Was the situation really so severe?
Hidden within the great plains nearest to the Forest of Tob, was a Dungeon renowned throughout YGGDRASIL to be unconquerable, the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The Dungeon itself was comprised of several floors each guarded by what was known as a Floor Guardian, max level NPC's that could solo entire groups of Players seeking to Raid the ten-floored Dungeon.
Albedo was the Guardian Overseer of said Guardians, but even she was left at a loss at this moment.
"I don't believe this," she bit down on the nail of her thumb and grimaced.
She was a beauty of a woman, pale skin, refined features, and impeccably endowed. She had silk-like obsidian coloured hair that draped past her waist and accentuated the loose pure white gown she wore on her person decorated by intricate webs of golden thread that reached to the hem by her feet.
"Lord Ainz, weary of mere humans?" She gritted her teeth. "Preposterous, and why aren't you saying anything Demiurge? Does this not infuriate you?"
Demiurge was the Floor Guardian of the Great Tomb of Nazarick's Seventh Floor. He was a type of Demon known as an Arch-Devil, a Class of Demon far beyond the lowest level. He wore round speckled glasses and an orange striped suit with matching dress pants. His hair was slicked back, almost as if waxed, giving him a refined appearance despite his crueler personality. A long silver metallic tail stemmed from his lower back.
Of the Floor Guardians of Nazarick, Demiurge was perhaps the most intelligent, Albedo a close second. However, while Albedo tended to lose her reasoning when flustered, Demiurge always maintained his objectivity.
"Try to understand a little better and think for yourself," Demiurge pushed up his glasses with the tip of a finger. "Beings that surpass the strength of our Lord Ainz? As unfathomable as it is to believe, perhaps this is definitely some sort of test?"
"Test?" Albedo echoed Demiurge's conclusion.
She wasn't the only one.
Other than Albedo and Demiurge, several other Floor Guardians were present with the exception of Victim, and Shalltear BloodFallen; one of which was prohibited from leaving their floor, and the other sent out on an assignment.
Of those present were the Twin Floor Guardians, Aura and Mare Bella Fiora, and the Guardian of the Fifth Floor, Cocytus.
Aura and Mare were a pair of Dark Elves each possessing dichromatic eyes, one eye the colour green, and the other blue. Their skin was of a light brown, and their ears were pointed and slightly hidden behind their wheat-coloured hair. Aura styled her hair in a wilder sort of fashion while Mare possessed a clean bob-cut.
The most striking visual appearance of the two, was that Aura was a girl who wore boy's clothing, and Mare was a boy who wore girl's clothing. This minor detail was in part due to the questionability of the taste of their creator, Lord Bukubukuchagam.
The two of them were not the brightest of individuals, but that could be attributed to the fact that they could still be considered little children in the life-span of elves.
Cocytus on the other hand, was simply not a Floor Guardian used to thinking. He was a Warrior-Class, someone who enjoyed the prospect of battle and fair duels where honour was at stake.
Cocytus, figuratively speaking, was a combination of a sleek armoured Mantis and an Ant. His exoskeleton resembled the pale blue of ice while icicle-like spikes lined his entire body; they were most pronounced at the tip of his long tail which was twice as long as his height stemming from his lower back.
He, just like Mare and Aura were listening attentively to the discussion between Albedo and Demiurge. Hard as it was for them to admit, they felt jealous that they could not better understand Lord Ainz's intentions like Demiurge and Albedo could.
Aura clicked her tongue. Her personality was far more brash and unrestrained compared to Mare who was the exact opposite.
Ignoring Aura, Mare, and Cocytus, Demiurge directly addressed Albedo's question.
"Think about it, Albedo," Demiurge began to grin. "Lord Ainz placed great importance on the strength of these 'Bosses' but did you not remember what he did afterwards?"
Aura who was anxious not to fall behind in the conversation immediately butted in.
"He wrote us all several pages of information?" Aura Bella Fiora spoke up while waving a thick stack of papers in her hands.
Demiurge did not rebuke Aura for her interruption. To his fellow Floor Guardians, he showed genuine kindness.
"Precisely," he answered gently, going as far as to nod at Aura's direction. At the very least, she looked sheepish for her behaviour.
It was good enough. She had several years to learn proper manners anyway.
Demiurge began to pace.
"Lord Ainz insistently warned us of the danger, but in these papers that he gave each floor guardian, there exists a detailed analysis of each 'Boss,' that may or may not exist in this New World. Could anyone hazard a guess for what this means?"
Demiurge stopped and raised his own copy of the papers Aura had waved around.
Surprisingly, it was not Albedo who answered first despite her intellect.
It was someone else.
"Lord Ainz. Has. Personally. Fought. With. Them. Before?" Cocytus's gravelly voice resounded. The words came out in pauses due to the opening and closing of the large mandibles over Cocytus's mouth. Said mandible would have no trouble crushing or snapping a man's hands.
