Year of the metal dragon
Month of the Snake

Lucy stirred. The blue curtains filtered most of the sunlight but some of it managed to pierce through the thick curtain. The monk shifted uncomfortably on her sleep.

"How long are you going to sleep, Sherman?"

She groggily opened her eyes and saw a blurry figure standing on her doorway. She tried her best to examine the stranger but her eyes couldn't do it. Ever since she was five, she had a hard time seeing at a distance of three meters onwards. Her parents gave her special glasses that allowed her to see clearly.

When Lucy ventured to see the world, Ignatius handed her a pair of contact lens that he got from the northern regions.

The monk searched for her glasses on the table. She felt the lamppost and a picture frame on her table but failed to the wooden box which contained her glasses.

Footsteps quickly registered on the monk's mind. Lucy stopped her search and stared at the source of the sound.

"Near-sighted or far-sighted, Sherman?"

Lucy glared at the stranger. From the harsh and somehow, annoying, sarcastic, low remarks, this was a man, about twenty. He was wearing something red on his body and holding a round object on his right hand. A large, fluffy hat perched on his head.

Somehow, she had seen him before.

She frowned. "Who're you?"

Lucy heard him sigh. He walked towards her cabinet and picked something.

"Don't move, alright?"

She nodded.

The man carefully placed the glasses on her eyes.

Lucy stared at the stranger. He was at least 5'3 and had a decent build. He was wearing a pink apron. Knives and small cooking tools were inside the apron's pocket. She noticed the gray hair that he had. It was unusual for young people to have a hair like his. He wasn't old, as she didn't see any wrinkles on his skin. His brown eyes moved back and forth like a ping pong ball.

"What?" He blurted. "Cat got your tongue?"

Lucy shook her head.

The man walked towards the door and turned around. "I've cooked something good. You better get down now. The mushrooms wanted to see you now."

"Mushrooms?" She asked, confused.

"Well you know those pepperheads that couldn't shut their mouths for one second." He smiled. "But I guess… that's their nature."

The man left.

"Wait!" She called him.

He poked his head on the door.

"Your name?" Lucy said.

He sighed and tossed a crumpled paper at her.

When he left, the monk read it. Her eyes widened in horror but a sense of relief washed over on her face. She vaguely remembered the incident last night and she was certain it was that man who saved her and the orphans.

But she couldn't believe it. It was already a month since the fall of the 26th platoon and demons had been roaming outside the cities in Midgard. From what she recalled, the Pronteran Kingdom and the Sanctuary issued an order to kill the heavenly cleric, Elias for killing his teammates and the high priestess Crystal.

One thing was certain: they told the public that he was a demon and was willing to kill people for power. They also told them that he conjured the forbidden priest technique that gave him immeasurable power.

Elias was here and that man saved her. He didn't looked like a demon, though his language needed to be refined and controlled. The only thing that stood out from that man was his pale skin, as if he could be burned if exposed to the sun.

Pain loomed suddenly on her head. The monk massaged the temples of her head as she got up and wore a casual, blue dress.

As she stepped out of her room, bluish flames consumed the crumpled paper.


"You're going to eat my salad, one way or another!" Wilhelm said, pointing a bowl of freshly fruit salad at the chocolate-skinned child, Aleck, a five-year old kid who lost his parents when he lost still an infant.

Aleck stopped at the corner and faced Soulrender. "Never!"

"Salads are for chickens!" Jude said, a child with sandy, blond hair.

"Yeah for chickens!" Nathan, Eric and Roy said and fled in different directions.

Wilhelm tried his best not to snap at the insults he got from a black kid, a blond brat and three eggheads. He knew he would fall into their level if he grabbed deathscythe and forced them to take their insults back.

Instead, he turned around. A group of children composing of seven girls and a melancholic boy whom he believed would die if scolded the kid.

Wilhelm knelt down, still stirring his fruit salad.

"The rebels have escape but they haven't gotten far away. They must eat my special fruit salad for their punishment. "He said, as if he was a battalion commander. "Harriet, Ai and Mae, the three of are going to find the rebels in the first floor. Scour the entire area, especially the closets and under the sofas. Use the rope skills that I taught you a week ago alright?"

"Aye, Willie!" The three said and left with their jump ropes.

"Nana, you're going to take your squad and searched the entire second floor of the house. They will be hiding in the curtains and in the rooms. Search the area thoroughly. If you didn't find them, then…" He paused, thinking of a name for that monk. "Enter four-eyed, tubby monk's room. If you must, throw everything to find the rebels. You know their weakness, right?"

The girls puckered up their lips.

"Excellent, the rebels believe that you have cooties." He smacked his fist. "Go and bring them here."

They got up and dashed through the other door.

"Leo, go outside and scout the area. If you see them, do not engage the enemy. Call for backup immediately. I repeat, do not engage the enemy. They will give you the wet willy if they capture you."

The child gulped nervously and exited through the back door.

Flexing his shoulders, Wilhelm placed the bowl on the table and plopped down on a stool. His eyes were locked on the small, round window near the stove. Dusts floated gently and he could clearly see them with the help of sunlight.

Footsteps echoed throughout the corridor. Wilhelm was certain it didn't belong to the kids.

He got up. "You alright?"

She smiled. "Yeah…"

And she punched him in the face.


"The salad's good. Where did you learn how to make this?" Lucy asked, still eating the salad.

Wilhelm looked the other way, applying more pressure on his eye with an ice bag.

"It's what you get for calling me fat." She said frankly.

"I didn't! I just called you four-eyed tubby mo—"

The monk smiled devilishly. "I still have an ice bag and some ice cubes on the fridge. Your other eye could use another one."

