I woke up in a field somewhere. Well, "woke up" might not be the right way to put it, but that's what it felt like.
After my new goddess finished going over a few details with me, she sent me down to get started. Lots of things to do, after all. The first order of business…was to figure out what the hell I was laying on.
"Ah…I suppose you were my predecessor." I told the corpse beneath me with the open chest wound. His scale mail armor didn't seem to do much for him.
Around me, I also saw two more corpses. The closest one—which was right next to the previous champion—had a deep cut in it, much like from an axe. The one further away had an arm chopped off, as well as his head.
This wasn't a surprise at all. The goddess showed me his last moments fighting these two. It was pretty intense. Burned and frozen grass in the plains, and a few nearby trees broken and splintered. I didn't know exactly how long ago it was since the fight. Not long enough for the corpses to start rotting, but long enough for them to soil themselves.
Well, I had things to do, so I got started. The first order of business was taking what I could from these three. That was the easiest, since I only had to absorb their bodies into my weapon's gem. It didn't even take 15 seconds. Plus, I got my first weapon form.
Human Axe (LV locked)
(abilities locked) equip bonus: defense 1
Not thinking about what that would look like when I was able to wield it, I looked through my drop items. A neat little function I read in the packet was that items worn by whatever I killed—or was killed in general—could be absorbed, taken out, and stored again. I couldn't do that with other items I absorbed unless I visited a dragon hourglass. Corpses were free to remove, so long as they weren't used to unlock a weapon form, where visiting a dragon hourglass would again be necessary.
The armor these three wore…probably wasn't worth trying on. All three sets were in terrible condition. I wasn't going to bother with the clothing for obvious reasons. Still, I chose the least damaged set of armor and pulled it out. It was some fancy-looking chainmail.
"Well, I guess I'm thankful it's easy to put on." I looked it over, seeing only a few lines of broken links.
I let my jacket fall to the ground and slipped the chainmail on—
"Oof!" I fell flat on my back. It was like I had a crate sitting on me. "Yeah, okay."
I wiggled out of it and stood back up. I didn't get a notification, but I'm pretty sure that meant I wasn't high enough level to wear it. Not a huge problem, since these guys carried some coins on them. Some. I had 5 gold, 23 silver, and 17 copper to my name. More than enough to get some cheap armor, I think.
When I put my jacket back on, I felt something in one of the inner pockets. It was a small metal case, slightly shorter and wider than my hand. I clicked the latch on the side and opened it, revealing a row of cigarettes of different strengths and a lighter. There was also a note.
"Enjoy your death sticks. They replenish every time you close the case. With love, your goddess." I read the words aloud with a laugh. "If you're trying to get on my good side, well, it's working."
With my immediate tasks done, I looked around again. Way off in the distance, I spotted the top of a castle. It wasn't huge, and it wasn't the capital. I knew that much. The capital was supposed to be a few days away, but also in that direction. Since I needed to register to their hourglass, and it seemed to be late afternoon, that settlement would be my first destination.
As I walked, I looked over my status. Attack was my highest stat with agility and strength following it up. Defense was my weakest. They didn't seem that high, nor should they be.
The bad news was that, due to the nature of my summoning, the Axe was completely reset. The good news was, thanks to the cooperation of the Axe Spirit, there were three forms unlocked and mastered, with the base form being one of them.
Small Axe
(abilities unlocked) Equip Bonus: attack 2
As for the other two…well, only one would be used more than rarely. The other was for special circumstance which shouldn't be an issue for some time, if at all.
It didn't take long before I came across my first monster. Or, rather, monsters. Three orange balloons bounced in the tall grass near me.
Well, I had to start somewhere. Crouching down to not be as easily noticed, I made my way closer. It didn't help, since they moved about a bit erratically. One noticed me and let out a weird noise, the other two looking at me right after.
Well, it was time to put on a show.
"DANTE!" I yelled my name as loud as I could with my weapon raised, like a Viking warrior looking for recognition on the battlefield.
