New Land, New Problems, New Adventures

The rain had stopped some time ago, and in a rare moment, I felt hungry. Therefore, I walked through the forest, searching for something to eat, and I found it.

I dragged the body of a bear with its neck cut, a quick and painless blow done by my Sharp Uchigatana, upgraded to the fullest with Blade Stone, and my Thief Ring. The bear did not even know what hit it.

I took the bear to the entrance of the cave and prepared the meat, using my Secret Dagger to skin it and my Uchigatana to cut the meat into pieces. I went toward a tree nearby and cut it in two with a blow from my Great Ax, then cut it into smaller pieces, turning it into firewood.

I made a stone circle, put the wood in it, then pointed my Silver Catalyst at it and cast Flame Throw. A flaming bolt flew out of my catalyst and hit the bonfire, lighting it up.

I sat in front of the fire with the meat beside me, removed a Rapier from my bag, skewered one of the meat pieces, and put it over the fire. I salivated with the smell and heard something big moving behind me. I was not the only one who liked it.

The Black Dragon did not say a word; it walked towards what remained of the bear and ate it.

"Are you going to eat it raw?" I asked.

The dragon removed its mouth from the bear's guts; its snout and mouth smeared with blood, and faced me.

"We dragons don't have weak stomachs like you humans; we don't have to cook our food." The dragon said as it ate again.

"That's not what I meant. I believe that roasted meat tastes better than raw meat." I said, removing my Rapier from the fire and biting the roasted meat.

"How did you do it?" The dragon asked while frowning.

"Well, first I killed the bear, then…"

"That's not what I meant!" The dragon exclaimed, interrupting me.

"Then explain it to me." I replied, biting the meat again.

"How are you eating this meat?"

"I am eating with my mouth." I shrugged.

The dragon then breathed deeply, the air entering its lungs audible to everyone.

"What I mean, you annoying human is how you are eating that meat without removing your helmet?!"

"Like this." I said, approaching the piece of meat towards my helmet's mouth area, pressing it against the helmet, and pulling it away, seeing the lack of a piece and a bite mark while I chewed.

"Forget it! You humans are strange, I will never understand you."

"Pardon me! I also don't understand how anyone can eat raw meat, but if that's your preference then I suppose you won't want this delicious and succulent piece of roast beef." I answered, skewing another piece of meat on the Rapier and roasting it.

"Hm... As if I needed the same perks as you humans." The dragon said, biting the bear's body and dragging it away.

It does not matter, I could not eat it all anyway, besides, I cut enough meat for myself.

-XXXXXX-

"Is it ready?" The dragon asked behind me.

"Not yet, it's already the fifth time you've asked me." I replied frustrated, feeling the creature's bad breath attacking my nose.

"Why is it taking so long?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Meat needs time to roast, in less time, the meat will be raw, for more time, and the meat will burn. It needs to be cooked for a certain amount of time."

The dragon got tired of eating raw bear and couldn't resist the smell of roasting meat, now it pestered me for a piece.

"Fine, but I'll burn you to ashes if the meat does not taste good." The dragon said menacingly.

"Oh my, would you like to repeat the result of our previous fight? I assure you, I still have many poison arrows with me, a few hundred to be precise." I mocked, patting my bag while the dragon grunted irritated, but soon fell silent.

"Is it ready?" The dragon asked again after a few minutes.

What did I do to deserve this? I thought in irritation.

"Yes, it's ready!"

I swung my Rapier towards the dragon, the roasted meat detached itself and flew towards the monster, who opened its mouth and bit the meat, chewing it right after.

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

"Hm... It is acceptable." The dragon said reluctantly.

Hump! I had all this trouble just to receive an acceptable!

Suddenly the dragon ran past me and headed towards the trees. It returned a few minutes later with a dead bear in its mouth, laying it at my feet.

"More!" The dragon ordered.

Acceptable my ass.

-XXXXXX-

With our wounds healed and bellies full, the dragon and I stared at each other awkwardly.

"What will you do now?" The dragon asked.

"I will search for some town, village, or someplace to acquire information. Or would you rather finish what we started yesterday?"

