CHAPTER 2-TERLEM

X stayed with Sir Frederick over the years and slowly understood how life works in the village. Although he remembered nothing about his past, he started liking his new life. He had new clothes that fit him well, got food three times a day, and even got to do work that did not involve running for his life. And his grandpa was pretty cool.

Sir Frederick had also started warming up to the kid. At first, they both were wary of each other, but over time he realized that X was just a normal kid. He showed X how he lived, how to eat, bathe, wear the proper clothes, how to chop trees, when to work, eat, and play. X was a person who found it uncomfortable conversing with other people, and no matter how much Frederick tried to change that, his social anxiety did not go away. It must have been because he did not remember who he was, and Frederick wasn't exactly a role model for friendliness.

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5 years later.

'So, the southern continent, Ricah was it? There is a big sandland there.'

'Desert. And the continent is Ricaf, not Ricah. But yeah, there is a lot of sand in the Rahasan desert. And dangerous animals, like the giant scorpions and centipedes. There are even these sandworms that are very big.'

Frederick spoke in a grand tone, trying to impress the poor amnesiac boy. X stared at his grandfather in wonder, his young brain trying to conjure an image of the Rahasan desert and sandworms. After a while of staring, X shook his head, unable to imagine.

'How do you know so much, grandfather.'

Frederick laughed at the child's genuine doubt, before catching himself and answering.

'Well, you know the knights that come here to fight demons right? Rem and his squad.'

X nodded, being quite well acquainted with Rem, the knight who saved his life years ago. Although he did not speak much to him, X did like the young knight.

'I was once a knight, you see.'

Frederick spoke, his tone getting even grander as he smirked, happy to see the kid's mouth open up in wonder. No wonder, he was just speaking.

'I know. You told me.'

X spoke calmly, and the old man sighed before continuing.

'Yes yes. I was a knight, but not one like these kids. I was more active, constantly being sent on deadly missions across the world. I have been to every corner of Europa, including the land of the Vikings in the north. I have been to all of Ricaf and even Atlantis.'

'Even the great continent?'

X asked, wonderstruck. Until he heard the question, Frederick was beaming with joy, but as soon as he heard the mention of the great continent, he frowned.

'It was the most dangerous place I had ever been, and I had been to many dangerous places. Demons rule those lands and are found in every corner. There were entire armies when I went there, and that was more than fifty years ago. Nowadays it is even worse. No matter what, please do not go there.'

X nodded with a sigh, used to hearing these exact words spill out from Frederick's lips. He went back to chopping wood, hacking away at a large tree. It took more than ten swings of his hatchet before it even lodged.

Suddenly, X fell to the ground with a grunt, clutching his stomach. Heat radiated out of his body, so hot that even the retired Stage 3 knight couldn't handle it. A heat attack was what the two of them called it. He had such heat attacks in the past, but it was getting more and more frequent. He had 5 similar attacks in the previous month, and this was the second attack this week. The rate was increasing abnormally.

Fredrick rushed to grab his adopted grandson, not even caring to dislodge his axe from the tree. He helped X to get up to his feet, leaning him against a tree. He kept ordering him to breathe deeply while the radiating heat slowly dissipated from his body.

Frederick was surprised by the sudden heat attack. Usually, it happened in the evening as the sun set, or in the morning as it rose. The unusual timing was infuriating, but at least it was a good thing that it happened in his presence. Two years ago X was struck with his first heat attack while Frederick was in the village market, and when he returned X was lying on the floor, clutching his stomach and rolling around, his face writhed in pain. The sweat marks on the floor of their hut still did not go away, and he had to buy a new carpet to keep it hidden.

Suddenly, Frederick caught some movement in the corner of his eye. A lean, tall figure was rushing deeper into the forest. He did not know what it was, but there was no chance that a peaceful being would be moving in such a creepy manner as if it were watching them. He had also caught a glimpse of its 6-inch long nails.

It was a demon.

He was not sure if it was a Stage 1 or 2, but the presence it gave was lesser than a usual Stage 2 demon. It should be a Stage 1 demon, but something about the quick flash of movement, the claws, and its behavior upset Fredrick. It was better to not take any chances.

X heard footsteps from his right, and although he was extremely tired and was still feeling very warm, he turned around. In front of him, a familiar man stood, with short brown hair that poked out of his head like a porcupine's quills. He was now wearing a complete set of silver armor, which X had never seen on him before.

The man bowed to Fredrick, muttering a slight sir before turning to X. He laid his hand on X's hair and tousled it while warmly greeting him. X returned the greetings, although he stammered quite a bit.

'He...hel...hello Uncle Rem.'

Rem smiled, then leaned forward so that his lips were pressed to X's right ear. With a smile, he whispered.

'I have something to talk to your grandfather, so could you.'

Lifting his right hand, Rem moved his two fingers, asking X to move away. X smiled as he walked away. From his back, he could hear his grandfather complain.

'Hey, you two don't get to share any secrets. You are not close enough.'

'You sure about that, Sir.'

Rem replied with a laugh. As X was about to leave though, a certain presence was felt like him. Some person's evil gaze. One that was not from a familiar person. He turned around frantically, but there was no one in the forest. No one he did not know.

Fredrick and Rem were in a deep conversation, arguing about something in a low voice that barely rose above a whisper. X walked up to them, but the moment he took a step Frederick turned his head to look at him. His face was faded seriously. There were no signs of the self-amusing joy on his face, no kind smile plastered on his lips. With a sharp, low voice, he ordered X.

'X come here and take these logs. We cut less than usual, but I have some other work to do. The shops close by 5, and it is already 3, so by the time I come back it will close. Go to the market, and give these logs to the the shopkeeper.'

X wanted to decline it, to tell him that he was too tired and hot and did not want to talk with the timber merchant. That guy always gave him the creeps, even though he was kind enough. But the power in Frederick's words stopped him. With a small nod, X reluctantly collected the fallen logs, not wanting to handle a conversation with anyone other than his grandfather.

As he was about to leave, he felt the presence once more. He slowly walked forward while his guardian and the group leader of the village's resident knights slowly spoke about something. X felt like every stepped of his was being watched by some unknown being, a pair of watchful eyes gazing at his back with malicious intent as he walked away.

There was something else here. Potentially a demon. That was why his grandfather wanted to send him away. And unfortunately for him, he had to go.