Free Web NovelChapter 30: That Is My Vow
The same man pressed the edge of his blade against my skin, shifting it closer and closer. "No, what’s going to happen is you’re going to come with us, and we’re going to deport you out in the wilds."
Chuckling, I pushed my finger into the blade. It felt as dull as a butter knife. "That’s funny. To me, it looks like there’s two dead men mouthing off at me."
Clasping my fingers together, I wrapped my hand around the blade. Then I grunted, snapping the thing in two.
The two guards gasped out loud, staggering from the loud cracking of metal, but I didn’t wait.
Pivoting on my foot, I leaned my body to the right--using my weight to propel my left leg.
My shin crashed into the guard’s armor, crinkling it like paper before I sent him flying across the street.
"You’re stronger than you look," the remaining guard said, pacing in my direction while cracking his knuckles. "But you should know, the boy you just dealt with is just a recruit. I’m a designated Officer, meaning that I’m ranked in the Kings Guard."
I wasn’t entirely familiar with the ranks of Laronia’s military, but that’s not what took me off guard.
No, it was the massive amount of mana rampaging through him. It moved like tendrils, whipping the surroundings.
Stone fractured against it, the streets getting marked by his power. "You’re strong," I said.
"More than that." Rushing forward, the man had his fist behind him.
I’ll dodge it!
Though I thought it--and meant it--I somehow found his fist buried deep in my face.
My face throbbed as I carelessly got hit. The force was enough to push me back several foot, though I still stood on my toes.
"Damn." I spat, rubbing where I’d just gotten hit. But the guard didn’t stop.
Before I could react, he slammed his knee into my chest, pulling me down towards it by my shoulders.
I coughed, heaving. "The hell?"
His movements--I can hardly track them.
"Whoa!" I yelled.
Still holding me by my shoulders, he picked me up in the air--spinning me around to weaponize my mass. freewebnovёl.ƈom
He’s going to throw me!
Curling my legs into the sky, I directed the momentum with my legs--escaping his grip to fly through the air.
Then, spinning around, I managed to land on my feet. "Now I understand. You’re fast. Faster than me, without a doubt, but there’s some things that speed can’t deal with."
"Yeah, and what’s that?" The man asked. He kept his left leg behind him, kneeling down in anticipation for another attack.
Before he had the chance to burst through the air, I held both my hands in front of me. "Intimidate."
The air weighed down--modulating in response to my will. The ground splintered, yet he didn’t seem affected in the slightest.
Then, a blur. He disappeared.
"KWAH!" The wind got knocked out of me, my body reacting to the fist in my gut. In a single moment, he’d crossed the distance between us and gut punched me.
"The hell?" I muttered, using both my hands to push back against his. He used his free hand to grab my neck, pulling my ears towards his mouth.
"You’re nothing," he said, wriggling his fist deeper and deeper into my fist. "I don’t know what you did, but you must know that skills are only as strong as their user. And you, my friend, are lacking."
Instantly, he pulled back, causing me to lose balance from the sudden shift in weight.
He held his arm up to his neck, building up power.
He’s aiming for my neck!
I held both my arms up as a shield, trying to create distance.
Scathing heat ached through my jaw. He backhanded me square in my face, smacking me to the ground.
I pushed my palm where I’d just gotten hit. "That hurt, damn it!"
"People like you shouldn’t even be alive." He stepped forward, raising his leg over me. "Perhaps I should speed up your execution. What do you say?"
Dropping all his weight into me, he stomped his foot on my chest. I barely caught it with both hands, but its force was too much to bear.
My wrists cracked--the skin bulging from displaced bone. Like a hot rod disconnecting tendon and muscle, a horrible, horrible scalding filled my hands.
"Wait, stop!" I begged, pushing against his foot as he increased the pressure, bit by bit. The pain only grew. "Please!"
"Oh, please. With how you acted, you’ll be lucky to walk away from this alive. Consider this your atonement." He raised his leg back in the air.
"Huh?" My question was quickly answered, as he stomped down even harder.
