Carrying the unconscious boy on her back Lena arrives at the village they were heading towards.
(not much to see here just a bunch of worn out houses and a pathway connecting them.) Lena gazes at her surroundings as she walks through the pathway.
(Now All I need to find a place to ask for information about monster corpses or this boys home.) She gives the boy who's leaning his head on her left shoulder a quick glance then continues down the pathway with a sigh.
Walking down the pathway she can see the villagers walking alongside her those returning home, those going to work, those spending time with their family. Looking at them she slightly lowers her gaze and continues down the path.
Eventually she reaches what seems like a tavern so she walks still carrying the boy. As soon as she enters looks of worry and fear quickly stare at her.
"He is just asleep." Lena declares as she sits the boy down on a chair and then sits next to him.
She then raises her hand calling out for the young looking woman serving the other people. The woman looks around her hesitantly, probably for an excuse, but reluctantly approaches Lena. Lena notices her actions and sighs.
"All I need is a drink please, anything works." Lena says trying to sound as least intimidating as possible.
The woman nods and hurriedly walks away.
( so now.... what should I do... I can ask around the tavern but I very much doubt anyone's going to talk to me properly.) Lena sighs once again.
( I can check the village's notice board... but those aren't always accurate nor on time.) Lena sighs again.
she looks at the boy next to her leaning his whole body on the table unconscious.
(so he can use magic, and the way he uses it... So he was the one who burned that goblin huh...) she thinks going back to the scene of the forest fire.
(But still, that doesn't explain anything on why he knew my last name... Is this some kind of divine thing? Is this kid getting gods help? No, I should stop thinking about this and just focus on what we need to know at this moment.).
"Uhh... Ummm... excuse me.... here's an orange juice." The young woman returns trembling as she places the cup in front of Lena. The woman gives a quick glance to the sword sheathed to Lena's waist which gets her even more terrified.
Lena stares at the cup for a while as the woman continues to tremble next to Lena. Lena then turns her head towards the woman and slightly smiles.
"Thank you." she says with a made up smile.
"N-N-N-N-No p-p-p-problemmmmm!!" the young woman says as she quickly ran back behind the counter, but is suddenly stopped as Lena grabs her arm with her normal left arm.
"Just a quick question okay? Have there been any mysterious slayings around here? Like a monster corpse that no one claimed to slay? Especially if it's a harder to kill one." Lena asks the woman forcing a kind look.
"Ahhhh.... Ummmm.... T-there w-was one around a m-month ago... A dead c-chimera was found but no commission nor request was p-put up for it and nor did anyone go for the credit, though it was looted." The woman spoke quickly and hurriedly left to hide behind the counter successfully this time.
Lena turns back to the cup of juice in front of her.
(I did say anything, but I was hoping for a beer...) she says jugging the juice down.
with a satisfied exhale she ponders on what to do next.
(So we missed him... but a dead chimera, I didn't hear anything about that. Well it is a village out in nowhere *sigh*). She then turns her head towards the boy who looks as if he is sleeping soundly.
(What should I even ask about him? Maybe just leave it to him?) She thinks as suddenly a large group of men walk in.
They all look well built and each of them is carrying a lethal weapon, whether it be a sword, an axe, or a dagger. Looking towards the counter she can notice the old man behind the counter shiver as he looks at them come in, while the young woman looks even more terrified than when Lena walked in.
Lena decides to make this no problem of hers and try to get some rest while she can. She closes her left eyelid and tries to sleep as she fakes snores. Shortly after she can feel a bit of shaking.
"Excuse me, Lena... Helloooooooo... Lenaaaaaaaaa..." It's a familiar voice, jack.
She decides to continue faking her sleep as it she felt like she was going to actually work. Plus she had left the boy with some coins in his pocket so he can buy whatever he needs.
Without much fighting the boy just gets up and leaves which leaves Lena with a slight sting from the inside. She had secretly hoped for him to retaliate some more.
She can feel the boy's presence leave the establishment, but trusting him she doesn't worry much. She continues faking her sleep until she feels a presence approach her. It's one of the man who had entered earlier.
"Yo! Would you honor me with a look fine lady?" The man says as he sits on the table right to Lena.
Lena opens her left eyelid and stares at the man. The man smiles and gestures something to the men behind Lena.
"Would you look at that, If it isn't the walking gold mine!" The man says smirking.
"To think that you would be sleeping in such a public place! How carefree could you be with a strong 10million on your head." The man says standing.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Lena says trying to delay the inevitable.
"Come onnnnn.... A huge gauntlet on her right arm, tall and well built, thought I would say you are beyond well built, Long brown hair and hazel eyes. Only difference is that there is no eyepatch on your right eye, but you haven't opened your right eyelid since we started talking so I can safely say you removed it." The man says pointing at each description of Lena.
"And what if this all is a coincidence? What if I am someone who just happened to check all of these boxes?" Lena asks sharpening her gaze.
