As the group of four traveled back from Brig, they were met with a bit more monster than they were comfortable seeing, given that this road was quite frequently used and as such shouldn’t receive too much attacks.
As per the quest’s rules, they reported this finding to the guild as they completed it.
After a while (a few days), the group decided, after discussing, to go toward Jiro’s homeland.
As usual, they took a mission. But on their way, they found an alarming... lack of average-strength monsters, an out-of-the-norm quantity of low-leveled monsters (and pets), as well as an unusually long travel time. As if they were not really following the right path.
They decided to stop and camp somewhere as the night started to fall (too early in the opinion of Tris, who thought they had at least two hours before night time).
After a pretty uneventful night, they continued their journey for a while, before finally arriving into a city.
But this city’s defenses were way too flimsy in the opinion of the five of them.
As they approached, they saw one gate only, with a single gatekeeper in front of it, looking bored.
When this gatekeeper saw them, he quickly tried to erase his expression, wanting to look strong (which failed completely).
After entering the unusual city, which actually looked like a noble-less village, without any trouble (and a less than secure “security check”), they started looking for any landmark they could use to orient themselves.
But they soon realized that if they weren’t transported into a different world (either through time or space), then either they or the villagers have become crazy.
They couldn’t make heads or tails from what the villagers (who classified themselves as ‘citizens’, for them they live in a huge city) told them about the world.
And it was soon confirmed when someone came running and shouting “The Hero is coming!” repeatedly.
They didn’t know of any ‘Hero’ that generated such fanaticism from the people as they saw right in front of them.
They all immediately dropped everything they were doing, and came to prostrate themselves in front of the entrance gate from where a single person came.
He was quite average, and with a look of contempt and contentment toward those in front of him. Then his smile turned into a frown as he saw the five foreigners.
“Who are you?” he asked, unhappy.
“Umm... Well I’m Finn, and who are you?”
“Haah? Who authorized to speak in front of me?”
“Well... No one forbade us either? And how could we answer you without speaking? By the way, who taught you to answer a question with an other one?”
“Well, don’t you know the greatness of me? Bow before this mighty Hero!” He stuck out his chest, looking for praises.
“...Where?” Daler intervened.
He looked like he was violently hit.
“Here you idiot!”
“What hero? I only see an idiot. What?” she said looking toward the other four, who looked at her. “I only told the truth.”
“You aren’t supposed to tell the truth in front of idiots...” Tris said.
“Even you‽” the ‘Hero’ shouted in disbelief as his last potential supporter betrayed him (his look of disbelief was interpreted as a look of awe by him...).
“““““...”””””
“...Anyway! I asked you who you were for not bowing before Me!”
“...As I said, I’m Finn... Usually I’d also say nice to meet you, but you still didn’t give us your name.”
“...”
“Drop it, Hero. They are not from here anyway, are you?” Suddenly a new voice intervened and addressed the five of them at the end.
“? Umm... Who are you?” Finn turned around as he asked.
“So you don’t know me?”
“...Juna?”
“So you really are not from here... So, how is Anthesis then? It has been a while since I did not hea–”
“Hey! Don’t cut my speech!” the ‘Hero’ suddenly bursted out.
“Yes, yes, sorry, good? Good. Now sit down and be quiet until I say not to. Sorry, where were we?” Juna just said that and the ‘Hero’ immediately obeyed, seemingly without his consent seeing as his face distorted.
All this time, the villagers kept their bowing positions with elated faces without moving.
The group of five1No word for that :( well, except for ‘quintet’ but that feels too musical... looked growingly disturbed by this display, even though they tried to hide it (at least a minimum).
“Fine, let us move somewhere else first then. ‘Hero’, come with us and tell everyone to ignore us seven until we exit the house we are going to. Oh, and keep quiet until you are asked of something requiring you to speak.” Juna said exasperated.
Tris looked at him oddly, before the five adventurers complied, while the ‘Hero’ obeyed immediately.
The group arrived inside a house, and the ‘Hero’ conveniently came hiding behind a seat, such that they couldn’t see him (and bother the five by his obedience).
“So, where are you from?”
“...Yvon. What about you?”
“Oh, Yvon, Yvon... Oh, right, there. Near the ocean right? That is nice. I come from my personal cryostasis pod. You know, because it has been a while since my birth. About five millenniums to be exact.”
“...Wait what?” Daler said what everyone was thinking.
“Weeell, og upi jzbr wpy nrrw yrmraptyrf gptxztf ow yoqr, yjrn upi jzbr ntzwvjrf ogg og upit yoqrmowr. Not that I can say that...”2This is a simple encryption, but it involves spoilers. Decode at your own risks.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, I cannot say what happened to you. Well, anyway, you are admercs, right? Can I hire you?”
“...Isn’t there – there is no adventurer’s guild anymore, is there?” Tris asked, already guessing the reason for this request.
“No, the monsters have evolved too much, only crazy people would venture off deep in the forests and such. ...Well, crazy people and foreigners.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Can you go subjugate the Demon King?”
3Seriously though ScribbleHub's coders, please add emotes inside the chapters, I miss them so much in here... ;(
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I wouldn't have noticed if you didn't tell me Votes: 1 100.0%
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