Outcast lost in RuneMidgard Chapter 25: Time, a ragnarok online fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

Text: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

Text: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty four: Time

Benji throws the muscle cutter in the wall, nailing the blade there; then Benji jumps and uses the sword as leverage as he strikes the leader of the critter horde. In a reflexive defense from the target Benji destroys the horn on the leader's hands. A loud shriek fills the air coming from the mass of critters.

Benji decides to save the leader for later and hits him on the head with the side of the blade knocking him out, a quick use of his belt later and the leader is wrapped to go. Benji turns his attention to the critters, now even more chaotic, attacking each other indiscriminately.

Not looking a gift horse mouth Benji pulls his pistol and starts to kill the critters from his position before diving back in the mass. Less than ten minutes later everything is over. 'It was easier than I thought that would be.' Benji thought while dragging his prize to the main square. 'It was pathetically easy; I didn't even got hit once.'

Benji couldn't understand the language of the girl, for sure it wasn't English, Japanese, Portuguese or even Spanish that was lightly familiar, but he didn't had to understand her language to tell that she was scared of him, frightened to the point of soiling herself in fear.

Benji sighed inwardly at the situation, sure he wasn't expecting to be loved instantly as it happened with Haruka, Haruka was the exception, and the young woman in front of him was the rule. Benji continues to walk towards the woman; he would release her from her chains.

'Wow you are pretty damn evil!' The doppelganger chirped. 'She fainted out of fear of you.' 'And you will faint with barbed tentacle-sensei.' Benji replied in a flat tone. 'WAIT!!' she exclaimed in fear. 'You said barbed?! As in having barbs in the tentacles?!' 'Yup.' Benji replied with a smile. 'Have fun.'

Tuning out of the shrieks Benji turns to the unconscious woman at his feet. With a sigh Benji turns to the church, he would ask to Seri to take her inside, it would score him few points with the sister and with the woman, as well give him time to get acquaintanced with his prisoner.

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Eight hours, one shower, three brooms and four ropes later Benji looks at his prisoner. He was surprised in seeing that under the cloak was a woman, fairly attractive too, one oddity about her is that her skin is far too white to be living in the desert, even cloaked. Even cloaked for most of his stay in the desert Benji's naturally tan colored skin got several shades darker, and the residents of Pentas, the desert city all had dark tan skin, other than the church inhabitants and few women who lived inside their houses.

Normally Benji doesn't like of resorting to torture, but even he admitted that was a good method of getting information, because his personal hate for rape and what happened to Layla and the others Benji is even more wary of torturing women, but not every torture in the book relies in pain, all that Benji was using other than the ropes is a feather duster.

"What is going on Haruka?" Atsuko asked for the multi-class high wizard. "I was going over the plants and maps of the castle." Haruka replied pointing to the large amount of paper rolled over Benji's desk. "So what, we already know every inch of this castle." Makie commented.

"Actually we don't." Haruka said seriously. "The dungeon is out of limits and other than Benji no one else ever went there." "True, but the dungeon has dangerous monsters that are too powerful for us to kill now." Layla replied. "But that isn't much of a reason for call us here." The others nodded agreeing.

In the office Benji's lovers as well Makie were there, no one else. "However it isn't that what I meant." Haruka said seriously. "And I called you all here since in this group no one will leak the information."

Now that got everyone's attention, if was something so sensible that Haruka only trusted it with them then it was important. Layla would die before saying anything that would compromise Benji, she was that fiercely loyal to him, Atsuko wouldn't allow anyone to live to harm Benji, Erika would side with Layla on the issue, while Makie could sell Benji out; but he was the first person of her world that she met and she would never betray someone from her world.

"So what is that sensible?" Layla asked seriously. "I am not an expert but some of the scales of the plants and maps don't match the castle insides." Haruka answered. "That?" Makie asked playfully. "I brought that up to Benji months ago. It was nothing more than lack of care of the architect. Benji and I checked that ourselves."

"Normally I wouldn't mind in risking like that." Haruka commented. "But Benji has the habit in not telling us things right?" Makie frowned at Haruka's words, that was true, anyone who knew Benji enough to get part of planning things knew that, Benji would purposely hold information and items that he considered not needed to know or dangerous to them.

