The Hero of Vengeance

Chapter 14: Onward

My morning this time was quite a bit different. Instead of getting ready for adventuring work, I put some regular clothes on and fastened my sword to my hip.

My armor was badly damaged because of the fight, yesterday, but I planned to go to a blacksmith for repairs before departing anyway.

I made my bed and cleaned up as much as I could.

Then I felt another void in my heart because of Jax.

He had given his life to protect me.

I only wished he could have seen the end of the battle. I hoped everyone would be able to keep the Sleeping Dragon running without Jax and me.

Unfortunately, I was a murderer. And because of that, I had to leave town for a long time.

Truthfully, I had spent far too much time here. By now, I could already have been in Noir.

Even so...

I will always cherish these memories.

Despite everything, it wasn't all bad. I made a wonderful friend and partner while living here.

Once I left my room, I made sure to lock it. Then I went to the dining hall.

"Hey everyone..." I weakly called out to them and work ground to a halt as several people ran over to me.

Aria was the first to reach me and threw her arms around me. Maul and Cleo came shortly after with several of the kitchen staff.

"Mizik! What's going on? Why do you look so sad?" Aria asked me.

Her eyes looked like she had been crying. Same with Cleo and Maul.

"I have to leave. I'm putting you all in danger..." I said solemnly.

"Nonsense! Without you, we'd all be dead!" Maul shouted.

Almost as if on cue, the main doors opened up and a small troop of knights walked in.

Here we go...

Despite not wearing armor, I luckily had my sword at the ready. The gemstones and runes had actually faded back to their original color after the incident.

I placed my hand on the hilt and turned to face the knights.

The knight that looked like the one in charge held up his hand in response.

"Hold, sir. We simply come bearing a message," he said.

I relaxed and allowed my hand to sink back to my side.

The knight leader held up a scroll and began reading it aloud.

"By the order of Duke Oswald, as per the request of...an unnamed individual...the crimes of murdering the two wanted men, Vaughn and Dak, as well as the adventurer Daren in self-defense have been absolved. The Duke sends his gratitude for dealing with the monster that Knight Captain Cain Difar had become. As such, Mizik Iratus is free to go."

I felt a surge of relief in my heart. However, just before the others could begin celebrating...

"The Duke also requests that Mizik Iratus leave the town of Lorelei by tomorrow's end. Stating that your presence here seems to only cause issues of extreme violence," the knight leader concluded.

And with that, I felt a dark cloud form over my heart.

The knights turned away and left just as quickly as they had arrived.

Well...at least Rose came through for me...?

Aria, Cleo, and Maul all looked dejected.

"No! I really don't want you to go, Mizik! You're like the little brother I always wanted..." Aria spoke as tears streamed from her eyes.

Cleo and Maul remained silent. Understanding that there was nothing that could be done.

"I want to stay and help you all clean up, but...I have to-"

"Don't worry, Mizik. You have a few things to do before you set off, right?" Cleo said.

"Yeah..."

"We understand. We'll be here if you need us," Cleo said.

"Thanks, Cleo. And everyone else, too," I said.

They all nodded and I went on my way.

I left my armor at the closest blacksmith shop and was told to come back for it tomorrow. Next, I went to Mason's place.

I moved swiftly through the shop and set my sword on the front counter before Mason.

He tilted his head and examined the sword.

"M-m-my word! This sword is incredible!!! I never thought you would actually unlock its true power!" Mason exclaimed as he looked at it. "Mizik, this is one of the legendary magic swords!! A truly spectacular item!"

One of...THE legendary swords? How is that possible...?

In our world, Avernia, existed twelve legendary magic swords of great power. They were held by warriors of incredible strength and were often viewed as hero's weapons.

But as far as I knew...

They were all currently being used by other people.

What the hell was this one doing in Lorelei? And why was it referred to as one of the twelve?

I knew a few of them, but I had never heard of Vengeance.

"I unlocked it yesterday to kill a monster. I'm supposed to leave town tomorrow, so I thought you'd want to see it," I said.

Mason had always been curious about the sword, so it would only be right to show him that I could finally use it.

I took the sword and unsheathed it. I allowed Mason to examine the runes on the blade.

"Yes...this is truly exquisite craftsmanship. Additionally, the arcane script etched onto the blade is unknown. I can't read it, regrettably."

I took the sword and placed it and its scabbard back into my inventory.

