Chapter 9: Forced to leave

“Hey, Phillip.” Arthur calls out to me as I swing a spear at a training dummy. “Come here for a second.” I nod my head and set my spear down on the ground. “You’ve been training for three days almost non-stop. Why don’t you take a break?”

“I don’t need one. Whenever I sleep here, I go to my world and relax there.”

“That’d good and all, but you spend so much time here. Isn’t the girl you bought from the slave trader your wife in the other world?” Arthur frowns

“No? Why would you think that?” I tilt my head in confusion.

“Well…” Arthur pauses, “You didn’t hear this from me, but she comes around here looking for you all the time. I always have one of the guards tell her that you are busy training… because well, you are.” I nod my head.

“Yeah, seems normal, she’s been telling me in the real world that she wants to explore the city with me. I’ve been telling her that I don’t have time. The training regimen you gave me is strict and I plan to follow down to the letter.”

“You see…” Arthur sighs, “Well, there’s nothing I can do if you are that motivated. What I gave you was just a theoretical thing. I wasn’t expecting you to actually follow so precisely. In fact, no other guard going through training is as motivated as you, and you aren’t even a guard!”

“Yeah. I have to deliver that letter to your family at some point as well.” I nod my head with confidence and start to go back and pick up my training spear.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something…” Arthur walks beside me as I start to swing my spear again. “I don’t have a wife or children, I just simply don’t have the time. I just wanted you to deliver a letter to my parents. I haven’t seen them in a while.”

“So? They are your parents, plus, I made a promise to you that I would deliver that letter, so I will deliver the letter even if I lose my life in the process.” I swing my spear and Arthur grabs it causing me to almost fall over from the sudden stop in momentum.

“What is your level now?” Arthur asks me with a straight face. I quickly look at my Assistant:

Name: Phillip Tethers

Age: 20

Race: Human

Height: 6 feet (183 cm)

Current Occupation: Trainee

Level: 22

Guild level: 1

Money: 750 000 Silvers

“Uh… twenty two.” I look in slight awe at my level. “I wasn’t expecting that number.”

“You are at the level of the average city guard.” Arthur sighs. “You train way too damn diligently! If you keep going like that, I won’t have anything else to teach you soon!”

“I don’t see the problem.” I scratch my head with my free hand.

“There really isn’t a problem. I’m just jealous that you are rising so quickly.” Arthur grabs my training spear and throws it javelin style in to the stone wall. It sticks in to the stone…

“My spear…” I look longingly at the spear I’ve used for two days.

“You can always get that one back later. It isn’t broken.” Arthur looks at all of the other recruits in the training yard, “That spear stays in the wall! Anyone who touches it will have to face my wrath!”

“Yes sir!” The recruits all salute and then go back to what they were doing before, all of them slightly more nervous than normal.

“Phillip.” Arthur turns back to me. “Go enjoy the rest of your day. Get out, and don’t come back until tomorrow, maybe later. This is not a request, it is a command.”

“Yes sir!” I salute towards Arthur as he starts to walk away. I just sigh in my head and wander towards the exit of the training yard.

[Ha! You trained too hard and got kicked out!]

I know, it gives me some time to relax though. I think my body is going to fall apart…

[That’s because you haven’t been resting for long enough. Take a few more breaks. It’s good to train hard, but if you continue at this rate you might cause more harm than good. You know that, right?]

I’m aware that training too hard can have irreparable effects, but this isn’t my reality. This is a game. I have recovery much faster than in the real world and, I am much stronger in this world than the real world.

[Of course you are.]

“Phillip? Are you finally done training?” Before I realized it, I had already made my way back to the inn Arthur was paying for.

“Yeah, I was kicked out for training too hard.” I sigh as I flop down on the bed Cecilia was sitting on.

“That definitely sounds like you. I thought you weren’t going to be a try hard in this game though?” Cecilia smiles as she stands up and stretches.

“Am I being a try hard if I am just having fun?” I shift around uncomfortably on the hard mattress of the bed. “I’ll never get used to how cheap these beds are.”

“Yeah… so do you have any more things to do in game?” Cecilia asks with a smile.

