Sword Anthem's
Chapter 2 - Odd Mission II

According to this leaflet, farms belonging to several families there are experiencing problems. Whether it's their missing chickens, broken guardrails, until there are mysterious footprints.

Actually this is a common problem that often occurs. Moreover, their job is to raise food such as cows, chickens, sheep, or other animals that can produce something.

However, just this time I saw a worn mission sheet like this. The writing seemed rushed and again the condition of the paper had turned yellow. I also saw red dots like bloodstains, but I hope it was just my imagination.

We've been walking for quite a while and had my instincts and memories been right, after going through the branching of this road I would have arrived in Kirius Village soon. Fear also seemed to start getting sleepy and disappeared like flying feathers.

His figure vanished leaving behind a small spark of light and leaving me alone here.

Well, I don't really mind it. This has been his habit for a long time. Surely I will not be able to change it that fast, even though in reality I have tried, but unfortunately it did not work.

That is what caused his attitude like that. The spoiled girl who really wants to be spoiled for real.

When I took the left lane, a glance of my eyes caught the red liquid on the directional marker board. "This...blood?"

The blood? In a place like this? Was there someone who was being attacked by forest animals?

"I have to be fast" I murmured while pressing the heel of the right foot and then sliding fast.

Using Mana to increase foot speed acceleration and balance it along with breathing is key. I need to be able to move fast, faster, very fast so as not to be late.

I don't know what people will look like. Someone who is too much? Too worried? I don't give a shit. The most important thing now is that I can get there as quickly as possible because nothing can replace the lives that have been lost.

Walking on the grassy road, I jumped up high to grab the branches of the branches of the big tree and then moved quickly to jump over each branch.

Now my eyes are on the front, focused, focused, focused. I mustn't be careless this time and make things fall apart. I also didn't want to see the worst case scenario when I got there.

As the light at the end of the forest became more visible, at that very last moment I strengthened the power of the Mana lunge in my body to jump very high into the sky.

The wind that hit my face exploded in a single lunge. Now I am free-falling in the sky while watching a small plot below. That small-looking land was Kirius Village where I was headed.

"Ventus," I whispered subtly.

A bunch of wind started circling my two feet as soon as the word came out. After that, six faint luminous circles in the center of which are hexagrams appear simultaneously.

As soon as my body entered the magic circle, my plunging speed became slow, slower, and slower until I finally managed to land safely right in front of Kirius Village.

This place looks like a village in general. However, now that this village looked even more messy, that was the one that popped into my mind.

The guardrails are a lot of broken, guarding doors that look careless and may even be unguarded. Besides the dry conditions of the ground, I could also see a lot of black spots around me.

It seems like this is no ordinary attack and it seems that the mission I took was not as simple as what I imagined.

Without realizing it, my mouth was on its own.

"Stop!"

From my right side suddenly appeared two small children who were pointing a long stick at me. Though I had just arrived at this place and was immediately greeted by them, how good.

"Can you lower the stick?" ask me with a light smile.

"Whose uncle?! Why is it in our village?" ask back the child with a bully.

"Yes! Why could it be here? Though I'm sure the village chief never asked for help," continued the skinny child who now put on an uncertain face.

"Relax, calm down. I'm a good person, really. The proof is that I brought this, "I answered and showed a yellowish-worn paper.

The bulging child suddenly put on a complicated face, he also scratched the back of his head several times like making sure of something.

"Isn't that paper got a knight uncle?!"

"Hehhh?! Didn't you see wrong? W-wait. It looks like you're right!"

The two looked very familiar, besides that knight? Is there anyone else who took this mission as well besides me? However, why would he ask for help again when he knew that this was a mission that he should have completed on his own?

"I-I just remembered it. Uncle, come!" said skinny kid.

After lowering his wooden stick, he immediately ran into the village with his friend.

I nodded quickly and followed the two of them from behind. There they led me straight to a rice barn located far behind a large old building.

Throughout the short journey, my eyes were never separated from the people. I saw thin people with dark expressions. Their eyes also looked visibly exhausted with shabby clothes, this was truly pitiful.

If what these two children said was true, then what had the knight been doing all this time? Lying down to enjoy the cookies? Huh! Let's see what he's doing right now.

After we reached the barn, the skinny boy knocked on the bell three times with his wooden stick. Not long after I could faintly hear the sound of people from inside the rice barn, like they were calling something.

"Wait a minute. I'll be there soon."

This rice barn is also not like most rice barns that I usually meet in other villages. This place is like a fortress. With a door made of a collection of moldy blackish hardwood, the window and side are also protected by a barbed fence.

It's worse than I imagined.

"Ohh. Apparently you two? Why are you ringing the bells?"

The one coming out the front door was an old man. His back was bent with gray white hair and a long, tied beard, shabby clothes and slightly broken glasses, was this old geezer in charge of Kirius Village?

"Grandfather! I brought help," said the skinny boy.

His puffed-up friend also nodded quickly. Although at a glance, I could see the expression of this old man becoming weak. His eyes glazed over and at once he walked over to me with a sad look.

"really? Did the message arrive at your place, young man?" ask her with a trembling tone.

"You mean this?" I handed him the mission flyer.

"A-a-ahhh. Thankfully, it seems like the gods are still willing to protect our village."

A deity? I doubt if the god she expected was never involved with this at all.

