Three months later.

Bato had a routine going. Till the soil, sprinkle some bone meal, plant the seeds, water them, wait five days for them to grow, gather the crops, go to market, and sell the food. Between all that, he hunted more wolfos, bucks, does, and on rare occasions, birds. He was steadily making a fortune between the food and the pelts. Unfortunately, Hyrule didn't have a banking system, so he had to buy a large strong box from the commerce guild and keep it in a secret hiding place in the hut.

After listening to the old farmer's sage advice, Bato instituted these practices in his stall. He built some open boxes, to prevent theft. He had the people line up in two lines. He had to be very strict about bartering; that was a hard price. Either you pay it, or you don't. It didn't mean it was perfect. You had the overbearing customer who wanted more than what he or she was paying for, and someone who would 'accidentally' slip their hand in the boxes to grab some food.

It would have to do. One man could only do so much.

At first, people were confused about why he changed his way of selling. But, as time went on, they started to realize that this newcomer farmer wouldn't be backing down. Worse, he could just bar them from the stall altogether. And as the products were something unseen before (becoming the envy of farmers in Hyrule), they didn't want to lose the opportunity to get their hands on it. So, they had to play fair.

The stall situation was relatively tame compared to the bandit problem. In the three months he started, he was attacked by bandits three more times. Twice on his way to the market and once while he was in the forest. In total, there were nine men: three in each group. With the bandits on the road, he paralyzed them, bound them up and notified the guard that was patrolling the area of what happened. He would have to give a report, and the guards would handle the rest. He got a sizeable bounty on some of them.

However, the attack on the forest forced him to do something he would rather not do.

Bato was hunting, as usual, in his stomping grounds. There was a lack of animals today, so after searching for a good two hours, he decided to sit down on a log and take a break. Suddenly, he heard rustling on the forest floor. But they weren't animal noises. They were human. He walked to the middle of a clearing and waited.

Four bandit men, swords drawn, yelled and charged ran towards them. Bato countered, avoiding their attacks, and slashing the men's arms and legs. Their slow movements made it easy. The wound was deep enough to immobilize them, but not enough to completely sever the limb. A series of swears and yells filled the forest air. Afterwards, Bato paralyzed them.

"It doesn't matter if you lock us up! When we get out, we'll come back and kill you!" Bato looked at the men. All their faces werehate-filled in pain. Methodically, and with disputes from the men who couldn't do anything, he started to strip them of their weapons and valuables. Gathering the items, Bato started to leave. The complaints stopped at once.

"W-Wait! You can't just leave us here!"

Bato looked at the speaking men, impassively. "You did threaten my life. You're right. You would be back."

Wolf noises filled the air. The men looked at one another, pensively.

"Tha- That was a joke! Right, guys! Look, just get us out of here, and we can all go on our ways, eh?"

The howls and growls began to get closer.

Bato turned around, starting to walk away. "I'm not going to kill you. But it doesn't mean I have to save you." Ignoring the desperate pleas, lies, and begs, he walked on. As soon as he was out of the forest, blood-curdling screams were heard for just a moment before all was silent again.

Even though he didn't raise the blade, he killed them via proxy. As he walked towards the administrative building after another day of selling, he reflected on the day and what it meant to him in this world. "Eventually, I will have to kill someone with my hands. But can I take a life?" It was the height of hypocrisy. Just three months before, he told a beggar boy that he would need to prepare to offer his life if he were to take another. "It's not a matter of if. But when? Those bandit bastards are going to keep coming after me. I mean, I keep letting the guard know, but that hasn't done anything noticeable yet. They keep saying that 'they'll keep an eye out.'"

After selling his pelts, the receptionist from the centre desk flagged Bato down. "Mr. Bato? The commerce guild master wishes to have a word with you."

"Commerce guild master?" Pondering this, he was led to the second floor. Instead of the open concept, there were offices for multiple departments. He came upon two ornate double doors. Opening the doors, the receptionist leads Bato through.