Demiurge nodded. "As expected of the sharp intuition of a warrior. Lord Ainz must have had fought them personally before and triumphed. Why else would the papers here include the details of the weapon these 'Bosses' used if not for Lord Ainz plundering them from their dead corpses?"
None of the NPC's of the Great Tomb of Nazarick were aware of what was known as a 'User Forum' where the experiences of players were frequently shared. The various Raid Bosses in YGGDRASIL had raised a mass flurry of heated debates among the Player community. Ainz and his guild were of course included in such discussions as avid Players themselves.
Unfortunate, Demiurge and the others had no such information, leaving them only to speculate on a believable outcome.
"As expected of Lord Ainz," Albedo clasped her hands together while her shoulders relaxed in relief. "He would never lose to anyone!"
"Naturally," Demiurge scoffed. He then moved to the next obvious conclusion. "Now why do you think he would warn us to be careful before then giving over these vital pieces of information? Such actions are contradictory are they not?"
Albedo's eyes suddenly widened in realization.
"Oh, I see you understand now," a light flashed over Demiurge's glasses.
Neither of the two spoke thereafter, as if sharing a quiet understanding.
The situation made those who were only listening in to gradually become uneasy due to the prospect of misunderstanding Lord Ainz's intentions.
"Hey Albedo, what's he talking about?" Aura scratched the back of her head while Cocytus stood accented his agreement.
Albedo's expression grew neutral before she slowly began to smile. "It's quite simple really. We must eliminate them."
Demiurge nodded in approval. "Lord Ainz said that he had the aid of the other Supreme Beings as well as other groups of Players to defeat these 'Bosses,' but are we any different? We are the Floor Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, we ourselves are at the max level and easily able to overcome invading Players. If we use the strategies that Lord Ainz must have had spent a majority of his precious time on, then we of the Great Tomb would be no different from this so called 'Raid Party' that Lord Ainz spoke of."
Demiruge crossed his arms behind his back and spoke. "Besides, from the description that Lord Ainz gave about a majority of these 'Bosses' personalities, most of them are what are considered to be Heroes." The tone of Demiurge's voice made it clear of his distaste.
He glanced at Albedo and the others.
"Undoubtably they will interfere in Lord Ainz's ambition to oversee this world as its Supreme Overlord. Therefore, I ask of you, as the beings that Lord Ainz places the most trust in, what must we do?"
The room fell silent, before a massive two-and-a-half-meter frame took to action.
"I. Will. Head. Out. Immediately. For. The. Glory. Of. Nazarick." Cocytus spoke no more and turned to leave; however, Demiurge was the first to stop him by blocking the exit.
"Don't be so reckless Cocytus. Lord Ainz gave us a warning." Demiurge advised. "These 'Bosses' are undoubtably strong, so like Lord Ainz said, we must remain cautious. Lord Ainz must have had foreseen our reaction by continuing to insist to be weary. Your actions are only proving Lord Ainz's foresight correct."
Cocytus stiffened visibly, his shoulder slumping.
"My. Apologies." Puffs of cold hoarfrost exuded from Cocytus's body as he released a breath. "So. What. Would. You. Have. Us. Do?"
Demiurge began to grin before raising the papers Lord Ainz gave each individual Floor Guardian. "We know the enemy, but before engaging personally, we must understand to what extent their abilities will harm us. As none of us have ever personally encountered a 'Boss' battle before, it is most efficient to send in a probe."
Demiurge shifted his attention to Aura and nodded. "From what Narberal Gamma reported, both she and Lord Ainz were to act as escorts for some potion merchant after finally registering as Adventurers, correct?"
Mare was the one who nodded in Aura's stead as it was he who had received the information first. "Y-Yes," Mare stuttered.
"Good," Demiurge uncrossed his arms. "Lord Ainz will not be around should this operation end in failure. A simple probe this might be, but it's already assumed that none of us present wish to show Lord Ainz a failure of any kind?"
Albedo and the others were in unanimous agreement.
Demiurge raised an arm and activated a personal skill.
[Evil Lord Summon]
From a magic circle that appeared before him, an Evil Lord-Class Demon manifested. This Demon would lead the mission for its death would not mean anything in regards to the Great Tomb. Demiurge himself could just summon another one fifty hours later anyway.
Demiurge then turned towards Albedo.
"Please gather personnel from the Great Tomb proficient enough in the lower tier skill [Create Undead]. This operation is just a probe, therefore, Nazarick must not suffer any losses."
"Naturally," Albedo agreed before using her administrative abilities as Nazarick's overseer to contact the necessary individuals.
Thereafter, Demiurge fell silent in thought.
He was looking at the information of a specific 'mini Boss' that Ainz had provided.
'Cu Chulainn: The Hound of Ulster – Weapon – Extremely Lethal to Undead and Demonic Enemies.'
Were these 'Bosses' really as difficult to deal with as Lord Ainz had spoken of?
