Ch. 91..100

Chapter 91

The central plaza was filling with more and more people as the morning sun climbed the sky. It didn’t take long for Jack to hear some of the many things people were saying about him.

"Didn’t you know? The hero denounced the king, refusing to acknowledge him."

"The hero is so strong, he fought his way out of the castle by himself to test the strength of the king’s court."

"What a joke? He was too weak to be considered a hero and the king refused to accept him, that’s what I heard."

Each story was completely different from the next, some angering Jack and others bringing a smile to his face. He made sure to wear the hood of his new cloak, which Zariff had given him from the scraps of the armory. It wasn’t anything special and Jack was sure to replace soon, but who would expect to see a proud summoned hero in a tattered cloak?

After getting his fill of the rumors Jack walked back to the association building. When it came into view in the distance, Jack noticed a small carriage parked outside and two hooded men guarding the entrance. As Jack neared them, the men did nothing to stop from entering.

Jack walked past the usual crowd at the bar and asked Maura behind the reception desk, "What’s going on now?"

"We have a special guest and I’ve been told to send you to the conference room the moment you return." Maura was still cold to Jack like before. She only spared him a glance as she pointed to the stairs. "Get moving, they’re waiting for you."

"Thanks..." Jack frowned when she gave him that look, unhappy with their current relationship.

He slowly ascended the stairs and reached the empty second floor. While he couldn’t find anyone there, he soon heard some voices from behind the conference room door.

"Is that why you came here?"

"I told you, I’m waiting for him to explain anything more."

Recognizing his cue, Jack knocked before opening the door. "Did someone call for a hero?"

"Hurry up and sit down, brat. We’ve waited long enough," yelled Zariff. "He’s here now, so speak. Why in Halmut’s beard would you come here unannounced?"

Jack stepped to the nearest seat while he scanned the room. There were seven people scattered across the massive table.

He was happy to see Rydel and Maynard among them, and of course, Zarif was at the table’s head. Assuming that the others were the remaining adventurers over lv. 30, Jack made sure to quickly memorize their faces.

The final face he saw at the end opposite Zariff caught Jack completely off guard, causing the hero to freeze behind the seat between Rydel and Maynard.

"I’m glad you’re finally here, Jack."

"And to what do I owe the pleasure, Leodoro?"

The king smiled; not a dark, scheming smile but a genuine grin with a soft chuckle. "I came by to announce a few things to the upper echelons of the local branch of the Adventurers Association and I insisted that you join us so I don’t need to explain things twice."

"That’s kind of you," joked Jack.

"Well, I thought it would save me some time since I also wanted to ask an audience after the meeting," said King Leodoro. "There are a couple of things I’m sure you’d like to ask about me and the Royal Court. Am I right?"

"Very well, I’ll accept your request. Now get on with the meeting." Jack motioned for him to speed things up and not waste his time.

"Can I have the floor, branch chief?"

"Just take it already, we’re tired of waiting," barked Zariff, leaning back further into his chair.

"Very well." King Leodoro stood up, showing his great size that could rival Zariff. "Thank you for letting in unannounced and for keeping my presence here a secret. Honestly, this building may be the only one safe from the court’s spies. The first thing I would like to say is that I’m sorry for what happened to the party that recently returned from the mine and the trouble the Royal Court caused them."

Jack, Rydel, and Maynard were silent, nodding in acceptance and waiting for further explanation.

"In recent years, my influence over the court has begun to dwindle and Arnole has taken a leading role. I shan’t say too much about him, but I can say that he is far more calculating and twisted than I ever imagined. Had I known before, I never would’ve allowed him to even join the Royal Court."

"It’s that bad?" asked Zariff.

"Yes, it is," sighed the king. "I sure you’re all confused by such a statement about the upstanding captain of the Royal Guard, but it’s true. Had I known his true nature, Rykard would still be with us today."

A thick sheet of silence fell over everyone, stifling anyone’s thoughts to interject. Only Jack didn’t understand the full meaning of that statement, but he could guess enough by the tense atmosphere.

"So... why is it you’ve come here?" asked Zariff. "This appears to be a problem within the Royal Court, and we have no authority to act against them. And if Arnole holds more influence than you, that law won’t be changing anytime soon."

"True, I’ve begun to lose control of a monster I’ve created, but I have no way to contain it either. I’m not asking for your interference. However, I’m making it clear to you all that the current Royal Court is divided. How it stands now, I wouldn’t be surprised if that man is grooming that idiot son of mine into his puppet as we speak. Only time can tell what his true aims are."

"And what does that have to do with us?" Zariff stared at Leodoro, not as rivals but as acquaintances.

"I assume you’ll be expecting some company from your headquarters within the next few months, right?" asked Leodoro.

"Correct... but how do you know that?" replied Zariff, taken aback by the king’s statement.

"Because the news you’re trying to keep under wraps will be used by Arnole as a means to frame a certain hero we both happen to know," explained King Leodoro. "I have no clue how he figured out the identity of that little fox, but I don’t doubt the validity of his sources. Of course, he never told me this, but he’s not the only one with moles in enemy ranks."

"Seriously!? You mean—"

"Silence, brat! Know your place!" yelled Zariff, effectively shutting Jack up. The Branch Chief stroked his beard in thought for a few moments before he continued, "So you plan to reveal the fox as a Hell-flame Fox, inciting distrust in Jack as a hero? Not a bad tactic."

"Most likely that’s the core of Arnole’s plan," agreed Leodoro.

"If I may speak, I have a question for the king." Rydel raised his head, patiently waiting for the floor.

"Speak," stated Zariff.

Rydel rose to his feet and looked toward King Leodoro. "While we were in the mine, we encountered many unexpected events. The goblins had regrouped to the third level and created a city of their own."

"What?" King Leodoro didn’t mask the surprise on his face. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, and that’s only the beginning," explained Rydel. "The goblins had someone backing that and supplying weapons. According to the goblin queen, this backer also formed a pact with a tribe of trolls and stationed some in the goblin palace. We had to fight not only various lv. 30 goblins, but also trolls and a troll captain who had captured and tortured numerous adventurers. Would you like to guess who discovered as the backer?"

The king wanted to guess the Chaos Syndicate, but he kept silent, not daring to mention the syndicate casually to avoid revealing too much by accident and placing a target on his back.

Maynard swung his arm and threw a few weapons across the table which he had retrieved from his storage.

Everyone’s eyes bulged as they recognized the crest on the hilts of each weapon, easily distinguishing them as the common weapons given to soldiers of the Royal Court. King Leodoro stiffened, not speaking or breathing.

"Based on the picture you’ve painted for us, there are a few possible outcomes, two of which being the most likely. The first, you’re lying and trying to paint a false narrative in the hope to lower the association’s influence yet again among the people after you convince us to act against you publicly in the near future. Or second, you’ve lost more control of the Royal Court than you’re willing to admit, and you came here begging for help from people you’ve blatantly opposed in the past. So, which is it?"

Everyone paid close attention to the king, each adventurer using their own ways to decipher his body language and reply.

King Leodoro lowered his head and sighed heavily, "This Rydel... He’s far more intuitive than any of my men gave him credit." He glanced around the table and paused when he met the hunter’s eyes. "It’s the second. I admit that those are indeed our weapons and that the Royal Court had recently made a few visits to the mine, despite my knowledge of the court doing something so hard to believe. Also, I admit that my role in the Royal Court is being eclipsed by Arnole, as the second most powerful man in the kingdom."

"Do you have any explanation for this, or will you not reveal any evidence for us to believe you?" asked Rydel.

"I have no explanation to give you; not because I lack one, but because I simply can’t. You can only trust my word. If you can’t trust me, then I don’t see any more reason to continue this meeting," stated the king.

 

Chapter 92

The room was quiet. Each adventurer took turns reading each other’s reactions and figuring out the consensus of the room. Rydel sat down, not having anything else to say. Jack and Maynard keep their eyes focused on the king, trying to look past his trained body language.

After a couple of minutes passed, Zariff glanced at everyone and stopped on Rydel, who in turn looked to Jack. When Jack shook his head, Rydel did the same.

Zariff understood their stance and spoke up, "If you can’t produce some kind of evidence, then we can’t plan to act with you. I want the best for the kingdom and would love to stick it to that pompous mage more than you know, but I can’t do that without one hundred percent confidence that what you’re saying is the truth. I’m sure you understand that, Leo."

"I do, and I don’t blame you. I would do the same in your shoes." King Leodoro laughed and shook his head. "In that case, would you all mind leaving me alone with Jack so we can chat a little?"

"I don’t see why we can’t chat with everyone else here," intercepted Jack. "If you can say it to me, you can say it to everyone else."

"Please?" the king stared at Zariff as if asking a favor of an old friend.

"You heard him, give the two some time alone." Without another word, the branch chief stood up and immediately exited the room. Most did the same while a few stragglers, like Rydel and Maynard, took a little longer to step out.

Once the room was clear, King Leodoro walked over to the other side of the table and sat beside Jack, turning himself to face him directly. "Now, I can finally speak to you in private."

"What do you want? I don’t want to waste my time," Jack coldly stated.

"I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any harsh feelings and I hope that we can resolve those in due time. For now, I wanted to discuss a few things with you and ask your opinion on some things."

"My opinion?"

"Yes, I’d appreciate it if you entertained a few of my thoughts," said the king. "First off, how on earth did you find a Hell-flame Fox within my kingdom? Please tell me that there isn’t some horde of them hidden away near here."

Jack showed a slight smile, amused by King Leodoro’s way to phrase the question, unsure if he was genuinely concerned for his people or concerned for his royal position. "I was lucky and, to my knowledge he’s the only one here."

"That’s good to hear," sighed the king, appearing more at ease. "Then, on to the real matters at hand. I’m sure you’re curious about who I really am, the arrogant man you met before or the simple king you met at the meeting moments ago, right?"

"You know how to get straight to the point, don’t you?"

"I don’t like to waste my time or yours. I’m a king, whether you accept me as your own ruler or not, and you’re a hero, whether I accept you as an affiliate of this kingdom or not. At the very least I think we can respect that much, right Jack."

"Correct, Leo," replied Jack, returning the casual tone.

