When Anri opened the door, Ragnar was standing in front of him, he had a bandage around his head and smiled at Anri, so that it already seemed uncomfortable to him, behind Ragnar stood Neve who was uncomfortable with the whole thing and just talked into Ragnar's ear.
"Come, let's go."
This, however, so loudly that Anri could also hear it, but Ragnar did not let himself be talked into it, he continued to look at Anri and spoke.
"Please join our party!"
I don't think anyone expected that, so everyone looked dumbfounded. Ragnar extended his hand to Anri, hoping the latter would take it.
"What, you'll have to clear it with me!"
Neve shouted to Ragnar, who responded bluntly.
"We need new members now that there are only two of us, and someone who could save my life would be perfect for that! Well? How about it?"
He had learned from Neve that Anri had saved his life, he had forgotten all about it from the moments before he fainted, but he didn't seem too badly off anymore.
"This is coming a little too fast for me, can I think about it?"
Anri asked Ragnar, who just grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"Great! Now that that's settled we have 3 party members again, my name as I said before is Ragnar, what's your name kid?"
He pulled the confused Anri down into the guild and walked over to the counter.
"My name is Anri, but wait ..."
But Ragnar didn't let Anri wait and spoke directly to the guild woman, Anri could only understand a part, but what he understood is the most important thing Ragnar said.
"We want to register a party, three people, Anri, Neve and me."
It seemed that Anri had now become a member of the party without wanting to.
However, it had positives in Anri's mind, with the two of them he would probably be able to accept hard tasks and thus rise up the ranks faster, getting closer and closer to his goal of becoming the hero in a roundabout way.
He looked at Ragnar, for Anri he seemed interesting and strange, yesterday they had just met and today he should join their party. Furthermore Anri wondered what rank Ragnar had, was he already rank A? No ... There are very few rank A adventurers and if he were one he would be treated very differently by the other adventurers.
Ragnar finished talking with the lady from the guild while Anri watched Neve, she didn't seem to like that Ragnar just like that added Anri to their party, but what could she do, they needed another member, even if she was still filled with grief since her old members were killed by the bear, finding someone else besides Anri at that moment seemed too difficult, so she said nothing.
When Ragnar turned around, he held a note in his hand and ran loudly towards the two of them
"We have a mission!"
He chatted with the lady from the guild for a moment before turning around to face the two.
"We have to go to the mountains, there is a golem on the rampage, our mission is to stop this golem, I already have a plan for this. Neve, you sheathe your knives in fire and while we distract the golem, you pounce on its core."
Ragnar seemed to have a plan, he didn't know what Anri's strengths were after all, but he thought that his body would have to be strong and agile to dodge the golem, this thought came from thinking that Anri was probably running from the bear, and even if he wasn't going to be fast but strong, he could at least parry the golem's blows.
As the party jostled their way through the gates on their way to the golem, many merchants were out and about, Anri looked around to see if he could see the old merchant Soth anywhere in the crowds, to no avail.
The three walked along an old path to the mountains, early on they could be seen in the horizon, Anri had never seen the mountains before, an incredible experience for him.
Then Anri came back to the topic of what he had been wondering earlier and turned to his two party members
"What rank are you two actually?"
Ragnar turned to Anri and showed him his guild card with a bold big letter in silver color, a B was visible, then Anri looked at Neve who didn't have her guild card out, she just looked at him and said bluntly.
"I'm rank B too."
Ragnar just looked at her angrily and gave her a shove.
"Didn't I tell you not to lie?"
He admonished her and she took the message straight, then she took out her guild card and showed it to Anri, her card had a C on it, so that meant Anri had the lowest rank in the group, so he would have to catch up quickly to outrank everyone.
"And what rank are you?"
Neve asked him curiously, she believed Anri should be at least rank A, with the strength she seems to sense in him, but that wasn't the case, so Anri answered honestly.
"I'm rank D."
Neve just looked at him incredulously, she thought Anri was joking.
"Ok joking aside, what rank do you really hold now?"
Then Anri took out his guild card which had a big D on it and actually surprised Neve, so he hadn't lied, Neve didn't think that was so bad though, so she wasn't the rank lower in the party, so she directly clarified something.
"As the rank higher in the party, you have to listen to everything I say, understand? You have no right to disagree with me."
Anri wouldn't mind that either, but then Ragnar intervened and, as the rank highest, clarified something first.
"As the highest ranking person in the party, I order you, Neve, to put rank differences well aside for once, or you may carry all of our luggage on the way back."
Now Neve was sulky, not saying another word on the way.
