A white flash blinded the troop, causing the attacking man to stop for a second. As soon as he opened his eyes, he could sense something was odd. Nathan’s mana emissions were heavier, releasing a strong iron smell.
“What’s your name, fella?” asked Stokes, pointing at him with his dagger.
“Mephilian Murphy. Remember it. After all, it’ll be the last one you’ll remember.”
Mephilian aimed at his foe’s head. The strike missed him completely. Nathan cut his opponent’s left leg. He replied to the slash with a smirk.
“You know, I couldn’t care less about my reputation. It’s one for all, and all for one, isn’t it? Attack him, brothers!”
“Aye, captain!”
The group of thirty-four men started their offence, attacking him from all sides. Stokes stood still, memorising their position. With every metre they passed, the man was closer to remembering their formation. The mercenaries were two metres from him, and that was when he finally decided to do something. He raised his right hand with his weapon, giving them a malicious grin. Shlick! The Curse Bearer slowly, but surely, cut his throat. The blood poured down his clothes. The fourth troop of Famine halted their offence. Stokes' body dropped dead, hitting the mud with an impact.
“Wasn’t he supposed to be immortal?”
“Yes, he was supposed to be immortal. Moreover, based on our information, he wasn’t supposed to be able to kill himself. What the hell? Was he a fake? Still, why would he commit suicide without fighting?”
All of a sudden, the whole Mundusia stopped. The planet stopped spinning, all animals were frozen, and not even the tiniest thing moved. A black point appeared in front of Nathan. After a few nanoseconds, the whole matter sank into the dark abyss. Tick, tick, tick… The sound of an old clock echoed through the entire world. The time was erased. Three minutes from the timeline ceased to exist. Only one thing remained, and that was Nathan’s memories.
“You know, I couldn’t care less about my reputation. It’s one for all, and all for one, isn’t it? Attack him, brothers!”
‘Twenty-one,’ thought Nathan, preparing himself to strike them.
“Aye, captain!”
The men rushed at him with the same pattern. Nathan slid down the mud, cutting three men’s calves. They folded like a stack of dominoes, one after the other. The rest watched him, questioning how he knew their offence. After all, the group attacked him with a random, unorganised formation. Soon after, his rush ended. One of them pierced his heart, catching him off guard. The man stared at him with utter bewilderment.
‘Huh? He’s a total idiot. If I hadn’t used my technique, he’d be dead in no time. I have to keep an eye on that bearded guy, he’s stupidly smart…’
“What the hell have you done?!”
“What?”
Slap! The man was struck in the face, falling.
“He can respawn you, idiot!”
“So?”
“You imbecile…”
Yet again, time stopped… The sight was filled with overwhelming darkness, erasing everything. In the third loop, he defeated six men, and then he killed himself, slashing his throat. In the fourth, he was able to murder nine of them, and then once more, he rested the timeline. The blood was flashing in front of Stoke’s eyes. One after the other, every time he got closer and closer. Still, he wasn’t content with the outcome of any of them. More mercenaries were dead, but the remaining ones still rushed, yet not at him, but at the villagers. They were cutting heads off men and limbs off women and children. It was wrong to say that Nathan felt sorry for them. In reality, he hated the Apostles more. Even if one’s order was fulfilled, he was feeling like shit for the rest of the week. After almost a dozen suicides, the man was able to defeat his foes.
“Thirteen, thirteen loops were enough to defeat the fourth troop of Famine,” whispered Nathan lightly.
Thirty-three men were dead, all covered in blood and mud. The townsfolk were frightened and joyful at the same time. Yet one was for sure, none was eager to thank their saviour. The sun was hidden beneath the clouds. Thus, the corpses were entangled in the filthy shadows. Nathan didn’t get hit even once in the final loop, making the sole survivor greatly startled. His detached person was menacing enough to make the mercenary crawl away from him.
“I really need a better blade from this dagger,” he continued, complaining about his short blade.
“Huh? H—How? Y—You can’t use magic, nor are you strong physically. How did you kill everyone besides me?” the bearded mercenary muttered.
“You weren’t worthy of my fight,” he blurted, popping his fingers.
Stokes kicked the man, dropping him in the puddle. The foe withdrew his sword, but he was quickly nullified. Shlick! His hands were slashed by the mere dagger. The man threw a kick at the Curse Bearer, but he completely missed. Nathan caught him by the collar of his shirt and delivered a punch. Then, he snapped his foe’s left and right arms in half. The screams were silent. He left the sight, letting him live.
“Why… Why only me?! Why did you let me live?” he yelled.
“Someone has to deliver a message to Famine. You’re the chosen one, feel worthy, I guess.”
Nathan stole a sword stuck in one of the men, cleaning it off with rugs.
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“Oh, and lastly. Tell Famine, and the rest of his fustercluck, including those hideous Apostles, to finally fight me, and not run away from me!” complained Nathan, glancing at the trooper.
The man left the village, travelling further North…
The sun was lighting the stalls, showcasing their contents. Vendors were selling jewellery, food, weapons, or even herbs. Unlike the southern part of the city, there weren't many demihumans. During their twenty-minute walk, they stumbled across four of them.
“I’ve got a question,” said Laudis, walking next to Udania.
“Hm?”
“Why did he rent an apartment for two weeks? Wouldn’t it be more sufficient to go after Lust as soon as possible?”
“I mean, yeah. He has other reasons why he chose to stay longer in Seebadeen.”