"Great. You may not have sworn loyalty to me, but I want to keep a friendly relationship. I don’t think either of us would benefit from having another enemy," stated King Leodoro. "I want to know where you morally stand as a hero. Are you wanting to protect others, or are you only after strength and advancement like many heroes before you?"

"That depends on who the others are that need protecting. If they already have their own means of protection that’s working just fine, then why should I interfere."

"But what if their means of protection turned against them, then what would you do?" asked the king.

Jack hesitated. He pondered the possible meaning behind the king’s question and was shocked by the thought of the Royal Court turning against the people.

"Obviously, the Royal Court won’t turn on my people, not while I’m in charge," added Leodoro.

"But if you weren’t in charge? We could all sense some fear behind your earlier statements, so who could say you’d remain in power?" reasoned Jack.

"That’s why I ask, what would you do?"

"Me..." Jack took another second to put his thoughts together. "I’d do what I feel is best. If I feel that it’s unjust, then I might act, but I wouldn’t hold back against the aggressor."

King Leodoro smiled. "On to the next question. What’s your take on the chaos of the world? You may have not traveled much yet, but I’m sure others have filled you in considering your position in the association. Also, it would appear that some of the veterans of the branch heavily consider your opinion, especially for a new adventurer."

Jack chuckled, "Of course a king would be great at reading social cues. I understand enough to know that things are getting worse with time. What else can I say?"

"Since that meathead Zariff and the knowledgeable Rydel trust you, I’d like to do the same. You don’t need to trust me, but please let me hear your full opinion on this."

"Why are you so adamant to know more about me now? You had your chance before anyone else did? Are you regretting your decision?" sneered Jack, teasing the king.

"I can’t say I regret my decision, but not for the reasons you would think. To be honest, as much as I’d like to have the influence of a summoned hero in my court, I have no way of guaranteeing that you wouldn’t be influenced by that man instead of me. I prefer to have you here."

Startled by the king’s honesty, Jack replied, "Not was I was expecting to hear, but I can’t complain because I agree with that last part."

"Then tell me, why do they trust you so much as a new adventurer?" pled the king.

"I can’t say that much," stated Jack. "Like you said, I don’t need to trust you right now."

"Fair. I’m sure you’ve already got your secrets, considering the fact that you’ve already formed a mutual seal with a Hell-flame Fox and you’re trying to hide your level, which has rocketed to lv. 18 in a couple of weeks," mentioned King Leodoro with a cheeky smile.

"And I’m sure you love to know other people’s secrets, considering your ring of omniscience that lets you read into the finer details of other people’s items, levels, and more with only a glance, regardless if they conceal it," replied Jack.

King Leodoro leaned back, amazed that such a novice adventurer could instantly recognize one of his most well-kept secrets. He quickly realized that Jack shouldn’t be treated as a novice as he had done previously.

"Well, I should be getting back soon. If I’m gone too long, I’m sure Arnole will realize something is up. Lastly, I want you to know that tomorrow I have no intention of capturing you or framing you for anything. I hope you can do something to keep the Royal Court from winning this case," said the king.

"You want the Royal Court to lose that badly?"

"Yes, I do. Why else would I come here and mention how they plan to frame you using your fox. I’m sure you’ll come up with something to turn the tables." King Leodoro pushed off the table to stand up. "Do you have anything you’d like to ask me while I’m here? I can’t guarantee that you’ll see this side of me very often."

"Rykard was the former crown prince, wasn’t he?" asked Jack. "How did he die?"

A frown appeared on Leodoro’s visage. "According to the record, he and his small army were slain while on an official mission of the Royal Court. Off the record, I have evidence of poisoned rations and unauthorized changes in their positioning. There’s no hard evidence of anything else, but Arnole and his troops were stationed near those unauthorized coordinates and their alibi isn’t as solid as they believed it to be." The king’s voice trailed off, not wanting to explain anything else.

Surprised to get so much detail, Jack spoke up, "I’m sorry for your losses. I didn’t know the guy, but I’m certain he was far better a man than that idiot crown prince I met in Baltwood."

"He sure was," said the king. "I can count the number of people who know the truth on one hand, including you. As I said, you don’t need to trust me, but please let me trust you until you can. Thank you for your time and your thoughts. Good luck for tomorrow."

King Leodoro walked out without looking back, satisfied with the outcome of his surprise visit to the association building.

Jack continued to sit there as a couple of familiar faces walked back in and sat around him.

Zariff was the first to speak, "So, what do we do now that they know about Bowzer?"

"We tell the people the truth," answered Rydel. "If we announce it first and paint it as a positive in the public eye then Jack’s influence will increase instead of decrease like the Royal Court wants. And if the people side with the association, who controls a Hell-flame Fox, then the association can’t possibly challenge it too harshly."

"What do you think, brat?"

Jack kept staring at the wall, distracted by his thoughts. The two others waited for him to sigh and reply, "If there’s no other way, but let’s keep things interesting." He finally smiled, ready to pitch his plan.

 

Chapter 93

All was quiet in the association building; most people had just begun to wake up to the rising sun. A knock came to a certain door.

"Come in you old fart!"

Zariff chuckled as he pushed the door open and saw both Rydel and Jack already up, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. "I take it you’re ready?"

"Of course," said Rydel. "Let’s get this over with."

They clumped together as they made their way through the halls and past the reception desk. As they did, a voice cried out from behind the desk, "Good luck with the trial. Don’t try anything stupid, Jack."

Jack smiled wide when he heard Maura’s comment and turned to face her. Sadly, by the time he looked back she was already nose-deep in her first pile of paperwork. He sighed and followed the big man out the front door in silence.

There was no foot traffic so it didn’t take long for them to reach the palace. They made sure to arrive early so they could go through the proper protocol and get checked.

Most people would have to remove all possible weapons, but as members of the Adventurers Association, they only had to inform the guards of what types of weapons they were carrying. So long as it didn’t resemble anything like a bomb, which caused massive AOE damage, they were allowed in.

They passed security without any trouble and found themselves waiting in a building on the outskirts of the palace. That building was the Royal Courthouse, used for trials of all kinds. Soon, it would be their turn to stand before the assigned judge and plea their case.

"Are you ready, brat? A lot of this is riding on you and that fox of yours, so don’t blow it," stated Zariff.

"Don’t worry, we got this in the bag." Jack smiled, showing some unnatural excitement. "If Leo was right about him not being able to control the Royal Court, then I’m sure the king won’t be able to head the meeting. It’ll probably be Arnole in charge of the hearing."

"Whatever, just stick to the plan and we’ll find a way to make it work. Since we’re association members, they can’t treat us easily, so there’s a good chance we can win this one," reminded Rydel. "I’ll handle most of the talking, you just did your thing."

"Yeah, yeah, we’ll wait for the right moment; won’t we Bowzer?"

Bowzer’s head bobbed up and down with a big smile. They could all see the excitement oozing out of the fox pup. ’Bowzer ready!’

’Not yet, okay? You’ve got to wait till I tell you,’ reminded Jack.

’Okay.’ Bowzer did his best to contain his obvious excitement.

"Jack and Rydel of the Adventurers Association come forward!" a guard shouted into the waiting hall. "Jack and Rydel, to the courtroom?"

All three adventurers stood tall and took their time to enter the courtroom. The same guard who called them earlier was about to yell for them again, but he quickly noticed their high levels and the massive man in the middle of the three.

"Thank you ... for your patience," stammered the guard as they passed him to enter the room.

They paid the guard no attention and entered without hesitation. As they walked up the center aisle the crowd had their eyes glued to them, especially the Jack who was making his first public appearance as a summoned hero.

The judge’s seat was still vacant. There were guards everywhere, each armed and ready to intervene at the drop of a hat.

At the side of the plaintiff sat Fronks and another captain of the guard. They glance at the arriving adventurers and scoffed quietly.

To Jack’s surprise, he saw no jury; there wasn’t even a place a jury could sit. He instantly realized that the entire case would be up to whoever was selected as the judge, making things more difficult and complicated.

Jack leaned in to ask, "What level are these guards?"

"Most are at least lv. 20 but there are three above lv. 30 spread out between each exit of the room, not including the captain sitting next to Fronks," whispered Zariff. "It would seem they have more lv. 30’s then they let on."

The crowd was filled with whispers and muffled comments about the coming trial. Of course, each person allowed to witness the trial had a considerable backing and a fair amount of power within the city. Well, known nobles filled the seats, paying extra to guarantee they could witness such a groundbreaking trial. Whoever won this would gain a huge boost in public influence, and the loser would lose considerable face.

It wasn’t long before a Guard Captain stepped forward and asked for the crowd to be silent. As it quieted down, the back door behind the guard opened and in walked Arnole. The mage smiled and said, "I’ve come to personally witness this trial and maintain fairness to whichever party is the most just. I hope you all are okay with this." He sat down before had time to reply.

"Sure, so long as we can finally end this trial instead of prolonging it like before," stated Zariff. "As you can see, I’ve produced both Rydel and Jack like you’ve asked. Now, nothing is preventing us from ending this today."

"I agree," said Arnole. "Today, this will finally come to an end."

Fronks stood up and called out, "We would like to call our first witness to the stand."

A man near the front of the audience stood up and made his way to the stand with no emotion on his face. He sat down quietly and met Fronks eye-to-eye. There was an unspoken signal sent between them, marking that he was fully prepared to speak what needed to be said.

Approaching the witness stand, Fronks smirked and asked, "What are your name, occupation, and social level?"

"My name is Loranzo Curtall. I’m the chief manager of the Curtall Trade Caravan and a member of the Curtall Noble Family."

"Why is it that you’ve been called here today?"

"To bear my personal witness of the events which happened over a week ago involving those two men and yourself."

"Good, and you hereby swear on the name of Halmut to recount the truth and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes, of course, captain." Loranzo nodded, waiting patiently for the first question.

"How did such an event start?" asked Fronks.

"Me and the others in my caravan saw them speaking with your guards," said Loranzo. "I was busy handling a few issues of my own so I didn’t hear the conversation, but I did hear the twang of a bow and saw that young man Jack launch an arrow aimed at you on your platform. Since he’s so low-leveled he missed of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that he shot at a captain of the guard."

"And what did Rydel do during this?"

