CHAPTER 29 "Trouble on Jasper Path"
This web novel is a draft of the story. Please expect frequent changes and updates as I see fit. Enjoy! -Cloki
Ch. 29/50 (tentative estimate of Arc 1)
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-We left Oakheart as the time approached 6:20 PM. Considering how fast Theresia could go, I assumed we would be arriving in Formai in a few hours. However, I had an uneasy feeling. Despite having both Klaus and Aubrey with us, I felt that something could still go wrong...~
-Perhaps I was simply paranoid about the "ghosts" that Klaus had spoken of. For all I knew, they could be a myth, but considering it came from Klaus himself, I was almost forced to take it as a fact~
-Regardless of whatever we encounter on the road, I'm still confident that Klaus and Aubrey will take care of it. Klaus then spoke~
Klaus: "Ah, it's been quite some time since I've traveled on a Vilstra. I almost forgot how fast they really were! You've got your hands on a fine creature, Siegfried."
Siegfried: "Yeah, the first time I ever took off with her, I was surprised at how quickly she accelerated. But, I got used to it over time."
Klaus: "With a Vilstra as elegant as her, I'd reckon you could go anywhere in Provincia without trouble."
-I wondered how Koh and the others were doing back at the camp... Koh never defined a time limit to how long I could borrow Theresia, so I assumed that he would be okay with me keeping her for a little while longer~
-Plus, there's gotta be dozens of Vilstra in Durma alone. I'm sure the Fungi Knights have more at the ready for whenever they need to travel somewhere~
Klaus: "Anyway, we're approaching the Jasper Path. There are some towers in the distance, those used to be outposts for knights who defended the path, but they've since been abandoned. Be careful, as there could be bandits hiding inside of them."
-I gazed out of the carriage, the wind blowing across my face. It was a warm evening, so it felt extra nice. I looked off to the distance and saw the towers which Klaus had mentioned. Numerous tall stone towers, some had sunk into the ground over time~
-I also saw many different kinds of animals running across the fields and trails. Animals I had seen, and a few I hadn't. I assumed Provincia had its own set of wild species of animals that I had yet to witness~
Aubrey: "So! You two, tell me a bit about yourselves! From the looks of it, it seems like you two are close friends?"
-Aubrey had shifted over to the other side of the carriage in order to see me and Azure more clearly and talk with us. She seemed very interested in both of us.
Azure: "Well we've known each other for some time now, I'd say we're pretty close friends, right Seigi-kun?"
-Azure then nudged me extra hard on the arm. Was she lying to Aubrey? She said we knew each other for "quite some time", yet the truth was that I had only met Azure a few days ago. I could tell Azure's aura was shifting to that of annoyance~
Siegfried: "Uhh, yeah, we've known each other for a while now. We've been on some adventures together, I'm sure you're aware of what took place this morning."
Aubrey: "Well, Klaus gave me the gist of what happened before we entered the carriage. I got to Oakheart at around 3:00 PM, so I missed the fight. But from what he told me, it sounded like you were really going at it!"
Siegfried: "Something like that, yeah."
Azure: "He was amazing! I wish you could have seen it for yourself."
Aubrey: "Well, next time I'm with you two, perhaps Siegfried could give me a demonstration of this power of his that Klaus talked to me about..."
Azure to herself: "In your dreams."
Azure aloud: "Heh, we'll see."
-I could tell tensions were rising between the two. For some reason, it seemed as if they were competing with each other. It didn't make too much sense to me. From my understanding, Aubrey liked Klaus, but Azure seemed to think differently~
-I glanced at Klaus, who seemed to be puzzled. That puzzled expression quickly changed to realization, and then he spoke~
Klaus: "Hey Aubs? I think we've got trouble ahead. My suspicions were right, this place is littered with bandits! I can see shadows moving in the distance.."
Aubrey: "Oh, shit, really? I thought they would at least think to look at who's in the carriage they wanna rob before coming our way."
Klaus: "Apparently not! If they continue to approach us, I think we'll have to show them who we are."
Aubrey: "Heh heh, say no more Klaus-chan, I've been itchin' to kick some ass lately."
-I looked out of the side of the carriage, and as Klaus had said, there were indeed groups of shadows casting themselves across the ground. They were protruding from behind the stone towers as if a group of people was hiding behind them~
-We approached the towers and began to decline our speed. There were two options, and Klaus seemed to be opting for the more action-packed one. We could either run full speed away from the bandits or take them on~
Siegfried: "Well Azure-san, it looks like we're gonna have a little bit of an issue. We're approaching our first set of bandits. Just stick here with me in the carriage and I'm sure we'll be fine."
Azure: "Okay, Seigi-kun. I trust you."
