[Night]
Marco set up a camp and started cooking for both himself and Alice, he was tempted to tell her to cook for herself, but then he remembered that her capabilities in cooking is on par with the chances that Billy loses a gambling game, absolute zero.
Marco cooked some rice for both himself and Alice, which they just finished to eat.
Marco: That was nice.
Alice: Yeah, you are really good at cooking, now that I think about it, do you have any weapon?
Marco: Nope, I'm fighting bare handed now.
Alice was surprised from his answer and frowned, then she asked.
Alice: Did you really think you would go far without a weapon?
Marco: I can do many things with brain, and I have already a trump card if something bad happens.
Alice nodded and said before standing up.
Alice: Still, it wouldn't hurt learning how to use a sword…
Marco: You want to teach me? 'Cool, I can learn Demon Decapitation…'
Alice: Yes, I am eating from your table so I should repay you somehow, I don't want to own people.
Marco nodded, thinking that it was a good reason, then he stood up and picked up a big stick, around the size of his arm and wide as a thumb, then he trained under the guidance of Alice for a few hours before sleeping.
[Later]
Marco was trying to do a technique under Alice's orders.
Alice: Right there, you need to use your feet as you swing. Don't just use your arm strength when you swing your stick.
Marco nodded then he rushed towards a dummy made of branches and hit the neck of it while using his entire body to swing his stick, the swing was able to break the branches at the neck of the dummy, beheading it.
Alice was satisfied from the results and smiled while complimenting.
Alice: Hm. Not bad.
Marco smiled too and looked at the stick in his hand, it was a bit ruined since it was used as a sword, which it couldn't be normally used.
Alice: Demon Decapitation… This is one of the lower level techniques of the Cursed Sword style, it would greatly work against tall monsters or humans. It's said that the Dark Elf Zack was able to cut off the heads of 100 humans using that move.
Marco frowned at her words and countered.
Marco: ...Do you want to hear a story about how Heinrich killed the 8th Monster Lord?
Alice: Are you stupid? Why would I want to hear a story about how a hero… killed someone… of my own species… Oh…
She slowly realized her small mistake by telling how the owner of the technique she just taught killed many humans, since Marco was one too. Then Alice awkwardly coughed and said.
Alice: Alright, we will stop training for today…
Marco nodded and broke the stick in two before throwing it away, then he noticed Alice going towards a sturdy tree and coiling herself around it, then Marco ignored her and picked up his sleeping bag.
Suddenly, Alice talked with an hint of curiosity.
Alice: Hey Marco, how did you learn to cook so good?
Marco had flashbacks about the first time he cooked in this world, it was because his mother was ill, and some days later she died.
Marco: ... I learned it alone…
Alice was surprised from his answer, being able to cook such tasty dishes without any help was something amazing, then she asked.
Alice: Could someone teach you or you wanted to do it alone?
Marco: ...I had to do it for someone important…
Alice: Who was it?
Marco couldn't stop remembering the scene of his mother dying, and a tear came out from his eye, if someone would ask him if he had any regret, he would think about how he was powerless against Lucifina's disease even after he tried everything.
Marco: ...It was my mother… But she isn't here anymore.
Alice: I see… I'm sorry to hear about that.
Marco just hummed while cleaning his eye from his tear, then Alice asked.
Alice: And your father?
Marco: He's gone too…
This was the problem of reincarnating… You can remember everything easily, unlike in one's first life when one's consciousness is not developed enough during the childhood, and it couldn't contain much memory.
Alice: ...Sorry to make you remember it…
Marco: Don't worry... What about you?
Alice hesitated a bit before she said.
Alice: ...I'm the only daughter of the Fateburn family.
Marco: A family of nobles?
Alice: Yes, my family was a bit important, but I lost my mother too… So I thought about seeing the world after I finished certain things, and here I am, talking with a human about our past under the starry sky.
Marco: Well, was it good?
Alice smiled in amusement and replied.
Alice: Yes, it was. Good night, Marco…
Marco: Good night, Alice. 'Goddammit, I will meet Illias again…'
Marco was a bit annoyed about it and closed his eyes, he immediately fell asleep and started dreaming about the same place he dreamed yesterday.
Illias: Marco… Oh brave Marco…
Marco: 'Brave my ass…'
Then Marco turned around and found Illias staring at him with a smile.
Illias: Marco… You aren't baptized, and remain unblessed. However, never lose faith in yourself.
Illias noticed Marco's disinterested face and frowned a bit.
Illias: *Sigh* I'm sorry I couldn't help your mother…
Even if Illias was apologizing to Marco, in her heart she didn't cared much about Lucifina's death since she was the one who killed her.
Marco: No… It's nothing… You could have something important to do… 'Like trying to kill her… Bitch, the moment I unveil your plans and I get my 9th tail I will go to Heaven myself to kill you'
*Ding*
*Updating Quest…*
*Special Quest: Kill Illias*
Illias didn't knew about Marco's knowledge about her, and continued to talk with a smile.
Illias: Alright, but don't worry about the blessing, I will be always watching you…
Then Marco's vision slowly turned black and opened his eyes again, finding himself in his sleeping bag, it was morning, and Alice was still coiled around the sturdy tree while sleeping.