"You are suggesting that Benji purposely altered my researches with him to conceal something?" Makie asked seriously. "I wouldn't put it behind him." Haruka answered. "I can understand his way of thinking but this issue is quite serious." "Girls the three of us are lost here." Erika said to Makie and Haruka. "What are you two talking about?"

"We think that Benji hid from us that this castle is filled with secret passages and rooms." Haruka explained. "Where you think that Benji hide those bombs and dangerous items that he doesn't want us to find?" "His Kafra storage." Atsuko answered. "No one other than him can get it."

"It is a possibility he might keep some there for emergencial use, but what about the stuff that he doesn't want anyone to know about?" Haruka asked. "It makes more sense to keep them close of him, in someplace that he can watch it and make sure that no one can get it right?"

"Right." Layla replied. "He did have those bunnies somewhere in reach in the castle." "That is what I mean." Haruka said pointing to Layla. "Before he gave those to Maria and Raki we had no idea that those bunnies even existed, what else could be hidden in this castle?"

"Things that we shouldn't know about." Layla said seriously. "If Benji hid them not telling us about them he must have a really good reason for it." Atsuko nodded agreeing at Layla's words. "The Silver Moon castle is a dangerous castle; we saw that the monsters of the dungeons aren't regular monsters, same goes with the chests in the leader's room." Atsuko added. "Some of those items are very dangerous, we all agreed that many of them shouldn't be used or distributed."

"But it wouldn't be better to know if he was right?" Haruka asked. "And who knows we might even find something that show us where Benji might be? And knowing secret entries and exit routes of the castle might come handy if we even lose the castle, we could use them to take it back."

That last argument was something that all the girls agreed that was reasonable, it was edging on cheating but was still agreeable, the Silver Moon castle is their home and they would do everything to keep it. "But even if we do go and try finding those passages and rooms how we are supposed to open them?" Atsuko asked. "They must have a special way to be opened, just breaking it open ruins the whole purposed of having them."

Haruka knew that Atsuko was right, if Benji was aware of the secret passages and rooms then he must know how to open them. It was frustrating Haruka knew so little about Benji, and he wouldn't tell much about himself.

Benji sighed tiredly, after extracting everything from the woman Benji left her wrapped in ropes so she can be confused with a cocooned bug. Seri looks at him a bit saddened; she was bringing more sad news than the deserved thanks for Benji saving the city from the semestral fate of choosing sacrifices for the demons.

The church would house the woman that Benji rescued; a witch as the townsfolk called her, unable to speak the tongue of the city or any know one the woman was sentenced to be the sacrifice, sparing the townsfolk from choosing one from their own. Seri tells that to Benji who sighs disgusted, but at the same time he looked a bit content, sure he wasn't able to make the woman understand him and he speaks three languages and have a rough understanding of a forth, but none where understood by her.

"So I am supposed to take her with me when I move to the capital." Benji said. "But I won't be going until I am done killing the rest of those critters." "Critters?" Seri asked confused. "You call demons." Benji answered. "Anyway I learned the whereabouts of the lair, give me a day or two to build more energy and I will go wrap up."

"What about the heretic?" Seri asked pointing to the shut door of the room where Benji locked the captured woman. "I plan on dragging her with me too." Benji answered. "What kind of riding animals you people have here?" "Sand riders." Seri answered. "They are quadruped animals that can travel large distances in the desert, they need little water to survive; one drink can last for months."

"That will be quite handy." Benji commented. "I will need two of those plus a guide with me when I go wrap up the business, and to the capital I will need four, three for mount and the fourth for cargo, as well a guide." "We have already discussed that, you will get anything that you need for your journey, as well a reward for saving us from the demons." Seri replied seriously. "It might not be much but this is worth your weight in gold in the capital."

Seri offers to Benji a leather pouch. Benji takes it and opens it; a strong and familiar scent tickles his nose. "Pepper." Benji said seeing the black grains inside. "Yes, it is only roots in this land, because of the rarity it worthy." Seri answered. "Our village sells this spice for a living."

"Isn't this too much?" Benji asked. "Not for what you did." Seri answered. "Now our people don't have to fear being sacrificed for those demons." Benji doesn't say anything and takes the pouch. "After I finish with the demons I will speak with them about the journey to the capital and what will be needed." Benji said. "For now tell them that both of them are under my watch."

