Chapter 2: The first real battle

Airontes bordering prairie - Year 652 - September 2nd - 7:30 AM - Kevin's POV

Akane and I woke up at the scheduled time, the time we got ready and would immediately begin our duel. I was more pumped than ever and ready to see how I could compete against other people; it was also true that she had said that she wouldn't give it her all, but it was still a new experience for me. Akane meanwhile took her sword: it was a silvery colour, together with a circular crosspiece and a golden line in the center that ran along the entire blade, while the handle was blue. We were in the northern part of the prairie, we really had a lot of space to fight in the grass, so there would be no problems regarding the movements to be made during the battle. Even further north, you could see the forest you had to pass through to get closer to the next town; plus we had already placed everything in our backpack, since we wanted to leave for the adventure immediately after the battle. Even though we were in the early morning hours at the time, a slightly heavy sun beat down across the prairie and brought a dry smell to the surrounding area.

"Incredible... what a beautiful sword, compared to me holding a simple iron sword, I make you laugh." I contemplated, remaining quite dejected and lowering my gaze slightly. We were about ten meters away from each other head-on.

"This is the so-called heirloom of my family, my parents wanted to give it to me before leaving for my adventure, so it belongs only and exclusively to the Watanabe house. Its name is Sacred Heart and it is a sword that contains the power of the light!" With a confident tone and a smiling face, Akane explained to me where that sword came from; striking an elegant pose ready to fight. Thanks to the sunlight the blade began to shine, it was truly a fantastic weapon.

"It's true... you even come from nobility, but even if my family or house isn't something special... it seems strange to me that I don't have any heirlooms..." I stared intently at the sword I held with both hands, thinking if my family really didn't have an heirloom.

"If you don't have an heirloom then you are not a house, but rather a normal family, although now even the lowest ranking ones have at least one treasure of their own, so it seems strange to me that you honestly have nothing." Akane explained to me the difference between family and house, telling me that they all had an heirloom of their own in those days.

"It seems strange to me too, what I know is that my dad was a great sword fighter a few years ago, he didn't specify who or what, but he told me that he had faced formidable enemies before I was born, but throughout I don't know the rest. What my parents did was take care of me with so much love and affection, maybe they waited for me to get older before they revealed everything to me?" I told Akane everything I knew in a perplexed tone, immediately filling my head with many questions.

"We can ignore it for now, right now there is something more important to do, so I'd say let's get started! The rules are obviously: don't kill, don't hit vital or very sensitive parts, the winner will be whoever scores first a blow, in the end we are using real swords, we just have to come out with a few scratches." She gave me a confident and determined look, she was ready to put in at least a little effort against me.

"Well, come on... at least I know you won't kill me, that already makes me happy." Saying this sentence in an ironic tone, I began to stare at her intently to see when she would leave. I took a fighting pose while remaining smiling, holding the sword in the center of my body and opening my legs slightly, remaining bent over and feeling the cold handle of my weapon.

"Get over it..." I didn't even have time to finish the sentence before I found myself without the sword in my hands, seeing it in the air and sticking into the grass; I no longer felt the heaviness of the sword and saw that my hands remained open, making it clear that I didn't even realize what had happened. Akane had hit me with the weapon at great speed and took it out of my hands, in fact she was behind me.

"But how? That's all? I remembered you faster." Akane tried to provoke me, turning towards me and making a sly look; I was slightly irritated and felt a slight shame inside me.

"Oh yeah? Now let's see how you'll react!" I picked up my sword which was two meters away on my right, walking towards it immediately afterwards. I began to launch several charged and rapid slashes at her, she was able to repel them quite easily by putting her weapon in front of her.

"Hey hey, I made you a little nervous huh?" The girl was getting excited and amused by how I was reacting; We crossed blades diagonally several times, but she parried each blow easily.

"You're fast, it's true, but being low level you lack strength!" Still smiling, she slashed me horizontally, making me step back violently.

"(Ugh, damn! I have to figure out some tactics!)" I thought with a worried look, trying to recover from the imbalance I had taken. After I recovered I started staring at her intently, trying to find a weak point. Meanwhile my opponent was getting suspicious about how I was looking at her.

"You'll definitely want to find a way to trick me, but you won't be able to since I'll hit you immediately, so you won't even have time!" She gave me a quick shot with a determined and smiling look, immediately after making a quick leap towards me.

"(I can see it!)" She I made a sideways leap to her left having foreseen her move: she wanted to take my sword away and then hit me in her arm. Immediately afterwards, with a determined look, I turned towards her who was behind me; pointing his left hand at her and activating a red magic, she was about ten feet away from me.

"Flaming Roar!" I cast a spell on her that allowed her to unleash a fairly powerful flame, upon impact a cloud of smoke was created around her, making her slightly disorientated.

