Chapter 9

Gin could not believe what he did after he saw Catori. When she pointed to an empty seat in front of her he immediately sat down. He did not know why but he wasn't scared at all, Catori took out a stick and a sharp object and cut a big chunk of meat out of the wild boar. Gin drooled as he saw her getting closer to him.

"Here, for you" she offered

Gin gobbled everything when he received the food. He was really hungry and tired, it did not even matter if there was someone with him. Catori looks at him pleased and got him another big chunk of meat.

"There's still more"

Only then that Gin realized what he did and felt embarrassed about it. Still, he received another slice from her but this time he was being polite. Already full, he finally had a chance to look at his surroundings, two logs were facing each other that's where they were seated and a warm fire at the center. Catori continued to roast the wild boar as she gets little chunks for her to eat. He looks farther from the fireplace and saw a small cave near a stream of clean water, Gin was amazed while observing, this place feels so safe.

"I see you found a pair already, to be able to catch a wild boar that big," he said

Catori looks at him indifferently but he knew that she was happy he talked to her

"No, I did not find someone yet" she replied

"Huh? Then who?" Gin paused when he saw Catori flushed quietly

"Ah-"

Gin did not want to believe but just by looking at Catori's expression she seems to be telling the truth. She was the one who killed the wild boar. Alone. Only her. He doubted her because the girl right in front of him looks so fragile, she was not skinny but not fat as well, she looks rather normal and healthy than most women in the Kingdom but her white hair and silver eyes were such a beauty.

"Ahem. Then how did you manage to find this spot?" Changing the topic

"I just found it here when I arrived a month ago"

Gulp! "A month ago? You mean you've been staying here since then!?" Gin almost threw his food due to shock

Catori nodded.

So that's why he could not see her after attendance because she was here.

"And what do you usually do when you're here? I heard this forest is full of monsters"

Catori, "I train on my own"

"How?"

She looks at Gin "By killing the monsters here"

Gin's jaw drop. What did he just hear? He thought. Did this frail woman in front of me just say she trains by killing monsters?

"You must be kidding me, you?" He laughed

Catori went silent. Gin stood up "You know what, I got to go, my friend must be looking for me, thanks for the food anyway" he bowed and silently walk towards the bushes and disappeared

-

"Where have you been moron!?" Albert scolded "Do you know how hungry we are right now!?"

"I was looking for food, here, let's roast this" Gin lifts two big hares in front of them, luckily after meeting that Catori woman he found these animals running around the area

"Hmph. Took you long enough, then roast that already!"

"Yes, young master"

Gin prepared the fire and after skinning the hares he then put them into the sides near the heat to slow roast them.

"You are not eating them" Albert announces ahead

Gin nodded. Thankfully he was full already.

Albert and Linden sat in front of him as they both watched their food cooking.

"Hey, do you think that murderous woman is dead by now?" Linden brought up the topic

"Did you hear that monster's roar back then? I'm sure that was an Orc, she's probably dead by now" Albert scoffed

"Serves her right! To think she got the King's favor"

Albert, "That Dragon King is a total pain, pardoning a murderer who killed the Marquis, that's why my father always said to never serve that man once I'll become a Knight. I'll just wait for someone to assassinate him"

"Young Master..." Gin interrupted

Both boys showed him total disgust.

"I believe it is not right to speak ill about the King" Gin continued

"Who ordered you to interrupt slave? And not speak ill? You must have forgotten it was the King who imprisoned your father to death!" Albert pointed

It was true, his father, Baron Frederick Ward was caught colluding with enemies, planning to destroy the Kingdom and was found out. He was imprisoned and executed. Gin who was eighteen, along with his mother and two younger siblings were left alone. His youngest sister had an illness that needs proper medication that is why for her to have that privilege Gin offered his services to Albert's family in exchange for his sister's medicine.

"Hmph. Know your place slave, your family no longer carries the Baron title"

"Yes, young master, I apologize"

"Sigh! Now I don't have an appetite anymore. Please just get out of my sight. Linden, you continue this" he pointed to the hares

"What? Why me?"

Albert glared at him.

"Fine! Fine!" Linden shood Gin away and took his seat.

"This is all your fault jerk"

Gin was forced to go far from the warm fire, with the cold air surrounding the forest and nothing to do he goes to a stream not too far from where Albert and Linden was. He sat on a stone and shivered from the cold.

For a moment of silence, he looks at his reflection on the water, his face turned dark as the ground started to crumble. He repeatedly inhales and exhales until he finally calms down.

If only he had the money and power. He thought, he was happy to hear from Albert's father that he will be taking the knight selection exam but suddenly got disappointed after he heard of the reason. They never wanted him to pass the exam only Albert.

