Being THE HERO feels good especially when one gets to defeat sinister dark forces trying to take over the world. And I, Francis Goodlight, born with noble bravery and good beauty in the form of my long golden hair and rare amber eyes, am the chosen Hero to protect Branshire from impending doom. That is until I got beaten by a woman I was unable to identify...

Well, I was able to know her face but not her name. You must be confused as to why I'm bothered and frustrated about this random stranger. It all started a week ago at one of my favorite pubs in the east city called Tolldon.

I was having a great time, telling my chivalrous adventures to the customers who are mostly old folks and young, good-looking women. Ah~ the women~ they're the best antidotes of relieving my fatigue of wearing my heavy armor and a well-made sword that stretches as long as my arms. Both of them being made by the blacksmiths of the Branshire Royal Family. Not to mention my Light Magic given by the seven heavenly beings. BUT! To cut my great story short since I don't want you to get bored now, here's my conversation with the ladies and whoever is with me at that time.

"And then! I slayed him after I tricked him with my Blaze Wall attack. And then! Once his underlings saw what I've done to their leader, they fled away! Of course, I could've gone after them, BUT I was saving my energy to slay the second Demon General . I've to say I'll be leaving tomorrow so bottoms up, everyone! Because you all are my greatest supporters! Cheers!"

"Cheers! We thank you, Mister Hero!"

As we clinked our glasses of beer and wine, I had just finished my fifth glass. Usually, I would've gotten passed out on my sixth glass but who cares? As I was about to get my next glass, someone with a short stature bumped into me and spilt his full small bucket of milk he was balancing on his head on my grand silky shirt.

"AH! MY SHIRT! I JUST GOT IT FROM THE PROFESSIONAL TAILORS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY!!!"

"I'm sorry, Sir! Uhm...does it cost a lot..."

"Of course it costs a lot, you brat! So give me all your Barts at this very moment!"

"Uhm...could you wait till I get another bucket of milk from the market nearby?"

"Huh?! How does a bucket of milk compensate for my precious shirt?"

"No! I mean the milk is for my family..my mom hasn't eaten for the past few days because she gives her portion to my little sister..."

"Geez~ you talk too much, kiddo! If you're buying milk again, that means you've got money in that small pouch hanging on your left hip~ I'll have that! Thank you!"

But as I was tossing the pouch up and down with a smile on my face, it suddenly disappeared as I couldn't feel it anymore in my right hand. That's when a hooded figure, who's just one head shorter than I am, handed the pouch back to the short brat along with a glass bottle that seems to contain a litre of milk.

"Here you go, kid. That would be enough for your family having a week's meal."

A woman's voice?

"Really? Thank you, Big Sis..if I can call you that."

"Yes, you can. Besides you've every right to own those in your hands."

How did she steal it without me noticing her? She sounds happy, talking to him. I'm pissed off. Can't she read the air that I need compensation? That's it. I show no mercy to them.

"Hey! What the heck are you doing? Those coins are mine you know."

As I said those gutless words, I should've known she'll be my formidable foe; for I felt shivers down my spine as she glared at me, even if her face is still covered by her purple cloak. She seemed to be geared up with purple boots and gloves. What annoyed me more is her "disappointed feeling" sigh along with the spiteful words coming from her mouth and her right hand holding her forehead.

"To think you were chosen by the angels-in-charge...if I were them, I would RATHER jump into a never-ending dark tunnel. Not to mention your voice is rowdy that it'll make a kid crying non-stop. Did I forget to mention that you're taking your own sweet time right now? Because as far as anyone's concerned, you should be heading to fight the second one already..."

As she kept on slandering me, I started to lose my patience even though those words of hers sound cringey and long-winded, they somehow tainted the dignity of every generation of Heroes, especially mine!

"THAT'S IT, NOSY LADY! WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU'LL REGRET CROSSING WITH FRANCIS GOODLIGHT!"

"Pranks Goodlight?", she said as if she heard the wrong pronunciation, but I believed she was doing it on purpose.

"Hmm~ No wonder your first name suits you. No. In fact, your whole self is a PLANK to me."

The word "Plank" is enough for me to grab and point my sword at her. The crowd around me got worried saying, "The lady is gonna be slayed by him," "Doesn't Mister Hero slay demons only? Why is he pointing his sword to a defenseless woman?", and so on.

Though I mustn't hurt another human being with my powers, I just want to scare her with my threat tactic. I'll just swing my sword at her neck...

I was able to move swiftly that everyone in the crowd is surprised that I was landing on her left side already. I swung my sword carefully at her neck and one moment later, my sword was broken. No, to be more accurate, it was sliced in half. Before I could question her how she cut Branshire's second hardest material, she said some more slander, but with anger in her voice and her glares becoming more appealing to my eyes.

"Hey, you all. Is this the Hero you love and respect blindly? Because this isn't a dignified attack. No. In fact, he's a dirty cheater who uses underhanded tactics. He doesn't give one a dignified death. I'm disappointed in you, Plank."

No suitable word can describe what I felt at that time. All I know is that my suspicions are correct. That she is...

