Managed to get this chapter finished early so hope you all enjoy it. This one is yet another interlude but I think its one that you're all going to find different from before because this interlude focuses on one of the characters borrowed from another series. This one is probably going to be my favorite interlude thus far.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing great suggestions and critic.
:)
With that said, let's get this chapter started.
Interlude 5: Titan Storm
Alice had just been a child when she became an adventurer, just 15 years of age, barely a teenager when she left the comforting walls of the Church and set out to join the adventurers guild.
She had grown up hearing the tall and noble tales of the heroes...but she had also heard plenty of stories of grand and legendary adventurers. Regular men and women who had climbed the ranks of the guild with their own power and hard work. Without the help of a Legendary or Seven Star Weapon to aid them, Alice had admired those people which was part of the reason she became an adventurer.
She wasn't so arrogant to believe she would ever become one of those legends whose names permeate throughout the centuries...but she did at least hope she could help more people by becoming an adventurer than just serving as a regular priestess in the Church, who occasionally helped heal the injuries of those who came to them.
So there she was as a young girl, with barely any money to her name, with just a few simple Miracles to take care of herself signing up to become an adventurer.
" Hey you ! Want to join our party ? We need a healer "
But that was how she met her dear friends and adventuring party. It felt so odd thinking about how different they were back then.
Rufus had been so much more reckless and headstrong in those days. Nina was courageous but in a way that put herself and others at risk. Clarissa was more cold and arrogant in her abilities back then.
And she herself ? Well, she was still young and naive. She still no idea what the world of adventuring was really like.
Their first quest was a simple one so to speak.
Demi-human bandits had attacked a nearby village and made off with some supplies and women. Their job was to go in and save them.
This was their first quest ever, so Alice was nervous but Rufus and Nina had reassured her they had nothing to worry about. That at the end of the day, bandits were just cowardly scoundrels who were too scared to fight fair and had to rely on dirty tricks to survive.
Well...they weren't wrong but still.
They quickly located where the bandits were hiding, a large lumber mill that had been converted into the bandit's hideout, covered by the forest area it was the perfect spot for a band of bandits to hide in.
So they lied in wait, the group wasn't even that big, maybe around 15 or so bandits in total, their little group attacked when they thought the bandits had lowered their guards enough-
The initial strike was a massive failure.
Rufus got knocked on his ass by the warhammer from a surprisingly strong dog beastman, his chest plate barely holding up afterward. Clarissa was too busy firing off spells randomly which screwed up Nina's quick and fast movements. And Alice was stuck indecisively trying to choose between helping Rufus or using her Miracles to protect Nina and Clarissa.
That was when he showed up.
He attacked the flank of the bandits sending them into disarray, giving their group the opportunity to get back into the fight. Coordinating and acting with them as their leader.
When it was over, she was the one who approached him with a mixture of awe and fear in her eyes.
" Who...who are you ? " Alice quietly asked.
He turned his gaze to her.
" They call me Beast Slayer "
Beast Slayer...the name given to the man who had struck fear into the hearts of demi-humans and beastman bandits across Melromarc.
And that was how she and her group became his team for the next 2 years.
" Alice you awake ? "
The priestess's head kicked up as she heard her name called followed by feeling herself get nudged slightly, rubbing her half-asleep eyes and realizing she passed out while resting her head at their table. She looked up to her party giving her a slightly concerned look. She probably shouldn't have stayed up late last night, reading the monster manual and sharpening her weapons.
" Y-Yeah, I'm fine, what were you saying ? " Alice shrugged off whatever sleepiness she had for today.
" Nothing I was just wondering if you had any ideas for what our next quest is going to be " Clarissa inquired.
That was indeed a good question. Traditionally speaking, it was usually the designated leader of an adventurers party that would choose what their next quest would be, but Alice tended to be more fair and ask their opinion on what they thought about a quest. They were silver ranked so they were trained, skilled and levelled enough to handle most quests she selected for them.
" Not sure really, we'll just see what's left on the board later I suppose " Alice shrugged. The new quests were typically posted around noon, and it was only just entering the afternoon so there should still be some good quests they can take.
She glanced at some young, enterprising rookies enter the guild for the first time. Their eyes full of wonder and amazement as they went up to Maria and registered. She remembered when she was that young and bright eyed...
" Looks like a lot of rookies are still joining up this time of year " Nina said. Usually the guild received most of their new adventurers either at the start of a year or during summer. Though there was always the few late joiners for the year strewn out across it.
" Wonder how many of them will survive to see next year " Clarissa said grimly taking a swig of her drink.
" Come on Clarissa, don't be so pessimistic " Rufus chided her but Alice knew that she was right.
She knew how all too often it was that rookies get killed on their first quests. Didn't matter if it was from a mistake someone made, not being prepared enough or just plain bad luck...rookie adventurers have it hard just getting pass porcelain or even just surviving their first year.
The training center for adventurers that was posted just a few miles south of the capital helped a little since it allowed veteran adventurers to advise and train up the rookies of the guild. The problem was that it was a voluntary program introduced by the guild so there weren't that many veterans available to train them, and not all rookies were content to sit and listen to said advice. Some were too eager and ready to jump right into the action, not knowing what awaited them. Be it death or victory.
Alice can only pray to the Chief God's mercy that these young souls make it back alive.
" Hey Alice, you ready yet ? We got all the rookies out back "
Another voice cut in and Alice turned to see Anna and Lucas approach their table, some of the veteran adventurers that had been silvers since she and her group had joined up. Anna was a holy knight of the Three Heroes Church proudly donning their symbol on her pauldrons, while Lucas was a heavy warrior that carried a big sword on his back that Alice honestly thought was impractical at times. Not that she would ever say it out loud.
" Ready for what ? " Nina asked.
" Oh yes, sorry I almost forgot that you wanted me to give some helpful tips to some rookies in the guild ? " Alice almost forgot about Lucas's request two days ago.
" Yup, better they get their tips from you than from someone like Dane or Anna " Lucas said.
" Hey ! What's wrong with my method of teaching ? " Anna questioned angrily.
