Aisha POV

I guess I fell asleep. I slowly got up, looking left and right. It seems like I was placed at the back of the wagon. Alice was awake, flashing a small smile at me. I guess Melantha is inside of her? I could not find the ghostly woman. Looking towards the driver seat, Gallant was talking to Melantha.

"How are you?" Alice asked.

"Better than yesterday. Slightly, I think." I said. "Did Gallant fill you in on what happened?"

"I want to hear it from you though." Alice responded.

"Oh?" Really?

"Ah, you're awake." Gallant interrupts my conversation with Alice. "I got good and bad news. Which one you want to hear first."

"Good news?"

"We are close to our destination. The village is up ahead." Wow. I didn't think we would arrive in one day. Then again, he does not sleep as much.

Great, I- Stopping myself, I asks, "The bad news?"

"The village is under attack." Before I can say anything, several small bodies flew through the air.

Goblins.

These small creatures are clothed though. With their frame, you can think of them like some human child, but thinner and weaker. I think these seven goblins dead from the impact alone. Impact of what though...?

"I can barely call this bad news... You said three knights were with the brother and sisters. I feel sorry for the attackers more than the defenders." Melantha pointed out. Gallant stops the wagon for a bit, pulling out his swords.

"Do not underestimate a goblin. You should know this Melantha."

"Please. I wouldn't let a pathetic pawn being sneak up on me. Besides, they can't even touch the undead."

"Goblins are deadly?" Really?

"They are." Alice confirmed. "Goblins are not scary by themselves in the broad daylight, but if you fight one in its home, in its own habitat, they are dangerous. Reading about it and hearing it is different from the real deal. They will do what they can to survive." In one shift movement, Alice swings her left arm towards the nearby bushes. Three heads fly through the air as the headless bodies hit the ground. More goblins. "Be vigilant."

"I see..." I glance around the area. I don't want them to sneak behind me like that. I try my hardest to imagine such a scary scene. In the end, I couldn't really see these small midgets as a huge threat. I guess I have to be in that specific situation to see the true horror of a goblin. Using my eyes and staring at the bushes, I sense no enemies within the vicinity. Gallant walks further into the village to see more bodies soar through the air.

"Clear!" Rang a familiar voice. It was definitely deep. Very deep in terms of a male's voice.

"Oi, Golem! You big idiot, what the hell are you?! Your power should be restrained a bit more against these things. Kicking them would work too, you know..."

"I. Am." The giant black knight appears around the corner of a building. Dawning his two tower shields, he bows at us. "Milady."

"Your an idiot, too." I reprimand Gallant for calling Golem an idiot. "Bad news would be like 'The village is wiped out.' or 'They are taking away my sisters into their den.' The fact that Golem kicked them silly isn't bad news."

"Goblins. Are. Unpredictable." Golem stated. Moving on, I look at the towering knight, "Guessing a normal sort of thing?" Golem nods his head. Before I get a rundown on the situation, I can see two figures running right at me.

""Aisha!""

Tackling me to the floor, I stare at my twin sisters. These two troublemakers might kill me one day. Yet I can't stay mad at them for being too cute. They had tears in their eyes, burying their face into my stomach.

"H-Hey, you two! Have you been good?"

"Aisha!" Olivia and Ethan appear next to Golem. Seeing all three of my sisters in lolita outfits and Ethan in his suit was a familiar sight. Getting off of the ground, I ushered Ethan and Olivia to me.

"It seems like I missed something?"

"Nothing too bad." Ethan explains, "It was just a small attack. We have been helping the villagers for a bit."

"Really now?"

"Enough about us." Olivia cuts in, "What about you? Why are you a rank one again?"

"Long story. I don't want to explain it as much." Before anyone else could say anything, Gallant says, "Get on the wagon. We'll be heading out soon. I will chat with the local village elder." Doing as we are told, I helped my sisters onto the back of the wagon. The other two black knights followed us along with the remaining butlers and maids. I asked my siblings about their ordeals while I was having my own. To sum it up, they were waiting for me before they actually head to Zezrious, the nearby city of this region. Apparently, it is famous for certain events. Once they wrap up their stories, I was pressured to reveal my own little adventure before I met up with them. I kept a lot of things under the table, despite Ethan's persistence and glares, and told most of the key parts. I met a couple of geniuses, received their perks, somehow got a backlash due to something, and boom, here I am before them. Olivia, Jessica, and Jennifer did not question it, awing at my tale. Ethan, being the clever brother that he is, knew a few things that I left out.

"So are we going back to the mansion then? I want to see Valarie!" Jennifer exclaimed. Personally, I don't want my own little sisters to go near her. I got a bad vibe running down my spine. I never asked my mom if she wanted my sisters and brother back at the mansion. With my own plans in mind, they are still young for the outside world. Plus, I know I will be doing some dangerous missions later on.

"I want to stay with Aisha." Jessica muttered, hugging on my pants.

"You starting your own journey?" Ethan asks.

"Yes. Reason why I do not have the fanciest of gowns or the most luxurious carriage with me right now. I love you all, but I cannot protect you twenty-four seven. There will be a lot of danger up ahead." One of these dangers being the Pillars of Gluttony. That place is a definite no. I will not risk my cute, adorable sisters in such a hellhole. "So with that being said-"

"Still don't wanna!" Jessica hugs onto me tightly. After that, Jennifer also joins in. "No! We won't leave!"

"Cute." Alice was watching on the sidelines. She lets out a small giggle.

"Ah, it is nice to meet you Lady Me-"

"Alice. Melantha is more of my noble name." I eye at Alice for a quick second. Was that true? I got a feeling that was more of a lie. Ethan says, "Ah. It is nice to see you again Lady Alice. What brings you here?"

"I am traveling with Aisha." Ethan does another 'Ah.' expression. Before anyone could say anything, Jessica asks, "Do you like my older sister, Lady Alice?" What the hell is that sort of question? I look at my innocent sister. Reading my facial expression, she says, "Well, Alice said that she was into girls. So I was wondering, does she like you?"

"Psssst, sis, I don't think that was a nice question to ask!" Jennifer whispered.

"Really?"

"Really!"

Alice smiles at the two, saying, "Maybe. I do want to know Aisha bit more, so I would be lying if I said otherwise." I can see a faint blush on her cheeks. Her voice still sounds the same though, although there seems to be a mix of joy in there.

"What do you plan to do now?" Olivia moves onto a different topic.

"Most likely we will be heading into Zezrious. After that, I think I will have to ask Gallant about the ins and outs of the Adventurer's Guild. There are a couple more things, but one step at a time." I answered.

"Well, you can ask me these various things as we get going!" Gallant and Golem approach us as they wave to the village elder. "Seems like they can fend off these little buggers for a while. I will report this incident to the guards at Zezrious once we get there." Gallant hops onto the driver's seat, picking up the reins. Golem did not get onto the wagon due to his size. He would have added more weight to the wagon and crush it. Leaving the small village, the two sisters hop next to Gallant. Olivia quickly follows them, making sure they did not fall off.

"I read some interesting things from the newspaper." Ethan pulls it out. In big black words, I see 'Valarie's Arrival!' "I won't dig into the past or the exact details, but I just want to know if Valarie Valentine can be trusted. I heard many stories about her." I had a mixed expression. From what has happened, I am fine with her. Then again, our relationship is a bit different from the norm. Not only that, she WANTS a good relationship with me. I have no clue what she might do with other people that are outside her circle. I doubt that she wants to be friends with Ethan, for example. She may want something out of my sisters. She hated my father, most likely, and she's okay with my knights.

"In terms of a threat to our family, no. Will she be nice to everyone? No. It'll depend on who you are, what you are to her, and her final verdict. She has a very carefree attitude." I guess I could call it carefree.

