Ch. 71..80

Chapter 71

Ignoring the hysterical prisoner, Chraat focused on finding his invisible opponent. "Show yourself! You’ll regret your useless hiding!"

Jack crept back out of Byron’s cell, evaluating the situation and formulating his next move. Seeing that the neurotoxin has started to take effect, he wasn’t in a rush.

Chraat, on the other hand, felt the opposite. He could tell that whatever toxin was now in his bloodstream was quite potent. His high level helped him prolong the effects, but Chraat could feel that it was only a matter of time until the toxin affected more than just a leg.

Forcing himself to act, Chraat struggled to his feet. "Fine, hide all you want. Let’s see what you do when I have my way with her."

Slivia’s fingers dug into the wooden slats when she saw the troll limping towards her, sniffing in every direction while he did so. She understood that she was the bait to draw Jack out of hiding.

A mix of emotions washed over Jack. There was rage from Chraat’s threat on Slivia, lack of confidence from rushing an overpowering enemy, depression from the thought of what might happen to Slivia, and more that clouded Jack’s mind further.

"Just wait till I’m out of here! I’ll teach you to not threaten a Balt!" Byron threatened after finishing the first potion.

Unfazed by Byron’s meaningless threats, Chraat continued towards Slivia with full focus on his surroundings. Any change in his immediate surroundings would noticeable to him, cutting off the chances of another easy sneak attack.

Slivia hurried to the back of her cell as the troll captain neared the cell door.

Chraat could open the door and reach in, but why waste time crawling when he could easily smash the bars and reach in to grab her? Before, he only crawled to get a good look at Byron, like he was staring at a toy before playing with it for the first time.

With a possible threat at every step, however, Chraat was cautious and careful despite his arrogance. He proved that when he simple grabbed at Slivia’s cell door and yanked it off its hinges instead of giving another show of strength.

Jack had no more time to think. Lunging forward at the same moment Chraat yanked the door off its hinges, Jack swung his sword at the troll’s other calf. It cut skin but not as deeply as the previous attack. Also, the neurotoxin was practically gone from the first attack.

A large hand swung around and reached for the now-visible Jack. Instead of dodging, Jack managed to shove the vial that previously held the neurotoxin into the troll’s cut calf, shattering it inside the troll’s flesh.

"I’ve got you!" yelled the troll in fury as he felt something splinter inside his calf. Ignoring the pain and the poison, Chraat pulled Jack in close to his face. "So, you’re actually a weakling afraid to fight me? How disappointing, but I’ll give you credit for making it this far undetected. With your potential, you would’ve been a powerful foe in the future. "

"Why wait so long? Why not be a threat now?" taunted Jack, giving his best effort to not show fear and stall for time. He tried to wriggle himself free, but both of his arms were held within the clutches of Chraat’s hand.

"You’re a strange one, boy. Your name’s Jack wasn’t it?" commented Chraat as he glanced at the trembling Slivia. "Maybe I should torture you in front of her, breaking you bone by bone until you’re nothing but a pile of flesh?"

"No..." mumbled Slivia from inside her cell.

"Or maybe I should eat you instead? I’d treat myself to your arms first, followed by your legs."

"No!" Slivia yelled as she tensed up from the thought of seeing Jack in such a state.

"Oh? Then what do you propose I do with him?" Chraat smiled devilishly at Slivia, waiting for a reply.

Slivia mustered up all her courage and said, "Let him go!"

"Why would I do that? There’s nothing in it for me? You’ll have to try harder to convince me," said Chraat, implying that Slivia needed to try something else to persuade him.

"Let him go," replied Slivia as she dropped the coat to the floor, revealing herself willingly. "Let him go and I’ll... I’ll do whatever you want."

"Now that’s more like it!" laughed Chraat.

Hating himself for letting Slivia act this way for his sake, Jack retrieved a small knife from his storage. Jack quickly jabbed it into the troll’s wrist and attempted to twist it in Chraat’s meaty flesh.

Chraat looked back to Jack and chuckled, "That tickles. Don’t you know when you’re beaten? Your former party member has even offered herself to me in your place, you should just be grateful and accept this."

Just then, Chraat felt something familiar. His wrist grew limp and numb as Jack fell from his grasp and disappeared as he fell to the floor.

"You cowardly rat!" Chraat went into a rage as he threw both of his arms about in a hissy fit.

Jack had already rolled away and was doing his best to keep his breath silent. He went over the few options left in his head.

There was the option of activating his companion bloodline skill, but it would probably only prolong his defeat and he would instantly pass out afterward. He could try and contact the others, but they were busy based on the messages he had heard.

Deciding that it was best to stall for time, Jack hurried to the end of the hall, near the stairway. He didn’t bother stepping lightly, so the troll captain was easily able to hear footsteps retreating.

Jack then appeared with a sword in hand and yelled, "Here I am! Come and get me!"

Chraat smiled and replied, "Nah, you’ll just go invisible by the time I reach you. I’d rather enjoy this offering in front of me." The troll began to reach into the open cell with a perverse smile.

Not waiting for another second, Jack switched his sword for a bow and launched an arrow into the troll’s palm. "I’ll say it again. I’m over here, so come and get me. Or was Byron right about Chraat being the most cowardly troll?’

Angered by the arrow sticking out of his hand and the further slandering of his name, Chraat grabbed one of the heavy cross beams like a club. "Since you wish to forfeit your life despite her offer, I’ll be happy to oblige!"

Chraat rushed forward, being extremely agile for his size and forcibly working his muscles through the neurotoxin. His large body moved like a wall wanting to fall upon Jack and smash his flesh into paste.

Jack launched as many arrows as he possibly could, trying his best to slow and wound the unstoppable troll. When the arrows were mostly blocked by Chraat wielding the wooden beam, Jack stored his bow before his body began to glow red.

A heatwave swept over the dungeon, waking up every prisoner that was still alive and startling Byron and Chraat. In an instant, Jack’s form physically changed from flesh and bone into a living flame the same size as the charging troll. A rapier appeared in Jack’s hand, with a hilt designed to look intricately like a feather.

Instinct took over as the Jack met Chraat full force, stabbing forward with his red-hot rapier.

Chraat stutter-stepped as he parried with his club. He heard the wood sizzle on contact as if Jack’s sword was a bladed branding iron. With some caution, Chraat recovered the initiative to attack with brute force.

Slivia was astounded by Jack’s strength since the last time she asked he was only lv. 9. She understood that Chraat was weakened by what she assumed was the neurotoxin and had a basic weapon, however, Slivia still had to recognize that Jack had surpassed her.

Wanting to do something to help, she stepped out of the open cell and began to cast mana restoring spells on Jack.

If Jack was completely aware of his surroundings, he would thank her. Yet, he only recognized the threat in front of him and wildly attacked the handicapped troll captain.

Startled at the obvious growth in Jack’s strength and his sudden production of a flame body, Chraat was furious that he had underestimated Jack.

He was confident in his strength and never really treated Jack like a threat after feeling how weak Jack struggled in his large hands. But the Jack in front of him now was like the fire elementals in legends that would attack anything in the vicinity.

Wanting to take Jack seriously, Chraat’s necklace activated as he cocked back and retrieved a sword with a deep green blade from his storage space. "Just die already!"

As Chraat tried to swing the blade forward to slaughter his fiery opponent, he felt something holding it back. The troll glanced back in shock.

Blocking the green blade was a katana with a blood-red hilt. Holding that katana firmly in place was Byron. He quickly deflected the attack and slit Chraat’s unguarded wrist, the same that was previously stabbed by Jack.

With the tendons severed, the wrist went limp and released the sword, which Byron excitedly grabbed.

"I’ll be taking this back!"

 

Chapter 72

Chraat stared at Byron, dumbfounded by his sudden interference. Also, He could feel that Byron’s strength had returned to him. "What are you doing!? How did you escape?"

"You’ll have to thank my new friend," laughed Byron while he pointed and the still rampaging fiery fiend.

"But-but that’s impossible!" yelled Chraat as he forcibly pushed Jack back. The troll captain was on edge, no longer confident he could win.

If he were at full strength, he wouldn’t be too worried, but Jack’s tactics and attacks were too strange for him to anticipate and he underestimated him. Now that he knew Jack was stalling the whole fight, Chraat cursed himself for his own arrogance.

"Brat, I’ve toyed with you long enough!" Chraat charged toward Jack as he dropped his improvised club and retrieved his true club mid-swing.

Jack in his wild state tried to meet the troll blow for blow, despite the level gap. His temporary lv. 21 strength proved resilient but matching Chraat’s blows with a true lv. 30 weapon wasn’t something Jack could shrug off.

The red-hot lv. 20 rapier bent upon impact, unable to match the force of the lv. 30 club. In his crazed state of mind, Jack had forgotten it was a featherweight rapier he was wielding and not a heavy blade that could take hits.

Flung back into the staircase, Jack was momentarily airborne, yet his gaze remained fixed on the troll.

The troll captain attempted to charge Jack again but was quickly cut off by Byron wielding the green saber. "Where are you going? I haven’t shown you what I learned from all those lessons you taught me down here. Now, I can finally share some of my insights, so try and keep up with me."

Chraat flinched when Byron parried his club’s full power swing. This proved to Chraat that the poison was taking effect and fighting like this would only speed it up. He knew that this fight needed to end quickly.