“Yep.” I respond with a sigh. “It’s a big one too.”

“I see.” Cecilia lowers her head and sits down on the bed beside me.

“You don’t even ask what it is. Ah, you’ve failed again Cecilia. I planned to go around the city with you.”

“Really!?” Cecilia smiles, then hugs me laying down. “Wait…” She sits back up quickly, “Who told you that’s what I wanted to do?”

“I’m afraid that I am unable to tell you. Men always stick together.”

“It was Arthur? Am I right?”

“Nope.” I lie straight to her face, my smile not wavering even slightly.

“That’s a lie.” Cecilia sighs. “It’s hard to read you. You know that? I have to try really hard. Your voice doesn’t fluctuate in tone and your body doesn’t give off any signs that you are lying.”

“Then how can you tell when I lie?” I raise an eyebrow as I look at Cecilia.

“I just guess.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, so you have a plan for us going around?” Cecilia smiles as she lays down beside me.

“Nope. I was just going to wing it. I’ll walk until you’re hungry, feed you. Then we will walk until you don’t want to walk with me anymore.”

“That sounds like a good as of a plan as I will ever get from you.” Cecilia sighs as she stands up, “Maybe I can get some clothes other than this pair you bought me.” Cecilia twirls in a circle, giving me a view of the entire outfit.

It was a simple shirt and a simple long skirt, both white in color. Her long brown hair tied behind her head in a ponytail. All I can say in my mind is ‘Average’.

“That look means all you see is average.” Cecilia sighs as she help me stand up. “I don’t mind if all you see me is as average I know you don’t care about physical appearances much anyways.”

“You are right.” I stretch my arms and smile, “Shall we get going? My wonderful slave.” Cecilia laughs and grabs on to my arm.

“You’re just having fun keeping me as a slave. Sadly though, under obligation, I have to do everything you tell me.”

“No.” I grab the key from my pocket and lock the door to the room we are staying in. Nothing too valuable is in there… except my bow… Ah, it’ll be fin on its own. “You don’t. You have the right to refuse commands that are dangerous in nature or are sexual.”

“You wouldn’t ask me to do anything dangerous, and I give consent.” Cecilia smiles. “But you won’t do that with me. I don’t know if I’m ready for it either…” Cecilia frowns, “So let us forget I even mentioned it.”

“You said something?” I laugh with a smile and Cecilia laughs with me as well. We walk down the stairs and on to the main floor of the inn. We walk to the front when someone grabs my shoulder.

“Can I have a word with you… outside?” It was a tall man dressed in a noble gown and was wearing a headband. His eyes looked unfocused and his face was red. A drunk, in broad daylight? I guess it is a fantasy world.

“Of course.” I smile politely as I carefully let go of Cecilia’s arm. I talk in a quiet voice only she could hear, “Go get Sir Arthur.” She nods and quickly runs off towards the guard station where Arthur was at.

I walk to the middle of the street and the drunken noble follows me alone… is he really a noble? His clothing dictates he would be, but his guards are nowhere to be seen. This is strange, are his guards going to ambush me as soon as I take the first swing at him. Okay, I can work with that.

As soon as I look directly at him, his red face returns to normal and he stops stumbling around. He immediately swings a punch at my head, leaving himself wide open, but I just dodge him.

“You’re not supposed to dodge!” He roars at me as he keeps swinging and hitting nothing but empty air.

I continue to dodge his punches with relative ease. I smile calmly, but If this keeps going… I might actually get hit. I wasn’t expecting to be almost an even match with him.

“Young master! Are you o-” The man that started to yell suddenly stops as he sees what is going on. I don’t really have time to describe it, but he almost looks like he saying, ‘This isn’t how it was supposed to go!’

“Phillip! Just slam the bastard!” I hear Arthur’s voice behind me. I take a deep breath through my panting and lunge forwards suddenly catching the noble off guard. I put my hand on to his chest and push up heavily, lifting the man off the ground. I lean forwards and put all my weight in to a push as I slam the noble in to the ground.