"As much as I would love to continue our fight, we would draw the attention of Cathedral City's soldiers again, so I don't plan on fighting you, for now."

"The feeling is mutual." I replied turning my back on the dragon and walking in a random direction; hopefully, I would arrive somewhere soon.

"You have no idea where to go, do you?" The dragon asked amused, but I did not answer and just stood in silence.

"HAHAHA! I imagined, but fear not, human! I, in all my generosity, will take you to the nearest human settlement!" The dragon boasted, approaching me.

Will it take me? So, that means…

Suddenly, something enveloped me and my feet left the ground. The dragon held me with one of its paws and took off right away. In a few seconds, we were high in the sky.

"You're silent, human. Do you fear of heights?" The dragon asked as we flew.

"N-no, I've just never flown before. Wouldn't it be easier to carry me on your back?"

Suddenly, the dragon swayed during its flight and I grabbed its paw to prevent falling to my death.

"As if, I would allow a pathetic human to climb on my back! That would be an insult!" The dragon said angrily.

Well, there is nothing to discuss. Try to enjoy the view Edric.

Looking around, I realized how much this place differed from Boletaria. There were no ruins and demons, but lush forests, bright sun, and the blue sea in the distance.

Ostrava, can you see what I am seeing?

-XXXXXX-

"Listen here you damn dragon, you better not… AAAHHH!" I did not finish as the dragon dived towards the city below.

I saw small dots moving through the streets, probably the population panicking upon seeing a dragon approaching.

A low close to the streets followed the dive. Suddenly, I felt the grip of the dragon's paw loose.

"Don't even think about it, you bastard!" I screamed, but it did not hear me or ignore me.

The dragon released me when I stood a few centimeters from the ground. I flew for a few seconds due to the great speed we moved, but hit the ground soon after and bounced down the street until…

CRASH!

Until I destroyed the wall of a building.

Standing up and out of the hole, I saw the dragon turning around in the air and flying higher.

"HAHAHA, until we meet again, human!" The dragon laughed and flew away.

"I will peel off all your scales the next time we meet!" I shouted back, making the dragon laugh harder.

Turning around, I entered the building through the hole I had made, and analyzing my surroundings, I found myself in a tavern. A door stood beside the hole, with circular tables with four chairs around them in both corners of the building, and a counter in front of me.

I noticed a woman on the other side of the counter, looking at me with an open mouth and wide eyes while pouring the drink into a mug held by a surprised man, sitting on a bench while his recipient overflowed.

The other customers did not move from their locations and stared at me without blinking, a group of men had stopped their card game, one of them with his hand outstretched in the air, about to place a new card on top of the pile.

Another man had stopped drinking, the mug out of his mouth and spilling its contents on his lap.

I sat on a wooden bench in front of the counter, creaking with the weight of my gear, clasped both hands on the counter with my thumbs on top of each other, and stared at the woman as she stared back.

She did not have any distinguishing features; brown hair tied in a ponytail, slightly tanned skin with freckles on her cheeks, and wore a typical commoner outfit, a white long-sleeved shirt, a brown skirt, and an apron on top.

"Hello!" I said breaking the silence.

"HELLO?!" The entire tavern screamed and I cringed at its volume.

"What the hell was that?!" The woman yelled pointing at me.

"It was a compliment. Isn't that normal in these lands?" I asked.

"That is not what I meant! A dragon threw you through my wall!" The woman screamed.

"Why did you ask me a question you already know the answer?"

I leaned aside, dodging the bottle thrown towards me, which hit a man trying to leave the tavern.

"Don't give me those funny answers! And you, you are not leaving without paying!" The woman screamed, pointing at the man hit.

"I believe we started with the wrong foot, miss. I am Edric, a knight of Boletaria, and you?"

"Well, at least you have good manners. I am Missa, now can you please explain what happened?" Missa replied, wiping the spilled drink on the counter.

"There is not much to say. I met a dragon, we disagreed, we understood each other, and then the dragon carried me here." I replied calmly.