"I will, and they won't do anything against them." Seri replied. "They are quite impressed, even a bit scared of confronting you, unfortunately most of us aren't enlightened enough to not be afraid of the blessings of the Goddess. I admit myself that I am a bit scared of your power, but I know that it was Freya that send you to this land to stop the demons, I trust on her judgment and know that you won't hurt an innocent soul."

'Why religious women tend to believe that I am send by a divine force?' Benji asked to himself. 'Do I smell holy or something?' 'As far as I know you are downright evil.' The doppelganger said curled on her corner after another meeting with tentacle-sensei. 'I have my moments.' Benji commented casually.

'They aren't moments!' She exclaimed. 'Ninety nine percent of the time you are evil.' 'Just to you, normally I am a nice guy.' Benji commented. After that Benji resumes ignoring the doppelganger, he had bigger worries, he had said that he would take care of the remaining critters, but he has a feeling that he faced only a small fraction of them, and he killed almost two hundred of them.

"MUTSUMI!!" Haruka's voice echoed on the halls of the Silver Moon castle. The sole ninja of the Seiryu's legions was quite confuse, she haven't done anything that would cause anyone to yell at her, and most of the times she was pretty much left to her own devices, happily being in the background, slowly experimenting the life of an adventurer along with Saeki.

Haruka bursts on the dinning hall, frantically looking all over the place for the ninja; normally she stands out as a sore thumb because of her unusual clothes. "There you are!" Haruka exclaimed walking towards Mutsumi, who was before the scream was calmly eating her fried rice, now she is looking as a cornered and scared rabbit facing a predator.

"Is there anything wrong?" Mutsumi asked forcing herself to not show the uneasiness and nervousness that she is feeling, at least on her voice since her body was quivering lightly. "Come!" Haruka said grabbing Mutsumi's wrist and dragging her out of the dinning hall.

Saeki follows Haruka and Mutsumi, while officially no longer Mutsumi's bodyguard since Mutsumi wasn't a princess anymore, Saeki still carried that duty not mattering what others said, Mutsumi was still her princess. Of course Saeki wasn't expecting to run nose first into the door of Benji's office, as Haruka shut it after entering.

Muttering a curse in Japanese Saeki opens the door and enters in the office while rubbing her nose. Haruka disregards the swordswoman, she was after all still holding the secret that Mutsumi was a princess from the brunt of the other guild girls, and since the subject was related to Mutsumi's family Haruka knew that Saeki wouldn't spill anything.

"Mutsumi you are a princess right?" Haruka asked to the ninja. "I used to, why?" Mutsumi asked uneasily, she didn't like of the conversation, and it haven't even started, and Benji's office makes her feel uneasy, even not being menacing or without Benji there for months Mutsumi could still feel his menacing presence there.

"That means that you can speak to the emperor right?" Haruka asked. "No." Mutsumi answered. "I am forbidden to speak with father, and I am supposed to forget that I was related to the royal family, it is hard enough to keep in touch with my sister." "Fine, even if you can't speak with him, you can speak with the imperial builders or whatever people that was responsible for building this castle, right?" Haruka changed the question.

"No." Mutsumi answered even more confused, she can't see where the questions are leading to. "Why?" Haruka sighed annoyed, she was betting on Mutsumi's past that she just recalled minutes earlier to crack the nut about the secret areas of the castle. "You wouldn't happen to know about secret passages here do you?" Haruka asked without much hope.

Haruka's hope grows seeing how fidgety the ninja got, even Saeki was nervous, the two know something, Haruka could smell it. "You two know something about them don't you?" Haruka pressed the two. "We aren't supposed to disclose any of this." Saeki said seriously. "Benji-sama clearly instructed us to not do it, under the penalty number six in case of disobedience, timed two for each person who learned about it."

Haruka cringed at the punishment number, it was how Benji classified to the other girls the punishment given to her when she broke into his room and changed his clothes, it meant severe ass spanking followed by rough, unlubed, prolonged, continuous and intense anal sex, until he feels tired or grow bored, whatever happens first.

Haruka knew first hand that because his level and multi-classes Benji had more than enough stamina to keep it for five hours straight, with little if no breaks on the entire time, needing only some food, drink and maybe a potion or two before being ready for more five hours.