"What’s wrong? Scared speechless? I may only be lv. 31, but you’re nowhere near your peak lv. 36 condition. I wonder who will walk away from this?" taunted Byron.

Before Chraat could respond, Byron disappeared. His heightened senses quickly caught wind of an attack coming from his right, the same side which could no longer wield a weapon. "Coward! Only fighting me when I’m weakened. You don’t deserve to be called a warrior."

Byron paid Chraat’s comments no mind as his saber swung towards the troll’s arm with incredible speed.

This saber was very unique and was an heirloom of the Balt family. It was always gifted to the heir of the clan after they reached lv. 30, as a testament to their strength and potential.

The reason it was valuable was partially from the material it was made from. No one in the clan knew what material it was, they only knew it was most likely from ancient times.

It was specially crafted and designed as well, carrying a weighted tip at the curved end. This made it a little awkward to wield, but if it was mastered then the wielder would be able to easily decapitate a man or sever limbs.

This was why Chraat claimed it for himself and why Byron was ecstatic to get it back thanks to Jack’s distraction and aid.

Unable to grab anything to defend himself, Chraat clenched his face muscles in anticipation of the impact and readied his counterattack.

Just when Chraat was ready to receive the blow, a flash of heat washed over him, setting off a mental alarm.

The troll had no way to dodge the incoming flame body as one of his arms was braced for impact and the other was mid-swing towards Byron.

Jack tackled Chraat, pushing him into the dungeon floor with a crash.

Byron was more aware of the situation then Chraat, so he held back from striking in hopes to instead attack the downed troll. Instead, as Byron turned to swing at Chraat stretched across the floor, his side was smashed by a fiery arm that pushed him onto the floor as well.

In Jack’s current state of mind, he wasn’t paying attention to the fight between Byron and Chraat, not differentiating between friend and foe. All Jack saw was someone who harmed him previously and someone that appeared to be getting in his way.

Both the troll captain and the Balt Guild heir were puzzled by Jack’s actions. It was one thing to intervene and try to face Chraat, it was another to act indiscriminately.

"Jack, what are you doing!?" yelled Byron.

The flame body faced Byron and pounced towards him. Eager to kill his prey and claim victory, the Hell-flame Fox instincts had taken over.

Byron got to his feet and vanished with no time to spare, narrowly dodging the flame body’s tackle.

Still without clothes or armor, Byron was fighting while stark nude so the skin at his side was singed and burned by the intense hell-like flames that made up Jack’s body.

Chraat wasn’t faring any better. Thanks to Jack’s tackle the troll captain had lost a lot of skin and was covered in burns across his left arm and torso.

While Chraat struggled to push himself up with his numb muscles and handicapped right hand, Byron appeared in front of the troll. His green saber was already in mid-swing, aiming for the left elbow as Chraat was propped up on his one good arm.

Fear filled Chraat as he realized what was happening. Forced to retaliate, Chraat propped himself up with his crippled right arm and lifted his club to block.

The block was successful, but the mix of Chraat’s heavy bodyweight and the weight of Byron’s attack was too much. A splintering sound echoed through the dungeon, followed by Chraat’s pained groans and shouts.

Byron attacked again, this time disappearing and reappearing on Chraat’s right side.

When he noticed the bones protruding from Chraat’s crippled wrist, Byron smiled. Byron’s saber aimed at Chraat’s right shoulder as the troll was toppling over his weakened arm.

Just as the blade approached the troll, Byron felt a familiar flash of heat.

Not wanting to harm Jack, Byron vanished again. After happening twice Byron was certain that Jack had no clue who was a friend and who was a foe.

Chraat, who was wincing in pain and was still struggling to get up, failed to notice the raging Jack until Byron disappeared.

As Jack dove and missed Byron, he made a direct hit against Chraat’s right side. With that Chraat’s entire upper body was covered in burns.

The worst part was that the searing flames that Jack was producing made contact with Chraat’s exposed bone and flesh. Pain shot through the troll’s right arm like it was struck by lightning. "AAAAGGGHHH!"

Jack grabbed hold of Chraat, forcing them both into a death roll. The insane heat of the flame body was roasting Chraat alive while Jack’s mouth was ripping at Chraat’s shoulders and chest.

Byron remained completely still in hopes to keep Jack from attacking him further. Plus, he wouldn’t dare to attack the two while they were in a flaming death roll. The difficulty of only hitting the troll was beyond what he felt comfortable trying.

"You... You!" Chraat was losing his sanity to the unimaginable pain he felt. He released his club and grabbed Jack by the throat. "Die! Just die!"

Jack’s instincts kicked in once again, recognizing that the troll was easily superior in terms of strength. So, in retaliation to hand around his neck, Jack released the troll’s shoulder and latched onto Chraat’s neck instead.

An extremely furious grunt escaped Chraat’s mouth. He wanted to physically rip Jack from his flesh, sacrificing his right shoulder in exchange for Jack’s life.

However, Jack’s hold on the troll’s neck made it impossible for Chraat to do so without suffering a possible mortal injury.

Switching strategies, Chraat let go of Jack’s neck and clenched his fist. He punched the fox with everything he had, desperate to get this flaming demon off him.

Jack’s strength wasn’t enough to threaten Chraat’s life, and the troll understood that. But he also understood that Jack’s flame body alone was causing him crippling damage that couldn’t be recovered without serious medical attention and a ridiculous amount of time to recover. Especially because every wound Jack created was instantly cauterized and scarred Chraat’s body.

If it weren’t for the difference in raw strength, Chraat learned that he would have lost his life to the low-level Jack.

The troll’s punch landed on Jack’s throat forcing him to release his Jaw.

Immediately taking advantage of this, Chraat grabbed Jack’s neck again and threw the fiery threat as far away as he possibly could.

Jack slammed into a nearby empty cell, crashing through the wooden bars and setting them on fire.

A painful whine came from the rubble. Byron and Chraat stared intently at the flaming pile of debris, waiting for Jack to spring out full force.

They were both glad to see the flaming Jack crawl out weakly, give another pained whine, and pass out.

Chapter 73

A sigh of relief left Chraat’s twitching lips. The level of threat Jack showed was unprecedented and it truly scared the troll captain.

Not only was Jack a physical threat and his body could be a weapon itself, but his planning was impeccable. He was able to aid Byron in recovering while stealthily stalling for time against a foe that was far stronger than himself.

Chraat couldn’t help but shake his head at his terrible luck to meet such a foe without prior knowledge.

"Are you done saying your last prayers?"

The voice of his executioner brought Chraat back to reality. He was still laying on the floor, chest up and almost unrecognizable due to the bodily damage Jack’s unimaginably hot flames caused.

"At least tell me this, who and what is he?" pled Chraat.

The troll admitted defeat, certain that there was no hope for his victory. Thanks to his tussle with Jack, he was too weak and physically handicapped to act further. Even his one good limb was no longer usable. He had grabbed Jack’s neck tightly not once but twice, causing his left hand to receive the worst burns of all.

"I’ll be honest," said Byron as he lifted his saber. "I have no clue myself."

With a flash of green light, the blade easily cut through Chraat’s chewed-up neck, silencing him forever.

Byron fell to the ground, sitting upon the dungeon floor. The cold stone felt surreal in contrast to the warmth that lingered in his body, mainly from the heat the Jack put off.

Slivia ran out towards Jack who was sprawled across the stone floor, naked and unconscious.

"He’s probably fine. I’d guess it’s MP exhaustion from that insane stunt he pulled," said Byron.

"You’re probably right," responded Slivia with a shy, blushed expression. She didn’t dare look at Byron, too embarrassed to see him without any cover.

Byron laughed, "Your one lucky girl, to have a man like that."

Slivia’s face instantly turned bright red. "He’s-he’s not my man. He’s a friend, from my new party."

"Oh? That’s it?" asked Byron. "Don’t tell me you have no feelings for him, not after what he just went through."

She was silent, only become a deeper shade of red as more blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Well, am I wrong?"

"N-no..." Slivia quietly muttered as she examined Jack’s body carefully.

Looking at him, she was baffled. There were no visible signs of bruises or damages on his skin. As a cleric, she prided herself in diagnosing her companion’s injuries, but she could find any issues.

To double-check, she began casting a basic healing spell regardless. When she did, her eye went wide in shock.

"What? What is it?" Byron noticed her shocked expression and got the feeling that something was off.

"This... I’ve never felt something like this before," explained Slivia. "Looking at him, I would give him a clean bill of health. But while using magic, I can get a small feel for how they are feeling internally."

"Really?"

"Mhm, I can feel the magic channel across their bodies and begin the healing process. From what I can feel I know he’s hurt internally, but his body is only channeling a portion of the magic. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of something like this," stated Slivia, who was still staring at Jack’s uncovered body.

"That’s..." Byron didn’t know what to say. Like Slivia, he had never heard of such a rare occurrence. He assumed it might have something to do with Jack’s ability to transform but he had no way to verify that.

*****

Out on the battlefield, the samurai were still fighting for their lives.

Brunar and Troni were near complete exhaustion. They had held off well, but the reinforcements were drugged and were able to fight with their full strength. This pushed them further than they were able, leaving them only able to defend and prolong the inevitable.

Both of them had many serious cuts and injuries, tempting them to try another potion. However, they both knew that they most likely wouldn’t be able to maintain consciousness after the pain from another potion.