"Are you working for the Demon Lord, Nosy Lady? If so, then you must be a Demon General...

"You got it wrong. I'm not a General. The correct thing about me is that I live at the Demon Lord's castle."

The crowd around me gasped and whispered among themselves as they were shocked with this surprising revelation about her. I was also having the same reaction except I laughed with sarcasm, echoing the whole building. I began to sound threatening to her.

"Demon Lord's castle you say? Living there could only mean one thing...YOU ARE THE DEMON LORD'S DAUGHTER, RIGHT?! Because rumor has it that he has a useless daughter who can't fight at all. NOW I'LL HAVE AN EXCUSE TO SLAY YOU EVEN IF YOU'RE A WO..."

Before I could finish my sentence and counterattack, my whole body was lifted and thrown on a nearby table. It turned out that the Demon Lady was capable to lift a tall guy like me. Luckily the pain was enduring. I got up immediately to grab my shield which was leaning against the counter nearby. Despite being swordless, I was in a ready position, but I saw her running towards the pub's entrance door. I charged after her with me holding my shield in front of my body. I yelled at her for running away from this noble fight.

Alas, I caught up with her. I was fast enough to be in front of her. I threw my shield like a discus at her because I knew she would dodge it and she did. With all my strength, I snuck in front of her with me laughing like a madman and insulting her that she's too slow.

I swore to myself that I'll show no mercy to any evil beings, especially the Demon Lord's family. I threw my right punch towards her face. For a moment, I thought I got her knocked out; instead, my right hand was caught in her purple cloak. It appeared so big that my face got caught in it. Before I can try to get it off, I got my butt kicked (literally), making me fall flat on the muddy ground, dirtying my precious shirt more. I could hear the whole crowd laughing at me for one moment until there was complete silence. There were some men making weird sounds as if they were charmed by something. Regardless of my muddy clothes, I got up immediately, turned back to confront my demonic enemy...

...until I saw a long purple-haired woman looking quite young and charming with those stunning purple lips and glowing purple eyes. Even her purple clothes matched with her beau...

NO! NO! This isn't the time to be bewitched by this damn demon!

Everyone from the crowd looked at her with wide eyes, especially the men whom I guessed they were falling for her at first sight.

Then, the scrawny boy from earlier on ran towards Lady Nosy for he was worried about her safety, calling out to her if she was okay. To think he should be able to distinguish good and evil beings...

She assured him that she didn't get a single scratch from my half-sliced sword. For that moment, it was my chance to knock her out once and for all. I ran with all my might, raising my right fist, yelling "It's over, you damn demon!"; unfortunately, that was stupid of me, announcing my plan to punch her because she was ready to dodge my punch.

I wasn't giving up. I used my Acceleration Spell, whispering its name that made my punches go faster; yet she was able to dodge all of my fast punches without breaking a sweat.

To think this damn woman is a better fighter than the first Demon General I had slayed a few days ago. But that's enough because I've got...

"SHINING GLARE!"

A special Light Magic defense I was given by the angels' leader, Michael.

Yes! Now my left punch will knock you down completely, DEMON LA...

"Hu...Huh???" I stuttered as my left wrist got grabbed by her right hand. It turned out that something was covering her eyes. Like a blindfold except it's some sort of pink heart-shaped...

"I'm glad I got these sunglasses. I had a hunch you'll use this kind of cheating ability, Plank."

SUNGLASSES?! I never even heard of such item. Where did she get...

Things took a turn for the worst once I was too distracted by the weird item she's wearing over her eyes. She lifted me to swing my body in circles like I'm a cart's wheel. I screamed and yelled for help in a pathetic voice. I was about to throw up until the hundredth spin when suddenly, she had let me go flying up to the sky. The gravity made me unable to control my landing that I made the worst landing in the worst place: the horses' water supply.

As the imaginary stars and sheep float over my head, I overheard that damn Demon Lady apologising to the pub owner for breaking his table. He was surprised that a female demon can feel sorry for causing a mess in the Human World. He accepted her apology. I got frustrated more when she offered her small pouch containing platinum Barts, which is worth more for being rarer than the gold ones.

As she told everyone to help me up by using her money for my medical expenses, that pissed me off. She was walking away, still wearing those black shades, with the scrawny boy next to her. She was sending him to his home, but I was agitated that I got up, ignoring my whole dirty appearance. I shouted some sort of determined oath to her. She was planning to ignore me but I didn't care what kind of thoughts she had on me by then.

"LISTEN, YOU DAMN PURPLE DEMON! I SWEAR THAT UNTIL I SLAY YOU, I'LL PUT OFF MY HEROIC QUEST TO DEFEAT THE DEMON GENERALS! HECK!! I EVEN IGNORE ONE IF THEY WERE TO FIND ME FIRST!! NOT UNTIL YOU'RE DEAD BY MY HANDS..."

I don't remember what happened after that as my mind had gone black literally; well in the actual embarrassing description, I was knocked out by the horses' rooftop's PLANK falling on top of my head.