" Your method of teaching usually involves beating them into submission " Lucas said blankly.
" I-I've grown...gentler over the years " Anna defended shyly.
" Sure you have baby " Lucas chuckled and gave her a peck on the lips.
" I'll go right now, you guys want to come along ? " Alice asked her group.
" Sure, got nothing else better to do " Rufus shrugged while Nina and Clarissa nodded.
Alice and her group followed the couple to the back of the guild where a medium sized group of rookies, most of which look barely 15 or slightly older were sitting in the small training area at the back of the guild. Only a few of them were demi-humans, fewer were beastmen. Some of the rookies looked dissatisfied having to rub shoulders with the demi-humans, but said nothing or at least didn't openly voice their issues.
Upon seeing their group, a few of the rookies turned their heads and looked at them.
" Wow...look at those ladies over there " One of the young men not so subtly glanced at them, Clarissa in particular but quickly turned away when Alice looked over at them. She smiled a little at their childish nature.
" Aren't those guys that adventuring group...Titan Storm ? "
" What kind of name is Titan Storm anyway ? What does it even mean ? "
" Sounds stupid "
Nina and Clarissa quietly groaned upon hearing the rookies talk about their team name, that Rufus had given them when they first formed their team.
" We're never going to live that name down are we ? " Clarissa sighed.
" The name is cool and you know it " Rufus defended with a smirk.
Alice paid attention as she heard some more rookies whisper about them.
" I heard that they used to work with Beast Slayer ? "
" Beast Slayer ?! Really ?" One of the rookies nearly shouted in response " That guy's a legend, he's taken down more bandit groups longer than some people have been in the guild "
" Yeah, but I heard these guys left him for some reason a few years ago "
" Seriously ? Why would they leave ? I would kill to work on the Beast Slayer's team " The rookie said in surprise " I just don't get why anybody would miss out the chance to work with the Beast Slayer "
" Quiet, they'll hear you !"
The priestess let out a sigh as she heard these whispers, it was not the first time she had heard such things and likely would not be the last. Her group's reputation may forever be tied to being part of Slayer's once upon a time ago...and their decision to eventually leave.
She thought back on that day and all that went into it: It was not nearly a clear cut decision like some may believe. There were many different factors contributing to her and the others decision to leave Slayer's party.
Alice cleared her head of these thoughts as she took on a professional face as she stood in front of the group of waiting rookies, their eyes and attention all on her. Some muttering among themselves about something or the other.
" Hey ! Shut up and listen up kids " Anna shouted which made them all straighten up.
" Thank you Anna, I'll take it from here " Alice coughed a little before speaking " Good afternoon to you all, my name is Alice and I am a silver ranked adventurer. Today me and my team will be giving you all some useful tips that will help keep you alive during your quests "
The rookies started listening attentively, some more diligent than others who seemed to be half-listening at best.
" Starting with the basics: ALWAYS prepare for a quest in any way you can. Doesn't matter if its goblins, bandits or a dragon. Never dive head-first into a quest until you are sure you are ready and have a basic understanding of your objectives and enemy " Alice explained " Even the slightest bit of knowledge and preparation can mean the difference between life or death. Remember that "
The rookies looked among themselves worriedly but seemed to take the advice in stride.
" Also never forget to stock up on potions. Having a cleric or someone with healing magic in your party is no excuse for not buying potions " Nina practically scolded which made more than a few guilty looks from the rookies " If you're buying potions from the guild than bulk buying will grant you a discount. Also ask your local dealer or apothecary for anything useful for a specific job "
" That being said, remember to keep a budget on what you need for an adventure " Clarissa took over and upon seeing some of the disgruntled faces decided to take the gentle approach " I get it most of you typically don't start out with much money, but you should always remember to use what little you have in the most effective and efficient way possible. If you're working in a group, you should probably set up some kind of communal equipment fund for your party and keep some money on the side in case of emergencies "
" And no matter what, never borrow money from a loaner or some business. If you are not absolutely sure you can pay it back, then don't borrow, more than a few rookies have gone missing or had to resign because of that " Nina clarified " If you're that desperate for money or weapons and have to borrow, try asking veteran adventurers for small loans that you can pay back. Even if you can't than usually they'll let you work it off or something. And most vets typically have some spare weapons and used equipment you can borrow "
Some of the rookies started taking notes and writing what they were saying down in books, some of the younger ones were paying careful attention to every word they say.
" When it comes to fighting in general, remember: Formation is key. This means your fighters, warriors or whoever has the best armor is your vanguard at the front " Rufus took over as he knew the most about fighting " Healers are in the middle, while those sporting magic or ranged weaponry are in the back. Though rogues and rangers are usually the ones who scout ahead for trouble " Rufus said " Just keep in mind that formation isn't supposed to be rigid. It has to change depending on the situation that you are in so take this advice with a bit of skepticism "
They all talked slowly so the rookies could get a minute to write down what they were saying.
" Moving on to tips that are a bit more specific to keeping you alive..." Clarissa stepped up next " Magic casters should always wear armor, it doesn't matter if you're in the backline or have no intention of getting in close, you should always wear some degree of armor because I swear to you all, you will at some point get injured and armor could mean the difference between surviving a critical hit or dying "
Clarissa subconsciously rubbed her side, the spot where Alice remembered the arrow landed and left a scar.
" Furthermore, it isn't a bad idea to carry extra weapons around " Nina expanded on that point as she took out her dual knives and Clarissa took out her short sword and crossbow, which received some awe from the rookies " Having a spare that allows you to defend yourself in close quarters will keep you alive, even if you don't specialize in that. Just understanding the basics can tip the odds in your favor "
" But you need to use the right tools for the right job " Rufus said seriously to the fighters and warriors of the group " If you're going in a cave, use a short sword because the cave walls are usually too tight to swing a long sword properly or a spear if you prefer. Also remember to wear helmets when going into a fight, a lot of people forgo helmets because they want to look pretty when their fighting when really it just leaves them vulnerable. So having some good face and head protection is always a good idea "
Some more rookies looked guilty at that, especially those that looked like fighters and warriors.
