It was a lonely and silent morning as I continued traveling in a moderate pace, all the while trying not to get too captivated with how things are here, and how they look like. Some are marvels of which I have never even thought of existing, yet here they are. The landscape, simply took my breath away.

"I wonder what other kinds of things are out there?" I asked myself, engrossed in the thought and the thrill of traveling alone despite the dangers Sir Hark had reminded me about.

The path was clear and paved, empty without signs of life other than the wildlife teeming around the nearby forests.

Having traveled further up the road, I came to the presence of two old couples wearing tattered brown cloaks, looking dreary and tired as their mule strode slowly through the road, heaving a wagon of hay and farming equipment that I am familiar of.

Behind them were more people of varying ages, riding in wagons, making a trail of them in an amazingly organized fashion. Each one looked ragged and dirtied, keeping to themselves while they traveled, looking down depressingly at the ground.

The old man looks up at me as I decrease my pace, coming up to greet them with a smile.

He lifts his straw hat with his thumb and nods, showing his dirtied and weary face.

"What happened? Is something wrong?" I asked, alarmed by the look on his face.

"Oh, it's nothing, young man. Just a bit roughed up by the local ruffians," he manages a wry smile, not convincing me in the least of its authenticity.

"Where are you all headed? It seems like everyone's going to the same place as you two."

"You're right. We're all headed to Lavis in hopes of finding some residence. I don't think we can live out there anymore, what with all the demons rampaging, and the bandits taking all of our hard-earned belongings."

Bandits? I thought to myself.

"Our son's gone to fight them with the others. I can't dare to think why we would let such young kids go, much less to defend us. Those fiends weren't satisfied with taking our food, so they took the young women as well," the old woman beside him said, weeping.

"I think I can help you out. I might not look like it, but I can use a sword. Please, let me help you!" I blurted out, unsure about the danger that might come with my brash decisions. But something inside me said to do it, otherwise, I'd lose one of the many things I've swore to fight for. I know it's what's right as well.

The old man stared at me wide eyed and suspiciously. "Don't be mad, young man. By now... I don't think anyone's still alive anymore. Those bandits were ruthless, led by a ruthless man that kills whenever he feels like it. We owe it to those who stayed to hold them back that we're alive. It's best to move along and don't bother with us normal folk."

"Please, let me. I feel that I can help you, no matter what it takes, no matter the danger. I've already pledged my life for it, so my safety is mine to worry about. Besides, I was trained by two of the strongest people I know. Though I only know about six people, I still think that they're strong," I insisted, not because I wanted a reward, but because it felt like it was my first test into becoming what I should become. That comes with helping and protecting those in need. If I can't help these people, then what use am I to the rest of the people I meet?

"Fine, I've already tried to stop you, so I won't anymore. It's your life on the line. I say I wouldn't waste it for the world. Would it be worth it in the end?" he dismisses his own question. "Up that hill to your east. You'll past a small forest, but a paved path will guide you there. A village is up that mountain, boarded up by a small wooden fortification."

"I won't say that you have to do it, but please, save my grandson and granddaughter. I don't know how much hope I should entrust to a young man like you, but I have nothing else to lose other than myself. You will earn my undying gratitude if you can save them," he pleaded, weeping as well.

"Leave it to me. There's no way I can fail. With the way I was trained, I should be more than confident," I said to myself, beaming him a smile. Tugging on the reins of my horse, I then left with a good speed, trying to beat the time in case that the worst might happen.

I may not know what kind of people I'm against, but I'm confident that they're not stronger than a demon. I'll just have to keep Sir Hark, and Father's advices to heart, and I'll make it out unscathed.

My surroundings passed me by like a blur as I picked up my pace, turning towards the path where a small forest stood in front of me, acting as a shade from the light.

As I got closer, a wooden wall could be seen, but before that were bodies of unarmed people wielding farm equipment stained with blood on the road. So is the victim, his eyes wide open, as if caught by surprise, then killed without remorse from the looks of it.

My stomach churned, but not as much after having seen something much more grueling before. What terrifies me the most is that I might get used to seeing this. Then I won't be able to feel anything. I might even lose my humanity if worse comes to worse.