"He watched Jack take the shot and smiled. Then he also took two shots in your direction, but these were obviously aimed at the hinges of the gate’s door, which shattered instantly. With that as a diversion, the two of them hurried away out of the city while the guards were left dealing with the damage caused."

Fronks smirked, "And those damages were?"

"First of all, the heavy gate door was destroyed. It fell and splintered against anything and everything in its way as it toppled over. The same door knocked over the guards’ platform, crushed a couple of wagons, one of which was my own, and caused each trade caravan a day of travel just to wait for the heavy door to be removed. Luckily, there were no major injuries caused in all this, much due to the guards quickly acting on the situation."

Hearing the list of damages, both Rydel and Jack wince slightly. At the moment, they knew shooting the door down would cause a lot of trouble, but it would always feel worse when you hear the exact damages and not an estimated guess.

"Is there anything else that should be brought before the court according to your knowledge?" asked Fronks.

"No, nothing besides the terrible damages that they caused for no good reason." Loranzo rolled his eyes at the two adventurers across the courtroom. "Now, if I may, I must get back to work."

"Of course, thank you for cooperation." Fronks motioned for Loranzo leave.

As Loranzo stood, about to exit the booth, a voice called out, "Don’t we also get to speak with the witness?"

Fronks and Loranzo hesitated and looked back to the defendants’ table and saw Rydel stand up. Arnole spoke up, "Of course you may. Please, wait a little longer, Loranzo."

The caravan chief returned to his seat, trying to imagine what sort of questions Rydel may ask him after he stated his case. Unknown to him, Rydel and the others had guessed a similar testimony would be given and had their strategy of defense.

 

Chapter 94

Rydel strode towards the witness stand, crossing Fronks as he returned to the plaintiffs’ table. The hunter smiled as genuinely as possible and looked Loranzo in eye. "You said it caused damages to your own cart as well? What kind of damages?"

"When the guards’ platform fell, it crashed into the side of our wagon, crushing a wheel and an axle. We had to bring another wagon to replace it for our journey while we repaired it," answered Loranzo, not daring to stray from the truth.

"And you never heard anything of our conversation with the other guards?"

"No, not over the ruckus of my party."

"Oh, that’s a shame," replied Rydel, glancing at Fronks. "It was a very informative conversation, but I guess I get to that later. How did the damages cost you to fix the wagon?"

"Almost thirty gold in total; we have custom wagons that built to travel between neighboring countries while maintaining the level of luxury my noble house prefers."

"I can understand that; sounds like a fair price to me." Rydel didn’t have to ask if the price was exaggerated, because he had already assumed all prices mentioned against them would be. "Since you were also a day late on your journey, how much did you assume that the extra day of travel costed you in the end?"

Loranzo relaxed a little since there appeared to be no trap interlaid in Rydel’s questions. "We arrived late for our deal and were charged an extra fifty gold by the other party for forcing them to pay an extra night’s stay. It was another family from the Zuran Empire and we always meet in the middle, on the border to save us both the hassle of entering the other’s country. I’m sure you understand how difficult that can be."

"Sounds like a smart plan of trade to me." Rydel nodded and stroked his chin. "And you mentioned another party had their wagon damaged as well? I imagine they are also in the room, so could you please point them out to me?"

Without hesitation, Loranzo lifted a finger toward the crowd, at the next witness the Fronks had prepared. "Anything else? I believe you’ve everything I can think of."

"No, nothing else but in total, the damages caused to you were worth a total of eighty-five gold, right?"

"Right."

"Very well, I have no more questions. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule." Rydel gave a slight bow before he walked back to his seat.

Unsure of what Rydel was hoping to accomplish with his unaccusatory questions, Loranzo stood and left the stand, quickly making his way through the courtroom and out the door.

"Fronks," Arnole addressed the plaintiffs’ table, "please bring up your next witness."

Like clockwork, Fronks called for the same man that Loranzo had pointed out and asked the same questions to condemn Rydel and Jack, receiving the same answers from a second source. And again, Rydel stepped up to ask the same questions, figuring out the cost of everything and not refuting any blame.

Next, Fronks asked for no further witnesses and waited to react to Rydel’s witnesses.

The first witness called from the defendants was Fronks, who smiled and waltzed up to the stand, eager to answer the questions prepared for him.

"Fronks, why did insist on searching us regardless of the fact that we were members of the Adventurers Association?" asked Rydel.

"Because, just that morning the Royal Court had passed a law stating that everyone must go through search, no matter their origin. In a neighboring country, a capital was invaded by a well-known trader and traveler with a great reputation who was possessed," answered Fronks. "That man was the vessel for a demon to pollute the entire city’s water source and summon a small band of monsters within city walls. Since then, we’ve decided to double down on security."

"And how come the Adventurers Association wasn’t informed of this before you acted against us? Or why wasn’t it brought up the moment you tried to stop us?" Rydel glared at the stone-faced Fronks.

"Because we had to inform everyone in the city, which can’t be done all at once. By the end of the night, we were able to reach the association building, just ask your chief over there." Fronks shrugged, acting like it was just protocol, not daring to reveal the fact that the same law was passed after the incident and quickly dispersed before nightfall. He waited anxiously to refute Rydel’s claim against the law’s legitimacy.

Rydel shook his head and sighed, "Well, how much have the damages costed the Royal Court?"

Confused by the lack of pushback he was getting, Fronks replied, "About two hundred gold for another door to be commissioned, and another hundred gold for the platform to be remade. Including some minor issues, it came to about three hundred and fifty gold."

"That sounds about right to me," mentioned Rydel acting like he was doing some mental math. "So, it totaled three hundred and fifty gold for the Royal Court to cover the damages caused?"

"Yes."

"Good, then I have no more questions. Feel free to have a seat, unless you feel like questioning yourself in front of everyone," joked Rydel as he stepped back, leaving Fronks plenty of room to exit the stand.

Fronks scratched his head and slowly returned to his seat, curious about Rydel’s plan to overcome this.

"I’d like to call Jack to the stand, please."

As Jack neared the stand after Rydel’s command, everyone in the courtroom glued their attention to him yet again, especially anxious to see how this would end with Rydel not refuting any blame.

"Jack, recount the experience for all us." Rydel leaned casually up against the witness stand, already sure of Jack’s story.

"We were trying to hurry and leave the city but the captain here stopped us, saying we needed to be searched," stated Jack. "When we asked for a reason, he said it was a new procedure and never mentioned a new law being passed. We were in a hurry and he seemed to be wasting our time and forcing his will upon me, so I acted. I drew my bow and shot an arrow, not at him but at the hinge of the door, which I did hit. Then you did the same, shattering the hinges easily and bringing the door toppling down."

"Were there many wagons or caravans around?" asked Rydel.

"Of course, when isn’t there wagons and caravans near the city exits?" answered Jack, acting like he was stating the obvious.

"And did you witness any of the damages caused personally?"

"Like I said, we were in a hurry, so I didn’t waste time looking back on my actions. All I knew was that the door toppled over and was leaning towards the guards’ platform. We were long gone before we could see anything else."

"So, you admit to instigating these damages?"

"Yes, I’m guilty of that."

"And I was also guilty of causing the same damages?"

"Yes, you’re also guilty of that."

"Good," replied Rydel, brandishing a large smile for everyone to see.

The crowd, the plaintiffs, and even Arnole were all shocked by Jack’s admittance of guilt. As the two adventurers accepted all blame without a single sentence of rebuttal, the courtroom was silent.

"If I may," Zariff stood up and called for everyone’s attention. "The association accepts full blame this and offers to pay for all damages and any possible expenses caused by the incident."

Suddenly, a massive leather bag appeared in Zariff’s outstretched hand. He unfurled his fingers around it and let it crash to the table. As it hit the table with the thud, gold spilled out and clattered over the table and floor.

"These six hundred gold coins should be able to cover everything, right?" Zariff stared at Arnole, waiting for his reply.

"This is... unorthodox. So, the Adventurers Association is declaring themselves guilty and wishes to cover all costs?" reiterated Arnole. "I can accept the payment and lighten the punishment, but there must be something to stop you from causing you to just act out without reason."

"But we did have a reason."

Jack’s sudden statement demanded immediate attention from Arnole and everyone else. Arnole questioned, "Then what reason did you have for this. What was more important than destroying the property of the Royal Court and others, and fleeing before facing the repercussions?"

"Because I had to catch a Hell-flame Fox."

Silence blanketed over the room, not even breathing was audible. Such a statement brought rise to everyone’s worst fears, beginning from the tales of their childhood. It was a fear so terrible, that the only way to most accurately depict it and stay sane, was in fairy tales.

"I’ll say it again, I had to catch a Hell-flame Fox. I’m sure you’d rather us catch it than fight it off directly, right?" Jack began to speak again, not waiting for Arnole.

"True, but you must have evidence of such a—"

An abrupt heatwave passed through the room the moment Bowzer leaped off Jack’s shoulder and expanded to larger than a troll for everyone to see. His flame body mesmerized the crowd, filling them with anxiety, fear, and awe all at once.

Chapter 95

As if in a trance, everyone paid close attention to the flaming fox before them. Many froze in fear, terrified that a Hell-flame Fox had existed and lived so close to them, let alone inside the city. Some were stricken awe, unable to look away from the beautiful living flames at the center of the courtroom.

Fronks’ jaw dropped the moment Bowzer expanded his young fox form in a hulking flame. Even the battle-hardened captain of the guard was on the verge of soiling his armor in fear.

Arnole stood up and stared at the beast. He didn’t appear to be surprised but concerned. As to what he was concerned for, no one could tell.

"That’s enough Bowzer!" Jack extended his hand and held up the back of his palm as he commanded. A sudden light appeared there, in the form of a seal.

At the same time, the seal on Bowzer’s head shone brightly for all to see. Bowzer quickly shrank down to his usual size and leaped back onto the witness stand. He kept his chest puffed up, proud of his newly asserted dominance of the crowd.

"As you can see, he’s my beast companion and will do as I say," Jack continued his spiel. "Now, you don’t need to worry about facing such a threat, instead you’ll have him and myself by your side at times of crisis."

"That may be true, but it appears that this fox is still a youth. Why would you be in such a hurry to stop a fox pup when we can already handle that much?" reasoned Arnole.

"What about a fully-grown Hell-flame Fox?" asked Jack with a wry smile. "If I can prove that we faced a fully-grown Hell-flame Fox, would that be enough to clear the charges?"

Arnole hesitated and slowed himself to not blurt out his unfiltered thoughts, so it took a second for him to reply. "If that’s true, then I would be grateful for your services to protect the city. Clearly, a fully-grown Hell-flame Fox would cause far more damage to the city then what you’ve done, but can you prove such a thing?"

The mage was confident that Jack and Rydel would never have the ability to face a fully-grown Hell-flame Fox, whose every appearance in history is marked by calamity. If they had faced one not too far from city walls and went unseen, that would be too ridiculous to imagine.

Jack smiled and nodded to Rydel, who retrieved a pelt from his storage without batting an eye. The young hero looked back to Arnole and asked, "Is this enough proof?"

All eyes were on the large fur pelt in Rydel’s hands. At a glance, it seemed like any other fox, but upon inspection, there were many similarities between the pelt and Bowzer’s youthful fur coat.

Doing his best to recognize the fur coat, Arnole stared at it intently. At times he thought it was from a simple brown fox, but there were some discerning differences, like a few streaks of bright red on the underbelly. They were faint, but they looked to be in the shape of flames. He compared it with Bowzer’s proudly puffed-up chest and saw subtle hints of the same subtle design growing into Bowzer’s fur.

"If you were curious, that one was Bowzer’s mother," Jack continued. "I won’t go into details about our battle, but I’m sure your imagination can fill in the rest."

"How were you able to do this? How could you defeat something so fearsome without us knowing or noticing anything?" asked Arnole.

"Hunters aren’t known for killing in public, they’re known for killing in private and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Why else would they send Rydel and let me follow along to learn?" answered Jack, following the script that he and the others made the night before. "Are you satisfied with this evidence or not? I think the people are glad to not have calamity strike or have their homes leveled in a wave of flame."

Sighing heavily, Arnole stated, "It would appear that you’re not lying, but how can we guarantee that you didn’t paint that on the coat? We would need to—"

"That’s why we asked for help." As Jack finished his sentence, the courtroom doors flung open.

In walked a large man, head and shoulders above the average man and rivaled only by Zariff in terms of heavy muscles. A wide smile was on his bearded face as he strolled in and made himself at home. "Finally! If this is what you say it is, I’ll have to buy it off you no matter the price!"

"Calm down, Tridon. For now, we need you to examine and compare the pup with this pelt." Rydel cut to the chase, not daring to open up a can of worms and discuss valuable exchanges publicly. "We all need to know, is it genuine?"

Tridon chuckled and snatched the pelt from Rydel, examining its every detail. He combed his fingers through the fine fur and took in a deep whiff of its scent. After two minutes, he lowered the pelt and walked up to the podium, eyes wide in excitement.

Bowzer stepped back out of reflex, but he let the man get close like he promised Jack during their late-night planning session. To make things easier, Bowzer jumped onto Tridon’s arm and walked onto the man’s shoulder.

Seeing that Bowzer was so willing, Tridon’s excite grew. Taking advantage of the situation, Tridon thoroughly analyzes the young fox and began comparing it with the fox pelt in his other hand.

Five minutes passed slowly as the courtroom watched the muscular man seemingly playing with the young fox that had burst into flames moments ago. Almost everyone there was too afraid to get near Bowzer, let alone pet and play with him.

"So, what’s the verdict?" Jack’s question broke the silence.

"These two are definitely the same breed, possibly relatives like you said," answered Tridon. "I’d love to examine them further and try to learn more about the mysteries of the Hell-flame Foxes, but I’ll have to request that you visit my home in the future."

"Maybe, depends on how much free time I have in the near future." Jack didn’t want the man to lose face since he did them a last-minute favor, but he had no intention of letting anyone experiment with Bowzer, following Zariff’s warnings about Tridon specifically.

"I look forward to it," beamed Tridon. The massive man nodded to Arnole, Zariff, and Rydel before he turned around and walked back toward the crowd. He didn’t leave and he couldn’t find a seat so instead, he stood there in the aisle, anxiously waiting for the end of the trial and a chance to chat with Jack personally.

Arnole kept his neutral face, not showing appreciation or unappreciation. "Since Tridon’s well known as the kingdom’s best hunter and breeder, his opinion about the pelt will be heavily considered."

"And the money? Will the wealthy Royal Court really take our money when we prevented immeasurable amounts of damage to the city?" reasoned Jack, milking the situation for everything he could.

"Fine, that will also be under consideration," added Arnole. "Originally, we had wanted to end this today, but I think it’ll take me a little while longer to decide the ultimate punishment for your rash, yet heroic actions. Give me one day to deduce the final sentence and announce it to the public."

"Thank you," Rydel and Jack replied in unison.

"Wait for my announcement tomorrow; until then you’re free to go!" Arnole slammed a gavel on the judge’s podium before quickly exiting without another word.

Many of the noble bystanders were at a crossroads of emotion. Some were too terrified by Bowzer to approach or near Jack, while others were desirous to risk befriending Jack in the hope of gaining some future benefit.

Zariff anticipated their thoughts easily and was already prepared to deal with them. He retrieved a flask, chugged it empty, and yelled, "Make way! We don’t have time for your squabbling! If you want to meet the brat, then you’ll have to send a request to the branch office. If you don’t follow the usual procedure, don’t blame us for unusual treatment."

The moment he finished speaking, the aisle down the middle of the crowd cleared up, giving them easy access to the door. Only Tridon remained, still standing tall in front of the door.

"What do you want? You already got to examine the beast," asked Zariff.

"You know what I want, I’ll do anything to get it," answered Tridon. "First off, I need that pelt. And second, I want some of the little one’s blood."

"No and no," chimed Jack. "We’ve completed our deal, so that’ll be that."

"But I NEED those things, boy. As Tridon Salendar, master hunter and breeder I have the greatest collection of specimens this side of the world! With only a single drop of that pup’s blood, it might become the greatest in all the continent." Tridon didn’t move, more stubborn than an ox.

 

Chapter 96

Zariff reached out and placed a hand on Tridon’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Sorry friend, but we can’t do that. The association will be paying Rydel a handsome sum for that pelt, and that pup is under the association’s watch and Jack’s. Unless either of them agrees wholeheartedly, you’ll never get any blood or a chance to inspect him. You’re lucky that you even got to handle him."

When he finished explaining things, Zariff moved the thinking Tridon to the side and led the others through the door. They made it out but halfway down the hall, a shout from the courtroom door reached them.

"Don’t think this means I won’t get my hands on those things! You know me Zariff; once my mind is set on something, nothing in the world can stop me from getting it, not even you!"

Letting out a sigh, Zariff and the others pushed forward unfazed. In the back of his head, Zariff was unsure how far Tridon would be willing to go. Considering their great friendship and the association’s direct involvement, Zariff doubted that Tridon would try anything too far-fetched, but he had a sliver of doubt and worry as well.

It was almost noon by the time they returned to the shelter of the association building, dodging crowds, people, and further questioning. As they walked in, they were greeted by a familiar, "Well, how’d it go?"

"Like expected we handled it flawlessly," Jack responded and turned to see Maura, but was surprised to find Slivia instead, buried in paperwork. "Wait, where’s Maura?"

"Are you looking for me?" The familiar voice from earlier drifted over from the bar. "What? You’re not happy to see Sliv on the first day of her new job?"

"No! It’s not that..." stammered Jack, trying to backpedal the conversation. He leaned on the reception desk and spoke softly, "You... you’re the new receptionist? What about adventuring and finding the man who saved you?"

Feeling Jack’s sudden closeness, Slivia lifted her head from the papers and realized she was being talked to. "Um, sorry... what were you saying? I’m trying to hurry and finish the last of this paperwork before my shift ends."

"Your shift?"

"Yeah, I have the morning shift and Maura taking the afternoon. That’s what we decided." Slivia glanced at Maura and smiled, happy to have a sisterly figure back in her life.

"Oh, I didn’t know that." Jack stood back up as nonchalantly as his nervousness let him. "So you’re almost off then, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Slivia looked up to Jack, keeping her genuine smile.

"Well, I’ve was planning to look for something important and I thought it would help to have someone else help me," stated Jack.

"Oh... well, I guess I could—"

"Ya need help finding something?" Another familiar voice called out from the bar. "I’m sure me and Rydel can help ya find it real quick."

"Actually, I think I’m fine with only one person helping me," responded Jack, trying to cut the idea short.

"Oh, then Rydel would be perfect with his eagle eye and everything."

"I think Slivia’s help will be more than enough," stated Jack, string down the samurai and mental saying, ’Shut up! I’m trying to ask her out!’

Both Rydel and Maynard exploded into laughter, catching the rest off guard. Rydel waltzed over to the seat between Maynard and Maura. He waved and said, "Well, I hope you two enjoy your date!"

"I didn’t say that—"

"I’ll come," Slivia replied instantly the moment she realized what Jack was trying to do. "I’ll be ready in thirty minutes, so why don’t you get something to eat. You missed breakfast, right?"

Jack clutched his empty stomach and chuckled, "Okay, I’ll grab a bite to eat in the meantime."

"Great, then it’s a date!" Slivia giggled and got back to work, hiding the fact that she enjoyed seeing Jack’s blushing face.

Following Rydel’s example, Jack claimed the last open seat on the other side of Maura. He leaned in against the bar, catching a whiff of the lacquer from recent repairs. To his surprise, there was a woman in the kitchen area, secluded behind the bar.

He stared at the women for a moment before a heavy hand landed on Jack’s shoulder. "Get something for the brat. This one’s on the house!" The entire room went quiet as all eyes stared at their branch chief as if he had gone mad. "What? The brat saved me six hundred gold, that’s worth a cheap lunch."

As Zariff’s laughs filled the room, everyone relaxed and got a good chuckle.

"Coming right up!" yelled the woman. Suddenly, her speed increased three times over. She flew across the kitchen, gliding past wood-lit stoves, countertops, and cutting boards. Within minutes, she exited the kitchen with a plate in hand. "Here you go, a lunch fit for a hero."

