Here we are at Chapter 2. It's time for Fuyumi's initiation, along with maybe a few other things. The rest of the story will most likely be in third-person. I tried first person, but I'm just more comfortable in with the latter. Also, to answer Drcaus' question, this is an OC x harem story. Sorry if this upsets some people. I do not own Skeleton Knight or Code Vein. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: Mercenary
Out in the forests beyond Lumiere Town, Fuyumi searches for her prey. She had already hunted down a pair of Ogres and sliced off their heads with relative ease. Searching their bodies, she found crystals in their chests. Thinking them valuable, Fuyumi places them and the heads in her inventory for safe keeping and so she doesn't have to carry them. However, the test calls for three monsters of different types.
"Now then, if I were a monster that wasn't an ogre, where would I be," Fuyumi looks around.
Using her powers, she disappears in red mist and reappears time and again and she quickly searches the forests to save time. The method pays off when she soon finds a small group of goblins laying around a makeshift campfire. A group of five in total, with no armor, and only shabby spears and clubs for weapons. Easy pickings. Fuyumi sends out a fire storm that burns through two of the goblins. The others get spooked and jump back, but Fuyumi reappears right in front of one and bisects it in half with her blade. The other two ready their weapons, but Fuyumi makes a few slashing strikes to carve the fourth into a few pieces. Seeing its allies dead, the last goblin tries to make a run for it, but Fuyumi fires an ice shard that pierces through the goblin's skull, and its body falls to the ground. With the battle done, Fuyumi collects their crystals and the head of one of the goblins. She cleans up the campsite and burns the bodies so they don't rot. After the cleanup is down, Fuyumi moves on.
"That makes two, but I'll need one more to pass the test. I haven't felt weakened by the use of my Ichor. It still seems really high," Fuyumi notes.
However, she stops for a moment when a scent reaches her nose. The scent of blood from the goblins. It's strong. It's highly unlikely that there are any blood beads in this world, or the springs that produce them. There's no miasma, thankfully, but that doesn't help the current dilemma. Fuyumi stares at the goblins' blood sprayed on the ground. But, she takes a deep breath and calms her urges.
"Not yet. I know I'll need blood to survive, but that doesn't mean I'm so desperate that I'll take any living creature's blood. But, if I find a wild animal to hunt for its meat, that's a different story," Fuyumi decides and continues on her way.
Fuyumi's strength to resist the temptation is strong. Even though this new life is different than the game, some things haven't changed. She continues her search for one more monster to slay. Moving through the forest, sometimes jumping from tree branch to tree branch to avoid being seen and possibly ambush an enemy from above, her gaze looms over everything around her. Her gaze stops when it finds a lake in the distance. Getting closer, Fuyumi stops under a large tree overlooking the large lake. The scene was surreal and beautiful, like something out of a movie. Kneeling before the lake, she stares at her reflection in the water.
"To think that this is actually reality. I've already made peace with it; not like I have any other choice, but... it still feels weird to a degree. I don't believe in coincidence. For what purpose could I have been summoned to this place, in this form of all forms? Why me of all people? *Sigh* It matters not. There's no use dwelling on it," Fuyumi rises and after taking another look at the area, she goes to leave. "Perhaps I'll come back here some time when the mood strikes me,"
Continuing on her quest, Fuyumi hears faint stomping sounds in the distance. Moving towards the source, she spots a mass moving between the tree, getting larger as she gets closer. It has a large body covered in green scales, walking on four legs. A tail that could break through several trees in one swoop. A head with sports two large yellow eyes, and a mouth full of teeth. Spines line the back from head to tail, and sharp claws end at the feet.
"Of course, something like this would be here... a Basilisk," Fuyumi notes.