More and more bodies appeared, and finally I came just a few feet away from the wooden wall, trying to use the cover of the nearby trees to hide my mount as well.

A small battle could be seen, from inside the gates, raging as people armed with proper weapons and armor fought against people armed with plows, pitchforks, shovels and many other makeshift weapons. They were defended by nothing other than the clothes on their backs.

The unarmored ones were being decimated quickly, while the other ones ruthlessly beat the others who had surrendered, plunging their weapons at the helpless ones down on the ground with a wide grin on their faces, some followed by a loud cackling laugh of superiority.

"Why are they doing this?" I asked myself, unable to understand just where this is coming from. "No time to hesitate," I told myself as my legs froze at the atrocious acts. I made sure that my balance was alright, and that I could pull my sword from my sheath without any problems. Then I rushed from the cover of the tree, eyeing my first target; a large burly man with a darkish complexion and a bandana on his head.

The man had just finished impaling his victim, and is unaware of my presence as his backs is turned to me. I disregard his spiked club and increase my pace, placing my hand on the hilt, ready to draw.

Upon getting closer, I slash... but to my surprise, it didn't cut as far enough as I wanted for it to kill the man. There was a bit of hesitation on my part, something that stopped me from even taking another step.

But now, the man is writhing in pain down on the ground, trying to clutch the cut I had made on his back. This causes him to yell loudly, calling for help.

A couple more emerge from the entrance, armed and roused as they charge almost immediately after seeing their ally down on the ground.

I parry the attack from a man wielding a sword, making sparks in the air as the man reels from me pushing him back. Another follows through with trembling thrust with his wooden spear.

It made it all the more harder to predict where I could dodge as the metal tip was flailing wildly towards me. So, with no time to think about an elaborate plan, I evade and try to run around him, only to be interrupted by another bandit, one wielding an imposing sharp axe in one hand.

I breathed in deeply, not having time to wipe the sweat on my brow. Maybe from the fatigue, or maybe from the nervousness and pressure of being killed by any one of them if I manage a false move, but nevertheless, I push through, attacking the axe-wielder with a vertical swipe of my blade.

He moved back, allowing the spearman to barrage me once more with a flurry of his unconcentrated attacks, almost like they were meant to be like that.

To my surprise, I was able to narrowly dodge his attacks, but his spear grazed and wounded me around my arms and legs. Nothing too serious, but it is alarming the way I'm careless enough to be defenseless, allowing them to attack me like that.

"Damn," I cursed, unable to break through as the three of them made it impossible to take one of them down, not unless I can overpower them somehow.

Yes, that's it! Maybe that can give me the edge for victory. The mark that helped me defeat the demon in Caspia... But just how do I make it appear? Not like it did when I wanted it to. It was as if it had a mind of its own, manifesting when it wants to.

Despite that, I thought and focused on the mark, what it looked like, what the searing pain felt like as it appeared on the back of my hand, the power that coursed within me veins like a raging flood. I clenched my hand, trying hard to make the mark appear.

I could feel all of them, and clearly remember them, but nothing happens. Instead, the three of them charge me altogether, yelling with anger.

Fine, if it has to come to this, then I'll handle it myself.

I distanced myself from them, measuring the range between us as vaguely as I can in my head. Then I went for what I thought was the easiest target, the spearman.

Though he didn't allow me to penetrate his spear's range for long, I slipped by as the sword wielder slashed from overhead.

Chasing him as he retreated, I cut him across his torso with a quick slash, forcing his weapon to part from his hand as the man fell to the ground, writhing as the pain ravages his senses, blood oozing from his wound.

I then turned my attention at the distraught axe wielder, attacking and avoiding his weapon as they were released with all of his might each time, costing him greatly as I managed to stay on my two feet; all the while dodging his attacks as much as I could.

Finally, my opening came. He tripped on the dead body of the bandana wearing bandit that I had left to bleed out, causing him to fall flat on his back. And with that, I thrusted my sword at his chest, a feeling that it was hard, but quick as it pierced through his back, and onto the ground behind him.