The office space was bigger on the inside. There were multiple rooms that each served a purpose. There was a room with many people filled with wooden desks, quills, flickering lamps and scrolls. Another had more people handling more quills, ink pots and affixing seals – a symbol of authority on some paper and folding them neatly. Another room wasfilled with ledgers, andabacuses, in addition to what was seen in the other two rooms.

Finally, the receptionist led Bato to a closed door. She knocked on it.

"Come in." A gruff voice answered. Bowing, the receptionist took her leave. Bato, apprehensively, opened the door, There were two decorative chairs and a small table. The blue-coloured room was filled with pictures of monarchs, members of the royal family, and nobles. Something that could be described as a sofa and a coffee table, was at the far end of the room. Potted plants dotted the space in a fashionable sense.

In the middle stood an elderly man. A bit overweight, his gold and white clothing exhibited authority. His eyes were sharp as he stared Bato down. "This must be our prodigal farmer. At last." A short silence between the two before the man boomed, "Well don't just stand there slack-jawed, introduce yourself, man!"

"I-Uh." Bato gave a small bow. "It is an honour and a privilege to meet you. My name is Bato, and I've recently moved from Termina to become a farmer here in Hyrule."

"Hmm." The man appraised him a bit with his eyes. "I'll tell you straight before we talk more. I value honesty and integrity. I've been in the business for a while. So, I can tell a lie when I see one."

Bato sighed. "How'd you know?"

"Many things. The eyes. Your slight movements. Your speech." The man sat down and gestured for Bato to do so as well. "I don't need to know your complete history. People are entitled to their secrets. But if we are to do business, I want you to be honest with me moving forward, understand?"

"…Yes sir." At least he wasn't asking about his life. How could he explain he came from another world?

"Let me introduce myself, then." The man extended a hand. "My name is Baza. As you can guess, I'm the guild master for the commerce guild in Hyrule. You've been making waves in the market square with your huge size produce and the number of pelts you've been selling."

"Yes." Bato didn't like where this was going. Did he go overboard with the produce, the pelts, or both?

"So much that the demand for both of your goods is disrupting the economic flow of the entire city." Bato sighed. He did go overboard. "The supply has outstretched the demand for pelts. We won't be able to continue to buy them off for the standard price. Moreover, some complaints have arisen from the other vendors. Your crops are outshining theirs so much that the people are only looking for your stuff."

"Ah, crap." He was attracting a lot of attention. The very thing that he didn't want to do.

"Exactly. Glad you see this as a problem." Baza crossed his arms. "That's why we're going to solve this thing, together. You and me. Where we don't get bankrupt, the merchants don't riot and where you still make a profit."

So, the two talked. How he grows the produce and how he got them bigger. (Bato attributed it to the bone meal. Baza seemed to buy this story). At the end of it, an agreement was reached. Bato would only sell his produce twice every month. There would be a cap to the number of pelts and furs he can turn in per month. In exchange, the guild would buy his produce wholesale. They would be distributing them through their vendors. Baza and Bato were winding down their agreement, having documents made, signed and sealed. "I've seen plenty of characters in my time. But I think you've been the most 'unique'."

"Thank you, I guess?" Bato sheepishly put the document away in his pocket.

Baza gave a deep sigh. "Three months in and you're already starting problems. I hate to ask this, as I know this will bite me in the ass, but…is there anything else we should be talking about?"

Bato took a minute to think. "Do you think the commerce guild can help me with my bandit problem?"

Baza went wide-eyed. "Bandit problem?"

"Yes. In the past three months, I've been attacked by three groups of people. They all had swords, clubs, armour, and everything."

"What?"

"I mean, I can take them out, but I don't like killing. So, I've been handing them over to the guard tower. The guards said they would do an investigation, but nothing's come of it."

"What?"

Hesitatingly, Bato continued. "Okay, full disclosure. A group went over to my home and tried to kill me in the forest. I defended myself, of course. I had to flee because a pack of wolfos were approaching nearby, and I had to leave the men there. I still feel terrible about that."

Baza stood up, towering Bato. He has never seen an angrier face. "WHAT?!"