Haruka would never admit but she acquired a taste for it after the sixth time, sure she would be out of service and unable to sit right or use the bathroom without pain for one week or two, but the feelings of those sections are far more intense than her unpunished sex, her non-admitted masochist streak have much to do with it, but she wouldn't admit it anyway.

Haruka could see the fear in the two girls' eyes, she could tell that if one of them told the secret to anyone, both of them would meet the punishment, and their fear of Benji and punishment was far bigger than any kind of feeling that Haruka could get from them, just the words Benji and punishment in the same sentence was enough to make both girls nervous.

With a sigh Haruka thinks in what to do, even wanting she wouldn't be able to convince Benji to shift the punishment from the two to her, Benji was strict about punishments, he was fair to everyone, he was a kind leader, he didn't demanded anything that they couldn't or would be willing to give, but he was strict about the few set rules of the guild and the punishment for breaking them.

Layla is pleased, her arm and shoulder healed fine, she was aware that she needed more training, just by changing swords in the middle of combat her arm took lots of damage for swinging the heavier sword for a long period of time, the muscle cutter that Juliet gave to her was a good sword, Layla admitted that, but she liked more of her broadsword, it was also lighter than the muscle cutter and gave her extra defense, and above everything Benji gave her that sword.

Other than the esthetical, weight, attack and effects differences the swords had the same attractive, two card slots. Layla ponders quietly while looking at the two swords over her bed. The muscle cutter has two useful abilities, one of them being external bleeding, which meant that the blood on the wound wouldn't clot for a long time after the cut, that meant that the wound would be open longer and weakening the enemy gradually, the other is the auto cast of decrease agility, it wasn't much when counting the agility points decrease, but it gave a slight edge that Layla couldn't dismiss in combat, and it had a bigger attack than the broadsword.

And there was her broadsword, she was very familiar with, it gave her extra defense points, its broad edge was perfect for parrying strikes and blocking arrows, sure it took her some training with Benji throwing small rocks at her to her to master missile reflection, but now she was able to effectively block arrows, some still passed but most of them was blocked.

Above everything her broadsword was +10 and the muscle cutter was +8, it evened out the attack difference between the two, if she wanted Layla could risk the muscle cutter to get the max level. With a sigh Layla looks at her cards, she had a complete turtle set, a turtle general, five skeleton workers, two Drakes, one marina, one skeleton, not counting her cards for armor, garments, helms, shoes and accessories, as everyone else in the guild Layla got a good collection of cards, some better than others.

But since her gained the broadsword from Benji she couldn't decided on what cards to compound on it, she had other broadswords for leveling, race and status effects, she used most of her gains to get a total of six +9 broadswords, after losing ten swords plus the money and material she decided to stop chasing the +10.

However the muscle cutter was a new sword, no one outside the guild or Juliet's knights had them, and rationalizing it would be more effective in compounding the muscle cutter, it would have more effects, sure she would have to get used to the sword, but with a good training routine she would.

But it was the personal feelings that made the decision hard, she liked of her broadsword, even not being carded it was her main weapon, only traded for WoE or other situations where a carded weapon would be best. A knock on the door removes Layla from her musings.

"Who is it?" Layla asked while storing her cards back on the envelope, and then back to her dresser. "Me." Jannine answered from the other side. "Come in." Layla said sitting back on her chair by the bed. "Don't tell me that you are that desperate." Jannine said in a teasingly tone after noticing the swords on Layla's bed.

Layla gave a flat look at the high priestess. "Fine forget about the tease." Jannine said with a casual tone. "What is keeping you so busy that you have locked yourself here for six hours?" "I am just weighing pros and cons about my equipment." Layla answered. "You know that I busted my arm last time mostly because that muscle cutter."

Jannine knew that, by the lunchtime of the WoE Layla's shoulder was aching badly, that slowed her down just enough to a long mace wielding battle priest smash her shoulder before Layla smashed his skull open.

While not a swordswoman Jannine knew enough about fighting to know that a small weight variance in the weapon can have large repercussions, and Layla was fairly used to broadswords, that weights two kilos, she used it for one year straight, then she tried out the muscle cutter, that weights two kilos and two hundred grams.