"Come on. Come in." He put the leaflet in his pocket, "There's someone waiting for you inside"

Does this guy know me enough to wait this long? Or is it just some unmoving knight who wants to give you advice?

I went inside too. This spacious looking place was usually filled with straw rolls or ready-made plants, but this time all of it disappeared, and it was more like being a temporary shelter.

Every stratum was sick, they were coughing, and some were lying with dirty blankets. Horrible face, the body looks like it has not been bathing for a long time, and the severity of it all is in this place.

Fear.

After that we went deeper into the corner of the room. There I could already see two legs lying down, which meant that this man was leaning back to rest his body.

As soon as I arrived, I found a middle-aged man in his shattered armor leaning against a wooden board. His left arm was bandaged and flanked by two wooden planks, seemingly breaking a bone. While his left hand held the sword hilt and seemed to be preparing at any time to swing it at any time if it met with danger.

"T-master, introduce, this is a knight who has been helping us for a few days," said the Grandfather while coughing.

"Go. rest your body if you don't want to be a burden" said the knight while looking at me sharply.

The old man bowed slowly and left us alone.

"Straight is unconvincing and lacks an aura of confidence. What does the union do send people like this, huh?" grunts while clicking the tongue.

"At least it's better than a crippled man like yourself, isn't it?" I'm going back to the sarcasm.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!—ughh"

I pointed a wooden sword at his neck. "Shut up, if you don't want your head to float," I said, giving him the most "friendly" smile I could give.

What is the matter with this guy to the point of ridiculing me? Have you ever met, no friends, no relatives? Bahh. where would I have a relative of a grouch like him.

"Give me the shortest possible explanation. I want to finish this mission and go to sleep"

"Recover?" ask her in a high tone. "Haha! A beginner with a wooden sword like yourself would only be their food. Catch that!"

"They've taken good care of you, but apparently all they've cared for are additional farm animals" I replied coldly.

"Damn!" He hit the ground with his right fist.

"If my words are wrong, then quickly tell me what you know. Don't make this worse."

His face looked irritated, but after he took a deep breath finally his expression started to change.

"Don't blame me if you end up being minced meat"

"Woah. Apparently you still have a soul of sympathy, I thank you for worrying about me too"

"Hmph. Basic beginner. Look. I'm not gonna do it again, so listen to me. I'm not responsible for your safety later."

I was well versed in those words because I myself came after knowing the risks.

After that he began to tell her everything that happened to him and how he wanted to take on this mission even though the pay was low.

It all started with the offer of his friend who said that this mission would give him food in exchange for money. Hmm. I myself understand very well why this grumbling knight would accept it, his own food is worth more than money. I'd better listen to him before he gets back to grumbling.

Finally he arrived in this village only with minimal information. All he knows is that the chicken farm in this village is experiencing problems and the source is from the forest wolves.

And sure enough the wolf attack appeared at night, but the fate of the attack continued for three days in a row. In the end, a monster more dangerous than the wolf itself.

It is more than two meters high and has a long fang. His body was filled with black feathers, his spine sticking out sharp, blood red eyes, and according to him what was even worse, was that this creature could control the army of forest wolves at will.

Hmm.. This is troublesome. So according to him out there there is a creature that can control the movement of forest wolves to the fullest. In addition, if I hear the characteristics, this type of monster is very rare to appear around the territory of the Kingdom of Ronove.

This is related to the power possessed by the king. Arkeos— protectora set of Mana substances that widen far enough to form a transparent blanket. This protector was the antidote to the black aura that the Tenebrists always had.

I myself do not understand why this creature that is most likely to have a black aura could appear within the Protection Archaeos.

Speaking of the power of the king, this information was no longer a secret because the people inside the city already knew about it. This was closely related to the implementation of the magic knight festival many years ago.

I can say that this protector is the antidote to danger when the festival takes place. Of course such an important person did not want the triennial event of his kingdom to be chaotic just because of the attacks of some black aura monster.

Umm. umm. I understand her feelings a lot because I also don't want my lunch to be distracted by little things like being surrounded by a moth.

"Have you asked the union for help on this?"

He just gave me a weak head. "So far only you have come. I knew the mission leaflet was incomplete because I wrote it in a hurry, other than my condition which was already like this. I did not know what else to do but wish for the best," he explained briefly.

"Are you thinking about running away?" tanyaku.

"Do you think of me as a coward?" ask her back in a high tone. "I am a knight and it is my duty to carry out a mission of glory to protect those who need my help. Where would I take my pride if I ran away, huh?!"

I also smiled faintly.

"What about the attack?"

"Have you changed again? Are you really ready for this, snot boy?"

Damn this bastard too, I just casually asked to ascertain whether he still had the ethics of being a knight or not, but he instead made fun of me by calling me a snot boy.

Perhaps a slight blow could clear his mind.

"Just tell me before my patience breaks."

He laughed for a moment with a satisfied face. "Start tonight. Every night they go after chickens and also the people of this village. I've tried my best to deal with it, but look at my current condition...."

Of course I can see it because my eyes are still healthy.

"Then I'll go watch. Drink this medicine" I said and threw the healing potion at him. "Pay for the information, old man"

"Aahaha! Snot boy, you still know thank you too."

After that I went out to make preparations and if he still called me a snot boy, I'd give him the "best" shock therapy I'd ever learned.