Chapter 171: A Natural Monster
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And so the dance ended with a graceful bow from Alice. She looked around and saw the pile of corpses that surrounded the podium. The blessings of Ninon falling gently like feathers falling from the sky. However, Alice noticed that there was something eerie about the labyrinth. Usually, when the blessings of Ninon are done, the labyrinth would have a calming wave of heat that resembled the warmth of a hearth.
 
“You done?” Einar asked, flicking the blood from his sword, sheathing it.
 
Alice looked at the corpses, “You, really are one hell of a guardian. The shield was useless.’
 
“Yeah, it is,” Einar slung the shield on his back. “It’s rather cumbersome and I rather dodge than be hit.”
 
“Still,” he put his hands on his hips. “Some of these guys took three blows to kill. My Blade of Alva usually could tear through them easily.”
 
“Alva?” She looked at the sheathed sword. “Is that an enchanted sword?”
 
“No, the spell that I cast on this sword. Alva, which means the Exalted Blade.”
 
“Where did you learn it?”
 
Einar smiled, “From an old man who did his best to craft a sword that could tear through the impossible.”
 
“I’d like to meet this old man then.”
 
“Nah, he’s sleeping and I doubt anything could wake him up.”
 
“I see,” she turned her head away. “I’m sorry.”
 
“Don’t worry, also, want to dress up?”
 
“I should,” she turned to the luggage Einar carried. “It’s a pain so I will just change, please don’t look or you’ll have to marry me.”
 
“I won’t,” Einar turned his attention to the direction.
 
The area was utterly silent and he heard none of the voices that should be singing. The lullaby of Ninon was nowhere to be found. However, he felt vibrations beneath his feet. Einar could tell his skin prickling as the vibration grows closer. He estimated that it came from below and sooner or later it will come for them.
 
“Alice,” Einar said. “You should hurry up, and ready yourself.’
 
Alice froze for a second, she continued and armed herself. “I am ready, how many are there?”
 
“It’s a stampede,” Einar unsheathed his sword. “And a big one as well…what the hell is happening?”
 
Einar trained is gaze on the forest. The forest shook and before long a man who was dragging a two-handed saw-like sword appeared. Behind him was a horde of monsters with grotesque appearances, their eyes filled with terror as they chase, no, as they run away from something. The beasts were alarmed as if it was their only choice.
 
“R-run!” The man said, blood coming out of his mouth. “These are deep layer monsters! Retreat now! The dancers are all dead! Their guardians! We must call the Paladin-“
 
The words were cut as Einar bolted to the horde. The blade in his hand turned vicious and before the man could turn. There was a sound of flesh being torn and bones breaking.  The rain of gore came as it happens upon the horde. Then, an explosion happened, stopping the horde from continuing forward.
 
***
 
Alice heard of the Einar ever since she started attending the academy made of nobles. It was said that three noble children were deemed to be the strongest and yet when the heir of the Elior House attended. Those three nobles were beaten as if they were nothing. His swordplay was lethal, and the way he wielded his runes were far different from the others.
 
He was a young man with abilities that surpassed his peers. If it wasn’t for those three nobles pointing their blades. The strength of the young man wouldn’t be revealed. Alice had dreams of becoming a spellsword, a woman who would rise from the ranks and become someone that could support her brother.
 
She was talentless, and the only way she could compete was through the use of a technique that would forcibly expand the veins that allowed the flow of magic inside her body. Doing so resulted in her blood clotting, and bones sometimes shattering. She endured and practiced and she hated the heir of the House of Elior.
 
She was a commoner and she thought that all nobles would act the same. Yet one day, she saw the enduring patience of Einar, the talented who would rigorously train, not uttering any complaints or moaning in pain. She saw how he trained and felt embarrassed that she was acting like a brat. So she thought of letting go of that hate, turning her anger on what she cannot do.
 
Yet, the scene before her was nothing other than a reminder. A reminder of how much of a monster Einar Elior was. Einar was facing a horde of monsters that she has no confidence in facing. These monsters who would tear through an unprepared part. Nonetheless, Einar Elior faced them, calmly, as if the scene before him was just another day.
 
“What are you?” Alice asked.
 
She had been conversing with Einar Elior. She thought of him as a guy who had no hate against commoners. He was a man who she could to talk to easily and he was without arrogance. He didn’t have that noble attitude that she hated from those who were birthed in a noble house. He was someone who would treat others fairly.
 
However, the young man that would treat people casually turned into a monster at this moment. A monster that could stop a stampede of monsters and tear through the monsters as if they are just another target. In front of her was the scene of slaughter, and the monsters who should be feared were being killed by something more monstrous than them.
 
“You really are a monster, aren’t you?” Alice held her sword tightly, biting her lips. “I guess you are really out of my league, you goddamn monster.”
 
Alice stood still to watch, her heart clenched, and eyes trained on the monster who had come to unleash his blade upon his fellow monsters. The man who was running away stood frozen, unable to process the slaughter in front of them. How would they know that there was someone who taught Einar how to kill monsters efficiently?

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