Most people would say that getting hurt because such a small weight difference is pathetic, but the truth was that those people are stupid, alone that weight means next to nothing, but when adding that to a viciously strong and fast swing, the extra mass would multiply, the damage caused in the target is nothing more than the increased weight because of the speed of the strike adding to the original weight making the sword 'feel' much heavier.

And it was that weight increase that hurt Layla, she wasn't good with whatever science on it, but she knows that on the moment of the impact the sword mass would be by far greater than the original. Jannine also feels that kind of difference with her weapons, when she changes maces when hunting around she feels the difference between a swordmace and a morning star.

"Well you did force yourself." Jannine finally said. "You forgot that there are differences between using a sword when hunting monsters and when fighting on the WoE, when hunting you use it for less time than in the WoE, of course your body would feel the strain of that difference."

"I know that." Layla replied. "I am just unsure if I want to adopt that muscle cutter as my main WoE sword." Jannine could understand that, everyone in the guild had their own favorite WoE weapon and their favorite daily use weapon, which was their main weapon in most cases.

"Well Layla for WoE the muscle cutter is better than the broadsword, external bleeding is a nasty status." Jannine commented. "But don't forget that you are used to broadswords, even being strong as you are, you saw what happened with intense use when your body isn't used to that sword. We have two more weeks before the WoE, it isn't enough time for you to get used to that sword. Besides haven't you already maxed out your attack speed? You could use a one hand sword and a shield for extra defense."

Layla frowned lightly at the idea, sure she could now use a one hand sword or a spear as fast as she could use a two hands sword, she did sometimes used one or the other when needed, but her main thing was two hands swords. "Or you could try something else." Jannine added with a smile.

She leans forward and whispers something on Layla's ear, Layla smiled at the idea, yes she could definitely do that, it would require some intense training, but yes she could do that, and the best of it all that she would have to do was get a lighter sword, and she knew where exactly to look to get a much lighter sword that wasn't being used and had three empty slots, the best of it all it was +10.

"Hey Haruka where you got that sword that you gave to Benji before our first…" Layla stops talking as soon she sees what Haruka is doing on Benji's office, Mutsumi and Saeki are being restrained by magic binds, that looked far more perverted than plain binding.

"If I am interrupting I will come by later." Layla said looking at the half naked and sweaty ninja princess and Haruka who is armed with a feather duster near her. "Help!" Mutsumi exclaimed while Layla is halfway closing the door and leaving the office. Now Haruka knew that she was screwed, she had forgotten to lock the door and the second worst person that could walk on her just walked on her, the first being Benji.

Haruka knows that Layla has a good magic resistance and more than enough hit points to reach her before she could even knock the knight out, that even wearing only a simple dress and no gear at all.

"I can explain." Haruka said before things got worse for her than it already is. "Really?" Layla asked menacingly, pulling her favorite broadsword from her inventory. "Because this doesn't look good at all." "I am trying to extract information out of them." Haruka said getting nervous, while she knows that Layla won't cut her, she knows from experience that the knight has a vicious slash even when using the broad side of the sword to hit.

"They are from our guild Haruka, what they could possibly be hiding?" Layla asked while walking towards them. "They know about the secret passages and rooms." Haruka answered, and as she hoped Layla looked less mad, Haruka had succeeded in getting Layla's attention with that, but that only lasts for one moment.

In the next moment Layla was a blur of movement and the flat side of her sword impacts on Haruka's head with enough force to knock her out, still before getting unconscious Haruka could hear Layla saying. "That isn't enough reason."

With a sigh Layla stores her sword back on her inventory. "Are you two okay?" Layla asked as the magic binds fade and the two are released. "I so need to go!" Mutsumi shouted running out of the office before Layla could even understand the meaning of her words.

"Did Mutsumi just ran out of here topless?" Layla asked to Saeki. "Well Haruka was tickling Mutsumi for a while now and she said that she was almost wetting herself." Saeki explained; Layla nodded understanding. "So what exactly happened here?" Layla questioned.

"Haruka called us here and told us about this castle having secret passages." Saeki explained. "But when we said that Benji-sama told us that he would punish us if we ever told anyone about them, she used that spell on us and started tickling Mutsumi, and said that she wouldn't stop until we told her how to open them."