The march was once again long and they had planned a stopover in a village that lay on the way. It was almost night when they saw the village and Anri was already looking forward to his bed.
When they arrived at the village, most of the inhabitants were already asleep, and in the middle of the village a campfire had been built, at which an old man was sitting. Ragnar spread his arms and walked up to the gentleman, they seemed to know each other, and Ragnar greeted the old gentleman as well.
"Long time no see, Oswald."
The old man looked at Ragnar and just made an annoyed impression before showing Ragnar with his right hand to go away, he didn't seem to like Ragnar much but the latter didn't care.
"Fuck off."
Ragnar just looked at the old man and smiled at him, he put his right arm around him and turned to his two party members to introduce the old man.
"This is my old friend and playmate Oswald! We met while betting on horses."
Ragnar and Oswald had a common weakness, they loved to gamble and they also bet against each other.
"I'm not giving you your money."
Replies Oswald only, while looking into the fire. At this, Ragnar just looks at him disappointed, he wasn't here for the money after all.
"I've already forgiven that, we just want to sleep here tonight."
Oswald looked at the group and counted once.
"Mhh three people, you should have at least announced that Ragnar .... Well, as long as it's only one night you can sleep in the warehouse, it's not comfortable but at least you have a roof over your head. That's all I can offer you."
Ragnar nodded his thanks and went ahead.
"You guys stay here for now and have dinner, I'll get the shed ready for us."
Anri sat down next to the old man, while Neve still stood and looked at the man sourly.
"You want us to sleep in the warehouse. Seriously?"
Oswald just looked at Neve annoyed, he had enough of her, first the group just comes here demanding a roof over their heads and then they still complain without leaving a coin.
"If you don't like it, you're welcome to sleep outside."
Neve pouted while sitting in front of the campfire and Anri looking into the fire, Oswald looked at Anri and told him where to get food.
"Go to the warehouse if you need food, but don't take too much."
Then he looks at Neve who continued to be unhappy with her sleeping place, then he really had enough.
"There's nothing for you tonight, come back when you've settled down."
He had a typical grandpa mentality. But Anri didn't care, Neve had earned it for himself now not to get dinner, you should never complain about something you got as a gift, Anri however was satisfied and said to the old man:
"Thank you very much, do you want something?"
Oswald was convinced by this politeness, for him Anri was now the best of the party, he thought it was great that he asked him if he wanted something too. He just shook his head and replied.
"Thank you very much, I don't need anything though."
After Anri nodded, he headed towards the warehouse, where Ragnar was also at the moment, Neve looked after him, just thinking to herself that he shouldn't leave her alone with that old weird guy after all.
When Anri arrived at the warehouse Ragnar was already finished admiring his work, he had converted sacks full of cotton into beds and cut blankets from empty sacks, he looked at Anri and asked him:
"Nah. What do you think of this?"
Anri looked at the construction, he could definitely think of something more cozy, even his hammock was certainly more comfortable, but he might not show his power at least for now, he didn't want to hang it on the big bell. So he simply replied in a friendly manner.
"That's cool."
Then once again the demon king reported to Anri, he found the sleeping place unworthy.
["He dares!? Even in the book it was more comfortable than on this torture device."]
Anri did not even respond to the Demon King at first, for Anri had mastered the hardest of all arts, that of ignoring a moron.
Without talking to the demon king, Anri took a piece of bread dough, which the baker had prepared for the next day and went back to the campfire, where Neve had sat down in the meantime, she was already tired of the village and would like to move on immediately, but now Anri would eat first, he went to a nearby tree and tore off a straight branch, on which he placed a piece of the bread, then he held it over the fire, unfortunately a little too long, because the bread was already turning black. Oswald was already admonishing him:
"Don't you dare waste some of that good bread, it's one of the best goods we can sell."
Now Anri was immediately much more careful with the bread, he turned it with care and held it only briefly over the fire so as not to burn it, although one side was slightly charred, but the stick bread seemed relatively successful.
He took the bread from the stick and bit into it hard, indeed, he understood why this is one of the best goods in the village, the bread literally opened in his mouth and it tasted like cotton candy, Anri had never eaten anything like it and it was delicious. Bread after bread Anri made in the fire while Neve watched hungrily. When the dough was used up, Anri had prepared a few loaves for himself. It was getting late and he said goodbye with a
"Good night."
Before taking the loaves and heading towards the warehouse.
In the warehouse Anri lay down on his bed of cotton sacks, Ragnar, who had not left the warehouse, was already asleep when Anri came in.