Maynard still on the defense against the captain and the fat troll. Occasionally he’d get a strike in and deal some damage, but not enough to turn the tide of the battle or make up for the injuries he was accumulating.

Numerous times he had tried to contact Rydel or Jack, wanting an update on the situation and back up.

Sadly, no response ever came from either of the two. Maynard instead felt like the connection they had had for the past few days was severed.

There was this sinking feeling that he was alone with his disciples, waiting for the slaughter. When he thought about that, Maynard couldn’t help but sigh in disbelief that this could be their end.

"Keep it up! Stall for as long as ya can!" Maynard tried to encourage his disciples. "Hold out for a while longer, things will turn around soon enough."

"Yes, Master!" yelled Brunar, more determined than ever. His true colors were magnified under the pressure, proving that he’s a man that welcomes any challenge no matter the difficulty.

"Yes," said Troni, panting and out of breath. Unlike his counterpart, Troni had very little hope left. His movements were getting sluggish and extremely predictable. Troni would be the first to go if help didn’t arrive soon

Thanks to the goblin and troll tag team, Maynard was unable to help his disciples and he hated that feeling

Currently, Maynard was in the middle of his two opponents and at the mercy of their attacks. That’s when he noticed a shift in the goblin’s gaze that confused the ronin.

The goblin captain suddenly lunged forward at Maynard, going in for close combat.

Stunned by the goblin’s change in plans, Maynard was forced to take another defensive stance and wait for the troll to follow with an attack.

But the goblin’s attack never came. The goblin continued to lunge forward, effectively passing Maynard and charging the troll.

Laughing, the troll was glad to offer an indiscriminate follow-up attack. It would be even happier if it could hit two birds with one stone.

However, as it swung its heavy club forward and targeted Maynard, it noticed that the goblin didn’t stop and attack. Seeing the goblin duck under its club and drive a blade into its chest, the troll shouted in pain and rage.

"What you doing!?"

Smiling the goblin hurriedly removed its shortsword and slashed across the troll’s chest, from the shoulder down.

Maynard followed along and le both of his katana glow blood red before diving into the troll headfirst and releasing a bloody cross.

Blood oozed out from the trolls cuts and the corner of its mouth. It was confused and didn’t quite understand what was happening.

Before the troll could counter, it had already received a deadly blow from Maynard and was then quickly finished off while yelling in misery.

As the goblin captain removed its shortsword, Maynard raised his blades through force of will, ready to lay it all on the line.

When the goblin saw this, it chuckled. Retrieving a contact crystal, the captain began to speak in goblin.

Maynard was awkwardly standing there in a guarded stance in front of the casual goblin.

Taking a moment to reassess the situation, the ronin peeked at the other side of the battlefield. He was dazed to see that the remaining goblins not only stopped fighting, but the gathered into a group and no longer gave off any sense of threat.

"Umm, Master, what’s going on?" asked Brunar.

"I... I have no clue."

"But they’re not fighting us anymore; what did the other do exactly?" Troni let himself collapse on the floor, speaking his thoughts softly.

Maynard tried using telepathy again but to no avail. Instead, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around to see the goblin captain extending its contact crystal, motioning for Maynard to take it.

Hesitant to follow along, it took Maynard a few seconds to willingly take the crystal in his hand. As soon as he touched it, he became really confused.

"Hey, are you still alive?"

The familiar voice rang out in Maynard’s mind. "Ya sly hunter, what did ya do this time?"

"I’ve been busy talking matters over with the queen. She was surprisingly reasonable," answered Rydel. "Oh, and you’re welcome for the help."

"Why didn’t ya answer any of my calls?"

"I didn’t get any, but you didn’t answer mine either so we’re even," replied Rydel.

Baffled by the weird situation and the strange circumstances, Maynard remembered something very important to the plan. "Hey, what happened to the kid?"

"I’m not sure. Last time I talked with him he was headed for the..."

"Hey, what happened? I lost ya for a second there," stated Maynard.

"Call me on your own crystal, I’ve got to hurry to the dungeon!" yelled Rydel.

"The dungeon? What’s down there?" asked Maynard.

"The boss troll, that’s who!"

When the connection cut off, Maynard instantly dashed into the city gate.

 

Chapter 74

Rydel hurriedly tossed the queen her contact crystal and pulled out his own. While rushing out of the main hall Rydel yelled, "You better hope he’s okay. If not, then I don’t know what I can promise you."

Concerned for herself and her city, the goblin queen followed Rydel through the hallways.

Crossing paths with any guards brought no problems as the queen sent out commands from her contact crystal. The guards were very confused when they saw the queen working together with a human, but no one dared question her as they were distracted by her beauty.

It wasn’t long before they reached the dungeon stairs and ran down the steps. They were amazed and astonished at what they found.

Peacefully lying across the floor was the headless corpse of Chraat, as if he had willingly given up his life. Currently, the body was being looted by a naked man holding a unique green saber who was extremely relaxed.

A couple of meters away they saw a blonde woman kneeling on the cold stone floor with nothing but an old black cloak to cover herself. On her lap lay the head a young adult man whose only covering was the end of the girls cloak that she wrapped over him.

When Rydel saw the troll corpse he let out a sigh of relief from reflex, but he quickly sucked it back in when he saw the concerned look on Slivia’s face.

"What happened?" asked Rydel. He was quickly walking toward the cleric girl he hadn’t seen since she was kidnapped. There was a gentleness in his voice, trying to keep her calm while she brought up some possibly emotional events.

"Jack’s an idiot..." answered Slivia, twirling his hair in her fingers.

Confused by the young girl’s statement, Rydel waited for a moment until Slivia finally continued speaking. "He acted like facing the troll was no big deal, like he would do it easily, yet here he is. He’s stupid sometimes... but I’m glad he came."

Slivia finally looked up as she explained, "Jack appeared in the dungeon and gave me back my cloak before he hid from the troll. When the troll mentioned fleeing the city and taking me with him, that man spoke up and started insulting the troll, calling him a coward and distracting the jailer." Her voice trailed off after that, showing that she wasn’t in the mood to say more.

Rydel looked over at the man patting down the troll corpse. "Are you Byron Balt?"

"Yup, and you’re with him, right?" replied Byron, pointing to the unconscious Jack. "I’ve got to thank you for making it this far. Every other party was captured or killed, so I’m sure my father will reward you handsomely for this."

"We’ll speak to Jard later. For now, just tell us what happened."

Byron glanced at the goblin queen beside Rydel and chuckled before he spoke. "That kid showed up in search of survivors, so we chatted briefly. As soon as I mentioned where to find that beautiful blonde, he took off without listening to another word."

"Once ugly here showed up, the kid went into hiding somehow. I knew he was looking for an opening of some kind, so I gave him one. I called the troll a coward until he destroyed my cell in a rage and gave the kid a chance to attack." Byron only mentioned the highlights to keep from feeling longwinded.

"The kid was using poisoned blades to slow the troll and stall. In the meantime, I was drinking the potions and elixirs the kid gave me. After I was back in action, I took back my sword from this pestro and decapitated him."

"That’s it?" asked Rydel. "How in Halmut’s beard did the kid stall for you?"

"That’s..." Byron shook his head in astonishment. "That kid wasn’t nearly as strong as I thought, but he had quite the trump card."

Rydel also shook his head, but in disappointment that Jack had to go through the toughest opponent of them all. "Well, that explains why he’s naked. Here, you can have this."

A bundle of clothes was thrown to Byron, who caught it easily. "Thank you, hunter."

The queen in her silence was filled with shock by how Chraat had been killed. She examined her surroundings carefully and was glad that the boy she heard so much about was still alive. Out of curiosity, she asked, "This is the boy you mentioned, right? Do you know what level he is?"

"Before he entered the city, he was only lv. 14. Now, he’s already lv. 18."

When Rydel mentioned Jack’s exact levels, all three people present were blown away. Each of the three had a certain understanding of Jack, but each of their understandings was shattered when they realized the gap in strength between Jack and the troll captain.

"lv. 18..." Slivia silently repeated Jack’s current level to herself, like a mantra for motivation.

"But... how could a lv. 18 face him!?" shouted the goblin queen. "Chraat, who died thanks to that boy, was lv. 36."

That information reaching Rydel’s ears was like a bombshell going off in his brain. Rydel blinked and looked back at the unconscious hero, filled with admiration. "You’re right Slivia, he’s an idiot."

If Jack had mentioned that he was facing a troll captain, then Rydel would’ve brought the queen with him to fight the thing together. Jack was too valuable to die, and Jack understood that he could’ve convinced Rydel to join the fight.

The fact that Jack somehow got this to work was a miracle. Rydel wanted nothing more than for Jack to wake up so he could knock some sense into him.

"What exactly is that kid?" asked Byron. "He’s too intelligent for that new of an adventurer. And if he leveled up that fast, that could only mean he leveled up even faster previously, right?"

"Right," admitted Rydel. "Believe it or not, he’s a summoned hero that joined the association instead of the Royal Court due to certain circumstances. As for that ability you witnessed, that’s Jack’s ultimate trump card. It stems from his beast companion, a Hell-flame Fox."

"A Hell-flame Fox!? As a beast companion!?" Byron was shocked to his very core.