"I just want to make sure that our mom is in the right hands. Then again, they're friends right?" In my head, I sort of laughed at that remark. Friends? More like lovers. I haven't seen my mom and Valarie kiss each other just yet, but they could have.

"Yeah." I just gave a simple response. Ethan just nods his head and backs off. I am surprised he isn't being that persistent. Maybe he is being a bit sympathetic about my rank down. The many years I spent to get to rank nine is now gone. I would correct him on his train of thought, yet it is best that he does not know about my new powers. Taking Gallant's advise, the fewer who knows about my [Defeat Inheritor], chaos magic, or the abilities a rank one shouldn't have the better. I still have an edge over my opponents due to my high stats. Still, overconfidence maybe my downfall. And depending on the enemy, I may need to reveal my trump cards.

From what my siblings told me, the village is a few miles away from Zezrious. It has some protections and patrol groups checking on them time to time. Recently, the attacks have been quite frequent due to something. The villagers were having some troubles with the sneaky goblins till Golem and the others arrived at the village. With Golem's help, they trained the peasants to fend for themselvse. Well, fend against the small goblins. Against an orc, they might stand a chance, but a small raiding party, they might lose. Raiding parties can be big or small. It'll depend on the clan. Orcs and goblins work together in a sense. Orcs and goblins have some sort of hierarchy. Sometimes it can be a monarchy. As I think about this subject, I have no actually knowledge about the orcs or goblins. I know that some people may say it is a waste of time, but ignorance is bliss. Ignorance can be my downfall. Like Alice and Gallant said, these beings can be deadly in their own habitat.

Melantha was awfully quiet. I guess that Golem, Gallant, Alice, the other two black knights, and I can see her ghostly figure as she drifts above the wagon. I have a bunch of questions about this strange woman. I want to know the history of my knights and what they want. There are so many things that I want to do! Leaning against the wooden walls of the wagon, I watch my siblings act as their usually self. Ethan was asking Alice a bunch of question, Olivia scolded my twin sisters, and my twin sisters bothered Gallant. My knight was unfazed by their talks though. Oh, I should ask my mom later if she wants my siblings to stay with me or go back home. They can tag along for now (since we don't have any means of going back), and I guess we can spend a bit more time with the before I go off to some far away place. Looking back at Melantha, she seems really bored. Wouldn't it be easier for her to go inside Alice's body and talk through her mouth? The multiple conversations ended with this one question.

"Where's Dan and Gale?"

Why must my adorable sister pain me with these questions? No. I know that the four black knights are pained by this more than me. Those names still coat a hint of depression on me. My face shows a very gloomy expression. Ethan and Alice noticed this right off the bat. Like he stated before, Ethan will not dive into the past. He noticed this beforehand. They would have been at my side if they wree alive. Staring at Gallant, I watch him carefully.

"Ah... Those two, they had to do something for Nero. They give their regards though." The two twins let out a cute pout. Even Olivia was fooled by this and says, "They are doing their jobs. Can't be helped. Hopefully, they will come back to us."

It hurts. I clench my hand into a fist, suppressing the pain and sorrow. I would have corrected that lie, told them the truth, but can I really do that? Can I tell my younger sisters, "They are dead." This would crush their poor little hearts. I have to accept this lie. Golem knew about Gale's death. He was in on the plan. Upon hearing the two names though, he glanced at Gallant. He was wondering how did Dan die? Golem can contain his emotions, yet I can see his hands balled into a fist. His body was shaking a bit. Even the other two knights displayed some sort of emotion. One halted in his tracks, looking up to the sky. The other one grasps his head. They must have been together for a very long time.

"Heh, don't worry. They'll be fine." Gallant assures. "Now, do you two know about Zezrious?"

"""Zezrious?""" My younger siblings tilt their head at the name of the city.

"Olivia... Weren't you paying attention to our tutor?" Ethan folds his arm at the oldest younger sister.

"U-Uh... S-Somewhat." Olivia stuttered.

"Zezrious is a famous location. Trade, power, the city is a citadel. Layered with three walls, they hold a good two hundred thousand civilians. Many countries trade with this one city. The technology is highly advanced with the most well organized military as well. This city has been around ever since the old era. This would have been destroyed if the famous 'Bullet Hero' did not stop the grand invasion taking place during the Great Demonic Wars." My twin sisters awe at my brief history lesson.

"Great Demonic Wars?" Ethan looks at Olivia with disbelief. Apparently, Olivia was not paying attention in class.

"The Great Demonic Wars took place a good hundred or so years ago. During that time, true demons were all over the place. Compared to the demons you know of today, who serve on the dark side, these true demons had no masters. Despite their free reign, they served the strongest within their tribes. However, these tribes united under one banner becoming the Great Demon Horde. Gathering under one common goal, they venture all over the world and wrecked havoc throughout the lands. With so many high ranking demons, they were going to destroy Zezrious. The Bullet Hero arrives at the scene and saved the people of Zezrious before they were annihilated. Because of its history, Zezrious became a key place for a lot of things." Ethan informs us about the Great Demonic Wars.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, so we going to a very old, old city!" Jennifer jumps up from her seat, looking straight ahead. Jessica seems excited as well, trying to find the city. Gallant laughs at this.

"We're almost there... Should see it right... now!" On cue, looking over a hill, we can see the grand stone walls of the city. I assumed that the city was going to look like any other city. Bland, small, and not that impressive. I was sorely mistaken. There are a lot of strange contraptions on top of the walls and the towers. Not only that, the length of these stone walls cover a lot of ground! From a glance, the wall runs from the left side of my vision all the way to the right, and it still continues on! How big is this damn city!? If this is the first wall, how about the second and third one?! There are a good amount of soldiers patrolling the walls. Looking at my party, they are confused at the strange machines. The ones who asked this was my ever so curious twin sisters.

"What are those?! They are big! We don't have those on our walls!" Jennifer points toward the huge metal looking barrels ontop of the walls and towers.

"Cannons." Golem replied. "Advance. Cannons."

"Advance?" Ethan raise an eyebrow at this.

"These are cannons with a lot more features compared to the ones you may know of." Gallant stares at the walls and towers, "Some of these can be used for ground units while the other ones can be used for aerial units. For example, the device on the towers have four thinner barrels. Those devices fire at a rapid pace. You can compare the speed of these devices to an [Ice Shard Storm] spell but faster." As the name implies, someone who uses such a spell will rain down a bunch of ice shards from above. The attack is avoidable, however, the fact that Gallant says double the speed of that spell, it will be harder for someone to avoid such an attack.

"This is just the first wall and the smaller guns though." Alice stated.

"What do you mean by that?" Smaller guns?

"These are not the big guns. The cannons that this place can use are two or four times bigger than what you currently see. The city itself has different phases. What you see right now can be called 'Level 1.' The higher the level, more dangerous weapons and defenses will reveal themselves. The leader of this city does not joke around with his fortifications. This also applies to the guards and the army within this place."

"How do you know this? Did you meet the ruler or something?" Ethan seems a bit surprised at Alice's explanation.

"Yes, I have visited this city a couple times for certain events."

"What can the cannons do?" Before anyone can give a response to Jessica's question, several cannon shots rang through the air. A couple of the stationary cannons fired into the sky. A good few miles away from us, explosions laid waste to an open field. There seems to be a couple more holes throughout the field. I guess this was their practice target. That would also explain the random guards near that area. The twins cover their ears as everyone else flinched or stared at the demonstration. It seems like they're done with the cannons. Strange, are we slowing down?

Examining the nearby area, there seems to be a line to get into the city. A really long line. Stopping the wagon, Gallant sighs at the amount of people in front of us.

"You got to be kidding me."

"It is a popular city." Ethan noted. Remembering my plans for later, I brought this up.