"As if that were normal! Lady One, and that psychopath, Zero are the only ones in Midgard carried by Dragons" Missa said, serving a new drink to the man beside her.

"Could you tell me more about One and Zero, if is not a problem?" The names caught my attention.

"Do you not know about them?! The Intoners are known throughout all of Midgard! Where did you say you were from?"

"Boletaria."

"Never heard of it, it must be a faraway place for the Intoner's name to mean nothing to you."

"What can I say? I'm lost, I arrived in Midgard by accident and I'm searching for a way to return home, but I need to solve some problems here first."

As dealing with some demons. I thought.

"Well, I will give you some information, for the right price, of course." Missa said rubbing her index and thumb together.

"Very good! How many souls do you want for the information?" I asked preparing to gather some souls I had not used yet.

"HAHAHA! You have a sense of humor! It was a good joke! Seriously, how much do you have?" Missa asked leaning on the counter.

A joke, of course. I am so used to souls as a currency that I forgot that people outside of Boletaria use regular money.

"Unfortunately, I don't have anything at the moment."

"A pity, I cannot give you the information then." Missa replied crossing her arms.

"Do you know any manner someone like me could acquire money around here?"

"Hm... You could try to play some cards with those men." Missa said pointing to a card game happening as piles of coins stood on top of the table.

"You have my thanks." I answered standing up and walking towards the table.

"You're welcome." Missa smiled.

The three men sitting at the table stared at me as I approached.

"What do you want?" One of them demanded rudely.

"You're not here to arrest us, are you?" A second said nervously.

"How can we help you, sir knight?" The last one smiled.

"I would like to play."

The three men looked at each other and then at me.

"Do you have money to bet?" The first one asked.

"No, but I have this." I said removing my Regenerator Ring, an obsidian ring with a large emerald encrusted on it.

The men looked at me surprised.

"And I have more of those." I showed all my ringed fingers.

"Please sit down!" The third one exclaimed happily.

"Here are your cards!" The second one handed me seven cards as I sat down.

"Do you know the rules?" The first asked as I collected my cards and spread them out in my hand.

"No, I've never played cards in my life." I replied looking at my cards while the three men grinned from ear to ear.

"Allow me to explain the rules, sir knight." The third man said.

-XXXXXX-

"How is this possible?!" The first man screamed.

"My wife will kill me!" The second man cried.

"Good game, good game!" The third man said sadly.

I picked up the mountain of coins in front of me and put them in my bag.

"How did you do it? You have not lost a single time! You must be cheating." The first one shouted.

"I didn't cheat, I'm just lucky." I replied returning to the counter, sitting in front of Missa, and placing two silver coins on the counter

"A beer and information please." I joked while Missa smiled and collected the coins.

"I will bring you beer right away!"

Missa returned with a mug of beer a few seconds later I held the mug and brought it closer to my helmet, then sipped it while Missa stared dumbfounded.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." She answered.

"And the information you promised?"

"The information, of course! What would you like to know?"

"Tell me about the history of Midgard, but mostly about the Intoners."

"Of course, but first of all... Hey, play some music!" Missa shouted to a bard inside the tavern, who nodded and played his lute.

"Long ago, humans ruled Midgard, but one night, a great earthquake occurred, an earthquake so devastating that it became known as The Great Cataclysm, and with it, came a mysterious city known as Cathedral City."

The city where I fought the demons.

"Several creatures that only existed in stories came with this city, elves, fairies, Minotaur, centaurs, golems, and dragons, but above all else, magic."

Therefore, magic came with this city and the people of Midgard did not have magic before the Great Cataclysm.

This is strange; magic has always existed in Boletaria and neighboring kingdoms, despite being frowned upon by the church. Latria serves as an example.

The trouble started when King Allant went to the Nexus for the soul arts.

"The world went into chaos, but luckily, Midgard was one of the first places to stabilize. Unfortunately, that stabilization came in the form of evil lords who ruled their lands with magic and extreme cruelty."

I noticed that as the story progressed the admiration in Missa's voice grew louder.

