“Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap.” The sound of hooves hit the dirt at speed. My focus abruptly switched, and I flung my head to the side, seeing just what the world held for me next.

I saw a group of armored men riding destriers, galloping towards my location.

[Human]

[Human]

…

[Human]

With their massive horses charging, I saw two different styles of the mounted warriors. Half wearing black scaled armor covering their chest with plated metal along their appendages and the others with plated metal on their chests and leather armor along their appendages. But there was something common among them, a crest of the three swords on their chest, identical to symbols on the coins.

“PREPARE FOR BATTLE.” Said by the lead human, and half of them drew melee weapons. Comprising swords, spears, and shields. And the others released their hands from the horse's reins and drew their bows.

Yark.

“HUMAN NAMED ALYSIA, VILLAGER” The vigorous statement rustled the mountain side as it exuded power.

Yark.

I froze, petrified.

Now close enough, the front 5 jumped off their horses and slammed into the ground, bending their knees without breaking their observing looks. They raised their weapons to a battle ready position, walking one foot ahead of the other and stopped a few lengths away.

I could only imagine how I looked to them; A [Villager] with dirt clumps sticking to her cloak, dishevel hair sticking in all the wrong directions, awkwardly wearing 2 sets of clothes, and a bewildered look on her face. Truly, the perfect [Villager].

The led armored human, or at least the one issuing directions, walked forward and approached me, staring into my soul through his armored helm.

“Uhhhh uhhhh, He.. He.. He.. Hello.” I stuttered, attempting to start the conversation as I shy back. He towered more than a head taller, looking down as if to inspect me. His imposing form had the unfortunate effect of keeping my words throat bound.

“I.. I… I mean no har… harm, armored one.” Armored one? Yark, now I’m a country bumpkin. The words, or my stuttering, made the ‘armored one’ relax, dropping his tense shoulders.

“We are chevaliers under orders from the city lord to investigate this area. Recent reports describe sightings of [Evil Myconids]. Do you have any information, [Villager]?”

His booming voice resounded, crystal clear. Not quite threatening, but things could turn south real quick if they assigned me as one. The chevaliers behind kept in position, watching me like a hawk and ready to remove my head from my shoulders.

My poor heart almost explodes with his intense look burning right to my soul.

Well, here goes nothing. “I.. I.. got lost and had to sl.. sleep on the trail here and.. and a ha.. half mushroom half man kidnaped me. He wa.. was questioning me about wh.. why I was on his mountain. He seemed cr.. crazy and then he fell over and died. Name was Stool and.. and controlled the.. the Myconids and they died shortly after.” I said, stumbling over every word I possibly could.

He pondered a bit, looking for contradictions or doubt in my words. “He just died?” The leader asked.

“Ye... yes.”

Looking around, he pointed to the cave I just left. “In there?”

“Y... yes.”

After a moment, he raised his hand and directed four melee weapons and two bow users into the cave. They disconnect their gazes from me and group into formation, disappearing into the cave.

“I hope the information you have provided is true. Wait until we have resolved the situation.” He turned around and took a step before turning back. “And please don’t run away, not like the last guy, please.” With that half threat of a statement, he continued his way to discuss with the remaining group while two chevaliers remained focused on me.

Calm down, calm down, calm down Ayla. Gotta breathe, gotta breathe. I should be at least somewhat safe, considering his last statement, but they are unknown, so assume the worst.

Wait… he’s under orders from the city lord, so he serves some sort of institution or kingdom. Not sure if he was here to deal with Stool or just the Myconids, but regardless, what sort of problems have they been causing to bring these people here? They seem so much more dangerous than Stool, especially as a group.

I took another look, they seem well organized. Their actions and movement left nothing to spare. Whoever they were, they’ve received a lot of training.

I stood there, not moving, trying to appear as harmless as possible. Waiting for the chevaliers to confirm that I’ve been telling the truth. Well, at least most of it. Just in case, tho, I needed an escape plan.

I turned my head and stared down the steep, rocky, and torturous mountainside. The fall would take over a minute as I tumble like a sack of potatoes. At least it's better than death, well, if I survive.

As I’m waiting, I position myself closer to the edge, preparing to jump off at a moment's notice. The chevaliers continued to stare, probably thinking nobody would be crazy enough to jump.

It took a few minutes, but the chevaliers who entered the mountain side cave returned with weapons stained in purple and black ooze. As they exited, the leader turned around and approached me, motioning for the chevaliers to join.

“What's the status?” The leader said once we all gathered around in a circle.