-As we crossed between the towers, a group of men in rags came running out of one of the towers. They held their swords in the air, and began shouting at us~
???: "YO! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
-Klaus obeyed their orders and halted the carriage. He and Aubrey remained in the carriage as the men approached them. Their leader seemed to be a taller, more burly man carrying a large cleaver in one hand and had brass knuckles on the other hand~
Bandit: "You there, run your pockets. Give us everything you have, both on yourself and on-board the carriage, and we will let you go. Refuse, and we won't hesitate to take it by force."
-Behind the man, was a group of 12 men. They were dressed in rags and seemed to be dirt poor. Regardless, they had a seemingly endless arsenal of stolen and illegally acquired weapons and goods~
-I caught a glance inside the entrance to one of the towers. Inside I could see numerous swords, cleavers, machetes, and crossbows. They were stacked! However, I didn't let this rattle me, as I had put my faith in Klaus and Aubrey~
[Bandit Group]: Yeah! Give us everything! We won't hesitate to chop your heads off! You do value your lives, don't you?"
Azure: "Siegfried, these guys are genuinely scary. I hope Klaus and Aubrey know what they're doing. Although they're spoken highly of, we've never actually seen them in action..."
Siegfried: "Trust me, Azure-san. Klaus knows what he's getting himself into."
-Azure nodded toward me in agreement. She calmed herself down and prepped a spell in case anything were to go wrong. Meanwhile, Klaus and Aubrey were caught in the middle of the entire confrontation~
Klaus: "Hmm. It appears that I've got a little bit of an issue on my hands, doesn't it?"
-As Klaus spoke, he turned his head toward the bandit leader, and smiled devilishly. His eyes began to glow red with malice, and the bandit leader stepped back~
Bandit: "Erm- No. I will not allow your presence to shake me, traveler. You're trespassing on our land, and will now face the consequences. Pay up, or pay with your life."
-The bandit leader twirled his cleaver in his hand and approached Klaus. Klaus then stepped off of the carriage and put his hands into the air in resignation. What kind of crazy plan did he have in mind?~
Klaus: "You're right. I value my life much more than these materialistic trifles. You may take everything on board, as long as you agree to let us go."
Bandit: "Heh, you're a smart man. The rest of you onboard the carriage, exit immediately. This will be finished quickly..."
Aubrey: "Yo, Azure, and Siegfried! We should get off."
Azure: "Shoot, this is getting serious. Damnit, Klaus! You're gonna make me get close to one of those nasty bandits..."
Siegfried: "Don't mind them, Azure-san. As long as we don't do anything, we should be okay. I'm sure Klaus has an idea..."
-The three of us got off the carriage and stepped over to Klaus. The bandit leader called over his men, and four of them stationed themselves behind us, with machetes to our necks. If any of us moved a muscle, we'd all be decapitated~
-The other 8 men began to raid our carriage, putting our stuff in bags and taking them to their tower. We were being robbed before my eyes~
Klaus: "Ah, you came prepared with a plan I see. Don't you think this is a little bit overkill? I mean, you apprehended us, and we agreed to let you steal our stuff!"
Bandit: "I will be taking no risks... silence now..."
Klaus: "Hm, what's your deal anyway? You seem to have acquired so many weapons from travelers already, what more good is ours gonna do ya?"
Bandit: "Silence! It's our business. We sell whatever we come across for profit, and use that money to live our lives..."
Klaus: "That's disappointing. You should consider maybe getting a real job. Ever heard of the League of Knights?"
Bandit: "I have no time to trifle in such militaristic agendas. Why are you bringing this topic up? Do you wish to die?"
Klaus: "Oh no, not at all. It's just that I'm surprised you haven't considered the other options besides thievery! Here, let me go, I wanna show you something."
Bandit: "Absolutely not! You will remain where you stand, if you move, it's off with your head!"
Klaus: "Very well. I will remain here, exactly where I stand, for as long as I need to....does that make you...happy?"
Bandit: "Hm? Well, I suppose it does enlighten me that you four are so compliant. Perhaps I'll leave you with a few scraps if I feel generous..."
-Klaus then closed his eyes, and let out a large breath. Immediately, I could feel the mana being sucked from the air. The air grew drier, and everybody around Klaus began to feel fatigued. He was accumulating a massive amount of mana...~
Bandit: "Hm? What do you think you're doing?"
Klaus: "-- --"
Klaus: "Θάνατος" (Translation: "Death")
Aubrey: "heehee"
-Suddenly, the four men behind us fainted, instantly... I could barely understand what Klaus had even said. What language was that?? It was unlike any spell I have ever heard before. Yet, I could feel the immense after-effect of the spell. It was POWERFUL~
Siegfried: "What is going on!?"