"Oh well then too bad!" The man says as she immediately unsheathes his weapon and swings it at Lena. Lena swiftly jumps back and lands between the man's gang.
"Ok then, what makes you so sure you can take me down? Don't you think a bounty so high would be for a reason?" Lena asks the man as she turns checking all the men out.
Non of them look particularly strong except that man, The one who pointed everything out, He does hold a presence of his own.
"It's simple, mere superiority. You see in the wanted poster it says that you are a gold adventurer, while me, I'm a gold circle adventurer!" The man says raising his sword.
"I just got fed up with all of that risking life bullshit and now spend my days out here." The man says entering a stance.
"How long ago was that." Lena says looking around her one last time.
"I forgot!" The man immediately attacks Lena.
He swings his sword at Lena coming from right on top of her. She quickly blocks it with her gauntlet and parries going for a punch with her left fist. The man jumps back and another of his goons comes at her.
She swings her right arm backwards and sends them flying.
But to her surprise the man stands up again after hitting the wall.
(An punch like that should've taken him out... my body really is getting worse...) Lena thinks as she kicks another man approaching her.
Their boss then comes again from the side which Lena replies to with her sword, which had been sheathed, now in her left arm.
Her right arm is the dominant one, but she had to improvise and go with her left. Thankfully every since she started wearing her gauntlet she has used her left arm for swordsmanship every now and then so she can manage.
*tsk* she can hear the man click his tongue as she blocks his attack.
The man then sends a serious of attacks that lena blocks with either her gauntlet or sword.
One of his men tries attacking Lena as she is busy with their boss, but is cut down by his own boss as Lena ducks down.
The boss is taken aback for a second by quickly smacks down with his sword, but is too late as Lena jumps back.
"You just cut down your own!" Lena shouts at the man.
The man looks at what used to be one his men and then looks back at Lena with a stern look.
Lena replies with another stern look.
( so people like that do exist...) She thinks as she switches hands moving her sword to her right hand.
She then once again clashes blades with the man, this time with nothing to hold back.
None of the gang members interfere this time seeing what had just happened to their 'friend'.
This time as Lena and the man's blades clash Lena quickly places her left hand on her right gauntlet as close to her park as possible. Then a gust of wind is sent flying from the sword, sending the opponents sword flying away.
The man is left in shock as such thing was never expected, how did a regular looking sword just produce magic?
In that moment of shock Lena quickly gives the man a gut punch with right arm coated in the huge gauntlet, as she does not plan to kill, but to knock him out instead.
With a punch he goes back a couple of steps, Lena quickly jumps and gives a quick second with her left. Her sword is now on the ground as she in rapid succession punches the man, and then as to finally end it as his back is to the wall of the tavern she smashes her right fist with pounds of metal to back it up straight into his face while the wall is right behind it knocking him out.
"Tsk should've been a lot faster if it wasn't for my weakening." She turns around saying that looking at his gang.
They all look at each other and then attack Lena all together.
Lena sighs and takes them all out one by one swiftly. With both her left arm and legs as her right arm might hurt regular men a bit too much.
As she is done she looks around and realizes how much she had broken of the tavern's property, so she leaves what she believes is enough to cover the repair costs on the table she was sitting at and leaves.
Two more men appear out of nowhere rushing in to attack her, but she quickly knocks them out sending them back right from where they came.
"Here I left you the repair costs on the table there, now if you'll excuse me." Lena said looking at the old man hiding behind the counter as she left.
Then turns right from the bar and takes a couple of steps before realizing the boy is in front of her.
"You saw that..." Lena says looking at the boy.
"D-did you do that?" The boy asked.
Lena realized at that moment as to what life she had brought to boy into. Stuff like this will continue to happen wherever they go, with a 10million bounty on her head she won't be able to live peacefully, and what wrong had to boy done to deserve this. So without lying or evading she replied.
"Yes." with a straight uncaring face.
"You just beat up innocent people!" The boy said with an angered expression.
(Innocent? right, innocent. Other than their boss they might've really been innocent. For what they did was merely bounty hunting. A request for my head was placed and they had accepted it. In some kind of fashion indeed they were innocent.)
"Innocent? well they could've been in some kind of sense, but they started it." Lena's uncaring face turned serious.
"I was minding my own business and they started threatening me." Lena said slowly approaching the boy.
"So whether they were innocent or not, I do not care. I don't know where you are from boy, but this is how it's going to be from now on, so you can either come with me, or go and be the better person." Lena said passing the boy.
This is what's best for him, she convinced herself as she slowly walked away with little hope inside her.
She didn't look back but did slow her steps unintentionally, a part of her still seeking the boy's warmth.
And then suddenly she can feel jack's presence follow her a few steps behind.
She takes a quick glance at the boy and then faces forward hiding her face from him, with the corners of her lips curving unknowingly to a slight grin, she says. "bad choice kid, bad choice."