" Alright now that we've covered the basics, does anybody have any questions ? " Alice asked and few hands were raised " Uh...yes, you over there "
" What about equipment ? "
" Your equipment is obviously dependant on what your role and class is, but generally you should only buy equipment that is within your current level range " Alice explained in detail " You also shouldn't get too attached to your equipment, because you never know when you may need to ditch it. If its not something you're willing to part with in a split second or can easily replace, than reconsider "
" Also don't bother saving up and buying some super powerful good equipment, chances are it will be lost at some point or another, and if you don't have the money to easily replace it than you've just blown a large portion of your funds away " Clarissa added.
" Next question ? " Alice asked and pointed at another rookie who raised their hand " Yes, you there "
" What about our rank ? Like how fast or slow should we rise in our adventurer rank ? "
" When it comes to rank...honestly don't worry about it too much " Nina answered to the surprise of some of the rookies " Your rank is just what the guild thinks you're qualified for but its a not a perfect representation of your total abilities. Granted you should pay attention to what rank the guild gives to a quest and make sure you're not biting off more than you can chew " Nina explained " If you're worried about not rising up the ranks then don't be. If you do quests frequently and have a good personality among the guild, you should be able to progress up the ranks normally. If you want to talk about getting gold or platinum rank that's a completely different matter altogether "
A few more questions were answered, some were generic while others a bit more obvious. They were answered regardless since these rookies need all the info they can get to survive.
" Is it true your group was apprenticed under Beast Slayer ? "
Alice's attention picked up at that question and the others turn to the rookie who asked it. Who immediately put his hand down, upon realizing he may have asked a wrong question.
They all looked between each other, but Alice decided it was her duty was the leader to explain.
" To answer your question: Yes, me and my group were apprenticed under Slayer "Alice answered simply " We worked with him for over 2 years and learned much under him " Alice spoke honestly, she knows that a lot of her skills and knowledge is thanks to Slayer. Mother Altara taught her well in the art of combat and magic, but Slayer was the one who taught her how to survive adventuring. The same goes for the rest of her team.
" Well...why did you stop working with Slayer ? "
Anna who had been observing the whole time stepped up " Careful there kid..."
" Its alright, I can answer that..." Alice said as she turned back to the rookies " Let me just say that we had some...conflicting opinions about bandit hunting tactics and eventually we decided to leave. I suppose that's another good piece of advice, never be afraid to leave a group if you feel uncomfortable with something, no matter what "
The rookies looked confused as more raised their hands to ask questions pertaining to Slayer.
" Is it true that Slayer is actually a demi-human ? "
" No, that's a myth that was dispelled long ago. We've seen his face before and he is definitely human " Clarissa asked with a roll of her eyes.
" Is it true that your team worked with him to defend a farm against an army of demi-human bandits ? "
" Yes, but that was with the help of many adventurers in the guild fighting alongside us " Rufus answered calmly.
The questions started shifting from adventuring to answering trivial questions about Slayer. Alice should have expected this, there was always more than a few rookies who looked up and admired Slayer's work. He did do good work for the country by taking out bandit groups. But the way he went about it...Alice did not always agree.
" Alright, shut it ! You came here for adventuring advice, not to be Slayer's fan club " Anna said derisively, effectively silencing the rookies.
Alice took a deep breath as she decided it was time to wrap this up.
" Okay, we will not be taking up anymore of your time so we will be wrapping this up " Alice said with a sigh " My last piece of advice to you all is this...this is not a game "
The rookies heads kicked up at that, even the ones that didn't seem to be listening before.
" I'll make this perfectly clear to you all, this is not a game, what we do here is usually life threatening work...and not all of you will live to see Silver or even the next year " Alice said in a dark tone which made some rookies gulp " When you go out there, you are very likely to see the worst of the worse. Things you never thought you would see in your life and I hope to the Chief God none of you ever have to..."
The rookies looked down at that, some as if they were reconsidering their life choices. Alice decided to try and cheer them up.
" Look...I don't want you kids going into this line of work thinking its all doom and gloom, there are moments of genuine peace and happiness " Alice advised " Will it rainbows and sunshine all the way ? No. But when you're out there with your team or on your own, just remember one thing...make sure that it is your choice that you are there "
The rookies seemed unsure of what to make of that last part of her sentence, but seemed cheered up at least.
" That was all great advice Alice, thank you " Lucas patted her on the back before turning back to the group " Alright kids, let's get back to training time "
The rookies were quick to get back on their feet on account of Anna yelling at them to hurry their asses up.
" Hey, did we miss Alice's big show ? "
Alice turned to see Dane and Beatrix make their way to the courtyard, Dane with his big spear leaned on his shoulder.
" We just finished, what the hell took you so long ? " Lucas asked.
" Sorry...had to...check in...with the sitter..." Beatrix responded with her usual smile.
Dane and Beatrix, much like Anna and Lucas had gotten married around 2 years ago and had a child. They usually had to hire a sitter to look after baby spearman.
" Its fine, its not like I gave any special tips or anything " Alice waved it off " Are you also here to train the rookies ? "
" Yup. They don't want to commit to life at the training center so we're giving them the much harder course here " Dane said with a smile " Now if you will excuse me, I have some rookies to whip into shape " Dane gave a loving kiss to Beatrix before walking off to train some recruits.
" I should...go too..." Beatrix said before walking off to handle the magic users.
" Plan on sticking around ? " Lucas asked.
" No, we got quests to do and money to make " Clarissa said cooly.
" Isn't that everyday ? " Lucas replied.
" See you around Lucas "
" Thanks for the help Alice, good hunting "
Their group made it back inside where Alice was still unsure of what quest they should take for the day. As they approached the quest board to start their long browse, Alice caught sight of a few familiar faces talking to Maria. Three demi-human women specifically.
One of them was a rabbit archer that wore a tank top and miniskirt, that was quite impractical. The cat girl fighter dressed or rather undressed like one of those women from the red lantern district. The only one who wore any actual clothing in the form of a robe was the sheep girl with coiled horns on her head.