The basilisk takes notice of her presence and turns to face her, letting out a massive roar to show its teeth. Fuyumi readies her blade, but the basilisk makes the first strike by attempting to slam its claws down on her. Fuyumi jumps out of the way and fires a fire blast at its back. The last does some damage, but nothing too server. Its scales are like armor, but that just makes this more fun. The massive lizard swings its tail around as Fuyumi lands, but she fades int red mist before the tail hits her, reappearing nearby. The basilisk turns and roars again, but Fuyumi runs straight at it. It tries to clamp its jaws on her, but Fuyumi slides under the strike and swings her blade at its legs. The cuts aren't that deep, but they still bleed. Fuyumi moves out of the way and fires off some ice shards at its left side. The shards break, but they still damage the scales. The basilisk roars and spits out a green liquid at Fuyumi. She dodges and notices after the spray hits a tree, the tree begins to melt and dissolve. Acid spit. Fuyumi turns back to the basilisk as it swings its tail again. Fuyumi jumps over the tail, coating her blade in flames. She lands on the basilisk's back and runs up while swinging her flaming sword. Dealing damage until she's right behind the head. She makes a few strikes, but the basilisk shakes her off. Landing back on the ground, Fuyumi turns as the basilisk comes at her again. She jumps over its head and conjures a large lightning blade in the air. Swinging the massive blade, she makes a clean cut a where she hit the neck before, slicing through the damaged scales and the rest of the neck. Without its head, the basilisk's body slumps to the ground. Fuyumi lands and holsters her sword. The basilisk's head is in good condition. Most likely, some of its other body parts will prove useful as well. Taking her time with harvesting and storing the body for parts before burning the rest, Fuyumi looks up to see the sun starting to set in the sky.
"I'd best be getting back," Fuyumi makes her way back to town.
…
After getting back to town, Fuyumi heads to the mercenary guild to deliver her heads. Suffice to say, the employees there were not expecting her to return so soon.
"You got all of these today yourself?!" the receptionist, Sarah, gasps with wide eyes.
Gorman is more focused on the basilisk head, "You actually managed to get a basilisk head all by yourself? Incredible,"
"Are they rare?" Fuyumi asks.
"Rare? No, not exactly, but they're not something you can find just anywhere. The main thing is basilisk's can be difficult to defeat, mostly with new mercenaries who lack experience. To think you beat one on your first day. Well, this means you passed the test. Sarah, please go retrieve her license," Gorman says. Sarah leaves, leaving just the two of them. "With your license, you're officially a mercenary. With the license, you can enter any town or city without having to pay an entrance fee. As far as quests go, you can have a wide array to choose from. However, the guild has the power to refuse your desire to take on a quest if it deems that you're not ready for it. We don't want new or rising mercenaries to die because they bit off more than they can chew. This policy was made because of that actually. Also, if you bring back materials and crystals from the monsters you kill, you can sell them to us for money. It's a pretty flexible system, but that doesn't mean we don't have rules. For example, do anything that will hurt the guild's reputation with the populace will have consequences. Or trying to steal rewards from another mercenary party after they completed their quests will get your license revoked. If a license is revoked, you won't be able to get a new one for a number of years, depending on the type of offense. We get our hands dirty so others won't have to, but that doesn't mean we're savages. Understand?" he explains the rules.
Fuyumi nods, "I understand. In that case, I'd like to sell these as well," Fuyumi pulls out the basilisk's scales from behind her back, along with the crystals from her monsters.
"Ah, so you did do more than just the bare minimum. These will be useful. We'll make sure you get paid fairly," Gorman notes.
Sarah comes back with Fuyumi's license. It looks like an ID back from her old world, but with her name and information, but no photo. That's enough for her. After selling the monster materials for some extra cash, Fuyumi leaves the guild and moves through town to find an inn for the night. The town itself is in decent condition, for a medieval town. The populace appears to be in good spirits. She finds all kinds of buildings in the town, from bladesmiths, to armorers, food stalls, craftsman, tailors, and a few eateries. As the sun gets lower, Fuyumi notices one building that catches her eye. It doesn't take much to figure out what the building is about, if the ladies dressed in provocative clothing is anything to go on. Fuyumi refocuses herself and eventually finds an inn. The place is in good condition, and luckily, they have a room open for her. Paying the fee for a week's stay, Fuyumi heads up to the second floor to her room. Inside, the room is simple, but quaint. Two beds, a closed window, a desk with a chair, and a set of drawers for clothing and belongings. Different from her previous life, but Fuyumi expected as much. It could be much worse. After having a quick dinner down below, Fuyumi came back up to get some rest. Tomorrow would be a new day.