"Ah Gallant, can you explain about the rules and other sorts when it comes to the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Guess I can go over that for now. You, take the reins." Ordering one of the knights to the driver's seat, Gallant hops over to me. "Now, the Adventurer's Guild is the commonplace for work. If you are an adventurer. Those who are not an adventurer can seek out a specific adventurer or party to assist them with their problem or they can post a mission for the guild. The registration process is quite simple. You must complete a low ranking mission. It will not be something too difficult. Even if you are a rank nine warrior or mage, you will have to complete this mission regardless. Once you complete it, you will receive your own card. This card will grant you the right to complete other quests within your rank. Depending on your rank, it will also play a key role to several other things like lodging in the Guild or a slight increase in your rewards. There are other benefits like having your own blacksmith, reducing the fee for certain services within the region, and contacts."

Gallant holds his own Adventurer's Guild in front of me. It has a picture of him, his name, his class (which has ?????), his rank, and his rank within the Guild. Strange, I do not recall such a rank though. I know that the rank goes from I, H, G, F... all the way up to A, then S, SS, SSS, then X. Gallant's rank is silver. A color. Noticing my confused expression, he glance at his card.

"Ah... Silver is... A bit above the norm. Think of it as a special case." He explains.

"How much of a difference is it from X rank?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it. Anyways, the rank will allow the adventurer to select certain quests within his or her abilities. The ranks were implemented for obvious reasons. Certain quests are dire. If it is a life or death situation, the Guild will not let the wrong person run the quest and fail miserably. A higher rank adventurer can do any quests that is below their ranks, but they would be called for due to the intensity and demand of these important quests."

"I just realize something," Alice started, "Aisha might have a problem with this." Gallant tilts his head. "Her rank."

"Shit." Gallant cursed.

"Huh?" My rank? What does that have to do with... Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That is an issue. Crap, are you shitting me? Even though I could take the registration test, the sheer fact that I am a rank one warrior is... degrading. A lot of people frown upon rank ones. Most rank one beings are labeled as lazy individuals or trash. Society accepts this form of hierarchy. I could prove them wrong and explain my strange predicament, but it will bring more issues onto the table. Do I want to tell the whole world I was cursed by Valarie and gifted with the [Defeat Inheritor]? No. Grabbing my head, I pray that this will not get me in trouble. I got a feeling that it will though.

"I hope that the Guild will allow you to take the test regardless of your rank one status. Hopefully." Gallant muttered the last word under his breathe. "You still have a good amount of gold within that ring by the way."

"Oh?" I raise up my right hand. The silver ring is wrapped around my index finger. The red gem at the center of the ring shines as the sun hits it. Storage rings are very convenient tools. Merchants, nobles, adventurers, a commander, general, almost anyone and everyone should have one. The purpose of a storage ring should be straightforward. It stores items within your ring. Not going deep into specifics, the ring has its own interdimensional space. Each ring is different from one another, not sharing the same interdimensional space. You could, however, combine the connection of these different rings and spaces with one another. I don't know how one could do that though. Anyways, the ring can store almost anything from a very large statue to one gold coin. There are exceptions to what a storage ring can hold. Living beings are one of those items. I cannot shove a human into my ring. The ring will deny such an action. You can, however, store a dead body within your ring though. A moving skeleton, being an undead, cannot be stored into the ring. A still, lifeless corpse of a skeleton can be stored. These are just a few exceptions. There are a couple more I have not listed. Usually, to figure out if this is storable or not, the holder can just test it out.

How does one make a storage though? The fact that it has an interdimensional space of its own is intriguing. Does it involve magic? Alchemy? A combination of both? Snapping out of my thoughts, I look at Gallant.

"How much is in here?"

"750,000 gold coins." This much?! Ethan just shrugs his shoulder as my young sisters just awe in fascination. Gallant seems puzzled. "What? Were you expecting a bit more?"

"No, no, no." Shaking my hands in front of me, "I..." This is... a lot. My mom was going to give me an allowance, but I turned it down. The reason was obvious. I was imprisoned in my father's settlement. There was no point for such spending money when I had everything in my own mansion. Books, a roof, a bed, clothes, food, armors, swords, weapons, horses, I had all of these things. I could have accepted the allowance and saved up, but I rather earn my own money with my own hands. Finishing my sentence, I say, "I can't really... 750,000? That's a lot. Don't you need this?"

"I gave you the money from our fallen brothers. They would have wanted you to have it. Besides, I can earn a lot more than 750,000 gold from one quest alone." Now this was an uproar. Before I question Gallant, my mind went back to his adventurer's card. His rank must be above the norm. Silver? A Silver rank? What does that entail? What do they have to do exactly? And what sort of missions did he have to go through to get that high?

"Really? Wow!" Olivia displays her fascination once again. The twins just looked at each other, confused. Ethan must have pieced it together, and Alice seems... indifferent? Reading Alice's facial expressions is a bit rough. Is she an adventurer?

My ears pick up Golem's rough movements. His armor clangs against each other as he observes the live demonstrations from... those are knights? They look so weird.

Wearing light purple armor, they hold a black weapon in their hand. Once again, I know its a gun, but I have never seen such a model. I have seen a musket, and the process on how to use a musket. The weapon being used in this live firing demonstration seems simple and deadly. The loud gunfire can be heard from our position. In a quick burst, the bullets blast out of the barrel. The soldiers look down the top part of the gun, taking aim. The empty shells fly out of the bolt, clicking against the ground. Unlike a musket, they did not reload until they run out of bullets? How many bullets are in there?! And some of the soldiers are still firing their weapons!

"I am impressed by their weaponry." Ethan was watching the live demonstration, "These weapons have been around for a while, but something of this caliber will change the world. Are these the assault rifles I heard about? Compared to a musket, these weapons can fire a lot of bullets in a few seconds. It seems like the reload time is quick. The one guy ejected something at the bottom of the gun to replace it with something..."

"A magazine." Alice corrected, "Compared to a musket where you have to place a ball down the barrel into the chamber, a magazine can store the bullets in its container. Once you fill a magazine with these bullets, you can easily slap it into your gun. This is just one of the ways to feed your gun though. An ammunition belt can be used instead of a magazine like that soldier over there who is still firing their weapon. If I remember correctly, the soldier is firing a machine gun. Just know that there are different type of guns, magazines, bullets, and attachments." Ethan was speechless at Alice's information. I think I was impressed more than surprised. She said she visited this city.

"Valarie has these weapons as well." Gallant stated. "Out of everyone, I think Zezrious and Valarie are the only ones with these guns. The other factions, or any sort of military force, are trying to catch up with this advance technology. Like the crossbow, these weapons don't require any sort of skill. You just aim, press the trigger, and fire. A peasant army with these guns can wipe out an army with shields and swords."

"Maintenance is rather important." Alice corrected, "Without the knowledge, the gun can explode on the user if one does not take good care of their gun. The gun may look easy simple due to its outside apperance, but there are complex pieces and gears inside of the weapon. Bullets are also needed. You can make a gun, but without the bullets, its more of a melee weapon. Out of all the races, I can say that the dwarves can produce these weapons. They know their minerals along with their complex inventions and gizmos. Have you ever seen a machine cannon? Even if they are not on par with the mounted artillery guns, the dwarven machine cannon can volley a specific area with ten or fifteen cannonballs. Not only that, the dwarves have deployable turret guns. They can set up and move these machines to create checkpoitns or establish a frontline. Zezrious cannot do that. They can make stationary turrets, but that is if they can secure the perimeter and build it in peace. I think the dwarvse next invention is rather... deadly."

"How do you know all of this?!" Ethan asks. "It sounds like you know a lot about these weapons? No, you know a lot more than just weapons, don't you?" Alice flashes a smile.