Demiurge pushed up his glasses and was the last to leave the meeting room.
Even so, for the sake of Lord Ainz's ambition, they will inevitably perish.
For the Glory of the great Tomb.
For Lord Ainz, the Last of the Great Supremes.
Near the Mountainsides of Southern Roble, a political agreement was quickly being reached under Arturia's supervision.
Emissaries from Northern Roble had arrived with the intention of inviting a representative from Camelot to meet with the North's ruling monarch. At first, they had wanted Arturia to come, but faltered when they discovered that she was in fact, the Valkyrie of Roble. Of course, they'd obtained this information from hearsay and were skeptical, but it was clear that a riot would ensue if they persisted in having Arturia act as representative.
To begin with, in the hearts of the people living within the Kingdom of Camelot, Arturia as the Valkyrie of Roble was a National Hero whose status did not pale to the ruling Queen. To have Arturia go, it was the same as having Royalty act as a representative.
It was an insult.
The High Nobility understood this, and those in their ranks quietly disclosed the information to the public, leading to the current tension in the air.
Relations with the North had always been on a narrow tightrope, and the peace was basically just formality alone.
Where was the North when the South needed help the most?
Where was the North when Evil descended upon the masses?
What right did the North have to demand that Roble's Valkyrie that had pushed back the dark be made a representative beneath the ruling status of the Queen?
Preposterous.
Camelot's new citizens originating from Roble's southern populace would go directly up in arms on Arturia's behalf.
The situation being as it was, the emissaries were beginning to feel pressured and no longer looked at Arturia to be a prime representative. They turned their attention instead to a Knight that stood by her side.
Shirou felt his expression begin to fall.
Meanwhile, Arturia quietly slipped out when it looked like Shirou was distracted by dealing with the emissaries. In the end it was decided that she would send him as Camelot's representative with a man named Gemas Hawthorn as an escort.
They would be set to leave in a couple of hours, but for the time being, Arturia was making her way towards a certain location. Making sure that she was alone, she entered a secret chamber located deep within Camelot's castled walls.
Inside were all the sub-bosses of the Holy Kingdom of Camelot in YGGDRASIL, Agravain, Tristan, Mrodred, Lancelot, and so on.
"You looked like you've worked hard, my King," Agravain was the first to speak while Lancelot offered a chair for her to sit on.
She only nodded in thanks to Lancelot before sighing.
To be honest, she was finding it difficult to keep the operation between the Heroes of the Mausoleum a secret from Shirou, but since she knew that it was for Shirou's sake, she forced herself to put up with it.
"Cu and Nero should have had reached their destinations by now, therefore, it shouldn't take that much longer for them to act," Agravain was straight to the point, yet he frowned moments later.
There had been clear signs that Shirou had been going around trying to discover what was going on, and if this behaviour continued, Agravain feared that Shirou would soon discover everything.
Knowing Shirou's level of intelligence though, that result may occur sooner rather than later.
It didn't occur to Agravain or the others in the slightest that Shirou was not actually the smartest of people. In fact, their assumption that he 'was' was only putting more pressure on Shirou who didn't how he could go about explaining.
Regardless, this was Shirou's problem to solve.
In the meantime, Agravain and the rest remained alert regarding Shirou's intellectual level.
"There's no point to this operation if Shirou himself gets involved, therefore we have to distract him," Agravain came to the obvious conclusion. "Shirou's probably going to be Camelot's representative for Northern Roble, correct?"
Arturia nodded in response before subconsciously smiling affectionately. "He really doesn't know how to decline."
Noticing that she was being stared at, Artruia promptly coughed into her hand and smoothed her facial features. "What of it?" She asked to shift the attention away.
"Hopefully the duration will last several days or weeks," Agravain commented. "However, we can't just leave Shirou to guard himself. It's unbefitting of our creator, therefore, there should at least be an escort."
Everyone present, agreed on this point. However, the problem was just who to send.
Shirou had been getting curious lately about the movements of the NPCs in the Mausoleum so it was all but assumed that he may or may not press the escort for information.
In that case, they needed to send someone who Shirou absolutely would not be able to get any information out of.
Almost subconsciously, the gazes of all the Knights present in the room began to gravitate towards a single individual who was slowly beginning to grow flustered.
"M-Me?" Mordred pointed at herself in disbelief. "W-What do you all expect me to do? I-I was the one who nearly gave it away and was forced to hide away from his for days."
And yet he didn't press you even if you were the easiest to get information out of.
Agravain had already taken everything into consideration.
He ignored Mordred's reaction and instead nodded while placing a hand on her shoulder.
"That. Act exactly like that. Just be yourself and it will work out fine. With our Lord's level of intellect, he would definitely be able to see through an act, but you, you just might be able to pull this off,"
In the process of acting, there was a hidden realm beyond the stage of perfection. That higher-level playing field was a stage known as the 'Natural' stage. A stage where one's acting had transcended beyond the notion of acting and became neigh impossible to discern.
