easy to hunt despite what people think. Others are not so much. It took me a few hits but it is finally done for" said Leroux with a smile on his face.

"Did you hurt him where the traps could've killed it?" said Leon with his soothing smile back on his face.

"Oh, yes I did. I don't know how good the injuries are but to be honest, I don't think anyone would notice that the traps didn't kill him. Except for Lufti and his good eyes no one could really tell how it died" said Leroux while shaking his shoulders.

"Idiot! You're understimating the people inside the walls too much! Stop for a second and think about it. Aish, second brother, you need to stop being so high of yourself or else one day it will backfire on you and you know that a single mistake out in the forest usually means death..." replied Leon while shaking his head.

"I am sorry big brother, I will set everything up as to make it seem as if it was really killed by the traps" replied Leroux while lowering his head and quickly getting into it.

"Do you need help with it?" said Lufti as he suddenly appeared in front of Leon, gently putting down a bag in front of his brother. "I can do it instead of you, and oh, I could exchange some information if you're willing to have fun while hunting" said the gentle giant while giggling.

"Oh? Information from Lufti? Wait, wait, I don't want to get scolded by Leon a second time today so tell him all about it and if he sees it fit we will do what he says okay?" said Leroux while attending to the armadillo's matter.

"Lufti, tell me please what it is you've found and what it is you've brought", Leon's eyes smiled gently at his younger brother.

"I've brought fruits and some medicinal herbs I've found near here, on my way to the fruit trees we saw in the distance on our way to the city I saw a few caves and decided to get close to them and explore. It seems like a red tiger gave birth recently and has been fending off the attacks of different animals in order to protect herself and her cubs. I couldn't really leave her there, so I really want to go help her. I thought that Leroux might want to battle with whatever attacks her so it'd be a win win situation. I'd be able to help the tiger and Leroux would be able to rampage on different beasts. As for what I brought, there are different things but I tried to pick up your favorites first brother. I know you will like what I brought" said Lufti with pleading eyes.

To the guards, all of this was madmen talk. First of all, a red tiger? As if something would dare to attack that kind of beast. Weak or not, it's strenght was something no other beasts would be able to beat without paying a huge price.

"Okay, you can do the exchange. But remember that if Leroux gets hurt, you will be the one to deal with his whining, okay?", as he finished talking, Leon sighed and opened the bag, introducing his hand inside and taking out a red fruit, with his hands feeling it, he smiled and took a big bite out of it, pleased with the savour. Meanwhile, Leroux and Lufti exchanged information and while Lufti took out a small dagger to set up the decoy of the yellow armadillo, Leroux set out while laughing far into the forest once more.

"Hey, kid, isn't that fruit a mammoth apple?" asked the second guard in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, it is" said Lufti in response. "I found it by chance but they're not hard to find. Leon likes it a lot, and it is Leroux's favorite. I personally like sweeter fruits. Like duke bud flowers or lion seeds after being fried. Ohh, lion seeds sound really good right now" said Lufti not being able to hold in his drooling.

Leon swallowed the piece of apple and smiling said, "I know these are the things noble masters eat inside there but they're plenty of them in the forest. The problem with Kyus City is that inside there are only resources to deal with humans and control them. But outside, there are resources that help you control the forest. How do you think all those beasts became so strong and attained so many new abilities? The mammoth apple is one example. If you eat one apple, it can double your strength instantly untill the effect goes away, but the miraculous thing is that your body strenght will permanently increase, but what if you only take a bite of it? Well, the effect will be minimal, nearly imperceptible. But my brothers and I were raised eating fruits that enhance our strenght, speed, perception and even more skills. Why? Well, we were lucky to have a good Master that nurtured us. Oh, in exchange for your good will to help us, I will give one to each of you. But make sure to eat them now, selling them would be a waste since they're so easy to find" as he finished talking Leon threw 2 apples at the guards.

They didn't even notice when his hand went inside the bag and if it wasn't because the apples slowed down right when going through the gate they would't have been able to catch them. They looked at each other and down to the fruits they now held in their hands. They were shiny red and big enough to be held with both hands. It looked like a big apple, but at the bottom there was the shape of what seemed to be a mammoth, and that is why the name they had. Without a second thought, the two guards bit into it, the sweetness mixed with the slight sour flavour made it a really good fruit to enjoy.