"Cough cough, ugh... I can't see anything... I'm surrounded by smoke, where is Kevin?" Akane started coughing at her and turned around, trying to figure out where I would come out to hit her.

"Right here!" Exclaiming in a determined manner, I made a vertical slash appearing behind her, thus catching her slightly off guard; she managed to repel the blow but retreated a few meters, out of the surrounding smoke.

"Better than I thought, amazing for a level 1." She contemplated Akane smiling as she watched the smoke disappear, being able to see me completely again. We were both slightly dirty from it.

“I'm not done yet if that's what you think!” I began to smile and remain fully energized, clenching my left fist and realizing that I was able to compete against a noble, who held several levels higher than me.

"Please don't get too excited, I'm not serious if that's what you think, but from now on... as a reward for your skills... I will do it!" The girl came towards me again and threw many different types of slashes at me, from vertical to horizontal and diagonal ones. Her thrusts had much more force than before, so I found myself in difficulty and began to back away from her constant attacks.

“Ugh, man, this is no good, AAAHHH!” At a certain point I started screaming, trying to forcefully repel one of her blows, I succeeded and unbalanced her for a few seconds.

"I have to be strong for everyone! Even if it's a test, I won't lose!" My gaze was determined along with very bright eyes, also using a very decisive tone. Akane was surprised by all this and I started attacking again.

"Come on!" I launched a central slash towards her stomach using all my strength, but she managed to jump backwards in time to avoid it, immediately starting to activate a spell from her hand, she was in mid-air.

"What are your intentions?" I asked remaining worried, the girl was holding a blue light on her left hand. As soon as she returned to dry land she threw it at me.

"Aquatic Current!" It was a water magic, a fairly rapid jet was coming at me. I tried to dodge it completely by moving to the left, but I wasn't fast enough, so my right leg was hit, making me unbalanced and falling to the ground.

"Ugh! Damn! Flaming Roar!" I desperately reactivated the fire magic, a powerful blaze hit her, covering her again in smoke and soon after hearing absolute silence. I waited a few seconds, hoping I had won, but suddenly I saw a golden light that made the smoke completely dissolve, noticing that the illuminated object was indeed her sword; it was glowing and emitting a lot of power.

"But what is this supposed to be...?" I asked, being amazed at what I was seeing, I also kept a very worried tone. That sword had an intense golden aura around it and you could feel a lot of power flowing through it.

"Now you'll see... what differentiates a veteran adventurer from a mere novice." She replied using a confident tone, she was determined and ready to attack me, I didn't know what to do at that moment.

"Is it an ability of those 14 spheres on the tile? Oh no...how can I reject it?" I was trying to think as quickly as possible, trying to find a way to escape it; suddenly an idea came to me, but I wasn't sure if I would succeed.

"I have to try... I've never done it but... I have to try!" With my left hand I charged up some purple magical energy, then placed it over the blade of my sword. My weapon began to have a purple aura around it, enhancing the damage the slashes would cause.

"But what? How do you..." Akane was shocked that I knew how to use a move like that, her face was quite astonished and surprised as she continued to stare at me.

"You don't know it? This is a mana transfer technique, I've never tried to use it...but apparently today is my lucky day!" I exclaimed, becoming convinced and confident again, even starting to smile. The move I had made at that moment was a technique that allowed you to transfer all the magical energy that you managed to channel into your hand onto your weapon; obviously you had to have experience to be able to use it, but apparently I had a stroke of luck at the time. Usually this technique was called: Mana Transfer.

"Pff... I certainly won't be intimidated by such a basic move, step forward, Slash of Hope!" Akane activated her ability by shouting its name, she had learned it when she reached level 3. She came towards me and I did the same thing: hers was an ability that by making the sword shine with the power of light, she could shoot a sharp slash in a much more powerful way. As soon as the two swords came into contact, an explosion was created that completely covered us. For many seconds all the smoke covered a part of the prairie, it was impossible to understand who had won at that moment; at a certain point the smoke disappeared, seeing that I no longer had my sword in my hand and noticing a small wound on my arm that was bleeding. Instead Akane, other than being dirty, didn't suffer any injuries, so she had won.

“Aaahhh… damn… I lost.” I contemplated while I was tired and resigned, kneeling on the ground with fatigue; I was quite disappointed with the outcome of the fight, but in the end I had given my best, trying to win in every possible way.

"You really fought spectacularly, you repelled a unique ability almost completely, even remaining unscathed. If you want...you can join my guild right away...I'm really happy with how strong you can be!" The noble smiled at me using a determined tone and putting her sword back in its sheath, complimenting me on how much fun I had made her, still being a simple level 1.

"I just gave my best, I still wanted to win. But now that I think about it... where is my sword? UGH!" I looked down slightly and was shocked to see my sword on the ground, it was completely split in two and broken.