" Come on Maria, can't you make an exception just this once ? "
" I'm sorry but the quest specifically states that it must have Silvers on the quest for it to be accepted " Maria shook her head " And even if I did allow you to officially take the quest, the merchants would likely turn you away if they found out you aren't silvers "
The cat and rabbit girl groaned as a result.
" Hey Lana, what's the problem ? " Alice butt into the conversation. Making the demi-human girls turn to them in surprise.
" Oh ! Hi Alice, its good to see you " Lana greeted the priestess with a smile. Despite being an acolyte for the Church of the Shield Hero, the two got along pretty well.
" Via, Kate " Alice nodded in greeting to the rabbit and cat girl.
The two nodded in response, respecting her presence.
" So what's the problem anyway ? " Nina asked.
" Nothing just trying to convince Maria to let us take this damn quest. The pay is amazing " Via said.
" What's the job ? " Clarissa asked.
" A merchant company by the name of...Rorik Entreprises requests adventurers to protect their carriages as they move their product to the next city over. Apparently they have been reports of bandits attacking carriages-"
" Bandits ? This close to the capital ? " Rufus interrupted in surprise. It wasn't like bandit groups to attack so close to areas that are deemed high risk to them.
" More like carriages leaving the capital. By the time any help arrives, the bandits have already fled " Maria explained " So the merchant is paying a lot of money for adventurers to escort his goods "
" So what's the problem with them taking the quest ? " Alice asked.
" The merchant wants silver ranks as part of the adventurer group. They won't accept anything below that " Maria explained with a sad look on her face.
Alice understood their problem then. Lana, Kate and Via were all Ruby ranked adventurers. They certainly weren't pushovers by any means, but the guild could be a little technical when it came to taking quests like this.
" The payout is 2000 silvers " Kate chimed in " We could use the money "
" Damn, that's a lot for an escort job " Rufus whistled.
" Can I see the quest paper Maria ? " Alice asked and the receptionist handed the paper over to her.
Alice read the quest paper word for word, examining everything it said down to the letter...until she found a loophole in it.
" But this just says that they want silvers as part of the group, they didn't say anything about not including adventurers from other ranks " Alice said handing the paper back " So what if my group goes with Lana's ? That way the condition of the quest will be fulfilled technically "
Maria seemed to ponder it for a moment before coming to a decision.
" Well...you'll have to work out the details with the merchant themselves but I suppose I can officially say that this quest is taken " Maria said with a smile.
" Thanks Alice, you really saved us there " Lana gave her gratitude to the priestess.
" No problem, always happy to help a friend " Alice smiled.
" We really owe you guys one " Via admitted.
" That's the third time we've saved your asses " Clarissa said with a smirk " We're going on a streak "
" Hardy har har " Kate rolled her eyes at that.
" How do we divi up the reward ? " Rufus asked.
" I say 50-50. 1000 to my group and 1000 to yours. Sound fair ? " Alice proposed.
" Deal " Lana shook her hand in agreement.
" Been a while since we worked with the legendary...Titan Storm " Kate said with a smirk.
" We're never going to live that name down are we ? " Clarissa groaned.
" Hell no "
It took a bit of negotiating with the merchant to allow Lana and her team to be part of the escort, but ultimately he caved and agreed to let them to be part of it. Though Lana's group were getting some lustful stares on account of their lack of clothing.
Alice crossed her arms as Titan Storm and Lana's group rode in the back of one of the carriages. There were three carriages and they were all riding on the one in the middle. This was so that if they were attacked, they could easily mobilize to defend the carriages and workers. Alice decided to switch to her mid-length sword and targe for better mobility.
The adventurers were chatting among themselves, Nina and Kate trading fighting techniques, Clarissa reading a book, Rufus talking to Via about formations. While the leaders of the group talked between each other.
" So I heard that Slayer joined up with the Bow Hero's group " Alice said " Apparently he's working with him to take out some of the major bandit groups up north "
" That's good...while I may not agree with Slayer's methods and attitude, I can't deny that he's doing good work " Lana nodded in agreement " Those assholes who rob and rape people give the rest of us a bad name "
" It was already bad. The beast bandits just make it worse than it already is " Clarissa commented.
" So how's the Church of the Shield doing Lana ? " Alice asked to change the subject.
" Same as usual. Practically non-existent " Lana said with a sad chuckle and Alice understood her pain which made her reach out and hold her hand.
The Church of the Shield had always been a minority religion in Melromarc before the war, but after the war was over it was practically beaten into the ground. It wasn't nearly as hard a fall as the Four Heroes Church which her religion branched off from but it was still pretty bad. Churches dedicated to the shield were burnt to the ground and some places outright banned the religion. Still a few churches dedicated to the shield still existed in Melromarc, mostly in places where the war hadn't touched or hit as hard.
" I'm more surprised your Church hasn't made a move on the Shield Hero yet or even you for that matter " Clarissa asked with a raised eyebrow " Don't think the Shield Hero would be opposed to having three beautiful demi-human women on his team "
" We don't really have the resources or influence to openly or even privately support the Shield Hero in Melromarc " Lana explained " And to answer your second question...I think Via and Kate kinda scared him off when we first met him "
" How did that happen ? " Rufus turned to her.
Via and Kate looked very nervous all of a sudden.
" Basically they tried to not so subtly imply they wanted to jump in bed with him and that pretty much scared him off " Lana said.
Rufus and Nina laughed at that, while Clarissa smirked " Real smooth you two "
" Screw you ! We thought we could at least get his support on our side in case we needed a favor " Via defended.
" So yeah, thanks to these two I don't think the Shield Hero is going to be too open about letting demi's join his party " Lana gave a light glare to her two comrades " Good going you two "
Via and Kate grumbled at that, but said nothing.
They kept talking for a few more minutes when they heard it-
The carriage suddenly came to a stop...and it was followed by the sounds of screams and shouting.
" BANDIT ATTACK !"
The screams and shouts came from outside the carriage,
" Shit " Alice cursed as they all got their weapons ready.
