The Foolish Grappler Chapter 6
An: Sadly, I wanted to get this out earlier but got really sick so it delayed this chapter by a week anyway hopefully I can fulfill the goal before the end of the year. Also, once I get the 10th chapter done, I will finally go back and fix the earlier chapters as I feel even between this chapter and the first a lot better at writing.
Two days later
Do you remember when a guy that looks a lot like me and talks a lot like me said some pain was not a high price to pay and was worth paying. Well, currently, I hate that guy because right now, I could still be laying in bed getting tendered to by the oh-so-loving care of Anna and Belle as I take my sweet ass time to recover. Without consideration for the outside world, satisfied with a lovely book and excellent home-cooked food, this sounds great, right. Because it is, one could perhaps say even deserved given how I got such injuries by doing acts some could even say heroic. But that would be too easy, and if one thing I know about my life, it never entirely goes the way I would want.
Weird that right now, I feel like my back is going to snap under the weight of bread and other foodstuffs that I am currently carrying. Now you would generally think bread doesn't weigh that much; however, when you got what seems to be enough to feed a whole village, then it gets pretty heavy. What makes it worst is that there are no spare carts or wheelbarrows that I could use to make all of this easier; all of them are currently in high demand for the use of rebuilding and cleaning up the village, which, even after a couple of days seems to be a fair ways off from being completely fixed.
Don't take it not being finished yet as a sign of tardiness of the villagers as walking down the roads, it's hard not to find an area that's being used for the effort, be it just a place for storage or a place to cut and work wood it quickly became clear everyone is giving a helping hand in rebuilding from kids running around with messages or getting needed tools to workers elderly who were looking after the kids too young to help or do the necessary tasks that weren't being done. Even more surprising is that the men who were injured in the fighting are also involved to the best of their capability. The village has become a hive of activity and chaos; it caused a ruckus of voices, each shouting over the other, somehow becoming a well-oiled machine.
It was hard to simply walk and not get knocked over, which given the weight on my back, is quite a problem with all the construction, causing many pathways to get squeezed, forcing the same high traffic through a smaller area. Simply put, it was very hectic, but an uplifting environment that almost made doing this heavy lifting worth it, Almost.
You may wonder why I am doing such hard work after being injured; I have three things to thank/blame. The first being that damn herb mixture which worked wonders in healing me and regaining HP to the point I am now full HP making me feel as good as I was before getting my ass handed to me, besides the tenderness of my body from the quick healing. It took a fair bit of convincing to get Marie to allow me to have a lot more than she normally would give to someone; thankfully, she noticed the improvement and apparently, it's far more effective on me than anyone else. Sadly I found out that the pain scales, with the amount used, though, did make it heal quicker, so it's not for nothing.
The Second reason is that I got a quest, and my gaming habits are biting me in the ass as I was the type of guy to stay up as long as it was needed to finish quests on WoW. Thankfully I wasn't on a timer, so there wasn't a stupid deadline I had to meet, which eased my mind. Though I am not looking to fulfil the Optional Fighting objective, while there are many rewards, I don't want to die.
The third thing, which was the most idiotic one, I only have myself to blame is for some ungodly reason, volunteering when I overheard Anna and belle talking about how she was too busy baking all the bread that she couldn't also deliver it to the workers. However, as I was walking down the stairs, Belle said I could do it; why would she think I would want to do it no clue, but she's not to blame; what is to blame is my damn mouth quickly replying, confirming I would do it before my brain realised what my mouth was signing my self up to.
When I realised what I said, I was about to say I made a mistake; however the look in Belle's eyes killed that thought real quick. So that's how I am now stuck dropping off bread and other foodstuffs at the meal tents that are set up for the villagers to eat. Thankfully I have a guide to show me where to go while also giving me a tour along the way, though half the places she pointed out were damaged in some way.
My guide happened to be Marie, who walked in just as I was putting on the massive backpack that Anna brought out of seemingly nowhere; Anna was just staring to give me directions when she came in.
** 2 hours previously **
"Welcome Maire how are you and your family?" She welcomed with a bright smile though she greets everyone with a bright smile, it's hardly of note...