What a wretched and dreadful feeling, I thought to myself, making a disgusted face upon driving my sword through the man.

He didn't move, but his muffled voice became gargled noises, blocked by blood coming out from his mouth. Then his arms went limp, and finally his soul left his body.

The last was unfazed, rather, even more angered. He rushed me with a reckless attitude, and that alone cost him his life. I didn't like the feeling of taking another person's life, but it was necessary, I consoled myself.

I didn't move, waiting until he was in the right position. Then I took a step sideways, cutting the man across his belly to his surprise. His overhead slash was much slower than what I had done, but he immediately fell to his knees, unable to realize what had just happened to him. Then his front flopped onto the ground, leaving no one alive in my vicinity.

My head was beating, and my hands felt numb. I was nauseous, and a bit more, I feel like I could have lost my breakfast. A rush of emotions disrupted my mind, and I stood there, unmoving as another battle was taking place inside the walled gates.

It was all necessary, but it didn’t feel like it was.

Bringing myself back to reality, I ignored my victims for now, and began to head towards the gates in a run, still hearing a faint yell, a sign that there was still a battle brewing on the inside.

Upon entering, the sight was more gruesome that what I had seen on the outside. The people wearing no armor, mostly adult looking men, were massacred, some impaled to a wall with their weapons, and some were lying down on the ground in some inhumane way, made to spill their blood everywhere. The ground was painted with their blood.

In comparison with the so-called bandits, the casualties on the side of the villagers were far more than I can think of. Maybe in the thirties, or a bit higher than that. But, numbers don't matter. They hurt the innocent, there's no way I can let that pass.

I took in the sight and began to think of what to do. As I stood there, time was ticking with every second, and every second that passed led to another life being lost.

"I guess there's no need to think about things. Might as well just rush in and let my training do the work," I said to myself, charging at the nearest bandit I see, whose back is turned to me, occupied with fighting another villager whom he has in his mercy.

I strike with great prejudice, cleaving at the man's shoulder, forcing him to kneel. I follow through with my blade and end his life, saving the villager just in time. Yet he was wounded with the battle, forced to sit down, clutching the mortal wound on his left arm.

"Whoever you are, thank you," he manages a bow, his face seething in pain. He might pull through, and he might not, judging from whether someone could help him or not. His mortal looking wound was a horrid sight.

"I-I know what you're thinking, and yes, it hurts. But please, help the others. It won't matter if I live or die, just save them, the children, and the women, please!" he pleads desperately, showing it in his face and eyes.

Without needing to reply, I then charged through, trying to find the said women and children, all the while trying to avoid fighting with the preoccupied bandits and villagers, prioritizing my goal.

The villager's houses were in ruins, and some were burning. farm equipment, weapons, and bodies littered the ground. What should have been a tranquil, green village, was a bloody massacre where villagers fought for their lives.

It looks like in a few more moments of struggling, the villagers are all going to be reduced to nothing. They are at a clear disadvantage, and it is obvious that they don't have any sort of formal training. They would flail and wave their weapons at their enemies, sometimes scoring a lucky hit, in which they lose focus. The situation might get out of hand quickly if I don't do something.

Suddenly, I encounter the sight of several men surrounding a young man wielding a sword amateurishly, shielding the crowds of children and women hiding themselves inside a wooden one-story house. He doesn't look that older than me, but him standing there in front of a menacing group is something to behold.

"Stay back, everyone! I-I'll protect you," he says, stuttering, his sword arm shuddering in fear.

One of them makes a move, rushing with a threatening roar, "Don't get cocky, kid!" he says, grinning with a strong bloodlust in his eyes. "You could've just sat there and died, but you had to act all heroic. Now I'll make this as painful as possible, just like what I did with yer outher friends. Man, you should've seen the looks on their faces when I killed them," he laughed hysterically.

The women shriek, and the children look like they'll start crying at any second. But before their worst fears could happen, I intervene, thrusting my sword in front of the man charging at the villager, parrying his sword barely before it could harm anyone else.

I knee his stomach and kick him away, creating a fair distance between us. The man fell down, humiliated.