Rufus put his helmet on, got his sword and shield out...Nina cracked her knuckles and strapped her gauntlets on...Clarissa prepared to fire a spell the second they got out of the carriage...Alice pulled her hood up and put her mask on. The mask made out of pure silver and stylized in the form of a beautiful woman. It wasn't a helmet but it protected her face nonetheless.
" Good luck out there Rufus " Nina lifted the helmet for a moment to kiss Rufus on the lips, even with the helmet on Alice could tell he was blushing.
" All-Zweit Guard " Alice cast the support spell on all of them, giving them a boost to their defense.
Within seconds they were ready to engage.
" Hit it hard titans " Alice said as she pulled open the flap-
To see a dog demi-human bandit already approach the back and without hesitation pulled her foot back and kicked the face of the man with her metal boot, knocking more than a few teeth out. Landing on his body and stabbing in the throat so he doesn't get back up into the fight.
The rest of her friends quickly got out the back of the carriage, Rufus even decapitating another bandit as he jumped out the back. All of them sprung into action to engage the bandits, who were caught off guard by the sudden presence of adventurers. She saw that the bandits were also attacking the workers, but seemed more focused on subduing and dragging away said workers than killing them. They all seemed to be coming from the right side of the road.
" Lamb Team protect the workers ! Titan's deal with the bandits ! " Alice shouted out orders to her people.
" Lamb Team ? Seriously ? " Via gave her a look.
" Just do it !" Alice ordered.
Lana and her group got to work defending the civilians. Kate running up and smacking a bear beastmen in the knee with her quarter-staff, before following up with a hit to the face and bashing his head in. Via easily zeroing in and nailing some of the bandits in the head with her impressive marksmanship.
" Zweit Wind Cutter !"
" Zweit Aqua Shot !"
Clarissa and Lana were firing off wind and aqua spells, the blade of wind of cutting through several bandits with ease while the shot of water pierced through the armor of a dog beastman. While Clarissa was admittedly stronger in her fire magic, she was smart enough to know that using fire magic in a place like this could either set fire to the carriages or the forest. Both would be bad for them.
Nina was the fastest among them, beating down one enemy after another. Delivering a series of quick-blows that cracked the bones of the bandits and left them to bleed out internally. Though she would snap their necks to end their suffering.
" Bring it on your bastards !" Rufus shouted as he parried a strike from a catman and slash at his throat, making him choke on his own blood. Stabbing another one through the heart and bashing another in the face with his shield before slitting his throat.
Alice engaged her own cluster of bandits, slashing at the chest of one catman and decapitating another. She tried striking at another but this one was faster and managed to block it and hold her blade there.
" Aaaaahhhh !" Another bandit tried to flank her side and run her through, luckily she managed to bash the blade away with her shield-
Before flicking her wrist, letting her hidden blade come out and stab the bandit in the throat. Before turning back to the one defending, kicking the man in the knee before stabbing him in the throat, blood coming out as a result.
Alice barely had enough time to dodge as an arrow barely missed her, she turned to see around a squad of demi-human rabbitman in the trees sitting on the branches.
" Shit ! Watch out for arrow fire from the trees ! " Alice shouted as she blocked another shot with her targe.
" Sons of bitches !" Via cursed as she returned fire, shooting an arrow at one of the archers and managing to nail one of them, making the rabbit fall to the ground dead " Got one !"
" Clarissa ! Lana ! Take care of the archers ! Everyone else clean up the bandits !" Alice said as she cut down another bandit.
The two magic users understood and stood side by side, chanting their spell aimed at the archers.
" As source of our power, we order thee ! Decipher the laws of nature and bring about a storm of water to destroy our enemies !" The two chanted, about to release their attack...
Just as another arrow and a bandit wielding an axe was directed at them.
" Not today !" Rufus shouted as he ran the bandit through with his sword, pushing to the ground and killing him.
" Protection !" Alice held her hand out and concentrated, in just the nick of time, a wall made out of pure holy light appeared in front of the two mages shielding them from the arrows " Let them have it !"
" Typhoon !" Clarissa and Lana held out their hands and staff, a tornado mixed with water shot out and obliterated the archers. Hitting them out of their trees and even causing the trees to topple over. Making it unclear on whether they were dead or just injured.
Alice didn't have any more time to think about it as she engaged the remaining bandits, they were down to about half-strength and they should be able to easily clean up the remaining bandits.
She charged at one of the dog demi-humans and slashed at his neck-
Only for her blade to break upon impact.
Alice was shocked for a moment but quickly jumped back when the dog tried to take a stab at her.
" Didn't expect that bit-Oh fuck !" The dog tried to smirk at her, only for his some of his teeth to fall out, he put his hand to his mouth to stop it.
What the...that definitely wasn't normal. I hit him and teeth fell out ? He doesn't seem to be wearing any special armor but-
Alice saw something hanging off his belt, something made out of bone with three points to it and she could sense some heretical energy come from it.
An Outsider trinket or bonecharm to be more specific. Which is said to give the user some special personal effect.
" Some of them are using black magic trinkets be careful !" Alice shouted to her team as she picked up a spear from a dead bandit and charged at the bandit from before.
The bandit this time was ready and deflected her first strike and tried to slash at her. She dodged and slammed the spear into his chest-
Only for it to shatter like glass.
And for the bandit to lose another tooth.
Alice wasn't finished though as she used the shaft as a makeshift blunt weapon and smacked the bandit in the face, knocking him on his ass.
" What the-" The dog screamed as he felt blood come down the side of his head.
" Your bonecharm seems to protect you from bladed weapons at the cost of one of your teeth...but it can't protect you against blunt weapons " Alice threw the shaft away and grabbed a club from another dead bandit.
The dog gulped in fear as she raised her club " I apologize because this is going to hurt "
She slammed the club into his head, causing blood to erupt and he died instantly. Alice turned back to her group who were cleaning up the remaining bandits, she could see some of her group struggling to deal with bandits who likely had bone charms. Some were faster, others seemed to have more health and were taking longer to bring down.
" Die !" A bear beastmen who had several deep cuts on his body tried slamming his hammer into Rufus, who jumped away in the nick of time.