"(I-it wasn't necessary... the sword that my father gave me with so much affection... it broke...!)" I remained with my eyes wide open and trembling, seeing the sword split in two, not knowing if there was any possibility of repairing it. Akane saw me in that state and decided to comfort me, saying something to me in a sweet tone:

"Come on, don't worry... I'll buy you a new one as soon as we get to the next town!" He placed his right hand on my shoulder, smiling at me as I remained kneeling. Immediately afterwards he offered me his left hand, but I rudely rejected it.

"Do you realize what you've done!?" I yelled at her while remaining heated, standing up and using an authoritative tone.

"Ehh...? But what...?" She started touching her hand that had been rejected, looking at me immediately afterwards with a very sad and dazed face.

"Look, this wasn't just a simple sword... my dad had given it to me, saying that he had fought with it a lot, being his son... he wanted to give it to me so I could use it as best as possible in my adventure... and you destroyed it!" In a loud, angry voice, I continued to yell at her, moving my right arm horizontally outward.

"Really... I'm so sorry, I thought it was a simple iron sword..." Akane began to apologize in a slightly low tone, understanding the situation and still feeling sorry for it. Since I was angry, her apology was of little interest to me at the time.

"Pff... well, it's also obvious... you are nobles... you certainly have food ready every time... you are always without problems and with a lot of money, so your weapons are certainly also very valuable; you think 'normal' iron weapons are important, because in the end it is also obvious, a normal sword is certainly not important TO YOU. But you are wrong, in this weapon there are years of combat and all the feelings of my dad!" I exclaimed, continuing to raise my voice and criticize the nobles. In this way I was also offending Akane, but at that moment I wasn't keeping a clear head.

"It's not true...! I'm seriously sorry... I'll have it repaired if you want! So much so that it goes back to the way it was before! I'm not what you think..." She replied, also raising her voice, trying to make me understand that she she was different from the others; Also, tears were coming out of her eyes because of what I was saying. After a few seconds of her I replied, using a cold tone towards her.

"I can't... I'm sorry, but I can't trust someone like you... I don't want to deal with people like you anymore, I'll go on an adventure alone." Inside I didn't want to say those words actually, even though I had a cold tone, I was actually angry but also sad at the same time. Picking on an innocent girl was a big mistake, after a few seconds I took the fragments of my sword and put them inside my backpack.

"Y-you're really stupid!" Akane began to scream in a forced tone, while her face was full of tears. She slapped me on my left cheek with her right hand, crying and running away immediately afterwards, also taking my backpack; I fell to the ground sideways due to the force put into the blow. I was left quite disconsolate and disappointed, holding a red mark on my face and criticizing my own behavior.

"Oohh... she's right... I'm such a fool... it's really shameful, not even 24 hours have passed since I met her... and I've already hurt her feelings... it will be... .a very hard road to travel." I slowly got up, remaining dejected, placing my right hand on my left cheek; also taking my backpack to head towards the next town; a tear fell as I walked across the prairie.

"(He certainly won't want to talk to me anymore... well... at this point... I started on my own... and that's how I'll end... even if it hurts... so bad.)" After thinking some more with sadness at what had happened, I entered the forest. I was without weapons and the only thing I could do was cast spells to ward off the animals, from then on it became completely unknown territory for me. Obviously I was hoping to see some nice views, rather than encounter some angry animals.

Forest on the road of Adarmas - Year 652 - September 2nd - 8:00 AM

I started walking into the forest to reach the next town and was still disappointed about what happened with Akane, since she was definitely a girl who had a heart of gold compared to many other noble individuals who always took advantage of their privileges. The forest was full of trees and the central path seemed to be made up of a fairly sticky brownish soil, it wasn't real mud, but with each step taken, the foot sank by about a centimetre. Instead, on the sides you could find many trees of about five meters full of leaves, together with the lawn which was all grass and completely green, so well cared for that it looked like no one had ever walked on it, also considering that it had some parts illuminated by the sun. On my left, about twenty meters away, I could see a very small circular lake: it contained such beautiful crystalline water that it certainly made it clear that it was drinkable; but at that moment I didn't pay much attention to it, continuing to go straight with my gaze slightly lowered.

“Woo… I must say this place is so peaceful… and serene… you could be at peace with the whole world.” Even though I was dejected, I turned my head in various directions as I walked to inspect the forest properly: it was really beautiful and peaceful; especially the birds could be heard chirping very often.

"Who knows if in our country there are other places as beautiful as this if not better... I wouldn't mind at all eheh..." I contemplated to myself, smiling again, continuing to walk. At one point the dirt path marked its path to the left, so I made the bend and continued to follow the path. After a few minutes the road decided to make me go to the right, and then just continue straight, as if I had returned to the center, but at that moment it suddenly became uphill.

"Uuhh... it's like I always went straight... but why is it uphill now?" I asked to myself, remaining astonished; continuing to walk without stopping. Finally I could see a strong light at the end of the path, I reached it to find myself a rather wonderful view.