"When you are a noblewoman, you have to know what's going on in these various countries. Information is power."

"I forgot about the dwarves." Gallant mused, "I think they are preoccupied with their own battle with the arachnids."

"They issued some sort of decree recently." Alice brought up, "It ordered all dwarves to return to their homelands. Anyone who ignores this decree will become a wanted individual."

"That a bit harsh." I voiced.

"Orders from their king, I guess." Gallant shrugs. "That would explain the lack of dwarves in these cities. Wouldn't that hurt trade and the economy?"

"Depends on the city and for who? The dwarves are doing fine. Human cities are hurting from the lack of trade with the dwarves. Zezrious... I think they're fine without the dwarves. It would not hurt their standings as much." Alice rubs her chin in thought. "Aisha, do you know about the various races?"

Before I can give my answer, it seems like our conversations came to an end. We have reached the entrance of Zezrious as several purple knights walked towards our group. I guess I can call them knights, but they look a bit weird. Their helmets are shaped in a triangular prism with multiple lines running through two front panels. Their upper body is covered in a darker shade of purple, bulky plate armor. Like his helmet, lines run through each of these armor platings. It seems a bit too weird for me. I can see loose dark pants on his upper leg until the rest of his leg is covered by his armored purple boots. On his belt, I can see a knife and a small gun? Rectangular shaped objects are also attached to it. The most perplexed thing on this knight was the weapon. Holding the cylinder shape weapon with two hands, I see a lot of long barrels around the circular tip of this gun. A line of bullets stick out of the weapon connecting itself to the strange grey container on his back.

What is that weapon?

Gallant hops off of the wagon to talk with the knight. I realize that the other knights look a bit different. There are a couple soldiers with the same design like the knight I described, but there are a lot of guards with no armor. These individuals wear a military uniform or a military trenchcoat over their uniform. The ones with a trenchcoat has a peaked cap on top of their heads. The uniform design reminds me of Princess X without the medals and all the other decorations she has. Actually, the ones with trenchcoat bore a lot of medals, ribbons, and cords on them. Are they officers? What are they doing in the gateway?

I got a feeling that this is not the regular sort of guards.

Behind the guard talking to Gallant, two fully armored, bulky soldiers stand off to the side. They don't look human at all. Their size reminds me of an adult lycan. Their helmets are domed shape with a narrow, flattened V shape as their visor. There's no neck since it disappears into the body. Their weapons are located on their arms. It seems like they have the same cylinder like gun attached to them. Gazing away from these giants, I turn towards a slimmer version of these armored soldiers. Compared to a triangular prism helmet, they have a dome shaped helmet with a square visor. Their armor plating is tightly packed against each other. It reminds me of the carapace of a scorpion. The last soldier has a strange mix of clothes and armor. Most of the armor is strapped to the individual in key locations (chests, shoulders, legs, arms, etc.). Above the chest armor seems to be some sort of black vest with a bunch of items in its pocket. Ontop of that vest was a belt with a bunch of pouches. These soldiers had a backpack on them, a tube running from the backpack to their face, a hood covering their entire head, and a rifle in their arms.

"Talk about a military force." Ethan whispered.

"It is a popular city with a vast amount of knolwedge and riches." Alice eyes at the soldiers. The one with the hoods approach our wagon. Even if they raise their heads, I cannot see their face. They look at me for a split second before they examine everyone else in my party. Nodding their head to the main soldier talking to Gallant, the man gives them a nod in return. Backing away from our group, the armored man says, "I see. You are free to go. Also, welcome back Alice. You here for a meeting again or-"

"Just a visit." She finishes, "Anything new?"

"Came at a bad time." The soldier shakes his head, "Zezrious is having a bit of a situation on its hand. Nothing we can't handle, but it is a bit troublesome though."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Can't say it in public. Might hear it from blabbering fool or you can ask HIM about the details."

"I see. Well, thank you for giving me the heads up though. Take care." Bowing at our departure, we finally enter the streets of Zezrious. Or should I say road.

Wow. Just... wow.

The city is really huge! I am guessing that the city is divided into districts because of how big it is. I can see the second wall from here, but it seems like you have to travel a few miles to get to the second gateways. The amount of people covering the streets and roads are beyond my expectations. Humans, lizardfolks, demihumans, demons, elves, and other beings are walking side by side. I can hear different languages in various tongues, the marching of armored units patrolling the streets, the animals making familiar or unknown noises- the air is filled with a lot of sounds. The fact that the roads were wide enough for two way traffic and parking caught me off guard. Most cities would ignore such a feature. I know that my father did not design the roads back home to be this wide. There was two way traffic, but my father did not consider the parking feature. Merchants would need to stop to deliver their goods. When someone stopped to do this, they would have hold up the other wagons behind them. One time, the streets were crowded with wagons. Not only did they have rooms for parking, they also have another paved path beside the empty spaces for parking. I would call it a sidewalk, I guess. Those who are walking on foot are using this path compared to the road. No one on foot walked on the main roads. Sometimes, I see groups of people crossing the road but that's all. With excitement in their eyes, my sisters just gaze at the wonderful city.

The houses vary as well. It seems like most are made out bricks, wood, and cement. Some houses have two stories, some have three, and maybe four. Terraced houses can be seen throughout the first district. Some buildings have a higher design to them, looking like some private estate or a noble's mansion. Other buildings that stand out would be some of the public facilities like the library or a school. As I take note of my surroundings, Gallant interrupts my thoughts.

"Since we are here in Zezrious, I will have to take care of a few things. We won't need the wagon and horses anymore. As I take care of these things, head to the Adventurer's Guild. Alice, you know where it is right?" The young woman nods her head. "I leave Aisha in your care then. The rest of you can explore the city. Once the sun is about to set, we meet up at the entrance of the gateway we came through. Any questions?" No one spoke up. "Good. You, park the wagon off to the side. Let's drop them off here." The driver nods his head as motion the wagon towards the left. Getting off of the wagon first, I helped my sister get out of the transport.

"Don't get into any trouble now." I warned them, "We don't rule over this settlement so behave yourself."

""Okay."" Jessica and Jennifer said in unison.

"I. Watch." Golem assured.

"We'll see each other in a bit." Patting their heads, I watch them stride off into the crowd. The only person with me now is Alice and Melantha. Gallant and one of the knights took the wagon off to some seller. The rest were protecting my brother and sisters.

"Finally, I can talk." Melantha declared, stretching her body in midair.

"Couldn't you borrow Alice's body for that?" I pointed out.

"Yes and no." I waited for an explanation. A few seconds past, then a minute.

"Eh... Aren't you going to explain?" I asked.

"Nope. A secret and promise. Can't say." Melantha just shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, what did you want to say?"

"Can't remember now."

"You know, you are a bit too laxed."

"Meeeh." Melantha shrugs once again. Alice laughs a bit at our conversation.

"Anyways, I guess we are heading to the Adventurer's Guild now?"

"Yes, just stay close to me." Doing as she said, I walked beside her. A lot of eyes locked onto me, staring at me in disgust. Some would purposely bump into me although that backfired on them. They would fall down on their asses. Most of these individuals would walk away, but one group decide to call me out.

"Oi! You gotta apologize missy!" The man was a rogue due to his appearance. Brown leather outfit, two daggers sheathed on his back, and a foul air around him. His buddies did not have such a getup, but they did remind me of bandits. Piercings on the lips, tattoos on their arms, messy, untamed hair, and their gaze. Their gaze bring up hateful memories of my past. Especially from the banquets. I can see the familiar stupid expression from the snobby princes who try to court me. Their insults are becoming a thorn to my patience.

"You should definitely pay us for that. Better yet, why don't you do that with your body-"

"You three, back away from her." Alice steps into the conversation, glaring at the idiots.