Unbothered, the ballons sped toward me. When one was close enough, I brought down my axe on it, popping it instantly. The second one was far enough away for me to bring my weapon to the side and swipe at it, giving me the same result. The third one did no better.
"Heh." I held the Axe over my shoulder as I looked at the 'corpses' of the fallen. "This is going to be fun."
My goddess did say I had a natural affinity for using an axe. It was a joke, seeing as she referenced the one time I used an axe as a weapon. I swear, you chop up one pedophile and suddenly you're an axe expert.
I absorbed the monster bits and was rewarded with a new weapon.
Orange Balloon Axe (LV locked)
(abilities locked) Equip Bonus: attack 1
The form was barely any better than the Small Axe, but every little bonus counted. Since I needed a higher level to use it, I went on my way to get some.
~The Right Man~
It was about two hours and four levels later until I got through a lightly forested area and close to the town. Honestly, I expected more monsters, but I'd take what I could get.
The walls were big enough to fend off attacks, but didn't look like they could hold off catapults. Surrounding the town were large farms and a few ranches.
I decided to make a short detour. Pulling out one of the coin purses, I stashed it in my jacket pocket. No sense doing that in front of people just yet, letting everyone around know I was a hero.
"Hello there." I called out to a rancher as I approached the fence. "Who can I speak to about buying an egg?"
"I can help…" The grey-haired man trailed off as he looked over at me. "Sir, you're bleeding!"
"No, no, it stopped." I waved my bloodied jacket arm at him.
I may have gotten just a little too ambitious and ended up with an usapil biting into my arm with its giant buck teeth. It hurt about as much as a small-to-medium dog biting me, but damn if it didn't make me bleed. Pretty shocking to see the thing go right through my leather jacket, but I suppose it didn't have any stats to resist a bite. Thankfully, I had a lot of HP, not that it did too much damage. I would have done more than tie off my wound with a bit of cloth from those dead guys, but none of them had any potions that weren't broken.
"So, eggs?" I asked again, setting the Axe over my shoulder with the head facing away from him. I didn't have anything to carry it with yet.
"Right." Seeing as I looked fine, the man paid my bloody jacket no further attention. "I only raise filolials on my ranch. What kind were you looking for?"
"One for riding." I told him.
He nodded. "I can sell you one for one gold, but you'll have to take it to a monster tamer in town to have it registered to you."
"I'm fine with that." I said, following along as he waved me closer.
We got to a barn where a couple filolials were mingling about. The rancher passed a few stalls, looking in one every so often before he came to one with a few eggs inside.
"Do you know how to care for a filolial, stranger?" He asked after he picked up an egg.
"I know they eat a lot and like pulling carriages, but that's about it." I said, though I also recalled Filo liked to collect shiny things. She was a bird, after all, but that wouldn't really help here.
The rancher nodded as he looked back to me. "Bean paste to start out, though they'll eat most anything. This egg should hatch in about a week, but a monster tamer can sell you something to speed that up to a little under a day."
We made the exchange and I held the egg in my hand. It was a little bit smaller than an ostrich egg, a bit like one of those magic 8-balls. Thankfully, it was just small enough to fit in my jacket pocket. Otherwise, I'd have both hands full.
"You just start adventuring?" He asked. "It doesn't look like you're fully equipped."
"Heh, yeah." I nodded to him. The things from those three that had more of a utility function were ruined. Most of the item drops were basically junk, or clutter by Skyrim standards—if I were to compare it to a game—though I did get a sheathed knife to stick in my pants belt.
He gave a soft hum. "Well, you should make sure you're prepared. Don't want to get yourself killed."
"You have no idea."
With our business done, I continued on to the town.
There were people going in and out, but the ones going in passed a coin to the guards at the gate. Looked like a toll. The guards gave me a look as I approached. No doubt it was a combination of the strange clothing, the blood on my jacket sleeve, and the drawn axe over my shoulder.
"New adventurer." I decided to preempt the question. "Would you be able to point me in the right direction?"
I handed over a silver coin and listened to what the guard said before moving on.
There were three places I needed to visit, two being close to one another. I decided on the odd one out first.
The monster tamer was easy to find, and only a short walk since it was against the town walls. The building looked a bit like a warehouse, and the inside was the same. There were a couple rows of cages with less than half of them filled with monsters. Finding someone to sell me what I needed, I paid 20 silver, though I couldn't be sure if that was a high price or not. The egg was now registered and secured in an incubator-like thing.
The shop for adventurers was about what I expected. It had a little bit of everything there, like a general goods store. It was also near a small building for accepting quests, though I wouldn't bother with that for now. Backpack, bedroll, waterskin, flint, rope, and a few other things were on my mental list. With some knowledge of hunting, camping, and outdoor survival, a couple days of dried rations would be enough for emergencies. I got a few duplicate items as well, just in case I could absorb them. That all came to 35 silver. The cased egg was at the top in the pack.
Finally, I went to a nearby blacksmith.
"Welcome." A man behind a counter called out as I entered. "What can I do for you?"
"Looking for some armor for a new adventurer." I told him. "Something that won't slow me down too much."
"Hmm." He scratched his chin as I looked around at the weapons. Specifically, the axes. "You plan on using a shield with that?"
I shook my head. "Just an axe."
As I said that, I picked an axe off a weapon rack.
Weapon Copy Activated!
Iron Axe unlocked.
Red Iron Axe unlocked.
Blue Iron Axe unlocked.
…
The list went on. I would not want for weapons to master, that was certain.
"In that case, how about breastplate with chainmail for your arms?" He asked.
"That should be good. How much are we talking?" I did the same thing with the next axe, this one coming up as Steel Axe.
"It'll be 300 silver." The blacksmith said.
"Hm." Once again, I didn't really have much of a reference. I think Naofumi's first chainmail was about 100 silver or so. "I'll also need something to put my axe on to carry. Throw that in and you got a deal."
"If it's at your hip, no problem. A leather hoop will work there. Over your shoulder and it'll be 5 silver." He told me.
"Over my shoulder?" I was pretty sure axes were hung around the hip, like with that hoop he mentioned.
In response to my question, the blacksmith showed me a sort of harness. Two circles of leather for my arms and a strip across the front and back, with a three-quarters ring of iron on the back. Now, I couldn't say for certain, but I was pretty sure my eyes were sparkling. The look on his face said he just made a sale.
Now, should I complete the look? Bald head with a beard…I mean, I could pull it off, but I liked my hair.
Ignoring the possibility of looking like a Greek god-killer, I went around and copied the rest of the axes available while the blacksmith got my armor ready. I'd go over the forms available tonight.
After taking my measurement to be sure it would fit, he showed me to a changing room and gave me underclothes and boots to go with the armor. After changing, I stuck my old clothes in the Axe's gem.
My main goals for the day done, I stepped out onto the street once more. The sun was close to setting, so I'd need to find a place to sleep for the night. Before then, I just had to get a bit of information.
"Excuse me." I went into the building for quest taking and approached the woman in the booth.
"Yes? Here to turn in a quest, or take a new one?" The woman asked.
"Actually, I'm traveling and looking for directions." I told her. "How do I get to the capital from here?"
She nodded and rolled out a small map, noting a few other towns and villages I would pass on the way. On foot, it would take four days to get there.
"Thank you." I gave her a nod. "One more thing. About how long would it take to get to Melromarc from here?"
"Melromarc? If you travel on foot, well over a month. Your best option would be to go by boat, which would take about three weeks."
"Is there any way to get there in two?" I asked, though she shook her head.
"You would need a flying dragon for that, and I doubt you could afford one." She didn't sound condescending about it, more like an observation. I was wearing beginner-level armor, after all. "The only other option would be to ride hard on a filolial or knight dragon, switching mounts at least once a day the entire way. Although, that would only be slightly less expensive than chartering a flying dragon."