Layla sighed even more annoyed, they had discussed about that already and decided that they would be left alone, grinding her heel on Haruka's head Layla wonders if she should punish Haruka, she knew that Benji would, but she already knocked Haruka out. "You won't ask us about that?" Saeki asked seriously. "Nah." Layla replied still grinding Haruka's head with her heel. "I don't really care, if Goshujin-sama believes that they should be a secret, then I also believe on that. Besides isn't like there are treasures on them."

Actually there are, Saeki closes her mouth restraining herself from saying that and correcting the knight, Saeki deeply respects Layla, she saw the devotion that Layla has towards Benji and believes that is similar to her own devotion to Mutsumi, if Layla doesn't want to know about the secret areas then Saeki won't tell her.

Clapping her hands together Layla finally comes up with something. "Saeki mind in getting me ten meters of rope and helping me to tie Haruka up?" Layla asked to the younger swordswoman. "I don't really mind." Saeki replied. "But what are you going to do?"

A smile traces Layla's lips at the question. "Well since I won't punish Haruka in the way that Benji punishes her." Layla said casually. "I will tie her down, throw her in her room and leave her there for a day or two." Saeki thought that was a bit harsh, but since Haruka was willing to make Mutsumi soil herself, she doesn't really hesitate in fulfill the request, it was just fair that Haruka experienced the same thing.

Benji stretched tiredly, he was really starting to miss the solitude of the desert, the long hours alone, the grave silence unbroken for hours until he did some kind of noise, but that was before, now he was stuck with an overly grateful, extremely talkative, and if it keeps on, a soon to be dead futanari.

In the other side his second travel companion was totally silent, still suspicious of him, reluctant in traveling with him, but when faced with the sure death of leaving his presence she decided that Benji was the lesser of two evils. Closing the group was the guide, actually the second guide since Benji left Pentas one month earlier.

Because the long distance between Pentas and the city, the guide only took Benji to the next town, from there a second guide will take him to a third town where he would get a third guide until a fourth town, in that fourth town he would get a fourth guide that would be with him until Rachel, after all Benji was making the same path as the spices sold by Pentas, traveling with merchants.

Benji found a bit odd that the group was so small and the distances to great, even with monsters preventing robbers, such a small traveling group was dangerous, it should be a caravan traveling, while a bit wary of the explanation given that the caravans were already traveling and he was using the second party of guides of each town, such thing to be done since it takes months to the caravan return and while one group of guards and guides travel with it, a different one rests and waits for the next caravan, giving to the first group time to rest from the long journey.

Suspicious of the arrangement Benji stored plenty of food and water in his inventory, enough for months in the desert with the other two, but Benji wasn't fully suspicious of the guides, he was offered gratitude because he eradicated that desert demons race, all that he asked in return was safe transportation towards the capital, a cheap price comparing to the lives of the regular sacrifices and grief of the families.

Benji was now feeling very temptated in smashing the side of his sword on the head of the purple haired futanari, the worse part of everything is that Benji liked of the other personality, the one that is currently sleeping, but if Benji knocks the futanari out he will be forced to either carry her or tie her to the saddle, but that would scare the former sacrifice, it took that long for her to stop trying to escape and Benji wouldn't be forced to keep her chained to the saddle and holding her ride's reins.

………Location unknown……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"It has been more than three months since his last appearance." A deep male voice said wrapped in the shadows of a poorly lithe room. "Four months will be completed in one week, exactly one week to the fourth WoE that the Seiryu's Legions will fight in. This must be a sign that our plan have worked."

"We can't make hasty decisions on this point." A female said from another shadow covered seat. "He isn't a public figure as the Golden Knight, he only became public as a side-effect of countering assassination attempts, and as well for being daring enough to rub in our faces that he can enter and conquer castles whenever he feels like. Being hasty now will only add to his reputation, and it is already big enough for King Tristan take notice, he grows interested on the Blue Dragon."

"A ascension to the top 20 in less than four months of WoE is enough to make anyone take interest on them." A second male voice commented. "Being toe to toe in a duel with the Golden Knight only makes the king more interested, I heard from a reliable source that the king questioned the Golden Knight about the Blue Dragon, and as it is known the Golden Knight has a very positive view of the Blue Dragon. It won't be long before the king makes a move to get him, if that happens everything that we have done until now will be in vain."