"But one day, five goddesses came from the skies, and with the power of song, they defeated the lords and ended the conflicts of Midgard, finally bringing peace. These goddesses became known as the Intoners, but there was a sixth Intoner, the oldest of them all, Intoner Zero, who wishes to kill her sisters and rule Midgard alone."

In other words, six demons somehow escaped the fog, possessed six girls giving them magical powers and superhuman strength, killed the Lords with their magic, and overtook Midgard.

Now these people see them as goddesses and saviors. Would not be the first demon I had met who manipulated his people, The Old Monk to be precise.

"Zero is a ruthless killer, slaughtering everyone in her path, men, women, children, and the elderly, all killed with extreme cruelty. As if that was not enough, she even has a dragon by her side. Recently, Zero attacked Cathedral City, but Lady One and her sisters repelled her."

Unfortunately, the demons are still alive. I could have killed all the demons yesterday if those dragons had not appeared. Next time I will not fail!

"Tell me more about One and her sisters." I asked while drinking again.

"You seem interested in our goddesses. Do you want to enlist in any of their forces?" Missa asked back looking me up and down.

"You can say so." I shrugged.

The only way I would join a demon's army would be to approach the demon and cut its head off when it's least expected.

"You look capable and you already have the equipment of a knight, I have no doubt that you will quickly rise through the ranks in the army. For starters, Midgard is divided into lands and Cathedral City, each Intoner rules a land. Lady One rules Cathedral City; she is the most reclusive of all the Intoners, only appearing when her people need her, she also has the dragon Gabriel by her side, and her army is the most self-sufficient and disciplined in Midgard, rarely needing orders from Lady One to act."

From what I saw during the fight in Cathedral City, One must be the leader of the demons.

"Lady Two rules the Land of Sands, the most inhospitable and difficult land to live in Midgard, where the strongest monsters live. Lady Two is the kindest of all the Intoners, constantly helping her people, whether killing monsters to prepare food for the needy, opening orphanages for children, or protecting merchants crossing the desert. Lady Two's army finds itself unable to keep up with her leader constantly, after all, due to being an Intoner; she reaches the problem and solves it before her men do."

I wonder how true this kindness is. The demon must be earning the trust of its people to put some plan into practice.

"Lady Three rules the Land of Forests, the place where most of the non-human population lives. Lady Three lets the non-humans live in peace and even protects them occasionally. Recently, Lady Three has been seen less and less, most of the time she lets her army solve the problems of her land. There are rumors that several of her men disappeared shortly after being called to Lady Three's quarters."

Poor bastards, never to be seen again, the demon must have collected their souls.

"Lady Four rules the Land of the Mountains, she is a charismatic leader who is always on the front lines commanding her men, seeking justice, saving those downtrodden, and helping people in need, but sometimes she is a little extreme with that justice, as she once wiped out a group of sky pirates without leaving any survivors." Missa smiled nervously.

I believe what you mean is that the demon commits atrocities with the justification that it is for the sake of justice.

"Finally we have Lady Five, one of the most beautiful Intoners and ruler of the Land of the Seas, the hub of Midgard's maritime commerce. Lady Five is also the focus of men and women, all of whom seek to fulfill her desires just to taste the pleasure she can bestow upon them. The men of Five's army are also happy to serve her; after all, they receive a pleasant reward for their services, if you know what I mean." Missa said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Unfortunately, I understood what she meant, and the thought haunted me. Having intercourse with a demon, madness must have consumed these men to perform such an act.

"I thank you for the information, Missa, but I believe I stayed here for long enough. Could you recommend me some inn? I would also like to know if there is any way to acquire money around here other than gambling."

"There is an inn at the end of the street, they don't charge much. About the money, there is an adventurer's guild in the central square of the city. You seem capable, so you can complete some quests for the guild and receive a reward for it."

"Thank you, Missa." I said, bowing politely, but saw Missa outstretching her open hand to me when I got up, which confused me, as I already paid for the information and drink.

"Pay for my wall!" Missa shouted and I looked back, seeing the hole I had made.

