As I looked at him, like I was facing a medieval executioner, a large monster covered in flames and a large axe, perfect for my death.

But as I waited it was taking too long, he wasn’t swinging his axe downwards at me, he just stayed in a cutting stance like a stone statue, but then I could notice his entire body, hands, even head all were trembling as if he was suddenly petrified and unable to move.

Why? Why is he not swinging his axe?!

I thought, looking at my demise that became nothing more than a stone statue.

[such… Pre…sence…]

I heard a sentence coming from him, but I was unable to properly hear it, leaving me with a blank clue.  

I no longer had a plan and needed to retreat, I took a few steps back before in a blink of an eye, his entire body exploded in front of me, splashing and splatting his blood at me, the arrow tower, and some even reaching the walls and the bodies of those that were currently fighting.

As it exploded, not a single one of its body parts were left, except for a pool of blood on the ground and its large axe, I was suddenly stuck in place again, thinking it was a grenade or rocket that hit him.

But I couldn’t keep myself staying as a statue, I needed to move, by how it acted it was the commander of the enemy army, if I was right, that would mean…

“They’re running!”

“The Portals are Dissapearing!”

“We’ve won!”

The wall guards and mercenaries yelled, waving their weapons and cheering for their victory, saving the capital from being captured.

“Oi! Theo! It would seem my men died valiant deaths, I lost 60% or more of my numbers, but that is the most respected and integral way to die for a warrior like us.”

I heard Anja’s voice, I then looked at the wall see her entire body covered in green and red blood, she gave me a smile as she waved her hand towards me, it was like she enjoyed this kind of atmosphere.

“Theo! Are you okay? I’m here with an entire platoon.”

I heard another familiar voice calling me, the smooth tone, it was Addelyne, the Hero of Life, though she was late, there were still enemy stragglers that needed to be cut down.

“It’s okay, just cut down the stragglers.”

 But to think my guess was right, it seems if the leader gets killed, the entire army will be crushed, but isn’t that a major flaw for such an army, they could’ve won, if they kept exiting the portal.

But now, the ones that landed here is cut off from the main army and is now being hunted down. If I took a guess, they planned to take out the enemy capital to make our morale dwindle, but it didn't end as what they had planned, it ended with them losing a large sacrifice and a large number of their army, but I think their numbers can be replenished immediately, their commander wasn't scared in killing his own men, so that is what I guessed.

I was about to go down stairs to meet the others, until I noticed a glowing object in the pool of blood, beside the carcass of what was left of that burnt monster, being the curious man I am, I grabbed it, until a flood of memories came at me, they were vague and incomplete but I remembered and felt them, like I was the one receiving it.

I saw a monster, standing in front of a portal in a pitch-black forest, but I was there, I could see them and I could feel their presence. But it wasn’t me, it was the memory of the monster that chased me.

[Adon! Why aren’t you moving!]

[… This presence… it’s not a presence of a normal human or a low-level hero, did the intelligence unit fail?]

[It’s Too late Adon, just charge and kill them!]

[I can’t… I can’t move…]

The vauge memory then trembled, like I felt the rage of the monster, like it was coming from me.

[USELESS!]

In fear of the memory that I was receiving and feeling, I released my grip on the glowing object and trembled in fear, it wasn’t my memory, it was the monster’s. I couldn’t do anything but leave it alone, I wasn’t a professional in this world, it was better to leave it to the professionals.

***

After the battle, Anja and her mercenaries were called to the palace, so we met again but this time in the palace floor, we barely talked but it seemed they were payed for fighting the monsters and holding the western wall.

Currently, most of the citizenry and slaves, along with guards and other mercenaries started repairing and cleaning the walls and streets that the fighting reached, the enemy were said to have been able to take parts of the eastern streets before the news of their commander dying.

I was able to change my bloodied uniform with a black suit, it wasn’t extravagant and expensive but I also needed to pay respect those that died, especially Anja’s men.

As I passed a certain room, I suddenly heard a gossip by the maids inside the room, it was a muffle but I was able to identify their conversation.

“Hey! Did you hear, the Hero of Justice and Truth killed the enemy commander!”

“Really?! How?”

“Apparently, a golden arrow was seen being launch from the Hero’s direction and onto the monster making him explode.”

As I heard their gossips, I was able to finally get a glimpse of what happened during that time, good thing he saw me, if not I would’ve died for the second time, as a soldier and officer, I must still display my gratitude for him.

I then moved in a different direction and onto Simon’s room to thank him, after the battle we were eventually given separate rooms, one thing I knew was that Simon’s room was near mine.

***(Simon POV)

Simon, inside his extravagant room, he was tired and already laid on his comfy bed to rest, until he was met with a warning, a screen appeared that only his eyes can see.

