What do you see beyond the hill?

CHAPTER 9: VISIT

It has been four days since I managed to use amplify on the spoon. Since then, I have tried to use it on a bunch of things and the end result is pretty satisfying.

"I have to admit that this is surprising." This morning, I have tried to test the wooden swords that we have after amplifying them.

I asked Telestal to use his real sword to break a wooden one I have amplified and even though the weight hasn't changed, its sturdiness has increased so much it took him one serious hit to slice it in half. One would have thought he had no difficulty doing that at a first glance but the fact he is admitting it is surprising by himself means I definitively did it right. The only problem now is how far can amplify go.

After our training session in the morning, Telestal leaves for the town. I stay in my room when suddenly, I hear people running in the hallway. When I leave, I see the maid still standing at my door while other butlers are running up and down. Some are wearing armors while others taking bandages.

"The demons?" Have they arrived already?

"No, sir. A group of black bears has been spotted in the forest near the city. Master is gone for now so we are preparing to take care of it."

"I see. And why are you still here then? Don't you want to go?"

"I…Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, no worries." Just go so that I can leave as well.

I close the door and wait for a while. After some time, there is no noise in the hallway. I leave and go to the room where they were all coming out all armed up. Good thing I checked before going back. When I open the door which is too conveniently left open, I find some armors left but they are all made of leather, there is only one helmet left as well, it is made of leather and gold as well. The most important feature is that it covers my face completely. And lastly, I find three swords left: one made of steel and two made of gold.

"Let's just take both, just in case." Those black bears might not be the same as the ones I know. I don' find a chain so I will just take a rope and a weight like always.

I leave using the window instead and as soon as I leave the mansion, I find guards outside.

"Shit." Let's just lie and say I am going with the others. It's not exactly a lie after all.

"What are you still doing here? The others are all gone already." Thankfully, the guards seem to mistake me as one of the butlers.

"Sorry, I had a stomach ache." I was never good at lying, I know. So, please, stop looking at me like that.

"I see. Just run straight ahead then. The east gate isn't too far but the detour inside the forest will be longer."

"I know. Thanks." I run past them without speaking too much and I can see them sneering at me while I leave. I really am not good at lying.

I run through the houses and the people that are walking and enjoying their time as if there is nothing going on. To my surprise, some of them even wave their hands at me while smiling. Is it really an easy mission? Or is there something they don't know? When I reach the gate, the soldiers there just start laughing but I on't stop to hear whatever they have to say. I leave the town and the forest…is on both sides.

"Just my luck…"

"Just go to your left, you slowpoke!!"

One of the guards screams at me from the gate and my anger just grows. Those black bears are going to suffer.

***

I have been running for at least five minutes now but I still can't see or hear anything that looks like a battle. Which reminds me…

"Amplify." I successfully manage to amplify my gear as I see that wavering light again. Even the rope gets amplified which I wasn't too sure of. Now, I only need to do the same with the swords and…

"Graaa!!"

I suddenly hear a loud noise ahead together the sounds of footsteps coming to me. Yup, time to fight. I take the golden sword and amplified it then jump on a tree and wait for whatever is coming.

Soon after, a gigantic bear the size of a carriage passes by, holding a man's arm in its mouth. Seeing as he has a blade stuck in its fur, the fight must be over on the other side. Well, it's too bad they died, I guess.

I jump down on the bear but before I can reach it, it looks straight at me. Was it the smell? It was raining the other time so maybe I was lucky. Anyway…

The bear swings his paw at me with extreme violence but I launch the rope to a tree and then change my trajectory by pulling on it. After evading its attack, I land then falls back a bit to see how it will react. But the bear doesn't attack anymore and simply looks at me, with his mouth covered in blood. It almost looks like it is smiling.

"You think you are at the top, right?" There is nothing demonic about it, I guess. It is a normal bear just like our world, just bigger. But is it heavier as well?

I bring my rope back and run to the bear. It finally lets the man's arm fall and raises itself on his hinder legs, giving it a whole different look.

"But you are still weak, though." How can you present your stomach to me like this? Even that other one wasn't so stupid. Or maybe it is a trap? Only way to find out, anyway.

I unsheathe my sword and stab straight into his stomach. Was it really thinking it wouldn't do anything?

"Graaa!!!" Anyway, my sword buries deep inside its flesh and blood spurts out, almost blinding me. The bear tries to falls on me but I retrieve my sword then launch the rope at its neck and pull it down. If you want to fall, let's give you some help.

I back away slightly while stepping to the side and places my sword right where its head reaches. It pierces through without a hich. The beast dies without even making a sound. I was trained too hard to fail against something like you.

"Though I guess being able to use amplify helped a lot. Judging from your behavior, I would have had to hit your joints first until you can't move and that's a lot of work with all this fat."

I sit and look at the bear. It is really huge, too huge. Its fur is soft though, but the skin below is tough and hard. I see now why you showed me your stomach, I am pretty sure a normal person wouldn't be able to pierce through this. I go and pull out the blade that was stuck on its back. That a dagger's blade. And it was stuck in the skin, without getting through. So, its skin is not only tough but thick as well.

"You were a fortress by yourself, I see."

Let's go back now. If the others are dead, I have nothing else to do here…

"Tch, why can't I be like him sometimes?"

I run in the direction the bear came. If there is a possibility that some of them are alive, it would be good to help them. I was welcomed here after all. It is a good thing to give it back.

I follow the trail of blood left by the bear and I reach a small plain where corpses lie here and there. But all of them are bears' corpses. There are no human bodies. Did they go back already? Then why did they leave that huge guy behind? He is even bigger than the others I see here.

"Not my problem, just like I said."

Let's head back.

***

When I reach the gate, it is closed. Shit. I can't just go and knock on it, right? I go to a nearby wall. Well, not to near though. I climb it using the rope and when I reach the top, I peek first to make sure no one will see me. Then I get down and run straight to the mansion. People who sees me tries to speak to me but I ignore them all and continue straight for the mansion. The last thing I want is for people to know that I left.

When I arrive, the guards who told me where to go also tries to say something but I don't take the time to hear them and enter. Only problem when I do is that I find someone I never expected to see here.