The burning in my hands flared as his foot slammed into them. Then he stomped again.
"There, how do you like that!" he blurted, stomping harder and harder.
The pain--
I can’t even fucking think.
I want to cast Regeneration, but that requires mana, and I’m not good enough to use a skill and empower my limbs with mana yet.
But, god, if I don’t, he’s going to break my hands beyond repair.
Please, someone, help... stop this...
"That’s enough." The voice was feminine, yet familiar.
Rhea, standing just behind the guard, pressed her hand into his shoulder. "You’re going to stop this moment."
"Wh-what? What are you doing here, Deputy?" The guard released his foot from my chest, stepping back. "Shouldn’t you be guarding the lord mayor?"
"It is not your place to ask questions of me, Alwyn. And you shall heed my orders." Pushing him to the side, she held her hand out to me.
"Rhea...?" I hesitated. None of this made sense. Why is she speaking to him as if she’s his superior? Isn’t he part of the Kings Guard?
I’ll take this moment of respite, though.
Using Regeneration, I made the pain subside in my chest, face, and hands. I’m not entirely sure I can fix them in such a short time, but I can at least remove the bruising.
Considering that she just saved my butt, I think I’ll accept her hand.
Holding my own hand out to meet hers, she helped me up. "Thanks for that, Rhea. I didn’t know you were part of--PTWUH!"
I received a fist in my gut--not from Alwyn, but from Rhea.
My lungs quivered, struggling for air. My throat squeezed, my vision blurred. This power--it’s not real.
It was almost as overwhelming as the dragon’s. I couldn’t even see her fist, it was like flashing from one moment to the next. "Wh...why?"
Falling to my knees, I looked up at her. She only shook her head. "I just found out about you, Nash. How pathetic you are, to have committed such a grievous crime. Truthfully, I would put you to death, but I’m in a good mood, so I’ll only punish you," she said, smiling.
Why?
Why is it that this crime has permeated through my life to this extent?
Why is the look on her face the same as Seraphine’s?
Why... why am I so weak?
Lowering my gaze, I just stared down at the stone floor.
"You may go," she said once more. She waved at Alwyn. It was clear he wished to speak, but he gave a small pout before stepping away.
Once he was out of sight, she leaned in--her mouth almost brushing against my ears. "Nash, I know you didn’t do it."
I raised both my eyebrows. "What?"
"This whole thing runs a lot deeper than you think. I can’t explain any more than that, but what I can do is ensure that none of the guards in this district harass you." She skimmed my cheek with her palm, standing straight up.
"Why would you do that for me?" I asked.
She paused, her lip trembling. "That, I cannot answer. Just take the favor. And please try to be discrete--I can’t protect you outside of the 72nd."
Is this really Rhea? There was a power in her very existence.
Her turn was quiet. She simply walked off into the distance, not looking back at me once.
"Wait!" I yelled out, raising my hand in her direction. "Rhea, just who are you?"
"Who knows. All I know is that you and I share the same goal." She looked back at me--her eyes so stern that chills crawled up my spine. "The dissolution of the peerage."
What? How could she--
"As I told you, I’m good at reading people. To be honest, this is a gamble, so I’m not sure it’ll work. But just one look at you, and I could tell you’re special." She shook her head--not at me, but at herself. "And, Nash, I’m sure this goes without saying, but you’re not going to get strong by staying here."
"Then what should I do?" I asked, getting up from the ground.
"Become an adventurer, make friends, understand how this world works. Do whatever you can to crawl up from the bottom." She swerved the other direction, holding her hand in the air. "Goodbye, this is the last we’ll ever see each other."
I didn’t stop her. She was right, I’m not sure how I never saw it.
It’s what I wanted to do from the very beginning. To become an adventurer.
If it means I can stop this persecution born from a false accusation, then I’ll do it. I’ll devour anything that stands in my way.
To claim the world as mine, and burn it all down.
All to get back at those that tore me down and left me to die.
No matter what, I will destroy the House of Borne. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
That is my vow.