"Bandit attacks?" Commander Cobn asked surprisingly. Baza and Bato were at the offices of the town guard. Fortunately, Cobn was there to greet them.

"Yes sir. I thought the guards would have told you about that."

Cobn looked at Bato, straight-faced. "I've never received any reports of any assaults or bandit attacks."

Baza raised his eyebrow. "What kind of operation are you running here, Cobn? You said that you'd whip the guard into shape after the last guy failed to do so spectacularly!"

"And I have, Baza," Cobn said, equally. "But it appears that there are some elements that need more attention." He turned to Bato. "Which guards did you speak to?"

"I spoke with a guard on the road leading to Castle Town early morning four days ago. I spoke with another guard at the tower, again in the morning, two days ago. I reported both incidents, and they said they would take care of it."

"Well, that's not the case." Cobn took a bow. "I apologize for not noticing sooner. Rest assured; I will be personally investigating this case. Upon my honour as a guard, you have my word, you will have answers."

"We'll hold you to that," Baza said, critically. "Last thing I want is a farmer getting slain for selling his crops!"

"Further, Bato. I want you to report any further attacks to me personally. If I'm not in the building, I'll have someone fetch you to me."

"I appreciate the help, sir." Bato gave a bow. "Thank you."

"On that note." Baza moved closer to Cobn. "There have been some other incidents about farmers getting harassed by people during different times of the day. All for the same reason: protection money."

"Yes, I've heard of that." Cobn walked over to his desk. "It seems there might be a conspiracy in Castle Town regarding this 'forced protection.' This is something we need to talk about, Baza." Taking the hint, Bato gave a slight bow to the gentleman and walked himself out.

Bobsa smashed his glass against the wall. "What do you mean, dead?!" He had received word that the men he sent out recently were found slain by a hunter.

The man reporting didn't say anything.

Bobsa continued to fume. "It was that farmer bastard, wasn't it? He killed them!" Standing up, he turned fiercely towards the messenger. "I want everyone in this hideout for an emergency meeting!" He started to laugh, manically. "We're going to plan our attack on that farm. And that farmer bastard will never see the light of day again!"

Bato knew. He just knew. That he was probably going to be attacked. Again.

Cobn said he would request more guards in Bato's general area, but that would have taken a while. Cobn was a commander of the town guard. Requests like this would have to go through the local lord. Baza's influence was limited to Castle Town as well. He couldn't count on his neighbours. They were too far from him and even if they were close, this was a personal matter. Why risk your life for a stranger?

So, Bato decided to take matters into his hands. After taking care of the crops for the day, he started placing traps. Magical traps. Traps that set up an explosion, or an ice mine or poison gas whenever someone steps on it. It would make so much noise that it would wake him up if they decided to attack during the middle of the night. Bato was one-third of placing his traps around the farm when he suddenly felt very, very, tried.

"I guess there was a limit after all." Bato's magical energy was vast but finite. Further, the maximum number oftraps he could put on the group was ten. Therefore, he had to strategize the most likely the bandits would be attacking. They wouldn't attack from the forest, there were too many wild animals there. The forest reached around his property, covering the sides.

So, they would be attacking from the front. At least, that was the hope.

He also dotted the property with wooden spike fences. Some cover just in case he needed it. He was fortunate that the farm was still small. Otherwise, he would have had a harder time defending it. With his preparations complete, Bato hunkered down in his hut, waiting for any sign of approaching enemies. After four days of fine-tuning and trap deployment, he started to think that maybe he was going overboard on the whole thing. They wouldn't be sending an army after him, right? It would be a couple of people.

How wrong he was. Just as he was about to settle down for the night on the fourth day, he noticed dancing lights in the distance. The lights started to glow closer and closer. Rushing out of the hut, Bato dashed towards the entrance. It was then he saw a medium-sized group of people. They had all manner of swords and armour on their person. There was a clamour of people, yelling, calling out the 'bastard farmer.'

In the front there stood three people. Two of them looked like armed guards surrounding a man in the middle. He couldn't see or make out his enemies' faces. Even with the light, it was still too dark. At once, they all stopped at the entrance.