"I see. Thank you for your help." I said, leaving the building and walking down the road.
It seemed like getting to Melromarc before their first Wave wasn't on the table.
Just like with Naofumi, I had no ill will toward Raphtalia, Keel, and everyone else in Lurolona. I had to be practical. Under ideal circumstances, I would be there, fight the Wave, and make sure as few children had to grow up without parents as I could. Lord Seaetto might even live, unless he was assassinated or something. Pretty sure he wasn't, but still. Then, I'd carve up any slaver-knights and make sure Eclair wasn't arrested. And then, I'd go to the capital and try to meet Naofumi, maybe let him know I didn't believe the accusation and cement myself as a friend.
Now, though, I knew better. Assuming things remained the same, Lurolona would be devastated, the survivors enslaved, and some of those people would probably die as well. I might barely be able to make it before their next Wave at Lute, assuming I can unlock an hourglass form and teleport after Faubrey's next Wave.
That's what I was here for: to fight the Waves. All of the Waves. Going to Melromarc now would mean ignoring Faubrey's Wave. It's not like people wouldn't die in that one. Even if I got to Melromarc and survived the Wave, I'd still have to deal with the church. Vassal Heroes aren't as precious, so they might send a shadow to kill me for helping Naofumi.
It'd be better to gain levels before going there. Hell, if I'm lucky, I'll get another Vassal Hero to take me closer. I'll need to look at a world map sometime. Something to play by ear.
For now, I needed a place to sleep. Since I was in a medieval town, there might be something else I could do. I just needed to…
"Ah." I found what I was looking for. It was easy enough, given that a couple of women were in front of the building, with the men walking past giving them wanting looks.
A brothel. This town was more than big enough for a few, though not big enough to justify an entire district. I may not have been on Eddy's level for business, but I knew more than a little about supply and demand.
It'd been about a week since I was with a woman, so it felt past due. Not an actual relationship, I wasn't the right sort of person for that. Just someone I had a little fun with. Like I would today.
It was a command by my goddess to have fun, though it felt a little weird knowing she'd be able to review my memories once I was done here. She didn't say what she was interested in seeing, so I was sure to try a bunch of things. In terms of fun, not sex.
I went to the first building, a multi-story one, and went in.
"Welcome, darling~." The large-chested, slightly older woman greeted me. "Looking to have a little fun this evening?"
"That's the plan." I said with a smile.
She held her hand to her mouth as she laughed, the revealing dress showing her chest bounce slightly. "What kind of girl are you interested in~?"
"Hm." Her choice of word gave me pause. "I suppose I'm not too picky, but I'd like someone about 20 years old or so, 18 at minimum." Different world or not, I had standards.
"Ah, I see you have a taste for experience over youth." The woman said. I didn't see the need to correct her. "I'll have a few brought over."
She called for an attendant, a young woman, and had her go through another door. The madam and I discussed prices while we waited. Depending on the woman, it would be around 5 to 10 silver for an hour, or a bit more if I spent the night. They also had something to inhibit pregnancy, which I was hoping would be the case. The last thing I wanted was to leave a child behind to be raised here.
A couple minutes later, the young woman returned with three others. Two of them were human, one a fox demi-human, all looking to be around 20 years old. I noticed a problem right away.
"See one that you like, sir?" The madam asked.
"Two of them are slaves." It'd be hard to miss the tattoo painted on their open chests, one human and the demi-human.
"Why, of course." The madam nodded, as if it were natural. She pointed at the fox woman. "This one is our most popular girl, even more than the youngest ones. As such, to have her for the night…"
I sort of tuned out the explanation at that point. I knew I was in a different world, but I guess I didn't fully appreciate that fact. I wasn't surprised, I just forgot. I also wasn't naïve. This sort of thing could happen. I've met my fair share of pimps in my world. Here, it was just more overt.