Via who had been shooting arrows at the bandits had taken out dual knives and stabbed the bear in the back, dragging her blades down and causing immense pain, the bear screaming and shaking her off.
" Fist of Power !" Nina focused and punched forward a burst of energy at the bear, the attack of life force literally tearing a hole through his chest and causing him to fall over dead.
Within a few minutes the bandits were all dead. Alice and her team of adventurers regrouped to take a breath.
" You all okay ? " Alice did a quick check and made sure that everyone from her and Lana's team were here.
" We're fine Alice, but the workers..." Lana turned back to the people they were charged to protect. They had managed to save most of them, but some...weren't as lucky as others.
" How many did you lose ? " Alice asked the person in charge.
" Ugh...most of us survived thanks to your help but some...some of us were killed while others were taken " The man in charge explained.
" Taken ? "
" Yes, it happened while you were all busy defending and fighting off the bandits. The bastards grabbed some of our people and dragged them towards the treeline and disappeared in the forest "
Alice cursed under her breath, she should have expected the bandits would try to take workers, either as potential ransoms...or entertainment.
She already knew which one was more likely.
" Via, can you track them ? " Nina turned to the ranger of the group.
" I can but..." Via looked uncertain at the woods " I don't like the idea of going into those woods without knowing what's waiting for us. Could be a trap or a load of bandits waiting for us "
" You're right " Rufus agreed as they all turned to the groaning of a half-dead bandit Nina had beaten up " Looks like we have someone we can ask some questions to "
" Ugh...fucking goddamnit " The raccoon demi-human looked up at them " Oh shit "
" Sounds about right " Rufus said as he roughly grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up " Start talking asshole "
" Hehe...come on, can't we make a deal here or something ? "
" Okay, how's this for a deal: Cough up everything you know and I won't set your dick on fire " Clarissa said threateningly.
The raccoon was clearly afraid and turned to Lana's group " Hey come on ladies ! Help a fellow demi out will you ? "
" I feel no kinship for the scumbags that raid innocents and rape women. You give the rest of us a bad name " Lana said with a glare.
Alice decided now was the best time to intervene and push forward to the raccoon " Guys let me handle this "
Her team may not fully agree but respected her decision and let her take the reigns of this interrogation.
" What are you-"
" Axii " Alice cut the man off and cast the mind Miracle on him, putting him under her temporary control.
" Nice miracle, wish I could do that " Lana commented as Alice got to work questioning the man.
" Where is your hideout ? "
" An abandoned mine to the southeast of here, about a 500 paces from here "
" Why are you all the way out here ? Bandits don't usually come this close to the capital " Alice asked.
" We were sent here by the Hound Lord to rob passing merchants and transport the goods back to the main base "
The Hound Lord ? The demi-human bandit lord that's been wreaking havoc in the north recently ? Maybe we can get some useful information from this one after all.
" Where is your base ? " Nina asked.
" Don't know. All of us were recruited from other places and only the guy in charge knows and he's..." The bandit glanced at one of the dead corpses and the rest of the sigh.
Of course, they killed the only important bandit. Might as well get whatever they can.
" How many of you are back at your hideout ? Do you have any captives ? " Alice asked the next question.
" We left a small group back at the base, and we have a few captives from other raids "
" Are they still alive ? " Lana questioned.
"...Some "
Alice steeled her gaze as she picked up a sword from one of the dead bandits and prepped for what was to come.
" Lana, you and your team stay here and protect the workers. We'll go on the offensive and get the captives back " Alice gave the orders as she checked the durability of her new weapon.
" Got it " Lana agreed.
" Pick up the bone charms and any other heretical artifacts you can find on these bandits. Put them in separate bags and don't let them come into contact with each other, who knows what might happen " Alice instructed. The Church had rules and protocols to follow when it came to the discovery of Outsider artifacts.
Lana's team nodded and began to do their jobs.
Alice turned back to her team whose expressions showed they were ready to follow her into hell itself.
" Titans...time to go hunting "
The walk to the bandit hideout wasn't so long, in fact it was quite nostalgic in its own way. She remembered how in their first quest, they were all rushing to go off and save the fair maidens captured by the demi-human bandits.
They carefully approach the hideout, already having taken out their aromatic satchels to cover their scent as they made their approach. They took cover a distance from the entrance in the bushes and took a moment to survey the situation.
Two dog bandits keeping watch outside, both looking incredibly bored and not paying attention at all to their duty.
" Just two, take them out before they can raise the alarm " Alice ordered Clarissa who already took out her crossbow " No wind...maybe 60 meters from here. Aim for the head "
" Got it " Clarissa took a deep breath as she aimed her shot " Need to make this shot quick before they can even realize what's happening "
Their wizard took aim and fired her shot, the bolt piercing the head of the first bandit. The second one seemed to be shocked by what had just happened, not even realizing he was being shot at.
" What the-" The bandit didn't have time to finish as Clarissa quickly reloaded and killed him. Clean hit through the head.
They quickly approached the entrance and searched the bodies, finding a key that unlocked the main entrance. Entering the mine, Alice can see that the entrance was actually well-lit with torches hanging off the side of the walls. Titan Storm proceeded down into the mine, walking carefully and with weapons drawn, prepared to engage at a moment's notice.
" Think we need to worry about traps ? " Nina quietly asked.
" No, with the size of that group living in a tight place like this, trapping their own space would be too much trouble and they risk somebody accidentally setting it off " Clarissa shook her head " I'm guessing they left a skeleton crew to take care of this place "
" Hopefully " Alice said.
After less than a minute of walking, they came upon an intersection. One leading forward, two more paths on their left and right.
" Great...should we split up ? " Clarissa asked with an eyeroll.
" No, we stay together. We clear every room and area in this mine " Alice ordered. She knew it was always a bad idea to split up when you're in an unfamiliar territory.
Rufus looked like he was about to say something when they heard the sound of footsteps coming from the left pathway. They all pressed up against the wall and Alice paid attention to the footsteps: Two people.
Alice held up two fingers and signalled Nina to get ready.