“Young master!” All I hear is the sound of another man falling to the ground and my heavy breathing. The surroundings are quiet.

I raise my head after catching my breath and I see Cecilia running in to the scene, Arthur standing on top of a large burly man.

“Unhand me! Do you know who I am!?” The man underneath my heel yells at me.

“No, do you even know who I am?” I smile with an evil grin at the man beneath me.

“Before all of you go spouting stupid bullshit about who is better. Let me say a few things.” Arthur clears his throat, intending to speak to the whole crowd. “The person who just slammed that noble to the ground is my personal apprentice, and my only apprentice. He comes from another world, one much different from this one. That doesn’t mean, that he will be easy to deal with. In just the four days I have known him, he went from running for his life from a Devil Bear, to having the strength of the average city guard. Albeit his stamina could use some work, his strength is nothing to laugh at.”

The crowd that had gathered all starts to whisper to each other. I don’t make anything out because they are far away and there are just too many noises.

“You may see the slave that is next to him as something he is harassing, but do you not see the smile on her face when she is next to him?” Cecilia at some point had moved behind me. I didn’t notice… I need some rest, or more stamina… maybe both. “However! That girl is his wife in the world they live in… I think…” he says the last part quietly, but everyone hears it. “Anyways, there is nothing wrong with them being close and I have a feeling that this shitty noble had something planned for them? Am I wrong?”

“Who are you?” The noble frowns from under my feet as he looks at Arthur.

“Ah, where are my manners.” He hits his head with his hand. “My name is Sir Arthur Cunningham. I am part of the second division of the royal guard. Pleased to make your acquaintance… Mr. Noble.” Arthur gives a wicked smile to the noble under my feet, and he passes out from shock, his eyes rolling back.

The crowd goes completely silent. I look towards Arthur and frown.

“How come no one in this town knew who you were?” I look back at Cecilia and she just shrugs her shoulders.

“I was transferred here a while ago, but I never made my face public. My name is very well spread and no one dares to name themselves part of the royal guard if they aren’t part of it. You know, torture is a thing some people think is entertaining.” I nod my head as I pick up the noble from under me.

“I assume we have to bring this guy somewhere, now that he’s unconscious.”

“Nope, we can just leave him here, he’ll probably be okay, unless the beggars get wind that there are two unconscious nobles, their clothes and possessions may be missing, but there’s no way people like this keep all their eggs in one basket.” Arthur sighs, “Truly a shame. The nobles of this continent used to be more upright. Okay then. Phillip, Cecilia, enjoy your day off and I hope you two have fun exploring the city.” Arthur looks at the crowd, “I also hope that the whole city knows not to mess with either of you, because that will put a royal guard on their ass. No one wants the royal guard on their ass, we get a little violent whenever we want.” Arthur smiles as he walks away from the scene, not a single person dares to stand in front of him.

The crowd quickly disperses as Arthur leaves. The people that had gathered had started to tell their friends of the news. Soon, everyone in the town would know, it would only be a matter of time.

I look to Cecilia as I drop the noble that was on my shoulder back to the ground. She smiles weakly as she holds on to my arm, but she quickly jumps off.

“You’re awfully sweaty, or is it just me?”

“Yep, I’m sweaty. I had a tough time dodging the punches. I’m probably just a slightly higher level than the noble that was attacking me. If his guard had come to teach me a thing or two, I might have been pulled in to a bad situation. This world is chaotic.”

[This is dialed back for consumer use, you know. In the world I watched over, you would have died… five times.] Ireina finally speaks to me once more!

Ignoring the fact that you’ve been really quiet the past few days. I don’t think I really could adjust to a world that is that chaotic. My mind would explode… maybe literally.

“I vote we both get cleaned up and we head out for dinner, instead of lunch. The inn will probably give us food if we pay them.” Cecilia sighs, “And it was such a nice day for walking around too.”

“I agree. You do smell a little.” I grab my nose and wave my other hand in front of me.

“I smell? You better get that nose checked, you clearly smell worse!” Cecilia smiles as we walk back in to the inn to get cleaned up.

I guess now I will finally get some time to relax with Cecilia.