Episode 16

(later on)

(clop, clop)

[I forgot that this world is going through a harsh times since I spent a long time in the village.] (Arnel)

"What's happening to this world…?" (Svana)

"..." (Naiah)

[Svana is having a hard time adjusting with what she saw after we leave the village's boundary. But Naiah just looks eerily calm as if she already had a grasp with the situation. The world is practically consumed by looming darkness and the heavy dark clouds covers the whole sky that even the sun ray can't pierce through even though its high noon. The scene in front of us is practically taken from an apocalyptic move setting, though this is reality. Even breathing is hard since the air fills with some sort of gas that I can only assumed to be the miasma from the book that my old self had read.] (Arnel)

"I cannot sense any living being aside from us within the area… where are all the people that used to lived in this town…?" (Svana)

[Although the whole place is covered with rubbles and stones in first glance, this place was once the town of Arden. I know that this place was destroyed in the book, but to see it first hand, this place is practically a wasteland.] (Arnel)

(faint rumbling sounds)

"!?" (Naiah)

"What is it?" (Svana)

"We've got company." (Arnel)

[it seems that our presence was noted by those things… eh?] (Arnel)

(got off the coach)

"Naiah?" (Svana)

"Let me handle them." (Svana)

(eyes starts to glowing blackish purple)

(at a distance)

"shrieeeek!!!" (Broodkins)

(clouds rumbles)

(consecutive of lightning strikes from the sky!)

(crackling!)

(boom!!)

(whimpers!)

(throws away in pieces)

(to where the three are currently)

"…. Whoa…! you can summoned lightnings?! That's sick!" (Svana)

(exhales)

(goes back to the coach seat)

"Nice work. You handle your magic perfectly even though its your first time." (Arnel)

"Its not much. Though I need a "refill" if I want to do it again later." (Naiah)

(lick lip)

"….lets just wait until we leave this place first…" (Arnel)

[The refill Naiah is referring to is my seeds. I don't know why, but it seems they can amplify these two's magical powers. In short terms, I'm their walking, living enhanced mana potion. But its a fortunate miscalculation of my past self.] (Arnel)

...…

(a month later)

[it took us about a week to escape the tainted land and encounter some actions as well. But with out abilities, we easily swoop everything that dares to face us with hostilities. And as it was written in the book, the fortress city of Engel still stood even after three year of grueling assault from the corrupted beings tides, the Broodkins. The stronghold that stood as the last bastion that separated the tainted land and humanity within the continent.] (Arnel)

"Refugees, ei? Its been a long time since we had people coming from the tainted land. You lot sure are lucky. No one can survive long in those wretched land…" (Gate keeper)

(mockingly tone)

(irritated)

"We get that. But why haven't you let us pass already? I'm tired and haven't had a good bath since forever!" (Svana)

"Ah, that… please forgive me for doing this, but…" (Gatekeeper)

(spears pointed towards the wagon)

"We can't let anyone pass without proper check up. By the Lord Commander's decree. Please step aside from the wagon while raising your hands up." (Gatekeeper)

"What!? Are you kidding me!?" (Svana)

[I get their suspicions since we suddenly pop out from the tainted land that no normal human can survive. There are humans that manages to lived in the tainted lands, but all of them were corrupted peoples, or fanatics devotees of the Glutton Overlord.] (Arnel)

"Just do what he says, Svana. This will over soon." (Arnel)

[I hoped.] (Arnel)

"Ghh… fine!" (Svana)

(moves away from the wagon)

(stand aside while priests chanting spells on the wagon)

(gaze)

"Now that I noticed, you guys looks young. And to think that I ever seen such a person that had white hair like the snow…" (Gatekeeper)

[Both Naiah and I had white hair. Though, her's changed after I stopped her from becoming a Brood mother back in the cave. If she had her pitch black hair color like she had back then, the guards already attacked us since those who had black hair color are consider as spawns of the Glutton Overlord's offspring that need to be eradicated before they transform into a Broodkin.] (Arnel)

"The wagon had been checked! No dangerous corruption detected!" (Guard)

"Alright. And now, please take off your clothes." (Gatekeeper)

(smile)

"!?" (Svana, Naiah)

"Take off your clothes please. Of course the young man as well." (Gatekeeper)

"What!? As if I will…" (Svana)

(blabbering angrily)

(ignore Svana)

[The gatekeeper must want to checked our body for any corruption since those who has been corrupted had dark veins visible on their skin. But isn't this too much? The guard already assured that the wagon is clean and we should be free of suspicion…] (Arnel)

(noticed the Gatekeeper stealing luscious gaze towards Naiah)

[oh. I see… my past self will say "this is too cliche" for this types of situation… perhaps a single dead Gatekeeper won't pose a problem if for what I can do for them later…] (Arnel)

(prepare to strike)

"Like hell I will-…!" (Svana)

"What is going on here!?" (Norden)

(approach!)