"Wha- who are you?! And what are you doing here?!" the young man now behind me asks, surprised at my arrival.

"Worry about that later. First, get them to safety. I'm not sure how I'll do against these people," I tell him. Though my resolve was shaken, It was plain as day that I had to finish this one way or the other. Failing only means that they succeed with whatever they aim to do. That I can't allow.

"But it's dangerous! There's five of them. You can't hope to take on them on your own! I can help you!" he pressed, stumbling with his words.

I tremble as well, but I am able to control myself for the time being.

"It won't matter. If it's only me that they harm, then that's fine by me. What matters the most is that everyone else is safe. I'm just sorry that I couldn't save the rest on the way here," I told him asserting my position as firmly as I can, so that he would back off and allow me to protect them without the risk of anyone else coming into harm's way.

I breathe in deeply, standing firm with my hands tightly on my sword. I keep my eyes at them, making sure to keep track of their movements.

Five at once hardly seems fair with the way I had to fight three at once, but with all the bragging, it’d be a shame if I couldn't back my words up.

They rush together as an unorganized bunch, not planning a cunning attack that could immediately end me.

I aim for one and meet them in the middle, making sure of my spacing so that I would be able to separate from them if it became bad enough of a situation for me.

No second was spared, and my blade touched another without pause. Their behaviors were erratic, yet they had a savagery with their attacks that made it hard for me to maintain my composure and focus. Though I'd back off, they would give chase, and I would find myself at a disadvantage.

I was forced into the defensive, wounded, but still not enough to make me back down.

I rushed and taunted one of the bandits, pulling him with my free left hand, and allowing me to catch him off balanced. With that, I quickly ended his life, but not with the cost of being wounded; a cut on my left shoulder from one of the bandits.

"Tch, damn. He got Jharl, that damn kid!" one of them fumes, looking at the body of their deceased ally.

Just then, an explosion could be heard from the direction that I came from. A pillar of smoke rose from there, then followed by the emergence of a villager.

"Captain! This is bad! There's a mage, and a knight taking on our entire band! We can't stop them, they're just too strong. We have to pull back for now!" he urges desperately, then another explosion booms, convincing them of that decision.

"What in the world is happening anyway?! And what do you mean a mage and a knight? There's just two of them! Are you all that pathetic?!" he pauses, looking at the horizon.

"Fine. Rally back the men and tell them to meet back at the hideout. Leon's going to get really upset with our losses," a bearded man says, running away with his allies following him closely.

I fell flat on my back as they start to clear out. "The sky is so clear and blue. The clouds are calming. What else can I ask for?"

My mind and body was exhausted. I was wrong. Fighting demons and humans are two completely different things. It's not the same at all. I barely have enough left to keep me awake.

But before they could, they are blocked by two people, one wearing a beautiful dark and gold robe with its hood pulled back, revealing a face with the utmost charisma. His eyes were a determined green, and his slightly pale complexion stood out with his aura of confidence. He had a long, dark hair until his shoulders, neatly styled.

The other, was a knight, looking to be just a few feet short from the tall man behind him, maybe the same height as I am. A fully clad knight wielding a sword and a shield, his armor and blade is stained with blood. A helmet covers his face.

"Your time is at an end, unfortunately. It is by some unfortunate luck that you possess which I have come here to save the day once more!" he beckons to them with a wide grin, placing his hand in front of them. "What say you? Will you surrender and hand your fate to these poor villagers, or will you settle for a painful, but dramatic death?"

"I don't care who you are! Out of my way!" the leader of the bandits quickly charged towards the robe wearing mage, rageful and empowered.

"I do not find people of your caliber of my taste. I would rather settle for a dashing hero who disregards his life for the sake of others. Clearly you are different. Now, fare thee well, and say hello to your brethren on the other side," he scoffs, creating a blinding bolt of lightning that hit him square on the chest, sending him back crashing towards a wooden wall.

Two more charge, but are quickly apprehended by the skillful knight, whom uses his shield to bash it against their bodies, then slicing them using his blade, sharp as it can be. Seeing the spectacle, they surrender and kneel, dropping their weapons on the ground with haste.