"It was her fault? Your friend just bumped into us, you know! Say, if you were to come with us, maybe we can ignore such a-"

"Really now? I think that was a lie." A new voice appeared behind the three. "And saying that to an esteemed noblewoman as well. Tsk, tsk. Shame on you three."

"And who the hell are-!?" the rogue stops himself. His face trembles in fear. Standing before them was the familiar hooded soldiers. The speaker takes off the hood, revealing a dark impression on me. Just staring at this soldier gave me the creeps. Chills ran down my spine. On his head was a dark stahlhelm. His mouth is covered by a gas mask. His eyes are dark red saucers with a lighter shade of red in the middle of them. In a mechanical voice, he says, "Jeez, you three are creating some sort of ruckus. This is why we patrol around the damn streets."

"N-N-No sir... I-Its not like that. You see she..."

"Hey. Drop the act. We have been watching. You can walk away and pretend like nothing happened or we can do this the hard way." The soldier threatened. He walks up towards the rogue. His shadow towers over the scared man.

"W-We're leaving!" Choosing the first option, the three ran away from us. I realize that these soldiers also had a different color design. Instead of purple and black, they have black and red.

"Sorry about that. People these days." The man approach us, shaking his head. "Man, they got us walking about left and right. I would have done something about these idiots if I was in charge. King Len is a bit too nice."

"Who are you?" I turn towards the strange soldier. It seems like he has four others with him.

"Is that everyone's go to question?" The soldier divert his attention towards Alice.

"Don't ask me that question. A soldier comes out of nowhere protecting us from some ruffians. Why wouldn't she ask such a question? And usually, people want something out of it. Are you one of them?"

"Well, to answer your question miss, I am Abdul, the leader of the 298th Squad. My rank is a sergeant. And I was just doing my duty as a soldier." Sergeant? Tilting my head, he seems puzzled by my confusion. "What? You're not impressed yet?"

"You know sir..." A female spoke up from behind Abdul, "She doesn't understand the concept of ranks. Well, our ranking system in the military."

"Ah. You're right." Abdul scratch his head as he hold his rifle in one hand. "My bad. I guess you are new to Zezrious. Yeah, you're new to this place. I haven't seen you in these parts. I would definitely remember a silver hair girl with a rank one status." My face twitched at that for a second. I swear, being a rank one sucks. "No offense." He added.

"Sir, why are we mingling with these people? I mean, I know we met Alice before in the palace, but there's no point in-" The woman from before spoke up again. Abdul cuts her off.

"I'm bored. Doing these daily patrols are taking a toll on me. Besides, we're not in any immediate danger. More of the locals creating mischief. Also, we can escort these lovely ladies to their destination. I got a feeling more buggers will try to pick on our new friend here." We're friends now? This was bugging me. Stranger danger.

"I can handle myself, thank you very much." I did not mean to sound disrepectfuly, but I had a hint of anger behind my voice. This did not faze Abdul though. He whistles at my stubborness.

"Fierce! I like it! Alright, it's settled. I will tag along because I can."

"Sir..." One of the soldiers opened his mouth.

"If you don't like it, then continue the patrol without me. You don't need me to babysit you lot." Giving a quick glance towards Alice, I motion my head at the strange man. In my body language, I asked, "What do we do?" or "Should we stop him?" Alice giggles at my action, waving her head in front of her face. I guess that's a no. Shoving aside my uneasiness, I let the man do as he please. Most of the soldiers broke off from their formation and left. Abdul and the female soldier stayed behind. After his allies left, he holds the rifle in both hands now. "Where you heading off to?"

"The Adventurer's Guild." I replied.

"Oh? Should you do that though? You're..."

"A rank one. I know, thanks for the reminder." I felt a bit of annoyance with this man. No, I am irritated at the sheer fact that I am a rank one warrior. Of course, this is a lie. Some mistake. I have the powers of a high god. Still, it will bother the hell out of me. Everyone will be saying this for a while as long as I am a rank one. Abdul follows us. People strayed away from our group, but a couple of people called out the soldier's name.

"Hey Abdul, you should buy more bread from me!" an old woman exclaim.

"I shall on my way back!" He says.

"Abdul, you should play with my children again!" A man laughs.

"Maybe. Patrol duties, you know."

"Abdul, you should marry my daughter!" A woman exclaims.

"Maybe." Abdul seems a bit more reluctant in his response.

"Aren't you popular?" I joked. We continue to walk through the buildings, hearing the many people scream out Abdul's name. Avoiding the main street, we took another route that's not as crowded.

"What can I say? I do my job rather well."

"Or you joke around while you're on duty." muttered the female soldier. Abdul glares at his subordinate.

"What are you exactly? Since this is my first time in Zezrious, what is with the different outfits? There are soldiers with armor and some with regular clothes."

"Ah. Each soldier has their own different roles and ranks. Overally, we are still part of the armies under King Len's command. Even with these different roles and ranks in our military, those who are armored up hold more significance compared to those who don't. The exception are the ones with the peaked hat. They are officers who hold a lot of intel. They have a lot of power over most of us although there is a procedure when ordering someone of a different diversion, squad, and class. I only answer to my superiors of the Wrath."

"The Wrath?"

"We are the Wrath, the adaptable soldiers for any sort of situation. Despite our lack of full body armor, we have a lot of items stored on our person. We have medical supplies, rations, ammo, a notebook, writing tools, binoculars, anything that we need for any sort of situation." The woman answered.

"That is a lot." They carry that much stuff? And they're adaptable? Why would they need a notebook on them though? How about the gas mask? I think that is a gas mask. I remember seeing some scientists with that device when they visited my father for certain projects.

"You might think otherwise cause of the demented, scary look." Abdul commented.

"You're right about that part." I admit, "What are the weapons you guys use? I understand it is a gun, but it is a better variation from most. I have only seen the musket till now. Those guns are amazing and terrifying."

"Oh? You like these guns-"

"She is referring to our actually weapons, sir." The female soldier corrected. Coughing at his mistake, he looks at me.

"Well, you can call these assault rifles. If you understand the main concept of a gun, then these variations can fire a lot of bullets in a short amount of time. I could take you two to the armory tomorrow or the day after. I just have to bug my superior or Len himself." The name can't be the same name like the Hero King Len, right? This is the third time I heard his name.

"Uh, so Len's son is named after him as well?" I asked. Alice, Abdul, and the female soldier halt in their tracks. Alice looks at me in shock. Seeing Alice break out of her regular demeanor hurts. Makes me feel stupid. Abdul seems to share the same look while the female soldier was quiet at my inquiry.

"You... You know your history about Zezrious, right?"

"Yes. I mean, the Hero King should be two hundred years old if he was still alive. A human cannot live for that long." I explained.

"True, but whoever said King Len died?" Abdul countered. Saying this, I thought long and hard. The books I read on him did not say anything about his death. "He has hit the god rank at a young age. During the time of the Great Demonic Wars, he was a high god."

"Oh..." Right, once someone reach the god rank, they will become an immortal. That makes sense. "So he made all of this?"

"Yep. All of these advances have been made because of our Hero King. Yes, there are some other faction, races, or some other countries that could have developed these things, but our king was one of the first to make these technological breakthroughs." Abdul proudly pat his chest.

"Is he busy of late?" Alice asks. "I heard that there was a..."

"A fucking Crusade." Abdul interrupts Alice with this one sentence. The word seems familiar. Crusade... Crusade... Oh! I remember how the dark and light side wanted my father to choose a side later on when our settlement was going to hit a certain population cap. At the time, my black knights muttered words like "Crusade" and "Hell's Wrath" with each other. With my father dead and our settlement controlled by Valarie, I doubt the two sides will actually confront the mad genius. Except Brynhild. Huh. Isn't a Crusade a bad thing actually? In definition terms, a Crusade was a campaign against non-believers. Why would they call Zezrious a bunch of non-believers? They fought against a the Great Demonic Horde in the past. Shouldn't that prove Zezrious beliefs or standings?