"Bato!" A voice from the group called out. "You killed some of my guys! You've been messing with a lot of our operations! Tonight is where you are made to pay!" Taking a sword, he raised it and pointed it towards the farm. "No mercy!"

The group rushed in all at once. Trampling over the wooden fence, they made a beeline to the field and hut. Their thunderous war cries were soon replaced by yelps of pain and confusion as the poison, fire, and ice traps began to be set off.

"This is it." Bato had a knot in his throat. The bandits were attacking his livelihood. They were fair game. He had to kill them. Releasing his sword from the scabbard, his shaking hands waited in anticipation (and dread) to rout his enemies. The bandits started to fan out on the property, moving around aimlessly. Some of them trying to get the poison out of their eyes. Others tending to their burns and frostbite. Bato moved swiftly, forcing his legs to move to cut the enemy down. Seeing a man stumbling before him, Bato moved in for the kill.

Without even knowing what happened, Bato felt the slice of flesh running against his blade. There was a gargle of blood before the man fell dead.

First blood. There it was. He just killed his first man.

In the distance, bells started to ring from the city.

At once, the same voice he heard before beckoned him. "Yes. Kill. Maim. Destroy them. They tried to hurt you! They wouldn't have shown mercy! Let them have none."

"I kill to protect myself, and it gives me no pleasure." Pushing the voice down from his mind, he went to the next man and cut him down. Repeating the same mantra repeatedly, "I kill to protect myself, and it gives me no pleasure."

And again.

And again.

And again.

He was cutting down his fifth man when Bato felt a strange sense of exhilaration. The fear that gripped him was replaced by a euphoria. He caught himself grinning. By the goddesses, he was enjoying it! While the bandits continued to stumble in the dark, waving their weapons aimlessly, Bato looked at his blood-soaked sword. He was immediately disgusted by it. What it was turning him into.

"No. No more." Throwing it on the ground, he started to paralyze the remaining bandits. He moved to maim, but not kill them. "I will not be a murderer. I only want to live." Green shots going left and right; each of them locating a target. The cries of pain began to whimper out in the wind. Some people rolled in pain, others frozen on the ground.

The total tally was twenty. Eight killed. Twelve wounded.

Bato sifted through the battlefield that was once his home. With a torch, he went through the still-twitching bodies. He came face-to-face with a man with different armour. His two bodyguards werenowhere to be seen. The man looked at Bato with rage.

"Are you the bastard farmer?" Asked Bobsa.

"Are you the bastard that wants me dead?"

Bobsa spat on him. "Goddess curse you! Kill me and be done with it."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You ruined everything!" Bobsa roared. "Even if I live, they'll all want me killed! I'm nothing more than a dead man." He whispered in bitterness, "At least do this one thing for me. Consider it payment for all the trouble you caused."

Bato was silent for a moment. The sun began to rise, and he saw truly what his home had become. Bodies, living and dead. Broken fences, trampled fields, and an air of blood. He summoned his bound sword and stabbed him in the arm. A fresh scream echoed through Bobsa's throat. Another stab, this time on the leg. Another scream.

Dispersing it with a flick, Bato looked at him in disgust. "That would be the easy way out. You don't deserve it." A thundering was sounded in the distance and, like the group before, became louder with each passing second. After five minutes, he saw the source of the commotion. Horses. All colours. With them, the guards rode, their spears in hand. The cavalry slowed to a trot. Bato headed towards the entrance.

A single rider, a white horse with distinguished armour, stood before him. Petting his steed, he moved towards the farmer. Bato, downtrodden, didn't even look at his face and knelt. He was tired. He didn't care. The rider took off his helm and the face bore a striking resemblance to Commander Cobn.

"I am Captain Jofary Cobn, of his Majesty's Guard. Some people saw a mob headed in this direction. We mustered as fast as we could to help, though…" He saw the bodies strewn on the battlefield. Jofary made note of Bato's face.