Marco smiled at the relaxing scene and started packing everything while cooking breakfast, when he finished, he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, making Alice wake up while rubbing her sleepy eyes
Alice: Uhg, what's with that noise in the morning…
Marco: It's breakfast.
When Marco finished talking, Alice disappeared from the tree and he found her with the dish in her hands already eating it. Marco was amused from the scene and started to eat too.
[Later]
They were walking at north, today they will be able to reach Illiasburg.
Marco: I wonder how much shit I can find there… I hope there will be a good armor, and maybe a belt too, the one I have is a bit old…
Alice nodded in agreement while reading an old book, then she started to smile.
Alice: Hey Marco, we should stop at the Sutherland Inn when we reach Illiasburg.
Marco: 'Oh right… That shit costs too much… And to think that it was only for some dangos…' Why?
Marco acted as if he was curious about it, even if he knew already.
Alice: It seems that the Sutherland Inn is known for their Happiness Honey Filled Ama-Ama Dango.
Marco: Jesus, that name is giving me diabetes… Couldn't they name it something simple like Happy Honey Dango?
Alice: ...Who is Jesus?
Marco: ...Just a swear, don't mind it… 'Sorry Jesus, I don't want to make Illias suspicious, not now…'
Alice raised an eyebrow before she shrugged the answer and continued to read the book. Meanwhile Marco turned forward and found a plant in the middle of the road, he ignored it and got at the right side of it.
Marco: 'Not gonna happen… Fucking Mandragora'
The plant was the head of a Mandragora who was under the ground, he was sure that even if she tries to paralyze him with her scream he could resist due to his willpower. But why would he be so idiot to pull her out from the ground?
Alice: Mh? You didn't pulled the plant?
Marco: I ain't retard, why would a plant be in the middle of the road like that? It's obviously a Mandragora.
Alice was surprised a bit from his knowledge.
Alice: You seem to know many things about monsters.
Marco: They are part animals or plants, once you know what does that plant or animal you can find out what does the monster version too.
Alice nodded in agreement and slithered near Marco again towards Illiasburg.
[Later]
The sun was slowly going down while Illiasburg appeared in front of them, it was a nice sight.
Then Marco glanced to Alice and said.
Marco: Can you do something about your monster parts? Otherwise you will never enter in the city safely.
Alice thought about it before begrudgingly agreeing.
Alice: Alright, how do I look like this?
Alice slowly became more human, her skin became pink, her horns disappeared, her tail was swapped with two pair of nice legs and big black boots with thick heels, everything else didn't changed.
Marco: *Whistle* You look really good.
Alice was satisfied with his answer and followed him inside the town. They looked around, and Marco was a bit amazed from what he was seeing, he noticed that no one was in the road, he knew that Granberia was here to trying to take the town for herself.
Marco: Hey Alice, do you find anyone in the way?
Alice: ...No… That's strange…
*Clang*
They heard a sound coming from the plaza, Marco was getting a bit worried since he knew he would be fighting an unwinnable fight if he wanted to save the town, so he runned towards the plaza while Alice hid somewhere to spectate him.
When he reached the plaza, he immediately sighted Granberia and hid behind a wall to watch her fighting 3 soldiers who were already in the ground.
She had red hair that reached her cheek, she had a pair of green pointed ears and something like fins behind her ears which were turned downwards.
Like Alice, she had a tattoo at her left side, but it was red, she was wearing a woman's armor probably made in steel, and a pair of pauldrons with a purple coat hanging behind her, her arms and legs were covered in green scales which ended in sharp talons, and she had a green tail coming out from her pelvis.
She wore a helmet which covered only her forehead, and had big amber eyes with dragon slits, she possessed a big dark sword which was stuck on the floor at her right side, and she looked bored, she was Granberia, one of the 4 Heavenly Knights and a Dragonkin.
Granberia: How boring. Is there not a single strong person in this entire city?
The three soldiers in front of her were tired and injured, they tried to stand up to protect the city, around them there were dozen of strong looking soldiers collapsed on the ground.
Granberia: Only you three are left… Are you just going to watch while I take control of this city? Or is one of you going to be a Hero and try to face me!?
Two soldiers were brave enough to stand up while the third one ran away from fear. Granberia took out her sword from the ground, which shined under the sun.
Granberia: That's the spirit. But even if you have the spirit, it's meaningless!
A soldier gulped after seeing the blade and said with a forced smile.
Soldier: Well, it can't be worse than this…
Suddenly, Granberia's sword was surrounded in scorching flames, and the soldier, annoyed, just threw away his weapon.
Soldier: Yeah, fuck this shit, I'm out…
The soldier walked away, leaving only one against the Dragonkin.
Soldier 2: 'FuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuck…' Guh!
Granberia vanished with a fast movement and appeared behind the soldier, who fainted. After that, she stuck back the sword in the ground and crossed her arms, meanwhile Marco was internally laughing at himself about his life choices.
Marco: 'Why I chosen to do the traveler when I could just make kebabs?'
[SPECIAL QUEST]
1st. Kick Gabriel's ass
2nd. Be recognized as a True Hero
3rd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans
4th. Kill Illias
5th. Return to Lucifina's Grave
6th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo.