Time and time again, people vying for my bounty came looking for me. Like I had done before, I defeated them and sent them back. They soon gave me a name, Alt The Merciful Sinner. If I ignored that nickname, It felt as if I had a rule for myself; something to keep me human.
("My opponents are getting stronger.") [Solace]
The best choice would be to kill them first for |Experience| so I could grow stronger as well. Even so, I didn't. In return, I began to adapt quickly. My fighting style relied less on |Skills| and were more like taking advantage of the environment. My traps improved, keeping most of my pursuers out of the forest. My hand to hand moved more towards disarmament and stealing my opponents weapons. I also kept a pocket full of pebbles so I could infuse it with mana before throwing it to disrupt opponent spells. Eventually, it was near impossible for any mage to cast a spell in my presence.
("Still… There's room to improve.") [Solace]
Beyond that, I just had one problem. There was this pair of twins that kept returning, making it the first time I broke my rule of sparing people only once.
"I've come back for a rematch!" [???]
"You won't be winning this time!" [???]
One boy and one girl. To put it simply, they were children.
"...Are you two hungry? Do you want a snack before we fight?" [Solace]
At some point, I acted kind of like their guardian. The first time I met them, they wore very low quality armor. Pretty sure they got ripped off. I felt kind of bad so I put together some gear for them using materials I got from killing monsters in this forest.
"I don't take handouts!" [Boy Twin]
"I'll take some!" [Girl Twin]
"Huh?! Wait! In that case I want some!" [Boy Twin]
The boy had a very… how do I put this… fierce personality? Energetic maybe? He was always cautious and guarded until maybe the fourth time they came to challenge me.
"Ah! Tyrnius, that cookie is mine!" [Girl Twin]
"O-oh, sorry... Here, you can have it." [Boy Twin]
Well, that personality washes away when it comes to his sister. On the other hand, his sister is rather cheerful and friendly. She also tends to tease her brother a lot. They're a rather playful bunch.
"Don't fight. There's enough cookies for everyone." [Solace]
I usually invite them into the cabin to wait with some tea so I could bake some cookies. I had a makeshift stone oven outside, one that took several attempts to make. It also took a lot of attempts to cultivate tea leaves as well.
"Misa, make sure to drink when eating something dry." [Tyrnius]
"Okay~." [Girl Twin]
Between these two, there was one thing that stood out. The boy had golden hair, blessed by the goddess of light. The very same one that Wilharrow follows. As for the girl… her hair was black. A forsaken. …Like Fina.
"Have you two finished your snacks?" [Solace]
"Yes~." [Tyrnius] [Misa]
"Make sure to digest before we fight." [Solace]
"Yes, sir~." [Tyrnius] [Misa]
It was kind of like a routine. They challenge me, I give them food, I let them rest, we duel, and then I send them back home. In any case, we took it out front for combat.
"You ready, Misa?" [Tyrnius]
"Always." [Misa]
They were a close combat duo. One excelled in speed while the other excelled in brute strength.
"Alright, come at me whenever." [Solace]
Out in the field, they both rushed me. Tyrnius arrived first, wielding two shortswords to maximize speed.
"Didn't you try this the other day?" [Solace]
I easily evaded a flurry of strikes by a narrow margin.
"|Agility Boost|!" [Tyrnius]
The flurry grew faster, enough to sound like he was cutting the wind itself.
"Impressive." [Solace]
I still dodged it though.
"Urgh, why can't I hit you?!" [Tyrnius]
"Maybe try doing something else?" [Solace]
"How's this?!" [Tyrnius]
He then angled his blades so that the sunlight would hit my eyes.
"Ah! Too bright!" [Solace]
"Now, Misa!" [Tyrnius]
Misa, carrying a halberd too large for her frame, appeared behind me and swung.
("A flank?!") [Solace]
Maybe before something like this could land, but |Unbound Mortal| allowed me to sense their intent. Thus, I caught the halberd by the handle before aiming a finger at Tyrnius' throat.
"Checkmate. That's all for today." [Solace]
The two pouted at me with frustration.
"But-!" [Tyrnius]
"You know the deal. One duel a week." [Solace]
With a pause, they gave in.
"See you next week mister!" [Misa]
I waved them off as they left. It was moments like these that I realized that living like this wasn't too bad. Other than finding entertainment in watching them grow, it curbed my loneliness a little.
("Can't wait to see them next week.") [Solace]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When time came for the twins to visit again, I found myself quite excited.
"Oh, you're here- huh?" [Solace]
"We found it!" [???]
Followed by a group of armored men, the twins were chained by the neck. They were stripped of their gear, only wearing what I could describe as rags.
"I knew these brats were worth something!" [???]
The leader of the group, a man of large build, held the chains. The moment we locked eyes, he smiled.
"There you are, Alt The Merciful Sinner." [Large Man]
My excitement faded at the sight.
"...Who are you?" [Solace]
"I am Ordwight the Mighty!" [Ordwight]
"The mighty?" [Solace]
I checked his stats. He was level 130, with most of his stats into strength. The others that came with him? Negligible.
"You're arrogant." [Solace]
"Rightfully so." [Ordwight]
As if to boast his strength, he was the only one without armor. He was shirtless and wore fur pants. Judging by his personality, it was probably made out of a creature he killed.
"So? Will you come first, or are you going to use those children as your shield?" [Solace]
"Oh. These?" [Ordwight]
He raised the chains, lifting the children and causing their faces to strain as they struggled to breath.
"They were only used to find you." [Ordwight]
He beckoned a hand towards his men. One of them moved forward, handing him a familiar weapon.
("...Misa's halberd.") [Solace]
"Now that we've found you, these children no longer have a use." [Ordwight]
Gripping Misa's halberd, he swung at the twins. However, it bounced back as I flicked a reinforced pebble at it.
"What?" [Ordwight]
("|Wise Walk|.") [Solace]
I closed the distance, tearing the chains apart, grabbing the children, and then returning to my previous position within an instant.
"What?!" [Ordwight]
Eyes wide with surprise, Ordwight stared at me.
"What's wrong? Seeing things?" [Solace]
As he analyzed the situation, the man smiled.
"So it was true… You live up to your name, Alt the Merciful Sinner." [Ordwight]
Was he gauging me? Did he use the children to appeal to my humanity?
"...I see. You were testing whether or not the stories were true." [Solace]
Ordwight approached slowly without concern.
"I know what you are. You are hiding it, but I can see it." [Ordwight]
Is this another test? Is he probing me or is he insinuating that he knows that I'm a spirit?
"Enlighten me." [Solace]
Ordwight walked up to me until he was practically towering over me.
"The truth is… You're weak. You're afraid of killing people. I find it hard to believe that you killed a hero and a feerae." [Ordwight]
We locked eyes, each unwilling to be intimidated.
"Well? You've heard the rumors. Will you claim the head of one who's slain a hero and feerae?" [Solace]
Ordwight gripped Misa's halberd with purpose.
"Gladly." [Ordwight]