As soon as I came out of the forest, I found myself in a prairie very similar to the one bordering Airontes; but in this I received a most exemplary sight. It seemed that I was on top of a hill while the route returned to normal dirt, plus there was a slope in front of me that allowed me to go down and continue on my way; but the most beautiful situation was being able to see the next town from above. Obviously I hadn't climbed up who knows how many metres, at most it was certainly about ten metres, but it could have been enough to be able to see the entrance to the next town and the houses nearby.

"The prairie is very similar to that of Airontes haha... but you can see that the town is completely different... I can't wait to get in, let's take this descent and then always straight! Courage!" Exclaiming this phrase with determination, I began to reach Adarmas, taking quite a few minutes. Thanks to this beautiful landscape, I had briefly forgotten about the situation with Akane, but this forgetfulness wouldn't last long.

Adarmas - Year 652 - September 2nd - 9:00 AM

I arrived in Adarmas, a very lively place with many wooden stalls on the sides of the streets, it had the beauty of two entrances like any other town: one to the north, which would have been used to go to the next city, or to the south which was where I arrived from . The floor was of a common gray concrete in many areas and some houses were always structured in wood, others instead also with tiles, presuming that those were for the wealthier people. Finally in the central square there were quite a few people, it was truly incredible and heartening how people enjoyed themselves in that place.

“Good, now I have to see what I can get up to in this country.” I was walking among the stalls while trying to understand what I could do. Meanwhile I took my card and noticed that the fifth star had also lit up, I had certainly obtained it in the duel against Akane. I suddenly felt sad, remembering the scenario and looking down, but tried to remain optimistic. Meanwhile, many people could be seen wandering around the stalls, as if they wanted to buy several objects or food in order to eat and have fun; they sold some pretty interesting products.

"I mustn't give up just now... maybe all is not lost... if I become strong enough I can meet her again... and apologize properly. Damn my hatred towards nobles, it even affects innocent people.. I should change this side of me at least a little." I began to ruminate on my behavior a bit, but soon recovered, looking up and trying to think about what I could do.

"So... first maybe I should visit some blacksmith... to see if he can fix my sword or at least buy a new one... honestly I would prefer if it could be repaired... given the feelings that lie within it ." I put my hand on my chin, starting to keep a thoughtful face; Immediately afterwards I started walking to find a blacksmith.

I began walking in various streets of Adarmas, entering some paths that held various houses sideways in a row, one behind the other that were a few meters apart. After a few minutes passed, I arrived in an area where there were no stalls, but rather I had a wooden structure next to it: on the roof it had a sign of a hammer banging on an anvil, managing to understand that it was a weapons shop with a blacksmith inside. I decided to go in, hoping to be able to repair my dad's dear weapon.

"Yo! Welcome! Do you need anything?" I entered this armory where it was all wooden with many swords hanging, with some very beautiful and displayed. In the main pew there was a very tall man, about 1.90 m and already quite a few years old, he was also bald and of muscular build. He wore a typical brown blacksmith's uniform and had a friendly look, along with small black eyes.

As soon as you entered the armoury, you could see on the left some mannequins covered in gray armour, showing clearly the pieces it contained, which were made of steel and certainly resistant. Instead, from the front you could see a thin wooden table with various swords in a row, holding various colors that each of them represented a particular element. To reach the blacksmith I had to proceed diagonally towards the bench, and that is what I did, reaching him immediately after walking on the wooden floor.

“Um… yes, I should ask you a question, do you think it is possible to repair this sword?” As soon as I reached him I asked him this question formally, immediately taking the shattered sword out of my backpack, carefully picking up all the pieces. I placed everything on the counter so he could see; the blacksmith placed his right hand on his chin, thinking for a few seconds before answering.

"Mmmhhh... no, I'm sorry, unfortunately there's nothing more we can do... and even if we could, there would still be only a short time left... you can see that it's all used up... so it would only last a maximum of yes and no two or three months." The blacksmith explained the current state of the sword to me in a confident but sorry tone, telling me that if he repaired it, it would only last a few months at most. Hearing these words I became sad, lowering my gaze.

"Ah... I see... thanks anyway." I answered him in a subdued voice, remaining sad; I put all the pieces of the sword back in my backpack, putting everything back on my shoulders immediately afterwards. The blacksmith decided to console me.

"Come on, don't be down! Let's find a new sword that can be useful to you young man!" The blacksmith smiled at me and bent down to check the drawers under the counter; I looked up again and noticed that behind him there was a door, it certainly led to the place where he forged weapons. After a few seconds he stood up, holding a weapon in his hand.

"So, let's see... how about this?" He took a sword that had a blue blade and a green handle, it looked like a weapon with which you could control water. He showed me a good look, but he didn't interest me at all.

"Weeell... maybe something else eheheh... I don't like it." I scratched my head in embarrassment, giving a fake laugh and a slightly ironic tone. The blacksmith thought for a few seconds and an idea came to him.