"That's right; pardon me for the damage done." I gave Missa a gold coin and left the tavern, hearing Missa speak on the way.

"Thanks for everything and come back again!" Missa said waving at me from behind the counter.

-XXXXXX-

I noticed that several people looked at me curiously while stepping out of my way as I walked through the streets.

"Mom, look, he's so cool!" A boy yelled pointing at me as his mother pulled him away frightened.

I believe that a fully armed knight walking the streets is anything but ordinary. Then I explored the city a little before heading to the inn.

The buildings were made of stone or wood, sometimes a mixture of the two. A river ran through the middle of the city with stone bridges over it, and an occasional carriage passed through the tiled streets.

I entered the market street; wooden stalls with tarps on top were on both sides as merchants announced their products and prices and several people talked and haggled.

There were merchants selling clothes, jewelry, food, perfumes, spices, and more.

I heard some of the merchants as I passed by their stalls.

"Come one, everybody! Come check out my great collection of magic items, rings that grant you protection from disease, books containing ancient spells, potions that can heal any wound, and more!"

I realized that all the items were false with one look, as I did not feel any magic coming from them.

"Behold the strongest spear and strongest shield! All my weapons are of the best quality in the world!"

As if! The person who buys these weapons will be safer fighting empty-handed. I never saw a sword of such low quality.

"Alms, alms, please, any amount helps. Please, help this poor man." A beggar in a corner of the street spoke. He wore a bandage over his eyes, probably blind, as he shook a metal bowl with some coins in it.

The beggar grabbed a well-dressed man's leg by accident; the man looked at the beggar with disgust and kicked him away.

"Don't touch me with those dirty hands!" The well-dressed man shouted.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The beggar said, trying to stand up while a mob surrounded them, watching the situation.

I breathed deeply, no matter where I go, there are always those considered unwanted. At least it is not as bad as Defilement Valley. I walked towards the well-dressed man, pushing the mob away, and touched his shoulder.

"What do you want?!" The man demanded turning around.

I punched his face, breaking his nose as teeth flew out of his mouth, and sending him flying towards a wall while the mob around us ran away.

"What's happening?!" The beggar asked while I grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him up.

"Let me help." I held my God Talisman and cast Recovery, a powerful healing miracle.

"What… What are you doing?" The beggar asked as his wounds healed.

He looked less malnourished and his skin took on a healthier tone. Then I held his hand and put some silver coins in it.

"Here, you can have it, just be careful next time." I replied, leaving the markets soon after.

-XXXXXX-

Confusion overtook the beggar, a man helping him and giving him so much money seemed too good to be true, as society considered him a nuisance. However, the weight of the coins in his hand proved otherwise.

Nevertheless, there was something else, the beggar felt better, his weakness had diminished, his teeth that had fallen out were back in place, his wounds had healed, and his eyes bothered him a little.

Was that light passing through my blindfold? The beggar asked himself.

With trembling hands, he removed the bandage from his eyes, and for the first time in years, the beggar saw again.

He was not always blind, but his sight began to disappear one day. He lost his job and could not take care of his family due to this; bringing him to the current situation.

"Where did he go?" The beggar asked the people on the street, but no one answered due to the miracle happening before their eyes.

"Where did he go?!" The beggar asked louder but received no answer.

The knight was long gone, even so, the beggar smiled with tears streaming from his eyes.

"I can see!" The beggar screamed as he ran through the city streets with the coins in his pocket. He ran until he reached a ramshackle house, opening the door, and almost knocking it off its hinges, the beggar approached a woman.

"Honey, what happened?!" The woman asked surprised.

"I can see!" The beggar said, hugging his wife.

"What? This… This is…" She stammered disbelieving at what happened.

"This is a miracle!" The beggar completed.

"Daddy?" A little girl asked hesitantly as she approached her parents.

"I can see, honey!" The beggar replied to his daughter.

The little girl widened her eyes in surprise, then she ran towards her parents and hugged them, a miracle had happened to this family.

-XXXXXX-

I hope that man stays safe. Strangely, I had the feeling that my previous action would have consequences. It must be just a feeling.