That was Mordred.
Of course, it had to be Mordred.
Agravain was trying to compliment Mordred, but it was only making Mordred angry.
Mordred's lips twitched, but despite wanting to punch Agravain in the face, she was entirely taken aback when even Lancelot and the other Knights seemed to be of the same opinion as Agravain. Worse, Arturia wasn't saying anything despite looking exceedingly reluctant. Arturia herself may have had been the best choice to distract Shirou, but she was needed to maintain order and appearances in Camelot as the Kingdom's sovereign. Besides, Agravian had been informed of how weak Arturia's defences were in regards to Shirou. She definitely couldn't be sent.
Mordred on the other hand?
"Stop looking at me like that, its creepy you bastard," Mordred slapped Agravain's hand off of her shoulder and directly clicked her tongue.
"Yes! Yes, it's this behaviour exactly. You appear as if you're truly unwilling to take on this burdensome task, but in the end, you'll still do so anyway."
"F-Fuck off," Mordred felt her face flushing, and she abruptly turned away. After all, Agravain had hit the nail on the mark and it was mortifying that none of her fellow Knights disagreed with Agravain's assessment.
She began to brood to herself, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
W-Was she really this simple?
She grimaced, but immediately plastered a look of indifference on her face when she noticed the approval in Agravain's eyes.
Damn bastard. Leave me alone. You already made your point.
She was about to kick the ground in frustration, but again thought better of it.
"I'm leaving," she couldn't stay here any longer. It was like every action that she took was cementing Agravain's observation of her. "J-Just call me when I'm needed."
She looked as if she had wanted to curse, but faltered when her gaze met Agravain's again.
She left soon after.
Agravain smirked. This was why Mordred was the best Knight to go.
Don't get him wrong, but Agravain knew that Mordred wasn't exactly the best actor nor the best in keeping a secret. However, even he found it difficult to press her for information when she looked entirely flustered. Doing so would be like an adult bullying a child. That was the 'true' sure-fire method of having Mordred accompany Shirou on the trip to Northern Roble.
A true stroke of genius.
For the first time in a long while, Arturia and the other Knights recalled just how devious Agravain could be.
In this case, maybe it was for the best.
The rest of the plans could be initiated once Cu and Nero finished up on their ends.
Agravain was going to give him an ear-full, Cu was sure of it.
Three weeks.
It had passed three weeks and he had done absolutely nothing but keep the company of children and hunt for the people of the slums of E-Rantel.
Of course, he did try to look for something productive, but there was nothing else that he found that he could do. His initial plan was to become an Adventurer, but just recalling his past treatment after walking into the Adventurers guild angered him to the point that he felt that he would end up being a murderer.
An Adventurer was definitely out of the question at this point.
It didn't help that he still wasn't proficient in reading.
It was the little things that one would realize in the future, that were the most important.
He'd taken reading and writing for granted, and now that he found himself in a world where he could truly be considered 'unlearned' it was hard not to look like a fool rather than an experienced hero.
Small steps.
That was the only way he decided to do things.
He wasn't averse to the quiet life to begin with. Hell, he'd spent an entire day fishing by the stream that ran near the slums. Still, he preferred action over everything else, but stretching it on for weeks was pushing it too far even for him.
Yup. Agravain definitely wasn't going to be pleased. Knowing this, why should Cu bother to hurry writing an activity report?
He stared at the carefully written notes laid out in front of him in scraggily print with utmost seriousness.
The two kids that he'd helped three weeks earlier, the boy Chris, and the tomboy, Charlotte were trying to butter up to him.
They wanted him to teach them how to use a spear, but the most they'd gotten him to do was craft them their own pair of wooden practice spears.
Teaching them? Did he look like the kind of person who was good at teaching?
Still, that didn't stop the two brats.
The papers that he was reviewing were the common language of the New World that Charlotte and Chris were somehow educated in despite living in the slums. They wrote it for him after noticing his lack of education, but he still didn't teach them how to use a spear yet.
In short, Cu had spent the better most part of three weeks learning to read.
On paper, his track-record and accomplishments, at least in his opinion, looked like utter shit.
It was an embarrassment that he didn't want to disclose.
He'd be damned if that boisterous and air- headed Nero was doing better than him.
Therefore, he just had to hurry up and learn the language so that he could peruse the higher-level contract missions in the Adventurers guild and swipe one that seemed the most suitable. He was already imagining the faces of disbelief that those ignorant bastards who had laughed at him in the Adventurer's hall would have when he completed even the hardest of missions.
His lips curled upwards, but faltered when he looked out the window of the room that he was residing within inside the abandoned church.
He had an entire view of the Church's front yard where Chris and Charlotte were busy swinging around the wooden spears that he had made from broken piece of wood in the slums.
Chris and Charlotte were twins, with their uniquely silver hair cropped short in a bob-cut that reached just passed their ears. Both of them had silver eyes and relatively short for their age, likely due to a lack of a good diet, but Cu's interference was changing that.