"Same old really, big sis Odell is really busy with orgainsing the repair efforts making sure nothing is done wrong as she normally does, then big sis Adlind finally collapsed when she returned last night so we finally got the time to starting treating her, even though we have to strap her down to the bed to stop her from leaving then Dad is busy with getting the materials needed to repair while also taking on the role of overlooking the defenses, (gasp for air) So overall pretty hectic sorry I get asked that alot so I am trying to get faster at it"... She said that in one breath which both was impressive and took us a moment to respond.
"Thats good to hear, I'm guessing you came here for your check up on adorno here right then seeing as he is about to deliver some bread to the workers why not be his guide and show him around the village that is of course if Adrono agrees" Replied Anna looking towards me.
"Ah Sure that sounds great I could really use the help", I replied, thinking that this would only help me make this task easier. Let the record show that this, in fact, did not make it easier as instead of taking the most direct path to each of the tents, we went on a 'Tour' while carrying all the heavy food big mistake.
** Present **
Thought it was nice to learn more about the village; it turns out there is a lot to learn from little things such as where the kids usually hang out, to places people our age weren't allowed to enter also the best routes to run away from angry adults that you stole their pie from the window seal weird how she knows that despite her vehemently defence she never used it. Somehow I just don't buy that; maybe it has something to do with her smirk as she talked about it anyway; halfway through the day of what seemed like endless walking, we finally took a break at the village park on some benches close by the ice cream shop which Marie was returning from with two icecreams in hand.
"So how are you holding up with the weight it still looks heavy even with all the drop-offs we have done", She questioned me when she handed me an ice cream; ah, good old vanilla. She was right to ask as this bag was getting really heavy the longer I carried it, even being half full; the amount of distance I travelled carrying it has sapped my stamina.
"Holding as fine as I could be, I guess it's tiring, but I suppose its worth the effort, Why did you agree to spend the day being my guide? Don't you have other patients to help, as clearly I recovered fine?"
"It's my day off there isn't as much demand as the other villages sent support which has taken the load off me Ms Bush thought it not like shes actually taking a break, but she is forcing me to have one, so I thought I would check on my first test subject(cough) I mean patient" She tried covering her mistake with a sweet smile however I let it past seeing as it really did help me though why she would spend her day off with me is still a mystery.
"Have you given the Mixture to anyone else? Did it have any side effects that I should look out for" I questioned, seeing if the painful reaction was unique to me?
"Ah, after I gave it to you I tried it on three others and it worked good but not as good as it did on you plus there werent any side effects so over all I would say it was a great success."
"How did you know to make it, aren't you still learning how to be a doctor?"
"True but Ms Bush pushed for me to speicalse into herbal mecdiation when I showed I had a talent for picking the right herbs plus I kind of got inspired by bed time storys that Odell told me when I was a kid".
"So you have another older sister you mentioned her earlier what does she do?"
"Odell is great she took the role as my and adelind mother after our mom died when she had me, She really held the family together when father took our mother's death hard; she just soldiered on taking on some of his responsibilities while still taking care of me and adelind." She looked a bit saddened when she mentioned her mother, but otherwise, she looked full of excitement when talking about her older sister.
"She sounds great I would love to meet her if I have the opportunity" I was being honest; she does sound like someone you would like to meet.
"I think you already saw her she was the hostage that the raiders took to try to disarm the defenders."
"WAIT THAT WAS HER damn shes badass, I guess that makes sense why the threat had such effect on Adelind, I than forgive her for that its not like I could done anything different in her prostion. Your sisters really some guts huh especially your eldest sister to have the backbone to say no to their leaders face with a straight face and ordered the defencers to fight even if she died."
"Yeah, she is so cool I could go on and on about how great they both are (even if they are a bit overprotective)", She said with stars in her eyes though she mumbled the last part; lucky because I was sitting next to her I could hear her.
"Anyway, how do you like our village so far, well besides the whole being half-destroyed part.." She eagerly tried to change the subject. I guess she gets shy when she fangirls about her sisters.
"Um its *looks around* cosy? I mean this seems to be a very tightnit community which is great because where I'm form you don't really see that anymore, the people are quite nice though they are still a bit weary of me but after introducing myself they tend to get friendly quickly which I guess makes sense, the village has that rustic articatutre that i have really experienced before so its nice to walk around and see it even if I have to carry this *Pats bag* around but besides that um *looks around vigorously* It looks a nice and safe place to live" As I said that off to the side a rope in a winch broke dropping a handful of planks onto the ground nearly hitting some passing workers on the ground.