Azure: "Siegfried, the men! They like...died? Randomly? AH, who cares! I'm getting back on the carriage! It's empty, let's protect ourselves and let them do their thing!"
Klaus: Yes, go with Azure-sama! Let us handle this..."
Siegfried: "But what's going on? What was that spell!?"
Klaus: "I'll explain later, Siegfried. Just stay put and let us do our thing. We're about to use some very unusual magicks!"
-"Magicks"? This was a new term I hadn't ever heard before. It sounded antiquated, yet it seemed to carry a heavy meaning behind it~
-Azure grabbed me by the arm and yanked me toward her. The two of us ran for the carriage and entered it. Azure then checked to see if they had left anything behind. The bandits had robbed us clean of all of our materials~
Aubrey: "ooooo, so we're using forbidden spells now, aren't we Klaus-chan? I haven't used one in a while, let me have a go at it!"
Bandit: "NO, YOU STOP RIGHT THERE. DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE!"
-The leader approached Aubrey, and Aubrey gave him a smug look. She stood her ground and shifted her aura to that of a dragon. The leader then held his cleaver in his hand and walked toward Aubrey~
Bandit: "I will have none of this! Off with your head! You've trespassed on our land, and disregarded our warnings, and now you will pay!"
-The leader then swung his cleaver at Aubrey... but when it made contact with her, it shattered... it broke into dozens of pieces~
Aubrey: "RAH! *chomp*"
Bandit: "-- -!!!"
-It took me a bit to realize what had actually happened, but when I did, I was floored. I noticed blood slowly begin to spill out of Aubrey's mouth. She caught the blade in her mouth, and bit right through it, shattering it. She ATE his weapon...~
Aubrey: "Mmm, tastes like iron... poorly forged iron at best. What a brittle blade that was. If you had offered another one to me, I might have just eaten it too! Speaking of which, got any other tasty metals I can try?"
Klaus: "Damnit Aubrey, there you go again! It's a bad habit to eat metal! Ah who cares, there's no stopping her now."
-Aubrey smiled once more, blood spilling from her mouth and hitting the grass. She was a lunatic. She licked her lips and blushed. She gazed at the bandit leader. His eyes were filled with fear~
Bandit: "Who the hell are you? How did you manage to break my cleaver with YOUR TEETH!?"
Aubrey: "The name's Aubrey Lasko! Distinguished Knight of Provincia, and Klaus-chan's number one fan! Also, I have a thing for consuming the weapons of my enemies, it's just my own defense mechanism!"
Bandit: "WHAT? YOU EAT WEAPONS? How does that not damage your insides!?!?"
Aubrey: "Heh, they've grown a tolerance to metal by now. However, your blade seems to be giving me an upset stomach, so I'd say we tied this time! But that doesn't mean you've beaten Klaus-chan yet!"
Bandit: "Eh? Who's Klaus??"
Klaus: "That would be me, sir."
-The leader turned around and looked at Klaus. Klaus had drawn his sword and was aiming it at the bandit leader. The rest of the bandits had long retreated, after witnessing what Klaus and Aubrey had just done~
Bandit: "Eh, seems I might be getting outplayed here. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean I won't give up! COME HERE YOU."
-The bandit leader ran toward Klaus and swung his fist at him. However, Klaus caught his fist with his hand and began to squeeze it, hard.~
-You could hear the bones crunching in the bandit leader's hand as Klaus held it. The bandit leader's expression immediately changed to that of sheer panic~
Bandit: "OW, Oh, you bastard. Take some of this!"
-The bandit leader swung at Klaus with his other brass fist and landed a solid punch directly to Klaus's face. With it, came a loud bang, and a gust of air. The bandit seemed to be an air mage and used a wind spell to greatly propel his fist toward Klaus. It was the most powerful punch I had ever seen.~
-When the bandit leader removed his fist, Klaus's expression was the same. Despite being punched with brass knuckles at an incredible force, Klaus was unfazed. He hadn't even sustained any damage! Klaus then sheathed his sword, lifted his own fist, and punched the bandit leader across the face.~
Klaus: "That tickled. Felt something kinda like this, hang on a second."
. . . . .
*BOOOM*
Bandit: "--AAAA!"
-At an unfathomable speed, the bandit leader was flung across the field. Klaus's punch had sent him flying at least 300 feet before he hit the ground. It was incredible. The bandit leader tumbled across the ground and sustained heavy damage before coming to a halt~
Bandit: "-erk, -ah *cough*. Damn what the hell is that guy's deal? He's powerful... ugh, I think I might lose this one, but I haven't counted myself out yet... I have a secret weapon."
Bandit: "Don't fail me now, dagger!"
-The bandit leader then came to his feet and sprinted back to Klaus. He used an air spell to propel himself forward. Upon arrival, He spoke~
Bandit: "You bastard... you've brought me to my last straw. It's time to show you who I really am. Allow me to end your life where you stand..."