"I am truly glad to have seen such a wonderful thing. I thank you, Mizik. I am also sorry to see you go... But I do hope you'll keep in contact with us here," Mason said with a weak smile.

"I'll see what I can do," I said.

* * *

After that, I met up with Rose at the guild.

"First off...thank you so much!" I said as I bowed deeply to her.

"No worries! Really, it isn't a problem. You didn't commit those crimes out of malice, so it wasn't hard to get them absolved. Not to mention, the Duke doesn't have any real power anymore after the King abolished the noble's domains. Now then, we'll be moving to Albatross on foot tomorrow. Make sure you pack plenty of things to eat!" Rose said.

"Right. Although, if we run out of food, I can always hunt," I said.

"You can hunt!?"

"I can hunt, fish, prepare food, and survive in the wilderness. My dad taught me everything about those skills. I've been practicing for years since I was a little kid," I said.

"Wow...I didn't expect that out of an Iratus. But all the same! Those are great skills to have!" Rose said.

"Do you have any survival skills, Rose?"

She froze in place and hesitated.

"Ehm...I'm pretty good at...making a fire...I guess... I know, okay?! I'm an adventurer that has trouble surviving in the wilderness! I'm sorry!" She said.

I laughed a bit.

"Wh-what's so funny!?" She said.

"Ah, I just thought it would be nice to have someone rely on me to survive. But don't worry about it. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. That's what my dad always told me," I said.

"Wait...you weren't laughing at me?"

"Of course not. I've been bullied and made fun of since I was little. It would be wrong of me to turn around and do that to someone else."

Rose didn't say anything for a moment.

"R-right...thank you, Mizik..." She said.

"Don't mention it. Can you meet me at the Inn before we go, tomorrow?"

She nodded.

"I'd be glad to. I'll see you then!" Rose said.

And with that, I went home. The kitchen was still intact, so Maul made sure to pack plenty of things for me to eat.

When all was said and done, I returned to my room.

Cleo let me use the room one last night. I stuck to my normal routine and went to sleep.

* * *

At last, the day was here. I made my bed and cleaned the room as much as I could.

I made sure to lock the door behind me and made my way to the front desk.

Cleo had been standing there and I placed the key in front of her.

She shook her head.

"Keep it. You'll always have a place here with us. Let that be a memento for you, dear," she said.

I pulled out my father's satchel and slid the key into it.

As I placed it in my inventory, I felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around me tightly.

It was Aria.

She was crying on me as well.

"Aria sweetie, you really need to let him go. He has to do what he has to do. We don't have a choice..." Cleo said solemnly.

"No! Please don't let him go!" Aria responded tearfully.

I felt a deep sadness creep onto me.

I did everything I could to force the tears back. If I broke down here, I wouldn't stop crying.

I knew I would miss Aria more than anyone else...

"Aria, one day, after I get to Noir and take over the family, I promise I'll make a better place for all of you. None of you will ever have to worry about anything ever again," I said.

I heard her stop sniffling and she spoke quietly to me.

"Promise...? We'll get to see you again?" She asked.

"Promise."

With that Aria slowly let go of me and stood back.

"Can you really keep such a promise, Mizik?" Cleo asked.

"I can. I have the documents proving ownership of the estate in Noir. I'll do my best to make a better life for all of you."

"Then we'll hold you to it," Cleo said with a solemn smile.

Then Maul handed me something.

It was a folded map and a compass.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"To help you find your way. They're enchanted. I used to use them back when I was an adventurer, but they haven't done me good in years. Treat them well," Maul said.

"Thanks, Maul. I plan to go to Albatross with Rose to rest for a while before heading to Noir. Hopefully, I can find a place to stay," I said.

"Which reminds me..." Maul said.

He pulled a letter from his inventory and handed it to me.

"My brother Jorgan owns a diner in Albatross. Give this to him when you get there. He should be okay with letting you live there."

"Oh! Tell uncle Jorgan we love him, too!" Aria said.

"I will. Thank you all so much. I should get going, now," I said.

I turned to leave and Aria hugged me again.

"Wait! I made you something for the road!" She said.

I turned and she pulled a basket from her inventory. She handed it to me and smile.

"I hope you like sandwiches!" She said.

I hugged Aria back and placed the basket in my inventory.

"I'll see you soon, Aria. Thank you for everything," I said.

"You too, Mizik!"