"I'm suddenly not as interested." I told the madam. "Sorry to waste your time."
I left without another word. I wasn't so high-minded that I'd try to free them, but I certainly wasn't going to give them any business.
With my mood dampened, I looked around where I stood. While I could find another brothel before the sun set, I doubted it wouldn't have any slaves working there. Really, since I thought to specify a minimum age, I should have known better.
"Clear the road!" A voice called out.
Down the road, a large cart was pulled by a pair of filolials. Except for the driver's seat, the entire cart was covered by a large cage. Half a dozen armored men walked alongside the cart as it approached, spears in hands and swords at hips. One of the men at the front of the cage had the same painted symbol on their chest as the two prostitutes. They were either prisoners or slaves.
Well, it wasn't my concern.
I walked in the direction they came from, looking for an inn. Out of curiosity, I looked at the people in the cage as I passed.
They were all humans. A warrior-looking man, a male mage with a cut face, a gypsy scientist woman, a man whose face was so beaten…
I stopped. "Rat?"
The dark-skinned woman in a lab coat looked up, her eyes moving to me.
"Don't speak to the prisoners!" One of the guards snapped at me, but he continued along with the cart.
I continued to watch it move along the road, the woman still looking my way.
Rat. Full name: Rato…okay, I didn't remember. Point was, she was the alchemist that arrived in Naofumi's village and helped with the Bioplant, as well as working as a vet for the monsters. If I remembered right, Takt was the one who chased her out of Faubrey. But he didn't exist—or, at least, wasn't the Whip Hero—and Rat was a prisoner of some sort.
"Excuse me. Do you have any idea where they're going?" I asked someone on the street.
"Probably Siltvelt. Human criminals sometimes get sold there as slaves, like demi-human criminals to Melromarc."
Huh. Efficient, I suppose. They wouldn't have to house criminals in that case, and be paid for it.
Now then, what was my duty of care here? I mean, not legally, of course, but…morally? I don't think Rat ever mentioned going to Siltvelt in the books, so this was another difference. Did she actually do something to deserve this? Should I just ignore this?
…Probably not, at least to the last question. But I just rationalized not going to Melromarc. Picking a fight with some guards isn't the smartest move. What level would they be, anyway? Less than 30? Knights were around that level, if I recalled correctly, and these guys didn't look all that knightly.
I was low level, but there was only six of them, plus the driver. If I was smart about it and quick enough, I had a way to beat all of them. That was assuming I had to fight them all.
Oh, but then what about the others in the cage? Should I free them, or kill them? I really wasn't expecting an episode of Ethical Dilemma Theater.
"I'm not sleeping tonight, am I?" Though it wasn't much of a dilemma, since I already knew what I was going to do. Just need to stash my backpack—the filolial egg, really—so nothing gets damaged. "Well, I can sleep when I'm dead. Heh."
I needed a lot of XP anyway. Besides, this would be less dangerous than rushing to Melromarc under-leveled to fight a Wave. Already, I had the beginnings of a plan forming in my mind.
~The Right Man~
Tailing the cart was easy. A big part of what I used to do involved going unseen, so this was nothing new. Also, they never looked behind themselves.
Luck was on my side since they didn't end up staying in the town. Maybe they wanted to finish their journey more quickly, or they weren't allowed to stay in town with prisoners. Whatever the case, it worked out for me. They bought some food and supplies and continued on their way.
With a respectable distance between us to not draw any attention, I watched as they set up a small camp about an hour's walk from the town. It was a little off the road in a lightly forested area. No monsters around, so that was one potential option off the table.
They sat around a fire, enjoying a small meal with the little bit of sunlight left. A couple small tents were set up, big enough to barely get three people in each. All but one of them went inside.
From there, it was just a matter of waiting for the right person, or the right time. This was always one of the more boring parts of my job. In this case, I only needed to watch for patterns.
The first person on watch patrolled around their little camp, making sure nothing crept up on them and keeping the fire going. I continued to wait and watch.