[Hero of Justice and Truth] [Level:7]

[Quest: Tell the truth to somebody or a Level will be deducted from you]

“I know, I wasn’t the one that killed it, but they won’t listen to me!”

He ranted alone, until a knock came from his room’s door, before a muffled voice came from outside.

“Hey, Simon, you there? I just want to talk?”

A familiar voice, he heard, he then immediately stood up from his bed and opened the door, to see Theo in an extravagant black attire, it was like his Military uniform just in a different color and without the rank plates.

“Hey, I just want to say, thanks for saving me back there… as a soldier I’m pathetic right?”

Theo said to Simon, because of this, Simon had the courage to tell him the truth, the truth that the arrow barely touched or even hurt the flaming monster.

“Th-that wasn’t me, I wasn’t the one that killed, him, maybe I did damage or mildly hurt him, I don’t know, but one thing I know is that I am not the one that killed it.”

Simon said to Theo, who was shocked and by how he acted he seemed to believe it, Theo face was then shifted from giving gratitude to suspiciousness. But it was only a few seconds, he soon got back to his senses and waved goodbye to Simon, who was left in his room confused.

***(Theo POV)

Hmm, I could take the fact that he mildly hurt it, but I had a question how did it even explode with just an arrow hitting him.

I already knew it was impossible, but this is a world where magic exists, so I thought that was the case, but no, it wasn’t entirely the case. I could accept the fact that Simon’s arrow must’ve hurt the monster but it couldn’t be powerful enough to explode. Afterall, me, the Mercenaries and wall guards were unable to even hurt it, how could an arrow kill it with just one shot.

This is still a world I need to inspect and research, in this world fantasy is reality, there is magic and there are living monsters that couldn’t exist in reality, only in the myths.

This world has broken all laws that I learned in earth, it is different, very different…

***

3 days after the siege incident, the hero’s banquet finally came, the entire city was cleaned and decorated in just 3 days with the help of the townspeople, guards, etc.

The four heroes of the kingdom of Vestilio’s relations had declined over the course of the days, Justin being arrogant tried to hog all the attention, but Simon, rumored to being the one that killed the enemy commander got all the praise and attention of the royalty, nobility and commoners.

Addelyne on the other hand, took a distance away and trained alone from the group, as her powers weren’t classified for combat, she was a priest or healer that had 5x more healing power than normal healers.

Myself on the other hand, received nothing from the people of the city or even the royalty that invited me, I was only praised by the Mercenary Guild and Anja’s men, her included. If it wasn’t for my plan of holding the western wall with just mercenaries the city could've fell.

I had used my time conversing and living in the mercenary guild to good use, I was able to know a lot about the customs and culture of the world, it’s history and geography, and its current military and political problems.

And during that time, Anja personally requested that I should tell the royal family and townspeople that I was the one that did the most damage to the enemy army and defense of the city.

All three heroes and town’s guard were focused on just the decoy army of Goblins and imps and maybe a few ogres, While Myself, Anja and her mercenaries and the remaining western wall guard fought the commander and his larger and more stronger army that was concentrated at only us.

Anja then explained to me that the goblins they fought had a few attributes that were given to them by their commander, like they were harder to kill, more efficient, improved reactions, etc.

But I denied her request stating that I wasn’t able to do anything, labeling Myself a ‘pathetic and useless’ commander and hero, because I wasn’t able to help Anja’s men lower their casualties or personally commanding them because I was being chased by the large monster.

Anja agreed to keep it a secret from then on, but for the mercenary guild I was praised as the city’s real savior. The truth is that the mercenaries of this guild wouldn’t have helped because they were hiding deep underground and they also wanted to be payed, meeting Anja was a good choice, not only did I pay 50% of the price I also had somebody that praised my abilities when I had none.

That was when I remembered my gun, that damn revolver, I knew it was my weapon but to think that I wasn’t even able to summon or materialize it, it makes me more useless as a Hero than a commander.

“Theo, did you hear? The other 16 heroes had recently arrived to the city, the banquet I think will play at night, do you have any plans?”

Anja asked me to which I took little to no thought, to be honest, I never experienced a royal banquet before, but in my time in the army, I experienced a budol fight, it like a banquet but without any noble acts, it was eat all you can.

Good days…

I then thought what should I wear? I knew the other heroes are from earth, but if I wear my military uniform, they’ll think I’m a show off and well… arrogant because I am part of a military.

I just then ordered yesterday a jet-black suit, it was quite extravagant but its intricate design was hidden on its black cloth and silk, it was a good suit, so I eventually bought it and use it at the banquet.

Before I knew it, it was already in the afternoon, I took my leave and left the mercenary guild to pick up my attire and prepare for the banquet.

Right now, I need connections, if I can’t get connections in the nobility I can always befriend the other heroes, they’re from earth so I have a feeling interacting with them will be easy…

Or so I thought…