My body felt wrong today, as if it was craving something, and it's certainly not food nor drink. Well, that's how it felt every time that happened, where a shriveled shell of a body was all that was left behind after I hear the mention of the name, Mark. And no, I've tried it with the word mark and all of it's synonyms, if you are going to wonder.
The guards where patrolling more often than usual ever since my incident with that gangster, they've been on high alert. Apparently they decide to call out that a demon has managed to infiltrate the city and now there are guards patrolling over the place, some even try to poorly disguise themselves, but their swords or spears usually end up giving away their disguise.
Today is Friday, and my escort mission is right after lunch. I was happily enjoying a bowl of soup and a book about the human alphabet of this world, which comprised of many runes that resembled my old world's previous alphabet. But then a man came through the guild doors, he is horizontally large, yet clearly, pathetically vertically challenged.
He looked in my general direction and charged up to my table, slamming both of his fat, greasy palms on my table "What have you done to Ran!" he said, his spit flying in directions close to my face. I didn't respond, he then grabbed me by my shirt collars, just like how everyone that I've met so far greeted me "Answer me you, little shit!" The man who is about gonna accompany me this afternoon came in "Hold on there, Baggs, what are you talking about?" He said "This little brat killed Ran, and I don't care if he's a demon or not, I'm gonna avenge Ran for it!" I chuckled, they both looked at me.
The man in plate looked back at me, and then turned around to face Baggs once more "On what grounds are you trying to imply that this rookie, managed to beat a silver rank?" He crossed his arms. "Om what grounds? You!" He points towards one of the frightened members of the group. "You sure that's the guy who killed Ran?"
"Yeah boss! that's the guy who killed your little cousin!" my jaw clenched at the thougjt of killing a family member, yet that did not spare him from the grip of my hands. I wished to tell this idiotic fat-ass that his own foolishness caused jis own demise, and not me.
"Your friend isn't who he seems to be once night falls..." I held his wrist "It's so easy to take, what comes right towards you..." Gritting his teeth, he lets go of me, and in turn I let go of him. But then he scoffed at me greatly "Ha! kid you're In front of one of the most respectable men this guild has ever seen!" He grabbed something out of leather tunic, It is a silver badge "I'm a silver rank, and a Silver II at that! Who do you think they'll-" The armored man moved between us "Hold up Baggs, there is one reasonable way you both can settle this..." He said "And that's through a guild duel..." "guild duel?" I asked "It is a duel that solves most conflicts that happened between two guild parties of members, It is also done in front of the guild building so that some of the citizens can also find some good and trust-worthy adventurers to do their quests, sort of like free advertising..." He pointed towards Baggs continued explaining to me "As a Silver ranker, you can authorize duels without the interference from the guild, but are you sure you want to do this, Kid? our escort mission starts in 30..." "That's enough time..." I said "Are there any rules that I need to follow?" He sighed and said "Only two, Don't kill your opponent, and both sides must play by the challenger's rules..." When he said so, I grinned "So, he's gonna try and expose my weakness as a melee combatant eh? Wonderful..." The man raised one eyebrow, but then he said "Are you going to do it?" "5 minutes will be enough for me..." I said. The man closed his eyes for a moment, and then said "Very well..."
Me and the fat man finally stood against each other, the battle then begun with a blow of a whistle "Cocky brat! I'll expose you for the coward you are!" he screamed as he charged, but that move was futile. I saw him in slow motion, charging pathetically into my face, I raised my left arm and took hold of his face. My gaze went foggy, but I've been practicing the entire week on other things, and I won't lose control. My vision came back to me, and there in my palms laid a fat man, but he isn't shriveled like the ones unfortunate enough to cross my path 'Phew, it looks like it worked...' and just to make it look like it's actual strength, I pushed his head away from me, giving away a loud thud on the pavement as his motionless body laid still on the ground. Everyone cheered on me, but the gang that followed the fat man didn't, they just hoisted up their companion and left, svreaming classic death threats like "Well get you next time!" and "You're gonna regret this!". My escort evaluator, the armored man came up to me and said "Really kid, you're full of surprises..." He said with a smile, the rest of his team also greeted me with faces of relief, and there in front of me, awaited a wagon that had a man in robes and a feathered hat on the drivers seat, holding the reigns that were attached to horses, but just as I was about to board, someone called out my name "Sora?!" 'Oh no...' I thought grimly.
And right behind me, there stood a girl in white robes and in her hands a staff, Micah Kiyume. She is a 17-year old girl from my class that considered me her closest friend, back then she would always follow me around the school campus and treat me like I'm some lost puppy, last I've heard of her she's been declared a Cleric by the holy church that existed within the city "You know the Priestess, Sora?" the young boy who is part of the group said to me, elbowing my sides. I stared at her for a few seconds, and then finally responded "No..."
"W-what? Sora what are you talking about, Come one you're my only friend, my best friend! And there is no mistaking those strange red eyes!" she said loudly, I stared at her choice of outfit in general, It was a bunch of white robes, same as the ones the men who summoned us wore, and she held a very long stave with both of her hands, white and gold, like the stupid robes she wore. It must've been the standard attire of the church's clerics, or maybe even some paladins if they've got them.
"Sora! you're coming along with me! We've been searching for you for an entire week! Ever since you suddenly disappeared during our time with the king! I've been worried sick!" She grabbed hold of my arm, the party behind me shot me both looks of suspicion and surprise.
I know, leaving a girl behind seems kinda like a bad move. But this girl is an exception. In the first place, it was her that caused the entire school that I studied in to look at me like I'm some slug. Ready to stepped on, over and over again. After that incident involving Rui's group back in our world, our friendship began de-stabilizing, falling apart, or more appropriately, already broken. She pretends like we still are friends, but in reality friends don't exist. It's hard earning that simple little title alone, much less keep it well furnished. In a way, she ruined me.
However, being summoned to another and being helped to escape and living a free life was more than enough for me. It's like a brand new start, that's why a lot of nerds and geeks like myself dream of one day living and breathing the air of another world. Heroism? who cares, kingdoms have risen and fell in my world.So what's the difference here as well. Preventing the end of the world? worlds always end, whether be by a world-ending phenomenon, or simply by sudden climate change. This, this new world gave me that chance. But I was given a better offer.
But my chance was beginning to slip away. So, I knew what I must do, as I pulled my arm away from her: "No, I think you're mistaking me for someone else, my name is Sora, but you must've mistaken me for your friend..." She stops and stepped closer, and put her face closer to mine by about an inch, I could smell the sweet scent of her delicate face and the sweat rolling down on it. As if she lost something, she closed her eyes and turned around "I-im sorry..." she said as she ran off, holding tightly to her stave. I turn around to the wagon and embarked, I found an empty seat next to the girl "What was that all 'bout Sora" the young adventurer girl asked. As I began to take my seat, they were all reluctantly awaiting my answer with expressions of curiosity and confusion...
"Don't ask me, didn't know what that was 'bout either..."