"How disappointing. I thought that we would have been challenged at least for a bit, but it seems that we have taken this quite seriously," the robe wearing mage frowns playfully, looking at the fruits of his labor.

But before I could relax, a presence makes itself known from behind me.

Another bandit appears to have taken a small girl hostage, holding her by his arm. "Let me go! One more step towards me, and she gets it!" he threatens them, holding his sword up and placing his hostage in front of him.

"Micah! Let her go, you damned bandit!" the young man defending them earlier shouted in fury, only to be held back by some of the women of the house, not allowing him to charge the bandit. What are you all doing?! Let me go! I have to save my sister!" he argued.

It appears that he doesn't notice me that much lying a few feet beside him. A perfect time to save her while I have the chance. This is not something that I can squander on luck alone. I have to make sure that I save her. But, I can't use my blade, otherwise it might risk hurting her.

Then I shall go with my fists. I silently drop my sword and inch towards the man as silently as I can. And with a fluid motion, I grasp the man's sword arm and try to wrestle him for control. "Let her go!"

The girl is free as I distract the man, and she runs off to the other survivors in the house, leaving me to take care of the man.

But his build is not something to be taken lightly. He easily wrests control, slowly overpowering me, putting my surprise to shame.

I use my knee on his stomach repeatedly to make him yield, disarming him. But with a final grasp for power, he jabs at my cheek, sending me down. He takes back his blade and goes in for the kill, holding it over me.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, feeling nothing for what seemed like the longest time. Opening them slowly, I found him not to be there, but instead he was sent back as well, just like their leader. a white puff of smoke came from his body, as if he had been burnt badly.

"How heroic. I have yet to know of your story, but I am very reluctant to know what it is. I assume that you are the said young, reckless man whom has come to save these poor villagers?" the robed man stood in by me, blocking the ray of the sun, but instead replacing it with a smile that resembled the same brightness.

He extended his hand towards me, which I accepted, rising back on my feet.

"You are safe, everyone. The bandits have been subdued, and no others will come for vengeance. Not unless a necromancer brings them all back to life. Unlikely, but who knows. In this world of uncertainty, we no longer know the bounds of human stupidity and recklessness," he announced.

One of the young women hiding inside the house came out, thanking the robed man and the knight with her eternal gratitude. "Oh, thank you! I thought that it was our end. You came to our rescue in our darkest time of need. How can we ever repay you?" she asked, clutching his hand.

"Calm yourself, young woman. There is no need to be frantic. Everything will be well soon enough," he knelt to her level, wiping her tears away with his free hand. "But I would very much like it if you could allow us to stay here for a few hours before we are on our way once more," he smiled seductively, possessing, dangerous sharp eyes.

The young woman stood silent, her eyes fogged up due to the obvious infatuation that I didn't have to read between the lines of. It was obvious that the man's charms were strong enough to influence her upon sight.

"Y-yes, certainly!" she said, returning to reality.

The rest of the young women began crowding over the man, vying for his attention. He became trapped in the middle, but happily obliging to their wiles.

The other children ran up to the knight, awestruck at his gallant figure and heroic display of courage. Almost all of them exited the house to see the two.

Well, as long as they're safe, I've done what I can. I don't need their attention, or maybe I do. But it's not that important now that I think about it clearly.

I picked up my sword and sheathed it, walking away from the scene so that I could resume my travels to the capital. With the time I still have.

But it was not before a tug halted me. Turning around, I found a small girl, a familiar face that I quickly recognize. It was the girl who was taken hostage.

"T-thank you, mister," she said, curtly bowing before retreating behind a young man who looked like he was staring at me for a while.

"I wanted to thank you as well. Though the others don't really see it that way, I'm grateful. You saved my sister, and me," he said sternly. "I'm not even that strong. I had no right to stand before those bandits. I was bluffing. I thought it was my time to go, but then you came. You managed to hold on despite there being five of them. You're courageous, unlike me."