Bato gave a solemn bow. "My name is Bato. I travelled a long way from Termina, another continent. For the last four months, bandits have been attacking me near the marketplace. On the way to Castle Town and, yes, even my own home. I am a farmer. I wish to live off the land and sell it to those who need it. Yet, these bandits continued to harass me. When they threatened harm, I disarmed them and gave them to the city watch."

"So, you're the one that Jonn has been talking about." Jofary gave a nod. "Now I see where all this is going."

"While having assurances from both Commander Cobn and Guild Master Baza that would get in getting more answers, I felt I needed to procure extra protection for myself and my property."

Jofary saw a burned corpse being dragged by two men. "You laid traps?"

"Fire, poison and ice. I believe the bandits activated them all. I also used paralysis spells to hinter the enemy movement."

"How long do we have until the paralysis wears off."

"A day, Lord. They should be able to move afterwards."

Jofary called for one of his adjuncts. "I want you to take a team to secure two wagons from Lon Lon." After their departure, Jofary turned to Bato. "There are some of Hyrule's most unscrupulous villains in Castle Town history. Each of them, alive or dead, carries a hefty bounty. Especially on him." Bato and Jofary looked on as Bobsa was loaded up on the cart. He wasn't saying anything. "Yet, I see a very troubled youth before me."

"Forgive me, Lord. This night. It was my first real one."

Jofary widens his eyes. "Truly? Then you never…"

"No." Quivering, Bato spoke small.

"Boy, your first is never pretty. Especially for someone young and foolish such as yourself. My son, Jonn, is a commander of the town guard. He wanted me to strengthen the force around this area because he believed in an imminent threat. Yet, even with the testimony he had, it wasn't enough to justify mobilizing an entire squad of knights. You assumed that no one would aid you. You set your traps, body, and skill to kill and disarm these degenerates."

Jofary got close to Bato's face. There was something about it that was comforting. "The Royal Guard exists to keep its citizens safe. We know that our institutions, the ones that we have used since the founding of the kingdom, have always been compromised. I will report this matter to His Majesty. I will leave you with some guards to help clean your farm. Although, Goddesses knows why you've chosen this plot, of all places."

Bato still felt down. "Don't feel bad about the bandits. They were truly the worst of our city. Many bounties were set upon them, and now they have appeared all in one place! I will be sure you will be rewarded for your work."

"I beg of you, My Lord. Please do not mention my name."

Jofary looked at him, quizzically. "No. You do not what the glory? The honour?"

"The whole reason I set out to Hyrule in the first place was to be a farmer. Anything like that would put me in the sights of both good and bad people. The bandits and the bandit's leader were captured through the efforts of the Town and Majesty's Guard. This was their final stand. And the Hyrulians have won an astounding victory."

Now other soldiers were looking at him. "He doesn't want the glory?" "I think he's more than just a farmer." "Imagine if he adds him to our ranks! Not even a dragon might be able to stop him."

Jofary gazed around his company. "Very well. In recognition of your reckless bravery, His Majesty's Guard will take credit for this achievement." He went to whisper in Bato's ear. "You still want the bounties, right?"

"That would be nice. Yes."

The captain got up on his horse. "All you men and women have your duties. I want this field back in working condition. If it isn't, Bato, please feel free to seek me out to 'remedy' their mistake." It was a subtle threat. Don't muck it up. Turning away, Jofary asked Bato, "What did you hope to achieve in coming to Hyrule."

"I…I just want to live here quietly, My Lord."

Chuckling, the captain continued. "Quietly? After what's happened here? You took down twenty bandits single-handedly. There are reports of a farmer selling food that cannot be reproduced. The wolfos population in the Lost Woods have declined rapidly to the point that hunters can go back to their grounds again." He shook his head, ruefully. "No, my friend. While I won't be the one to spill the secret of Hyrule's farmer hero, it'll only be a matter of time before someone figures out the truth."

"And truths are meant to be told. Not hidden."

Nodding, the Captain, and his retinue, with the wagons full of prisoners, started to pile out of the farm. Some men and women were helping to fix the fields and fences. And while the battle for his life is over, Bato now has revealed to himself that he is capable of great harm. The lives of the men he took would haunt him for a while.