In the past three weeks, both of the two children had grown at least an inch from the bountiful food he had taken the time to hunt for them and the rest of the people in the slums.
Cu had yet to notice it over the shock of being referred to as 'Father Cu,' but people were starting to look at him differently.
Charlotte and the other children in the orphanage were the same.
Then again, he couldn't stand just occupying a room in the Church and doing nothing. Therefore, he may have had just 'stolen' a few dresses and shirts from time to time from the wealthier people in E-Rantel and the bastards who made fun of him in the Guild building for the children to wear. Of course, the sizes were different, but if anything, Scathatch's Rune magic which she had imparted to him was useful in its versatility.
Posters of a wanted Thief subsequently begun hanging over E-Rantel's market places and buildings, but Cu felt like he had nothing to do with it.
Moving on, the sight out of the Church's window that caused Cu's mood to deflate was what Chris and Charlotte seemed to think was Spearmanship.
He had said that he didn't have the time nor patience to train anyone, but there was no way that he could just turn a blind eye when everything that he saw out the window was wrong.
Their forms were horrible, and rather than using a spear, it was more like they were just waving around long sticks. What kind of enemy did they think that they could take on with those kinds of postures and attacks?
To begin with, they were swinging too wide.
Spears unlike swords or blades, weren't entirely made up of metal to avoid overweight of the weapon. The shaft itself was generally composed of wood or some other material and there-in-lied a weakness. When parrying or blocking against other weapons, only the bladed tip of the spear must be used lest the spear be snapped or cut in two.
It was called, optimum distance. A vital aspect that all weapon-users must first master with their respective swords, spears, or sabers.
Spears were mid-range weapons; therefore, it was best to keep enemies away by a certain degree. Swinging wide while inexperienced was a mistake. Should the enemy dodge or parry the spear's length, it would be impossible for a greenhorn to take back control.
Thrusting and positioning was the simplest choice for beginners. Don't let them get close, and should one miss the initial stab, us footwork to maintain optimum distance.
His teacher Scathatch had drilled this fact deep into his psyche back when he was still using a practice spear by traumatizing him.
He shuddered uncharacteristically, but pretended it didn't happen.
His body moved subconsciously thereafter to alleviate his irritation.
"That's not how you hold a spear you dumb brats."
He appeared by both Charlotte and Chris with a burst of speed, startling the two but not caring as he directly corrected the mistakes he had seen. He placed both Charlotte and Chris's hands around shoulder-width on the base of their wooden spears. He then adjusted their stances so it didn't look as if they'd tumble at the slightest touch.
He wasn't teaching them, he convinced himself.
He was just trying to get rid of his annoyance.
Nothing less, and nothing more.
He crossed his arms and scowled.
"Now start again."
Chris and Charlotte's expression brightened instantly, and the enthusiasm that they showed reflected in their earnesty to better themselves. Oddly, the two felt warmth inside them no matter how strict or stern Cu was in correcting any mistakes that he saw, either through harsh words or physical involvement.
It hurt sometimes when he knocked them over the head, but there wasn't enough strength in the blow to do anything substantial, and this was saying a lot. Charlotte herself had seen first hand how Cu had enough strength to lift a massive boar single-handedly.
Why was he being so nice to them? No. it didn't matter. At the very least, the way she was looking at him now was the way a child would their guardian.
For some reason that fact eluded Cu who could not understand what role he was subconsciously filling for a group of children with no parents.
Chris wasn't saying anything, but he was probably thinking the same thing as Charlotte.
Charlotte pursed her lips, and tentatively called out at the end of practice.
"F-Father Cu," she said.
Cu stiffened immediately, as if he'd blown a gasket, but looking as the target of his ire was just a little tomboy, he quelled his anger down to a simmer.
"Damn brat, I told you not to call me that," he rebuked. "I. Am. Not. A. Priest."
Charlotte gathered her courage.
"T-Than c-can I call you papa?" She asked.
Cu blinked in dumbfoundment.
He then clicked his tongue while looking at the hopeful expression on Charlotte's face. She looked like she'd be devastated if he refused. Even Chris was looking over in interest.
He shrugged. "Do what you want kid."
"T-Then, papa?"
Cu's brow twitched, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as 'Father Cu.'
Suddenly, Cu became very much aware that Charlotte and Chris weren't the only ones around to hear him say 'do what you want.' A whole bunch of other kids were suddenly looking in his direction too.
This time, before they could ask like Charlotte, Cu up and left in a heartbeat.
Too many things were happening to him right now that would probably have some of his acquaintances laughing their asses off.
How many more weeks would he have to put up with this?
Reading.
He was determined to be able to read by the next couple of days.
In the slums in E-Rantel, Charlotte was making her way through her daily routine and was just on her way back to the Church, a skip to her steps.