"The fox was just rampaging through the city if you find it hard to believe, just ask the queen."

The queen spoke up, taking initiative to speak and not be spoken to. "Yes, that beast stormed through my city, but what does that have anything to do with this boy?"

Rydel glanced at the queen and sighed, "I guess I can tell you since you already know about Bowser. But if any of this leaks out before the association makes a public announcement, you’ll be the first one we target. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," answered the queen.

"Right, where was I?" Rydel continued. "Jack has a mutual seal with the fox, letting him borrow some of its power."

"That explains him turning into a flame elemental the size of the troll," reasoned Byron, who was trying to piece everything together and keep himself calm. "Still, that kid’s insane."

"Yeah, you’re not wrong about that," Rydel confirmed Byron’s statement with a nod before he turned back to Slivia. He noticed that there was still a lot of worry in her eyes and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Slivia refocused herself and answered, "I can’t heal him..."

"What do you mean you can’t heal him?"

"I can’t." Slivia wiped her eyes to keep from water spilling out in a stream of tears. "My healing magic can still enter his body and he looks fine, but I can feel a lot of internal damage inside him. Whenever I try to do anything about that, there’s no effect. I can replenish his mana and health, but those internal injuries are still there."

"Let me have a look," said the queen as she kneeled across from Slivia.

Slivia didn’t know what to think. She had just been captured by this woman and man of her acquaintances were killed or captured by her and her guards. Not to mention everything she let the trolls do to the captives.

"I won’t harm him, don’t worry." The queen gave Slivia a look of gentleness and concern. "As for the trolls, I was powerless to object them, or my people would have faced a dire threat. And your people have killed far more of us goblins than I can count. I think we’re even now."

Nodding at the queen, Slivia pulled her protective hands back and watched the queen carefully.

The queen raised both hands above her chest. Soon, her hands began to emit a soft red glow. She then held her hands just above Jack’s motionless body and passed them over his entire body.

As she reached his head, a look of bewilderment appeared on her face. The queen slowly pulled her hands back and said, "I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do about him."

 

Chapter 75

"Can you at least tell us what’s wrong?" asked Rydel, shocked to hear that even a lv. 34 mage was unable to do anything.

The queen shook her head. "As the girl said, these internal injuries aren’t accepting any form of magical aid. They don’t feel permanent, but perhaps the injuries can only heal naturally?"

Rydel looked back to Byron, a strand of hope remained in his eye. "What exactly happened between the kid and the troll? Do you know what sort of injuries he took?"

"Well, it wasn’t much till the end," explained Byron. "This pestro didn’t take him seriously until the kid went all out. By then, I joined the fray but the kid wasn’t able to tell between friend or foe, so I wasn’t able to do much. In the end, he was hit by that club and launched into the wall, leaving him unconscious."

Glancing at the club on the ground, Rydel hoped it carried some magical property that caused this weird phenomenon. To everyone’s disappointment, it was only a powerful lv. 35 club made from a strange concoction of bone and iron.

The hunter shot a quick question to Byron, "Mind if I take this? It would be for our branch chief."

"Well, I was the one who killed him so it’s technically mine. I could part with it for a price, but..." Byron glanced at the unmoving Jack with a wave of his hand. "I’ll pass it on to that kid. Consider it a gift for my rescue."

"Thanks." Rydel quickly stored it as footsteps were heard from the dungeon steps.

Rushing into the room was a blood-covered and wound ridden samurai in a red and white kimono. He turned his head in every which way to assess his surroundings before he said, "What’s going on? Why did ya stop responding after ya entered the dungeon? Ya could’ve at least said that thing was dead."

Scratching his head, Rydel admitted, "Sorry, I got caught up in the situation. Something’s up with Jack."

"What’s wrong?"

"The kid has internal injuries from facing a lv. 36 head-on and no magic can help," stated Rydel. "He seems stable, but there’s no explanation for the inability to heal."

"Hmm, that’s strange." Maynard instantly relaxed, revealing his shaky footing and extreme exhaustion.

"How about you all rest here for the night?" interjected the queen. "I’m sure you could all use a good night’s rest after everything."

"What, you aren’t going to try anything in our sleep?" laughed Byron, startled by the queen’s generosity.

"We’ll take you up on that offer," answered Rydel. The party captain turned to the still naked Byron, who held the bundle of clothes at his side. "The queen and I had a long talk and have figured out a few things. We’ll talk about that later, but for now, we rest."

Not wanting to return to his cell, Byron shrugged and went with the flow.

Jack was carried by Rydel as the group exited the dungeon and was led to a few guest rooms in the inner palace after Slivia and Byron had their belongings returned to them. Slivia received her own while Rydel paired up with Maynard in the neighboring room. Byron was just across the hallway and he was neighbors with the unconscious Jack. Brunar and Troni, who arrived at the palace shortly after Maynard, were also given a room on the other side of Slivia’s.

Nothing else was shared between the group as most of them let exhaustion take over.

Soon, only two people were awake and chatting over wine in Byron’s room. The room’s temporary owner joked, "You can’t be serious about all this. Isn’t something like that a little too much, even if it’s against the scum of the Royal Court?"

"I’m not sure, but if it’s like how the queen said, then we’ve got no choice. We need to prepare for the worst," replied Rydel, quickly finishing his cup. "I should get some sleep. I may not be physically exhausted, but a mental rest sounds perfect right now."

"Well, I’m not stopping you. I look forward to hearing the rest of your plans," said Byron as he waved goodnight to the hunter.

Rydel was about to open the door when he suddenly stopped and put his ear to it.

"What’s up?" asked Byron, tilting his head as he drank more wine.

"Shhh," Rydel put his finger to his lips and motioned for Byron to stay silent, listening carefully to a conversation on the other side the door.

"Really, I’m fine. There’s no need to check up on me," a familiar feminine voice softly stated.

"Nonsense," replied a tired, male voice. "After everything you went through, you can’t possibly tell me that you’re fine. Do you trust these goblins enough to drop your guard?"

"I’m fine Troni, you don’t need to baby me. Besides, nothing is going to happen with the captain and your master here, not to mention the Balt Guild heir. I don’t need your protection," reasoned the female voice.

"Fine but come straight to me if you need anything or something happens. You will, right Slivia?" Troni’s appeared to be worried but carried some forcefulness as well.

"Okay, okay, I’ll come to you if that happens. Goodnight, Troni," Slivia quickly replied and shut her bedroom door.

Rydel removed his ear and shook his head. He glanced at Byron and mentioned, "If you catch that samurai kid trying something with her, let me know."

"You got it," responded Byron with a lifted mug, ready for him to chug.

Silently opening and shutting the door, Rydel noticed Troni still standing in front of Slivia’s door. Before the young samurai noticed Rydel’s presence, Rydel had his arm over Troni’s shoulders. "I don’t think the situation is fitting for you to go in search of a booty call."

Shocked by the hunter’s sudden appearance and more so by his words, Troni ducked under Rydel’s arm and back away towards his room. "I was just making sure she was alright. After everything that happened, surely something’s wrong with her."

"That’s not your place to judge," stated Rydel. "Get to bed already or you’ll be too tired tomorrow when we leave early morning."

"Leave tomorrow? I thought we were staying here to rest awhile?" asked Troni.

"There are some things we need to take care of. We’ll leave tomorrow morning and head for Baltwood," answered Rydel.

"But why? We have free stay here and we’re all too tired—"

"Goodnight." Rydel stared at Troni as if waiting for Troni to enter his room first. After the young samurai took the hint and retired to his room, Rydel finally let himself rest well after three days of no sleep.

Morning came easily, surprising most of the party as they tried to oversleep. Rydel, Maynard, and Byron were wide awake and ready to move out, but the other’s didn’t even roll over in bed.

It was impossible to tell if it were morning my normal means for humans. The cave goblins and most other creatures in the mine had an internal clock of sorts that had been developed by countless years of evolution. Rydel and the party relied on a necklace that Rydel carried.

Rydel wasn’t the only one with such a necklace, Maynard and Byron also possessed their own. The necklaces carried something known as a moon shard. It was a crystal shard that was known to glow whenever the moon was out; its dimness determined how high in the sky the moon was.

With those handy, the three veterans were easily able to tell that morning was upon them and they took initiative to wake up the rest of them.

Maynard attended to his disciples; Troni, in particular, was known for occasionally sleeping in. Byron checked on Jack’s condition while Rydel woke up Slivia.

When Rydel entered her room, he was surprised by what she wore to bed. She had everything returned to her, yet she still slept in the cloak that Jack gave back to her, wrapping it around her like a blanket. Such a sight brought a slight smile to his face before he walked to the side of her bed.

"Hey, it’s time to get up sleepy head. I can tell you’re awake."

Slivia’s head moved and turned aside to meet Rydel’s gaze. "How’s he doing?"

"Byron is checking him right now. You can go see for yourself if you hurry. We need to get going so don’t take too long," said Rydel as he walked out of the room.

The moment Rydel exited, Slivia rolled out of bed and stood up. Her stance was awkward, and her shoulders were hunched forward shyly. The usually confident and outgoing Slivia wasn’t in the room, instead, it was a nervous and overly anxious girl in her twenties.

A couple of minutes passed before Slivia gave herself a pep talk and brought herself to Jack’s room. Inside were Rydel and Byron, leaning over one side of the bed. Slivia approached the other and asked, "Anything new?"