“And they are?”
“Surprisingly enough, you were the most injured, yet you healed the fastest. Gladius and Solisia are still a bit wounded, so it’s not an ideal time. We have to rent a ship and a captain for the voyage, and it takes at least a week to find them. Furthermore, we’ve got to buy supplies for four on water. The sea near the coastline of Carola is pretty empty, so we can't fish there."
“I see, but couldn’t they rest on the ship? I mean, it’s not ideal, but we should prioritise time.”
“The waters are filled with sea monsters. The most notorious ones are, of course, Sea Drowners. They’re weaker than the classic ones, but they can hide underneath the water surface. Assassins, that’s the right way to describe them.”
“Oh, that makes sense. Thanks. By the way, what’re we buying for dinner?”
“Eh… Can you keep a secret?”
The youth glanced at her, trying to see her expression. Her face was filled with slight anxiety.
“It depends…”
“I’m not a great cook… What I mean is that I can’t cook pretty much anything, besides eggs.”
“Oh…”
The silence was loud enough for Laudis to force him to change the topic.
“The weather is nice, isn’t it—”
“Stop it. I heard you were cooking when you were… homeless, right?”
“I mean, if you consider burning a pork chop cooking, then I guess you’re right. I’d opt for chicken. It’s the hardest to make it taste bad.”
“Alright, let’s get it, then.”
They walked into the food market, manoeuvring between the mob. After some time, they were in the right spot.
“Eh… Do they use a different currency here?” the boy muttered, looking at the price tag.
“I’m afraid not.”
One chicken cost ten golds. Laudis bought his sword for fifty golds, making the price seem like a rip-off.
“Oh, the camel meat is cheap. Five kilograms for one kilogram, that’s nice.”
“Do you know how to cook a camel?”
“No, but do you see any other option?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
The Crusaders bought two portions of it and headed to buy bread.
“You know, it’s hard to go wrong with any meat, am I right?” he muttered, trying to persuade himself.
“...”
“Yeah… Scuse me, how much is it for those five flatbreads?”
“Two golds and fifty silvers.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Could you pack it up for me, please?”
“No problem.”
The elderly man packed the baked goods in a rough paper bag. Crimson Eye took the package and headed with Udania to the hotel. The lamplighters started lighting the paraffin lamps with long matches. The scent was strong enough to repel the nearby insects. There were mainly mosquitoes and seabees. Unlike normal ones, they were blue and had their hives near the coastline, located on the cliffs. Their honey was considered a delicacy and was attributed with medical properties by some.
“I hate them,” murmured Udania, repealing the insects.
“Why’s that? I mean, I understand the mosquitoes, but bees?” replied Laudis, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah… my bad. Still, it’s strange to see them in person. I heard their honey is also blue.”
“I’d say it’s more like a sapphire.”
“And they say that women are pedantic.”
“It’s common sense, when you’re older than nine,” he whispered.
The woman bumped into him, hearing the whisper.
“Sorry…”
They were walking and walking. It was as if the distance was longer than before. When they were less than a kilometre from the hotel, something made them halt their walk.
Woosh! A man was kicked out of a tavern with his money sack. The coins scattered on the road; a few of them rolled into a drainage. He was wearing beige trousers, brown boots, and a light-blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves. His golden necklace and a golden bracelet reflected the setting, drawing the Crusader’s attention.
“Don’t come back, you, bloody bastard!” the bartender shouted.
“Look, I thought you’d take mendars!” he responded, picking up his spilled coins.
“This isn’t Piscaria, idiot!”
“It’s close enough!”
“They’ve got a different currency in Piscaria?” wondered Laudis.
“Yes. Only the Republic of Carola, the Realm of Luxairs, and the Vampire Empire use golds and silvers as currency. The rest of Mundusia prefers to have its own money and banking system. One mendar is equivalent to five golds or so, depending on the exchange rate of a cantor. Now, would you help me pick these?” the man replied, glancing at the youth.
“Yeah…”
The men were picking up the money into the leather sack, while Udania was looking at the paintings sold nearby.
“You know, you’ve got strange mana emissions. I can tell you’re different from her.”
“I guess. I can’t use— Nevemind…”
“Can’t use elements, huh? I couldn’t use it either, until I was thirteen. There are special items that convert mana into an element. I believe you can cast Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Plant, excluding their healing. Still, they tend to be hell of expensive. You can find them in Piscaria. Thanks for that.”
“Oh, alright. No problem.”
“By the way, do you know a captain who’s sailing to Piscaria? I’ve got a business there, but I can’t find anyone suitable for it.”
“Actually…” the Crusader muttered.
The boy waved at the blue-haired, but she was captivated by the nature paintings.
“We’re going there, also. It's hard to tell if we can bring you. I’d have to ask our captain.”
“Gladius, you say…”
“Huh? You know us?”
“It’s hard not to know someone with a 3,000 golds bounty on their head.”
“I’ve already got a bounty on my head? Still, you recognised me by my description alone?”
“No, I know your companion. There is no clear information about your appearance, except for some brief info. You're described as a one hundred eighty centimetres tall youth with a slightly muscular physique covered in scars. After all, you left very few survivors that night.”
“I see… Before I introduce you to Udania, what’s your name?”
“Marcus, Marcus Tin— I mean, Nightwood, Marcus Nightwood. I got married recently. It’s nice to meet ya, Laudis,” the man stated, shaking the youth’s hand and sending him a subtle smirk.