Neither she nor her brother, Chris, had anything close to what could be considered a parent. Neither a father nor a mother, but Cu, no matter how abrasive or grumpy he was, was the closest thing that the two children ever had to a father figure.
He grumbled and complained that he was wasting his time, but in the end, he still looked out for them.
Charlotte felt a warmth inside her that had been absent for the majority of her life in the slums. It was a warmth known as expectation that there would be someone waiting for her when she returned home.
It had always been she and Chris that went out of their way to steal and provide food for the other orphans in the abandoned Church, but now, there was always plenty of food to eat. The first time Cu had hunted for them and brought back a massive boar, her stomach had been so full that she thought that she would burst, and yet she regretted nothing. A full stomach was a privilege that she never thought that she or the others around her would ever receive.
Therefore, it was truly unfortunate that Chris had been unconscious at that time. All he got to eat were the left overs that she'd tucked away for him. Cu gave the rest of the boar meat to the other residents of the slums.
Even if Cu continued to insist that he was jobless and doing nothing productive, he was already a Saint in the eyes of the people of the slums. Food was life, and he gave it away without any concern. Moreover, Cu had this weird type of magic that he called 'Runes' which he used to mend broken houses and restructure the Church so that it wouldn't be so cold inside anymore.
Charlotte looked far healthier than she'd ever been in all of her life. Tied carelly behind her back, was the wooden spear that she'd been using to practice along with her brother.
The pointers Cu gave were still fresh on her mind.
Cu didn't know it, but the average resident of the New World were not privy to [Skills].
The Spearman-Class for example could not just be instantly learned by picking up a spear and randomly poking with it. That sort of system didn't exist. Instead, one had to learn how to use the skill attributed to a certain class to be able to attain the first level of said class.
It was a mentorship type of system.
In Cu's case, what he imparted wasn't [Basic Spearmanship], but something else known as [Rune Witch's Spearmanship].
Charlotte had no idea what sort of Spearmanship the skill fell under, but if it was the one that Cu used, then all the better.
She didn't share the same blood, but all the same, she believed in a single phrase with all of her heart.
Her Papa was the strongest.
She'd accept no other answer.
Even when Adventurers turned a blind eye to the circumstances in the slums, Cu alone used his strength for the sake of others. That was what made him strong. Stronger than any Mithril Class or higher.
Charlotte balled her hands into fists.
The action was an odd yet endearing sight due to how small she looked. She still had baby fat around her face, making her features more rounded, her cheeks slightly pudgy.
Then again, no one paid particular attention to a kid that came from out of the slums anyway.
She was hardly noticed by the residents of E-Rantel if at all, treated mostly like air.
In this case, it suited her just fine.
She wasn't going to the main streets anyway but just back home closer to the hills and the distant forest. It had been her task today to forage for some wild berries and mushrooms to eat for vegetables as she didn't feel comfortable letting Cu do everything.
Nonetheless, she noticed something odd today.
Generally, there, was an open entrance that led from the slums towards the streets of E-Rantel. It was a large walled gate. However, today it was firmly shut closed with the guards stationed by the doors yelling out panicked orders. They must have seen something from atop their look out posts dangerous enough to seal the gates.
Wait.
Charlotte took a moment to look at the sealed gates, and then towards the residents of the slums who still had no idea of any danger.
T-These bastards.
They were leaving the people of the slums to die from whatever approaching danger would come.
Chris who was walking alongside her noticed this point as well and he immediately grew gloomy. "Cowards," he gritted his teeth. "Still, it may just be another pack of wild wolves or beasts. They should leave after we hide for a couple of hours."
Charlotte didn't respond to her brother.
Unlike Chris, she had grown curious and decided to see just what exactly the guards had seen to shut the gate closed. She had climbed atop a nearby ramp and stiffened abruptly.
"T-Those aren't wolves," she stammered in fear. "U-Undead. T-They're heading towards the Church."
"What?" Chris's eyes widened. He quickly went to look for himself but was appalled at the sheer number that he could see in the distance.
Grasslands surrounded almost the entirety of the area around E-Rantel with only a sparse few hills to decorate the landscape. The slums however, just so happened to be both adjacent to the forest and parallel to a large hill near the furthest embankment where a small stream cut through the foot of the hillside.
The elevation of the slums was lower than the hill that ran parallel to it where the Undead were marching from. They looked like a small colony of black ants in the distance, but just the thought that so many were coming was terrifying.
Groups of wandering undead weren't uncommon in the New World partly because of Explorers entering and releasing them from buried crypts and tombs, but such a vast number was unheard of before.
"T-The Adventurer's Guild! W-We have to call for help," Charlotte stammered out.
Chris however shook his head.
He simply pointed at the locked gates to the main street and didn't speak any further. There was no time to call on the Adventurers. The guards of E-Rantel who'd seen the disturbance must have had already sent news anyway.
Unfortunately, the fact that the gates were still closed meant that the guards had no intention of aiding the people of the slums until the Adventurers arrived.