Gin looks at his hand with remorse feeling. He should have carried his father's title but everyone including the nobles does not trust them anymore after what his father did. He can only give out a sigh to release his anger.

-

The second day of the survival exam became difficult for the trainees for all the monsters that appeared yesterday night multiplied. They were lurking the entire forest and most of the trainees hid above ground and some did not even make it.

"What kind of test is this!?" Albert snorted

"Those monsters were killing trainees! Isn't that against the rules!?"

"But young master, the head knight only said to survive...". Gin pointed out the obvious

"Guess your slave is using his brain for once" Linden butted, he was still angry about last night

The three of them continued to move north to the exit and traveled by jumping into trees.

"Help!!" They heard a cry below.

When they look down, they saw a fellow trainee surrounded by goblins

"Anyone up there!? Help!" He cries again

The goblins were laughing as they circle themselves around the man.

"Young master, we must help that man" Gin suggested

"And what? Get killed as well? Are you an idiot? It's his fault for getting found out" replied Albert

"But we can help him, young master, they're only goblins"

Albert turned red and pulled Gin's hood "Look, slave, don't be a hero, you are taking this exam to serve only me, they're only goblins? I don't care, as long as I'm safe here within this distance that useless brat below doesn't deserve to live. Got that? I am your priority"

Gin bit his lips "I understand"

"Help! Help! Somebody!" The trainee's cry became louder that made the goblins more proud and cheer for him to cry for help more

"Let's go while they're busy" Linden suggested and Albert agreed

When they start moving forward Gin couldn't help but looked at them again and witnessed the goblins stab the trainee on his legs when some brute force threw them into the air. Surprised, Gin look farther to the woods they had passed and saw a figure of a woman with braided white hair.

-

"Let's move faster! It won't be long when they're done with him, we must move to a safer distance and look for a place to stay, I'm afraid the monster's today will be more aggressive" Linden proposed

When Gin and Albert were about to nod their heads in agreement an orc appeared behind them.

Swoooooooosh!

With a wave of his huge batlike weapon, the three trainees were thrown into the ground where goblins and hobgoblins waited for them.

"Shit!" Albert shouted "Gin!"

Gin ran to his front and from his pocket he gets a small stick and with a click became a staff.

"An Orc!? But how!?" Linden shouted

"Hahahaha! Foolish humans, you think that by jumping from tree to tree would ensure your safety?" The Orc butted in

All three were in a state of shock. "The Orc - it has the ability to think! He's a high-class monster!" Started to be afraid Albert shouted back

"Krrrreeeeeheeeheeeheehee!"

The Goblins screamed loudly and were getting excited and made the first move, they ran to Linden first who was wounded during their fall.

"No! Don't come near me!" with a chant small sharp objects appeared in the air and was hitting the goblins. Unfortunately, his magic was weak.

Gin lifts up his right hand and created a wall made by solid soil appeared in front of Linden. The goblins look at him and began to run towards him and Albert instead.

" You moron! We should have run while they were busy killing him! Why did you do that!? You should be protecting me!?" Angrily Albert raised his voice

Gin did not answer but instead, he twists his right hand again and made a solid wall surrounding Linden. After doing that, using his right hand again he move the soil up from where he and Albert were standing. Once they were above ground, he then hit the goblins who were trying to reach them with his staff.

It was okay for a moment when the hobgoblins made their move and started pounding at the solid wall Gin created to protect Linden while the rest gather in front of them and were destroying the pillar he created.

"Foolish humans, is that all you've got?" The Orc laughed, he pointed at Gin and all the goblins and hobgoblins glared at him

"Kill him first"

Heeeeeeeeeek!

The goblins cheer so loudly that all three of them covered their ears.

"Do something jerk! Protect me!" Albert cried

Gin had no choice but to get down so Albert and Linden won't get hurt

Hahaha, how despicable am I? He thought. If he could leave them be he would but if Albert dies here then his sister's medication will stop as well. He moves forward with his staff attacking the goblins first. Easily he kills them.

"Wow," Linden said in awe

"Just who is that guy?" He asked Albert

Albert was looking at him with a creepy smile "I told you, he is my slave"

Now fighting the hobgoblins Gin was much faster than them. He then chanted something and fire came right out of his mouth. The Orc was surprised "He can use other elements?"

With a wave of his staff, he hit a hobgoblin by the neck and made him unconscious, but when he was about to attack the second hobgoblin, he was directly hit by the Orc's weapon and was thrown to a tree.

"Aaargh!"

The Orc comes forth. "Hmph. I guess your just a weakling to flew that far when I hit you sluggishly"

Gin spit out blood from his mouth. "Sluggishly?" He asked

The Orc laughed harder "And here I thought I found a worthy opponent" he threw his weapon directed to Gin and Gin evaded it by running towards him, as Gin was about to counter-attack, the Orc's weapon turned around and hit him from behind.