Chapter 76

"He’s doing a little better and the internal injuries have shrunken slightly, so he is stable. But, as for when he’ll wake up, I have no clue," explained Byron.

As a spell blade, Byron boasted more than enough magical prowess to assess Jack’s condition. His magical abilities would help him overcome pure warriors’ superior strength, while his above-average physical prowess made him a threat to most mages. Spell blades were rare, but they were always recognized as powerful and were one of the most feared sub classes in the continent.

"Oh, well that’s good," said Slivia with half a sad smile.

"Don’t worry, the association will take care of him and make sure he’s back in top form as soon as possible." Rydel did his best to comfort Slivia’s anxiousness. "That reminds me, you were wanting to join the association, right?"

Slivia was caught off guard by Rydel’s question. "Um, yes I was. But that’s not too important right—"

"Why is it unimportant?" asked Rydel. "You may have been in captivity, but you were still in the party. After yesterday, you’ve already reached lv. 15 and can finally join. Don’t you want to find that adventurer?"

"Of course I do," answered Slivia. "But I need to get stronger before I can go travel and search for him."

"Good, make sure to remember that. Jack’s got his reasons to keep getting stronger too, so you can be sure this won’t be enough to stop him," said Rydel.

The girl nodded to Rydel, feeling a little better and glad to hear that he supported her joining. With someone like Rydel supporting her, why wouldn’t the association accept her?

A soft knock came from the door and Rydel called out, "Come in."

The door opened and the goblin queen entered the room. "Sorry to disturb you, but I’m ready to leave now."

"What?" Slivia spoke out of reflex. "What does she mean leave, and why is she coming?"

"We need to hurry back to Baltwood to discuss some things with the Balt Guild before returning to Reinolt City. The queen will be joining our discussion, so naturally, she’ll travel with us," explained Rydel. "Plus, with her, we’ll get past all the goblins easily and might reach the cave’s exit in just two days."

"But what are we discussing that needs her there?"

"You’ll find out soon enough like the rest of us," Byron chuckled. "I’ve heard bits and pieces but only he knows what’s going on. So, until the meeting, we’ve just got to follow along and wait in suspense."

Not liking to be left out, Slivia accepted the situation with a straight face. She looked at Jack and asked, "What about him?"

"We’ll have to carry him; how else can we get him out of here?" answered Rydel.

"Don’t worry, I’ll bring a couple of captains along to carry him in a portable bed," added the queen, displaying that same gentleness as she did when examining Jack previously.

Content to hear that Jack would be carried softly and not roughly over someone’s shoulder, Slivia nodded and kept quiet.

"We should get going. The sooner we get to Reinolt City, the better," said Rydel.

Without a word, the queen nodded, and two goblin captains entered the room with a padded stretcher. They carefully transferred Jack to his new bed before lifting him between the two of them, both facing forward and holding him at waist height.

Rydel led the group out of the room in time to see Maynard in the hall and Brunar pulling a tired Troni through the door.

When Maynard noticed the two goblin captains carrying Jack, he laughed, "Hey, I still need to thank ya."

The goblin captain carrying the front half of the stretcher smiled and spoke in Common, "Sorry about the confusion before. I wasn’t too keen on facing you in the first place and I hated that bumbling troll. As soon as the queen gave the order to cease attacking and kill that oaf, I couldn’t help myself from stealing your kill."

"Wait," Maynard was baffled by the goblin’s fluency in Common, which was above even the queen’s. "If you speak so well, then why didn’t you say anything earlier?"

"I don’t like the common guards to know much about me. I’ve been at the queen’s side since she was a child; I was even lucky enough to be her teacher. Only a few select captains know this."

"But why be so secretive?" asked Maynard, reflecting the same thoughts as the others listening in on the conversation.

"Because I’m not from this cave and neither is the queen," answered the captain. "If the others knew that, then they may not be too open to a foreigner leading them. That’s why we don’t plan to mention this until some time has passed and the people are already loyal to their new queen."

"Makes sense, but what should I call you?" Maynard shrugged.

"That’s unimportant, but if you wish to call me by my name, it’s Shlad."

Rydel pushed past Maynard and added, "Hurry up, we’re leaving now."

Maynard bowed to Shlad as he and the other samurai quickly joined the end of the line behind Slivia.

The goblin queen retrieved and adorned a pure black cloak to cover herself, not wishing for the other goblins to know of her departure. She had already announced that she would be in her quarters attending to business for the next couple weeks and was not to be disturbed.

With Shlad’s guidance, the newly formed party hastily exited the palace and the city with little to no detection thanks to secret routes. In no time, they were on their way to the second floor.

Though the second floor was packed full of monsters and beasts, none dared to attack with the two goblin captains and the queen present. Thanks to Rydel finally reaching lv. 30 thanks to the bloodbath caused by the samurai, the party currently had five people at lv. 30 or higher. No monster dared try anything, making the second floor’s travel pass by quickly.

The goblin’s knowledge of the mine proved far more extensive than Rydel’s, exposing new passages at every turn and bringing the party to the cave’s exit by the end of the first day.

They quickly checked if their horses had survived, but they weren’t so lucky. Thanks to having no horses, they were forced to go the rest on foot, taking them a total of almost three full days to reach Baltwood.

Most of the party was worried about how others would react to the goblins and the queen, but before they had realized it, the queen and goblins appeared to be human.

Rydel got a chuckle from the sight, easily seeing through the queen’s illusion, but sure that no one in Baltwood would likely notice a thing.

Once they reached the outskirts of Baltwood, Byron took the lead and pushed the party directly toward the Balt Guild Hall. His presence immediately alarmed most civilians, who knew he had vanished within the mine and let them quickly pass any nightly security the Balt Guild had in place.

As Byron was about to enter the front door, it swung open mightily, knocking Byron onto his back. Out rushed Jard Balt, lifting his son off the ground and embracing him.

"You’ve returned!" shouted Jard. "You’ve really returned!"

"Thank them, not me old man." Byron pointed to the familiar adventurers behind him.

"Yes, of course! For my friends, let me throw you a feast!" Jard was yelling joyously, complimenting everyone and firmly shaking their hands one by one.

"Put a hold on the feast. The man you really need to thank is him," explained Rydel, motioning to the bedridden Jack. "He’s the one who saved your son and fought a lv. 36 troll in the process. If anyone deserves praise, it’s him."

Jard was taken aback by Rydel’s statement. He wasn’t able to read Jack’s level before, but Jard was entirely certain that Jack shouldn’t have been able to go toe-to-toe with a lv. 36.

"There’s also something we need to discuss as quickly as possible. We’re in a hurry to get him back to the city, but we must talk to you and your son first," added Rydel.

"Of course, I’ll prepare my private conference room. Let my doctor take a look at him; I’m sure we can—"

"Thank you." Rydel bowed his head, grateful for Jard’s genuine concern.

Two men from the Balt Guild soon rushed out and grabbed Jack’s stretcher. As he was carried to a room near the entrance, the party entered deep into the guildhall and followed Jard to his private conference room.

"Now, what is it you need to discuss?" Jard cut right to the chase.

"First, let me introduce someone," stated Rydel. "She is the one behind the incidents in the mine, the goblin queen."

Jard stared in wonder as the queen lowered her hood and dropped the illusion spell around her and the goblin captains. "This... What’s the meaning of this?"

"I assure you, Guild Master, that I mean no harm to you or your people. I’ve been in a difficult situation myself and was forced to act accordingly," said the queen.

"What do you mean?"

Rydel was the one to answer. "That’s what we’ll be discussing. How the Royal Court has been acting in the shadows."

Chapter 77

"Acting in the shadows?" Jard’s eyes narrowed as he realized how deep this simple discussion would be. "Haven’t they always acted in the shadows?"

"This is true, but never like this. You already know enough about the black market district, but this is far worse than what we imagined," stated Rydel. "Let us sit as we explain everything."

"Right." Jard motioned for everyone to take a seat around the table in the center of the room. Once everyone was seated, the goblin queen was the first to stand and present her case.

"Allow me to explain the situation of my people. Within the past year, I have managed to unite the goblins under me and build a great city in the third level of the mine. I understand that you and the other humans typically come to the mine during certain times of the year, correct?"

Jard nodded and said, "Yes, we only allow mining for four months in the year, leaving the mine with ten months to recuperate and regrow any harvested crystals."

"That’s why you were unaware of the changes we created until recently," explained the queen. "First, let me tell you that there isn’t much left for you to mine this season, so I ask that you stop permitting entrance until the next harvest."

"Why isn’t there anything left for us?"

"Because, to speed up our city’s development we used the azure crystals throughout our architecture, giving off natural light and increasing the city’s durability," said the queen.

"But making an entire city filled with azure, that would mean you and your people would grow stronger over time. Wouldn’t that mean you’d become a threat to the Reinolt Kingdom as time passed?" asked Jard.

"If you don’t trust me, then it would appear so," admitted the queen. "However, it was the Royal Court that helped us grow so quickly."

Jard didn’t respond but his face was enough to show his surprise as he waited for the queen to continue uninterrupted.

The queen continued, "The Royal Court came to us and offered materials and weapons to strengthen us. I’m not certain who the man was, he concealed himself and his level well. But I can assure you that he was a higher level than I."

"But why would they help you?" Jard couldn’t resist the question.

"The Royal Court wasn’t always very clear about their reasons to help," answered the queen. "Sometimes they wouldn’t explain themselves, while others they only wanted to gain a powerful ally."

"But, if the Royal Court was behind this, why were you capturing adventurers? I know that it was common for us to not get along, but you mentioned being forced to do so?" questioned Jard.

"That’s where it gets complicated," sighed the queen. She shook her head as she spoke, "A couple of months ago, right before you human’s began to enter the mine, we received a command from the Royal Court. Before, they agreed not to give us orders or to interfere in our city, but they threatened to cut off support and possibly storm the city if we didn’t cooperate."

"I gave in and permitted to follow along with their request." The queen’s shoulders shrank as she continued, "We were asked to house trolls within the city."

"Trolls!?" Jard was startled by such an unexpected revelation.

"Yes, trolls. At first, there were five of them and we were forced to let them stay in the palace. However, they planned to bring more and migrate a whole tribe to our goblin city."

"An entire tribe..." struggling to believe the concept, Jard glanced at the serious Rydel. Seeing the hunter’s nod was enough to fill him with unease.

"I’m sure you already know what it is that trolls are after, so I won’t get into too much detail. But I am sorry to say that us capturing you humans was a means to appease the trolls, which we had no way to reject"

"But if the Royal Court had you house trolls, doesn’t that mean they’ve been working with the trolls as well?" Jard reasoned.

"You’re exactly right," agreed the queen. "Had I known that accepting their help and becoming reliant on their steady supplies would turn against me so quickly, I wouldn’t have accepted their support."

"Does that explain the issues in the mines, Jard?" asked Rydel.

"Yes, that’s enough to understand the situation."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice, "Sir, is there something wrong? You’re meeting with the council is—"

"Enough of that, I’m busy learning about the truth of the azure mine. Immediately shut it down for exploration. We’ve been tasked by the king himself to govern the mine, so make sure to not let a soul in, even if it were the king. Is that clear?" shouted Jard.

"Y-yes, sir!" rushed footsteps were heard as the loyal servant took off to fulfill orders.

"Sorry about that. There shouldn’t be any more issues involving the mine, right?" asked Jard, looking to the queen.

"None," replied the queen, keeping her gentle seriousness.

"Now that you understand her story, we can discuss the real matter at hand," said Rydel. "You’ve already cut off communications with the Royal Court, correct?"

"Yes," answered the queen. "I’ve already destroyed the mid-tier contact crystal they gave us, and they know we were under attack by you and a Hell-flame Fox."

"Alright, that’s where things start to get tricky. Since they know that much, I think it’s best if you and your people lay low for some time."

"I agree, but we’ll need his support in keeping more humans out." The queen motioned toward Jard.

"That I can handle. I’ll assign a couple of guards to watch the entrance while we prepare to seal the mine ahead of schedule," mentioned Jard.

"Good, I’m glad you two are getting along," joked Rydel

The queen and Jard shared a glance, not knowing what to say to the other. By instinct and nature, they shouldn’t be friendly, but they both understood the threat and support they could offer each other.

"Now, if you can lay low until I send for your aid, that would be best. So if any human’s sneak into the cave, what will you do?" asked Rydel.

The queen sighed and crossed her arms. "I won’t kill or capture them, but I’ll keep my goblins on guard at all passages to the third level regardless."

"That’s fine, I don’t think most would make it that far anyway considering the chaos on the second level," reasoned Rydel. "But if they show the association symbol, make sure you let them pass."

"Yes, yes, I’ll make sure to inform the guards." The queen retrieved a handkerchief with the association crest and waved it around as proof of her intentions.

"Good, now inform Jard about the other part of the deal you made with the Royal Court."

"Oh yes," replied the queen, reigniting a fire in her eyes. "I was forced to send my weakest goblin patrols to the first floor as fodder for the no-good prince to kill as he pleased."

"Don’t forget that rage, we’ll need that in the future," said Rydel. "Now, back to you Jard."

"What do you need from me? You already know you have my support. I will admit though, I didn’t expect you to ask something so serious so soon," chuckled Jard.

"I’m just trying to stay one step ahead. At the end of this discussion, I’ll contact the chief and we’ll fill him in and get his approval before making a move," explained Rydel. "But before that, I need to know why you would support us over your king."

"That’s easy, the Adventurers Association is well known across the continent for its fairness and justice. Also, you’ve proven yourselves far more supportive; the fact that my son is here and alive is thanks to you." Jard’s tone was soft yet firm, showing his genuine feelings about the association.

"Then would you object if we took over the kingdom personally?" asked Rydel.

"That’s a different situation entirely. I’d prefer to avoid that happening at all costs. If the Royal Court was overthrown, I believe it’d be best if the new ruler came from within the country."

"Well said," smiled Rydel. "I agree so let’s keep it that way."

Jard was relieved when Rydel admitted the association’s true stance, glad that Rydel was reasonable and understanding.

"We won’t take over any countries, but we’ll help keep them in line," explained Rydel. "The Royal Court has been acting out against the association within Reinolt City for some time now. It was never enough to take action, but with the Royal Court colluding with trolls and goblins, no offense," Rydel held his hand up innocently to the queen, "the association may not have a choice to sit on the sidelines."

"What do you propose?" asked Jard.

"We can’t do anything yet, but in time we may act. According to association rules, we can’t interfere in any nation’s politics without solid proof and multiple cases," answered Rydel. "Give me some time to do some digging, then I’ll know more about that specifically

 

Chapter 78

"For now, the kid and I will have to clear our names before the king," said Rydel.

"Oh yeah, I heard all about that," chuckled Jard. "Don’t worry, here in Baltwood you’re fine. I’ve already had all the wanted posters silently removed."

"Thank you, but we don’t have enough time to stay here. With the kid in his condition, we need to hurry back and let the kid rest."

"Oh yeah," Jard remembered Jack’s unconsciousness after being too distracted by the news presented to him. "Did he really fight a lv. 36? And he’ still alive?"

"Sort of." It was Byron who answered, drawing in his father’s attention. "I’ll tell you the exact details later, but you should know that he’s the reason I was freed instead of killed. Also, he’s the reason I recovered this."

Byron retrieved his green saber, which appeared to glisten in the dimly lit room.

When Jard saw it, he smiled wide, "I’m glad you still have it. Losing such an heirloom and asset of the guild would have made things difficult for the council."

The father and son duo drifted into tangent conversations, losing focus of the meeting they were a part of.

Rydel coughed loudly and continued, "There are still a couple of things I need to clarify."

Everyone refocused and paid attention as Rydel spoke, "We’re indeed planning for the worst, in case the Royal Court is truly seeking injustice for its people. However, there are a few things that the association needs to confirm before we act, so don’t expect any immediate action on our part. It’ll take time."

"And in the meantime?" Brunar was the one who spoke, curious about everything and wanting to be a part of this and not just a viewer on the sidelines.

"The queen would like to stay the night, discussing how to handle the remaining prisoners with Jard and the guild. As for us, we need to verify how much the Royal Court knows about our invasion of the goblin city," answered Rydel.

"Why’s that?"

"Don’t ya remember what Jack let loose?" Maynard chimed in, trying to get his disciple to think about the situation more thoroughly.

"Oh yeah." Brunar was shocked that he could forget about a rampaging Hell-flame Fox. "Wait, what happened to that little guy? Don’t tell me we forgot about him?"

"No, we haven’t forgotten him," sighed Rydel.

"He’s here with us," replied the queen. A decorative ring with a ruby red gemstone glowed around her finger as a figure appeared in her cupped hands.

As the figure materialized and solidified, it shook itself free and jumped onto the table, looking in every which way. The fox appeared desperate to like it was missing its other half.

"Bowser, relax," called out Rydel, who was the most familiar with Bowser after Jack. "Everything is okay, and Jack is fine."

Bowser blinked but didn’t fully calm down. No one else could tell, but Bowser was attempting to call Jack with no avail. Without hearing Jack’s reply, it would be hard to calm him.

"Calm down, boy. Jack is with a doctor right now, if you wait then we’ll take you to him."

Rydel’s words seemed to do the trick as Bowser’s movements slowed. He continued to try and call Jack, but he was feeling a bit better, albeit confused as to where he was ad how he got here.

"You’re with us back in Baltwood, I’m sure you remember Baltwood." Bowser walked across the table as Rydel explained the situation, "After the battle, both you and Jack were left unconscious. Jack still hasn’t woken up but is fine, we checked with magic."

Still wary of the sudden change of scenery, Bowser stared at who assumed was the goblin queen.

"Don’t be mad at her for containing you temporarily," continued Rydel. "She only did it to keep you from acting out in rage in case you were mad about Jack being unconscious."

He didn’t add any mention of the internal injuries because that might trigger the young fox. This was discussed by him and the queen as the best option to keep the goblin city from having to face another round of hell’s flames.

Bowser narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth between Rydel and the queen, trying his best to determine the truth.

"We all know that you’re still young Bowser, so how could we guarantee that you wouldn’t just wreak havoc the moment you were mad about what happened to Jack?" reasoned Rydel.

The silent fox stopped examining the room and remained still in the center of the table. It waited there as if it were agreeing with Rydel, so long as he could be taken to Jack immediately.

"Bowser and this should be known for everyone in this room, we need to do everything we can to keep you a secret," said the slightly nervous hunter. The last thing he wanted to do was try to contain an angered Hell-flame Fox that he wasn’t allowed to hurt.

"Your breed is known by others as a sign of destruction. So, if anyone found out you were with Jack, a lot of people would begin threatening Jack. You wouldn’t want that, right?"

Slowly shaking his head, the fox showed his understanding.

"Then please, no matter what happens, don’t use your powers until we publicly announce it, okay?" persuaded Rydel. "Till then, just stay with Jack and don’t do anything. You attacking the goblin city might already force us to hurry the announcement and prepare protection for you and Jack until you’re strong enough yourselves."

Bowser frowned, not liking the thought of concealing his bloodline. He understood Common well enough to understand most of Rydel’s words thanks to his chats with Jack, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t dislike the idea Rydel presented.

"Please Bowser," suddenly a female voice called out.

Bowser and everyone looked to the side of the table to see Slivia staring intently at Bowser. "Please do as he says. That way Jack will be okay; that’s what you want right?"

The fox’s alert expression lightened and became more docile after hearing Slivia’s plea.

Everyone let loose a quiet sigh of relief. If Bowser wouldn’t agree to that or exploded in youthful anger, things would’ve been a whole lot worse for them. Not to mention how hard it would be to keep a rampaging Bowser from the eyes of anyone else.

"Good," Rydel retrieved a few large portions of dry rations and threw them to the center of the table.

Accepting the offering, Bowser moved in a flash and began to devour the meat before everyone’s eyes. Those who had never seen him eat before were startled by his speed and appetite, quickly chomping through the rations like they were toddler swallowing small candies whole.

"Is there anything else?" asked Rydel, looking around the room. When no one replied, Rydel took out his contact crystal. "Then I’ll contact the branch chief while our host prepares the feast. I’ll contact you each individually if there’s anything else."

Everyone present either stood up or leaned further back into their chairs, clearly done speaking about such weighted topics.

Before Rydel exited to call Zariff, he linked his contact crystal to Jard’s and bowed his head respectfully to the queen. He quickly left the room behind Jard.

The atmosphere lightened up as conversations sprung up. Brunar chatted with Maynard about their stand against the goblins, looking for advice. Shlad talked with the queen and Byron, trying to establish a positive relationship between the two powers.

Troni attempted to converse with Slivia, going on about how he was glad she was okay after everything. He was genuinely grateful that she was okay, but he had slight jealousy towards Jack, who got to see her more fully during the mission.

She nodded and said a few things, but she was too distracted by the lonely fox who laid on the table.

Mid-conversation, she said, "Excuse me," and walked away.

Troni attempted to follow but as Slivia neared Bowser, the fox stared at him with a mysterious gaze. Not fond of how the fox glared at him and still hesitant to accept a Hell-flame Fox into the party, Troni walked towards his master to hear the insights Maynard shared with Brunar.

Slivia noticed the worry and distrust in Bowser’s eyes. As friendly as she could muster, Slivia said, "It’s going to be okay. Want to sit on my lap?"

Bowser was momentarily stunned by Slivia’s offer, at a fork between his current emotions. He enjoyed playing with Slivia, but he didn’t feel it was appropriate with Jack not there.

"I’ll pet and rub behind your ears," offered Slivia, using her trump card.

Unable to resist such an offer, Bowser reluctantly trotted to the table’s edge.

As Slivia sat down, Bowser hopped gently into her lap and walked in two complete circles before laying across her thighs.

She eagerly petted his fur, relaxing and she did so. This was beneficial to both her and Bowser, letting them better relax while Jack remained with the doctor.

Chapter 79

Near the entrance of the Balt Guildhall, a door swung open as Rydel entered the room. Inside were multiple beds, with adorning chairs and tables for visitors.

Rydel looked around and found Jack in the back corner, accompanied by a doctor. "How is he doc? Anything you could do?"

The doctor sighed heavily, "Nothing... I couldn’t do anything."

"Don’t worry yourself. This kid is very different from anyone else, so much so that the reason he’s like this is confidential," explained Rydel, trying to alleviate the doctor’s concerns from his inability to treat a patient. "You’re not the first person who couldn’t help the situation. But, do you have any idea on what’s going on with him?"

"I’ve never seen anything quite like this," admitted the doctor. "Anything magical is unable to help him, and traditional medical supplies are only slightly better. Honestly, I’m amazed he’s still alive."

"Really? It’s that bad?"

"From my analysis, I’ve found multiple internal injuries on his lungs, ribcage, and more. He’s somehow healing himself slowly, but that will take maybe a week or more for him to wake up," explained the doctor.

"A week or more, huh?" repeated Rydel, focusing on the recovery time. "Thanks, Doc, I’m glad we could at least learn that much."

"Just doing my job," replied the doctor, who shook his head and left the room.

Being left alone in the room beside the unconscious Jack, Rydel whipped out his contact crystal. "Hey Chief, you there?"

"Yeah, any good news?" asked Zariff.

"His body is slowly healing himself and he might wake up after a week or so."

"That’s good. At least HQ will be happy to know he’ll pull through soon," stated Zariff. "What about the mission? You gave me a brief explanation, but what else you got? There’s got to be more to this."

"As for the trolls situation, they most likely won’t return the cave. With their leader not answering his contact crystal, they’ll probably avoid coming back," explained Rydel. "The goblins and the Balt Guild agreed to work together and are currently discussing the finer details of their alliance."

"Good, they’ll be a great support if we need it. Now, I need you and the others back here ASAP. The royal court has been hounding me about finally having you and him in court to determine everything."

"How’s that coming along?"

"Good, it’s just too much paperwork for my liking," groaned Zariff. "Hurry up and get back here. You know I hate legalities and public speaking."

Rydel laughed, "Yeah, I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long without me. If the guild can reimburse me, I’ll purchase some horses and a cart to carry Jack. With Jack taken care of, we should be able to reach the capital by tomorrow night if we push ourselves."

"Fine, I’ll make an exception," replied Zariff. "Just hurry up and get here. HQ will be trying to contact Jack soon; the least we can do is have him here before then."

"Okay Chief, I’ll buy the horses first thing in the morning."

"You also mentioned a club, is that right?" added Zariff.

"Yeah, but technically it’s the kids, so you’ll have to convince him about—"

"Perfect, I can’t wait to try it out!" Zariff’s booming laughter echoed in Rydel’s head. "With that, I may be able to hold my own against Arnole."

"Don’t get your hopes up just yet captain. What about your condition?"

Silence hung in the air until Zarif sighed, "It’s okay, not much worse than before."

"Do you think Jack can find an antidote?"

"No clue, but who can offer anything better? If they could, I would’ve found them by now," answered Zariff.

"Just one more thing for Jack to do I guess," said Rydel. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, you need to talk to Jack about pacts."

"Pacts? What about them?"

"Both me and that old devil have already formed a pact with the kid. It gives him a lot of our EXP but it’s worth it, trust me."

"What!?" yelled Zariff. "You’re gone for a week and you two have already done something so crazy? And without me?"

"Calm down Chief, you’ll get in on it too. The kid’s pact is different from the one you know," explained Rydel. "There’s no limit to the number of pacts he can make?"

"No limit?"

"Yeah, but I’m sure there are some drawbacks for having too many. If not, why wouldn’t the kid make a pact with everyone?" stated Rydel.

"I guess that’s true," agreed Zariff. "I’ll chat with the brat after he wakes up. For now, just hurry over."

"And make sure you prepare another room," added Rydel.

"Oh yeah, for that cleric girl you mentioned, right? That’s easy, she’ll bunk with Maura. They should be around the same age."

Rydel chuckled at how cheap Zariff acted, pairing his daughter with a roommate despite the abundance of empty rooms within the association building. "Sure, that’ll work. For now, I’m off to eat. It’s been too long since I had a good meal."

Not wanting to hear Zariff’s complaints about not getting to join the feast, Rydel cut the call and took one last look at the sleeping Jack. "Hurry and wake up kid. You’re too important to lay around doing nothing."

The hunter got up and left without a second glance at Jack’s hospital bed. He quickly left and went back down the hall.

After asking a passing servant in the hallway for directions, he finally arrived at the dining hall. The door was massive, giving a sense of grandeur and great importance. As Rydel pushed the doors open, he noticed a lot of familiar faces stuffing their mouths.

"No fair, you couldn’t wait for me?" Rydel complained in a joking tone.

"Grab a seat already," answered Maynard. "If ya don’t hurry, there won’t be anything left for ya."

"Don’t mind if I do." Rydel rushed to the table and quickly filled a plate with many of the local delicacies presented on the table.

The main attractions were huge smoked boars. Their internal organs were removed before they were cooked from the inside out, using the ribcages as a stand to hold the meat completely around the flame. It’s aroma filled the room, activating any nearby saliva glands with a single whiff.

There were also many sides of different fruits, vegetables, or soups. Some different poultries of the region also laid on the table, either grilled whole or with sweet and sour sauce slathered all over them.

"Slow down, or there won’t be any boar for the rest of us," shouted Rydel as Brunar tore away another boar’s leg.

"Hmm?" Brunar did his best to reply, but his overstuffed mouth wouldn’t permit anything audible to escape his mouth.