In bed Anri thought about what Vaelus would be doing right now, they hadn't seen each other for several days, this never happened in his life. Had Vaelus really passed the entrance exam? Sure, at least Anri thought so, he could never have failed it, how could he? He was, after all, so much more talented than Anri. Anri, however, had evolved faster, or rather gained strength, he still didn't know why or how, but the Demon King seemed to just watch him, sometimes he brought spells, but if he ignored him, he couldn't influence him at all, could he? He did not take off his cloak to sleep, because if Neve came into the room and saw demon horns, he would certainly not see the next morning.
With all those thoughts, Anri fell asleep.
The next morning he opened his eyes very late, Ragnar was already awake and so was Neve, the very first thing Anri did was to reach for yesterday's bread, but his hand went to nothing, his bread was gone. Shocked, Anri ran out of the warehouse to see Neve take the last bite, leaving no bread left.
"How could you eat my bread without asking me!"
Anri was already on the verge of crying, when a strong grip on Anri's shoulder tightened, the hand alone covered his entire shoulder, how big would then please be the associated man.
Slowly, Anri turned around to discover a man in baker's clothes, just as tall as Anri himself, but with huge hands. Then he spoke to Anri.
"Did you like my dough, after all, you left nothing! You will pay for it with work."
He demonstratively lifted a bowl to Anri, who accepted it overwhelmed and looked at the baker.
"My name is Martin Roggenmeister! And now stir! You will make the dough you ate!"
Anri could say nothing, he what simply overwhelmed and stirred as fast as he could while Neve and Ragnar crouched on a log and Anri slaved away working.
While Anri was working, the demon king was already back to wishing the baker dead, he had forced Anri to do something, and as long as Anri was a demon, no human should order him what to do and what not to do, which is why he bluntly said again.
["Kill him, he doesn't deserve to live"].
Slowly the demon king was really getting on Anri's nerves, which is why he did nothing again and kept working, he saw it differently than the demon king, he had used up the dough, so now he would have to make new dough, that's the only fair thing to do.
It was noon by the time he was finally done and the group could move on, baking the dough had benefits for everyone, a classic win-win situation.
The baker would get new dough, and Anri could remember the recipe to recreate the dough later.
They said goodbye to Oswald, who hoped not to see them again for a long time, then the party continued towards the mountains, which were getting bigger.
He walked after Neve and Ragnar while he sank his head and sank into his thoughts.
They were dealing with a golem, something Anri only knew from legends, golems are rare creatures that according to myths were created and controlled by the demons, since the believed death of the demon king they were almost wiped out, and now there was no demon left except Anri himself.
("Why do you think the golem is rampaging?")
Anri asked his demon in his head, which he had ignored lately, which only gave a relieved sigh of relief, he already thought that Anri would never talk to him again, and then he would have to just watch all the time and do nothing, which he had absolutely no desire to do.
["That can't be a golem, boy, you're the only demon, and you're hardly going to have created that golem, someone must have created some kind of fake spell."]
Now Anri was interested, a fake of a spell?
("How does something like that work? And why does someone do something like that? Isn't it much more useful to use normal spells?")
The Demon King took a deep breath, the topic was long and intense, so he briefly considered how to summarize it.
["Well, some kingdoms are researching it to blame us demons for attacks on some other kingdoms, so there is political power behind it."]
He explained it as best one could succinctly.
Then Anri spoke to Ragnar who walked along the path with a grin.
"Have you ever fought a golem?"
Ragnar looked at Anri and simply shook his head in denial of the question.
"But that's why I'm already full of anticipation, earlier the hero had defeated all the demons and thus the golems were also crippled, now that one of these critters is alive again and the hero is gone, it seems to be our time to add this golem to our list of defeated monsters."
Anri wasn't in such a good mood though, Ragnar and his party, which was even larger than the current one, had failed to defeat a giant bear, should they be able to defeat a golem now?
"Aren't golems extremely strong?"
Anri looked at the path as he said this, he was interested because that would probably determine whether Anri would have to show his powers sooner than he wanted to in order to protect the other two, or he would just have to dodge.
"Well, it depends on the demon that is directing them, but generally they all have a weak point, a core at the back, once that is destroyed they are dead."
Anri took this information and they then continued towards the mountains. Arriving at the foot of the mountain they could already hear the golem, which was still kilometers away, its heavy footsteps could probably still be heard on other mountains. Ragnar looked at the two and once again made sure.
"So you know what to do, right?"
Anri then repeated the plan to show Ragnar that he understood everything.
"We distract the golem and Neve destroys the core."
"Good, always remember the plan, as long as we follow it nothing can go wrong."
The group made their way up to the golem until they saw it in front of them.