“Sir, we found six bodies inside. Five [Evil Myconids], and a…” The Chevalier paused, swallowing dryly. “A [Human Myconid Controller]...named Stool.”

The air grew stiff, adding a chill to the wind. “... Controller?” The leader said, tensing up at the word ‘controller.’

“Y…. yes.” The chevalier said, almost afraid of his own words.

The leader exhaled vigorously, looking at me and then back. He said something underneath his breath, far too quiet to tell what, but I doubted it was anything good. “We’ll report in the morning, gather what we can for now. What else was noticeable?”

The chevalier didn’t delay. “Yes! A black infection consumed the Myconids, probably related to the [Controller]. There were also signs of the purple poison to aid in controlling. The human myconid only had one physical injury, a hole through his forehead.”

“A hole through his forehead?” The leader asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

The leader looked at me. “Tell me everything you know, in detail.”

He did not ask, but commanded. I didn’t know how a ‘controller’ was problematic, but I didn’t want to test his patience. “Ye.. Yes.” I retold my adventure starting from the night before, leaving out any personal details and how Stool found himself with a forehead hole. I spent no time on that, only mentioning ‘he just fell over.’

He turned to the chevaliers beside him. “With the new protocol by the city lord, we are to destroy everything. Do so.” He commanded.

“Yes, Sir.” The chevaliers formed a fist and laid their arms across their chest.

Turning back to me, the leader looked me up and down… again. I felt him squinting through his helm, as if he’s questioning everything I said, or rather, if my words didn’t tell the whole truth. “You should consider yourself lucky. That man could have killed an entire village.”

“Wh.. what?” There's no way that could be possible, right? He was just a crazed old man who controlled a few minions. Is a controller such a powerful class?

Hmmmm. Wait, I couldn't even figure out Stools' race when using [Identify Soul], but I could identify the race of chevaliers in front of me. The ability isn’t the most consistent according to Hollow, but it’s a sign in that direction.

“Where is your family, and could you explain how you got lost in more detail?” He asked.

Uhhhh, uhhhhh, good excuse, good excuse. “I was trave... traveling to the town and the next thing I knew, he chained me to the wall inside the cave. I al… also seem to be missing some memories.” If Stool was a [Controller] with minions, then I could use him as an excuse. Even if I didn’t know exactly what a controller was, it was the only thing I had.

His judging stare intensified as the sweat gathered along my back, and I prepared to jump off the mountain trail, but before I pulled the trigger, he spoke. “You lost your memories?”

“T…. to be honest, it’s all messed up in my head. Every… everything… jumbled together. It feels like it’s… there, but… I can’t access it.” Almost biting my tongue as I spewed out the words.

“Hmmm. Ok. Wait here for a second.” He then turned around and walked to the other chevaliers. “Ahh.” I let out a sigh, going good so far, but what a day… what a day.

The discussion lasted a couple minutes before he returned with rope firmly in his gasp.

“You're gonna have to come with us, miss.” He said, holding out the rope.

“W.. Why?” I backed away a little, unconsciously, and half a hair away from jumping again.

“You're a woman traveling by yourself and to be honest, I can’t think of a reason a [Controller] would keep you alive. They take over people’s minds and control them. Assured death for the normal person. You said that he chained you to a wall while unconscious. He could’ve taken over your mind right then, but why didn’t he? Unless you have more information to share on the subject?” He stepped forward with the last question, already unraveling the rope.

Oh, come on, I can’t say anything to that. Well yark, haaaa, but on the bright side, it’s better than being captured by an evil ‘not quite right’ old man. “I.. whatever it takes to resolve the situation, I’ve already given you all the information.” I challenged the chevalier's stare by looking into the helmet's slit.

Everything was still unknown, but from the looks, I had a better chance with them than tumbling down the mountainside.

“Ha, look at you little lass, but don’t worry. If everything your statements hold true, you’ll be released within no time. Oh, by the way, the names Ilbertus, Captain of the Greycott’s Chevaliers.”

I sigh. Fun times, fun times.

“Yes, although you already know it, Alysia.” I stated my false name, not making the same mistake as I did with Stool. I stuck both of my arms out, presenting them to the chevalier.

“Yes, indeed.” he responded, tying the rope around my wrists, not tight enough to cause pain, but enough for a [Villager] girl.

“I’ll also confiscate your bag. Pearse will inspect it during your questioning.” He removed it from my shoulder, placing it beneath his arm.