"I understand... well... at this point I'll show you my strong point right away! But it's very heavy, let me know!" The blacksmith, smiling, took a black sword from another compartment under the counter, but due to how heavy it was he only managed to take it using both arms, immediately placing it on the table. The weapon had a thick purple line in the center of the blade, thus making it two colors, on the base near the handle instead there seemed to be a gem that always shone purple, while the handle was the same color as the sword.

"Woo... amazing! How does he have a sword like this...!? It looks legendary!" I was wide-eyed and surprised, I couldn't believe that a blacksmith could have such a weapon in store: it looked like one of those legendary swords that I had always wanted.

"This boy... is the best sword I've ever created! I spent a lot of money and time to create it... and I will only give it to those who truly deserve it, with the right price of course." The blacksmith explained to me that this was his masterpiece, using a proud and self-confident tone; placing her two hands on her hips and closing his eyes.

"He So he means that he is looking for the right person...how can I get him?" I asked him remaining interested and determined, I wanted to try to get it at all costs.

"Well, first of all we need to see if you can take it in your hand, this is all I need as proof, ahahahah! But don't think that you need physical strength to be able to do it... in this case you will need your feelings and your emotions!" The man started laughing and was very excited, telling me immediately afterwards in a more serious way, that he didn't need simple physical strength to be able to hold it; as if the weapon decided who its user would be.

"Why does he think I can use it?" I asked suddenly becoming perplexed, looking intensely into the blacksmith's eyes. Returning smiling he replied:

"Your look... is that of a person who has suffered trauma in the past, I can recognize these individuals. But not only that... it's strange... but... I have the feeling that you... are a person who wants to protect the people dear to you, right? You want to achieve a great goal and you don't want to fail; I was like that too at your age, but unfortunately I didn't succeed in my aim... but if I have the opportunity to help someone like you ... I won't waste this opportunity, if you manage to hold it in your hand for a few seconds, I will sell it to you for the sole price of 25 gold coins!"

He explained what the test was about and what he would do if I passed; using a charged tone full of passion. I was also amazed since the money would have even been enough for me to buy it, opening my eyes wide.

"(I only have 25 gold coins and 10 silver coins! But this is a unique opportunity... I can't fail!)" In this world the currency was divided into 3 factors: The bronze coins, the silver ones and the golden; the bronze ones were used to buy things of little value, for example, with just 5 of them you could get a simple ice cream; silver instead for more expensive objects such as furnishings, or if you only wanted to spend 3 or 4, you could have an entire dinner; finally there were also gold coins, those which were basically used to buy jewels, weapons of great value and much more. I saved for a long time until I got to those 25 gold coins, as I thought I could use them little by little initially, lasting me at least a couple of months during my adventure; but if I had to spend it on that sword, I would never have hesitated. Worst case scenario, I could pick up some cash later, so I accepted the challenge.

"Damn... it's really hard... but... dear sword... you... will belong to me!" I used all the strength I had left in my right arm, clenching my teeth tighter and tighter and making noises of great effort; he finally managed to raise it after a few seconds, pointing it completely upwards. The blacksmith was amazed and dumbfounded.

"I did it! Ugh!" After exclaiming this with great effort, my arms remained exhausted and I dropped the sword to the ground, stepping back slightly; it made a big sound effect upon impact.

"Incredible... it's true... you still have to train a little... but that a kid like you can already hold something like that for a few seconds... it's extraordinary... as promised, the sword is your!" The blacksmith smiled big while holding his right hand on his chin, he was really proud of himself. Finally he had found an adventurer capable of wielding his powerful sword, and that someone was me. I went back to the counter and took my gold coins from my backpack, they were worth five each since they had that number printed on them, so I didn't give him 25 in the true sense of the word.

"Thank you so much, I can never thank you enough!" I was happier than ever, even though my dad's sword had been destroyed, I had managed to find a truly incredible weapon immediately afterwards, even managing to handle it; I would never have allowed the sacrifice of my old weapon to be in vain, now I had to give it my all at all costs. However, a new scabbard was also included with the sword; it was the right size and was black in color with various purple lines, I put it behind my back with the sword inside, immediately afterwards I did the same thing with my backpack.

"Thank you... and please, come back soon! This new sword looks great on you!" The blacksmith gave me a thumbs up and remained smiling, using a very proud tone while complimenting me. I left the armory smiling and returned to the same street, happy to have obtained the new sword. I started thinking about how I could use it to test it in some way.

"I still can't believe I achieved something so powerful... and to think that I only started my adventure yesterday. I think I'll go and train in one of the two neighboring prairies in this country! I'll try to get used to the weight like I used to do as a child, it already feels heavy on my back but I must not give up... it's a new beginning!" I became determined while I was walking in that street full of people, using a charged tone along with a face full of determination. I started walking towards the northern exit of the town, this way I could train without being disturbed by anyone, since the prairie was a very spacious place to rely on.