Jack got a good look at the woman’s face. She seemed familiar, but he knew that he’d never met her before. The woman was beautiful, with an air of maturity to her that proved she had aged well, like a fine wine.

When he saw the plate, his mouth began to water for the first time since he was summoned. There was a perfectly cooked, medium-rare steak with an array of roasted potatoes and onions on the side, with a mushroom gravy to top it all off. The aroma was intoxicating, causing his mind to drift in anticipation of the first bite.

"Hey! I said, ’cheap lunch,’ not the best in the house!" yelled Zariff, stubborn as always.

"You know he deserves it, and this won’t dent your six hundred gold," reasoned the woman, staring down Zariff as she placed the food in front of Jack. "But since you’ve managed to hold onto some coin from a planned expense, you and I will have to chat about some possible ways to use the funds."

Zariff immediately shrunk back, shaking his head rapidly. "On second thought, the brat deserves a good meal. I better hurry up and store this gold before I forget about it." Without hesitation Zariff dashed upstairs, fleeing the scene.

Jack was too busy enjoying his meal to pay attention to the conversation between Zariff and the woman, but he was shocked to see Zariff take off without even defending himself.

Before he could process the situation, the woman turned back to him and smiled. She slid him a cup and asked, "So, you’re the hero everyone’s been talking about?"

Accepting the cup, Jack took a sip and was delighted to taste the exotic alcohol. He returned her glance and replied, "Yup, that’s me. I’m still new around here, but I’m glad to be a part of the association."

"And what do you think of the branch chief? Has he been giving you a hard time?" The woman put her hands on the bar and leaned in, showing off her curvy figure. "He has a habit of messing around with new members, especially if he likes them."

"Nah, he’s hard on the outside but he’s as soft as a teddy bear. The old fart has his moments and I always make sure to avoid those, but he’s a great guy when you need him." Jack shrugged and took another bite.

"And what about his daughter, Maura? I’m sure you know each other well, based on her earlier comments," asked the women, tilting her head ever so slightly to appear all the more seductive.

"Hmph!" Jack coughed and pounded his chest, trying to keep down the food he had just swallowed. "I... I know her. She’s a good friend I guess," he muttered and grabbed the cup to occupy his mouth, not wanting to say anything else.

"Oh? Only a friend? You don’t see her as anything else—"

"Mom! That’s enough!" yelled Maura, pounding her fist on the bar hard enough to rattle the cups and plates.

Suddenly, Jack spat out his drink and coughed harshly to clear his throat in surprise. "M-Mom!?"

The woman giggled, "Sweetie, you know I’m asking for your own good. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something that you—"

"I said enough!" shouted Maura, anxious to stay out of her mother’s schemes.

"You’re... her mother? So that means... you’re with that old fart?" asked Jack, hesitant to ask further.

"My husband may act like an idiot at times, but he has his redeeming qualities as well. As for my daughter, you still haven’t answered my question. You never imagined anything beyond friendship?"

"I... um..." Jack was at a loss for words as the entire room was focused on him thanks to Maura’s loud interjections. He even looked back to see Slivia’s gaze tracking his every action and reaction. At this moment, he just wanted to disappear.

"You know what, you two should get going before the streets get too crowded by the noon rush. Take off now and I’ll finish up the rest. Okay?" Maura interrupted again, forcibly pushing Jack off his chair towards the reception desk. "Enjoy your date!"

Jack didn’t waste a second to grab his opportunity to leave. He took Slivia by the hand, pulled her out from behind the desk, and rushed through the doorway.

The awkward, tense atmosphere passed over quickly and everyone resumed their previous activities. Maura sat at the bar, hurriedly finishing her plate to leave.

The woman sighed, "Why do you do this? If you want to get to know him, you’ll have to try better than that."

"Who said I want to know him better?" stated Maura, placing her fork on the now empty plate. "Thanks for the food, but I’m needed at the front desk."

While Maura got comfortable behind her desk, Maynard called out, "Marisha, what are ya up to this time?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." Marisha took Maura’s empty plate and Jack still full plate back to the kitchen, lightly shaking head as she returned to her kitchen duties.

 

Chapter 97

The moment Jack exited the association building with Slivia in tow, he felt a tug on his arm. He stopped and looked back to see her smiling from ear-to-ear.

"So, what do you have planned?" asked Slivia.

"Well, like I said, I’ve got to look for something and it would help to have another set of eyes on hand," replied Jack, still showing some pink in his cheeks.

"Can we get some food first? I haven’t had lunch yet, and you left without finishing your food, right?"

Jack chuckled and scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess that’s fine. How about there?" He pointed across the street to Jezelle’s.

With a quick nod, Slivia grabbed Jack’s arm and let him lead the way. He took a deep breath as they crossed the dirt road, calming his surprise from Slivia suddenly getting so close to him. The moment they entered, the scent of booze and roasted meat passed over them, enticing them both and leading them to some open seats at the bar.

In a flash, Jezelle herself appeared from the back and approached the couple. "Well, well, it seems like you’re doing well for yourself nowadays. What can I get you to drink?"

Jack was about to respond when Slivia answered in his stead. "Two brundies and two house specials. Only the best for our first date."

Jezelle smiled when she realized how confident Slivia was in claiming Jack as her own. "Of course, only the best for the lovely couple," replied Jezelle before she vanished without another word, catching Jack off guard.

Slivia looked back to Jack and asked, "I’m sure a great hero like you can afford a simple special for your date, right? Anyways, I’m glad you finally asked me out. I almost gave up hope."

Not having enough time to think about Jezelle’s slight coldness to him, Jack responded, "Yeah, don’t worry about the meal, I can take care of it."

"Good, if not then I’d have been disappointed," laughed Slivia.

When he saw her light-hearted smile, Jack was taken aback and paused all trains of thought. He was amazed at how close he had suddenly become with Slivia, and shocked at how their relationship was like this despite their recent lack of interactions.

"Hello, Jack?"

Slivia’s remark woke Jack from his daydreams of her smile and laughter. "Oh, sorry I spaced out for a moment there."

"So, what’s the answer?" asked Slivia.

"Answer? To what?"

"Jack, you’re going to make me ask you again? Don’t you know how embarrassing it is for a girl to ask you how you feel about here and ignore her?"

"No, no, that’s not what I was doing!" answered Jack.

"Then why are you making me ask again?" repeated Slivia.

"I wasn’t ignoring you, I swear!" reaffirmed Jack. "Why would I ignore the girl I like? That would be the stupidest thing." As soon as the words left Jack’s mouth, his eyes went wide and he was jaw went slack. He realized that he had said too much.

While he was stammering and unable to saying anything more, Slivia started giggling. "Wow, you’re more honest than I thought."

"Well, I try, I guess," said Jack with a red face. "I’m not always the, uhh... best at sharing my feelings."

"Really?" asked Slivia. She gave him a once over, stunned to see a completely new side of Jack. "I didn’t expect you to be so different."

"What do you mean? Do you not like me?" questioned Jack with a rushed tone.

"No, I like you too," answered Slivia with a blushing grin, "but you’re not like how you were in the mine. Then, you were confident in everything and were brave enough to invade the goblin castle on your own. Seeing you so shy now, I’m amazed that you’re the same person."

"I-I..." stammered Jack, unable to think of a reply.

"Sorry about the wait." Suddenly, Jezelle reappeared with two mugs and two plates in hand. "I’m sure you two will enjoy it, though maybe not as much as your company." With a wink to Slivia, Jezelle vanished as quickly as she appeared.

"Finally." Slivia took a big whiff of the roast beef’s aroma before nodding to Jack and waiting for him to start eating.

With a nervous chuckle, he nodded and grabbed the fork on the side of the plate. Both of them took their time with the meal, enjoying the mashed potatoes and savoring the roast beef.

Slivia was the first to finish her meal but Jack was already on his second brundy and avoiding any conversation. She noticed this and waited patiently for him to finish his plate. Soon after he was done with the meal, he attempted to grab his mug but was surprised to grab Slivia’s hand instead.

"I’m still thirsty but don’t want a full mug. Can I have a sip?" asked Slivia, tilting her head to show her natural charm.

"Of-of course, go right ahead." He let her take the mug and finish the little that was left in it.

She wiped her mouth and quietly placed the cup back down with a sigh. "Why don’t you want to talk to me now? I thought you wanted to take me out?"

Jack held his breath as he looked back at her puppy dog eyes. He swallowed some saliva in his throat before he replied, "I... I’m not very experienced with girls if you haven’t noticed."

"Oh, believe me, I’ve noticed," giggled Slivia. "That’s fine. I’m just surprised, you’re like a completely different person than the Jack I know."

"Sorry to disappoint you," sighed Jack as he lowered his head.

"I’m not."

That quick reply was a jolt to Jack’s senses, causing him to sit up and stare at the girl beside him dumbfoundedly.

"I’m not disappointed at all. If anything, I’m happy. I can tell you’re not trying to hide anything from me, which is a lot more than everyone else that asks me out," explained Slivia. "Oh, I forgot to ask, how old are you?"

"I... I’m twenty-two," replied Jack, still dazed from Slivia’s simple reply. "And you?"

"Hmph." Suddenly a light jab hit Jack in the side of his arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Don’t you know to never ask a woman her age?" Slivia showed a slight frown and crossed her arms. Jack was about to speak up but she added in a whisper for only Jack’s ears, "Twenty-three. I’m twenty-three."

He rubbed his arm with a smile. "And you don’t mind that I’m younger? I heard that some girls are against that or that--"

"I don’t mind," Slivia cut him off. "As long as it’s you, I’m okay with that."

Jack froze again, unsure how he should reply. A moment of silence was shared before he cleared his throat and said, "Well, we should get going if we want to find the place I’m looking for." He rushed to his feet, left the money on the bar, and turned towards the door.

She sighed, disappointed that he hadn’t said anything to acknowledge her feelings. Suddenly, a warm hand reach out and wrapped around her fingers as she turned to follow him,

"Shall we go?" Jack looked at her with a smile, still unable to control his blushing face.

Slivia nodded and giggled to herself as they left the tavern.

Just then a voice rang out in Jack’s mind. ’Me want see Sliv too! Can me come out now?’