As it was now, hardly anyone in the slums could see the approaching danger. Only the guards stationed near the main-sector of E-Rantel's main street had a better view, and their response was to lock up the gates.
Chris expected no other treatment.
Most of the residents who were better off treated those that lived in the slums with sheer disregard, yet in any case, living in the slums was still better than being a slave.
"We have to warn everyone," Chris's tone was hurried.
"B-But there's no where else for us to run," Charlotte replied back. "The main city's gates are sealed and the undead won't tire. We'll eventually get caught without any shelter. The open fields and hills are suicide."
"T-Then we have to protect them, everyone," Chris gathered his resolve and held steady to his spear, moving to intercept the horde of undead.
"W-Wait! Where are you going!?" Charlotte grabbed her brother's arm.
"Father Cu taught us to fight. If we don't protect our younger brothers and sisters in the church now, then who will?" Chris's arm was shaking, but he still dragged his feet forward regardless after coaxing his arm out of Charlotte's grip. "We have to be strong. Isn't that what we promised each other so that we can protect everyone else? It doesn't matter what pain or hardship we go through; we are the eldest and must bear the responsibility."
Charlotte bit down on her lips, and soon nodded.
Her brother was right.
Life would always be hard.
Yet it didn't mean that hard work and determination couldn't change anything.
"Alright, lets do this." Charlotte resolved herself and tightly grabbed onto her wooden practice spear.
She considered calling out to Cu for help, but a part of her didn't want to see the one person who actually seemed to care about her and the people of the slums perish at the hands of undead.
No.
She couldn't bear that thought.
Not when she finally felt what it was like to have a father.
She pursed her lips and quickly followed after her brother who began moving ahead of her.
By now, the Undead had already crossed the apex of the hill, making them visible to those in the slums.
Expectedly, panic began to ensue, but with nowhere to go, some just gave up in helplessness, while others sought shelter in their dilapidated homes. Neither option would bode well, but they were far too fearful to do anything else. Only a scant few chose to arm themselves with whatever they could get their hands on, yet none showed any confidence.
The first place that the undead would reach would be the Church, but there was no way that Charlotte or Chris would risk the undead getting that close.
They decided to fight the undead by the wooden fences surrounding the perimeter of the slums, however, their expressions fell when they realized that some beast or animal had completely destroyed everything.
There was nothing to act as a barricade of any sort.
Charlotte and Chris looked at each other.
They would have to fight on their own while out in the open.
"G-Get behind me," Chris stammered. "W-We just have to fight while defending each other's backs."
It was hopeless.
Charlotte only gave her brother a weak smile, but she didn't say anything in disagreement.
This was how their life had always been anyway.
Hardship after hardship.
She brushed back her hair with a hand, and readied herself.
The undead were nearing their location.
As they did not want their younger siblings that they were looking after in the Church to get involved, the two had ran out to face the approaching enemy head on. The only thing that Charlotte hopped for was that her younger foster siblings would be smart enough to hide in the Church's cellar just in case.
Nonetheless, neither she nor her brother had the time to give a reminder.
They were coming.
Fifty meters.
Forty.
Thirty.
Charlotte felt her mouth drying. Up close, the undead looked nothing like the wave of ants that they had appeared like before. Most of them were even armoured and didn't look anything like the average undead who were only equipped with broken weapons and tattered rags.
"E-Elites?" Charlotte whispered out her sole observation, a shudder travelling down her back.
Why?
Why were they coming here?
Why now?
She swallowed down her bitterness, but still felt like screaming. The one time that she and her brother's life was starting to grow better, a tragedy ensued to crush them.
"Hey Charlotte," Chris called out just when the undead reached twenty meters. "If I told you to run away right now and leave me, would you listen to a stupid brother's final request?"
Charlotte glared.
Chris laughed hollowly. "I guess not."
Ten meters.
"Get ready. Just like Father Cu taught us."
Legs forward, arms bent, spear at the ready.
The [Rune Witch's Spearmanship]
Five meters.
One meter.
"STRIKEEE!"
A flash of light.
Their spears shifted forward, like twin snakes propelling from a coiled viper. However, their expressions soon broke, the pallor of their complexions paling drastically.
It wasn't that they failed in their forms or execution, but that the wooden spears that they were using shattered completely.
The first undead that had reached them however was utterly defeated.
The [Rune Witch's Spearmanship] was not only above the basic level, but was adapted to deal with undead and demonic enemies to begin with. Though their spears had been made out of wood, Cu had tampered with the spears and planted a few runes to bolster them.
Those runes also served as a signal.
"YOU STUPID BRATS."
A flash of red entered Charlotte and Chris's eyes before the undead nearest to their proximity seemingly vanished into dust. All that was left was a single red spear that protruded from the ground in a large crater.
None of the Undead dared approach it, and from the moment that spear made its appearance, something seemed to change in the army of undead.
Regardless, neither Charlotte nor Chris were paying attention.