I approached the city square, a circular area with a large statue in the center, of the five demons that rule these lands. I saw a metal plate with something written on it as I approached the statue.

"This statue was made in honor of our savior goddesses who brought peace and freed us from the tyranny of the Feudal Lords."

I opened and closed my hand tightly; these demons will not manipulate these people for long, not if I can stop them.

A large wooden three-story building stood on the other side of the square. Upon entering the building, I found myself in a large luxurious hall with polished floors to the point where I saw my reflection, high-class tables, and chairs, and lit golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

There was a wooden counter with women wearing uniforms behind it on the other side of the room. I heard the people sitting at the tables whispering something when I passed by them.

"Who is this guy?" A man wearing expensive armor, probably a nobleman's son who bought the best equipment money could buy, whispered with disdain.

"He is probably some newbie." A muscular, poorly dressed woman with a large ax spoke.

"Poor fellow, he doesn't know what he's getting himself into." A man wearing brown robes and carrying a staff said.

Ignore them Edric, and focus on what you came here to do. I stopped in front of the counter, but the woman on the other side had not noticed me yet, as she focused on the documents in front of her.

There was a small metallic object with a button on top resting beside her. I pressed the button and a noise echoed through the room.

DING!

This caught the woman's attention; she looked up and smiled at me.

"Hello, welcome to the Midgard Adventurers Guild, my name is Reha. How can I help you?"

Why do I have the impression she repeated that phrase several times?

Reha was a woman with blond hair, fair skin, and green eyes, her uniform consisted of a white long-sleeved shirt with a black vest over it.

"Greetings Miss Reha, I am Edric. A friend told me that this is a good place to acquire money."

"Hm… At least you came prepared. You need to fill in these documents first if you wish to join the guild." Reha said looking me up and down and handing me a pile of documents.

When looked at one of the papers, I realized I could not understand what was on it, and Reha noticed my confusion.

"Is there a problem?" Reha asked.

"I can't read this, I'm outlander and my language differs from Midgard's own. Can you read it to me?"

Reha breathed deeply and smiled forcefully before replying.

"Of course I can! This is part of my job as a guild employee, so let's begin!" Reha took a quill, dipped it in a pot of ink, and prepared one of the papers.

"Name?" Reha asked.

This will be a long day.

-XXXXXX-

Finally, I finished giving Reha the information and she handed me a metal plate at the end.

"Welcome to the guild, Edric! The guild works with an adventurer ranking and quests. The rankings are E, D, C, B, A, and S for both adventurers and quests. Adventurers can only perform quests equal to their rankings, each quest has a reward, and then, after a certain number of successful missions, your rank will increase. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Great, you can get the quests from the wall aside." Reha pointed to a wooden mural with several papers stuck on it.

I approached the mural and picked up a random paper, but I could not understand anything written on it.

"I choose this quest." I said showing her the paper.

"Edric, this is an S Rank quest." Reha replied nervously.

"Seriously, what is written there?"

"Adventurer needed as a bodyguard at my party."

Signed Intoner Five

"So, you mean Intoners deliver quests to adventurers?"

"Yes, as strong as our goddesses are, they cannot be everywhere simultaneously, because of that, they send quests to the guild."

"If I become S-ranked, can I do missions for the Intoners?"

"Yes."

"And when will this party happen?"

"The party will happen in a month."

Therefore, I have a month to become S Rank. When I reach this rank, I will approach the demons and kill them when they least expect it.

"Reha, I want all available E-rank missions now!"

"Edric I..."

I slammed both on the counter and glared at Reha.

"Here it is!" She handed me a stack of papers as she sweated nervously.

"Thank you very much!" I put the papers in my bag and left the guild. I will find a way to know what is on the papers.

-XXXXXX-

It was already night and I stayed at the inn Missa recommended. They did not charge much, but they were surprised to have a knight sleeping there.

I sat on a chair by the window with the moonlight illuminating the night. One month, I have a month to get an opportunity to kill one of the demons.

This time I will not fail. I thought as I sharpened my sword on a whetstone.

END OF CHAPTER