When you walk through the streets of the Palais and ask about the career with the largest workforce, the career that is the most saturated these days is adventuring. Many become an adventurer in hopes of achieving fame and fortune. They all have the ultimate goal: become the greatest adventurer.
I should know. My resentment grew as I tried glaring a hole through the shackles that bound me to this prison cell. I didn't belong here, no matter what they said. I knew I was innocent. They didn't even try to hear my side of the story! They locked me in here and threw away the key just to appease some damn noble!
"I hate them! I hate this!" I berated the air, I had gone hysterical to ensure the guards down the hall could hear me. "They're just going to let Rei's death be pinned on me..." I wanted to fight this, but everything was out of my hands. I should just give up.
Accepting my fate was all I could do. Lying on my back, I let all my regrets surface as I closed my eyes.... I tried to fight back the tears. Pathetic. I am pathetic. I have and always will be; nothing else could describe me as well as that single word. I couldn’t even beat the guy who got me put in here. There was nothing I could have done back then…
— — — — —
Everything was going to hell. We were being ambushed. One man was able to take down three High-Rate adventurers. He was like a juggernaut: he overwhelmed you before you had the chance to find a weakness.
I need to find an opening. I dodged an attack from the brutish man covered head to toe in white armor. Who the hell is this guy?! My heart pounded in my chest as I dodged his battle ax. He had managed to down all of my party members and then separate me from them! His swings were wild and uncoordinated, lacking any grace. The overwhelming strength my opponent wielded made up for that lack of finesse.
“Who the hell are you?!” I demanded as I avoided an attack aimed at my head. If I want to beat this guy, I’ll have to use a fast cast. Fast cast spells were a go to in most battles, as they only required one sentence chants. The only issue: this guy wasn’t giving me room to breathe. I needed to make an opening. I needed to parry his next attack. I can’t risk him interrupting my counter attack.
In an attempt at false bravado, I adopted a cocky smirk to this overwhelming enemy. False bravado was all I could muster. If I was David, this monster was worth a hundred goliaths.
“Come on, I know rookies that make me put in more work than you.” The only response I received was an enraged growl. I stuck to dodging as he swung his huge ax wildly. This guy’s class must be a Berserker or something similar. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, but my chance came. Chance! Quickly parrying his downward swing, I redirected it to my left, embedding it into the nearest cave wall.
“Number one rule of the dungeon, my guy: Always stay calm.” A gray magic circle appeared beneath my feet. My assailant was too preoccupied with his ax to realize what I was doing. Even if he did notice, it would be too late by then. “Gaze upon me, oh, exalted Atlas, and crush my enemies. Gravistrike!” While it was not my strongest fast cast spell, it was still powerful in its own right because every strike was imbued with a curse that increased my enemy’s mass every second whilst another curse would continuously crush them with force equal to the amplified mass.
In my six years as an adventurer, I had seen many things. I once saw a man choke a Dragonewt with nothing but his bare hands. I once saw a Chikeleta devour an adventurer whole. But this… Is that a mace covered in magi crystals?! The armored monster had pulled a mace from his inventory, covered in the currency of Palais. No creature, human or bestia had ever been able to imbue magi crystals into their weapons. It just wasn’t possible. Until now it seems. Wait! Where did he go?! In the time it took me to blink, he had moved so quickly. I didn't even have time to brace for an attack. His attack felt like there were at least four impacts sent into my gut which sent me flying into the wall, cracking and indenting it. Is this… how I die?
This guy’s power wasn't something I could overcome. Just one hit from his mace and I blacked out. I did my best so I could only hope the others were okay. Before I blacked out completely, I could only worry about my friends. Sorry guys, I’m gonna have to sit this one out…
— — — — —
After that, I was found by the police, covered in blood and unconscious. I was the only one alive with very few wounds while my teammates were dead. To the authorities, that was enough evidence to pin the blame on me and mark me as the culprit of the murder. What a load of bull… “So much for ‘City of Equal Justice!’ How laughable.”
A brief moment of silence followed. That silence was broken by noises from down the hall, a door creaking before many voices argued back and forth. The voices halted for a few seconds, then the pitter-patter of feet amplified the closer it got to my cell door. Even if I knew there was someone standing before me, I wouldn't move a muscle. I don't want to deal with anyone before my trial-
"Hey, you lazy bum! Are you just gonna lie there or do you want to prove your innocence?!" Moving the arm that blocked my vision, I was greeted by a petite figure, with a face that looked innocent. Her puffy lips boosted the effect, making her look young, like someone's little sister. I connected the voice with the young woman before me. Dressed in colorful clothing, the primary color being pink, she wore a style akin to lolita. She, in my opinion, was super cute. "Ah, wait.” Focusing back on the moment at hand, I gazed into her hazel eyes. “You said, ‘prove my innocence.’ How exactly are you going to help me do that?”
I didn’t dare get my hopes up. I had no doubt that I would be tried and sentenced to death at best. At worst… I would get a life sentence in prison. Scratching my scraggly beard that had grown due to being locked away for an indefinite amount of time, I contemplated whether or not to believe her claim. “What could she have that would even prove my innocence? I’ve pleaded to various lawyers, yet one after another gave up the moment they saw my case. ” Honestly, I had nothing to lose. I’d rather try this one last chance to fight for my innocence over being locked in the deepest depths of a guild prison. My blonde hair, which used to be neck-length, was now long enough to style into a long ponytail. What used to be silk like locks were now nothing but grimey, grease-filled bristles.
“Do you even realize who it is you’re defending?” I questioned the young girl who was probably some naive Witch Lawyer or Law Practitioner. She probably believed if she could solve this case, she would rise in the ranks quicker than just doing a standard grind of cases. “I’m the guy who’s accused of killing his fiancée, the noble and illustrious Rei Minamoto. The princess of Hino.” Maybe she had gotten the wrong guy; there’s no way she would want to defend my case now, but it was better this way. I don’t want to set a rookie up for failure. Closing my eyes once more, I prepared myself for the solitude and silence of my dark cell.
Before I could even let myself become comfortable, her laughter cut through the brief silence. Her right hand hovered over her mouth as she let out a haughty laugh. “You really are lazy. Trying to get rid of me just because you don't want to fight for your innocence.” Ah, so this brat was trying to mock me now. I could insult her height but I was raised with manners.She then continued, “No, you have no choice in the matter, you’re going to be my guinea pig either way. Judges' orders.” Her hand fell to her side as she looked down on me with a smug expression.
Ah, sorry, Mom, I think I actually want to hit a woman for the first time in ever… I thought to myself as I prayed to my deceased mother. She raised a well-mannered boy but this young woman was making me consider being immoral for once. She came in here, demanding me to be a guinea pig for some strange experiment and expected me to be fine with it?
“Screw it, why not.” Rising to my feet, I let her open my cell door and I followed after her as she began walking ahead.
As I trailed behind the young woman, whose name I had yet to ask for, I would never realize that this was the start of a multitude of events where my pain would never end. My future would forever be filled with regrets and mistakes that could never be undone.