After getting the sword, I was more pumped than ever to be able to train intensely and I wanted to be able to use it to its fullest in the shortest time possible, so there was no time to rest.

Meadow north of Adarmas - Year 652 - September 2nd - 9:55 AM

I left the city in the northern part, finding myself in a huge expanse of grass very similar to the southern one; I wanted to find a tree to be able to train in slashing, with the aim of being able to knock it down, also getting used to the weight of the sword. At the same time I tried not to move too far away, however, due to a rather obvious reason that had come back to me.

"Mmmhh... but I don't want to go too far away, I might meet Akane again if I stay nearby, hoping that she hasn't left before me, but I don't think so... she'll want to visit this town at least a little... I hope." Even though Akane was a simple noble girl met by pure chance, I was still feeling bad about what I had done to her, lowering my gaze and starting to think. I didn't want to lose a possible friendship for such a trivial reason; the fear that I might not even meet her again pervaded my entire head.

"If I never see her again, I hope she doesn't get into any trouble, after all, adventures can suddenly turn dangerous, let's hope she's always well." After contemplating this I raised my gaze again, trying to become determined again; this way I could start looking for a tree and start training.

I strolled toward the southeastern part of the prairie, managing to find a tree suitable for felling. Immediately afterwards I started punching the air near the tree to get used to the weight of the sword, I made every type of slash, from vertical to horizontal and even diagonal ones, you could feel that it was really heavy with every attack I launched; in fact my right arm got very tired and sometimes I tried to support it with my left.

"Certainly if I manage to knock it down in a single blow, it means that it will have been a fairly powerful blow... to make it clear that I can use it to the fullest, with an iron weapon I think it is impossible to cut down a tree... or at least More attacks would definitely be needed." I contemplated with a concentrated face as I tried to slash with full force, also taking a good look at the sturdiness of the tree: it was about seven meters tall and had a fairly thick brown trunk, it also had several leaves in the branches.

"Damn... it's really heavy... I can't stay balanced for too long..." I continued slashing at the air, gritting my teeth with the effort and sweating slightly. I often had embarrassing coordination, throwing tremendously random and forceless slashes. I decided to continue in this way for a few hours, starting to notice improvements.

Meadow north of Adarmas - Year 652 - September 2nd - 1:20 AM

"So... I finally think I'll be able to make some decent slashes... but obviously my arm feels destroyed. Having said that then... I think I'll go and eat soon... now that I think about it, I haven't even had breakfast ! Ugh... I hope I can cut down this tree straight away... also because otherwise... I think I would feel an absurd pain in my arm if I were to fail." My stomach was starting to growl, for several hours I had been slashing at the air like a fool to get used to the weight, it still felt heavy, but much less than a few hours earlier. I took a deep breath and turned towards the tree, pulling my right arm back to charge a swing: I was a few centimeters away from it, hoping to be able to knock it down with a physical swing. At that moment I could at least coordinate, but I wasn't as fast as when I was using the iron sword, I needed more time to get back to my original attack speed. I kept a determined and steely gaze even if exhausted, staring at the tree intensely for a few seconds, finally deciding to make a very strong horizontal slash.

"Good... prepare to be cut in two..." With a domineering tone I made a horizontal slash with all the power I had, at that same moment the sword lit up purple and released a magical trail of the same color, implementing a magical slash that traveled many meters forward. After a few moments the tree began to fall, but this happened thanks to my physical strength, the magical slash was just something extra that I was able to accomplish. The tree fell backwards and created a loud crash as it hit the ground, causing a light dust to rise upon impact which disappeared after a few seconds. I began to stare into space, amazed at what I had done.

"Wow... I mean it's what I expected but... what was that magical slash...? It was like I shot mana through the sword... wait a minute... I want to try again." Remaining perplexed, I decided to prepare myself to throw more slashes, trying to transfer some mana through my hand onto my weapon again. I concentrated for a few seconds, while I held the sword behind me so I could charge the attack; after having done so, I made five consecutive blows, all of which had obtained the desired effect: that of releasing energetic blows, which had the same shape as the blow made shortly before, they were always purple in color due to the power of the sword.

"Incredible... who knows how many powers this sword contains that I still have to discover! For now I think that's enough... I'd better go and eat something. I'm ravenously hungry and I haven't seen Akane at all..." Sad and with a slightly downcast face, I put my sword back in its sheath and went back into Adarmas, finding a restaurant so I could have something to eat. Towards the afternoon I did some odd jobs to earn some money, in this way I could at least survive for the next few days, since I was a child I had already learned to do these things: tidy up messy shacks, help with parcels for the transfer of objects, or move very heavy boxes. If you didn't have money it was better to do those activities every day, at least you could guarantee yourself a decent meal.