…
The next day, Fuyumi heads out to the mercenary guild to look up some quests. Now that she's official, she would need to gather more information about this world. The quests are one form of doing so. Once there, she gains a quite a few eyes from the other warriors; some out of curiosity, others for less... noble reasons. Looking at the requests, Fuyumi doesn't find it that odd that she can read the language of this world. That kind of thing happens a lot in anime and light novels. After checking them out, Fuyumi ends up picking a quest for collecting herbs. While some would laugh at the idea, Fuyumi knows the importance of such items. If your wounded in battle, and you have no one who can use healing magic, herbs with medicinal properties may be your only hope. Fuyumi can heal and regenerate her wounds, but the herbs would have their uses.
Fuyumi approaches the receptionist desk with the quest, "I'd like to take this one,"
Sarah inspects the quest, "Oh, I'm a little surprised you'd take something like this. However, I'm glad too. Some people don't understand that mercenary work is about more than just fighting. Okay, you'll want to collect several of these types of herbs. Hold on," Sarah leaves to the back and comes back a moment later. "Here, these documents show the best spots to find them and their properties It should prove useful,"
Fuyumi takes the documents, "Thank you. I'll be going now," and she makes her leave.
One of the other mercs calls out to her, looking for some fun. Fuyumi pays him little mind, but not before subtly freezing the moron's mug without him noticing. He goes for a swig, only to find his drink frozen as Fuyumi leaves. She heads out of town, using the documents that Sarah gave her as a map and heads northeast from town.
…
Elsewhere, a teenage girl walks into an office with bookshelves on either side. Off to the side is a couch, two chairs, a table, and a tea set for guests. At the end of the room is a middle-aged woman with graying blonde hair tied up in a bun and in white robes with a hood and gold embroidery. The girl has brown hair that goes past her shoulders, a white hairband, and is wearing a white jacket with three long tails that reach her calves and with purple lines running down its length, along with angel sleeves that end in black frills. The jacket hangs off her shoulders, and is worn over a black, sleeveless shirt with a white collar. At the center of the collar is a white and black bow. The girl also has on a white skirt that reaches her thighs black stockings, and white calf-high boots. White gloves finish the outfit. The girl has fair skin and purple eyes.
"You wanted to see me, Mistress Gloria," the girl walks up to the desk where the woman sits.
"Yes. Thank you for coming. Anelia Lumare, since you enrolled at the Kingdom of Sapania's Royal Magi Academy, you have shown great talent in your magic learning. However, there are some important lessons that you still must learn, and they cannot be taught here at this school. That is why you will leave this academy," the school headmistress, Gloria von Bramaus, says.
Anelia was not expecting this if her shocked eyes are any indicator, "B-b-but Mistress, I still have so much to learn here, and I'm not as good as you think I am. Am I really being expelled.," Anelia lowers her head and sulks.
Gloria smiles sadly, "Oh, poor girl. You magic skills are exemplary. It's just your personal skills that require some aid," Gloria stands from her seat. "You are not being expelled. Think of this as a special lesson. There's only so much you can learn from books and in the safety of a classroom. Each year, a few students are selected from our school to take part in this course. You lesson is to travel across the land, gaining real-world experience with your spellcasting. This provides a more practical application for your skills. After a year or so, you will be called to return to the academy and we will decide if you will continue your lessons, expel you, or decide on another fate," she walks up and places her hands on her shoulders. "I believe you will do splendidly on this lesson. Think of it like an extra-long quest that mercenaries go on. Remember your training, believe in yourself, and never give up. I believe in you,"
Anelia gazes in awe at her headmistress. She never thought she would have such faith in her.
"Do you... really think I can do it?" Anelia asks.
Gloria nods, "Yes, I do. But it is best if you leave today. I suggest you begin your lesson at Crystalglove city. I contacted an old friend of mine there that manages the city's mercenary guild. They provided me with a license for mercenaries. Taking quests will help with your practical training and a source of income," Gloria hands her the license. "Pack light and be on your way. I hope to see you soon,"
Anelia stares at the license for a moment, "Headmistress... I won't let you down. I-I'll try my best,"
After bowing to her in farewell, Anelia leaves. Gloria watches her leave before turning to look out her window.