Jack laughed and patted his side through his cloak. ’Sure, you can come out now. Besides, I’ll need your help to track something.’

Rustling sounds were heard as Bowzer poked his head out the cloak and leaped to the ground.

"There you are!" Slivia rushed to pick up the kid fox and brush her fingers through his fur. "I still find it hard to believe that you’re a Hell-flame Fox. How did you two meet, anyway?"

"I’ll explain that on the way, but first I need his help." Jack quickly removed his storage necklace and held it in front of Bowzer. "Can you pick up the scent?"

With a quick sniff, Bowzer nodded and rushed through the streets under the midday sun with Jack and Slivia following close behind as they discussed Jack’s first meeting with Bowzer. The young fox took them through some alleys to rush past the crowded streets and they soon neared the west gate.

Considering Jack’s fast rise to fame, the city guards let him pass without a single word and went about their own business.

"Jack, where are you taking me? What are you planning?" asked Slivia with innocence in her eyes.

"It’s not like that, we’re tracking another fallen hero. Remember the tomb we found in the mine? This time, it’s the original owner of this necklace. Without Bowzer leading the way, who knows how long it would take to find it," explained Jack. "Also, since the owner was a girl, I wonder if she left behind anything that might interest you."

Slivia smiled softly and asked, "How do you know she was a girl?"

"Ummm... It’s a hero thing, someday I’ll explain to you and the others."

’Jack, over there,’ said Bowzer as he left the main road and led them into the thickest parts of the surrounding forest.

Chapter 98

As the small party left the main road, the sounds of some distant animals were heard. Slivia frowned slightly. "Jack, are you sure about this?"

"Of course, don’t worry about it. Nothing’s strong enough to threaten us around here," replied Jack. "Now, both me and Bowzer are lv. 18 and can protect you from anything."

"Okay," agreed Slivia. She held Jack’s hand a little tighter as they went further into the forest.

On the way, they passed a few animals and even fought a few grey wolves, if you could call Bowzer one-shotting the wolves and trying to eat them alive. It took some bribing, but Jack was able to convince Bowzer to leave the corpses until they finished with the hidden tomb since they were nearly there.

It was already late afternoon with the sun beginning to set when Bowzer slowed and came to halt. ’Here.’

Jack let go of Slivia’s hand and approached the center of the small clearing. There were some large rocks and a few fallen trees, but it appeared completely normal.

He removed his storage the necklace and, like before, sliced the palm of his hand to coat the necklace in blood. After he deemed it to be enough, Jack wrapped his hand in bandages to stop the blood loss.

Slivia already expected this, but nonetheless, she hated to see that part of the ritual.

"I command thee, show me thine owner!" recited Jack, holding the necklace in front of him.

The blood began to glow as it seeped into the necklace. Soon, the necklace itself glowed instead, marking that they were near the tomb’s entrance.

Jack pointed in every direction and eventually walked toward a large rock that was lodged in the ground. As the necklace grew brighter, Jack’s smile got wider. He circled the boulder and eventually pressed the necklace against one of its sides.

Though Slivia had seen such a sight before, she was still in awe as she saw the face of the boulder deteriorate at a visible speed and leave an opening and a narrow staircase going into the depths of the rock.

Bowzer hopped back onto Jack’s shoulder as they entered with Slivia right behind them. After twenty or so steps, the saw a marble entryway with the name "PleasantLilly98" above it. Without hesitation, Jack entered.

"Hey Jack, why are these hero names so strange?" asked Slivia.

"Well..." Jack tried to come up with some sort of explanation but drew a blank. How do you explain a computer game to people from a time where the best mode of transportation is still horseback? "I’m sure I’ll explain it at some point in the future."

"Then why not now?" Slivia was surprised, not because Jack refused to answer but because he acted like he genuinely knew the answer. "I thought I was special to you..."

Jack sighed as he looked back at Slivia, who drooped her head and pouted with puppy dog eyes. He couldn’t help but realize how much of a tease she really was. "It’s tough to explain, and there’s too much context for you to understand at the moment. In the future, there will come a time when I explain everything."

"Including why you know so much weird stuff?"

"Yes, including why I know so much," answered Jack. "But for now, let’s check out the tomb and see if there’s anything of value."

She nodded with a smile, quickly walking past Jack to the chests, not giving him the chance to pocket everything before she got a good look at the treasures.

With a light chuckle, Jack realized he had been played. He walked beside her and looked into the chest she had opened.

"Look, Jack, more platinum!" Slivia in awe at the chest filled to the brim with gold and platinum. "What do you say we split it 50/50?"

Looking at her beaming smile he could only agree with a nod, nonchalantly passing his hand over the chest to retrieve half the coin. She did the same and held tightly to her own storage necklace, extremely proud of her findings.

Jack couldn’t help but sigh. "Since you’re so excited, go ahead and open the next ones too. If there’s anything you suitable for you then you can have it."

Without a second thought, Slivia threw the open the lid of the next chest. However, the sheen in her eyes dulled and she looked very confused.

Curious what she found, Jack glanced inside and couldn’t help but laugh.

"What? What’s so funny? What’s this supposed to be?" Slivia was very serious, forgetting her past excitement completely.

As Jack looked back at the chest, he let the system examine the armor inside. From a rarity standpoint, there was both a high-tier set and a peak-tier set. The high tier seemed to be that of a valkyrie and was a lv. 10 set.

The peak-tier set’s base level was 15, so it was obviously the stronger of the two, not even counting that it was peak-tier and equivalent to very rare cash items. Like the other set, it too was themed, but it’s theme was probably the reason Slivia was so confused. It only had three pieces: a scanty, fine linen bottom with a soft tail at the back, a tight, bra-like top made of the same soft fabric, and a headband with plush cat ears.

As much as Jack knew that Slivia might refuse to wear it, Jack was determined to convince her to at least try it on.

"Slivia, you’re really lucky, you know that?"

"Really? Why’s that?" asked Slivia.

"That top set is high-tier lv. 10 valkyrie armor, much better than anything you have. It’s also quite valuable and could be sold for a hefty sum," explained Jack. "What you should keep is the other set of armor."

"What other set of armor? All I see is underwear and a furry headband," said Slivia, still confused yet happy for the valkyrie armor.

"That is the other set," said Jack plainly. "During ancient times, some things were crafted by the gods and blessed to be different. That feline armor set is one of those is far better than the other, it also happens to be peak-tier and lv. 15, perfect you."

Though it was definitely a more powerful than the valkyrie armor, by no means was it made by the gods. Looking at the flavor text, Jack knew that it was from the premium "femme feline" item set and only existed due to the desires of gamers and popular demand, despite its amazing stat boosts of course. But that wouldn’t stop Jack from trying his best to see Slivia try on this outstanding armor.

Slivia slowly turned her head to look him in the eye. "You’re telling me that in ancient Kartonia, underwear was stronger than armor?"

"In some cases, far stronger," Jack agreed with a serious nod, not daring to reveal his true intentions.

"As much as I want to believe you, I would rather get this appraised before jumping to crazy conclusions," stated Slivia. She squinted at Jack, not buying the act for a second.

"Fine, go ahead and store it. We’ll swing by a reputable merchant on the way home," replied Jack, happy that she at least agreed to take it. "Hurry up and open the last two chests.

She smirked at Jack and stored the two sets of armor before opening the next chest.

Inside was exactly what Jack was expecting, a valkyrie sword and kitten mittens. Though the sword wouldn’t work for Slivia, the kitten mittens were an accessory and not a weapon. That way Slivia could get the stat boost while still being able to use a staff or wand for spells.

Seeing him stare at the mittens, she let out a small grunt to catch his attention. In response, he looked back at her and said, "What? It completes the set of armor."

Not wanting to believe, she swiped over them and put them in storage. Slivia then pushed him out of the way and opened the last chest.

Inside there wasn’t much. There was a map, a magic book, a scroll, and a stone talisman. While Slivia grabbed the book, scroll, and map, Jack snatched the talisman without any hesitation. Realizing that Jack found the item to be the most valuable, she asked, "What’s the big deal?"

"A tutorial stone," whispered Jack, as if talking to himself for a moment.

"A what?"

"It’s something that all heroes of ancient Kartonia began their journeys with. Back then, everyone thought it was practically worthless, but now..." Jack stared intently at the stone talisman, examining the glyphs etched on its surface.

"Then why is it so special now? Even more than this?" She held up the magic book, obviously treasuring the ancient magic that could be found on its pages.

Jack only nodded without another word. He soon closed his eyes and recited, "Show me thy way, oh great diviner."

Suddenly, the etching on the talisman burst with blinding white light. It took a few moments to dissipate, letting Jack blink and reinspect his surroundings.

He looked at Slivia, but she appeared to be frozen in time, unmoving and not even breathing. Next, Jack looked at Bowzer on his shoulder and found the fox to be experiencing the same phenomenon. Curious what would happen, Jack ducked down and stepped backward, finding Bowzer to float in the air, unaffected by Jack no longer supporting him.

"Enjoying yourself?"

A serene, deep voice asked from behind Jack, yet Jack wasn’t surprised or startled but was grinning from ear-to-ear.

 

Chapter 99

"Enjoying yourself?"

Those two words were soft yet firm as if a whisper was able to cross endless distances. Jack took a deep breath and slowly turned around, hoping that his theory proved correct.

The moment he looked behind him, Jack’s excited smile changed into a look of confusion. He scratched his head and squinted his eyes. "Aren’t you supposed to come out and let me review the tutorial by now?"

"Indeed."

Again the voice came from behind Jack, this time a hand also landed on his shoulder to slowly turn him around.

Finally, Jack came face-to-face with the person he was looking for. After coming to Kartonia and experiencing the Achievement System, Jack was certain that this man had something to do with everything. He had more questions then he could count, and no one in all of Kartonia would be able to answer him, other than perhaps this man.

"So, you are real," said Jack, trying to keep control of his excitement.

The man was wearing a simple, silver robe that had an illusory glow all about him. His long hair was also silver and just as radiant. There was no sign of old age on the man’s face, appearing to be in his thirties and still in his prime.

"Of course, just as real as you, Jack," responded the man. "Or should I call you Jackson? Or maybe Jack_J? You haven’t yet decided who you really are, have you?"