-The bandit leader then removed his shirt, revealing his muscles. He was ripped. He walked over to Klaus and put his hand in his back pocket. He then pulled out a magically infused dagger. The dagger was glowing with red light, signifying fire magic~
-With great speed, he drove the dagger into Klaus. The dagger entered Klaus's body, and Klaus squinted his eyes in slight discomfort~
Klaus: "-tch! Ah, that actually kind of hurt. You got me... Can you like, take it out now, please?"
Bandit: "Are you stupid? Why would I take it out?? Ugh, let's just finish this already!"
-The bandit drove the dagger further into Klaus's body. Klaus then drew his sword from his sheath and held it into the air. The bandit leader looked up and was amazed at its brilliance~
Bandit: "Mmm, such a fine weapon you possess. I can't wait to take it from your corpse..."
-The bandit leader then removed the dagger from Klaus's body, and immediately, white steam began to emit itself from Klaus. It was similar to the steam that emitted itself from Gurix's body, but it was much more potent~
Klaus: "Let's see now. I need to be super accurate with this one. Ah yes, that seems about right."
. . . . .
*SLICE*
-In an instant, Klaus swung his sword and completely disintegrated the bandit's dagger. The bandit leader fell to the ground due to the aftershock of the swing, and was stunned~
Bandit: "WHAT... Ah, piss... that was my last weapon..."
Bandit: "Looks like I'm going to have to rely on my magic now. Let's see here, take this!"
Aubrey: "Hang on a second!"
Bandit: "Eh? You again? What do you want??"
Aubrey: "What an unfortunate circumstance for you. You're out of men and weapons, yet you still insist on trying to take us down! When will you learn that you can't always win every battle??"
Bandit: "Ugh, you really piss me off. It's about time I punch that annoying little face of yours..."
-The bandit leader got up and walked to Aubrey. He stopped in front of her and raised his fist. He then swung at Aubrey, and she dodged~
Aubrey: "Aww! You're too slow, here, try again! I'll stay still this time."
Bandit: "UGH, you bitch, get over here."
-The bandit swung once more at Aubrey, and Aubrey opened her mouth and bit the bandit's hand. His hand began to bleed tremendously~
Aubrey: "*nom!*"
Bandit: "AHHH WHAT THE HELL!? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"
-Aubrey licked her lips once more and laughed aloud. She had that insane type of laughter that you'd only hear from two kinds of people. Sadists, and Lunatics~
Aubrey: "Ahahaha! Your blood tastes funny. Here, I'll give you one more try! I have a fun game we can play..."
Bandit: "I'm not here to play games! I'll blow you away right now! Take this!"
Aubrey: "If you wanna punch me, you're gonna have to find me! Here, let's play hide and seek. I'll hide, and you seek! Ready?"
Bandit: "Eh? What are you talking about...?"
Aubrey: "Φύγε!" (Translation: "Go Away!")
Bandit: "WHA?--"
*poof*
-Just like that, the bandit vanished. He left no trace... there wasn't even an echo of sound from when he shouted... it was as if he had never even existed.. Aubrey seemed to have teleported him away~
Aubrey: "Ah, that felt nice. I teleported him a few hundred feet away from here, so we should have enough time to escape."
Klaus: "Good thinking Aubrey. But, you didn't have to be so harsh on him like that. Also, what's with you and eating metal? You're crazy!"
Aubrey: "*spits blood* Hehe, it's just what I do. Let's go back to the carriage and check on the pair. I'll clean myself up in a little bit."
-The two of them made their way to the carriage and greeted the pair. Siegfried and Azure had sustained no damage, fortunately, ~
Klaus: "Hey guys! How are you two?"
-I was speechless. Things turned out way differently than I had expected. Standing before me was a terrifyingly powerful knight as well as his crazy lunatic partner who just ate a cleaver whole, and laughed about it~
Siegfried: "I have no idea what is going on.. You two are insane.."
Klaus: "We've been insane for a long time, Siegfried-sama. Here, let's gather our supplies from the tower, and get back on the path. We need to continue our journey to Formai."
Siegfried: "Yeah, I hope nothing is damaged. Regardless, I'm glad you two helped us out. But to me, it seemed like you were toying with them instead of seriously trying to take them down..."
Aubrey: "Well, if we wanted to, we could kill them in an instant, but there's no fun in that! I teased him a little, I admit. But it's fun....."
-Aubrey was dangerous. But it gave me a sense of comfort. With these two on our side, I was 100% confident that we would make it back to Formai alive...
Klaus: "Here, come with us you two. Let's grab our stuff and head out."
Siegfried: "Sounds good."
Azure: "I'm right behind ya."
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