Just as they saw two bandits about to pass them, Alice rounded the corner and stabbed the first one in the throat with her hidden blade. Nina grabbed the other one, clamping a hand over his mouth before snapping his neck. Quickly hiding the bodies out of the way, they decided to proceed down the left pathway first.
" Clarissa watch our backs " Alice said as Rufus and Nina took point, her sword ready for anything.
They walked for a time...until they heard the soft and low cry of something...human ?
" P-please...help..."
" No...not again..."
Broken and low voices coming from where they were going.
It didn't take long for them to find out what it was. At the end of the pathway, they found several metal cages, the kind that slave traders used to keep slaves in that were sometimes barely big enough for their bodies...
There were dozens of women trapped in the cages, many had bruises, cuts and burn marks...many were naked while some barely had scraps of clothing that cling to their bodies to preserve their dignity. Some were clutching each other in fear of hearing their footsteps. Alice's eyes were sympathetic as she looked at the women...
Nothing Titan Storm hadn't seen a dozen times before when working with Slayer.
Alice slowly approached the cages and knelled down, the women crawling away from her a result.
" Hey, hey, its okay " Alice took off her silver mask and pulled down her hood " We're adventurers. We're here to help " She showed her silver tag to them.
" Adventurers...? " Some of the women almost sounded hopeful at that.
" We're here to get you away from this place " Alice said as she turned to her group " Cut these women loose "
Her group had no hesitation cutting the locks, or burning them off with fire magic. Alice and Nina helped the women out of the cages, unfortunately they didn't have any spare cloaks or blankets to cover the women with.
" Is there anyone else in here ? " Alice asked some of the women.
" T-They...we heard some of them come back with some new captives...they took them to the main room...that's where they...play with us..." The woman broke into tears.
Alice felt sympathy at seeing the women cry, but had to gain more information " Where's the main room ? "
" Go left when you come to the intersection...I think there's a barracks or something if you keep going straight from here "
" What are you thinking ? Head to the main room right away or hit the barracks ? " Nina asked.
" We need to go save those workers now, Chief God knows what's happening to them right now " Rufus pushed.
" I agree...but we need to clear this place out so we don't have any unexpected surprises " Alice disagreed " We hit the barracks first, thin their numbers, then we head straight to the main room "
Rufus didn't look too happy about that, but agreed nonetheless.
" Stay here and stay quiet. We'll be back "
The women didn't look comfortable with that, but they seemed to trust them enough that they would come back.
They proceeded down the right path that was said to lead to the barracks, this part of the mine seemed to be poorly lit with only a few torches hanging off the wall. Alice caught sight of a door left slightly open with light peering from the inside of it.
She turned back to her group and they hugged the wall as they approached the door. Rufus moved up to peer inside and relayed what he saw back to them.
" Barracks. Couple of bandits sleeping, how do you want to do this ? "
Alice thought about how Slayer used to handle situations like this: Efficiency and ruthless swiftness.
He would have them light a fire inside the barracks and trap them inside or start a flood and let them drown to death. It was much quicker and easier for everyone...
But she isn't Slayer.
" Kill them quickly and quietly " Alice ordered as she took out her blade and they entered the room.
The ensuing bloodbath took about a few minutes but could have lasted hours.
They went around the room slitting the throats of the bandits one by one. Some would rouse awake to find their throat being slit but would quickly drift into lifelessness.
" What the-" A bandit groggily said as Alice clamped her glove hand over his mouth and stabbed him in the throat with her blade.
The bandits that had the misfortune of falling a sleep during this critical moment had no idea what hit them, the smell of blood permeating through the air.
" Alice...you okay ? " Clarissa asked concerned.
"...Let's move " Alice said as they left the room and headed to the final main room.
Heading back down the way they came and proceeding towards their final destination, Alice heard voices and saw a light start to come into view as they descended further into the cavern. She could hear laughter and screams coming up ahead. Entertainment or survival ?
As Alice clung to the shadows with her group behind, she could see that it was for the former.
From their position, Alice could see that the main room was both wide and big. There was a wooden platform that led down onto the main floor which wasn't that far below really and there was about 2 squads of bandits made up of dogs, cats and raccoons partying and drinking...with some of the captives.
" AAAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE !" One of the woman screamed as she was held down and violated by the bandits.
Two more were getting their clothes ripped to shreds by the bandits, clearly some of the workers that were dragged back here.
She could hear Rufus shift in front of her ready to move in when she put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.
" Get the captives out of the way...I'm taking them down " Alice said simply.
Rufus didn't need to say a word, they all understood perfectly.
" I'll cast Holy Light, prepare to rescue the captives and blitz them "
They all took a deep breath as Alice stepped forward in front of them and stood on the wooden platform and whistled to the bandits.
" Good afternoon, dear sirs, I would like to personally-Holy Light !" Alice caught them off guard by getting their attention and then casting the spell. A bright light of pure holy energy shined from her sword and blinded the bandits.
Giving her team the opportunity to go in for the kill. Rufus and Clarissa taking out the bandits, while Nina focused on getting the captives to safety.
" Scum like you never fail to make my blood boil " Rufus growled as he cut down two bandits, cutting one in the neck and stabbing another.
" Zweit Aqua Bullet !" Clarissa shot out bullets of concentrated water that pierced the bodies of the bandits " Fast Fireball !" She launched a fireball that easily burned a raccoon trying to run away.
" Quickly ! Come this way !" Nina shouted at the captives, who seemed to have enough strength to make a mad dash for her. The martial artist defending the captives as they made their way over to her.
Alice decided it was time to join the battle, jumping from the wooden platform and onto the ground floor, she aimed her hand at some bandits that were in the way of her landing.
" Aard !" A force of blue energy pushed forward from her hand to the bandits below her, essentially forcing them to the ground which left them vulnerable.
She quickly slashed their heads off or stabbed them in the throat. She parried the poorly timed strike of a raccoon before bashing his face away with her shield and stabbing in through the heart. Grabbing his spear, she threw it at the head of another bandit that was about to attack Clarissa.
Slayer would be proud.
Her team were quickly killing the last of the bandits, they should be able to-
" ALL OF YOU DON'T FUCKING MOVE !"