That question caused each gear of thought in Jack’s brain to come to a grinding halt. He sighed and silently acknowledged the inner struggle he had been facing.

Jack didn’t think much of it, but there was no use in denying that he was constantly confused about how he should behave or act. Many times, he would find himself trying to be the great Jack_J, afraid of nothing and willing to do anything to achieve his goals. Though it contradicted his previous take on life, which was to go with the flow, Jack always found it exhilarating.

"Whether you admit it or not, at some point in your life you’ll have to decide who you are," continued the man. "Remember, this is no longer a game, it’s your life. If you ever forget that..."

His words trailed off as the man gazed deeper into Jack’s eyes. He then asked, "Well, I’m sure you’re excited to review the tutorial, right? Shall we get started?"

Jack snickered and smiled wryly. "Daruun, you know better than anyone that I have no need for the tutorial."

"So... What is it you want?" asked Daruun, smiling in return.

"I need answers and you’re the only one who could possibly answer them."

"Hmm... Considering your circumstances and the fact that you’ve summoned me despite your lack of need for a tutorial, normally I wouldn’t bother," answered the man. "However, for you, I can make an exception. I’ll answer any three of your questions to the fullest extent. How does that sound, fair enough?"

"Only three questions?" Jack expressed his disappointment. "You know I’ve got way more than three questions!"

"Of course I do, I know everything," chuckled Daruun. "But do you think I’d let you squeeze out so much value from such a cheap trinket like a tutorial stone?"

Understanding the meaning behind Daruun’s words, Jack shrugged and replied, "Hey, it was worth a try. I guess hounding the god of fate in person is much more difficult than in-game."

"I’m glad you understand. So, what is your first question?"

Not daring to waste any questions, Jack tried his best to get any free information possible. "How about this, since I’m new to Kartonia and still don’t understand the basics of this new "modern" age, how about we chat first. I’m sure you’ve been lacking company, considering the current state of the gods."

Daruun flashed a smile and nodded. Instantly, an elegant glass table appeared between them, along with two seats. On the table was a pitcher with steam leaving the nozzle and to cups.

"What, am I not good enough company to share a bottle of wine?" asked Jack as he sat down.

"Trying to get me drunk during our first meeting?" Daruun immediately called out Jack’s true intentions and casually took a seat. For the god of fate, the only man known in legend to have seen and known past, present, and future, it was simple to predict Jack’s true train of thoughts. "You may be a special case, but you’ve yet to prove yourself as a close friend."

"Then I hope I get such a chance in the future," replied Jack as he poured himself a glass of tea. "So, what’s up with everything nowadays?"

"First off, know that I will not answer any questions that directly benefit you without you claiming one of your questions first. Is that understood?"

Jack nodded and said, "So, for example, say I wanted to know how your followers and temples were faring during such a decline. I’m guessing that--"

"That I would remain silent and enjoy my tea," Daruun finished Jack’s sentence, making it clear to him that getting free information wouldn’t be so easy.

"Fine, fine. At least maybe you could give me some kind of information, being your most devote follower and all," reasoned Jack.

"Since when were you a follower of mine?" laughed Daruun. "Previously you were, but currently you have no such pacts and have never visited any of my temples to make an offering."

"Oh, so you do still have some temples after the war of the gods," said Jack with a snicker.

"Maybe, maybe not," Daruun answered without hesitation.

"Well, can you at least fill me in on some basic history? At least enough fill in the gap from when I was playing the game until now?"

"I guess I can offer that much," sighed Daruun. The pitcher then floated in the air and filled Daruun’s cup. After Daruun took a sip, he continued, "Your character "Jack_J" existed during the era that is now known as Ancient Kartonia. Many other heroes existed during this time as well; I’m sure you’re aware of that. Sometime after you accepted the quest to escape your previous world and life, the contention between the gods grew to a point irreconcilable. War broke out between heaven and hell, or more specifically between Halmut and Skaryn. Would you like to guess as to why?"

Jack scratched his head for a moment and responded, "I would assume it was to amass more followers and influence. During the game, territories were constantly wagered during times of battle and war, so I’m guessing this happened for the same reason."

"That’s definitely part of it." Daruun showed a soft smile after hearing Jack’s guess. "The basic information I can offer you without wasting your questions is this. Gods are constantly in search of amassing followers and influence over mortals. The more followers and influence one has, the more powerful they become."

"That doesn’t make any sense."

Surprised by Jack’s interjection, Daruun asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Because if that was the only reason, why are you always on the sidelines of the war? You, the most powerful of the neutral gods, never offer the typical rewards that attract the masses. If anything, you’re the least followed god of them all. So, why else would they war to such extents?"

Daruun took another sip of tea and a deep breath. His face and actions were calm, but his eyes showed surprise. He knew well that Jack would be able to figure out that much, but having a mortal explain that much right in front of him still surprised him nonetheless.

"Are you trying to ask me why I did things in such an unorthodox way? I’m sorry, but such a thing would require one of your precious questions."

Jack finished his cup of tea and leaned back in his chair. "Well, what happened next? Who won? I’m sure the neutral gods stayed out of it, like always."

"Correct, we neutral gods dared not align with either side. In fact, we destroyed our own temples and shrines as the war reached its climax."

"So, in other words, you relocated secretly before either side had a chance to keep tabs on you, right?" guessed Jack while he poured himself another cup of tea.

There was no answer, instead, Daruun also took a sip before continuing his explanation of the war’s climax, "Eventually, both sides met in a final battle and nearly wiped each other out. Most gods on either side were either killed or heavily injured. According to history, although Halmut was gravely injured and forced into over one thousand years of rest, Skaryn was slain, and thus bringing an end to the rampant chaos in Kartonia. After one hundred years, chaos slowly started to emerge again with rare beast attacks. Now that over five hundred years have passed, chaos is already back to how it was before the war of the gods, despite the lack of Skaryn’s presence."

"And according to you, what happened?"

Chuckling heartily, Daruun replied, "Is that your first question?"

"No."

"Good, that would have been the wrong question to ask."

Jack squinted his eyes in deep thought. Almost five minutes passed in silence but neither of them felt anxious and were patient with each other. Finally, Jack asked, "What is the Achievement System?"

Suddenly Daruun stood up and showed a bright smile. "That was the right question."

 

Chapter 100

"That was the right question."

When Jack heard Daruun’s words he sighed in relief. Immediately he stood as well, glad to finally understand a few things.

"Like you may have guessed, before I explain the Achievement System I’ll have to fill you on other things in order for you to fully understand. If you need me to explain anything more in-depth pertaining to your request, let me know. Now, let’s have a change of scenery to make things easier to explain."

Just then Daruun snapped and the world around them was overpowered by bright white light, forcing Jack to close his eyes. A second later Jack sensed that the light was no longer there and he opened his eyes to a brand new scene.

Jack was floating in the air alongside Daruun as if he were standing on the wind itself. Below them was a city filled to the brim with people going about their day.

"I’m sure you can recognize this place," stated Daruun.

"Gilga..." Jack easily recognized the busy marketplace within Trodar’s capital.

"Right you are. More specifically, this is Gilga soon after you accepted the special quest and before the godly war broke out."

Dumbfounded, Jack’s jaw went slack as he stared at the calm, casual Daruun. He was couldn’t help but be surprised when he heard that he had traveled back in time.

"Yes and no," said Daruun, catching Jack off guard. "Yes we traveled back in time to Ancient Kartonia, but we also haven’t. We have no way to influence or interact with the scene before us, no matter what we try. Go ahead, I know you wanted to try and speak with someone."

Not wasting time, Jack yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey! It’s me, Jack_J from the Trodan Council!"

As if Jack’s words were nonexistent, the rest of the world kept going without ever any intrusion from Jack’s statement or presence.

"See, there’s no way for either of us," stated Daruun. Jack was about to ask something but Daruun was already answering his question before it left his mouth. "My ability as a diviner allows me to see and hear anything and everything, past, present, and future. However, I’m only able to interact with the world when someone in the world initiates the interaction."

"Basically you need us to contact you before you can do anything?"

"Yes and no. Before I can interact with anyone or anything I do need that person to contact me first, but I can’t directly alter or influence anything personally, no matter the era. I can only give guidance," explained Daruun.

Jack nodded silently. He had read in "A Hero’s Tale" that Daruun the Great Diviner was omniscient and knew all things. According to legend, in order to gain such an ability to know and understand fate, Daruun had to revoke all authority to instigate contact with the world to avoid tampering with history.

At first, Jack just thought it was some nice flavor text. Never would he have guessed that it was 100% true.

"The reason I brought you here was to get you in the right mindset," continued Daruun. "During this time heroes came by the thousands and roamed all of Kartonia, like you did. They all chose to align themselves with one of the many gods. The final event of the game "A Hero’s Tale" was the godly war that we’ve already mentioned. After that event, all characters in "A Hero’s Tale" lost the ability to respawn and eventually not a single hero was left."

"Why’s that?" asked Jack.

"That answer will be for a different question," said Daruun. "Each hero that passed after the godly war entombed, but not many people kept playing after they lost the ability to respawn. I’m sure you can understand why that was."

Nodding, Jack agreed with Daruun. If you weren’t able to respawn, then how could you go out and be fully confident against boss monsters and other players? You’d have to lose countless hours of game time with a single death. No one would want that to happen.

Suddenly, Jack had a thought and asked, "What about my old character, Jack_J? Is there a tomb for him?"

Again, that’s an answer to a different question. I’m bound by the laws of fate to not reveal information unless granted correctly, such as answering any of your authorized questions. I can then reveal any information that might be linked to such a question, but nothing that is too unrelated," explained Daruun.

"Anyway, now that you understand that, I will explain what it means to be a summoned hero in what you know as Modern Kartonia. Summoned heroes are brought through time from Ancient Kartonia, retaining all previous strength and items on their person at the time."

"What!?" yelled Jack. "I got ripped off! I lost everything and started back at lv. 1! That’s not fair at all."

"Let me finish," interrupted Daruun. "Typically, the hero who was summoned would be based on the items and resources used to summon them. So, if a kingdom wishes to summon a hero of a higher caliber, that kingdom would need to use resources to match. For that reason, most summoned heroes range from lv. 20 - lv. 39. You were summoned by the lowest quality summoning, which has a higher success rate but most people look over it entirely because no one who needs a hero would want one under lv. 10."