He scowled.

Lucy silently finished her salad and picked up an apple from the basket.

"You wish for answers, right?" Wilhelm said, peeling off a banana.

"Yeah," The monk replied, staring at the window. "First of all, what's your name?"

He turned around to face her, still chewing the fruit like a bubble gum. "I thought you read the flier."

"Yeah, I did but I'm asking for your real name. You have one, haven't you?"

"Doesn't really matter to me. I was called by that name because of my talents and skills that exceeded even the greatest wizards and priest in the history of Midgard. "

"Is that so?" Lucy glanced at him. "At first, I should hate you for forsaking mankind and going over for power. I thought you only wanted strength, as I have heard these rumors from other priests from the Sanctuary. But what happened last night…" She paused and closed her eyes dreamily. "And now, I believed you couldn't do such a thing to your friends. Not to mention that you help me last night."

"Errr…" Wilhelm walked outside and threw the banana peeling. "You were out cold for a week."

"Oh," Lucy said and scratched her head.

"If that's the case," He stretched his arms. "Then, call me Wilhelm."

"Wilhelm?"

"Yeah, Wilhelm." He placed a hand on his forehead. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"No, but Wilhelm what?"

"Wilhelm! Jeez, what the hell do you want?" He paced around the room, annoyingly raising his voice. "You want the full meaning and history of the name Wilhelm?"

"Wilhelm… I didn't need—"

"Fine!" He shouted. "My name came from the ancient Germanic language from the northwestern tribes."

"Hey…"

Wilhelm pressed on. "It has several meanings but the most notable meaning for this name means will and protection."

"Listen to me Wilhelm." Lucy said but he completely ignored her.

"Only a few people bear the name of Wilhelm, like me. Also, the name 'William' is the English counterpart of my na—"

"Wilhelm!" Lucy yelled.

He stopped on his feet and gulped.

Orange light jumped out of her right fist. Her eyes looked like a maniacal demon that would tear him into pieces.

The girl forced a smile and flexed her fingers. He could hear the snapping sound of bones in her hands.

"I'm giving you five seconds to sit down, shut your mouth and answer my entire question before I use a Guillotine Fist on your head…"

Then, she placed a finger on her lips.

Cold sweat formed on his forehead.

"No, I'm going to use my Dragon King Fist. I'm quite sure you're going to need all the ice packs you can get once I use that on you."

His enthusiasm shattered to tiny pieces, Wilhelm obeyed the monk.

"Now, I want to know your surname?" Lucy asked, sipping a cup of tea.

"Surname?"

"Your last name. You do have one, right?"

He avoided her gaze. "I can't tell you that."

"How come?"

"It's confidential."

She arched an eyebrow.

"Really, if you know my surname, then your life will change forever.

She grinned. "You're a noble, aren't you?"

Trying to avoid his defeat, Wilhelm faced the other way.

"Doesn't matter…" Lucy finished her tea. "Tell me what happened last week, the one when we were attack by that demon."

He stared at her, as if assessing her determination. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…I had to know what happened to me."

"To make it short and blunt, that kid defeated us and left us to drown in our own pool of blood. Well, you were swimming on your, since that kid stabbed you in the lungs and threw like a ragged doll."

Lucy held her chest. "How about you?"

"I can't tell you. I prefer to leave that incident behind me."

She nodded.

"Anymore questions?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "There was a swordsman, wasn't it?"

"Yup. He's Jeremy and I needed to discuss something to him when that incident occurred. At first, I thought that man was a demon, from the wanderer's tribe." He sighed. "You do know that of all the demons in Midgard, they' re the only one who can morph into perfect human beings and at the same time, those demons prefer peace and harmony."

"Although, some of them are renegade hunters."

"Those are nothing but rumors, perpetuated by other demons. Crystal herself investigated this matter and proved to us that they weren't evil. In fact, they only wanted to live alone in their lands."

"Something's not right; you said at first, what do you mean by that?"

Wilhelm inhaled. "Answer this riddle. Neither living nor dead, they're the creatures that prowl under the blanket of the darkness. They bear their fangs and claws to destroy their foes. What is it?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Jeremy and that brat are vampires…"

"What!?" The monk said, shocked and confused. "Vampires? But they're just myth—"

He removed his collar, revealing a pair of small holes on the side of his neck. "This is a vampire bite. That kid nearly killed me when he sucked my blood."

"No way…" Lucy got up and inspected the wound. "They're vampires…I just fought a vampire?"

He nodded.

She fell down on a chair, eyes downcast.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sherman." Wilhelm said.

"Hearing those things you said to me…." She slapped her face twice." Alright, I'm good."

"Do you have any questions?" He inquired.

"No, let me absorb those things for now. I can ask you later, right?"

"Sure." He got up. "Now, I have a favor to ask."

Wilhelm walked closer and whispered his request.

"What!?" Lucy shouted.

"Don't worry; he won't bite even if you use your Guillotine Fist ten times on him" Wilhelm said and casually brushed past her

"Why me? You can talk to him since you know his…"

He stopped, not looking at her. "If my assumptions are right, then I did something horrible just to save our skin."

Wilhelm turned around and grinned. "Besides, girls are better listeners than men and having a very, very serious with him makes me uneasy."

"Why?"

"Men repels men, women attracts women. Therefore, women attract men."

An awkward silence loomed over the room.

"That's a stupid logic, Wilhelm." Lucy blurted.

"Gimme a break and do your best."

Shaking her head in dismay, Lucy walked towards the window and saw a man standing still under the shade of a maple tree. A sword leaned against the tree.

She turned around. "Wilhelm, what am I-"

But he was already gone.