When he switched after about an hour, it was more of the same. Still, I waited and watch.
The third shift started, and he was like the first two. At this point, I wasn't going to bet on the others being any different. So, I knew which plan I was going with.
The end of the shift arrived when the one on guard duty changed his patrol and started walking toward one of the tents. Now was the time.
With his back to me, I moved as quietly as I could in my new armor. My Axe was in hand to keep it from rattling, and to be ready to strike. Likewise, my pack was left on the ground where I'd watched from. Most of the people in the caged cart were asleep, but a couple of them noticed me. I raised a single finger to them, though it probably wasn't necessary. Anything would be better than being a human slave in Siltvelt, probably.
The guard just reached the tent and opened the flap, with me a dozen-so feet behind him. I switched my weapon's form. It turned black with jagged edges, long and big enough to normally necessitate it being used with two hands.
20
"Hey, wake up. It's your—"
19
Those were his last words as I swung the Axe, chopping off his head with a single stroke.
18
The man he was trying to wake up, did, but was swiftly killed with an axe head in his chest.
17
That caused the other two to wake up, but they weren't an issue either. They had no armor on as they slept, and only a sword each.
16
The first one tried to stand with his sword raised to parry, but I was able to strike him from his other side.
15
The second one panicked and scooted back on the ground, swinging his blade wildly all the while.
14
So, I chopped off a leg first. In his screaming, he stopped swinging his sword, letting me go for the kill.
13
12
That was enough time for the remaining three guards to get out of their tent with their swords ready. I was just outside the first tent, ready to go.
11
With three against one, I would normally be at a disadvantage, especially at a lower level. However, since I was no longer in a confined space, I could let my weapon use its full effect.
10
The three men charged as one, swords ready to slashed down from above or from the sides. Since I didn't want to risk running out of time, I decided to end it in one strike. Moving to the right, I raised my left arm and pulled back my right with the Axe.
9
Three blades struck me. I wasn't going to win any awards with this idea, but I was going to kill these men. The Axe moved in an arc toward the first one. He was probably so surprised I took those attacks and survived that he didn't even think of defense.
8
The head of the Axe cut into him, and then the area filled with black flames. The two guards next to him cried out in agony as they were burned alive.
7
Desperately trying to extinguish the flames, the two living guards rolled on the ground haphazardly. I could only imagine the hell they were going through.
6
So, I quickly put them out of their misery.
5
4
With the seven guards dead, I switched my weapon back to the form I was unlocking. My breath came out like a gasp before being replaced with heavy breathing. Legs a bit wobbly, I stood in place a moment to try and steady myself.
I wasn't quite sure what I expected from using that weapon, but I was more than satisfied with the results. Axe of Rage. One of the three forms already unlocked and mastered.
The difference in stats between it and the Small Axe was like comparing a mountain to a hill. Even my defense, my lowest stat, was brought up high enough to repel the bulk of the damage those three did. A blessing from my goddess allowed me to retain my reason while using it, as well as reduce the negative effects afterwords.
The downside, outside of some minor fatigue, was that I could only use it for a short amount of time until it recharged. My goddess told me the duration and recovery rate would increase as I gained levels, but not to use it frivolously. That included using any of the skills I happened to get from the series. If I could do something without it, I should. The Axe was just being generous by allowing the form.
Due to the agreement between the Axe Spirit and my goddess, no other curse series would be available. Even evolving this one was strongly discouraged at best. Funnily enough, improving it with the power up methods was okay. Though, I'd wait on that. It was strong enough and had a time limit before automatically switching.
Now then, all that was left was to handle the prisoners.
"Hah! I knew the boss would send someone for us!" One of the men inside the cage laughed.
"And you thought he'd just leave us." Another chided a third person.
"Hm." I stowed away the Axe on my back as I looked over the guards. One of them should have a key.
"I can't believe he'd hire someone so strong." Another said.