“Now if you don’t mind, you will ride with a chevalier here.” He pointed to one of the lighter armored chevaliers. “You will leave with him and a few of us will stay behind to take care of this mess. Now follow me. I’ll introduce you to Joss.”

I nodded and walked behind him. Everything should be fine, unless they find the couple books I’m carrying from Hollow suspicious, but I’ll need to find another excuse, just in case.

Rule number 5; If I need to continuously make lies and excuses, it’s only a matter of time till it backfires. But so far, I’ve done what Hollow said not to do, gain attention from someone with power. I’ll need to blend in better once I’m free, but for now, I need a solid story.

I also can’t change my bogus class for now, so I’ll need to find a solution if a [Villager] at age 20 stands out; although the captain didn’t seem to find that part suspicious.

We made our way over to the chevalier Ilbertus pointed at. “Joss, this is Alysia. She will join you, take her in for questioning once you arrive.” Ilbertus said. “Yes Sir.” Joss responded, then looked at me. “Nice to meet you, Alysia. The ride will take a few hours, but we should arrive before sundown.”

“And Joss, I’m not sure what happened, but Alysia has her memories jumbled up because of a [Controller]. Can you give her the basics on the way to town?”

Joss stiffened at the mention of a ‘Controller’, but responded stoutly. “Yes, sir.” With that, Ilbertus turned back and headed into the cave, disappearing from sight.

“Well, then… shall we get going?” Joss said, still perturbed by the captain’s statement. I nodded in approval and he reached down, grabbing my side and lifting me onto the destrier. I almost ‘yelped’ at the sudden touch, but went along with it, wanting to be as harmless as a [Villager] could be.

We took the mountain path down and reached the same intersection I did yesterday. I didn’t have a good chance to observe the environment before, with the ‘running for my life’ thing, but the trees were something else. I already noticed the trees intertwined root structure, but even the leaves were quite different, spiky like needles.

Noticing my gaze on the tree, Joss spoke up. “Rooted trees, almost impossible to cut down and resistant to everything nature can offer.”

“Is it a self-defense mechanism for survival?” I asked, learning what I could.

“Yes, quite observant. The creatures around here are quite strong, so the trees adapted to the destruction they caused, normally during scatterings.”

“Scatterings?” I asked

“Large roaming packs of monsters can cause destruction to the land, uprooting everything in their path. Quite the danger if you ever see one in person, but if you're within the walls of any city, you should be safe.”

I gulped, still unaware of how powerful monsters were exactly, let alone packs of them. “Does this happen often?” I dryly asked.

“No, years apart. We're told when one is nearby and have a couple other failsafe options just in case, so no need to worry.” Joss reassured me, seeing the look on my face.

If monsters are strong enough for a chevalier to consider them strong, then I should consider myself lucky. In hindsight, it wasn’t the best decision to sleep in the forest, but I didn’t have another option. I’m safe-ish now and that’s all that matters. I need all the information I can get. Adapted to this world and its craziness, and even if such events happen, I need to remain calm.

“So, how much do you remember? Ilbertus wanted me to give you some basic information.” Joss asked.

“Um, well.” I furrow my brows, tilting my head. “Not much, it's all a blur.”

“Hmm, ok, let's start with the city.” With that, he started talking about the city named Greycott.

The sky, now dim with the night stars shining though, revealing themselves after a long day. A calming breeze rustled my hair as a surreal feeling washed over me. The horse beneath me shook from each step as the loose dirt compressed, but the horse remained steadfast.

Although I had a couple minutes to take in the ‘Stool situation’ before the chevaliers came. It wasn’t enough to let my mind catch up. Some of it doesn’t seem real, but the way everything felt so alive told me otherwise. I’m still clueless, but less so after some conversing with Joss.

Greycott, the place we’re heading to, is a border city. Relatively small, at least compared to other cities in the human kingdom of Edra. This mountain side and what lay beyond are the real enemies of this region. Hollow's notes about the human kingdoms being unable to expand are still true so far.

The war horses made quick works of the distance, taking us to a clearing, and the massive walls of Graycott revealed themselves. What was clear were the battle scars lining the wall. Several meter long scratch like marks gave off a worn appearance, but one that remained robust. Chucks near the top were missing, with some scaffolding bridging the gap as guards walked across it.

They spaced enormous towers throughout the wall, with large ballistas mounted, aimed upward into the sky. Yup, definitely prepared and safer than sleeping in the wilderness.