"Is this a green thumb?" Abdul notice my puzzled face.

"Something of the sort. She was a sheltered princess." Alice pointed out.

"I'm going to guess that you know the definition of a Crusade. Pretty much, the light side wants us to join them for obvious reasons. Calling a Crusade upon this city will force our hand. We either fight alone against the countless armies or join them. In my opinion, they are making excuses. Firstly, I bet they want full control over the entire city. Secondly, they want to kill King Len. And lastly, they want us as strong allies. Among the human cities, I think we are the strongest." Digestng this information, I ask this out of concern.

"Will the city be under siege? When will this kick in?" Abdul shrugs his shoulders.

"No clue. They sent a diplomat a few days ago. Give it a week or so, they will have their armies at our doorsteps, yet they should not underestimate our firepower. And I doubt they can lay siege to this city. Even if they have magic, our guns are deadly. We have range and a fortified stronghold. Not only that, we have several armies with a lot of these weapons." Abdul holds up his assault rifle.

"I understand how deadly your guns are, but what can they do against a ranked angel? Or a god rank individual? Surely, you cannot ignore their [God's Realm]?" Abdul laughs at my remark.

"[God's Realm] won't do shit on us."

"How come?"

"Can't disclose it in public and I don't have the clearance to." Clearance? He needs permission to share this info?

"Your military command is weird."

"Say what you want, but you won't get anything out of me. Anyways, the situation isn't that bad. Due to their bullshit, King Len allied himself with the dark side. We have some of their forces in the city. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Right. Let's move on." Leading the way again, we follow Alice to the Adventurer's Guild. Abdul received a bunch of praise as the rest of us remained silent. Arriving at our destination, the building has its own square. Tables and chairs are scattered around the area. The Adventurer's Guild has at least four or five floors, towering over the nearby buildings. The upper part of the building has a trapezoid shape. Other than its height, the building reminds me of an inn. There seems to be a lot of adventurers. All of them vary in equipment and class. Their party groups show some diversity or none at all. Most of them are chat within their own little circle while some adventurers start a conversation with one another. I can see that the latter are a bunch of new adventurers hoping to make a small party or something. As I walk through these different groups, I can feel several eyes lock onto me. Some of these adventurers make a slight grunt or scoff. They said nothing though. Abdul was right behind me, nodding his head towards the adventurers. Heading towards the entrance of the guild, Alice holds the doorway for us.

Entering the giant establishment, this place definitely gave a tavern like feel, but it has a spacious interior. There are more tables and chairs filled with outfitted adventurers. The amount of chatter reminded me of a cafeteria back in my school days. There seems to be multiple boards off to the side. I could only assume that those boards hold the quest orders. A good amount of people are standing in front of them, reading the details of these quests. I can see waiters and waitresses walking between the various tables. I can smell the scent of cooked meat, alcohol, and other delight. It was not a strong scent, but it certainly made my stomach growl. No one heard that... I hope. I forgot about breakfast. Near the back of the room, besides the stairs, was a counter. A good amount of receptionists are stationed there. Without a word, Alice motions me to follow. Trailing after the white hair woman, the adventurers, once again, gave their responses. Some ignored me, some looked at me, some made disgusted sounds, and some glared at me.

I hate being a rank one.

Ignoring all of those issues, we finally arrived at the counter. A strange being was behind the counter. It seems like he was a bartender as well- can I call him a he? The sheer fact that this guy looked out of this world is bizarre. I mean, he looks like a goddamn golem. Eh, is it a he?

The 'thing' in question seems to be covered in armor, but it wasn't the armor that I was use to seeing. It seems alien to me. The texture seems refined like it was an ingot. The actually head seems a bit inhumane as the giant circular red dot moves in the dark rectangular space or pupil? At the top of its dome head, a small horn is pointing out? Can, I call that thing a horn? It seems like a flap more than a horn. Staring at this creature's hands, it wasn't human at all. It has block like designs for its finger and a metal palm. The-

"Yooooooo SZ-060, how are ya!" Abdul ruin my focus. Extending his hand out to this thing, the green armored being shakes Abdul's hand.

"It's been a while. Are you on guard duty or something?" Okay, this thing is a he. The voice projecting out of this being was definitely young and deep, yet it is mechanical.

"Nah. Just helping out my new friend here. Hey, I bet she doesn't know what you are."

"Most people don't know what I am. I went through an extensive surgery and makeover." comment SZ-060.

"I never got your name by the way." Abdul looks at me.

"Aisha." My eyes are still glued onto the weird green man... Or thing.

"Right. Aisha, this is SZ-060. An old comrade of mine who use to work under me. You see, he became a robot. A mechanical being. Instead of flesh, he is filled with wires and a bunch of gears. I didn't want my buddy to die on me after he saved my ass from a certain explosion, so I had to ask King Len for a huge favor. After the surgery, SZ was stronger than before. He can withstand heavier attacks, he doesn't need to sleep or eat, he can equip certain modifications we can't use, and all these other things. He could become a new breed of a soldier, yet I discharged him after his surgery. Didn't want my buddy to save my ass again."

"I got mixed feelings about that still, but I don't mind." SZ continues to wipe the glass mug in his hand, "Been living a good life since then... You better not die on me Abdul. You do that, I'll kick your ass..."

"Or you can tell King Len to make me into a robot, too!" Abdul laughs at his own statement.

"Enough of the stories. I got a feeling Aisha wants to become an adventurer?" SZ leans against the counter, "You will have to kill seven red wolves. Bring me back their pelt as proof of your accomplishment."

"Don't I need to fill out some paperwork." I asked.

"Nope. No need. People who want to become an adventurer will just have to report to their receptionist. I am yours from here on out if you live." SZ place the mug down beside him. "Tis the beginning of your own journey miss. If you don't want to carry it out, just leave it be."

"I will obtain your seven wolf pelts. When is the due date?"

"Whenever you get them. Just deliver them to me. I'll teach you the proper etiquettes of the adventurer and give you your own card when the time comes. While I'm at it, you hungry?" My stomach decides to let out a low growl. Rolling my eyes, I give in to my hunger.

"Yeah, what do you have to eat..."

After we ate at the Adventurer's Guild, we went on our merry way. Abdul and his subordinate followed us out. The Adventurer's Guild was alright. In terms of its services, I could get use to the place. The only issue is the requirement. I, becoming a soon to be adventure, was allowed to dine in such an establishment. This was just a one time exception. If I wanted to sleep and dine in the Adventurer's Guild again, I must be an adventurer. I must have my card on me. With that being said,I could not bring my family into this place unless everyone in my party was an adventurer. Also, the Adventurer's Guild, even if it was so spacious and had many floors, was packed. I guess they can only hold a good one hundred to three hundred adventurers. The treatment I received though and the stares were harsh. They really disliked my rank. Abdul rubs his chin. Well, his gas mask more than his chin.

"The amount of adventurers is rather high. I guess people like the sense of danger or they are aiding us in the upcoming Crusade."

"Adventurers can do that?" Adventurers can participate in these events?

"Yeah. When a city is targeted, the adventurers can help out with the local ruler. A Crusade is no laughing matter. Let's say you did not get out of the city. When the city is under siege, you either aid in the defense or die. The Crusades and Hell's Wraths are a slaughter. A massacre. No one is spared. Not even a child or baby." This bothered me. I stopped for a second, replaying Abdul's explanation.

A massacre? I understand the ethics of the dark side doing this, but the light? They do this? Aren't they suppose to be... Holy? Wouldn't they spare the civilians? The eldery? The children? The babies? Rubbing my head, I could not digest this information.