"But why would King Leodoro do that then? Would that be pointless?" asked Jack.

"Not entirely, given time to level up. A summoned hero has more potential than the average adventurer, so there’s a higher chance for a hero to reach higher levels. And know that he had his reasons for doing so and acting the way he did," answered Daruun. "Also, just so you know, all summoned heroes are derived from the characters that gave up the game and never logged back in. Unlike you, no player has traversed to our world, only the character’s physical body and in-game memories continue. So, yes, they know about Ancient Kartonia as well, but no, they know nothing about every being used as a character in what you call a computer game."

"So... I’m the only "player" that was ever summoned?"

"Correct."

"Does that have anything to do with the Achievement System?"

"Of course," answered Daruun. "The Achievement System was created for the use of a single person. That person would need to prove themselves in every way possible as worthy to use such a gift and change all of Kartonia."

"Is that why I was only able to get it after completing that ridiculous achievement list?" asked Jack. "Don’t you think such crazy achievements were a little too much?"

"No, I don’t. That’s why I chose them personally," stated Daruun.

Jack froze for a second as his brain took a moment to process the weight of Daruun’s simple statement. "Wait... You chose those?"

"Yes."

"Then, you’re also the one who transported me here?"

"Yes."

"And you’re also the creator of the Achievement System?"

"Yes," said Daruun with a sly smile. "As I said before, I have no ability to interact with the timeline. I never said I wasn’t able to help someone else do it for me."

"HUH!?" Jack stiffened up and groaned, shocked by Daruun’s casual admittance of the truth. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming weight of responsibility begin to weigh down on him.

"You are the only person with the hero class because you yourself are not from here and earned a divine boon to enter this world. You could even go so far as to say you are the only true hero in all Kartonia," explained Daruun. "Each of the three major gods during the time of the war had their means of seeking a champion, someone who could turn the tide in their favor. Though I may have been on the sidelines, I still sought out a champion, who is you."

"But why? I thought you would be against the war?" asked Jack.

"I am." Again, Daruun raised his hand and snapped without warning Jack.

Once Jack blinked and let the bright lights pass he was again in the air with Daruun, except the scene below was the exact opposite. It was the same place, yet it was in ruins with corpses scattered everywhere and rubble from all sorts of destroyed buildings.

"This is why I’m against it," said Daruun, letting the scene speak for himself.

"This... I can’t believe this happened."

"Believe it. It happened," stated Daruun. His face was emotionless and his voice was colder. "Though it was especially gruesome in Gilga and Trodar, this happened in almost every capital city in Kartonia. Some were invaded by Skaryn’s troops, others by Halmut’s."

Jack stared at the world below, trying his best to calm his boiling blood. "Who invaded Trodar?"

"Which time?" answered Daruun, stunning Jack yet again. "Trodar was a neutral country. Most nations at the time had more support for Halmut or Skaryn, but Trodar was the only one that leaned towards we neutral gods, thanks to your Leisure Guild’s influence."

Jack was speechless, unable to fully accept the reality in front of his eyes.

Chapter 100

"That was the right question."

When Jack heard Daruun’s words he sighed in relief. Immediately he stood as well, glad to finally understand a few things.

"Like you may have guessed, before I explain the Achievement System I’ll have to fill you on other things in order for you to fully understand. If you need me to explain anything more in-depth pertaining to your request, let me know. Now, let’s have a change of scenery to make things easier to explain."

Just then Daruun snapped and the world around them was overpowered by bright white light, forcing Jack to close his eyes. A second later Jack sensed that the light was no longer there and he opened his eyes to a brand new scene.

Jack was floating in the air alongside Daruun as if he were standing on the wind itself. Below them was a city filled to the brim with people going about their day.

"I’m sure you can recognize this place," stated Daruun.

"Gilga..." Jack easily recognized the busy marketplace within Trodar’s capital.

"Right you are. More specifically, this is Gilga soon after you accepted the special quest and before the godly war broke out."

Dumbfounded, Jack’s jaw went slack as he stared at the calm, casual Daruun. He was couldn’t help but be surprised when he heard that he had traveled back in time.

"Yes and no," said Daruun, catching Jack off guard. "Yes we traveled back in time to Ancient Kartonia, but we also haven’t. We have no way to influence or interact with the scene before us, no matter what we try. Go ahead, I know you wanted to try and speak with someone."

Not wasting time, Jack yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey! It’s me, Jack_J from the Trodan Council!"

As if Jack’s words were nonexistent, the rest of the world kept going without ever any intrusion from Jack’s statement or presence.

"See, there’s no way for either of us," stated Daruun. Jack was about to ask something but Daruun was already answering his question before it left his mouth. "My ability as a diviner allows me to see and hear anything and everything, past, present, and future. However, I’m only able to interact with the world when someone in the world initiates the interaction."

"Basically you need us to contact you before you can do anything?"

"Yes and no. Before I can interact with anyone or anything I do need that person to contact me first, but I can’t directly alter or influence anything personally, no matter the era. I can only give guidance," explained Daruun.

Jack nodded silently. He had read in "A Hero’s Tale" that Daruun the Great Diviner was omniscient and knew all things. According to legend, in order to gain such an ability to know and understand fate, Daruun had to revoke all authority to instigate contact with the world to avoid tampering with history.

At first, Jack just thought it was some nice flavor text. Never would he have guessed that it was 100% true.

"The reason I brought you here was to get you in the right mindset," continued Daruun. "During this time heroes came by the thousands and roamed all of Kartonia, like you did. They all chose to align themselves with one of the many gods. The final event of the game "A Hero’s Tale" was the godly war that we’ve already mentioned. After that event, all characters in "A Hero’s Tale" lost the ability to respawn and eventually not a single hero was left."

"Why’s that?" asked Jack.

"That answer will be for a different question," said Daruun. "Each hero that passed after the godly war entombed, but not many people kept playing after they lost the ability to respawn. I’m sure you can understand why that was."

Nodding, Jack agreed with Daruun. If you weren’t able to respawn, then how could you go out and be fully confident against boss monsters and other players? You’d have to lose countless hours of game time with a single death. No one would want that to happen.

Suddenly, Jack had a thought and asked, "What about my old character, Jack_J? Is there a tomb for him?"

Again, that’s an answer to a different question. I’m bound by the laws of fate to not reveal information unless granted correctly, such as answering any of your authorized questions. I can then reveal any information that might be linked to such a question, but nothing that is too unrelated," explained Daruun.

"Anyway, now that you understand that, I will explain what it means to be a summoned hero in what you know as Modern Kartonia. Summoned heroes are brought through time from Ancient Kartonia, retaining all previous strength and items on their person at the time."

"What!?" yelled Jack. "I got ripped off! I lost everything and started back at lv. 1! That’s not fair at all."

"Let me finish," interrupted Daruun. "Typically, the hero who was summoned would be based on the items and resources used to summon them. So, if a kingdom wishes to summon a hero of a higher caliber, that kingdom would need to use resources to match. For that reason, most summoned heroes range from lv. 20 - lv. 39. You were summoned by the lowest quality summoning, which has a higher success rate but most people look over it entirely because no one who needs a hero would want one under lv. 10."

"But why would King Leodoro do that then? Would that be pointless?" asked Jack.

"Not entirely, given time to level up. A summoned hero has more potential than the average adventurer, so there’s a higher chance for a hero to reach higher levels. And know that he had his reasons for doing so and acting the way he did," answered Daruun. "Also, just so you know, all summoned heroes are derived from the characters that gave up the game and never logged back in. Unlike you, no player has traversed to our world, only the character’s physical body and in-game memories continue. So, yes, they know about Ancient Kartonia as well, but no, they know nothing about every being used as a character in what you call a computer game."

"So... I’m the only "player" that was ever summoned?"

"Correct."

"Does that have anything to do with the Achievement System?"

"Of course," answered Daruun. "The Achievement System was created for the use of a single person. That person would need to prove themselves in every way possible as worthy to use such a gift and change all of Kartonia."

"Is that why I was only able to get it after completing that ridiculous achievement list?" asked Jack. "Don’t you think such crazy achievements were a little too much?"

"No, I don’t. That’s why I chose them personally," stated Daruun.

Jack froze for a second as his brain took a moment to process the weight of Daruun’s simple statement. "Wait... You chose those?"

"Yes."

"Then, you’re also the one who transported me here?"

"Yes."

"And you’re also the creator of the Achievement System?"

"Yes," said Daruun with a sly smile. "As I said before, I have no ability to interact with the timeline. I never said I wasn’t able to help someone else do it for me."

"HUH!?" Jack stiffened up and groaned, shocked by Daruun’s casual admittance of the truth. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming weight of responsibility begin to weigh down on him.

"You are the only person with the hero class because you yourself are not from here and earned a divine boon to enter this world. You could even go so far as to say you are the only true hero in all Kartonia," explained Daruun. "Each of the three major gods during the time of the war had their means of seeking a champion, someone who could turn the tide in their favor. Though I may have been on the sidelines, I still sought out a champion, who is you."

"But why? I thought you would be against the war?" asked Jack.

"I am." Again, Daruun raised his hand and snapped without warning Jack.

Once Jack blinked and let the bright lights pass he was again in the air with Daruun, except the scene below was the exact opposite. It was the same place, yet it was in ruins with corpses scattered everywhere and rubble from all sorts of destroyed buildings.

"This is why I’m against it," said Daruun, letting the scene speak for himself.

"This... I can’t believe this happened."

"Believe it. It happened," stated Daruun. His face was emotionless and his voice was colder. "Though it was especially gruesome in Gilga and Trodar, this happened in almost every capital city in Kartonia. Some were invaded by Skaryn’s troops, others by Halmut’s."

Jack stared at the world below, trying his best to calm his boiling blood. "Who invaded Trodar?"

"Which time?" answered Daruun, stunning Jack yet again. "Trodar was a neutral country. Most nations at the time had more support for Halmut or Skaryn, but Trodar was the only one that leaned towards we neutral gods, thanks to your Leisure Guild’s influence."

Jack was speechless, unable to fully accept the reality in front of his eyes.