Once I said my goodbyes to everyone, I went outside.

I saw Rose waiting and approached her.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Aria ran past me and stood in front of Rose.

"Oh! Hello, Aria!" She said.

"From now on, it's your job to protect Mizik. Promise me that you'll protect him!" She demanded.

"Umm...Aria..." I said.

"I promise. No matter what, I'll protect Mizik. He's my treasured friend and I won't let anything bad happen to him," Rose said.

Then Aria smiled.

"Thank you, Rose! And...let me know when the wedding is!" Aria said just before turning and running off.

"H-HEY!!! WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED!!!" Rose shouted.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"That girl...! Is she always like this!?" Rose said.

"I don't know. I've never had a friend like you, before. This is new to me," I said.

Rose sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well then! Let's be off!" Rose said.

* * *

We stopped at the blacksmith to collect my armor and finally made our way out of town.

Rose didn't know which road to take, so I used my new map and compass to lead us.

Lorelei began to shrink behind me as we walked.

I shook my head to clear my mind.

This is only temporary! One day I'll see them again!

We kept going for a few hours until we got hungry, then we sat down on a rock and I pulled out the basket Aria gave me.

"Is that something the people at the Inn gave you?" Rose asked.

I nodded.

"They're sandwiches made by Aria. Want some?" I asked.

"If...if that's okay with you. I have food, but I'm also willing to share. The food that the Sleeping Dragon makes is so good! I mean, it's not as luxurious as the food in the capital, but it's so...wholesome!" Rose said.

I opened the basket and saw a neatly folded cloth with Aria's nametag on it.

There was writing on the cloth

Mizik, I want this nametag back someday and I want you to give it to me when we meet again in Noir. ~Your loving big sister, Aria Kneltol. P.s. You're more like a little brother to me than a nephew!

I slowly pulled out my father's satchel and placed the nametag wrapped in the small cloth inside with my other personal items.

"Her...nametag..." I said.

"Aww! You have such a wonderful aunt!" Rose said.

I smiled just before pulling out one of the sandwich portions and took a bite.

I started shaking and began crying.

"M-mizik!? Are you okay!?"

"Screw Noir...I don't need wealth to be happy... I...I just want to be with my family... I just want to live in peace..." I said through my tears.

Rose scooted closer and hesitantly placed a gauntleted hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Mizik. I promise to help you make sure that your family is safe. Can I do that for you?" Rose said.

"I would appreciate that... Thank you, Rose. You're a better friend than I deserve..." I said.

"Now why would you say that? I think you're a wonderful person, Mizik!" Rose said.

I slowly handed her a sandwich and gave a weak smile.

"Rose, I'm a murderer. I don't really think-"

"I won't hear it! You're the best friend I've ever had! No matter what people say, I'll always treasure you," she said.

I looked up at her.

She had turned away and was eating under her helmet again.

I might not have much of an interest in girls, but if I ever decide to fall in love, I want someone like you. Thank you, Rose.

* * *

Much later, we set up a camp for the night. It was really cold out, but luckily, the fire would keep us warm. I made sure to set up my space next to it. Rose set hers up on the other side.

"Alright. I don't really sleep in my armor, so I want you to look away. I'll be in a sleeping bag if that's okay with you," Rose said.

I wasn't quite sure why she felt it necessary to hide her appearance from me.

"Umm...I won't tell anyone if I see what you look like, Rose. It doesn't bother me," I said.

"I just...need to do this. Sorry, Mizik. It's nothing personal," Rose said.

I just sighed and shook my head.

"Alright then. If you insist. I won't look if you need to get ready to sleep. But first..." I said.

I began setting up traps from my sewer days around the camp.

"Umm...are those...goblin remains?" Rose said.

"I made traps out of dead goblins and used them to make more dead goblins."

"That's pretty hardcore..."

"It doesn't bother you, does it?" I asked.

"It's a little unnerving, but I think I can accept it. Just show me where all the tripwires are, first. I don't want to hurt myself," she said.

I showed her the methods for activating the traps and after that, I laid down.

I pulled a blanket over myself and turned away from Rose.

I heard her taking her armor off and did everything in my power not to sneak a peek.

I will not betray her trust!

Eventually, I heard her lay down.

And then...

I found myself unable to sleep.

She was snoring loudly.

REALLY LOUDLY.

I just sighed to myself and pulled the blanket over my ears.

This is going to be an interesting trip...