"Don't sweat it as much. We won't let them do as they please. I bet Len has a plan for this. Sorry to bring a bloody topic. It is best to know now then later. Steel your mind."

"I had worse." I commented, "This is nothing from yesterday's ordeal."

"Oh? Want to share?"

"Nope." I denied his request.

"Come on! I showed you one of my buddies. At the least, he didn't hammer and question you. The others would have asked various questons and test your patience. They will stall and try to sway you away from being an adventurer, let alone take the test." Oh? So his presence aided me in my application process? Wasn't Alice another factor for this outcome?

"Really?" Testing him, I act clueless to his 'kind' action.

"Really. Most adventurers would have been thoroughly questoned! Especially a rank one!" I really need to do something about my eye. "Having a buddy as a receptionist cuts past this shit. If you bring a potential adventurer to them, they will trust in your word. Of course, if they trust you, and you brought someone unreliable, the relationship will deteriorate. All of the potential recruits I bought to SZ became adventurers. He would not second guess the recruits I give him. I bet you will become stronger than most adventurers."

"Wouldn't Alice be a good influence? She is an adventurer herself." I countered.

"Sadly, Abdul gave you an edge. Even if I give my word, why would a stranger believe me? The only ones who can actually sway them would be someone of high rank."

"They have to be a colored adventurer for that sort of influence." Hearing this, I remembered Gallant's card. Before I can ask my question, a shout was heard.

"That kid took my bag!" a woman yelled.

"... Really? Goddamn kids. Come on Mia!" Abdul breaks into a run. The other soldier follows him into the crowd, disappearing around the corner. I scratch my head at the strange man. Abdul... Why was he helping me? Alice giggles at my expression. I need to do something about that. Actually, I guess it was my body language. I was scratching my head and had a puzzled expression.

Why was he doing this?

"Are you friends with that man?" I asked. Alice shakes her head.

"Not really. I met him at a banquet. It was a one time thing and a very short encounter."

"You knew he had some sort of influence? You let him follow us for my benefit?"

"It was a gamble. I had a feeling that he was helpful. I knew that there might be some issues when with the application process. My plan was to... Well, I didn't need my ace."

"Do I want to know?"

"Something about a ghost violenting their insides or making them feel weird." Melantha provides the answer, flying through my body. The feeling made me sick! What the hell!?! It made me shudder. It was like a giant chuck of ice phasing through me. My mind was in disarray. Alice wraps an arm around me, making sure I didn't fall from the eerie effect.

"Don't do that again! Or don't do it without my permission!" I choked. "Ugh!"

"Look at this rank one warrior, shuddering like an insect." An armored woman approach us. "What are you staring at? You should be bowing your head." Long brunette hair flows down her back. Her bangs sway towards the left. Her silver plate armor hugs tightly to her body, showing her hourglass figure. A sword and shield was strapped on her back. Behind the woman was a female elf, a male priest, and a male lizardfolk. The female elf has auburn hair tied in a ponytail. Wearing a brown cuirass, it shapes around the elven's body. She has a curvy body where her breasts are slightly raised by the tightness of the cuirass. Pauldrons cover her shoulders. She wears brown leather boots and pants, multiple items attached to her belt. Compared to a regular archer, her quiver and arrows are located at her left hip. The bow was on her back. She folded her gauntlet covered arms, rolling her eyes. Was it directed at me or at her leader? I assume that the female human knight is their leader. The male in the white robe holds a brown staff. He was relatively young as I can see a troubled look on his face. With messy black hair, he whispers to the brunette. Around his neck was a necklace with a cross. I could not see the color of his eyes. They were closed. Is the priest blind? Lastly, the lizardfolk wears steel armor around his arms, chest, head, and legs. With dark green scales and a lighter brown color at the center of his body, his yellow reptilian eyes lock onto us. A yellow-orange fin runs along the top of his head towards the back. His tail sways behind him a bit as he is two times wider and larger than an average adult male. He also has bigger muscles, reminding me of my father a tiny bit. His weapon seems a bit strange. It was a spear, but it was a mace as well? Interesting. There was a sharp point at the end of the staff, but it has spikes at the upper half of this weapon for one side. The other side has a blunt, smooth surface. Wrapped around his other arm was a steel shield. On his back, I can see some javelins.

"Impressed? You should praise us." The brunette gloated. Melantha frowned at the brunette.

"Can you punch her?" Ignoring Melantha, I said this.

"Mind your own business."

"Aisha... You shouldn't say that-"

"Excuse me?!" Angered by my response, she walks up to me. Glaring down at me, she says, "I am a SS adventurer! You shall show me the respect I deserve!" Note to self, choose my words carefully. Hearing the shouts coming from the SS adventurer, people crowd around us. Great! I wish Abdul was with us right now. Cursing at my luck, I knew things would get out of hand.

"Tessa, calm down. You shouldn't do this." The priest tires to calm their party leader.

"No. This newbie needs to show respect. What is with that getup? Are you a farmer? A peasant? You shouldn't come near the adventurer with these clothes!"

"Yeah, you should go back to the farm!" a male exclaim.

"Go home already!" a woman added.

I would be the better person and walk away from these fools. Be the mature one instead of an annoying brat like this snobby woman. There was no point in this interaction. I would gain nothing out of it. Tessa has no reason to bother me either. The only thing she's doing is being a bully. I never done this sort of thing towards rank ones. I tried to help them. I tried to help the poor. Yet a city like Zezrious shows such a sickening behavior. A lot of people look down on the weak. But why? Because of their pride? Because they are unworthy? This is wrong. If a rank one wants to prove themselves, why are these strangers bothered by it? Yes, I get it. A rank one is the lowest of the low, but it shouldn't stop them from trying. If they die in their application test, then that's that. Move on. But these adventurers...

"Hey! I am talking to you!" Touching the collar of my shirt, the noise died down.

I punched Tessa away from me. A light gray energy wisp around my hands. Using the martial arts won't reveal my true power. Yes, my [Martial Arts] is at a level of 180, however, you can control the output of your skill. Unrestrained, I would have blown Tessa into a bloody mess. I can't really explain this function very well since it is also a phenomenon. This is something that you can do by choice. Obviously, most people can read their rank and figure out their skill level. In my case, I can fool my opponents. They won't know my actually rank. I could use a sword, but I feel like I might kill my opponents. And... I don't have a sword at the moment. Surprised at my sudden action, Tessa glares at me. Enraged by my action, she pulls out her shield and sword. The crowd starts to cheer. Alice gave me a worried look. I just shook my head, declining any sort of assistance. This was my fight. I decided to retaliate.

A fighter class at a low rank can be quite deadly. Depending on their physical training and teachings, they can be on par with a warrior who is on par with them. In some instances, fighters can handle enemies who are two or three times their rank. Compared to a mana pool, the chi pool can be expanded. Extensive training and meditation can allow an individual to have an absurb amount of chi within their body. And unlike the mana pool, you can regenerate your chi through meditation. I inherited Gale's large chi pool. The man has spent every possible moment to meditate. He also executed and polish on the many martial arts he knows. I doubt I need to use that on my opponent. I crack my shoulders and neck, waiting on the armored knight. Without another word, she appears before me. As a demigod, she can use [Teleport]. Most of the bystanders expected a quick end to this farce. A rank one has no chance against a demigod.

Or so they thought.

I evade her swing, punching her in the gut. Taking the punch, she teleports away. The adventurers were dumbfounded. I have to thank Gallant later... if I don't get in trouble. Sighing to myself, I know for damn sure that there will be some sort of consequence. Might as well put on a show. Using my speed alone, I appear right in front of Tessa. The warrior was unprepared. Defenseless. One would have thought I teleported from my spot. Truth be told, my speed stat was stupidly high. Appearing before the woman, I was going to deliver a flying roundhouse kick. Something was closing on me though. Since I was in midair, I could not stop my attack. The thing rams into me, forcing me away from Tessa. Rolling on the ground, I quickly got back up to my feet. I knew it. The lizardman entered the fight. He was ready for combat, and he was smiling.