"What the--!" Gin painfully fell to the ground

"You think I'm that easy?" The Orc whispered through his ears

While watching Gin being strangled by the neck, Albert whimpered above them

"Albert! Do something! He might die!" Linden shouted at him

"Shut up! Why would I care about him if he could not protect me!?" Albert watched as Gin was slowly being strangled tighter

Why? Why? What kind of a test is this that killing trainees like them is valid!? And an Orc that can think was even summoned! Albert thought

"So it doesn't matter to you if this human dies?" The Orc asked he was staring at Albert's eyes beaming with pleasure.

Then Albert thought of something ridiculous, he smiled and looks at the Orc "If you do kill him, will you set us free?"

"Young Master!" Gin cried

"Hahahahahahahaha!" The Orc lifted Gin higher and choke him harder "You humans are greedy creatures, very well then I'll----"

It took only a second when the Orc's hand fell to the ground.

Gin was coughing painfully and his vision was beginning to blur, he was sure to faint if the Orc continued to choke him. He stared at the dismembered arm and directed his gaze on his right where he can feel a strong presence and there he saw her.

"Are you okay?" Catori asked

Gin was speechless, her white shirt was already tainted with blood. She extends a hand to help him stand and he accepted it.

"Aaargh! My Arm! Who dares to hurt me!?" The Orc scream and when he looks down he sees Gin being supported by a stranger.

"You! You did this to me!?" He pointed at Catori but he did not receive any response from her

"How dare you, woman!" The Orc lifted his weapon and swung it in front of them.

Gin closes his eyes when he saw the Orc. Shit! One more hit of that and I'll faint! He thought but when he noticed it took quite a while he opened his eyes and saw Catori blocked the Orc's attack with her daggerlike weapon while she was holding him.

"Uhm" she said in a soft voice and looks at Gin

"Is it okay if I let you down for a while? I can't fight him if I'm holding an injured person"

"Uh... Sure" was the only word Gin could answer

Catori places him behind her.

Is this girl for real? She can't fight these monsters alone. "We must think of something rather than fighting, you're no match for them!" Gin stated

Catori did not hear him and faces the Orc. The remaining goblins and hobgoblins gather around them laughing and mocking them.

"How brave of you to face me alone woman but I cannot forgive you for what you did to me, prepare to die" with a gesture of his hand all the goblins and hobgoblins in the area attacked Catori.

"No! We can't defeat them! They're so many! We will ------" Gin screamed and was shut down completely when he saw Catori fight.

The woman in front of him slowly moves forward and just like dancing, she swung her weapon. The first goblin she met she sliced his throat and jump to the second hobgoblin from behind and beheaded the creature.

When the monsters witness how she easily killed their comrades they hesitated to counterattack but the Orc doesn't seem to be bothered.

"What are you afraid of!? Kill her!" He screamed

Scrrrrreeeeeekeek!

The goblin cries for battle but was immediately stopped when Catori sliced their throats one by one.

Is this girl for real? Gin thought he could not stop his mouth from opening, he was still in shock. He looks at Albert and Linden who no longer were protected by his magic had the same expression as him. Who is this woman? He observed Catori as she dances her weapon slicing the throat of every monster she was facing. It was like she had been in battle for a long time.

The white shirt she was wearing was now bloodsoaked that it can no longer be seen as white, it was morbid and brutal but Catori show no sign of fear, she still has the same indifferent expression when he first met her.

When all his minions were killed that's when the Orc realized who he was facing.

"H-how!? Who are you!?" He asked but he did not receive an answer again

Angered by it he decided to attack Catori "Ha! They were the weakest of their kind, now this time I'll make sure you die by my h----"

Catori disappeared from his sight and pops in front of him with her weapon already pierced his throat.

"Kraaak-kaasaak!" The Orc shouted in agony

Catori pierced harder that everyone can hear a crackling sound as if his bones were shattered to bits. And from there the Orc was on his knees and fell to the ground - dead.

There was a moment in silence among the people present. Gin, in fact, could not speak up, his hair tingles from the sight of dead monsters in front of him, he was afraid. Catori comes forward to where he was, he wanted to run but his knees were shaking. As she went closer, Gin started to see something behind her - or someone. It was blurry but he can see a shadow walking behind Catori with electric blue eyes.

He lifted his hand to point towards the shadow but was stopped when Catori held him.

"I did not get your name the last time we met," she said soft-spoken

Her hands were warm Gin thought, it's as if she's another person in front of him but his fear immediately disappeared when she held him.

"Gin, Gin Ward" he answered

--- end.