"Besides that…" I could almost feel the sweat drop forming; I really am in an anime world.
"Good good, well seeing as you aided us I am sure you will be welcome to stay as long as you want so we better get going again; the workers aren't going to feed themselves" As she said that from behind me, I heard another crash thinking it's just another accident I don't bother to look over. However, when it's accompanied by a roar that seems to turn Maire a pale white and causes her to drop her half-eaten ice cream, that catches my attention.
"WHERE IS SHE" Comes a loud, deep voice that seems to shake the ground slightly, followed by loud and quick footsteps that sound like they are coming straight towards us. I was only able to look over my right shoulder in time to catch a glimpse of this monster.
This monster was about seven feet tall with a mane-like hair that was greying at the tips; he seemed to be made out of pure muscle while being disproportionate on the top side, yet that didn't slow him down from clearing the short distance in a blink of an eye. When this monster reached us, he leapt for Maire with a speed I had no hope of matching. He then tackled her to the ground and began hugging and kissing her checks?
"MY BABY GIRL *Kiss* I MISSED YOU SO MUCH *Kiss* I JUST WANTED TO KNOW YOUR ALRIGHT *Kiss Kiss* I BEEN SO WORRIED AFTER THE ATACK *Kiss*". This was not the monster I was expecting to appear, yet it may just be as terrifying.
"DAD DAD, GET OFF OF ME YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME IN FRONT OF EVERYONE" She pitifully screamed, hoping that it would bring her salvation; sadly, she was mistaken; the gods cared not for her problem.
"Sweety, you don't mean that sweety; you used to love my kisses and hugs when you were younger" To be fair, it did hurt to look at this is damage only a father could inflict.
"I AM NOT A KID ANYMORE DAD, plus you're embracing me in front of my… patient, which is undermining my authority; he's going to think less of me" She tried to speak in a formal tone; however, towards the end, that was broken by a slight complaining tone. However, all of that sadly didn't matter as she made a fatal mistake right then by mentioning that she was with a 'boy'.
"HE? Oh no, she's at the stage where she is hanging out with boys; NO I can't allow it" He finally rolls off of her and starts crying like a kid whose toy just broke. Then all of a sudden he freezes and in a flash, is on his hands and knees, looking around for his prey. I quickly and as stealthy as I tried to back away, hoping to build distance.
"WHERE IS HE WHEN I FIND HIM *looks around ending at me* *Sniff Sniff* ITS YOU THE ONE WHO WISHES TO DEFILE MY DAUGHTER" At that moment when he was staring at me, I felt an unimaginable fear bloom in my gut that I was about to die in seconds it was as if he has grown into the most fearsome monster I could ever think of. Thankfully that feeling was temporary, as it was stopped when Maire grabbed his head and forced him to look into her eyes.
"He's not going to 'defile' anything, dad, not like he could anyway; I am just guiding him around the village as he doing a favour for the Kennedys; it's my day off today, so I thought I could take a relaxing walk while guiding him, so he doesn't get lost and people don't get hungry, so nothing else so clam down your in your big form" Well what she said worked as he now began to shrink down to the size I remember when I meet him at the old man's house which was good even despite the comment about me.
After that, I thought it would be a good time to check his character sheet, as I wanted to learn what that form was. This has been something I keep forgetting to do. I really should be doing it more often...
Name: Hagan Sicht
Age: 54
Height: 5'4
Weight: 100kg
Sex: Male
Lv: XXX
Occupation: Cheifian
Hp XXXX/XXXX
Description: He is a figure that is looked up to by everyone in the village as he is a diligent leader who has worked hard for this village, and hence the villages respect him for it. He has a loving relationship with his 3 daughters who he cares a lot about, more so after his wife's death during childbirth. After this, he broke down and required the help of his daughters to lift him from the pits of despair. Since then, he has relied on his eldest daughter to look after both the paperwork and carer of her sisters. He is also a strong fighter able to protect the village single handly due to his (REDACTED) that he gained when he (REDACTED).