They were too distracted over a pair of fists that smacked them over the top of their heads.
"Damn fools, this ain't a place for children."
The echoing of a pole arm resounded as a large hand pulled up the red spear embedded into the ground.
Cu had made his appearance.
Far before E-Rantel's guards had noticed the undead approaching, Cu had long since sensed them. However, rather than confronting them immediately, he had taken the liberty of using Rune Magic to create a shelter for the people of the slums to gather within.
How was he supposed to have had expected that these two brats would act on their own despite their weakness and against a superior adversary? It was almost noteworthy really.
A sign of a true fearless warrior.
A Celt by his standards.
Cu felt his lips start to twitch upward while recalling the sight that he'd seen just before arriving.
The two kids learned fast.
They were around less than a percent of his skill, but the technique was there.
"P-Papa," Charlotte called out to him, but despite feeling slightly uncomfortable in the way that she addressed him, he merely nodded his head before turning his attention away.
"Undead huh?"
There were a lot of them, and if his eyes weren't to be deceived, he could see the form of a Demon commanding them.
He was in top condition.
No ailments or status debuffs to impair him.
Perfect.
He readied his spear, and laid it flat to rest over a single shoulder. He'd killed the nearest undead, but there were hundred more beyond the hill that couldn't be seen yet. There was plenty of work to be done, and only him to do it.
Fine by me.
He began to walk forward, the crisp sound of his soles crushing the ash-like remains of the undead beneath his feet echoing amidst the silence.
"D-Don't go," Charlotte subconsciously clung onto Cu's leg.
He stopped and scratched at the back of his head in response.
He looked down on her, but the brat looked like she was moments away from crying, so any harsher rebuttals were tossed out of his mind. If he were Scathatch, what would she do? On second thought no; he shouldn't be using her as a basis for anything.
There was probably a better method in the first place.
He sighed and stared Charlotte at eye level.
"I won't die," he spoke calmly.
"I won't die," he repeated stronger, raising up to his full height, back straight and body poised.
He grinned, showing a pair of sharp canines.
"I believe that it's time that the two of you understand just who it is that you're learning Spearmanship from?"
He admitted it. Was what Chris thought in his mind, but he didn't say it because Cu's very aura shifted.
A large group of undead and their commander?
Child's play and nothing more.
An ominous glint appeared within a pair of crimson eyes.
"Back away," this was Cu's last warning, an air of bloodlust was beginning to form around him that instinctively caused Charlotte to loosen her grip.
He who walks in the Land of Shadows doth not fear those who tread within it.
His muscles tensed.
His breathing evened until it was unnaturally still.
There were no inhabitants in the Land of Shadows that weren't considered Monsters to begin with.
Cu was just another one of them.
So, don't look at me with those eyes.
He could see the concern and anxiety on Charlotte and Chris's faces.
Such sentiments shouldn't have had been directed at him who in the end of his own life failed to recognize the face of his own son and killed him in honoured combat.
Memories that weren't part of his programing as an NPC were causing him pause.
Shit, he was starting to get annoyed.
Even the prospect of being able to loosen his muscles on a horde of enemies couldn't bring his mood back up.
They stood behind him. They who were powerless and relying on him for protection.
Just like that war many, many centuries ago.
He could not let a single enemy passed.
The things that he couldn't protect, and the things that he could.
The things that mattered and the things that didn't.
Would he lose sight of them again in the end?
A Demonic Spear.
A Crimson Spear.
But it was not always that way.
The pale grey of yew bark.
"Tch," He wasn't one to think in the first place.
Therefore fight!
Charlotte and Chris were forced to cover their eyes from the gale of wind left at Cu's wake.
His feet stomped across the ground.
Fast. A slow gait.
Faster. The flash of red lightning.
An indistinct figure blurring between the lines of what was impossible and impossible.
The blood within his body roared with the furor of a wild beast.
The hot blood of the Celts.
His veins popped up over his skin, his muscles bulging.
The Warrior's Spirit!
His spear revolved around him, a red fang clearing hundreds amidst the horde.
A beast in the guise of a human.
An Insect he was not.
A figure watching in the distance furrowed her brows, but for the slightest of moments, she felt a shiver travel down her back. Was that really a human? All that she could see was the form of a fellow Great Demon.
Be it one, ten, many, or several hundred, he would prevail.
He fought atop a distant hill, not letting a single enemy passed.
A shield of the people.
A ray within the dark of the clouds.
A figment of history.
One man that had protected a country.
The beginning of a Legend of the Ulster Cycle.
Before he was the Hound of Chulainn.
Before he was named a Hero.
"P-Papa Cu, h-he's fighting them all alone. It's like he's glowing."
Something outside the bounds of YGGDRASIL's mechanics.
An aura of a proud son of Lugh proclaimed and acknowledged by the people.
A Child of Light.
Thanks for reading!
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Next Update: Fate in Time by popularity.