Chapter 103 – Native Strength

Peronell went to her old friend named Abby. She lives just by the lower house near the elder. Arriving at her house, Peronell surprised her old friend with a wide smile reaching up to her ears. Abby, surprised at her odd friend’s return from the grave gave her a hug.

“PERONELL HOW I MISSED YOU COS”

“You sure are loud Abby, good heavens it has been long since I heard you,” Peronell said that with a bit of tear in her eyes. Ever since she left for the dungeon continent, all she had was worries for her family. She was quite sad hearing about her parent’s death, and even though most of her friends have either died or settled down on the dungeon continent. Peronell thinks that Abby at least wasn’t one of them.

“It sure has been long!” Abby said. “I heard that most of the cousins died in the dungeon continent. Did that include Reynauld?”

“Oh that manwhore...do not worry, I think Reynauld would be happy with the harem he got there. His title as ‘fastest’ conqueror isn’t for a show.”

“Gee, it seems Reynauld is as popular as he was. Are you sad cousin?”

“I am not. I did my best and lost in trying to win his heart. I made a deal that I wanted him only but with how things are with him, and how he could not abandon all those girls. I had no choice but to give up and return here.”

“That is sad. How about you come in cousin?”Abby pointed inside the exterior of her house. Her house was quite simple it had a wooden table, a kitchen, a bed, a carpet. Abby and Peronell sat on the carpet. Abby then went to the kitchen, brought some coffee and laid it on the table.

The two drink their coffee and started talking.

“So you just return because of him?”

“Partly, I had enough of following Reynauld on the dungeon. All the blood, all the suffering, and all the vicious battles are just too much for me. Besides, he can take care of himself, and those girls along with him will make sure that he will okay.” Peronell said that with a bit of spite.

Abby could see that her friend is a bit unhappy. So she said, “Well, all that matters now is that you are back cousin. So where are you staying?”

“At that asshole Pablo’s Inn, on that prized room of his.”

“You seem upset about Cousin Pablo.”

“Well like I said, he is an asshole who sold my house. I can’t believe him!”

“Ahhh, yes I did hear that he sold your house to that wanderer. I know that it was a bit a bad move, but it was partly your fault that you trusted Pablo. Your parents also relied on Pablo a lot when you were gone, so I can’t blame him for taking the advantage of earning a profit.

“Still...to do that without question...so how was my ma and pa after I left?” Peronell said with a frown on her face.

“Your old man died peacefully on the sea with your man, I say that the way they went out was quite peaceful.”

“I see, that is good then,” Peronell said. She was quite troubled about her parent’s nonchalant way of letting her go to the dungeon continent. She thought that they were too supportive to someone going out to their death, she wondered if her parents hated her. But it was not that, it was their own way, of letting their own daughter choose for herself.

Peronell somehow understood her parent’s intention, but still somewhere inside of her mind wanted them to stop her from being foolish.

“I guess they died as they wanted to in the end...those crazy parents. God rest their soul.”

“Your ma and pa were really spirited,” Abby commented.

“They sure are, I kinda missed them now. It makes me want to take that house back even more.”

“Speaking of that house...I guess you want to take it back from that healer?”

“Well duh, that is my home after all...besides I don’t want someone polluting it with alcohol and cigar,” Peronell said firmly.

“So still like that huh...”

Peronell noticed the perplexed expression on Abby’s face.

“What’s wrong?

“Nothing, I just find it odd how that man is still alive.”

“Yeah, he looks like he is at death’s door. What’s his story anyway?”

“I don’t really have anything that much, but all I know that is that he came here with a trooper from the border.”

“Really...?”

“Yeah, it seems that he was a fighter’s guild member who escaped from Lugenstan. During his escape, he got lost in our borders and started asking around for our village. And obviously, with how we are, we don’t let anyone in that easily. That man got a bit of trouble on his end.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“According to the guards who talk it up with the trooper, he was with. He was asked by the leader of border patrols to eliminate some den of bandits.”

“I am guessing he won, considering he was able to enter.”

“He did, but the way he killed the den of bandits was something else.”

“Tell me.”

“The Trooper told the guards that he supposedly uses the river near their den to drown them. First, he collapsed the entrances of the den, and then let the river water flood inside their den. All those who tried to swim out got shot by that man.”

“That is really something else.”

“Indeed, but that is not at all. The leader of the border troops was quite harsh. He was told to do favors in order to be allowed and was ordered around dealing blows to the bandit dens. And all of those dens were destroyed in such weird ways. He smokes them out, collapsed their dens or floods them with water. I heard that the last den made him overcast too much, making his hair like that.”

“So he was used huh?”

“Yep, but even the border troops leader let him go. Hence, here is now in our village, moping around your house.”

“The way you speak of him is quite well...”