Gloria sighs, "I'm sorry, Anelia... I'm sorry for lying to you, but if you had stayed any longer at this school... You would've been killed. And there would've been nothing I could've done to prevent it. May the Goddess protect you on your journey, my best pupil,"
…
It wasn't too difficult for Fuyumi to find the location where she can collect the herbs.
"Hmmm, Sarah's information sure was detailed. It even gives hints to show the minor differences for some herbs that look very similar, but are quite different as, if brewed with the wrong ones, one will make a potion that will be more poisonous than medicinal to those that drink them. While I myself don't need potions to heal myself, it can't hurt to have some in case I need to hide my powers from prying eyes. There's also the possibility that there may be weapons, magic, or technology in this world that can nullify my abilities. I'll need contingencies for just such an occasion," Fuyumi mutters as she collects the rest of the herbs.
As she's finishing up, Fuyumi catches sight of a boar in the distance. She might be able to sell its meat back in town or use it to cook up a good meal. Well, this will provide another test for her. Fuyumi phases out in red mist, reappearing on a branch of a tree near the boar. Fuyumi remains silent as she activates her blood veil; a long metal tail sprouting forth from her back with a sharp blade. The tail lunges forth and impales the boar to the ground. It quickly dies and the tail retracts back to the veil. Fuyumi jumps down and inspects the body. However, while she still has control of herself, who knows what the future holds. Making sure no one was around; Fuyumi digs her fangs into the boar's hide for a quick drink. This way, she'll be fine for a while. After that and harvesting the body, she stores it and begins making her way back to town. However, as she's making her way back, she hears faint sounds in the distance. Curious, Fuyumi moves to the source for a better look. What starts as curiosity turns into concern when she notices the distinct sounds of combat. Reaching a path through the forest, Fuyumi finds a carriage nearby; one for a noble with how fancy it looks. There were several dead men on the ground, all in matching uniforms. Most like guards for whoever is in that carriage. Said carriage is surrounded by several men in mismatched armor and weapons. Bandits. The leader, a bald man with a large sword on his back, approaches the carriage and rips it open.
Screaming can be heard as a noble woman is forcibly removed from the carriage. The woman has lilac eyes, black hair tied in a bun with braids and is wearing an elegant, teal-colored dress with a shawl to match. The woman is thrown to the ground, where another of the bandits restrains her. Meanwhile, the leader goes back in and pulls out a young woman this time. The girl is very beautiful, with long, light-blue hair that shines in the sunlight, and lilac-colored eyes. She is wearing an elegant white off-the-shoulder dress with blue edging and some frills. The dress has angel sleeves, and silver embroidery throughout the lower half. The girl wears a silver necklace with a few blue gems around her neck, and heeled shoes to match.
"No, let go of me!" the girl screams as she struggles to break free.
"Hey now, babycakes, no need for that. We just want to have some fun. I'm sure you'll like it soon enough," the leader edges his face too close for the girl's liking.
"No, let my daughter go. I'll pay you whatever you want, just leave her alone!" the older woman, her mother, pleads from the ground.
The man on top of her forces her head to the ground, "Oh don't worry, you'll be joining her too. Just be patient and wait your turn,"
"Alright boys, I'd say we earned ourselves some fun tonight!" the leader yells, with his men cheering after him.
"Oh, that's it!" Fuyumi mutters in anger.
Just as the leader is about to rip the girl's dress off, Fuyumi suddenly appears in red mist right next to him. Everything goes slow as the girl sees her. Fuyumi thrusts her palm forward, hitting the leader with an electric shock that sends him flying back towards a tree. The girl falls, only for Fuyumi to catch her and keep her standing. Everyone stares in shock at her sudden appearance.
"That's no way to treat a lady," Fuyumi says as she readies her sword.
The girl can only stare in awe at her, "Who... Who are you?"
And that's the chapter. Fuyumi gets acclimated as a mercenary in this new world. But, now she may have stepped into a new mess. Meanwhile, new players begin to enter the game. What events and encounters await Fuyumi on her journey? Until then, please Read and Review.