Everything looked as expected, but one thing stood out as we got closer. Just over the edge of the wall I sensed the mana fluctuations somewhere in the town. The mana moved around like the air on a windy day, not as violent as the area around Stool, but enough for some unease to form within. I felt nothing directly as I did with Stool, but the thoughts ran a tingling shiver down my spine.

Yark.

Depending on what that is, it might limit my stay here. So long for a long-term stay if my body reacts the same way. Ya know, throwing up my insides before it strangles my mana core, the perfect way to go.

Joss spoke up from behind me, cutting off my thoughts. “I’ll need to report our situation, but I’ll drop you off in a room first. After that, I will come with someone to help with the questioning.” I nodded in response, my hands still tied.

As we approached the gate entrance, a line of carriages awaited passing into the city. The gate guards shuffled around, checking through the back curtains of the carriages and the supplies of travelers. The guards looked distinctly different to the chevalier sitting right behind me, opting to wear minimal leather armor and leaving their joints exposed. Each one was armed with a short sword and a spear.

“Can you tell me a bit about the chevaliers and guards?” I looked around at the chevaliers beside me and asked.

“I don't see why not.” Joss said. “The chevaliers, like me, serve under the lord of the town, taking the more difficult requests, normally outside of the city. And the guards are a separate entity, guarding the wall and taking care of inspections like you see over there.” He pointed at the carriages lined up. “They also manage the smaller problems inside the city, since they're typically less trained. Oh ya, we’re considered distinct entities, but we share a lot of the same facilities since we serve the same mission, to protect the people.”

Made enough sense. “Is damage to the wall frequent?” I probed.

Joss looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Um, not normally. The wall is being repaired, but it takes a long time for the stone to arrive, which might take another few months. Repaired within 5 at the worst.”

I’m taken aback. 5 entire months to repair a wall. Aren't they worried about more monsters attacking? Or a scattering? Not wanting to look like a fool, I held back my further question. Not sure what the norm is around here, so better safe than sorry.

As we bypass the lined up carriages, I saw a wide variety of people awaiting passage. Some carriages had markings along their cloth covered bonnets; Shields, armored helms, swords, and castle walls, a definite theme to be sure. Others were more worn down with patches applied to cover the tears and rips. Even a few travelers were arriving with nothing but the sacks on their back, truly a gamble considering what I’ve heard about the monsters around here.

Heck, even a few gave me a weird look. Ya, ya, ya, I know. A girl who hasn't bathed in several weeks, wearing disheveled clothing with a bunch of rips in it, and looking around like some country gal is riding with the chevaliers. Well, rather than riding with them, I’m more of a temporary prisoner. All the same from their perspective tho.

Looking forward again, I took it all in. Everything seemed calm, collected, and well ordered. Even the people here seem somewhat friendly, at least from the chevaliers. Greycott was a border city, which should help keep my class unnoticed. If it was the capital city, it would be quite difficult to keep anything a secret.

Joss spoke up to the guards once we arrived at the gate, shifting my attention. “Mission successful, but we need a [Veracity Teller] for this young one here.” He pointed towards me. The gate guard looked at me, then looked back. “Understood. We will send a report. You can take her in.” He said.

Joss nodded back and dismounted from the horse, lifting me off a moment later. A nearby guard took the horse's lead, and Joss directed me to a nearby building attached to the wall.

We continued walking, passing by several closed doors and oil lamps attached to the ceiling. Stone slabs and wooden boards throughout. The floor shows signs of wear despite being made of stone, as it’s lower in the center than the sides. Quite old if I had to take a guess.

We turned a few corners, arriving at my interrogation room. “You will need to wait here until a [Veracity Teller] can make their way over. Shouldn't take too long.” He forced the wooden door open and the rush of air made me stumble, pulling me inward.

“O.. Ok.” I said.

He closed the door, and I heard a click sound a moment later, locking me in. I sat down on one of the three chairs surrounding the table. Everything’s going well so far, but what is a [Veracity Teller]? They could be some sort of truth finders, considering the name. Nothing seemed familiar though. Probably too complicated for me to remember.

I took the time to solidify my story, finding more information to support my original story to the chevaliers, but the [Veracity Teller] might throw a wrench into that plan. All I can do is hope.

After a few minutes, a knick resounded through the room, followed by the door flying open, slamming against the wall. A bearded old man rushes in, followed by Joss.

“Come on, Pearse, can’t you be courteous?” Joss comes rushing in from behind with a scowl plastered on his face.

Pearse turned around and glared at Joss. “I’m here to finish my job and leave. Find someone else if you want to.” Pearse flared his nose in annoyance.

[Human Veracity Teller]

Oh boy.