Adarmas - Year 652 - 2nd September - 6:30 PM

Working for several hours, it was late afternoon, noticing that my adventurer card showed 8 out of 10 stars lit. The sun was starting to set, in fact the sky was completely orange.

"Apparently the lady at the guildhouse meant in every sense of the word... that any effort, whether physical or mental, increased the number of stars lit... perfect. I think now it's best to find a way to sleep, I could camp or find some pla- " I suddenly stopped talking, hearing the scream of a little girl not too far away, she was asking and begging for help. I found myself in a path full of wooden stalls on the sides of the road; behind them there were some well-built and well-structured houses: it seemed like a wealthy neighborhood where people couldn't have problems with earning money. The road was about ten meters wide and forty meters long, until there was a fork on both the right and left. I turned and noticed that a boy was dragging the girl who was begging for help.

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything that bad to deserve this!" The little girl started screaming, trying to free herself from the boy's grip, but she couldn't.

The boy had normally straightened black hair and red eyes: he was wearing a blue suit with white stripes and a cloth handkerchief of the same color on the collar, along with black trousers and shoes. He had a fairly slim physique and was 1.75 m tall, you could also notice a not very reassuring look on his face. Instead the girl was dressed in a gray school uniform: she was equipped with a skirt and fairly short stockings of the same color; in the upper part of her, approximately where her breasts were, one could see the inside of the clothing which was completely white, where part of it was covered by a red tie. She had brown bob hair and black eyes, she was also very slender and about 1.60 m tall, finally she was wearing brown shoes to match her uniform.

"Silence, villager! You should have looked better while you were going towards the stall...instead of running into me and making me fall, now you will have a punishment that only those like you deserve, that is, I will take you to my house." The boy's gaze was somewhere between angry and perverse at the same time; continuing to drag the little girl with all her strength.

"Nooo! Please... leave me alone! I beg you!" The girl continued to scream and had a terrified face with wide eyes. She tried hard to keep her feet planted on the ground, but she wasn't strong enough to resist against the violent boy. People started to turn around, wondering what was happening, but they didn't help her anyway, they just stood still thinking about her while that boy was slowly dragging her away by pulling her wrist.

"The way he's acting... don't tell me that..." I started running towards them, gritting my teeth and looking quite irritated. As soon as there were a few meters left, I tried to find a way to make myself noticed, immediately asking a question to make myself heard:

"Hey... what do you want to do to this girl? And what has she done to make you this angry?" I asked the individual with a very irritated look and authoritative tone; as I approached him, I noticed that he had a thin weapon in a sheath, it was hanging on the waist of his right leg.

"And who the hell are you? It's none of your business! Go away and go back to the garbage where you came from, a commoner like you has no right to get in my way." He made a look of disgust, insulting me in an irritated tone and continuing to drag the girl with him immediately afterwards, with his back to me. After a few seconds, I gathered courage and helped her.

"If no one helps her... then I will do it..." I ran towards the boy, pushing him and making him fall to the ground: he started to roll for a few meters and remained silent for a few seconds; Immediately afterwards I took the girl so I could hold her, this way she wouldn't risk falling. People looked at me as if I had violated a rule; in fact, common citizens had never to hinder nobles in their choices, even if it was worth the dignity of a person, a rule that was right in some cases, but not in others; this is also why people certainly stood still and watched, they didn't want to ruin their own lives to save a little girl.

What did he do?

Has he perhaps gone mad?

I hope he's a noble too, at least for what he just did.

I don't think so, he looks at how he is dressed.

I could hear the citizens' sentences even if in a way that wasn't entirely clear, but I understood one thing very well, that was that he was a nobleman.

“Hey you…worm…how dare you disrespect me so?!” The nobleman shouted at me, getting up more furious than ever and turning towards me; he gritted his teeth in a rather domineering way and his eyes were wider than before. First I tried to figure out who he was.

"I could also answer you... but first I would like to know something... who are YOU...? Introduce yourself!" After asking him a question, I tried to force him to answer: by exclaiming in a loud voice. I still held the little girl close to me as I moved my right arm to the side.

"Tsk... I am a FIRST rank noble! My name is Hikaru Drobat." The nobles of the first rank had almost absolute power, sometimes they even mistreated those who were of the second rank, in fact the important thing for them was to have everything. Whether he was wrong or right didn't matter much to him; obviously not everyone was like this, but most were part of this corrupt nobility.

"(Damn... he's a noble of the first rank... surely in this country he will be very famous and very strong; I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble, he might call someone to kill me, or he'll want to do it himself... but if he has to be like this, how can I... no... I have to defend this poor little girl.)" I thought to myself; I was initially worried but then recovered, making a determined and serious look at him. Hikaru continued to glare at me angrily.

"Young adventurer, go away... I'll manage on my own, don't worry... I don't want you to get into big trouble because of me." The girl, telling me these words, rubbed part of her dress on me, she was agitated and felt guilty. I tried to comfort her immediately afterwards.