“Well, he does heal some of the folks that got their hands cut. The guards also appreciate him whenever they get injured at their patrols. So you could say that despite his attitude, he is quite okay.”

“That’s why...”Abby added. “Be sure not to poke the animal okay cousin? I know your temper can be harsh, so having you kick that man out, and he fighting you desperately could be a problem.”

“Don’t worry I can take care of him. I survive the dungeon continent you know?”

“True, but you should have seen the look on his eyes right? That’s the look of someone who doesn’t have any attachment to this world, the look of a desperate man trying to continue living.”

“You praise him a lot...” Peronell said.

“Not really a praise my cousin, just an observation, I mean I find it hard to believe that someone can continue living like that. So lonesome, and so in pain, as if he is just living for the sake of living, nothing more nothing less.”

“Well he’d look like was always in pain...also that curse of his is really nasty...”Peronell commented.

“True, even I know that there is something wrong with him. But oh well, he is one of those guys that I don’t want to be acquaintance with.” Abby said that nonchalantly.

“Really...” Peronell frowned. “And you were just saying to be careful of this man a while ago. You sure think fast Abby.”

“Well warning my dear cousin about people like him is my pleasure. So please be lenient at the man, so you won’t have trouble.”

“You and Pablo sure always mouths me off with my temper and being lenient.”

“Well it is you cousin, so we just don’t want you getting in trouble.”

“Thanks, I guess?” Peronell said.

“You are certainly welcome my dear cousin. By the way, are you still planning to stay at Pablo’s place?”

“Are you letting me stay in your house?”

“Why won’t I? In fact, I rather welcome you in my house. It is lonely here in this village, and the Elder does nothing but sleep all day...”

“Oh, you are going to inherit this village right?”

“That’s right, but I rather turn this village into a town,” Abby said confidently.

“Good luck to that.”

“Hey now, I am sure that I can do it. I still have long ways to go and get this.” Abby said excitedly. “Sooner or later the king will extend the port of this village!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I heard that the king plans to turn our village into a port. I have some letters from the King, telling us to cooperate on extending the port. The builders will be coming soon, and in just a matter of time we will have galleon ships entering our village!”

“That’s something...looks like I got lucky in returning then?”

“And you my dear cousin will help me! I mean, having an adventurer who came from the dungeon continent helping you should be great right?”

“Haha, whatever you say cousin.”

As the two were talking cheerfully inside the house, a figure runs up to Abby’s house and open the door loudly, this figure was one of the guards.

“Abby are you here?”

“What’ up?”Abby said, standing up.

“It’s bad! A giant saurian washed up on the shore!”

“What!?”

“The guards are trying to kill it but with how things are they won’t last! What should we do Miss Abby?”

‘What do you mean ‘what should we do’, grab a horse and go the encampment already!?”

“Got it, Miss Abby!”

“Fuck, what are those guards thinking about fighting them!” Abby grits her teeth in frustration as she takes her staff on the corner of a wall.

“A giant saurian, huh?” Peronell said.

“Are you going to help cousin?”

“Maybe I will how about you let me handle this cousin?”

“Well if you can then please go!”

“I will then.”

Saying that, Peronell went out of the house and stared at the direction of the beach, widening her eyes, she focused her perception and managed to take a look at the guards containing a giant saurian. An alligator-like being that can stand on two legs, and use its arms to fight.

Peronell slightly smiled seeing the Giant Saurian.

“It looks like we don’t need the soldiers from the encampment Abby...this one is a small fry!” Saying that Peronell muttered something as she summons a bow made of energy, it has a blue-green color and looked more like its burning.

Peronell pulled the strings of her conjured bow and started muttering incantations. After she was done, she stopped, aimed at the saurian that is at the beach and said quietly:

“Seeker’s bolt!”

And with that twelve arrows made of golden light flew up to the sky and targeted the saurian right at the beach. The Giant Saurian was about to disembowel a guard, but when it looked up, it was met with twelve golden arrows piercing its head.

The Giant Saurian wasn’t even able to make an agonizing scream as it just dies like that. The Guards was quite shocked at what happened and when they looked at a far distance, they could see Peronell’s bow disappearing in the thin air.

“That was an amazing move cousin!”

“It is not much really. A magus knight can just deflect it, and a wizard's barrier can reflect it.”

“It is still amazing though!”

“Well, it does look amazing when I see it. But really, anyone who can muster the will to learn this, it is nothing new really.”

Peronell said it with that much of comfort. It is true that anyone that has the time can learn the ways of magic. It is true that there are more those who prefer steel due to not having to chant, but those who master magic can be really dangerous.

And the weakling’s who can’t use a sword relies on magic. But sometimes, there are individuals whose magic capacity is rather low, making them able to use magic, a chore.

But even so, having a low capacity is much better than not being able to even control it without a conduit.