"No way, he's got to be a new member."
"Must be a former adventurer."
I let them continue their gossip. The three outside didn't have a key, so it must have been one from the tent. Maybe whoever was on duty last.
"Whatever the case, we'll have to celebrate. And I know just the way to do that."
"Let go!" I heard a woman's voice as I pulled a key off a guard.
"You better do as we say, woman. The slave seals aren't holding us back anymore."
"Hm." With key in hand, I started walking over to the cart. By the sound of things, I needed to hurry.
"Get off of me!" Rat was pushed up against the bars of the cage, right at the doorway.
"Your life's over now. Better get used to it." The man holding her arms sneered.
"Pass her around!"
"Wait your damn turn!"
More calls came from the others in the cage.
"You better knock that shit off!" I shouted to them.
"What? You want first go with her?" The man asked, licking his lips as he kept his eyes on Rat.
"You just got out of a life sentence and the first thing you think about is raping someone?" Just a few seconds to go.
"Ooh, well, sorry I'm not more sophisticated." He jeered as I stood in front of the door. "Don't pretend. You just want her first. Well, I suppose I can—"
I unlocked the door of the cage and pulled it open, Rat prompting falling to the ground. The man that was over her—having just hit the floor of the cage—grumbled as he pushed himself back up.
"What the hell, new guy!?" He yelled. "I was just about to—"
With a clenched fist, I punched the man in his face, sending him sprawling back. A quick shift to the Axe of Rage allowed me that burst of strength.
Before any of the others could act, I closed the door once more.
"What're you doing!?" Another man called out.
"Being thankful I don't have to play Ethical Dilemma Theater." I responded as I held out a hand to Rat.
She looked back up at me fearfully as the prisoners yelled and complained. Grabbing my hand, I pulled her up. "Who are you?"
"Dante MacRory, the Axe Hero." I told her.
"Axe Hero?" Her question was repeated by the others. She then narrowed her eyes at me as she pulled her hand away. "What, was having me arrested and selling me to Siltvelt not enough for him? You here to kill me instead?"
"For who? Their boss?" I asked, nodding to the cage of complainers
"The Projectile Hero." She responded icily.
Hm. Now that was a twist, though maybe not a big one. I remembered the Projectile Hero being a reincarnated, though that was far into the Spear Hero web novel. Who knew if that was true here? My goddess didn't know the identities of any of her competitors' champions, reincarnated or summoned. Well, aside from the two that killed her last one. Whatever the case, it would be wise to steer clear of him for now.
"Any particular reason he did that?" I decided I needed more information.
"He called my work heretical and destroyed everything." There was a barely contained rage in her voice.
"Making strong monsters, right?" I probed, using what I recalled about her.
She blinked at me. "So, word has already spread about it?"
"No. I was summoned today, but I happen to know—"
"Stop ignoring us!" The people in the cage were getting more rowdy.
"Right." I looked over at them. "I should probably deal with you all. A quick death sounds good, right?"
"Go to hell!" One of them spat. A woman, I noted, though she was all too pleased to see what was going to happen to Rat before.
"Unlikely." Now came the tricky part. The bars were vertical, so I could swing down through them. It wasn't like they would just let me, so I'd have to encourage them somehow. And I didn't want to step into that cage. Even unarmed, I didn't know their levels, and I was low on time for the Axe of Rage.
At a nearby tree, I saw the tied up filolials. Well, one filolial. The other one must have gotten loose and run off during the fighting. Another idea came to me, this one pretty wicked.
"Say, Rat, you want to work for me?" I asked, nodding over to the remaining filolial.
"Work for a hero?" She questioned, though she followed after me anyway. "After my run-in with the last one…"
"There's a decent-to-good chance I'll come into conflict with the Projectile Hero. If and when that happens, I'll be sure to chop off his head and give it to you."
When we got close, the filolial tried to back up, tugging at the reins tied to the tree branch.
"If I refuse, are you going to chop off my head instead?" She asked, standing behind me.