"Don't worry... I made this choice, you don't have to feel responsible." Immediately afterwards with a smile, I left the girl behind me, since she was now able to keep herself standing. I approached Hikaru, trying to resolve the situation in a peaceful way; obviously I didn't like his behavior, but at that moment it was better to think very carefully with my brain.

"Uff... Lord Noble Drobat... with all the kindness and humility in the world, I ask you to leave the little girl here alone, for whatever wrong you may have done to her." Saying this sentence in a formal and polite tone, I immediately bowed quickly as a sign of respect.

"Forget it!" I received the opposite effect. The nobleman became more angry when he heard these words; he presented a very dark and angry look.

"Eh... but what?" After I regained my composure, I opened my eyes wide and was shocked; despite my sincere and polite apologies, he didn't want to let us leave unscathed. Immediately afterwards Hikaru smiled suspiciously, surely he wanted to do something that I wouldn't like.

"Do you think I would just let you go like that... even after what you did? Never, ever!" The nobleman exclaimed, raising his voice, he was certainly very angry, but he hid it in that strange smile printed on his face. I started to get irritated and raised my voice; meanwhile the little girl was getting more and more worried.

"She has nothing to do with us now! If you must, just take it out on me... make her come home!" Start screaming, gritting my teeth and making a very annoyed face; but he didn't decide to change his mind.

"Nono... she can't leave... actually... if you insist... how about we solve it the old fashioned way?" After he asked this question in an arrogant tone, his smile became even more suspicious, resting his right arm on his waist.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked in a perplexed tone, still keeping the same look.

"Pff... I thought you would understand... I'm talking about a duel obviously... if you win... I'll leave you and the girl alone... but if you lose... you'll have to get myself killed. Indeed... even better: I will face you directly to the death, trying to eliminate you in every way in the duel. Obviously, only I will have the right to kill you, of course, or you can still run away now with her; by now I know her appearance , so I just need another moment to punish her, hahahaha!" After these words she burst out laughing and licked her lips, still smiling in a truly irritating way. He held out both his arms as he explained what he wanted to do. I remained silent for a few seconds, then asking him a question:

"Khk...! What level would you be? Just wondering." I asked him in an irritated but agitated tone at the same time, my eyes shaking slightly as I did so. If I had to face a noble like him, my life would be in danger.

"Oohh? I'm level 3... dear villager adventurer." The nobleman put his arms back normally; he was sure of himself and continued to smile, using a boastful tone.

"DON'T ACCEPT! GO AWAY AND RUN!" The girl while she was behind me started screaming, getting very worried as she looked at me with frightened eyes; she was afraid that I might die.

"E...everything will be fine, don't worry about me...Hikaru Drobat...I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!" Initially I consoled the girl, immediately afterwards I turned towards the nobleman, exclaiming these words in a determined way to say the least. My heated gaze and the nobleman's arrogant gaze clashed aggressively with each other.

End of Chapter 2

Extra:

Adarmas - Year 652 - September 2nd - 4 PM - Kevin's POV

At that moment I was working to earn some money, after all if you wanted to have some decent meals, you certainly couldn't get them without spending something. I was on the side of a road, where in that area there was a cart full of wooden boxes; the job consisted of moving some of them to the sidewalk.

"Come on! We have a lot of boxes to move boy!" A man with a white t-shirt and gray trousers exclaimed to me: he had a lot of black beard and was quite big and muscular; he was also very tall and had brown eyes with a shade of brown hair.

"Wait... I'm not as strong as you!" I exclaimed annoyed, picking up a column of three crates placed one on top of the other, I was having a bit of difficulty holding them all together, since while I was walking, they were wobbly and weighed a lot. We found ourselves in an empty street where few people passed, there were only a few houses and shops on the sides of the road.

"Oh? You did it- what the heck?!" The man's eyes widened as he turned towards me; he noticed that I was having difficulty while carrying the boxes, risking falling and ruining all the work done.

"Ugh... help... I don't think I can last long aaahhh, I can't!" As I exclaimed these words with a worried tone and tense face, I was about to fall forward; the weight of the boxes was too heavy for me. The man was getting worried and trying to walk away slowly.

"What the hell are you doing- aahhh... don't drop them on me-" At the exact moment he was about to finish the sentence, I went completely overbalanced and dropped all the boxes on the muscular man. I tried to regain my composure after a few seconds of dead silence, while the individual had been knocked down by all the boxes, remaining on the ground.

"Aahh... you told me to hurry though..." I sat on the ground, remaining exhausted and out of breath, also placing my hands on the ground to try not to lie down. After a few seconds I saw that the crates were moving, surely the man was trying to free himself.

"Today you will get half the coins you are entitled to!" He shouted at the man in a domineering way, while he was crushed by the boxes that he tried to free.