"No need to thank me. I would have done it anyway. If you train hard enough, then you'll forget ever saying that you were weak. And it doesn't matter if you're strong or not. I'm not strong myself, just lucky. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go," I said, waving goodbye to them before I walked back to where I left my horse.

"But wait! Aren't you bothered that no one else took notice of you? I mean, you came first here, and it looks like that you don't know the other two. So, why?" he caught up to ask.

"It doesn't bother me at all. But, knowing people I tried to save are safe is enough for me. Plus, you and your sister thanked me. I'm really happy right now," I parted with them, waving.

Along the way, there were wounded men everywhere. Some were sitting down, trying to calm their nerves, while the others tended to the wounded. The atmosphere was gloomy and decrepit. It's what I expected after all that. They lost a lot of people after all. There's no way they can act normally after seeing that.

Maybe, if I was able to save a bit of them before, then would I have possibly seen a few smiles as I walk here? Who knows. This terrifying uncertainty is always there to haunt me.

Exiting the gates, I went back to the forest, seeing Noel by the tree where I left him.

"Sorry, Noel. You must have been pretty terrified because of what happened. Don't worry, I'm here now," I said, caressing his nose gently, feeling his body shuddering and shaking. He's not that wild anymore, but after that incident in Caspia, he became tamed, enough for me to ride him without worry.

I noticed as well that there were two different horses along with Noel, but the owners are nowhere to be seen.

"And where do you think you're going?" I turned to see the robed mage behind me, and accompanying him, was the armored knight, silent and adamant as I first saw him.

"What do you mean? I have a task to do still. I don't know what else I can do to help the townspeople, so I think my job here is done, not unless they still need me to do something," I checked my items and equipment on the saddle bag.

"In a hurry? Not the person to seek fame, are you? How irregular. Usually, people like you who come rescuing others only seek rewards afterwards. But you, you're as different as one can be in this unforgivig world. Who knew there still existed people like you."

"I don't think being helpful without seeking a reward is a type a person has. Not everyone can stand up with confidence like you two. I merely thought I could do it, but I couldn't in the end. You two were the ones who finished it."

"You seem like the nonchalant brooding type. Be that as it may, you are still hero in this, whether you realize it or not. And, I am very fascinated with you. Why don't you take it easy for a while? Traveling with a wound on your shoulders won't help you, in fact, it'll hinder you along the way. We can help you with that."

"Who am I to deny help. I'll need every bit that I can get, so thank you," I said, finally following them back into the village.

We were ushered to a house where the wounded are being catered to. The insides were full of patients, so I settled on getting my wound treated on the outside of the building, along with many other wounded villagers.

"So, young man. Why was it that you took on this perilous mission all by yourself? You could have passed the villagers by without a care in the world, so why?" he asked, sitting on a bench along with the still armored knight.

"It was because..." I pondered for a bit, trying to think of a response that won't give any hints about me being a Thalisean. Just like I promised with Sir Hark, I won't reveal it, not yet anyway.

"Wasn't it the right thing to do? If I didn't help, then more lives would've been lost. Even if I'm not qualified to stand up for that, knowing that I saved people is enough for me."

"How valiant. I'm getting more and more interested in you by the second, don't you agree, my friend?" he looks to his armored friend, who nods in agreement, still staying silent.

"Now, why not introduce ourselves. My name is Gino Vurzt, a traveling mage, just like you have seen from my earlier exploits. You can call me Gino if you like. It's nice to make your acquaintance," he bowed extravagantly, then gesturing to the knight.

"Forgive my friend's silence, but he prefers to be less of words. His name is Alexandre, a companion of mine. Might you grace us with your name, young lad?"

"So that was what magic was. I have never seen anything like it, but I have read about it in books I borrowed from my father. Zachary Erinn... I don't really know what I am supposed to be, but maybe a messenger for a knight will do. Nice to meet you both as well."

"Well, it is not much of a surprise that magic isn't that pursued these days. Only a handful have affinities with learning. Some are just lazy to even care anymore, so they wait and wither for their fated time to come to an end. Zachary. What a wonderful name that is. But the name Erinn, I seem to know of it, but can't quite remember. I am curious, which knight do you serve?"