"If you refuse, you can take this filolial and go wherever you want." I told her, fully honest. "I'll need it for a couple minutes first, if you wouldn't mind getting it attached to that cart."
As I looked back at Rat, I saw her glance between me and the large bird. "Is this a trick of some kind?"
I gave a small smile. "Strange question to ask, isn't it?" My coyness wasn't appreciated. "It'll help me kill the men who wanted to rape you not two minutes ago."
She hummed in response and started to slowly approach the filolial once more.
With that done, I started on the next part of the sub-plan for dealing with this whole thing. First was absorbing the bodies of the guards, since I no longer had to worry about people knowing I'm a hero. Their weapons got pulled, but their armor was off at the time and thus unable to be stored. Well, I could absorb them, just not take them back out without an hourglass. A few forms were unlocked to be reviewed later.
Next, I threw a few more logs onto the fire. This step was crucial to my immediate plan.
"It's ready, Axe Hero." Rat called from the cart.
"Gweh!" The filolial squawked, seeming cooperative.
"Cool. Bring it over." I waved them toward me.
Rat raised an eyebrow but still followed my instructions. Struggling at a job for two, the filolial slowly pulled the large cart. Those in the cage continued to yell and complain and threaten to beat or rape us both. Truly, it was pretty nice when hastily thrown together plans ended up working out with a pretty bow attached. I made a mental note to not get used to it. Most of my luck was already used up getting this job in the first place.
"Alright, now, guide it around the fire so the cart is directly over it." I said, instantly quieting the people in the cage.
Rat's eyes widened as she stared at me. "You…"
"The choice will be theirs." I said simply. "Die by fire or die by my axe. I know what I'd choose."
She sighed but nodded and did it anyway. These people weren't worth protecting at all, nor were they worth giving a swift death. Since killing them directly would give me XP, I would grant them that small mercy.
"You can't do this!"
"Monster!"
"You're no hero!"
As the cart was pulled into position, I got a cigarette lit, then pulled the Axe off my back once more. I actually gained two levels from the guards, putting me high enough to unlock the Steel Axe and its color variations. It had a good attack stat, so it would make things just a little bit easier on me.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die a slow death, put your head between the bars. Everyone else…well, I don't really care."
Many of them started going through the five stages of grief right before my eyes. It wasn't really in order. Half of them went straight to anger. Already, the cart was beginning to smoke as the floor was heated up.
"So, about my offer." I started, looking back over at Rat. I was good at reading people, but her face was a bit hard. "Oh, yeah, you have healing magic, right? I could use a little."
She gave a slight nod. "As the source of your power, I command you. Let the true way be revealed once more. Heal my target. Faust Heal."
The wounds on my arm closed, both from the usapil earlier and the three guards just now.
"You said you'd let me go if I wanted to, right?" She asked afterward.
Nodding, I went on. "Don't tell anyone about this, but yeah. Though, since you're a fugitive at this point, I can't see that working out well for you."
Rat sighed. She looked somewhere between relenting and fearful. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Well, I guess not. But at least you aren't a slave anymore." I gave her a shrug.
"True." She pressed a hand to her chest. It was a little hard to see, but the purple tattoo had turned black. That's probably what happens when the owner dies.
"And, hey, you'll get to see something pretty interesting if you stay." I said with a smile. "You'll get to see a filolial queen or king."
"A filolial queen…" She said almost wistfully. It looked like I had her cooperation, and not through threat of violence.
As we stood by, there was more anger, and bargaining, and crying from the cart. By the time I finished my cigarette, all of them got to the 'acceptance' stage of their grief.
Author's Notes:
Dante doesn't mess around. Except when he does.
So, here's another change to this world. For those who haven't read the LN, Takt was responsible for Rat (seen in season 3) being kicked out of Faubrey.
Dante's been given some power, but it's not infinite. It's still more than enough to help him deal with people and things that try to bother him, at least in short doses.