"We need to stall that meeting, long enough so we can tarnish the Blue Dragon's reputation." A second feminine voice said. "It might sound hard considering that the base of his fame is from being a killer, but if we find something believable his reputation will fall to the ground. Maybe if we find a way to remove his main castle from the war…"

"Wouldn't that be a favor for him?" A third feminine voice asked casually. "I heard from a reliable source that the WoE and everything along it is not only undesirable but troublesome for the Dragon, and that the only reason that they actually fight on the war if to keep that castle in Amatsu, it is his home and him and his guild want to keep it at all costs. Removing it from the war would only give him what he wants, and tarnishing his reputation will also benefit him, my source claims that he hates his fame and the attraction that is has on people."

"So by not doing anything now we will be harming him more than if we acted right now, that is what you mean?" The first female voice asked. "Yes, stress can be a very damaging thing, even with strongest sword breaks under excessive stress." The third voice answered. "By not taking action now and waiting for the right time, as well using this time to gather more information on him, when the time comes our chances of success will be much higher."

End of the chapter twenty four:

Author explanation corner:

After a long delay, distractions, work issues, annoying family members and others reasons I decided to remove most of the battle scenes of this chapter, as the continuation of the battle in the main street, the battle in the lair of the desert critters (still to be named), Layla's new training after Jannine's suggestion (I won't name the levels of the girls now, but they are high enough to max at least two stats).

About the secret areas of the castle: As everyone knows (and I learned after the creation) a guild castle is something 'rather simple' in RO, and the Silver Moon castle is very different from your average guild castle of Rune, since it was made following a cross between Amatsu (Japanese) style and Rune (Western) styles there are many differences between it and a regular WoE castle.

The Silver Moon castle is closer to a 'real life' castle with secret passages and secret emergency exits (common things in castles since essentially castles are fortresses and in case of the fortress falling on a siege a secret escape route is a must). Benji is aware of the secret areas since he is the 'owner' of the castle, the emperor is also aware of them, and by extension so is Mutsumi and Saeki (the secret areas open in the same way of the secret areas of the imperial castle, so after some searching and probing they found them, and Benji threatened them into secrecy).

Barbed sensei: Just plain evil, I don't need to tell more do I?

Spices and pepper: Grab a history book; in there you will see that several hundred years ago spices were worth as much if not more than gold. The pouch with one kilo of pepper grains (pepper grains are very light, one kilo is a LOT of pepper) is worth a lot, really, really much.

Sand riders: Just because it isn't an official thing doesn't mean that couldn't exist in the RO world, after all every episode new monsters are introduced to us, and I still haven't seen a single cow in the game, but that doesn't mean that cows doesn't exist, after all, all that meat that we get to heal us must come from somewhere. Anyway they are a replacement for camels, or you expected that desert caravans would make the entire journey between cities on foot?

Travel to Rachel: I know it is quite complex, but if you think a little it isn't all that odd, is a full journey until Rachel takes several months and on each city a new group of merchants and guards join the caravan it only makes sense to keep at least a second group of guards and guides, so when the first ones return, already on the time of 'the second' caravan of the year departure that second group will leave with them giving the first group time to rest and stay with their families.

Specially since in Pentas it takes six months to reach Rachel, other cities closer of the capital have shorter periods of wait between caravans, but that also means a smaller price of their good since it is easier to get, of course that also means that the profit of distant towns might be smaller than in closer cities since there are the traveling expenses for a long journey.

Lastly, just because the world is infested with monsters and adventurers that don't mean that the world is free of bandits that attack travelers and merchants on the roads and routes, so traveling in a large caravan is safer than traveling in a smaller group.

Futanari: Do a wiki search if you don't know the term, for now I will leave this hanging.

Sacrifice girl: After seeing Benji killing she is scared to death of him, but is forced to travel with him, and she doesn't speak a 'know' language so explaining things to her isn't exactly easy, in order to prevent her escape and subsequent death in the desert or in the hands of a monster Benji has to literally keep her leashed, not a good way to gain her trust, but a good way to prevent her from running away, and to prevent her from inciting her ride from running Benji has to hold the reins to control the animal.

Secretive meeting: Secret.