"Thanks, Lux." Tessa recovers out of her shock.

"No problem." He rams his weapon against his shield, "I was itching for a good fight!"

"How did she cover that much ground? She used teleport?"

"Tessa, perks, skills, and abilities aren't the only factors in combat." The elf warned. Their leader was unable to get the answer. The giant lizardman approach me, saying, "Stats. A rank one can't teleport, but a rank one can have high stats. Come!" The lizardman swings his spear at me. Dodging at the last second, I watch him charge with his shield up. Rolling off towards the side, I jumped high into the air to avoid his overhand swing with his weapon. Tessa teleport right after me. Motioning her blade arm for a stab, I barely evade the attack in close range. Wrapping my arm around her blade arm, I swing her towards my right. The lizardman teleported on my right, but he found Tessa smacking into him. They both fell down onto the ground as I followed suite. Delaying their attacks, I finally got a grasp of their presence. At the beginning of our engagement, I could not read their presence. I realize that the amount of people can interfere with my readings. Secondly, I can only feel their presence once they use teleport. This was of dangerous. The first strike could have killed me. When Tessa teleported for the first time, I was expecting her to appear before me. If she teleported to the side or behind me, I would have received her first strike. Lux, the lizardman, was just unlucky for his first strike. I guessed right again and had Tessa bump into him. I need more training. Shaking out of their daze, the lizardman was amused by my performance. Tessa, on the other hand, was agitated.

"You..." They teleport at the same time. Lux was on my right, Tessa on my left. Moving their weapons in a downward motion, I waited for the right moment. At the very last second, I evade their strike. Taking advantage of their movements and their slow reaction, I punch them both in the gut. Lux withstood the punch, sliding against the ground as Tessa flies through the air. Landing hard against the ground, she grips her stomach. The crowd had mixed reactions. Some were cheering, some were placing down bets, some where amazed at my skills, and some were speechless. Tessa tries to get up, but she falls onot her one knee. I guess I took care of one-

Ouch. I think I just got charged at. Or tackled. Feeling some pain against my right side and arm, Lux has abandoned his weapons. He empowers himself with chi. This... is bad. Tessa, I could handle. I am use to fighting against a human. Especially a shield and sword. Lux, using my prior knowledge against weapon users, limited himself because of shield and spear mace... Whatever you want to call that weapon. I have fought against a human who can use martial arts. I never fought against a lizardman using martial arts. Hell, I never fought against a lizardman in their own element. To add onto this, Lux was a high god. As a lizardman, I feel like he has a racial perk.

"We should stop." The priest was trying to resolve this fight. Ignoring him, Lux says, "She hurt my leader. I won't stand for it." I just roll my eyes. She should have kept her mouth shut!

Lux teleports onto my location. I anticipated his movement, swinging my leg towards him. He blocks the attack, but he grabs my leg and flings me towards the ground. Empowering my body with chi, I felt the massive impact against the floor. A small crater formed beneath me. Hissing at this, I raise my other leg up into the air and ram my heel against his hand. Letting go of me, I lunge forward and punch him in the chest. This time, I increase the power of my punch. Sending him towards the crowd, he roars at me. Shoving aside the adventurers behind him, he sprints forward. He wasn't teleporting, he has stupidly high stats as well. Raising my arms up, I stood my ground and took his headbutt. I can feel a slight pain in my arms. My moved from my location, finding the adventurers right behind me. Replaying to his charge, I was in front of the lizardman. He was waiting for it, trying to grab me. I evade at the last second, sending an uppercut against his jaw. Lux bears with it, grabbing me with both hands and tossed me into the ground. A bigger crater formed from his throw. I ignore the pain from my back. Getting up, I slammed a power punch in his chest, speeding after him. The lizardman tries his best to defend himself, taking a huge toil from that power punch. I gave him no quarter. As he shield his chest with his arm, I aim for his sides. Trying to defend his side, I focus on his chest. When he tries to deliver a punch, I grasp his arm and fling him over me. When he touch the ground, I deliver a swift axe kick right into his abdomen. Standing above him, I was panting. Sweat was running down my cheeks, using a fair amount of energy against this lizardman. Without my chi armor, I would have taken a lot of damage.

The world suddenly turns upside down. Pain surge through my body. Lux grabbed my leg and slammed me into the ground again. He did not stop there. After he slams me into the ground, he flings me into the air. Powering his own punch, he landed it into my abdomen. Cracking my chi armor, I can feel the immense pain coming from my stomach. It was like a tackle from Golem's shield or the impact of a boulder. I fly high into the air before I crashed into the ground. Lux stood over me. People let out cheers again, but I can see that Lux was waiting for me. He knows that I wasn't done yet. Shaking off the pain, I wrap more chi around my body. I coat my arms and legs with more chi. Lux does the same, smiling at me.

"For a rank one, you got guts. Your name?" Despite the annoying back and forth, I enjoyed this little fight. I gave the lizardman a smirk.

"Aisha."

"Let's go!" Lux charge at me and I mimic his action. Before our fist clash against each other, someone appeared between us. He was holding both of our fist at bay.

"Oi, why is there a fight here?" The dark soldier unleash a fearsome aura.

"Abdul?" I backed off along with Lux.

"I left for a few minutes and this happened. Who started it?!' Abdul looks at me, then Lux. The crowd around us start to disperse.

"Our party, sadly." The priest raised his hand as Abdul rubs his head.

"Explain the situation. Aisha, stay there!" Scratching my head, I sigh at the turn of events.

"Aisha..." Gallant appears in front of me with the other knight. By the tone in his voice, he saw everything? "I saw everything."

Fuck.

As I mentally prepare myself for a scolding and punishment, something weird happened.

Defeated Demigod Paladin.

Obtained Class: Paladin

Obtained Skills:

[Level 139] Holy Armor

[Level 132] Holy Javelin

[Level 130] Smite

[Level 130] Holy Ray

[Level 100] Purification

[Level 9] Holy Warhammer

[Level 3] Heal

[Level 1] Regeneration

Abilities Gained:

[Cast Shield]

[Cast Holy Weapons]

[Purge]

[Regen]

[Earthshaker]

[Self Boost]

[Holy Aura]

Obtained Perks:

[Moderate Physical Resistance]

[Undead Hater]

[Guardian]

[Steel Defender]

Stats Increased in:

Wisdom

Stamina

Vitality

Agility

Unlocked: Larger Mana Pool

Obtained Special Holy Art:

[Aura of Sacrifice]

As if this didn't confuse me enough, a weird box tells me this:

With the skill [Holy Armor] and [Cursed Armor], you have obtained a new skill. Due to the large difference in skill level, the lower number will be applied to the new skill.

Obtained New Skill:

[Level 139] Chaos Armor

Obtained New Ability:

[Summon Chaos Armor]

Having the [Paladin] class and the [Black Knight] class unlocks a new class for you.

Obtained New Class:

[Chaos Knight]

Note: Once a class has mixed with one another, they cannot be used again. There are few exceptions to this rule because of the [Defeat Inheritor] perk. However, this feature is locked until you rank up and obtained a special class.

With the special art [Aura of Sacrifice] and [Black Knight's Last Resort] and having [Chaos Armor], you have obtained a new special art.

Obtained New Special Art:

[Chaotic Knight Aura]

Note: Special Arts can be mixed between each other as long as they are light and dark. This is randomly made depending on your development, understanding, arts, skills, abilities, and perks you have.

What the actually hell....?