"That’s just how he always eats, especially if it’s a feast," Troni mentioned as he sat comfortably and enjoyed his food. He looked to Slivia beside him and held out a large chunk of the pungent boar’s meat. "Here, you can have this."

Slivia glanced at Troni and smiled politely with a raised hand. "I’m okay. I’ve never had a large appetite, so don’t worry about me."

"Come on, enjoy yourself a little," replied Troni as he set the meat on her plate. "At least share a drink with me. You can do that much, right?"

"I’m not much of a drinker, sorry."

"Nonsense," answered Troni. He had already passed her a full glass by the time she reached out to stop him. "Here, just one glass. I’m sure that’s fine with you, right?"

"Really, I’m okay—"

"I insist," said Troni with a genuine smile and a raised glass.

Slivia sighed and lifted the glass. "Fine, but just one."

They both held out their glasses, saluting them to each other. Troni exclaimed, "To your future in the association!"

Other’s around the table hadn’t heard much of their conversation, but they all joined in the salute and yelled, "To your future in the association!"

With that, everyone hurried to chug their wine. Slivia did so sluggishly, not wanting to finish the cup and be forced to refill it.

Across the table, Maynard and Byron were chatting away about their different insights on the sword. They were much less focused on the feast than the others, distracted by each other’s findings and understandings. It wasn’t every day where two sword maniacs found each other by circumstance, so they made the most of it.

The late hour soon took its toll on the party, bringing tiredness upon them. Brunar struggled to leave the table willingly, but he soon passed out in a food coma atop his bed. Maynard, Byron, and Rydel didn’t bother sleeping, not needing it due to their high levels.

Slivia was pestered by Troni all night, and it only got worse as he got more drunk. When she was about to leave, Troni asked her to help him to his room.

At first, she wanted to reject him, but his drunkenness showed when he toppled over himself the moment he left the table.

With a sigh, she agreed to help him back to his room. She let him put one arm over her shoulder and supported his every step. They quickly reached his room and she pushed the door open.

When she tried to set him down, he was already sleeping and tried to pull her into his embrace. Seeing this from a mile away, thanks to his drunken behavior, Slivia ducked the arm reaching for her and pushed him off her and onto the bed.

She was long gone by the time Troni opened his eyes shook his head.

 

Chapter 80

As the sun rose, so did the party from their beds. Slivia, in particular, was anxious to hurry back and finally join the association.

The two young samurai took turns waking up and preparing for the day. By the time they had exited, Maynard was waiting for them in the hall.

"Are ya two finally ready?" asked the ronin.

"Of course, Master," answered the disciples.

"Good. We need to go find Rydel in the market. He’s busy finding us some transportation."

"Where’s Slivia?" asked Troni.

"Where do ya think she is?" replied Maynard, pointing to the door to the infirmary down the hall. "Where else would she be?"

"Cheer up man, you can’t win them all," said Brunar, trying to encourage Troni.

"Just, let’s get going." Troni didn’t like to dwell on the topic of his romantic pursuits and changed the subject quickly. "You said we need to hurry, right? Well, let’s go already."

"Ya sure are one to talk, considering we were waiting on ya," Maynard joked as he turned and began walking towards the exit of the guildhall.

"Maybe I can find another powerful stallion!" exclaimed Bruner. He ran past the other two and bolted out of the guildhall, excited to find Rydel and ask his help to choose a strong steed.

Troni sighed, surprised by how childish and strait forward Brunar was at times.

"Ya know why he’s my favorite disciple, right?" Maynard’s question caught Troni off guard, bringing him to shake his head. "It’s because he acts like that; he hides nothing from himself or from others. Everyone that meets him knows exactly who he is after a single day."

"Yeah, if he’s not busy inflating his ego or fawning over his growing fanbase," mentioned Troni as the two samurai exited the Balt Guildhall and began to walk the streets of Baltwood.

"True, but he’ll outgrow that soon enough. He’s just not used to people paying him any attention," stated Maynard. "But that’s not true for ya. No matter the situation, you’re always calm, cool, and collected. That’s helpful at times, but no one can say they know the real ya."

Troni didn’t reply. Instead, he kept his usual straight face.

"You were raised by your family to be like this, but that doesn’t mean ya always need to be so calculating. That’s why, despite your efforts, Brunar was and is my favorite disciple," explained Maynard. "If ya ever want to embrace the way of the samurai, you’ll have to let go of things holding ya back and live your life as ya wish. Don’t hide anything, because there shouldn’t be a need to hide your true self."

"I get it, Master. You want me to be more honest with you and everyone else? I can be honest, but I don’t need to explain myself to everyone or act like a fool, like him. What I do is reflected on my family; that’s not something either of you can understand," said Troni.

"True, ya have a point. Just don’t make the wrong choices based on your family’s opinions and plans. They aren’t ya, so ya shouldn’t have to do what they say."

"I think I see the stables up ahead," said Troni. He ran ahead, heading straight for Rydel and Brunar, who were inspecting a large stallion.

Maynard sighed, unhappy that he again failed to get through to his disciple.

The ronin walked up to the others and gave his two cents about the horse they were inspecting.

After they all agreed, Brunar purchased the steed and Rydel purchased horses for himself, Maynard, and Troni. The hunter also bought a covered wagon and two horses to pull it.

Normally Rydel would never drop so much coin for the sake of luxury, but this was a special occasion with the bedridden Jack in mind. That, and they needed to hurry back to the capital before the Royal Court put more pressure on Zariff for not being able to produce the two adventurers in question.

After procuring their needed transportation and some basic supplies, they rode back to the guildhall.

As they neared it, they noticed Slivia exiting the building. She was followed by the goblin queen and captains, who were back under the illusion of the queen. The captains were carrying the unconscious Jack on a soft stretcher.

"Bring him here, it’ll be much easier," said Rydel as he hopped off his horse.

The two goblin captains did as he said and carried Jack to the back of the wagon. As they loaded him up, Rydel asked the queen, "How was the discussion with Jard?"

"It went well enough. With a generous offering of azure clusters, we were able to settle everything. They’ll come and retrieve the other survivors in a few days, after they prepare to receive them and help them recuperate," answered the queen.

"What are your plans now?" asked Rydel.

"What do you mean? Of course, I’m heading to Reinolt City with your party," stated the queen with a deadpan stare.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. We’re going with you," repeated the queen.

"We?"

"Yes, my captains will be joining me as security. I know you won’t do anything, but what about the Royal Court? I can’t guarantee anything," explained the queen. "Besides, you’ll be happy to have me in case the association decides to reveal the truth behind the Royal Court, right?"

"Well... You’re not wrong, but I was planning to just call you if that happened," said Maynard.

"We won’t stay for long, so don’t worry. I just want to see the magnificence of the capital for myself; call it inspiration for what my city will become in the future," stated the queen. "I’ll ride in the wagon, so it’ll be like I’m not even there."

"And what about them?" asked Rydel, motioning toward her goblin captains.

"I’ll buy a couple of horses. As part of the trade, we received some coin in case we ever needed to purchase anything from you humans." The queen flipped the palm of her hand up as a small bag appeared. It jingled as she threw toward Shlad. "Go get a couple of horses, we’re making a detour to Reinolt City."

Without question, Shlad and the other captain left toward the stables.

Rydel was left up the creek without a paddle, having no way to stop the queen rationally. Sure he could threaten her with the association’s name, but they had already promised not to harm them so long as they work together. Going back on that now, he would be no better than the Royal Court.

"Fine, you’ll stay in the carriage, but you’ll be in charge of watching over Jack," said Rydel, trying to find something for her to do.

"What?" Slivia commented after overhearing most of the conversation. The other had too, but she was the first to say something.

"Don’t worry Slivia, she’ll take good care of him. You’ll drive the wagon, so you can keep an eye on her," explained Rydel. "The guards will ride on the side of the carriage, just in case something happens along the way. Who knows, maybe they’ll be useful in the case of an ambush? No one knows what the Royal Court might do, considering the latest developments."

Everyone remained quiet and let that thought sink in. If the Royal Court knew about their invasion of the goblin city, would they try and stop them from returning to the capital?

"That’s enough waiting; is everyone ready to go?" shouted Rydel, grabbing everyone’s attention.

With only nods for responses, Rydel looked back to the queen. "Very well, please go find your seat. We’ll pass the stables on the way out; your captains can join us then."

The queen said nothing as she lifted herself into the wagon and concealed herself within it.

Slivia hurried to the wagon, not waiting for the order. She hopped on and grabbed hold of the reigns. Glancing into the tent, she was startled to see the queen eyeing Jack.

The most shocking thing was the queen’s gentle gaze, full of tenderness. By the look of it, the queen was genuinely worried about Jack. Slivia had no clue why, but she couldn’t deny the queen’s candid desire to care for him.

As the party turned around and neared the town’s entrance, the goblin captains, still under the queen’s illusions despite the distance, hurried to the wagon’s sides. They had already heard the queen’s orders through their contact crystals, so they immediately took their posts as the carriage guards.

Their exit was silent and uneventful, as most people were still at home or just barely leaving for the morning errands.

The party was soon on the road, rushing to reach Reinolt City by nightfall. They were all anxious for their own reasons. Some just wanted to rest peacefully in their beds, some looked forward to a new chapter in their life after joining the organization, and some were excited to get their first glimpse at the magnitude of a nation’s capital.