Stats:
Brawn: XXXX
Vitality: XXXX
Dexterity: XXXX
Intellect: XX
Wisdom: XXX
Charm: XX
It was another sheet where most of the good information could not be seen… When I can finally read the sheets system without information being redacted, it will be great; it's getting annoying that I don't see the stats to be able to judge how strong they are. Regardless of that gripe I had, the sheet did not reveal any mind-blowing information besides the fact that he could have eaten a devil's fruit which one I got no idea.
"Um, Nice to meet you sir I heard a lot of good things from your daughter about you" I tried to introduce myself; thankfully, it worked downside, being Marie was glaring over his shoulder at me.
"OH MARIE YOU DO LOVE ME," He says as he turns and grabs her in a massive hug; after she was able to escape his grip, she tried to regain some dignity; however, that effort was futile, after which he turned back towards me.
"You must be that Adrono fella the boy who saved Anna and provided an opening for my daughter Adelind I must truly thank you for assisting my village when I wasn't here so know that you have my gratitude for that. Is there anything we the village, can do for you? I see Maire already took care of your injuries; I thought they were a lot worse than what they are now."
"Dad they were bad, but my mixture worked; it healed him a lot quicker than he otherwise would of we can use this to help so many people I already gave it to the wounded after I tested it on Adorno here", Marie excitedly explained.
"That's wonderous there are so many possibles Marie; we should talk about it after dinner", to which she agreed.
"Um, Sir I was wondering if you knew who attacked you; this was the first time I was involved in a fight with them, so I would like to know who I could of angered."
"So you want to know about the attackers? Well, I guess I can tell you want we know so far; it isn't a lot. This group's name is Wolfs Skull; they are a bunch of low lifes that are based around this island, seeing as they only attack the people on this island or our neighbours. They steal whatever they can find that isn't nailed down, and some that is; really they are opptionistic raiders who play as if they are pirates of some kind of pedigree when they ain't. Lately, they have been a bit more active lately must be the our share of the tribute that is due soon well if so its luckly we stoped them at the city hall HA HA HA" Despite the sombre start, he really did finish with a happy ending.
"Do you think they are going to continue to be a problem around here" I am wondering if this village isn't as safe as I thought it was if it's being targeted?
"Oh you got nothing to worry about as I am staying put to deter anymore attacks plus be got them good when we arrived back so i doubt those particular ones will be seen anytime soon".
"That's great, um, I got another question if its not to much to ask its why do you grow and shrink is it a devil fruit ability or something as that seems really cool."
"Oh, that happens when I get angry, scared, excited, don't mind me I just tend to get ansty when I havnt seen my daughters" He goes to hug Marie again, yet she dodges skillfully, seemingly quite experienced about it.
"Well, you seem really powerful to be able to protect the village I got nothing on you; I dont even know how to fight let alone any cool abilities like you. I got lucky in the fights as I was able to sneak up on them gaining an advantage do you some place i could go to learn how to fight i want to be able to protect myself."
"Oh you want to learn how to fight huh UM *rubs forehead* Well there really isn't anyone in this village that could help with that um Wait If you go to the capital I am sure you will find atleast someone who could teach you as its an old tradition for the nobles and upper class to learn martial arts to boast how much of an alpha they are truly its stupid but becasue of that there is a fair number of dojos in the capital the question is if they will teach you."
"Also, something to know is that the capital is trying to rebuild the army they lost in the last war with the last king; this may effect how easy it is to find a trainer because while marital artist are coming around the north blue seeing if they can get paid training the new troops, I dont know how good they are or if they would have time of a stranger but its really the only place I would think you could get something, If that doesn't work out maybe you will have to travel to another island maybe Mid land island where."
"Dad you can't believe telling him about mid land is a good idea its way to dangerous for anyone to go to let alone someone who is just learning to fight".
"Ah, what is this Mid Land? I havn't heard of that island before its name doesn't really give away whats so dangerous about it."
"Its dangours becuase thats the place were alot of kingdoms hold their battles seeing as the navy as put a stop to kingdoms having navys themselves now they use that island as a place to handle disputes and such, intolal a place you dont want to be"
"Oh yeah, that doesnt sound great I think i will skip that i just want to learn how to defend myself, not die."
"Well, other than that theres not really any singular place where you could learn how to fight, anyway that wont be needed if you find someone in the capital so how about I make some room on the next voyage over there for some supples so you have a quick and free trip."
"That sounds great, sir" With this, I finally have a chance to fulfil the quest.