Alice and the rest of them stopped as they turned to see what looks to be the last bandit held a knife to the woman's throat. The woman whimpering in fear as she was held hostage. Her team looked ready to move in but was stopped just short because the bandit might cut her throat.
The priestess gave her team the go ahead to fall back and let her do the talking. A plan of action already formulating in her head.
" Let's talk..."
" Alright bitch, here's the deal, you let me walk out of here unharmed and I might let this bitch go " The bandit threatened, clearly not thinking straight.
Alice was silent for a moment before speaking again, prepared to put her plan in motion.
" Here is our counter-offer...release the woman...and I promise that you won't be executed when we take you back alive " Alice said.
The bandit scoffed " You fucking kidding me ? That's the deal you're offering ? "
" Your crimes included murder, pillaging, rape and probably lots of other things " Alice said simply " This is quite frankly better sentence than you would receive from the ruling nobles "
" That's the problem with you self-righteous religious idiots, you think you can just say a few words and people will do what you say ? Fuck you !" The bandit was getting increasingly frantic and was likely to hurt the woman to prove a point.
" Very well..." Alice let out a sigh as she manually cocked her bracer " Rest in peace then..."
" Wait, what ? "
" I said...Rest in peace "Alice aimed her left wrist at his head-
A loud bang echoed throughout the mine.
The bandit went still...before he fell over with a hole in his head. The woman shambling to the ground with a scream to be caught by Nina.
" Nice shot " Clarissa congratulated her.
" Thanks, been working on my aim " Alice said as she felt the hidden gun magically recock itself.
Her hidden blades were not the only gift Mother Altara gave to her, there were several different tools and useful contraptions that were on the primary bracer on her left hand that gave her many options in and out of combat.
" Come on, we still got to clean-up this place " Alice said as they made their way back to the main room.
They still had a long day ahead of them.
The next few hours were hectic to the say the least. Not only because they still had to complete their escort quest, but because they needed to escort the captive women to the nearest city and inform the guard there. Thankfully the workers were kind enough to make room on their carriages for the captives to ride in so that was something to be thankful for. And there were no prisoners for them to take back either since the sole bandit they interrogated died from internal wounds by the time they got back.
And to top it off, Alice had to help turn over the bonecharms she found to the nearest cathedral which wasn't hard since the priests there could take care of the black magic trinkets and have them destroyed.
Needless to say they all didn't get back to the capital until late at night, the good news is that there was a bounty out on that bandit group that had been robbing merchants which they happily collected and split with Lana's group.
Alice let out a tired sigh as she slumped over a table at the guild, her body fatigued from the battle of today. The groans from her friends told her they held the same sentiments.
" Mind if we join you for dinner ?" Lana asked as she and her group approached.
" Sure...that was one hell of a day "
" What can I get for you upstanding adventurers tonight ? " One of the waitress, a cat demi-human by the name of Bridget asked with a smile.
" Steak for me " Alice weakly said as her team gave their orders.
Bridget wrote down their order and walked away.
" Hell of a day, huh ? " Lana said with a small smile.
" You said it..." Rufus said with his face into the table.
The priestess raised her head to the side as she saw Anna approach their table with Lucas, holding their little baby Kirk.
" Hey kids, heard you took out some bandits of the Hound Lord today " Anna patted Alice on the back " Good work, thinning that bastard's numbers should weaken him "
" Thanks..." Alice found the strength to push herself up as Bridget returned with their food.
" This calls for celebration ! " Anna said loudly " Get us all some beer and ales will you ? On me "
" Yes, ma'am !" Bridget said as she went to get their drinks.
" Should you really be getting drunk when you have a baby to take care of ? " Clarissa asked blankly.
" I say, I am incredibly responsible when it comes to taking care of my baby " Anna said proudly as she took Kirk out of Lucas's hands " Isn't that right baby ? "
Kirk giggled and laughed, Alice honestly thought it was cute.
Bridget returned with their drinks and Anna poured herself a mug.
" To Titan Storm !" Anna raised her mug in the air and cheered.
" Titan Storm !" The rest of the guild shouted proudly.
" Please do not call us that !" Clarissa shouted.
" Its totally working !" Rufus argued.
Alice chuckled at the sight of her friends arguing over their team name.
Another regular day of adventure for them.
Quick recap since I don't want anyone to get confused.
Female Knight- Anna
Heavy Warrior- Lucas
Spearman- Dane
Witch-Beatrix
Before you all ask, yes, the name Titan Storm was totally taken from the Abridged version of Goblin Slayer. Felt fitting and something canon Rufus would totally come up with.
XD
In all seriousness, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I really wanted to show the differences in how much Titan Storm had grown from the naive kids who blindly charged into a bandit camp, to a bunch of experienced veterans who are giving tips to rookies and can take out a large group of bandits with precise ease.
And like Qin pointed out in his critic and thoughts about our version of Slayer, he pointed out that Slayer would actually be a lot more respected and revered in the guild than in canon. Since a lot of people obviously don't like demi-humans and beastman, and Slayer is the guy who kills them and saves villages. So his reputation is actually pretty good here.
Priestess/Alice also doesn't have nearly as many reservations about killing unlike her canon self, mainly because the 3HC isn't a religion that encourages strict non-violence. And being trained by both Altara and Slayer have hardened Alice for the work she does today.
And I was actually going to include a flashback that shows why Alice left Slayer's party but decided to save that for later.
Plus I decided to give her hidden blades with the full Ezio set on the primary bracer, just because.
:P
Now let's answer some reviews shall we ?
To Caspian123:
Yeah, that's what I'm worried about is reader's forgetting details and having to play catch up to understand the current plot of this story. I know that has happened to me more than a few times. And with how the info about Malty's backstory is randomly strewn across the chapter, that may be difficult.
But the thing is, I already have plans to write a seperate short side story that gives a much comprehensive showing of Malty's backstory and the Shadow Demon's by extension.
This is not an easy topic to figure out and I may need some more time to think this over. But thanks for giving your thoughts on the matter.
:)
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.