"A-ah! Lord Commander! W-what are you-…?" (Gatekeeper)

"I said, what is going here!? Are you keeping refugees from entering the fortresses gate!?" (Norden)

"Eeekkk!" (Gatekeeper)

[So, he finally step out from his hiding spot while silently observe us since earlier.] (Arnel)

"I have heard you misusing your authority before, but to think that you dare do it while I was around? You got a lot of guts for a mere gatekeeper. Guards!" (Norden)

"Ser!" (Guards)

"Take this man to the dungeon." (Norden)

(flinch!)

(drag away)

"P-please forgive me, my Lord~…!" (Gatekeeper)

"*Sigh! I can even think how he dares to do even in this troubling times to his own kinsmen… please forgive me for my subordinate offense." (Norden)

[He's just what the book said he was.] (Arnel)

"What a pain! Now, can we enter the city already?" (Svana)

(grunts annoyed)

"That…" (Norden)

"....Are you serious!?" (Svana)

...

(later)

(Lord Commander's office)

(grumbling angrily)

"Please forgive us, but this is the standard procedure that we need to do to everyone who came back from the tainted lands…" (Norden)

"I don't mind it as long if no other male aside Arne can see my naked body." (Naiah)

(politely speaking)

[We all ran the checkup in privacy thanks to the Lord Commander behest. Thanks to that, a female priest was put in charge in checking them just earlier. But she looks quite depressed after finished with the two. I wonder what happened to her…?] (Arden)

"I say this again. I apologize for my subordinate's treatment to you three and I thank you for not killing him earlier at the gate." (Norden)

"So, you did sense my killing intent. But I'm guessing that's not all that you wanted to say…" (Arnel)

"Indeed. I was hoping of ask that you three to become protectors of this wall we were currently standing on." (Norden)

[He's recruiting, huh? I suspect as much. He can sense that we are not your average people since he can see the flows of mana within people as it was written in the book.] (Arnel)

"We are currently in need of capable individuals since the wave is around the corner. But if you wish to extend your service, that will be more great." (Norden)

"Why pick us? If anything, we just normal civilian, not soldiers or hunters." (Naiah)

[Nice one, Naiah.] (Arnel)

"Perhaps you right, young lady. But no one has ever come to this wall ever since two years ago after the calamity swept the western land five years prior. From what I see, you three are capable to survive in such harsh environment for a long period of time and had ways of protecting yourself from those monsters. Out of all the peoples that I've met, no I had ever met people who is immune from taint, including myself and the Heroes party that passed this wall years ago." (Norden)

[So, those idiots were able to escaped the cataclysm descent even without Nia's help. Good for them.] (Arnel)

"But what's that got to do with us being soldiers on this place?" (Svana)

"If you three accept my proposal, I will personally grant you good positions and gave the best treatment as I could within my abilities as Lord Commander of this walls. And let me remind you that if this wall fall, there will be no safe heaven for humanity, everywhere." (Norden)

"Ghh…" (Svana)

[He knows how to use his words wise. If I'm a normal person, I might accept his terms since that's the best anyone can offer. But I had greater plans than play soldiers for the sake of humanity.] (Arnel)

"We will have to politely decline your offer, Ser." (Arnel)

"We will? Yes, we reject your proposal! Hah!" (Svana)

"I will do as Arne says." (Naiah)

"….I see… then, I cannot force you. But if you will ever consider my offer, please come and see me in the future." (Norden)

"I will consider it. Thank you for your understanding." (Arnel)

"You may enter the city. If its not late to say this, but I bid you welcome to Fortress City of Engel, the bastion of humanity's defiance to the Overlord's menace. I hope your stay here will be pleasant…" (Norden)

(nod)

[Pleasant he says…? Well, lets see about that…] (Arnel)

...