"Sir Hark of Lavis. Do you know of him?"

"My, Sir Hark? The great pillar of the south? Who would not know of him. He has stood strong against the demons and the neighboring kingdoms that sought to conquer the land. He has quite the reputation. I won't pry any longer, but I'd like to know, where exactly are you headed? It seemed urgent for you."

"The capital, Ylithia. I have a task there, but it would be best if I kept it to myself. It's not that you both don't look trustworthy, but it's quite sensitive."

"I understand. But coincidentally, Alenxandre and I are also traveling to Ylithia. Would you care for some company along the way? It would make traveling less boring for both of us, if you wouldn't mind, of course."

"I'd be more than happy to have you on board."

"Then it's settled. Let us enjoy each other's company until we reach Ylithia!" he shook my hand, looking coolly as he had done before.

It was then that they tended to my wound, bandaging it after applying some herbal medicine on it. A mint fragrance that stung a great deal. But after a while, it alleviated the pain, somewhat.

After that, I took a rest for a while before we parted with the villagers, leaving to go back on the road with my two new companions. An eventful first day to start off with. But it seems that I still have a long way to go if I want to fulfill my deed.

But why? When I need it the most, the mark doesn't appear. Though I know that depending on it too much is bad, it's unnerving that I don't know how to use my own power. I don't even know how it works.

*sigh* "Might as well just cross that bridge when I get there," I told myself, looking at the vast blue and green horizon.

"Gino, tell me. Why did those people attack the villagers? They posed no threat to them after all. And they forcibly took their food, not to mention their people. After what they did to the village, it's clear that they have some sort of grudge against them, but what?"

"Are you serious? Don't you know anything about the outside world? You must be a sheltered noble then," he replied in clear surprise.

"No, not at all. I lived with my parents in the plains beyond the southern forest. I only left recently, so everything so far is new and vague to me. I only have my book smarts to rely on with some things, but I don't think it'll help all the time."

"Is that so? Fascinating. Who knew someone lived in the wilderness all their live without knowing of what's happening out there. Must be a luxurious life by itself. But, I'll tell you. The people here are corrupt and hungry for power. Everyone is, basically. No one wants to meet a demon, so they try to gain some control over some territories. People are fickle, capricious, and volatile beings. We know when we are doing the right thing, and so do we when we do something wrong. The only difference is that we turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings and convince ourselves that it is the right thing to do. Sometimes we don’t even understand ourselves. Those men attacked the village to plunder them of all their belongings. They wanted to make themselves known and feared, but it ended badly for them. Bandits are sometimes the same as nobles, only much more louder. Do you get what I'm saying so far?" he asked, galloping in a slow pace with his horse so that he doesn't bite his tongue.

"I seem to understand. But I'm confused as to why they would seek that instead of getting together. Isn't that the most important thing of all right now? I know of the conflict between the human race and the demons, so I thought that they would resolve their differences and come together to defeat their enemy."

"We are naive, unpredictable, and most of all, full of surprises. We can control destiny as we see fit, but it comes with its great difficulty. There will be more that we might meet on the road with problems such as that. They're all over the kingdoms. Like a plague, growing in unison with the demons," he said with an uplifting grin, not at all bothered with what he had said so far.

"If there is still something that you do not know, then don't hesitate to ask. I might be able to help you gain some knowledge that you'll need out here to survive. There is also a high chance for demons to appear along the way, but worry not. You seem to be capable, but in dire need of training, so we will help you with that as well."

"Thank you, Gino, Alexandre. I only met you two today, but you're helping me like we've known each other for so long. It seems that not everyone out here is as corrupt as you say."

"But of course, Zachary. Pay it no mind. You look like a genuine person who is pure at heart, untainted, but questionably corruptible... But, you might be wrong. Everyone is corrupt at some point."

I couldn't hear the last part of his sentence, but the former I heard clearly. "What was the last part, Gino? I didn't quite hear it well over the horses making noise."

"Oh, it's nothing," he flashed me a bright smile with his charismatic and flawless face, turning towards the road once more to pay attention to it.